• Trillion rupee budget deficit

  • 20 percent of anticipated spending allocated to the President and his two brothers

    By Ashwin Hemmathagama

    The Appropriation Bill 2012, which was moved recently for Parliament approval outlines Rs. 2.22 trillion as next year’s anticipated spending by the UPFA government, although it leads to a budget deficit of Rs.1.105 trillion. Out of this massive fund, over 20 percent has been allocated to the President, several Ministries, and some statutory institutions that come under the direct control of the Rajapaksa family.

    The Presidential Secretariat is allocated a massive Rs. 6.161 billion. There are three ministries and 32 statutory institutions listed under the Executive President. The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order, and Urban Development, Ministry of Finance and Planning, and Ministry of Religious Affairs are all under President Rajapaksa. The Ministry of Finance and Planning, a part of the President’s portfolio has been allocated Rs. 124.22 billion.

    The Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI), National Education Commission (NEC), Udarata Development Authority, Strategic Enterprises Management Agency (SEMA), Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA), National Salaries and Carders Commission, Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP), National Research Council (NRC), Telecomm-unication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRC), Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), Human Rights Commission (HRC),

    J. R. Jayewardene Centre, Office of the Cabinet of Ministers, Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman), Department of Elections, Auditor General’s Department of Sri Lanka, Public Service Commission (PSC), National Police Commission, Constitutional Council, Finance Commission, Commission to Investigate Bribery and Corruption, Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Institute of Fundamental Studies (IFS), National Procurement Agency (NPA), National Council for Economic Development (NCED), Tsunami Housing Reconstruction Unit (THRU), Land Reforms Commission (LRC), Ceylon German Technical Training Institute, Public Enterprises Reforms Commission (PERC), Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLRDC) are the statutory bodies that come under President Rajapaksa. According to sources, many of these Ministries and statutory institutions will also receive additional allocations through Parliament approval and the subsequent budget proposal to meet specific programmes and expenses.

    The Ministry of Economic Development, which comes under Basil Rajapaksa was established to formulate policies, programmes and projects with regard to the subjects of poverty alleviation, tourism, investment and all subjects that comes under the four institutions – Department of National Zoological Gardens, Department of Botanical Gardens, Department of Commissioner General of Samurdhi, and Department of Up-Country Peasantry Rehabilitation. His ministry will receive Rs. 104.57 billion next year.

    Last but not least, the Defense Ministry where Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is the all powerful Secretary has received the lion’s share from the Appropriation Bill. Among the 55 key ministries and institutions allocated funds in the Appropriation Bill, the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development is one of the biggest. Although the 30 year fight against separatism ended a few years ago, the UPFA government has allocated approximately Rs. 230 billion for next year, compared to Rs. 215 billion the Ministry received in 2011. This is an increase of over 5 per cent.

    There are ten state institutions directly listed under the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development. These include the Ministry itself, Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Department of Immigration and Emigration, Department of Registration of Persons, Department of Coast Conservation, Department of Civil Security, and Department of Sri Lanka Coast Guard. From the entire list of institutions, the Sri Lanka Army will receive Rs. 111.78 billion for recurrent expenditure and Rs.1.4 billion for capital expenditure. It is reported that these monies will be used to maintain an army of over 200,000 for the repayment of loans taken to buy weapons and ammunition during the war. Sri Lanka’s war against terrorism happens to be Asia’s longest running ethnic conflict that claimed over 100,000 lives during the past three decades.

    Posted by sanjeewa on Oct 23 2011. Filed under Lead, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

    25 Comments for “The Rajapaksa Troika”

  1. nepali

    October 23, 2011 – 1:07 am

    Pushing the country towards bankruptancy…. Thanks to Rajapaksa family for ruining country

    Reply

  2. Benett

    October 23, 2011 – 1:30 am

    This all equals to one word: disgusting! Especially when reading that around 380.000 children in this country are stunted, one fifth of the people are anaemic and around one million only get one meal per day.

    Wake up, Sri Lanka!

    Reply

  3. roshan

    October 23, 2011 – 9:02 am

    they said the war was over, now they say there are dangers, and want to protect. All these are humbug, they want to make money before the people chase them out.

    Reply

  4. podi

    October 23, 2011 – 9:50 am

    Wowww, what away to devolop the country still they allocated moneu to buy new military transport planes for the airfroce and NEw passanger planes and allocated 500 million each for Sri lankan airlines and Mihin,, wowwww,, Miracle os Asia ,…..

    Reply

  5. raj

    October 23, 2011 – 10:02 am

    there is so much similarities between MR & Gadhafi since both family involved in politics.

    Reply

  6. singingfisher

    October 23, 2011 – 11:25 am

    It seems the general public have to suffer under the Dutugamunu regime.

    Reply

  7. Naveen

    October 23, 2011 – 12:14 pm

    The budget in this country is a bogus issue, just only for the name sake and the

    entire money is robbed by the Rajapaksa brothers and they are all now have not

    millions but billions and they will still rob till they are in power. This is the

    most corrupted government ever came since 1948, the entire country is upto for

    corruption and the people are undergoing a suffering life because of these

    dirty rascals. If Prabaharan alive he would have killed all these rascals long ago

    at least then the people will not suffer like this. They all hit the stomachs of the

    poor man and they enjoy a luxury life. God save Sri Lanka and people.

    Reply

  8. Channel 4

    October 23, 2011 – 1:53 pm

    All this while over 80% of the population in this third world country are living under the poverty line. Colombo people are begging on the streets.

    Reply

  9. tissa

    October 23, 2011 – 2:45 pm

    raja kudu family

    Reply

  10. hakeem

    October 23, 2011 – 3:00 pm

    no one can do anything. he who make law and order in sri lanka.

    Reply

  11. Desapriya

    October 23, 2011 – 6:45 pm

    Muhammar Gaddafi family , no brothers but two sons, abducted Libiya for 4 decades enmassing billion $s in foreign banks. Now dragged and killed in the street like a dog. In Srilanka Rajapakse family hijacking the

    country and the result would be worse.

    Reply

  12. jayasri

    October 23, 2011 – 6:51 pm

    Good move by MR. We have seen the real economic development in our country after long time (those who are politically blind can’t see this). If money allocations gone to politicians who spent billions to defeat their opponents, then we will not see these changes today. Majority of SL people knows the real benefits come to them in future with this trend, and that is why the keep on trusting MR and his family.

    Reply

  13. rufus

    October 23, 2011 – 7:11 pm

    It’s Party time ! Lets spend the merry , drink and eat till one of us fall dead and the show must go on ! We have to accumulate for our next ten generations ! This regime is our sweep to be king pings and gangsters, Lets own theeast cost tiger lands and lease it out to our foreigners who are for 99 year lease. That’s money just pocket money. We have to build Kings palaces in the north , east .south and not forgetting we have to own colombo 7 properties. We have to become directors of all foreign investments during our regime control. No one could bypass any contracts without our foreign bank accounts are credited. Do you have anymore suggestions ?

    Reply

  14. marcus fernando

    October 23, 2011 – 8:45 pm

    this is what you call monopoly

    Reply

  15. D.J.S.De Mel

    October 23, 2011 – 9:58 pm

    Dear readers,

    Libyan incident bring some notice to these cheaters.Very soon it is going to happen.This is their last chance of cheating the public money.

    Reply

  16. LOVE2be1TRAITOR

    October 23, 2011 – 11:05 pm

    bringing the urban development under ministry of defence shows we r the next lybia.

    the uneducated lot in the south has no idea wat have appen to countries when ministry of defence plays major role in day to day running of the government.

    small miracle has gone big, we r the next lybia for next 42 years

    Reply

  18. sam

    October 23, 2011 – 11:27 pm

    this man^s governance is comparable to that of then Suhartho or Simbabve^s president.. Leaving the common man in their griefs he seems to be spending a lo his travels with 100ds of unnecessary groupings.

    Reply

  19. Sisira

    October 23, 2011 – 11:42 pm

    So what is the point made? They have active and poweful ministries. They need to pay salaries to their staff. there are various operational and development budget proposals. we do not need to know one side story. Give us well balanced new artcles.If you make a point, so do it with all he facts.

    Reply

  20. Sri

    October 24, 2011 – 1:19 am

    The Age of Trillionaires has finally dawned!

    Reply

  21. Waterberries

    October 24, 2011 – 4:34 pm

    Do not worry, either our island will prosper or will suffer… with rulers.

    Reply

  22. Mahinda’s friend

    October 24, 2011 – 5:32 pm

    every purchase from the eastern block will have a kickback, where do you think all the kickbacks will go? right into the pockets of the Rajapakses.

    Reply

  23. Dushantha Kurera

    October 24, 2011 – 11:10 pm

    This is a misleading article. It shows as if the money is allocated for personal use.!!!!!!! This is for the work to be carried out in respective departments. This is how the media can twist a truth to an opininon of whatever political party affliations.!!! Sri Lanka needs a Balanced media to show the Good work and the waste of the Govt. In any situation as there will be atleast 10-20% bad decisions. The question we want to know is wheather the Govt is learning from the mistakes and showing improvement in spending on development .

    Reply

  24. Mahinda’s friend

    October 25, 2011 – 11:09 pm

    Dushantha Kurera: in Sri Lanka’s case, there will be 99.99% bad decisions which will result in money flowing into the MR coffers