An authoritative official familiar with the financial matters said that the wage subsidy offered by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as the finance minister to plantation workers was very much similar to fertiliser subsidy to farmers and kerosene subsidy to fishermen. Therefore, the Opposition lawmaker Rohini Kaviratne’s assertion is baseless, sources said, adding that the intervention made by the government to provide relief to the plantation workers shouldn’t be a political issue.
The official was responding to Matale District lawmaker Kaviratne questioning President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s proposal to utilise the Consolidated Fund to pay a section of the estate workers’ salary increase, beginning January next year.
President Dissanayake on 07 November announced that the daily wage of estate workers would be increased to Rs. 1,750 from Rs. 1,350 under the proposed new scheme. He said the estate owners would contribute Rs. 200 while the Treasury would grant an additional Rs. 200 as a daily attendance incentive.
MP Kaviratne told The Island that the subsidies provided to farmers and fishermen couldn’t be compared with the proposed utilisation of the Consolidated Fund as the plantation workers chosen for the special scheme were paid employees of private companies.
MP Kaviratne reiterated that the President’s proposal was contrary to the Public Financial Management Act, No. 44 of 2024 (PFMA) that became operational on 09 August, 2024. Introduced in the wake of Aragalaya and declaration of bankruptcy, PFMA replaced the previous Fiscal Management (Responsibility) Act, No. 3 of 2003.
By Shamindra Ferdinando 