New taxes a ploy to conceal govt’s extravaganzas – UNP

By Jayashika Padmasiri
The country’s main opposition has castigated President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government’s extravagant lifestyle, which included amongst other benefits, regular foreign jaunts and stays in super star classified luxury hotels, while the masses were virtually starving and burdened by the sky rocketing cost of living.

UNP MP and spokesman Gayantha Karunatilaka told The Bottom Line that it was obvious the five new controversial bills by the government, which imposed fresh taxes on the public, was one of the ploys introduced to cover up the extravagant costs of the government members and the President, following their super luxury stay the United States recently.
“The president went to the US to deliver a seven minute speech at the UN General Assembly, with a large number of his personal acquaintances, and wasted millions of rupees belonging to the public.

The group stayed at a luxury hotel called the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New York, where Rs. 275,000 was paid per person for one night. The air fares for the government group to the US cost millions,” said Karunatilaka.
“The people are starving today. They cannot afford to eat rice or even bread, as the prices are too expensive for the public to afford. And to add to these burdens the government is imposing new taxes on the people. They are trying to cover up the extravagant spending of funds, corruption and the inefficiency of the government by imposing these unreasonable taxes,” Karunatilaka charged.

The UNP spokesman also criticized the President’s earlier visit to China where 266 officials took part in the trip with the President. According to him, the total cost for this few days trip was a whopping Rs. 60 million.