December 07, Colombo (LNW): Badulla District NDF MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake voiced concerns in Parliament yesterday over the challenges faced by the public in accessing essential goods through Lanka Sathosa. Highlighting the plight of private-sector employees and laborers, Dassanayake urged the Government to ensure essential items are made available at reasonable prices without shortages. “People cannot stand all day long at Lanka Sathosa to buy five kilos of rice and coconuts,” he stated.
SJB MP Kabir Hashim raised questions about budget allocations for the Presidency, asserting that the expenditure head assigned to the current President mirrors that of the former. Hashim criticized government officials for providing misleading information, stating, “It is the officials who are misleading you. We were also misled by these officials in the past.”
He further criticized ruling party members for not fulfilling earlier promises, including the removal of the Central Bank Governor, adding, “You can have professor and doctor titles. We are not jealous of them. But there are things to learn from us too.”
Hashim’s remarks reflected broader concerns about governance and financial transparency, drawing attention to the consistency in budgetary allocations despite political transitions.