PRESIDENT Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday the government had given top priority to the resettlement of the displaced people living in temporary camps and to help them rebuild their shattered lives in an atmosphere of peace.
“We must be mindful that the government is unable to re-settle displaced people as fast as we or anybody else will wish. After a bloody three-decade war the land must be cleared of mines and booby traps. We have to develop infrastructure facilities like water, electricity and roads. All basic needs and utility services must be
in place for people to re-settle and begin a livelihood. The government more than anyone else wants to see the northern people participating in the development process of the country,” President Rajapaksa said during his keynote address at the Sri Lanka Customs (SLC) bicentenary celebrations held at the BMICH.
He said probably the biggest subsidy package given by any government in the world was the one given by this government where a bag of fertilizer was covered by a 96 per cent subsidy and this did not change whether a 50 kilogram bag cost Rs. 3,500 or Rs.9,000 in the global market.
“Sri Lanka is proud to provide free and quality education and health. We must not forget that China provides free education only up to grade-5. There was a time when attempts were made to sell state assets including the outsourcing of the Customs Department according to conditions laid down by the IMF and the World Bank. The country’s previous regimes consented to those conditions to obtain loans. Under the present administration, the strength of the public service has increased to 1.2 million as opposed to plans to down size it to 600,000 a few years back.
“The policies of this government are much different from those followed by previous governments. We develop the country without selling its assets. We also want a country that upholds and safeguards social values. For instance, the government can collect a good income by selling liquor and cigarettes. But, we have restricted the consumption of liquor and cigarettes despite the sharp decline in income,” President Rajapaksa said.
He said Sri Lanka able to emerge unscathed from the global economic melt down while prosecuting a war and carrying out a huge development programme which included the construction of power plants, ports, airports and expressways and doubled the GDP in four years.
The President said even the IMF had highly appreciated the government’s pragmatic policies and sound economic management when it granted the recent loan package sans conditions and on a nominal interest rate.
“The main contributor to the Treasury is the Customs. It collects more than 50 per cent of the state revenue. All government expenses – paying salaries to public servants, subsidies to farmers and consumers, expenses for the humanitarian operations, re-settlement, rehabilitation and development depends on the revenue collected by the Customs. Hence, it is important for Custom officers to be efficient, honest and diligent when carrying out their duties.
“The word ‘Reguwa’ carries several meanings. It’s basic meaning is the ‘share of the king’. Today, it is the share of the public, the portion set out for the expenses of the people from the revenue collected at the port. Ancient stone inscriptions say that those who embezzled tax collections will be born as dogs or crows in their next birth. Hence, you must be very honest and duty conscious when you do your service as Customs officers. Besides, you are privileged with many perks and extra income which other public servants are not entitled to. It is sad that a small section of your fellow officers have given a bad name to the Customs,” President Rajapaksa said.
He paid tribute to the services rendered by the Customs which had a long history and contributed to the progress of the country for two centuries and pointed out that the ‘Godawaya’ manuscript had given clear instructions on how tax was to be collected without putting the payer in difficulties and how it should be shared.The first day cover of a commemorative stamp and a 200-rupee silver coin were issued to mark the bicentenary and they were presented to President Rajapaksa. (Courtesy: Daily Mirror)
