Can’t give another salary hike with current tax revenues – Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana

Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana told Parliament yesterday that the government can no longer provide a salary increase for public servants from the state tax revenue since there is no government revenue growth allocated to address this in 2024.

Between 50 percent and 86 percent of the total revenue obtained from the taxes levied on the ordinary people by the Sri Lankan government is allocated to the salaries and pensions of public servants.

In 2020, even though the state revenue was low, 86.7 percent of the total revenue was used for salaries and pensions of public servants.

He said this while presenting the facts and figures on the salary payments of public servants from 2014 in Parliament yesterday.

Whatever government runs the country, it should maintain enough income for daily expenses. No matter who governs the country, pensioners should be paid pensions and public servants should be paid their salaries.

“We also have to provide welfare benefits like “Aswesuma” to the people. If the government does not have the money to do these things, then it has to go into debt.The government now has no income to cover its recurring expenses. Last year, an amount of Rs.4.7 trillion was spent on government employee salaries and other expenses. Rs.three trillion has been received from all channels such as tax and non-tax revenues.

“No one can escape these procedures.Opposition members make false promises on political platforms.But they know they can not fulfil them if they come into power.

“They lie to the people of this country. It is very difficult to bear the cost spent to pay salaries. More than half of the tax revenue is spent on the payment of government employee salaries and pensions.

“People who pay taxes in the country should know what they are paying. When certain people are struggling to raise their wages, governments increase wages by any means. Money was printed and wages were increased in the past. But this time we cannot do them.The reason is that the International Monetary Fund has informed the Sri Lankan government not to print money.

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