SJB launches 20 point election manifesto
Opposition Leader and Presidential Candidate of the Samagi Jana Sandhanaya MP Sajith Premadasa’s election manifesto titled ‘A win for all’ was launched in Kandy yesterday.
The manifesto has focused on 20 key points including building a strong economy through transparency and accountability, debt crisis management, empowering every citizen, enhancing government service, protecting quality of life and safeguarding the nation, finance and exchange rate policy, expenditure control, stimulating economic development, public sector management and digitisation.
Parliamentarians Patali Champika Ranawaka, Eran Wickramaratne, Dr. Harsha De Silva, and Dullas Alahapperuma participated in the occasion.
Under citizen empowerment, attention has been given to seven areas including education, vocational training and youth, women and children empowerment.
Under the promotion of public service, attention has been focused on creating a digital Sri Lanka for the 21st century.
Eight areas including religious and cultural affairs, media, housing and public facilities have been given under the protection of living conditions.
Special attention has been given for strengthening democracy and reconciliation, foreign relations and trade alliances, national security, law and order, and anti-corruption laws under security.
It has been stated in the manifesto that it will follow a social market economic model guided by social democratic political principles and this ensures social justice and security for all by utilising market forces to achieve fair and inclusive economic growth.
According to the agreement with the International Monetary Fund, it also stated that although it is difficult to achieve the goals related to income, primary account balance and debt by strengthening financial discipline, necessary reforms will be carried out for that purpose.
It is stated in the policy statement that raising taxes is not the only solution to increase public revenue and introducing digital technology is a fundamental task to increase revenue as well as reducing expenditure and corruption.
Personal income tax after the tax-free slab of Rs. 100,000 per month will start at just one percent and increase up to 24 percent for income up to around Rs. 500,000 per month. Thereafter, current rates will apply for high income earners.
It intends reducing corporate income tax up to six percent from the present 30 percent rate for profits on exports and introduces 15 percent based on Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) minimum alternate tax for multinational companies will be introduced.
It also intends to reduce VAT to 15 percent once tax compliance improves through the use of Public Digital Infrastructure to widening the tax net. Certain identified items in addition to essential food as consumables and inputs shall be made zero rated for VAT.
Excise tax on cigarettes and alcohol and taxes on casinos will be adjusted to fund tax reductions. A guaranteed up to 15 percent savings interest rate will be provided for senior citizen savings.
Samagi Jana Sandhanaya proposes to transform Sri Lanka into a globally connected social market economy, together with large-scale and small-scale private enterprises as the main driver of economic growth. Special attention has been paid here in relation to improve global economic integration through trade liberalisation and foreign direct investment, and freeing the domestic market, including the product and labour market.
In order to bring down the price of rice and maintain sustainable prices, the islandwide Shakthi rice mills cooperative system will be introduced. Under the Pramabhashara programme, a network of agricultural warehouses under climate control to reduce post-harvest losses by about 40 percent will be set up.
It is also stated in the declaration that the laws will be amended to make the port city the regional center of Asia for technical services including financial technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology.
To transform the health sector with high-tech solutions from drug preparation to all health services and to increase quality and efficiency will be made.
With the aim of making Sri Lanka a regional renewable energy powerhouse, it is planned to not only meet the target of 70 percent of renewable energy generation by 2030 but also to exceed that limit.
It has also assured to give a bag of fertiliser of 50 kg to the farmers at a price of Rs. 5,000.
It has also been stated that freehold deeds will be given within five years to the land permit holders who were residing on government lands.
Taking into account the critical role played by teachers, it has been focused on providing free public transport facilities to all teachers, providing 100 percent water and electricity facilities to all schools in Sri Lanka and preparing a road map to make every school a friendly school.
The statement also revealed that the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam, which has become a great stress for schoolchildren, will be simplified and organized in such a way that the children are not affected and all school children studying in Grades 6 to 13 will be given a monthly amount to buy menstrual hygiene products according to their wishes.
It has been proposed to increase the welfare allowance to Rs.10,000 for 50,000 people suffering from chronic kidney disease and to increase the Rs.2,000 allowance to Rs.5,000 for 820,000 elderly citizens.
The manifesto has proposed to increase the welfare allowance given to persons with disabilities from Rs.7,500 to Rs. 10,000 and to implement a quota of three percent of employment opportunities in the government service for them.
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