Sumanthiran criticizes the budget before its presentation

Colombo (News 1st): 24 hours before the budget was presented to parliament TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran criticized the 2019 budget. However 24 hours after the budget was presented to parliament his rhetoric changed drastically. Speaking to the Lankadeepa earlier he said that the budget has transformed into a game where the income is inflated, and expenses are portrayed to be less than actuals. The MP said that this game has been going on for a long time now, and added that actual figures are not been revealed to the country or the general public. Sumanthiran concluded that based on the difference between reported data and reality, he believes that the economic crisis Sri Lanka is facing is far worse than expected. TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran's stance on the budget has watered down, a mere 48 hours after his initial newspaper interview. MP Sumanthiran noted that the general reaction to the budget is positive in that they think this is a responsible budget given the economic constraints that the country is facing at present. He said that they are thankful that the Palmyrah fund has been established as this is something they have been asking for a long time and that war-affected areas in the north and east, unfortunately, haven’t much corporatization. He noted that they had a meeting earlier and the attitude has changed after they went public and now it seems like they are corporating a little. Sumanthiran noted that the minister gives it in economic format and the budget estimate is in accounting format and the two can't be compared easily, and eventually what is adopted is totally different. Sumanthiran went onto note that what is implemented finally has nothing to do with either the budget estimate or what the minister of finance presents as budget proposals or the finalized figures. He noted that the actual money available for all of those fine proposals that they present is minimal and the country doesn’t even have half that money to actually implement it. He went onto note that their fear is that even 20% will not be implemented, therefore they have several measures that the minister announced for which there is no provision in appropriation act or in the budget estimate. He questioned the source of money for such expenditure. Sumanthiran stressed that this situation has to change, there weren’t rupees and figures to certain proposals which were made. Meanwhile, MP Namal Rajapaksa noted that they are waiting to see the decision of the TNA, to see if the TNA is voting in favour of the government and if so why? He questioned as to what their hidden motives are because this budget proposal has nothing for the people of the north. MP Rajapaksa noted that during his (Sampathan) tenure as the leader of the opposition he spoke for the people of the north. He noted that it is centered around that voter base and they (Namal) are eager to see how the TNA will use their vote.