ENB NEWS: US AID TO LANKA WILL CONTINUE

US aid to Lanka will continue, says envoy Chaminda Perera

ORUGODAWATTE: US Ambassador in Sri Lanka Robert O’ Blake yesterday denied any move to halt US aid to Sri Lanka and reiterated its unwavering support for a political solution based on a compromise between the Government and the LTTE.
CLOSER LOOK: US Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Robert O. Blake inspects the food consignment at the Orugodawatte WFP Warehouse. Picture by Saman Sri Wedage The US envoy was speaking at the handing over of 17,500 metric tons of essential commodities worth US $ five million to be distributed among people in conflict affected areas at the WFP Warehouse at Orugodawatte.
This is a part of what will be provided by the US Government under the USAID Food for Peace Programme. USAID has approved another US $ nine million worth of food bringing the total US contribution to the WFP’s relief efforts in Sri Lanka to $ 14 million.
The USAID maintains a team of humanitarian experts in Sri Lanka who will identify what additional USAID assistance is required to meet the people’s needs in conflict affected area.
The food consignment comprised lentil, wheat flour, cooking oil and other essential foods.
Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development Ministry Secretary W. K. K. Kumarasiri, SFP Country Director Mohammed Saleheen also spoke.

War cost Rs. 50 billion this year
By Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera

The government has spent over Rs. 50 billon to procure arms and ammunition for the present military exercise during this year alone, Deputy Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya told Parliament yesterday.
Mr. Siyambalapitiya was speaking during an adjournment motion
moved by JVP MP Piyasiri Wijenayake demanding that a monthly pay hike of Rs. 3000 be given to public servants and that steps be taken to improve the living conditions of private sector employees and estate workers.
The Deputy Finance Minister said that some elements insisted on taking forward the military push and giving economic concessions to the people at the same time without looking at the problems realistically.
“We cannot give immediate relief as these expenses exist on account of the procurement of military equipment,” he said.
Commenting on the prices of essential items, he said that there were some external factors beyond the government’s control that affected prices.
Mr. Siyambalapitiya pointed out that wheat flour cost only 184.6 US dollars a tonne in 2003, but cost 223.5 US dollars this year.“The price of sugar has increased from 252.4 US dollars a tonne to 343.5 US dollars during this period and rice from 227.8 US dollars to 426. 9 US dollars,” he said.
He added that the government had recruited around 250,000 persons to the public service since 2004, and the payment of salaries to the entire cadre had also increased drastically.
JVP MP Wijenayake who brought the motion, requested the ruling coalition to take immediate steps to increase the salaries of public servants without compelling them to take trade union action on a large scale.
He said workers were undergoing immense hardship on account of the escalating cost of essential items.
“Now, the price of coconut oil has increased by 79.1 percent and sugar by 41. 68 percent,” he said.
He said that the price of a kilo of some varieties of dry- fish had increased from Rs.366 to Rs.526.
“Prices of stationery items, including exercise books and erasers used by school children, have also soared. People have to meet all these expenses with their monthly income,” he said.
JVP MP Wasantha Samarasinghe asked what steps would be taken by the government increase the wages of estate workers and private sector employees who accounted for 80 percent of the GDP.
Mr. Samarasinghe said that estate workers now found it difficult to purchase a bottle of kerosene oil and a kilo of wheat flour with one day’s pay.

House debates alleged deal with LTTE today
By Kelum Bandara Parliament will debate today allegations made by the UNP and SLFP (Mahajana Wing) regarding a secret deal between the LTTE and the government in the run up to the Presidential Election in 2005.
SLFP (Mahajana Wing) MP Sripathi Sooriyarachchi had earlier alleged that the government had handed over Rs. 200 million to the LTTE before the election to engineer a boycott of the poll by people in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, eventually resulting in President Mahinda Rajapaksa ascending to power with a narrow margin.
MP Basil Rajapaksa who was sworn in yesterday had allegedly played a role in working out this deal, according to Mr. Sooriyarachchi. SLFP (Mahajana Wing) MP Mangala Samaraweera will move the motion and open today’s debate on behalf of the Opposition.
The House will take up the Opposition demand for a Select Committee to probe the issue further, for a vote in the evening.