Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said he firmly believes that the Opposition MPs who love the country will join hands with the Government and extend their support to the program carried out by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to get the nation out of the current crisis.
The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said the Opposition MPs have realised the program implemented by the President to rebuild the country has achieved positive results so that there is a group of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs who are willing to cross over to the Government and extend their support to the President. The Minister said they will definitely join the Government in the near future. At present Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa who has panicked makes various false statements to demoralise and discredit the SJB MPs who have decided to extend their support to the President and the Government.
Now the majority of the people have realised President Wickremesinghe is the most suitable and capable leader who can successfully fulfill his responsibility on behalf of the country at this critical juncture.
Excerpts of the interview
Q: The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the provision of financial subsidy to farmers to get fertiliser for paddy cultivation in the coming 2023 season. Could you explain?
A: Following a Cabinet paper submitted by me, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to provide a maximum of Rs.40,000 subsidy per two hectares including Rs.20,000 per hectare during the forthcoming season.
Q: Has the Government allocated an additional Rs. 3 billion to purchase paddy in the 2022/2023 Maha season?
A: Yes. At present, paddy purchasing is continuing countrywide. However, the paddy purchasing is conducted through the Divisional Secretaries under the supervision of the Public Administration Ministry. The Agriculture Ministry doesn’t have a direct involvement in it.
Q: You have said that steps will be taken by the Government to move away from the distribution of fertiliser during the Maha season and provide financial allocations for farmers under a subsidy system. Would you like to comment?
A: Farmers complain regarding the Government’s fertiliser distribution. Farmers say they can’t purchase fertiliser on time and they have continuously complained about the lapses made on the part of Government officials.
So, they have made a request to provide them the opportunity to get the concessions entitled to them from whatever place as they wish either from the Government or private sector institutions.
Even fertiliser is sold by Government fertiliser companies as well. Therefore, we decided to provide the opportunity to the farmers to obtain their subsidies and concessions given to them annually from both the Government and the private sector. In future, we hope to introduce a QR code system for farmers from the next Maha season to provide them with relevant subsidies.
Q: You had told the media that the Government will not be involved in fertiliser distribution activities and instead the relevant activities will be handed over to the private sector. What led to such a decision?
A: The private sector will be involved in the distribution of fertiliser. However, the Government also has two fertiliser companies. Therefore, they should import and release fertiliser to the market at competitive rates. Then the farmers have the opportunity to buy fertiliser either from the Government or the private sector depending on the prices.
Q: The National New Paddy Harvest festival, known as ‘Aluth Sahal Mangalya’ was held at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya on April 2 for the 56th time under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Your views?
A: Actually, this year’s Aluth Sahal Mangalya was held when the farmers are gradually returning to some stable level after a lapse of several cultivation seasons.
The Government has made arrangements to provide required facilities to farmers for the next season. For example, Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) fertiliser is given to farmers free of charge. Similarly, other fertilisers are also given to farmers at concessionary rates. In addition, financial assistance will also be given to farmers for the purchase of fertiliser.
At this critical juncture, the next cultivation season will commence after providing every possible relief that can be given to the farmers. The Aluth Sahal Mangalya was held to obtain blessings for the next cultivation season.
Q: Following the success of the fuel QR code system, the Government is developing a QR code system for farmers to provide them with the relevant allowances and subsidies. Could you explain?
A: This would provide the opportunity to provide anything to farmers through this QR code system. This would also prevent fraud and malpractices and also overcome the lapses made on the part of the officials. If we are going to provide concessions to farmers, we should adopt this kind of sophisticated method.
Q: You had told the media that the Government is planning to incorporate modern technology into agriculture. What are the steps being taken to make this endeavour a success?
A: At present most of those who engage in the paddy and other cultivation sectors are above 45 years of age. Youths are reluctant to enter into the agriculture sector due to the lack of its income. We would incorporate modern technology into the agriculture sector and go for methodologies which can get more harvest from a less land area.
Now we have brought that technology to our country and it is being used now. Steps should also be taken to expand that technology so that we would be able to solicit the contribution of youths towards agriculture.
Q: Earlier, you said that the Local Government elections should be postponed for a couple of months and those funds should be allocated to purchase the paddy harvest for the farmers. What led you to make such a statement?
A: Actually, if an election was held, we would have not been able to conduct the paddy purchasing program even at this level. I don’t say this paddy purchasing is hundred percent successful and it has completely sorted out the problem. If the LG elections were held, this Rs.13 billion could not have been allocated by the Government to purchase paddy.
The entire paddy purchases are converted to rice and distributed among low income families free of charge. This would pave the way to realise two ultimate goals of purchasing paddy from farmers and provide rice to low income families free of charge.
Even though certain sections demand to hold the LG elections, we should seriously consider whether the elections could be held at this juncture or purchase paddy by postponing elections for a couple of months. During March and April, the Government has distributed rice free among nearly 2.8 million low income families including 20 kilos per family for the forthcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
Q: The Opposition and certain sections allege that the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill intends to suppress political dissent, trade union actions and weaken the people’s democratic rights. What is your view in this regard?
A: That is completely false and there is no truth in that allegation. If there is any shortcoming in this bill, that can be amended and rectified in Parliament. However, I would like to say this Bill would create an environment for the people to live freely. No room should be provided for terrorism in the country and the attempts made by certain sections to harass the people in an unnecessary manner. Actually, this is what the people seek at the moment. Today the people don’t expect closed roads and their movements distributed by certain sections that seek to realise their ulterior motives. There cannot be obstacles towards taking the country forward overcoming the current crisis.
Q: How do you view the protests made by professionals and trade unions against the Government’s new tax policy?
A: Then politicians should also speak against the tax policy as we are also subjected to pay taxes. It applies to Ministers and Parliamentarians as well. A tax is also charged from the amount of fuel quota given to us. However, we don’t protest against it.
The country has faced a very difficult situation now. Then we all should make some sacrifice. At present, all are making that sacrifice including politicians. Therefore, the professionals should also make some sacrifices for a brief period until the country recovers from the current crisis.
For example, they can also make up their mind that they have also made some contribution to provide rice to 2.8 million low income families free of charge. It is obvious we all have to undergo hardships.
However, there is a group of people who face severe hardships to continue their livelihood. Therefore, some sort of tax has to be charged from those who draw higher salaries to look after them. Some of those professionals who make a big hue and cry that there are no medicines at hospitals and people are suffering from hunger have come to the streets and protested when Rs. 1,500 or Rs.2,000 tax is charged from those who draw salaries less than Rs.100,000. They are just conducting media shows to hoodwink the people.
Q: Speculation is rife that a group of SJB Parliamentarians have decided to support the President and will join the Government in the near future. Is there any truth in this?
A: The Opposition MPs have realised the program implemented by the President to rebuild the country has achieved positive results. There is a group of Opposition MPs who are willing to cross over to the Government and extend their support to the President. Therefore, they will definitely join the Government in the near future with or without portfolios. This is clearly evident as Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has become so jittery claims that Rs.200 million has been offered to an SJB MP who will join the Government.
He makes such false statements to demoralise and discredit the SJB MPs who are willing to join the Government. This means he himself knows that a large number of SJB MPs will join the Government.
That is why the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is issuing various statements. Similarly, they say some Government MPs are to join the Opposition. Then they should also give money to those who want to cross over to the Opposition.
I firmly believe that those who love the country will join the Government and extend their support to the program carried out by the President to get the country out of the current crisis with or without having portfolios.
Q: Do you think if Ranil Wickremesinghe didn’t accept the presidency at that critical juncture, the country would have faced a disaster?
A: Definitely. When the country turned to anarchy without having a Prime Minister for a couple of days and Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake ignored the challenge, President Wickremesinghe accepted the challenge at that time. We also categorically said that we would extend our support to anybody who accepts the challenge.
We are very happy that the President is successfully fulfilling the responsibility entrusted upon him. Even if the President doesn’t have power in Parliament and people’s support at that time, at present the people’s confidence is building on the President.
Now the majority of the people have realised that the President is the most suitable and capable leader who can successfully fulfill his responsibility on behalf of the country at this critical juncture.