Sri Lankan Prez under fire over govt expansion amidst economic crisis

Colombo: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has come under fire from the Opposition over his government expansion with 37 state ministers and with moves underway to appoint at least 12 more Cabinet ministers soon at a time when the island nation is facing bankruptcy.

President Wickremesinghe on Thursday appointed 37 junior ministers, largely representing the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

The 37 new posts are in addition to the 20-member Cabinet of President Wickremesinghe, who took over in late July following Gotabaya Rajapaksa's exit. Talks are also underway to appoint at least 12 more Cabinet ministers soon.

The Opposition has vehemently condemned the president's move, arguing that the government could ill afford the expansion at a time when the country is going through its worst economic crisis and the recent tax hikes have heaped burden on the people.

The president and the government have no regard for the suffering of the people who are facing high cost of living, said Sajith Premadasa, leader of the main Opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the government isn't saving much by offering salaries of Members of Parliament (MPs) to the state ministers.

"They are being allowed huge fuel allowances when tuk tuk operators have been allowed only limited fuel," he said. Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga had said the new state ministers will not become a burden on the country as they are working without any ministerial privileges.

Also since all the state ministers will work on MPs salary, they will not be a big burden to the government, he said.

Wickremesinghe's office had said the state ministers have been strictly told to minimise expenditure on view of the hardships faced by the common people in

the country.