President should bear responsibility for food crisis: Tilvin

While commenting on prevailing economic crisis and food scarcity were due to the ignorant decisions by the government, the Janatha Vikuthi Peramuna (JVP) said today the President should bear the entire responsibility for the food scarcity.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva told a news conference that even though President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was trying to show that this was a natural crisis, this crisis was created by him.

"This is not a natural crisis. This has been caused by the ignorant actions of the government. Food scarcity threatens people. Prices of  vegetable skyrocketing. There is scarcity of rice. Rice had to be imported. But, the country faces a serious dollars crisis. Are all these due to natural causes? No, this is a man-made crisis which was created by the President. Agriculture is in deep crisis and had gone beyond redemption. Still for all, the government is not ready to rectify its mistakes. The government is trying to suppress this by removing officials. The President should take complete responsibility for this food crisis," he said. 

He said the government's tax policy had only benefited its crooked businessmen and that it was not a tax policy which helped the government to collect revenue.

"VAT was reduced. But, the benefit was passed down to their crooked   businessmen. People were not benefited. Tax on sugar and coconut oil was reduced, its benefit was also passed down to their cronies, not to the people," he slammed.