We’ll struggle with the youth to remind issues of young generation forgotten in budget – SYU
No relief has been given from President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s seventh budget to unemployed youth or graduates and employees who have lost their employment says the National Organizer of Socialist Youth Union (SYU) former Parliamentarian comrade Bimal Ratnayake.
Addressing a media conference held at the JVP head office at Pelawatta today (27th) comrade Ratnayake said, “As usual the young generation of the country has been forgotten in the budget that has been presented. In the budget Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa has allocated only a few centimeters in one column of his budget for youth and the burning issues of the youth. That too has been entered to the budget not by getting views of the youth but by having discussions with businessmen.
Fuel prices, taxes, prices of essential commodities were increased, assets were taken over, casino bills were brought and gambling areas were established before the budget was presented to gratify the IMF.
In 2006 President Mahinda Rajapaksa presented to the country a ten year plan. It was stated that unemployment rate of youth between 19 and 25 in our country was 28%. Five years have gone by since then. Three years have passed since the end of the war. However, no measures have been taken to implement the ‘ten year plan.’ In the same ten year plan Rs.850 million had been allocated to make available a monthly allowance for unemployed youth. We would ask whether a single unemployed youth in this country received this allowance. Money has not been allocated for this allowance in the present budget either.
About 2.5 million youths in our country are unemployed. President Mahinda Rajapakse has been in power for 7 years. Graduates are still waiting for employment. The number of unemployed graduates has gone up to 42000. Also, about 300,000 workers in the private sector have lost their employment. The government put forward several mega projects and said young generation would be given employment. One such project is Hambantota harbour. There were commissions for some people but no jobs for youth.
Also, nothing has been mentioned in the budget regarding employment in Korea. Government ministers and MPs deceived the youth during the elections by showing application forms for Korean jobs. Now the youth have to go behind President’s son Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa for Korean jobs. These ‘jobs’ have become riots. Recently, youths encircled certain institutions and expressed their anger regarding the job racket.
As the Socialist Youth Union we like to emphasize to the youth of this country that employment is their right. They should struggle to achieve this right. As the Socialist Youth Union we are prepared to struggle with the youth. We have organized agitations throughout the country under the theme ‘Provide employment for youth without pseudo budget tricks and lies.’ We hope to rally those who have passed the A/L exam, graduates and unemployed youth and demand the government to make available a ‘dole’ for unemployed youth, compensation for workers who have lost their jobs, find employment for graduates and allocate a fund to create jobs for the youth.,” said the National Organizer of SYU.
He said a massive agitation will be held in Colombo on the 30th at 3.00 p.m. as the first step of the series of agitations and called upon all youth to join the agitation.
Members of the National Committee of the SYU comrade Marungan Mogan and comrade Gayan Janaka were also present.
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