Opposition accuses govt. of using Speaker’s ruling to bar judicial review of IMF dictates

By Saman Indrajith

The SJB yesterday accused the government of using trickery to prevent the judicial review of its new laws to bring down the value of money in the Employment Provident Fund by 30% as a part of IMF dictated economic reforms.

Chief Opposition Whip Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella said that the government had prevented the judicial scrutiny of the new laws to restructure the EPF by announcing a Speaker’s ruling that barred such review.

“As per the implementation of IMF backed debt restructuring and economic reform processes, the value of money in the EPF will decrease by 30 percent. Right from the beginning the government did not present to Parliament the agreement with the IMF to reform the economy and to restructure debts. Suddenly the government brought it before the House to get it passed and then to raise a privilege issue from an MP of their side to obtain a ruling from the Speaker

that there was no use of challenging this in courts. They used this trick to prevent the courts’ scrutiny of the plan to get hold of EPF money. Otherwise, there was no need for placing the debt restructuring plan before Parliament. with the rights of the public.