Jan 30, 2015

White Goat & Black Goat

TV Anchor interviewing a Farmer about his goats:

Q: What do you feed your goats ?

Farmer : White goat or black goat ?

Anchor: White goat !

Farmer : Grass !

Anchor: And what do you feed black goat with ?

Farmer : I feed it with Grass as well

Anchor: Where do you keep them ?

Farmer : The white one or the black one ?

Anchor: white one !

Farmer : In the porch outside !

Anchor: And how about the black one ?

Farmer : I keep them in the porch as well

Anchor: And how do you clean them ?

Farmer : The black one or the white one ?

Anchor: Black one

Farmer : With water !

Anchor: And what about white one ?

Farmer : of course with water

Anchor angrily:
You idiot! When you treat both white and black goat the same way then WHY do you keep asking me “Black or White” ?

Farmer : Because the white goat is mine…

Anchor: And the black one ?

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Farmer : That is also mine

Jan 29, 2015

Mini Budget Summary 2015



► Prohibition imposed on Ministries and state institutions from publishing promotional newspapaper advertisements

► Special committee to be set up ro resolve issues caused by irregular finance bodies within six months

► Public transportation costs to reduce by 50% for senior citizens

► Every citizen to have a bank account - can be opened in commercial banks with an initial deposit of Rs. 250

► Sri lankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka to be merged to reduced the losses

► Sri Lankan Airlines and Mihin Airlines have incurred heavy losses  - within five years over Rs. 100 billion due to manangement inefficiencies/ Mihin Air Rs.15 billion during the past five years.

► Dahami Diriya for Sunday school teachers - a monthly sum of Rs. 200 to be paid

► Rs. 250 monthly allowance to be paid to pre-school teachers

► Mahapola scholarship fee to be increased upto Rs. 5000

► Special facilities for disabled war heroes - special loan scheme named Viru Diriya to be introduced in state banks/ maximum borrowing Rs. 500,000

► Rs. 1.5 million permit fee will be charged from vehicle importers (irrelevant of whether the imported vehicles are brand new/reconditioned)

► The government has waived off the 25% tax paid by customers when reloading phones

► Rs. 1000 million tax imposed on television stations dedicated to sports

► One time tax of Rs. 250 million to be paid by mobile phone operators

► One time tax of Rs. 250 million to be paid by telecommunication providers

► Marriage registration fee to be reduced up to Rs. 1000 from Rs. 5000

► The number of liquor shops per proprietor to be reduced upto three / Liquor permit value to be increased by twofolds

► Casino business-owners to pay Rs: 1000 millionas a tax - first payment to be made before April.

► Extra Rs. 5000 million to be gained through a container scanning process with effect from September

► Vehicle assembly plants have neglected their income-tax payments during the previous regime. Rs. 12,0000 million revenue expected through prompt payments

► Cement prices to be reduced by Rs. 99

► Vehicle taxes reduction 15% for vehciles with engines below 1000 CC

► Super-gain tax - any company of which the profict exceeded Rs. 2000 million  - tax amout worth 25% off its profit will be charged

► Mansion tax - Rs. 1 million per annum will be charged for houses of which the value is estimated at Rs. 100 million or exceeds 5000 sqft

► Gold jewellery pawned to banks  - that don't exceed Rs. 200,000 -  interest will be waived off

► 12.5kg gas cylinder price reduced up to  Rs. 1596 (Rs. 300 reduction)

► 13 Essential goods price reduction by removal of taxes - with effect from midnight

  1. Sugar: Rs. 10 reduction  - tax reduced from Rs. 28 up to Rs. 10
  2. Milk powder 400g packet will be Rs. 325 (maximum retail price) - reduction of Rs. 61
  3. Sustagen milk powder to be reduced by Rs. 100 (400g)
  4. Flour prices reduced by Rs. 12.50 per kilo
  5. Bread - reduced by Rs. 6
  6. Green grams -  reduction by Rs. 40 per kilo
  7. Sprats: Reduction of Rs. 15
  8. Canned fish - Reduced by Rs. 60
  9. Coriander - Reduced by Rs. 60 per kilo
  10. Maldive fish - taxes reduced by Rs. 200
  11. Canned fish - Reduced by Rs. 60
  12. Coriander - Reduced by Rs. 60 per kilo
  13. Chilli powder - Reduced by Rs. 25 (powdered)

► School van fees reduced by 5%

► Electricity consumers will be encouraged to use solar power

► Kerosene reduced by another Rs. 6 per liter

► A sum of Rs. 2000 billion to be allocated to the fund reserved for kidney patients

► Budgetary allowance for education sector will be increased by 6% off the GDP systematically

► Decentralized budget for ministers will increase by Rs. 5 - 10 million

► Fresh milk price buying price to be increased by Rs.10

► To improve agricultural sector, hand tractors will be given away at concessionary rates / fertilizer concession will be continued + the quality will be increased.

► 50% of the loan amounts borrowed by farmers to be waived off

► An allowance of Rs. 20,000 to be paid for expectant mothers

► Senior citizens with Rs. 1 million in their bank accounts to be given 15% interest rate

► Reviewing of pensions - Increase of Rs. 1000 with effect from April

► During past seven years 5000 million USD due to losing GSP+

► Request made for private sector employers to increase the salaries of private sector employees Rs. 2500

► Rs. 2.5 billion saved by cutting down on the number of Ministers

► All loans taken during the past government has to be paid by this govenrment to which includes 15 million USD loan taken for security purposes

► Salaries of state sector servants incresed by Rs. 10,000 - Rs. 5000 will be given in February/ remaining Rs. 5000 in June- Thereby state sector employees' salaries increased by 47%

► We believe in uplifting and developing the lives of every citizen of this country - not just a selected few - Ravi K

► Expenses of presidential secretariat - 2014 Rs. 10,4970 million / estiamted cost for 2015 was Rs 95,930 million but it has been brought down to Rs. 2560 million

► True figure of state debts concealed by previous regime - currently it stands at Rs. 8.81 trillion

► True figure of debt per person is Rs. 427,220 - Minister Ravi K

► Minister Ravi K lists out details of financial losses incurred due to borrowings/developmental projects of the previous regime that has resulted in an added financial burden to the people

► Loss incurred by hedging deals is 60 million USD

Jan 11, 2015

Crowning Ranil Wickremesinghe as the best politician

Ranil Wickremesinghe
As per what is happening around political arena, many are trying to survive in the game of politics, if you ask me to crown the best politician, without a doubt, I would crown Ranil Wickremesinghe as the best politician in the Sri Lankan history. (Stood-up many defeats, survived when UNP broke apart, well managed the internal party conflicts, stood firm as party leader, broke apart MR's iron regime, and now he has become the Prime Minister for the third  time)

In Sri Lanka's politics, this is not an easy task. It's only my opinion!