Salaries for Sri Lanka’s Army, Navy and Air Force cost Rs 73.17 billion (US$ 560 million) in the year 2013 alone, stated a government minister on Friday.
Responding to a question raised in the Sri Lankan parliament, Chief Government Whip, Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, defended the record amount being paid out, saying that the security forces were needed for the “protection of the country”.
ColomboPage also quoted the minister as saying,
"Even during the times of war we allocated funds like that and it was the reason for the victory of war. We strengthen the tri forces because it would strengthen the country."
A record Rs. 253bn was allocated to Sri Lanka’s defence budget for 2014, showing a year-on-year increase in the amount allocated to the security forces. See more in our earlier post here.
Over Rs. 700 million has also been cashed out to soldiers from the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in the past year, in the form of grants for those who have their third child.
See more in our earlier post: Rs. 700 million awarded to soldiers having their third child (25 January 2014)
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
