UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday said the time had come for the people to decide whether they were going for a regime change or further tolerating the cost of living shocks that are being continuously aimed at them.

“The people should decide soon as it is clear that the present government does not want to mend its ways and the poorest of the poor would have to suffer more in the future, as a result of this non flexibility,” Mr. Premadasa said .

Mr. Premadasa questioned as to why the poor were deprived of benefits if the economic development which the government was talking about was a reality.

He said it was a fact that that a government in any country earned a revenue through a rational tax structure. However Mr. Premadasa said the situation in Sri Lanka was different as there was no transparency in the tax structure which is irrational.

“The government is handling the economy in a notorious way and is making a mess of it,” he said.

Mr. Premadasa also said the government had pushed the people to a point making them think that dying was a better option than living since day to day survival had become more and more difficult with the sky rocketing cost of living.

The UNP Deputy Leader said the government had sent the people to the fire from the frying pan at this holy period of Vesak where the famous quote ‘May all beings be happy and healthy’ is frequently heard. (Yohan Perera)