The Government announced that Cabinet permission was granted for a proposal to double the Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance paid for government doctors, raising it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000. A move by the main government medical trade union, GMOA, was welcomed yesterday (9). The decision by the Government has already triggered a trade union response from other state sector health unions, who asks why not us? Several professions linked trade unions in the supplementary medical service have launched a token strike against the Government’s decision to not provide them with the DAT allowance. The Government also moved to provide university teachers a 25% increase in their study allowance. The increase is set to be included in their January salary. The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) also welcomed the increase, but stressed that they will continue to push for changes to the income tax changes which have hit them hard.

While any relief that Sri Lankans get during these austere times are welcomed, the question needs to be asked, why the Government is providing selective relief to only some segments of the population. Yes, there is an issue about the flight of medical professionals and academia from Sri Lanka, and its broader impact on society, not just today, but also in the coming years. However, most doctors and academics do not make up the ranks of millions who have been pushed below the poverty line in Sri Lanka over the last two years due to the economic crisis. Sri Lanka’s entrenched political culture, poor national policies and ad hoc decision making had already created a trust deficit between the public and the Government. The resentment towards the Government, and the entirety of the legislature grew in the hearts and minds of the people over the last three years. 

One of the fundamental issues that the ordinary Joe see’s in Sri Lankan governance is that the State is not “fair” to them. “The small guy always gets hammered” is the general thought pattern amongst many. Some may argue that doctors and academics and others in such tax thresholds pay more tax. However, those who are struggling to get by also pay tax at the vendors when they buy goods and services.

As such, when only a segment of the population, which those in the poverty line view as been “reasonably well off” get relief from the State, and when those in poverty hear that top distilleries in the island owe hundreds of billion rupees in unpaid taxes to the State, when they hear that those industrialists and friends of political elite continue to maintain loans which are not serviced, how can you expected the common man to trust the State. While it is good that the Government has increased incentives for academics, the ongoing situation where stationery and other school items have been pushed beyond the reach of many school children due to tax increase, begs the question, whose interest does the Government have in mind when they offer relief? It is understood that the Government has little breathing space to provide relief, and they may want to prioritise the flight of medical specialists and academics. Nevertheless, if the Government does not show it is fair in its austerity, those who are struggling to get by will not fall in line with the tax policies enacted. Such selected relief creates anger and distrust. If the Government is to effectively restructure the state sector and push Sri Lanka towards a sustainable economic recovery, it needs to build trust in national policies and state institutions. 

As a democratic state, Sri Lanka needs to strengthen its state institutions to get the public involved in governance and rebuild trust in the State. They need to show young Sri Lankans that this is a country that has a future for everyone. A country which will treat everyone justly.