brand logo

Public sector cuts vs. public welfare cuts: The public view

10 Nov 2022

  • Policy think-tank CPA’s islandwide survey reveals majority public support for cutting down public sector workforce, but keeping the welfare State intact  
BY Sumudu Chamara The public is divided over how the Government should reduce its expenses as far as reducing the public sector workforce and welfare programmes are concerned. According to a recent survey, even though many people support the shrinking of the public sector and believe that it is primarily the people’s responsibility to find jobs, when it comes to welfare programmes, an equally substantial number believe that such programmes should continue, as it is the Government’s responsibility to take care of the people. This was explained in a recent islandwide survey conducted by policy think-tank Centre for Policy Alternatives’ (CPA) survey and research arm Social Indicator (SI), which had been designed to capture the public’s attitudes towards the “aragalaya” movement, as well as the prevailing economic ideology. The study was conducted from 22 September to 12 October 2022, targeting men and women from both urban and rural localities in all 25 districts, and also four ethnic groups – Sinhalese, Tamils, Upcountry Tamils, and Muslims. Overall, the survey had collected the responses of 1,000 people.  Public opinion on and support for a ‘system change’ Adding that even though the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as the eighth Executive President of Sri Lanka normalised the country’s politics to a great extent, the survey report said that its findings show that people have not given up their demand for a change in the country’s political system. It revealed that a significant proportion (82.5% of respondents) stated that they support a change in the way that the country is governed, and further said that it is evident that it is mostly the youth who believe so. However, 4.9% of respondents had said that they do not support a system change in the way the country is being governed.  The survey also looked into the respondents’ willingness to make compromises for a system change. The report added that in order to examine how seriously the citizens support a change in the way the country is governed, the respondents were asked to indicate whether they agree to make certain compromises for a change in their lives. These include compromising on their usual travelling and transportation needs and habits, compromising on the usual food items that the respondents used to purchase, the willingness to pay more taxes, and the respondents’ opinion in the event they or one of their family members were to lose a job.  Noting that the survey findings revealed that as the compromises for a system change get harsher, the support that the respondents are willing to extend declines, the report explained: “For example, a considerable proportion (76.3% of respondents) expressed their agreement to support a system change even if they were to compromise their usual travelling or the mode of transportation. Close to 70% of the respondents stated that they would compromise on the usual food items that they used to purchase. This support declines dramatically (down to 41.4% of respondents) if they were to pay more taxes. Only a little more than a quarter of Sri Lankans (26.4%) agreed to support a system change even if the respondent or any of his/her family members were to lose a job. Interestingly, this attitude did not change according to the age of the respondent.” Privatisation of crucial State institutions and the economy The survey report stated that under the current economic reform discourse, privatisation seems to have been presented as a panacea, and that the current Wickremesinghe-led Government openly advocates the privatisation of State institutions, ostensibly to cut Government expenses. In this context, the survey had focused on whether the public agrees or disagrees with the privatisation of two very important sectors – health and education. The report noted that as per the survey results, it is only a minor proportion of Sri Lankans that agree with the proposal to privatise the health and education sectors in order to see an improvement in quality. While 27.4% of the respondents had agreed that an increased involvement of the private sector in health services would improve the sector, 23.7% of the respondents had expressed belief that such increased involvement would improve the quality of the education sector. However, 51.9% and 53.5% of the respondents had disagreed that privatisation would improve the quality of the health and education sectors, respectively. The survey report said: “It is noticeable that more than half of the Sri Lankans express their disagreement in the matter of the privatisation of the health and education sectors. Although there is no strong difference between the young and the old on the privatisation of these two sectors, there is slightly higher support for privatisation among young people.” The report stated that the survey further examined the public opinion on matters that indicate Sri Lankans’ attitudes towards neoliberal reforms that have received new impetus in the backdrop of the current economic crisis. Findings, as per the report, indicate that the majority of the citizens expressed support for policies such as allowing foreign countries to invest in the country (59.8% of respondents) and not imposing restrictions on a person’s earning capacity (63.1% of respondents). Adding that the survey findings show that the people are not in agreement with downsizing the Government sector, the report noted that a little more than half of Sri Lankans (52.3% of respondents) stated that Government corporations should not be privatised, as they are necessary for the country’s development. A total of 24.4% of respondents had stated that the Government should not allow foreign companies to invest in the country, as they would exploit the country, while 22.2% of respondents had stated that the Government should impose a limit on incomes to reduce the income gap of citizens. Meanwhile, around 29.3% of the respondents had said that Government corporations should be privatised, as running businesses is not the Government’s responsibility. Meanwhile, discussing the role of the Government under a neoliberal economy, the report said that under the current economic reform discourse, neoliberalists advocate downsizing the Government workforce, slicing spending on welfare, and freeing the State from the responsibility of providing jobs. It added that according to the survey findings, slightly more people (50.7% of respondents) are in agreement with this neoliberal rationale, particularly with regard to State sector jobs and the Government taking responsibility as a job provider. However, about half the people (49.3% of respondents) are of the belief that it is the Government’s responsibility to take care of the people, and that the Government should therefore spend on welfare programmes. Around 30.4% of respondents had said that the number of Government employees should not be reduced, even if it results in high Government spending, while 34% of respondents had stated that it is the State’s responsibility to ensure that every citizen has a job. However, 37.8% of the respondents had opined that the people should take care of their own welfare instead of depending on Government spending on various welfare programmes, while 50.5% of respondents had said that it is the responsibility of an individual to find themselves a job, and not that of the Government.  Moreover, the survey report said that in general, young Sri Lankans (those under 30 years of age) seem to be slightly more convinced about the said neoliberal proposals. Quality-of-life after the ‘aragalaya’ In addition, emphasising that the survey findings in October indicate that the economic suffering of Sri Lankans still continue, the survey report noted that a significant majority (around 82% of respondents) said that they live with difficulties and that their income does not cover their needs. Almost half of them (46.2% of respondents) had claimed that they live in great difficulty. However, 19% of them had claimed that their economic conditions remain acceptable in the midst of the prevailing economic and political turmoil. In terms of locality, the report stated, these difficulties are comparatively higher among people who live outside of Municipal Council areas. The survey report said that in the backdrop of the Government’s persistent campaign to undermine the “aragalaya” and those who participated in it, the survey examined the public opinion on the movement and also on the accusations made against it. The results indicated that an overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans continue to express positive opinions on the movement. “At a national level, 82% of respondents believe that the ‘aragalaya’ had a positive impact on the country, while almost an equal percentage believes that the ‘aragalaya’ was a necessity of the moment. Interestingly, 42% of Sri Lankans are denouncing the legal action taken against the youth who engaged in the movement. However, 58% of them are in agreement that legal action should be taken if the protestors have violated the law,” the report said, adding that in terms of age categories, as per the survey findings, the support expressed for the “aragalaya” is slightly higher among those under 30 than among people of other age categories. However, 18% of the respondents had said that the “aragalaya” left negative impacts on the society and the country, while 19.1% of the respondents had said that the “aragalaya” was a result of opportunistic politics.  


More News..