Salaries of the Cuban Castro and Lankan Castros

Commandante Fidel Castro, supreme leader of Cuba for 39 years, earns only a salary $US 25 per month (Sri Lanka rupee equivalent Rs 1650). This was an AFP report published not in ‘any anti-government, unpatriotic press’ but the government mouthpiece, the Daily News on November 12.

‘We haven’t asked for a raise— we don’t have labour unions either in the government or in the Communist Party.....Of course I do not go hungry, nor do I lack clothes he had said and admitted that the state provides him with gasoline. food and medical attention.

In comparison, to Castro’s Rs 1650, our ministers were paid a salary of Rs 17,000. Our president should be drawing more. MPs were paid Rs 13,500. Like in Castros case our peoples representatives are blessed with other perks too. Ministers are provided with Colombo 7 residences, MPs with hostel facilities and subsidised food in parliament There are allowances paid for entertainment, drivers and fuel for MPs which add upto Rs 9500. We wonder who pays for body guards, their vehicles, fuel and the like.

Commandante Castro has not asked for a salary hike since he took over Cuba in 1959 but whether our MPs ask or not, their salaries have been steadily climbing. The Island on Saturday reported that Minister of Plan Implementation and Parliamentary Affairs, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle is to move a resolution in parliament to increase the salaries of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Chairman of Committees, cabinet ministers and MPs. It has been proposed that cabinet ministers and the Speaker’s salaries will go up from Rs 17, 500 to Rs. 29,815 – a hike of Rs 12, 315 amounting to 70 per cent while the salaries of MPs will be increased from Rs 13,500 to Rs 22,100 an increase of Rs 13, 500 – 66 per cent.

They say that in Cuba it is a ‘one man show’. Some said during President Premadasa’s regime it too was a ‘one man show’. Now, some say it is a ‘one woman show’ with the executive presidency still firmly in place. We are not aware whether a salary hike for the president is on the cards or not But like Castro, our legislators too are the ‘peoples representatives’. And during the heady days of socialism, despite sans flowing beards but in the pure white garb, our legislators too thundered on like Fidel. The difference ends however where salaries are concerned. Castro does not want a hike but whether the MPs want it or not there is a resolution being moved by a minister for salary hikes of 70 per cent and 66 per cent.

The obvious question is: Why the need for salary hikes in Lanka where the peoples representatives are provided with quite a lot of facilities as Castro is blessed with? Some would say it’s inflation. Unlike socialist Cuba, Sri Lanka which adopted evil capitalist ways and is subject to inflation. But if the state provides many facilities such as housing, fuel, vehicles, body guards , drivers and other allowances, should inflation be the reason for salary hikes ?

This question of inflation being the prime cause should be ruled out if we are to go by the budget speeches of government speakers. Did not Prof. G. L. Peiris say – never mind whether he was reading the President’s speech or not — that inflation had been kept at reasonable limits? If that was so why salary hikes of 70 and 63 percent?

Whatever the reason may be, what would the reaction of the government and the reaction of the ‘patriotic’ state media be if say pensioners, doctors, proctors coolies and clerks too asked for hikes of such magnitude? Would it be ‘unpatriotic’ to make such demands when a ‘ war’ is on ?

We will not speculate on reasons for the wage hikes for legislators. The PA it should be remembered has pledged itself to non ostentatious ways of living. The PA manfesto says: ‘The PA strongly believes that persons who have dedicated themselves to the service of the people should not enjoy an ostentatious life at the expense of the public. The days of ‘the spoon’ when the ruling party helped itself to without shame or remorse to the wealth of the people will happily be at the end’.

The PA government is true to its word. The ruling party is not helping only itself where salary hikes are concerned. MPs of all parties are entitled to such privileges and the opposition too had in the past not been averse to helping themselves along when privileges have come their way.

Meanwhile the public who have never been beneficiaries of 60 to 70 percent wage hikes will want to know the reasons for the wage hikes of our local Castros and why they can’t follow the original Castro in far away Cuba.