Dec 17, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says the government has burdened people with taxes and the monies collected are used to race cars.

JVP parliamentary group leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the Mahinda Rajapaksa government has presented eight budgets so far, but has failed to provide any relief to the people.

He told a news conference that the country was faced with a massive economic crisis and Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera had directed Ministry Secretaries to cut on incentive payments, bonuses and fuel allowances given to state officials in order to save money.

He added that the President who claims that all citizens are his children was giving step motherly treatment to the people while wasting millions on his own children.

According to Dissanayake, the government needs to explain how Carlton, which is the brand names of the Rajapaksas, gets its monies to buy cars for Rs. 93.3 million.

He said the double standards of the government need to be exposed.