Jan 01, Colombo: Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Karu Jayasuriya says the government's move to increase the marriage registration fee from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 5,000 is a blow to the lower and middle income earners.

Issuing a statement, Jayasuriya has explained that most people had their weddings at homes or reception halls not because they had a lot of money, but they do so after pawning their jewelry.

He has pointed out that the government has moved to increase the marriage registration fee since the government revenue is not sufficient to meet the expenditure of the huge cabinet, political appointees including the presidential advisors and wasteful expenditure of the government.

However, Jayasuriya has said that the fee paid to the Registrar of Marriages at present is not sufficient.

"The government should have provided some concession to the Registrar by increasing reasonably the registration fee for registration of marriages. Instead the government has increased the fee by four thousand rupees; the fee charged to register a marriage outside the registrar's office, to collect money into the government's account," he has noted.