Hon. J.C. Alawathuwala

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, in the next few days all of us, as politicians, will have much work for our parties. It would have been better if after this Vote we had finished nominations. Regardless, we must all engage with the election. We raised matters before the Elections Commission too.

¶ 02 Through this Ministry, extensive services are delivered to the people. From the Grama Niladhari office to the Divisional and District Secretariats, these are people‑facing institutions. But do they deliver as expected? On public days like Mondays and Wednesdays, crowds flood Divisional Secretariats — how many issues are resolved? Over successive governments this has persisted. People expected change when you took office — more efficient and proper service delivery. Therefore, major reforms are needed in your Ministry to make institutions efficient and service‑oriented.

¶ 03 Local authority and Provincial Council elections have been delayed for years. Without elected representatives, administration by Secretaries or Commissioners cannot deliver the people’s expectations. After the local elections, as per the President’s statement, Provincial Council elections should follow promptly. Elected representatives must be in these bodies to resolve public issues.

¶ 04 Next, regarding salary increases: Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa said never before have basics been raised like this. With respect, from 2015 to 2020, basic salaries in the entire public service rose by 107.5%. That doubled basics and boosted pensions and many allowances. Yet, despite increases, with the economic collapse, public servants are struggling. Essential food prices, including rice, have risen since this Government took office — rice up by about Rs. 100 per kilo; coconuts and others also rising. Salary growth is not matching the cost of living. Hence the acute pressure on public servants and pensioners. Some doctors now resort to trade union action because their expectations are unmet — if everyone had across‑the‑board increases as stated, there would be no need for strikes.

¶ 05 We will not obstruct the Government’s work for the people. We support good decisions and laws. But when wrong, we will point it out. Sometimes our Members face hostility when highlighting issues — that is not healthy. This morning’s “petrol shed” list caused several Members to clarify that family businesses existed even before they were born. What is to be achieved by such? Let us focus on real problems.

¶ 06 About 1.7 million serve in the public sector. Compared to around 650,000–700,000 in the 1990s, numbers surged after 2005. Yet service quality has not kept pace. We must restructure to enable efficient, quality work; otherwise the public service becomes a burden, and public servants themselves suffer because pay is inadequate to live.

¶ 07 Beyond key services like health, education, police, many have been recruited into functions with little rationale. We do not blame you, but decisions of past governments have burdened the state. People elected you to fix this. Create conditions for public servants to work happily and efficiently with quality; for that you must take bold decisions. You have a two‑thirds‑plus mandate; you can amend the Constitution and pass required laws. There is also a constructive Opposition ready to support good reforms.