The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Thank you, Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees.

¶ 02 I will not dwell long on the motion itself; colleagues have already spoken. A repeated claim was that the Opposition is absent. In fact, members from both sides are frequently in committee rooms. At this very moment, several committees are sitting, and many from the government side too are not here. Out of 159 government MPs, only around two dozen are present. So please refrain from that line.

¶ 03 Let me use my time to raise several issues. Since June 30 there has been a serious crisis related to parate law enforcement and loan recoveries, though operations have since been partially restored. The COVID pandemic and the Easter attacks created severe disruptions. Of 1,001,700 small and medium enterprises, about 263,000 have already collapsed. Interest on loans that were around 8 percent has climbed to roughly 30 percent amid the economic crisis. No one—neither you nor we—can service an 8 percent loan that becomes 30 percent. Businesses have sunk under this burden. About 21,000 entrepreneurs have fallen victim; around 120 businesses a day are closing. Under parate action, assets are being seized, and about 15 percent of jobs have already been lost in these enterprises, a figure that could rise to 25–28 percent unless measures are taken.

¶ 04 What are borrowers asking? Not for new debt piled on top of interest. Banks are summoning them and turning outstanding amounts plus accrued interest into another loan—thus deepening indebtedness. Borrowers instead ask to service the principal under normal terms, defer interest, and restructure once principal is cleared. That preserves both industry and jobs, and allows revival. They also propose: after payments, write down about 80 percent towards principal and treat the balance 20 percent as interest, to stop the SME collapse.

¶ 05 Our colleague Chaturanga Abeysinghe raised many valid points. The government has “jumped the track”: 18 percent digital tax, 200 percent tax on vehicles, removing SVAT from October, a 1–2 percent tax on leasing, and property tax in 2027–2028 per IMF—measures you yourselves have advanced. Petroleum pricing was just increased by Rs. 12–15 for diesel and petrol. Are you reverting to spot tenders? On 1 July the vessel “Petite Soeur” arrived via combi cargo as a spot single, while term tenders lapsed—suggesting a return to the old games with higher premiums. If spot tendering is back, is that why fuel prices were raised?

¶ 06 At CPC, several individuals who operated dubiously in the past remain in positions today. I can prove it. You said when global oil prices fall, domestic prices should fall, and vice versa—that no “Siyambala government” is needed just to adjust with the market. Yet now, with global prices easing, you raised prices.

¶ 07 You have also allowed imports of various agricultural items—like even mung beans—recently. Electricity tariffs were increased by 18 percent. Last April Sinhala New Year became, for the first time in history, one where people ate kiri bath without salt. I will not dwell on salt itself. But, Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, you have often spoken against these mafias. Please investigate what is happening at Mantai Salt Ltd.; Kurunegala Cooperative Women’s Society and Puttalam cooperative societies are involved, yet their boards have no power. Raigam Group has two directors on the board and appears to control Mantai Salt’s decisions. Salt that should be Rs. 120 per kilo after bulk cost around Rs. 90 is selling at village shops for Rs. 300–350. Address this profiteering.

¶ 08 On CPC’s SAP system, I raised in Parliament the need for a committee. Then-Minister Kanchana Wijesekera referred it to the CID. The investigative note indicates manipulation of the SAP sales and distribution module and backup, with multiple invoices printed under the same invoice number; yet there was “no backup by job description,” and no proper backup protocol. Thereafter you handed the forensic work to KPMG.

¶ 09 Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees: My time is over? If I may have 30 seconds.

¶ 10 In awarding tenders, bulk references were removed from the documents, eliminating stock records from SAP, making it impossible to reconcile and detect fraud. Ultimately, letters show that in 2002, for CRN redeliveries, instructions went from the Muthurajawela terminal manager—then Mr. D. J. Rajakaruna, now your Chairman—to prepare re-delivery invoices; Mr. Hemanta Kumara, then operations/stock manager at Kolonnawa, is now a Director; Mr. Mahendra Gurusinghe, then DGM (Commercial) and chair of CPC’s technical evaluation committee for petroleum purchases, is now a CPC Director. The 11 June 2025 Board Paper is titled “Board Paper on Releasing Employees from the Liabilities related to Forensic Audit”—seeking to absolve those found at fault by the forensic. We will take this up further. Thank you for the time.