The Hon. Aravinda Senarath

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, the Minister of Finance, His Excellency the President, presented the inaugural Budget of the National People’s Power on the 17th. Annually, a Budget must set the economic path and direction. Based on decades of political struggle and the hardships endured with the people, we have brought a Budget to provide relief, rebuild the economy with the people, and make this a dignified country. Our aim is to steer the economy towards production. For 76 years, successive governments failed to establish a production economy. By 2022 we fell among the poorest. The political machinery and the systems in health and education collapsed. Over the past two years we discussed widely with the people, prepared plans, and now presented a Budget to make those plans real. We believe this Budget sets the economic direction. The Opposition, seeing its success, engages in mudslinging instead of constructive critique.

¶ 02 Since the 18th this debate has run six days. Today, among Opposition speeches, constructive critique is fewer than the fingers on one hand. People expected a responsible Opposition critique to improve implementation.

¶ 03 This Budget includes many important proposals. We have a structured plan to expand exports of goods and services, and to lay the basic groundwork for investment promotion and facilitation. Since 1977, with the open economy, our industry was broken; failed investment plans hurt the country. In our first Budget, we have intervened to lay the basic foundation again.

¶ 04 We also prioritise MSMEs. Recent governments destroyed industries and privatised them, collapsing the MSME sector, yet had no plan to revive it. We have introduced pathways to reconnect MSMEs to the economy. We will nurture entrepreneurship and make it the lifeblood of development.

¶ 05 On public expenditure management, we aligned Budget lines with the policy statement. We reduced Cabinet Ministers to 21 and cut MPs’ perks, managing spending to deliver maximum relief. As Hon. Sudath Balagalla said, this lays the foundation to rebuild the country under our “Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life” policy presented in September 2024. We will not finish all within a year; this is a five-year mandate and the first Budget seeks to earn public trust by focusing on the policy statement.

¶ 06 This Budget focuses on the working class, farmers, and public servants. It restores dignity and pride to workers. We propose to increase salaries of Pirivena teachers; and salaries in the entire state sector including medical officers, administrative officers and management services. We will provide the largest salary increase in history, trusting public officers who will make sacrifices to rebuild the country.

¶ 07 We also give the best consideration to pensioners. We will support farmers with fertiliser subsidies and better prices for paddy and seeds. We will implement a major programme for plantation communities long neglected—this first Budget allocates substantial funds for their lives.

¶ 08 Education receives the highest-ever allocation—Rs. 619 billion—to ensure facilities for children whose schooling depends too much on parents. This is a golden opportunity: nutrition for pre-schoolers, scholarships, funds for books and stationery, shoe vouchers, support for children with disabilities and university students, and school sports. This is our service to education.

¶ 09 The Opposition is agitated and tries to raise underworld issues for protection. Let me note: the underworld in this country was nurtured by the liberalised market policies of the UNP and SLFP coalitions. In 1977 J.R. Jayewardene raised “Soththi Upali”; under Chandrika, “Beddagana Sanjeewa”; under Mahinda, “Chambotte”, “Julampitiye Amare”. In 2015 in Hambantota, extortionists were created with the involvement of some MPs’ coordinating secretaries. Do not try to save face by speaking of the underworld now.

¶ 10 We assure the country: we will control the underworld under the law, and we will also lawfully deal with Opposition elements who align with it. This is a historic moment to rebuild. This Budget ties hands with citizens and youth who prepared plans. We firmly believe this democratic Budget has the strength and courage to rebuild the nation. I conclude.