The Hon. Manoj Rajapaksha

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, as we take up the debate on our Government’s 2025 Budget, I must respond to a point just raised by an Opposition MP. Senior Opposition MPs seem not to understand what a Budget speech is and how to critique its foundations. They began from sowing hatred. We asked whether explaining to the people how the economy was completely broken is sowing hatred; whether showing how agriculture was shattered and people’s livelihoods imperilled is sowing hatred; whether discussing the deprivation of children’s education is sowing hatred. One Member repeated many old stories. They offered no new proposals.

¶ 02 We had to present this Budget amid a collapsed economy and state. Therefore, we designed it with three core principles, as the Finance Minister—the President—stated: to make every citizen an active participant, stakeholder and beneficiary in the economy.

¶ 03 To rebuild the devastated economy, we crafted both long-term and short-term measures. Yet former rulers, to hide their incompetence, tear these Budget pages in this Chamber with rhetoric.

¶ 04 A Budget cannot start from a vacuum. Given decades of deterioration, we considered past weaknesses and charted a correct direction. As Minister Nalinda Jayatissa explained this morning, given where the economy had sunk, we presented a Budget with vision as a step within the long-term plan, covering the next nine months.

¶ 05 Many extraneous issues were raised. Some who had a hand—directly or indirectly—in present problems go to the media predicting that “the Government will soon be weeping.” Recently, after the shooting at the Magistrates’ Court Complex, the gunman fled while firing. Some MPs then shouted about “killers”. The same voices earlier predicted our downfall. We must observe this carefully.

¶ 06 This Budget spans a wide range. Transport is a burning issue, especially for the poor in remote areas. We allocate around Rs. 483 billion to address transport bottlenecks. Our Government understands people’s real problems and sets priorities accordingly. A vast majority approved our policies, not to dance to the defeated Opposition’s tune, but to uplift people’s lives. Education too is vital; thus funds are allocated across sectors. With confidence that this Budget will reach its objectives, I conclude. Thank you.