The Hon. Sunil Biyanwila

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, after our Government tabled the inaugural Budget, the Opposition became agitated. They thought no one could rescue the country they broke. Yet within just three months we stabilized the economy to a degree and presented a strong Budget. Earlier they said we wouldn’t last six months; today one of them says two years. Their tune keeps changing.

¶ 02 They also told people not to vote for our alliance, warning religion, race and traditions would end. None of that happened; the country is moving on a strong path. They should apologize for misleading the public. In truth, our 159-seat majority owes much to the Opposition’s failures and lies that the people rejected.

¶ 03 Post-Budget, they now scramble: predicting timelines, sowing doubt. But on the ground, the public servants and farmers are content; a production economy is emerging. The next local elections will bring further victories to our alliance.

¶ 04 This Budget notably empowers agriculture. In Matale District, coconut suffered from lack of maintenance and fertilizer; yields fell. We now allocate funds to raise yields—India gets 150 nuts per tree because inputs are provided; we will revive our sector similarly.

¶ 05 We aim by around 2027 to cut a large share of agri-imports—potatoes, onions, red onions—saving dollars, boosting reserves. For example, we plan to expand maize (currently ~10,000 ha) to about 35,000 ha, reducing rice use in animal feed and stabilizing Thriposha production.

¶ 06 In livestock, for 70 years there was no real push. We will industrialize dairy—breed improved cattle, raise milk output, and strengthen the economy.

¶ 07 We will also build markets for produce by strengthening the cooperative sector, especially for minor export crops like cinnamon and pepper. We’ve already worked with cooperatives on paddy purchasing, but storage was a barrier; this Budget allocates significantly to cooperatives so that by the next season they can purchase paddy.

¶ 08 The Opposition, lacking credible critiques, manufactures trivial controversies—even circulating videos to claim our organizers threaten people. These are distractions because they have no message while we advance. The public wants a mature Opposition, but they are stuck. From April, when public servants receive increased salaries, one of their main allegations will evaporate. They will keep searching for new messages while we deliver. Our leadership and MPs have already made many sacrifices in these three months to set an example. We will fulfill promises to the people—and also our pledge to hold to account those who committed past crimes. Thank you.