The Hon. Upali Samarasingha - Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I think about 65 Opposition Members should be here. But at this moment, there are only about four or five present. Especially during a Budget Debate, the views and attentive listening by Opposition Hon. Members are, we honestly believe, reasons that lead to correctives on Budget matters. Apart from doing five- or ten-minute clips for newspapers, YouTube, or some channel to gain a small bit of attention, we do not believe from what we have observed in recent days that there is a genuine concern for the Budget or the country.

¶ 02 There is a saying among elders that a person’s victory or future is not measured by the praises of friends, but by the criticism of enemies and society’s statements. From the anxieties and accusations in social media and even from some persons representing the people in Parliament, what we can see these days is our victory.

¶ 03 Compared to past Budgets, I see four special features in the National People’s Power’s inaugural Budget. We used to see in our younger days a heavy, secret “box” being brought here during Budgets, and for decades it was a mere extension of allocations department-by-department. Education as an extension, transport as an extension—Budgets that just tried to polish the status quo. But for the first time, in this Budget we see where education in this country will be in five years, with targets, pathways, methods, and processes clearly set out.

¶ 04 Similarly, there are proposals to transform public transport within five years into a more convenient and punctual service. This Budget attempts unprecedented reforms to change current conditions. It also addresses, for the first time in annual budget history, the well-being of various communities that were rarely discussed. Let me give a few examples.

¶ 05 Previously, money was allocated to prisons and security agencies, but never for the well-being and rehabilitation of inmates. This time, Rs. 100 million has been allocated to improve prisoners’ lives. Likewise for children under probation—although funds were given to Children’s Courts, money was not set aside for education, safety, and future of children in probationary care. Also for those addicted to drugs, persons with disabilities, children in detention camps—substantial funds are now allocated for their welfare and reintegration.

¶ 06 As our Members stated, for the first time in history, Rs. 483 billion has been allocated to public transport. In five years, rail carriages will be air-conditioned with faster, punctual services. Urban bus services will be improved—air-conditioned, convenient, punctual.

¶ 07 Rs. 619 billion is allocated to education. For the working people’s children, education is the only real asset for the future. The Government will ensure every child attends school, cover 50 to 60 per cent of their expenses, and fund pathways so that each child leaving school can gain skills-based education and a job.

¶ 08 On universities: today there are more prisons than universities in Sri Lanka. In a developed society, universities must increase and prisons reduce. With this significant funding, our target is to expand and upgrade universities, add diverse curricula, and raise education to a level where our children can work in both domestic and foreign private institutions.

¶ 09 Health: Rs. 604 billion is allocated. Yet in remote areas there are hospitals without doctors, medicines, or facilities. Within one to two years, we will provide essential medicines, facilities, and doctors to rural hospitals. This Budget presents a programme to uplift society and professionals across sectors to a new level—unprecedented in our history.

¶ 10 Another point: past Governments allocated large sums for Budgets and then filled the gap between revenue and expenditure by piling taxes upon the people or selling national assets. In contrast, to bridge the gap, our Government places a very low tax burden on the people and does not sell even an inch of land.

¶ 11 A further feature: previous Budgets set aside massive sums for the Executive, Legislature, and MPs. In this Budget, benefits and privileges from the President, Prime Minister, Cabinet, and MPs have been cut by about 80 per cent, and those funds redirected for the people’s future.

¶ 12 A Member earlier argued that we unfairly blame 76 years and that earlier rulers built the country. But when the British left, they did not leave us empty-handed; and in the 1970s–80s, countries like Singapore and Korea once looked to us. Those leaders took their nations forward while those who ruled us for 76 years brought us here. We must accept historical mistakes.

¶ 13 Some defend their party networks rather than face facts. One said their short Government didn’t privatize or cut jobs. But it was they who brought non-citizen Arjuna Mahendran to head the Central Bank, leading to the bond scam that dragged us down. Every Government elected used taxpayers’ money; ours too. The question is: what was delivered from those taxes?

¶ 14 New MPs have joined, even in the Opposition. We hoped they would grasp a new political culture, but many seem to be preserving their own campaigns like the old guard. We respectfully ask: let us unite, see reality, and work to change it.

¶ 15 Northern MPs are absent now. They tried to defeat and divide the NPP during elections. We respect the Northern people who rejected traditional ethnonationalist politics and helped us win—particularly in Kilinochchi District and securing three seats in Jaffna. Some now say: look from our side. For the first time in history, the largest allocation for the North has been made. One must compare infrastructure and people’s needs; we acted fairly. For example, we allocated funds to develop 1,200 km of rural roads in the North—no other district received such an amount.