Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 What has actually been created for the people of our country today is a suffering nation and helpless lives. Before speaking about the 2026 Budget, it is crucial to examine how the 2025 Budget was implemented. On the last sitting day of the previous session, I asked the Minister of Finance about the physical and financial progress of the 2025 Budget. This House has also discussed questions under Standing Order 27(2). I asked a very simple question: How much of the 2025 Budget proposals have been carried out? What is the financial and physical progress? A request was made for time to answer.

¶ 02 At this point, I wish to highlight some of the progress figures officially provided by Government officials to the Sectoral Oversight Committees. In my hand are details of allocations made under the 2025 Budget. For modernization of school education, Rs. 500 million were allocated; only 20% has been utilized. For scholarships to study undergraduate degree programmes at top-ranked foreign universities, Rs. 200 million were allocated; progress is 15%. You can now imagine why no answer was given to my question. For establishing care centers for children with autism, Rs. 250 million were allocated; progress is 30%. For improving health, education, and service facilities for children with autism, Rs. 200 million were allocated; progress is 15%.

¶ 03 Let us take the Ministry of Agriculture as an example. For developing young entrepreneurs in agriculture and industry, Rs. 500 million were allocated; progress is 45%. For field crop promotion, Rs. 500 million; progress 40%. For export crop promotion, Rs. 250 million; progress 40%. For building a sports culture, Rs. 500 million; physical progress 10%. For boosting coconut production through establishing a Northern Coconut Triangle, Rs. 500 million; progress 46%. For providing underutilized lands for investments, Rs. 250 million; progress 10%. If this is the progress of the 2025 Budget, what of the 2026 proposals? There is nothing more to add.

¶ 04 You secured three electoral mandates—presidential, parliamentary, and local government. Yet what has been produced is a brand-new, super-grade broken promises movie. I want to ask President Anura Kumara Dissanayake very directly: Why did you deceive the people? Why mislead them? Why lie? Why betray the people? Why render them destitute? Is what you did fair, just, or correct? In recent history, we have not seen mass deception on this scale. You said you would change the IMF agreement, alter the Debt Sustainability Analysis, and enter a new programme. That was the biggest lie. Not a single such promise has been fulfilled. You have abandoned the poor, farmers, workers, youth, the self-employed, entrepreneurs, businesses, industrialists; you have left women adrift, neglected the plantation community and the fishing community; you have betrayed the entire country. So much so that government servants were fooled even in their uniforms—lies told while still in uniform. That is the kind of conduct under Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration.

¶ 05 Before you crack jokes, tell me your solution to the rising cost of goods. What is it? The Government says prices have not increased. Let the people hear this: “Prices have not gone up.” That is the view from ministerial clouds, detached from ground reality. Millions cannot afford three meals a day. What is your plan, answer, solution? What measures do you propose to reduce the cost of goods? Do you come here to provide stand-up comedy? Does the Government have a Cost of Living Committee? A Cabinet Subcommittee to control the cost of living? If so, what are they doing? What is the Government’s solution? What is its answer? This Government has no capacity to implement any remedy—only to joke, banter, ridicule, conduct character assassinations, and pursue vendettas for political survival. That is how this Government sustains itself.

¶ 06 What is the solution for the 35,000 unemployed graduates? Do not say “no.” There are videos—your own statements. One said, “Wait till we win the Presidential Election.” Then, “Wait till we win the Parliamentary Election.” Now a sitting Minister says, “Wait till I get my ministerial post.” Then, “Wait till we win the Local Government Election.” The promised jobs for 35,000 graduates have not been given. Where are the Teacher Development Officers who performed immense service? Where are the 16,600 appointments promised within the teaching service? Why are those officers not placed in Grade 2-11 until they obtain the postgraduate diploma within three years as per rationalization? Why are salary anomalies unresolved? Why no solutions for pensioners? Where is the empowerment you promised to the youth? What you have done is slap a 15% tax on those providing freelance digital services. Everything is deceit. The Government has become a cartel of political racketeers. On the presidential platform, didn’t you say a Rs. 9,000 electricity bill will be reduced to Rs. 6,000, and a Rs. 3,000 bill to Rs. 2,000—i.e., a 33% reduction? If you can, deny it. All those lies are with me.

¶ 07 All those videos and audio clips exist. For those unaware, I table a compact disc containing them all.

¶ 08 You deceived electricity consumers. Is that fair? Since in the Opposition to now in Government, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has deceived the entire nation. We acknowledge you have won a world championship in deception. But the people are destitute. The Centre for Poverty Analysis says 25% of our people are poor; other analysts say 40% to 50%. What is your solution? Is it the insulting language calling beneficiaries “panting beggars”? A Minister of the JVP/NPP, who claims to represent the poor, said aswesuma is “a journey on all fours.” Today we have a Government where Ministers talk down to people while 40–50% are poor. At election time, you claimed to be the voice of the poor and their heroes. Is calling beneficiaries “on all fours” the Government’s position? That Minister should be ashamed.

¶ 09 Where is the programme to eradicate poverty? A successful strategy must address consumption, savings, investment, production, and exports. Where is that? Truth be told, this Government dances to the IMF’s tune. The author of this Budget is not Anura Kumara Dissanayake—it is the IMF. Where are the promised reliefs to MSMEs, who contribute over 50% to GDP and provide livelihoods to millions? You temporarily halted parate execution due to elections, but did not restructure debts, reduce interest, or provide real relief. MSMEs who empowered you are now abandoned. You now present new credit schemes—fine—but restructure existing loans first, reduce interest burdens, or else you trap them in perpetual debt. What is your solution to unemployment among youth? What about the healthcare shortages—equipment breakdowns in hospitals? Are schools really going to close? There is a proverb: opening one school prevents the closing of a thousand prisons. Why not invest in physical resources for schools, and solve human resource gaps?

¶ 10 What has happened to potato farmers? Big onion farmers? Pumpkin farmers? Farmers in Uva Paranagama, Welimada, Nuwara Eliya have taken to the streets. We raised this weeks ago. Your answer was “All is well; everything is solved.” Now we see why powerful members object to questions under Standing Order 27(2): you count minutes on questions while farmers count millimeters on onions and girth of coconuts, imposing absurd conditions—just as the previous regime measured coconuts, now you measure potatoes and onions. You are walking in Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s footsteps.

¶ 11 This Government does not feel the heartbeat of the common person. When casinos are opened, the suffering of the poor is forgotten; there are many here to protect casino interests. Sadly, those who claimed to represent the poor have forgotten ordinary people. Wear Bosch shirts or Paco Rabanne perfumes if you like—but do not forget the 22 million Sri Lankans. Understand their heartbeat.

¶ 12 Let me present an untold truth: people are being subjected to unnecessary pressure by taxation. The IMF target for Government revenue as a percentage of GDP is 15%. The Government, by over-taxing, has pushed revenue to 15.9%, extracting an extra Rs. 287 billion from taxpayers unnecessarily.

¶ 13 Next, the primary balance. The primary balance is revenue minus expenditure excluding interest. You boast that against the IMF target of 2.3%, you achieved 3.8%. The extra 1.5 percentage points equals Rs. 479 billion. That money could support development, reduce direct taxes, and provide relief to youth entrepreneurs. Instead, you hiked both indirect and direct taxes to collect Rs. 479 billion more. This could have gone to poverty reduction, export promotion, and MSME support. None of that happened. The Government runs after people to tax them, hounding them.

¶ 14 See the brain drain: how many doctors, engineers, professionals are leaving? I say, MPs do not need permits; give the promised permits to those professionals to retain that knowledge base here as an incentive.

¶ 15 You collected Rs. 287 billion more than the IMF revenue target and created an extra Rs. 479 billion on the primary balance. In God’s name, invest these funds in an information technology and digital revolution: establish incubators and accelerators; finance new startups; empower MSMEs; support farmers, fishers, workers, the self-employed, and those in public and private sectors; retain talent in Sri Lanka. Shamelessly, you lowered the VAT and SSCL registration thresholds from Rs. 60 million to Rs. 30 million, striking at small businesses. A Government that wages war through taxation should be ashamed. You have betrayed all three mandates you received.

¶ 16 President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected for people’s wellbeing. Regrettably, he has become the Managing Director of the IMF. Yet it is not too late. The extra Rs. 287 billion and Rs. 479 billion can still be invested in our 22 million people. The Opposition is ready to support.

¶ 17 Mr. Speaker, our dear President instructs us about “unity or division.” We do not need his moral lectures. We will unite—properly, at the right time, for the right reasons—not for V8 permits, Cabinet posts, or chairmanships. We will unite based on policy consensus to build a prosperous nation and equitably share its dividends among 22 million Sri Lankans—not to adjust MPs’ medical insurance or perks. We adhere to social democracy—humane, market-oriented social democracy—and will move forward along that middle path.

¶ 18 We proposed building personal ties with leaders of powerful countries. Some scoffed. Learn from recent events: Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met President Donald Trump and secured a one-year tax relief against sanctions impacts on countries trading with Russia. Through statecraft-enabled personal ties, a country can gain. Likewise, Argentina’s Javier Milei, through personal engagement, discussed a USD 20 billion currency swap with Donald Trump to stabilize the peso. Build a capable diplomatic team to secure such benefits. We propose a multipronged approach; we are ready to contribute fully to rebuild the country.

¶ 19 Your time is over, Hon. Leader of the Opposition.

¶ 20 Just one last minute, Sir. President Anura Dissanayake should immediately hold Provincial Council Elections—do not delay. We will fully support this. Let the people express their opinion on this Government and others. May you fulfill the promise of “A Prosperous Nation – A Beautiful Life,” not act as an IMF Managing Director. May wisdom and capability guide you as President to implement these promises. Thank you.