The Hon. Kanthasamy Prabu

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, please give me one minute.

¶ 02 In the past, budgets presented to this Parliament were prepared by those who claimed to be professors, intellectuals and economic experts. Yet, through those very budgets, the country ended up bankrupt. Those budgets were crafted to benefit their party loyalists and ministers, rather than meeting the needs of the people. No real benefits reached our citizens. Instead, there were numerous frauds, including in the Central Bank bond issuances, and the country was dragged into a dire banking crisis. Because of the economic collapse, we experienced a “queue era,” and Sri Lanka became a severely backward economy.

¶ 03 After our government assumed responsibility, we have been eliminating corruption and fraud. Though critics call us a “board government,” even with such labels, under the first budget implementation we brought Rs. 1.2 trillion into the Treasury cash balance, controlled all expenditures, saved taxpayers’ money, and ensured that benefits reached the people.

¶ 04 Thanks to transparency in our government and sound foreign policy, countries like Japan that had halted assistance have now returned and are resuming projects they previously abandoned. This clearly demonstrates the credibility we have restored. Due to the foreign policy leadership of the Hon. President, other nations now view Sri Lanka more positively, foreign investments are increasing, and tourist arrivals have grown sharply in a short period, making Sri Lanka one of the most visited countries recently.

¶ 05 The principal revenue engines—Customs and the Inland Revenue Department—are being strengthened to deliver the highest returns by 2025. Without corruption, fraud or political interference, the public service is now functioning properly and independently. Many politicians who became wealthy by corruptly wrecking the economy are now being investigated by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, produced before courts, and even imprisoned. The public is watching, and the country is now upholding transparency, justice and the rule of law, strengthening our international standing.

¶ 06 In our Batticaloa District, 75–80% of development projects under the 2025 Budget allocations have already been completed. With the remaining time this year, we may even achieve 100%. Though some Opposition MPs claimed not even 50% of projects were finished, we have completed them within the stipulated time.

¶ 07 Under the 2026 Budget, Rs. 50 million has been allocated to commence Phase I of the Muntanayaru (Mundeni Aru) scheme linking the Kithul and Rugam tanks—an essential irrigation project for our district. Additionally, Rs. 500 million has been allocated for preliminary studies to construct the Ponnudaisenai–Kiran bridge. Both projects target lagging regions. Given our district’s dependence on agriculture and fisheries, this irrigation scheme will create meaningful opportunities to uplift our people’s economy.

¶ 08 Regarding fisheries, at the only available harbour—Valaichchenai—fisherfolk have reported a severe shortage of berthing and operational space. Accordingly, Rs. 350 million has been allocated to upgrade this harbour.

¶ 09 Human–elephant conflict continues in our area. Just yesterday, people from Kiran and Iralkulam protested, urging action. In this Budget, we have allocated Rs. 10 million for measures aimed at resolving the human–elephant conflict.

¶ 10 This is also the Tamil month of Karthigai, during which we remember all those who died in the war. We have requested the government to release the Thandiyadi Heroes’ Resting Place so that people may soon pay their respects there. Thank you for the opportunity.