The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti

¶ 01 Thank you very much. I am saying it is the same name.

¶ 02 At that time, another process emerged. Under 510, papers like that were issued. Some private individuals obtained those through the STC. They do not want to aggregate them. What they did was to obtain through the STC by tender and sell. Yes, such a situation exists. If that opportunity had in fact been given to state institutions, those institutions would have survived. If we establish that method, we can start from schoolchildren and extend it to state institutions. As you said, starting with Lake House and other state institutions, we can commence this. Then we can reduce the price of exercise books. At present, we import large quantities of exercise books from abroad. You will accept that the tax on a pair of shoes we import is lower, while the tax on shoes we produce here is higher; the VAT on domestically produced shoe sets is higher. Because these economic policies are tilted to the other side. Therefore, local small industries have collapsed. Today, those people have nothing to keep them going.

¶ 03 Let me give an example. The other day, those engaged in the match industry met us. Because even though we have matches, lighters are available in the market at Rs. 30. There is no country, no brand, no proper method that can produce a lighter at Rs. 30; no label, nothing. Yet a lighter is Rs. 30. However, the domestic match manufacturer pays Rs. 20 VAT per packet of matches. The domestic producer pays Rs. 20 VAT per packet, but a lighter by the roadside sells at Rs. 30. The full price of the lighter is Rs. 30. Then how will the child of the match maker, the child of the worker who crafts the sticks, go to school? This is the network, Hon. Presiding Member. Therefore, we must first break this somewhere. If we, without wasting the revenue accumulated to the Treasury, save it, we can grant a large share to the people. We give you the assurance: since we have begun this, if you give us space, we will definitely eliminate the mindset of schoolchildren dropping out and turn schools into friendly, welcoming places that attract children back. We may not be able to give tablets to everyone at once. But we can start it.

¶ 04 What was discussed here about the Leader of the Opposition was that he voluntarily provided buses and later stopped it after the elections. If the process of providing buses had continued, we would accept it as an ongoing program, not a political campaign. Hon. Leader of the Opposition, we propose that you take the financial help provided by your friends for that project and continue to operate it. Do not stop it because our government is in place. We request you to implement your program. Come with your buses. We would like to see that yellow bus. Do not stop providing buses after the election. Otherwise, you will not provide buses for the provincial elections. Therefore, let us continue that program. Do not stop providing buses because this government exists. If you continue the bus provision program, people will have great confidence that these are not political buses, but that Sajith Premadasa truly provides them for the children. With that invitation, and asking you to send your SMSs to take this program forward successfully, I conclude my remarks. Thank you very much, Hon. Presiding Member.