The Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen

¶ 01 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, today’s debate is on the Orders under the Special Commodity Levy Act. Recently, we see in the media that farmers do not receive fair prices for their produce. When importing potatoes, onions and other items, the Government must plan knowing our domestic harvesting seasons, so imports do not clash and harm local producers. When I was the Minister responsible, we worked with the Cost of Living Committee and with the Ministries of Fisheries and Trade and of Public Administration, meeting three months ahead of domestic harvests to determine which levies to impose and when, in order to protect farmers during their seasons.

¶ 03 In recent months, large volumes of vegetables including onions were imported, and our farmers have been crying. They cannot even recover their costs. I call upon Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, who has fought for farmers in the past, to work with the Agriculture Ministry to prevent a recurrence.

¶ 04 There is another matter in Trincomalee District. Farmers in Muthunagar, who have cultivated since 1983, are being prevented from cultivating lands they have long used. When funds were allocated to rehabilitate a tank, they were obstructed. If the Port Authority or Wildlife Conservation Department claims the land now by recent gazette, the Government must either return that land or provide alternate land nearby. I discussed with Hon. Roshan of NPP today; he said they are considering providing the adjacent block as an alternative. Please make that a firm promise and resolve this within days. The President’s Office has asked them to wait twice for ten days; the second period ended on the 20th. People are now protesting at the Presidential Secretariat. This is not good. Provide a favorable solution within a set timeframe by allocating Wildlife land as an alternative if necessary so these farming families can immediately resume cultivation.

¶ 05 Another serious issue: workers recruited locally to Lanka Mineral Sands Limited at Pulmoddai. In 2023, a former Minister from Galle recruited 40 people from Galle; 17 left and the rest remain. After local protests, 34 local residents were recruited in 2024 and paid for three months, but salaries stopped after your Government came in. In July 2024, 46 more were recruited; they are working without pay to date. In August 2024, 11 more were recruited; in total 91 local workers have been working up to 15 months without salaries. This enterprise earns millions of dollars for the country, yet local people bear environmental and health costs, including cancer cases, and still are unpaid. I urge the Government to pay the dues of these 91 workers of Lanka Mineral Sands Limited.

¶ 06 Our Deputy Minister Upali Samarasinghe is from Vavuniya; the Hon. President is also from that area. You know farmers’ problems. Please be compassionate. This is not politics; our farmers are suffering. Reopen the Sathosa outlets closed during the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Government, and use them to purchase and sell farm produce at fair prices for consumers. Thank you.