The Hon. Kins Nelson

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, the previous Hon. Member listed many wrongs of the Rajapaksas; we accept that. In 2005, our Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe contested. We were not even allowed to paste posters. Those now in Government supported the Rajapaksas then, which is how they won by 300,000 votes. Remember that.

¶ 02 On a pressing issue: over 1,000 luxury vehicles have arrived at the Port. The Government can earn significant revenue from them. About 400 businesspeople imported vehicles; many others are non-business individuals. Leaving vehicles in yards for a year leads to deterioration, including computerized parts. I propose we focus on releasing these vehicles. The Government currently charges around 300 per cent in duties, and there is talk of another 50 per cent on top, which is unfair. Levy a fair duty and release them to generate revenue.

¶ 03 From 19th to 21st January 2026 in Gaborone, Botswana, I, as a representative of the Hon. Leader of the Opposition, together with our Hon. Deputy Minister of Environment, attended the International Parliamentary Conference on Human-Wildlife Coexistence. It was excellent, with participation from about ten African countries. We discussed human-elephant conflict (HEC), crop protection from wild animals, and developing tourism. Their problems mirror ours. I propose that Inter Pares, an EU-affiliated body working on HEC in South Asia, collaborate rapidly with our Parliament on a programme.

¶ 04 Mr. S.W. Wickramaratne has long proposed measures to mitigate HEC. I table related documents for the attention of the Hon. Minister of Environment. Regardless of politics, we must seek international support. Our elephant fences have not succeeded; other range countries show similar lessons. After this Government came in, we counted elephants, leopards, etc., but nothing changed; we’ve slipped back. We need international cooperation to reduce HEC.

¶ 05 On National Parks: in Africa we learned simple, effective models. In Sri Lanka, especially Yala National Park, campsites are now closed, and access to Block 2 is also closed, so tourists do not come. Not everyone can afford bungalows; that is why campsites exist. This is the best season. Open the campsites and Block 2. Today, with Block 2 closed, it has become a paradise for poachers since no tourists go. Open them and properly operate our National Parks. Thank you.