The Hon. Dilith Jayaweera

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Chairman. I will use this opportunity to speak on the Special Expenditure Heads taken up today and on other expenditures and revenues. In an earlier intervention, I tried to raise these points though time was short. What we do not see in this Budget is the direction in which the country is being taken; we do not see the Government’s vision for the country.

¶ 02 Listening to Government speakers, they spoke on three themes: the past governments’ mistakes and abuses; the social welfare features in this Budget; and how this Budget is “progressive.” People in our villages think this is a socialist government. In the old days our slogan was “Milk for Colombo, cucumbers for the village”—a skewed economy. Under this so‑called “democratic economic management,” what in this Budget tangibly reaches the innocent villager? I am not talking about Rs. 1,000–1,500 as cash relief. How do we uplift our rural poor? Where is the practical programme to take them up the ladder? Their expectations were high.

¶ 03 Yes, past political abuses must be corrected; that is why people made this choice. People are entitled to expect the change they were promised—for their children to progress, to own a small car or a house, for youth to realize their dreams. Which of those dreams does this Budget revive? None; if anything, hopes are being dashed.

¶ 04 In a constructive and commendable politics, our task as the Opposition is to help the Government take the right path. If you had the honest intent to correct this Budget under significant external pressures like the IMF, you could still have protected the hopes of our innocent people and empowered our youth. Particularly, you missed an opportunity to revive entrepreneurship—nearly three million small and medium entrepreneurs expected a clear, direct revival plan. People want to know how to save their failing small businesses, often not by their own fault.

¶ 05 No one expected merely an expenditure‑cutting exercise. Cutting costs is fine, but without capital formation we cannot move forward. We must create wealth—deploy both human and physical capital—motivate Sri Lankans. Cutting waste alone will not take us ahead.

¶ 06 You say foreign travel was cut. I do not know how you travelled to three countries spending just a million rupees—maybe hanging on a footboard? Even if you cut such costs, benefits will not come from that alone. We must focus on how to create wealth, engage people, and revive all sectors.

¶ 07 Otherwise, how do we bridge this massive budget deficit? How do we service our debt? We must have an open dialogue. You raised great expectations among youth, especially those earning dollars through digital work. Yet, on the night of the 21st, stealthily, a 15% tax was imposed through the Inland Revenue Department on such creative income—including earnings via platforms like Fiverr—shattering their dreams. Give them alternatives, space, and support, especially when the country needs dollars.

¶ 08 Thank you, Hon. Chairman.