The Hon. Amila Prasad

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Chairman. Today we debate many vital Heads—from the President’s to a group of institutions that steer much of public administration.

¶ 02 First, on the President’s Head. Many people think it is the President’s personal spending. That is a false notion pushed by political campaigns. The President’s Head aggregates spending of institutions under him. When the number of institutions reduces, the Head reduces; it is not magic. Of course, any President has some personal‑related expenditure, and we do not oppose necessary facilities—physical and mental—because a President’s one minute is not like ours; one decision can steer the whole nation. Thus, the President must be provided the means to function efficiently. For example, helicopter use—this became a big talking point. The President should use appropriate transport to save time and work effectively. We, as Opposition then, should not weaponize necessary personal‑related expenditure; rather, ensure efficient service to the country.

¶ 03 Similarly for the Prime Minister’s Head. If it is higher, it does not mean she lives luxuriously; it often reflects technical factors and responsibilities. However, as Education Minister, the Prime Minister pledged 6% of GDP for education. The Budget shows about 1%. That is where we must question—campaign pledges vs. allocations.

¶ 04 You won on promises to end waste, corruption and fraud. Ten years since the bond scam—Arjuna Mahendran was to be brought back “immediately,” yet nothing. You said “225 are thieves”; if so, where is the process to bring back that wealth into state revenue? You told the country US$10–15 billion had fled; where is the plan to bring it back?

¶ 05 We in the Opposition should question performance, not merely the sums under the President or PM. The public’s concern is whether you are delivering on those core tasks, and to what measurable extent.

¶ 06 You invited citizen input to the Budget; we facilitated that. I table the report “Budget 2025 – Citizen Proposals” for future use. The Opposition should be a voice for citizens, not merely a reflexive adversary. We aim to help rebuild the country through Parliament’s oversight committees. Strengthen the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC): resource it adequately, link it with the Attorney‑General’s Department and the CID, expedite cases. I note allocations are around Rs. 1.3 billion—hardly a major increase. Establish branch offices at Divisional Secretariat level; regular quarterly reviews across public bodies. Without re‑engineering CIABOC and giving it capacity, simply holding more meetings adds little.

¶ 07 We expect a corruption‑free country by 2029. For that, your contribution and pace are insufficient today. Please also digitize Parliament’s processes—the current Hansard workflow is still largely manual; introduce software, improve Parliamentary staff tools, and make this an exemplary public service.

¶ 08 On the Election Commission: it conducted recent elections fairly and took firm post‑poll measures. Some issues have arisen under the cooperative vote system; we hope EC will address them and that the Government will provide needed support.

¶ 09 On independent Commissions: strengthen them. A recent fracas between the Police Commission and the IGP reflects earlier poor appointments under President Ranil Wickremesinghe. With your two‑thirds, fix these and resolve tensions to protect human rights—including custodial deaths—and provide adequate funding to Commissions.

¶ 10 On procurement transparency: there were reports of power‑plant tenders being twice rejected and then awarded; and about some 300 containers released from the port—owners and process unclear. As Parliament controls public finance, please clarify who owned those containers, how and why they were released, and under whose decision.

¶ 11 Public–private engagement should not be vilified. If we believe in market mechanisms, give businesses space; do not brand all as mafia or thieves. Yet we also see insufficient focus on minimizing state losses. SriLankan Airlines loses roughly Rs. 300 billion in total; around Rs. 1 billion a day by some claims. Yet Rs. 200 billion is allocated not for aircraft but to service debt, while at the same time imposing a 15% tax on young digital earners creating dollar income—coders, data entry, online creatives—without providing the necessary digital infrastructure or bandwidth. If you tax, reinvest visibly in that ecosystem so more youth enter and bring in dollars.

¶ 12 Finally, you said you came to stop theft and corruption. If they have truly stopped, savings and efficiency should reduce the need for new taxes. Yet new taxes continue. Either theft still occurs, or you misled the public then. You are becoming your own Opposition—contradicting your pre‑election words with post‑election deeds. We will watch and critique constructively.