The Hon. Wasantha Piyathissa - Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, three Bills including the Employees’ National Minimum Wage are being amended today. Accordingly, more than five million workers in the private sector—our working people—are due to receive relief. This follows a decision in the last Budget, which comes into legal force today. Therefore, today is a historic day for the working people of our country.

¶ 02 Under the “Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life” development vision of the JJB Government, we have step by step commenced a vast program for our people, and all these projects and programs are proceeding systematically and successfully. But, traditionally, the Opposition’s mode of criticism is lies, mud, and slander. First they brought up a milk powder issue; next a turmeric issue and lived off it for a month; then “no rice” for a month; then “no salt” for two weeks; then “no coconuts” for two Saturdays. Today this Opposition is unable to mount a proper critique of this Government.

¶ 03 This Government is also instilling a better political culture by initiating lawful punishment, as the people expected, for those who robbed public property and unlawfully appropriated assets. When we do that, they say we are engaging in political victimization. They claim we cannot govern if we do this. Hon. Presiding Member, that is only one step in a major development plan—perhaps one-tenth. We understand the Government’s broader responsibilities. But you must understand: without fiscal discipline—by the President, Ministers, MPs, local authority chairmen and members—a country cannot be rebuilt. That discipline was absent during seven decades of your rule. You misled people to think unity would never be possible, but we knew otherwise. You sling lies and slander at this democratic Government. Nevertheless, today we are passing two of the three important Bills with a majority, and we have already embarked on changing the country and working for the people.

¶ 04 On one hand, we are implementing “One Cluster to the Farmland”; on the other, “One Cluster to the Jail for Thieves.” Under “One Cluster to the Farmland” we are spearheading a major program to uplift agriculture. This is a country with 30,000 tanks within a great irrigation civilization. For decades they were not rehabilitated to yield optimal benefit to agriculture. Under “Irrigation is Our Heritage,” we have commenced their rehabilitation with Rs. 76,000 million allocated—the highest in budgetary history—and the program is progressing successfully. Under the “Milk Surplus Country” project we aim to significantly develop the dairy sector. What did your previous governments do? You planned to sell dozens of milk collecting centers, paid no real attention to development for our dairy farmers, and even imported heifers worth Rs. 400,000 each under bogus names, which Ministers took for themselves. Today, domestic milk production is 1 million liters per day and our target is 3 million liters per day.

¶ 05 Though we inherited a collapsed economy, in our first Budget we allocated the highest-ever sum—Rs. 400 billion—for rural roads, bridges and culverts, under “Road to Revival,” expecting to repair every required road and build new ones where needed. We are heavily intervening to resolve the housing needs of working people under “A Home for You – A Tomorrow for the Country” and, with the Urban Development Authority, constructing urban housing complexes. We have begun education reforms to fix a system that burdened children and parents and lacked proper linkage to the economy. From 2028 (O/L) and 2030 (A/L), every school leaver will have a vocational skill or be directed to further education—this Government will be historic for such fundamental reforms. Digitalization is also advancing.

¶ 06 Our core vision is to eradicate poverty among rural and urban populations. Under “Community Strength,” we assess each family, prepare family development plans with them, form cooperatives, and implement an historic development step to uplift household economies. While doing this transformative work, we bring these Bills for passage today. We tell the people: do not believe the Opposition’s lies and slander. If those who boast of big brains could not rebuild the country in 76 years when they ruled, we need not value their tall tales. If there is something good, we will listen.

¶ 07 Hon. Presiding Member, today becomes historic as these amendment Bills are passed for the over five million workers. From next January these amendments will bring major relief. Thank you.