The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake

¶ 01 Please allow me one minute, Hon. Presiding Member.

¶ 02 At this time, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has created certain commercialization around these enterprises. The burden will not fall on you; since it does not, the people must receive the benefit. The CEB is trying again to raise electricity tariffs by 8.7%. At a time of profit, they are attempting to increase distribution costs by 8.5%. This must be corrected.

¶ 03 Before that, you must implement public-private partnerships and labour reforms. Work is not progressing at Port City or the BOI today because there is nothing for investors to buy due to unresolved issues.

¶ 04 Regarding procurement committees, I spoke today with Minister Nalinda Jayatissa about the sequence of actions. There is a problem in the Health sector’s procurement committee. It takes 189 days to call a tender to buy certain items. When matters go to court, problems arise. I believe we can repay our debts through increasing exports. To increase exports, we must ensure Sri Lanka Customs, the BOI, and Port City can act, and that government officials make decisions within 48 hours. The country cannot bear the consequences of inaction. Let us strengthen the economy and move forward. I will conclude.

¶ 05 In your 2025 Budget, you allocate Rs. 1,422 billion in capital expenditure; as at now, Rs. 326.8 billion has been spent. With your cooperation, let us build a strong economy, eliminate the debt burden, and move the country forward through exports. Let us strengthen the National Audit (Amendment) Act and implement it as intended. Thank you.