The Hon. Amila Prasad

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, on this final day of the 2025 Budget debate, I bring several citizen suggestions to draw Government attention to some areas.

¶ 02 First, small issues faced by betel cultivators: when obtaining small firewood sticks needed for betel plots, even finger-sized pieces require permits, creating obstacles. Please draw the subject Minister’s attention to easing this.

¶ 03 Second, in Gampaha District, clay for the pottery industry is brought from the North Western Province. Even when cut and shaped into clay balls, they are processed under ordinary soil-transport procedures. Please have relevant Ministries revisit this.

¶ 04 Third, cashew production: wildlife cause significant damage to cashew yields. Based on your wildlife census results, what methods will you adopt, given current animal populations? Cashew growers say large harvests are being destroyed by animals. Kindly act swiftly.

¶ 05 On the wewal (cane/bamboo) craft sector: Sri Lanka imports wewal; it is expensive; new technology is not applied; thus only traditional products sell and market penetration fails. Please arrange new training and provide wewal at lower cost through the responsible agencies.

¶ 06 Next, regarding investments tied to a Sanasa society in Gampaha District: there has been a major fraud. As it is a registered cooperative body, people say the cooperative bears responsibility. Please probe how their funds were invested.

¶ 07 On digital scams: through phone calls, Rs. 5,000 or 10,000 is taken from people for alleged lotteries. Since we have a Ministry for Digital Economy, please look into this. When victims complain, Police say there is no applicable law. Please bring legislation.

¶ 08 On palm oil and coconut oil: palm oil is imported for biscuits and bakeries, but quantities far exceed requirements; over years this has enabled large fraud, depriving Government of substantial revenue. One method: import coconut oil, then re-export as “virgin coconut oil,” wrongfully classifying and siphoning revenue. Please investigate and prevent such losses.

¶ 09 On IMF: we heard again today; the Leader of the House even spoke of the IMF’s “beloved.” Truth is, you composed the longest lyrics for that romance and now sing its praises. We always said it was necessary at that time. Those who wrote the verses now eulogize the beloved and scold us—that is the irony.

¶ 10 You list all the giveaways you made. That means you searched for needed Government revenues during a destructive year. You did not just slap new taxes suddenly—people scolded us for raising revenue, but in the last two years when the economy crashed, even though our party was not in power and the Southern camp was fragmented, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Shehan Semasinghe did a great service to stabilize the economy. You cannot even say one word of thanks. You collected funds and spent them across places. In this country we always talk expenditure; anyone trying to raise revenue—any Minister trying to bring money—gets criticized. Even your Government will suffer from this. You should redefine this narrative.

¶ 11 Since day one I asked: what new measures will you take to bring dollars into the country? You say foreign advisors have come—that is good—but what specifically new advice and results versus previous advisors? If the Budget clarified that, we would be happy.

¶ 12 A new global problem is here: the US has imposed new taxes targeting China and others. Countries like ours may also get taxed. China will look for new markets; if Chinese goods to the US get taxed, China will seek other markets and may become a stronger competitor in our market. I have not seen your plans to address this new competitor. Also, if China’s income drops, basic materials we import from China may face new taxes; then our production costs rise and we cannot compete globally. With a new competitor and higher costs, unless we move through bilateral and free trade arrangements, the growth you expect will not materialize.

¶ 13 You criticized the previous President’s “2048 rich country” goal. When will your Government make Sri Lanka a rich country—2028, 2030, 2032, 2035? Please state it in your closing speech. We are happy you have started new State ventures; we wish them success.

¶ 14 On tourism: tourists come naturally in peaceful, non-disastrous times. What new plans will you implement this year to bring additional tourists beyond trend?

¶ 15 On attracting investment: land and education constraints persist. Without land and education reforms, investors will not come. In the last 20–30 years, investors came seeking cheap labour; that era is ending. We need land and education policies attractive to investors. Otherwise, we will keep merely talking.

¶ 16 Throughout the debate many ignored the Rs. 5 trillion revenue vs Rs. 7 trillion expenditure gap—a Rs. 2 trillion gap. Will you print money anew, or introduce new taxes? If you clarify how you will find that Rs. 2 trillion today, we would welcome it. Next November, when your next Budget comes, we will assess success or failure. May we meet then with the “revenue” side fulfilled and “expenditure” executed successfully. I conclude. Thank you.