The Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, PC

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I thought I have 12 minutes.

¶ 02 Sir, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this Adjournment Motion. I am speaking after five years away from Parliament, during which time I practised law. I thank the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the National Democratic Front for nominating me through the National List, and all constituent parties for their support.

¶ 03 Seeing Parliament from outside, I must say: it costs Rs. 32 million a day to sit. We should act with restraint and responsibility. Debating Members’ qualifications is not what interests the people. We are here to debate important national issues, bringing differing perspectives; the Government should accept constructive criticism in good spirit.

¶ 04 We faced the worst economic crisis during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s time, with dwindling reserves and inability to import fuel. Then Ranil Wickremesinghe took over; the SLFP supported him; he stabilized the country. Now, the people have elected Anura Kumara Dissanayake as President. There has been a historic change: in the past, presidential races were between two or three candidates; in the recent parliamentary election, the Government received significant support even from the North and East. Therefore, President Dissanayake has a great responsibility to move forward with a truly Sri Lankan mindset. Do not squander this historic opportunity to build a national vision inclusive of all Sri Lankans.

¶ 05 While in Opposition, you criticized the IMF; today you are dealing with the IMF realistically — a positive sign. The people will judge you by deeds, not platform rhetoric. The country needs economic stability, and we will give full support for correct actions.

¶ 06 Countries with left-leaning governments have embraced open economies based on demand and supply. Governments cannot do business — look at SriLankan Airlines, a white elephant draining State coffers. India ran Air India for long, then wisely privatized it. I urge this Government to consider that model and privatize SriLankan, because governments doing business have consistently failed.

¶ 07 On attracting FDI, the BOI has become ineffective — a toothless tiger — largely limited to duty waivers. Today, foreign investors can get incentives mainly under two laws: the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act and the Strategic Development Projects Act. The IMF has asked not to approve under the SDPA until there is a transparent mechanism. Regarding Port City, there are regional sensitivities to investing there. Therefore, we need broader regional mechanisms to entice investment. Sri Lanka lacks a competitive environment: wages are high relative to peers, electricity is expensive, and regulatory frameworks have issues. We must think and act anew.

¶ 08 There is also regional disparity: Western Province contributes 43.7 per cent of GDP, Uva 4.7 per cent, Northern 4.5 per cent. We should design incentives to channel investment to lagging regions, not only the West.

¶ 09 The construction industry — once 12 per cent of GDP — has shrunk to 6 per cent. During the crisis, embargoes and taxes on building materials pushed costs so high that people cannot build houses. Yet local producers’ balance sheets show excessive profits during that period. I appeal to reconsider the tax structure on cement and building materials; unconscionable profits were made while people suffered.

¶ 10 Confidence-building measures matter. Opening the Palali–Achchuveli Road built trust in the North. During COVID, mandatory cremations deeply hurt the Muslim community when over 190 countries allowed burials. The community seeks accountability. Dr. Anil Jasinghe, now Secretary to Health and Mass Media, was part of that decision-making. Appoint whom you wish, but there is a need for an expression of remorse regarding that policy, which the Muslim community requires.

¶ 11 On the Rohingya refugees: Sri Lanka’s longstanding policy has been not to arbitrarily turn away refugees and to allow safe passage while UNHCR processes their status with a resettlement country. The Rohingya have faced torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Sri Lanka has acceded to the UN Convention against Torture (Act No. 22 of 1994), which prohibits expelling persons to states where they risk torture. Our international obligations and human rights norms require granting safe passage until status is processed. I hope the Government makes a just and fair decision. Thank you.