The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna

¶ 01 Now you say so — but these arguments were being made. I also saw Hon. Harsha de Silva quoted as saying Rs. 500 million is insufficient, citing you. Hon. Harsha de Silva said it — not you — that Rs. 500 million is inadequate and unworkable.

¶ 02 Do you know how many registered estate workers there are? According to the Labour Ministry, there are 87,600 registered workers in RPC estates — not 140,000 as claimed. We have allocated Rs. 5,000 million for this; it is feasible. Spreading falsehoods to block Rs. 200 for an innocent worker is unacceptable.

¶ 03 Some used public funds to build family tombs using soldiers, but Rs. 200 for a worker is a “problem.” Assistance to employ persons with disabilities is a “problem.” They feel pain because their political base is eroding and workers now appreciate the Government.

¶ 04 This is the first full Appropriation Bill we have presented; last year we worked on a Vote-on-Account for four months, with the subsequent Budget passed in March. This is the 80th Budget in our history; the previous 78 were crafted by those opposite. If those 78 were perfect, would such social problems persist? If past Budgets were strong, we would already be a prosperous nation. Some now boast that the Treasury is overflowing — let me tell the people: by the end of our five years, not only will the Treasury be strong, we will also distribute benefits — Rs. 200 to estate workers, assistance to persons with disabilities, and to children.

¶ 05 We inherited a bankrupt, shattered country. That is what makes this Budget special. We are now resolving deep-rooted issues one by one. The President exposed billions owed by State entities to their workers — unpaid EPF/ETF and gratuity: Sri Lanka Sugar (Private) Company, JEDB plantations, Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation, SLRC, CEB, Fisheries Corporation, etc. Past Budgets ignored these obligations while pampering elites. In this Budget, Rs. 5,000 million is allocated to settle part of the Rs. 11,000 million arrears in 10 State entities. You created the mess; we are cleaning it.

¶ 06 No one has been thrown out: about 9,800 non-permanent multipurpose workers will be made permanent — we have allocated funds. Senior citizens’ 15 percent interest subsidy to banks left Rs. 55,000 million unpaid by the State; we paid Rs. 10,000 million in 2025 and allocate the balance this year. The Dambulla cold store was left incomplete; we allocate Rs. 250 million to finish it. The MilkCo plant at Badalgama was abandoned; we allocate Rs. 3,000 million to commence production. You create problems; we solve them. There are no new taxes in this Budget; we simply collect properly, hence the overflowing Treasury — which should have happened earlier had you administered properly.

¶ 07 Distributing to the people stimulates the economy. The estate worker’s Rs. 200 returns to the market — to educate children and put food on the table. That spending circulates and grows the economy. You created social problems; we will resolve them step by step. Do not claim pledges are unfulfilled — we have only taken the first step; four more years remain. By then, the manifesto’s promises will be realized, one by one.