The Hon. Namal Karunaratne - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, looking back at this Budget Debate, various parties attempted to present both highly commendable and highly objectionable information. The debate began with the Opposition. The first to bat for the Opposition was presented as the best finisher and most capable striker, someone said to know the subject well — namely the person the Opposition put forward as their economic expert in the SJB. He stated: “The macroeconomy has been stabilized.” That is an advantage to us. He further said, “We support the anti-corruption programme; it is very good.” He added, “We succeeded in maintaining economic stability in 2025.” Then he said, “We never imagined so many vehicles would be imported; something we did not expect has happened.” Next, “For the first time, the State Treasury is overflowing with a surplus.” And, “The people are still with this Government.” These are the points he made.

¶ 02 On that basis, the criticisms that followed from some in the Opposition fundamentally clash with those initial acknowledgements. Which of these does the Opposition now accept? Accepting that even under current conditions the Treasury has a surplus, the Leader of the Opposition says, “Even a Montessori child can do that by raising taxes.” We did not simply “raise taxes”; we managed existing taxes. Those who had evaded taxes are now paying. Many who previously dodged taxes have voluntarily complied. We have met many such people.

¶ 03 [Interruption]