The Hon. Aravinda Senarath

¶ 01 Let us not turn Parliament into a sacrificial pit. If my words caused linguistic offence, I regret that; if intended otherwise, I withdraw the implication. I will proceed.

¶ 02 Opposition asks what the “NPP Government” did in 2025. We have a duty to list them. When we took office, the macro-foundations were shattered; we rebuilt step by step to deliver targeted social benefits and include vulnerable groups in development.

¶ 03 Our first Budget was presented in February 2025, with appropriations flowing from May — only four months have passed. In that time: the aswesuma monthly benefit of Rs. 8,500 was raised to Rs. 10,000 for one group, and from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 17,500 for another; transitional periods were extended; the monthly Rs. 7,500 for CKD patients was increased to Rs. 10,000. The elderly allowance, previously Rs. 3,000 for a fixed quota per GN division, is now Rs. 5,000 monthly for all over 70, removing quotas.

¶ 04 We provided a nutrition package for pregnant mothers. Despite decades of big political figures, the number of children in institutional care kept rising; the State failed to protect them. We have now granted Rs. 5,000 per month for such children: Rs. 2,000 deposited in a bank for the child, and Rs. 3,000 to the guardian for nutrition and daily needs. We have banned child labour and hazardous child work effective 1st July, sending a strong social message.

¶ 05 For preschool meals, we raised the allocation from Rs. 60 to Rs. 100. We increased allowances for preschool teachers. We provided Rs. 6,000 for stationery for low-income schoolchildren — for the first time in our history. In one family in my electorate with six schoolchildren, they received Rs. 36,000 — we safeguard the right to education.

¶ 06 The scholarship stipend historically lingered at Rs. 750; we doubled it to Rs. 1,500. Nutrition allowances for sports-school students were raised from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000. Vocational trainees’ stipends were increased accordingly. For smaller schools, piriven and Sunday schools with under 2,500 students, we are granting Rs. 3,000 vouchers for shoes, to be implemented next year.

¶ 07 We increased Mahapola to Rs. 7,500 and propose in 2026 to raise it to Rs. 10,000. University students’ stipend was increased to Rs. 6,500 and will be further raised in 2026. We provided scholarships for children of senior citizens working abroad. Under Chinese assistance and national housing programmes, we advanced nearly 1,996 + 2,854 + 4,000 houses across different schemes, and the National Housing Development Authority is regularizing 1,000 title deeds. Some opposition leaders’ housing schemes in Hambantota were built within elephant corridors — people cannot legally live there. We will provide both houses and title.

¶ 08 Under our housing grants, instead of the previous Rs. 600,000, we now provide Rs. 1 million to build a house. We have commenced clusters of 10–20 houses per DS division across the country. Indian-assisted housing continues.

¶ 09 We added 150 ambulances to “Suwaseriya.” For agriculture: the fertilizer subsidy per hectare was increased from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000. [Speech continues.]