The Hon. Upali Pannilage - Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, on the regulations under the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act, No. 2 of 1996, and especially on the regulations under the Fishermen’s Pension and Social Security Benefits Scheme Act, No. 23 of 1990, I wish to make a few observations.

¶ 02 First, we strongly condemn, as the Government side, the insulting remarks made against the Hon. Prime Minister in this House.

¶ 03 According to the Ministry of Fisheries, 188,940 families are engaged in marine fisheries and 83,960 in inland fisheries—a total of 272,900 families directly linked to the sector. Including family members, nearly one million people are directly dependent, and about 2.7 million people depend directly and indirectly on fisheries-related livelihoods.

¶ 04 It is true there was a previous pension scheme, but only 69,049 were enrolled, with merely 6,312 beneficiaries ultimately receiving entitlements due to weaknesses and failure to sustain the scheme. Therefore, introducing a new pension scheme with necessary reforms and legal provisions is essential to deliver benefits to this vast community.

¶ 05 Fisheries is arduous and hazardous; families live with uncertainty until their loved ones return from the high seas. Many social issues arise in this sector. Hence, our Government’s policy declaration “Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life” prioritizes “Dignified Senior Citizens – Meaningful Retirement,” ensuring all our elders a dignified and happy retirement. We treat enabling such retirement as a responsibility.

¶ 06 I will further draw attention to why our senior citizens need a pension…