The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the “Aswesuma” welfare programme was introduced by the previous Government to provide basic support to poor households and improve beneficiaries’ living conditions. However, reports indicate genuine beneficiaries have been excluded due to weaknesses in implementation. Therefore, a continuous evaluation of eligibility criteria, benefit delivery and methods to improve living standards is essential.

¶ 02 We must also ask whether the benefit amounts are sufficient, given current prices: for example, drumsticks Rs. 1,200/kg, carrots Rs. 800/kg, beans Rs. 650/kg, chilies Rs. 800/kg, bitter gourd Rs. 450/kg, pumpkin Rs. 320/kg, brinjal Rs. 700/kg, mackerel Rs. 500/kg, leeks Rs. 500/kg, snake gourd Rs. 450/kg, etc. Moreover, many beneficiaries are engaged in grain cultivation — sesame, black gram, green gram — and do not get fair prices.

¶ 03 My questions:

¶ 04 1. What are the objectives of Aswesuma? 2. Have the intended targets been met to date? If so, which? 3. From inception, how many beneficiaries have been paid each year by category, and what was the total annual expenditure? 4. What criteria are used to categorize beneficiaries? 5. Is the selection methodology scientific and suited to Sri Lanka, and is the Government satisfied with it? Reputable analyses (CEPA, World Bank, LIRNEasia) indicate high poverty and vulnerability; will the Government respond with data-driven targeting? 6. Of the 8 million applications submitted, have they now been assigned to the announced categories? 7. Has the Government considered the World Bank’s 2025 Sri Lanka report and other reputable poverty data? 8. If so, will the Government revise Aswesuma accordingly? If not, what alternatives? 9. Beyond cash support, investment promotion is essential to eradicate poverty. A Singaporean investor in foam mattress exports (targeting 2.5 million units, 500 jobs) has halted production for six months due to an export quota cap of 50,000 units imposed by agencies. This investor, with factories in Thailand, Indonesia, and Myanmar, is considering exiting. I urge immediate engagement to retain this investment.