The Hon. Rathna Gamage

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, in presenting the 2026 Budget, the Hon. President allocated Rs. 5,000 million to seven loss-making institutions to settle employee benefit arrears like EPF, ETF and gratuity not paid by past governments. For the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation alone, Rs. 900 million was unpaid to staff for EPF/ETF/gratuity. Similarly, Rs. 100 million was unpaid at North Sea Ltd. Our Government has allocated Rs. 5,235 million across Ceylon Sugar (Pvt) Ltd, Janatha Estates Development Board, Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation, Elkaduwa Plantations, Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, North Sea, and Ceylon Ceramics Corporation to settle these. To the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, Rs. 707 million has already been provided to settle EPF, ETF and gratuity to workers. Within a month all outstanding EPF/ETF/gratuity at this loss-making institution will be settled. For North Sea Ltd., Rs. 82.9 million has been allocated and is being paid to its employees. What past governments failed to pay from workers’ hard-earned dues, we are now settling from the Budget, which is good news for the people and proof the President’s Budget is being implemented.