The Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

¶ 02 The Deputy Minister asked the Opposition Leader to table his “kotu roll” notebook. A month ago, after the “Ditva” cyclone, a father of five who received only Rs. 8,000 to repair his home climbed a light post near the Presidential Secretariat in protest—there is video evidence. People in the hill country are still living in tents. Please address this.

¶ 03 The innocent taxpayers’ money is being wasted due to government incompetence and corruption. For example, “The Morning Telegraph” reported:

¶ 04 “Immigration Fraud: Rs. 9.83M Paid For Fake System – Immigration fraud probe exposes Rs. 9.83 million payment for a digital system that never existed, with CID arresting an IT official.”

¶ 05 Week after week, taxpayers’ money is lost. The Central Bank Governor says our issues are due to global conditions, but let us recall: the government is said to have procured oil at USD 280 per barrel without proper tendering; spending around USD 500 million a month on fuel, then claiming a Rs. 100 loss per litre and raising prices—passing the burden to taxpayers. Fuel hikes raise electricity and water tariffs, production costs rise, exports are hit, and the entire economy suffers.

¶ 06 Further, due to incompetence at the Treasury and Central Bank, USD 2.5 million was misdirected; multiple payments were wrongly made to an Australian entity; and the CB and Treasury had to re-process payments. Repeated “mistakes” include: presidential pardons to the undeserving; releasing 323 containers; importing substandard coal; misdirecting USD 2.5 million; paying USD 600,000 to the US Postal Service; RDA double-paying contractors Rs. 280 million; Rs. 248 million misdirected under “Aswesuma”; a SriLankan Airlines payment of AED 74,000; INR 2.2 million issue in Chennai; awarding e-passport work outside tender—now facing Polish complaints; and the Department of Immigration’s new fraud of Rs. 9.83 million. As a result, construction material prices are up about 25 percent; medicines, water, and other essentials up about 50 percent; 400g milk powder up Rs. 50; 1 kg up Rs. 125; the dollar at Rs. 344. This is how they operate.

¶ 07 Even the Western Province Governor is reportedly trying to resign; the Presidential Secretary removed; ministry secretaries and board chairmen resigning. Another serious matter: at Wattala’s Nayakakanda Good Shepherd Girls’ School, with a 98-year history started by the Catholic Church, the community requested appointment of a Catholic nun as principal, and His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith wrote on 2 July 2025 supporting this for four schools including Nayakakanda. The government has not heeded this, distressing parents and children. Instead of protesting, the concerned Minister should request the President to appoint a Catholic nun as principal. The school now sees black flags and protests, harming students, parents, and teachers psychologically. This government has failed even on such urgent matters.

¶ 08 Thank you.