The Hon. Nalin Hewage - Deputy Minister of Vocational Education

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, this is an important debate. The Opposition said for a long time—before and after we took office—that we lack experience, have not even run a corner shop. The Central Bank report—not ours—delivers a strong blow to that claim. Therefore, the Opposition speaks today without relying on the report, and presents baseless points.

¶ 02 Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, though you were in the Chair, I must challenge you. You just said national debt increased by Rs. 5 trillion last year. Prove it, and I will resign my MP seat. If last year debt rose by Rs. 5 trillion as you said, prove it—on any TV debate. This is an absolute lie. If you cannot, you should resign. That is the level of falsehood today.

¶ 03 Another lie—yesterday around 11.04 a.m., the Opposition Leader claimed I said a Toyota Vitz would be sold for Rs. 1.2 million. I challenge him: show where I said that; if so, I will resign. If not, he should.

¶ 04 The Central Bank report clearly states: in 2024, GDP was USD 99.6 billion; it increased to USD 108.8 billion—a USD 9.2 billion rise. When the UNP took power in 2015, GDP was USD 79 billion; when they left in 2019 it was USD 93 billion—over four years an increase of USD 14 billion. We have increased by USD 9.2 billion in one year.

¶ 05 About inflation and the rupee: in 2015, the dollar was Rs. 131; by 2019, Rs. 185. Due to that depreciation alone, debt burden increased by Rs. 1.72 trillion. Which regional country now has not seen currency pressure amid war‑driven global volatility? Acknowledge the context.

¶ 06 Per capita income rose from USD 4,546 to USD 5,003; unemployment fell from 4.4 per cent to 3.9 per cent; reserves rose; tourist arrivals rose; exports rose—these are growth indicators. The Central Bank report proves we can run not just a corner shop or supermarket, but a country.

¶ 07 The UNP claimed to be pro‑business. In 2015, the Ease of Doing Business‑type index (business confidence) was 81; by 2019 it was 110. They built shopping malls while growth fell from 5 per cent (2015) to 2 per cent (2019). In 2016, after paying interest and amortization, Rs. 452 billion remained from revenue; in 2017, Rs. 352 billion; in 2018, Rs. 41 billion; in 2019, a deficit of Rs. 48 billion—by 2020, after debt service, we needed Rs. 521 billion more. That is the “shopping mall” legacy.

¶ 08 Hon. Chanaka Madugoda cited GDP growth under their rule. In 2014, the GDP index was 24.7; when they left it was 79.1—growth of 221 per cent—but debt grew by 252 per cent. If you give a loaf of bread with a packet of margarine, people can eat; but if you give a loaf with a packet of cyanide, what happens? That is what you did—inflating numbers while overloading debt. Every year, you raised debt by about 25 per cent. The 2015 Central Bank report shows the NEET index: 40 per cent of youth were neither employed, nor in education or training—this, while claiming a “tomorrow for youth”.

¶ 09 We also changed political culture—the key factor that can bankrupt an economy. In 2025, we began a historic journey: a small Cabinet; scientific allocation of portfolios; the President set an example—no official residence; MPs’ pension cut; medical insurance for MPs reduced from Rs. 1 million to Rs. 250,000. We made a significant shift. We did not take, flip, and sell vehicle permits. We reformed the destabilizing political culture while fixing the economy.

¶ 10 About the 2024 disaster (floods/landslides), we gave the largest relief in history: Rs. 25,000 to clean houses; Rs. 25,000 for children’s books; Rs. 25,000 for rent; Rs. 50,000 per month for six months for those whose businesses collapsed; Rs. 100,000 for damaged shops; Rs. 5 million for land; Rs. 5 million to rebuild houses—no government has given such compensation before. During the tsunami, we rebuilt the Galle‑Matara rail line and bus stand; but you did not build even a corner shop this time, only criticized.

¶ 11 The Opposition asks what we did; I ask what we did not do. In one year: increased public servants’ salaries—Rs. 110 billion for the first round; Rs. 110 billion for the second; Rs. 110 billion allocated for a third round next year. Increased pensions and retirees’ allowances. Recruiting 76,000 to the public service.

¶ 12 We raised elders’ allowance from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000; kidney patients’ allowance from Rs. 7,500 to Rs. 10,000. “Aswesuma” families increased from 1.8 million to 2 million; payments raised from Rs. 8,500 to Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 17,500, and last month to Rs. 25,000. Schoolchildren receive free books and uniforms plus a Rs. 6,500 top‑up; 3 million children receive shoe vouchers. Children in care homes receive Rs. 5,000 and a Rs. 1 million housing grant at marriage. In the private sector, the minimum wage rose from Rs. 22,000 to Rs. 27,000‑30,000. Estate workers’ daily wage rose from Rs. 1,350 to Rs. 1,750.

¶ 13 In total, we considered 1.3 million public servants, 650,000 retirees, 2 million Aswesuma families, and 4 million students. University Mahapola rose from Rs. 5,000—where it sat for 40 years—to Rs. 10,000 in one year. From now on, the question should be what we did not do.

¶ 14 Hon. Madduma Bandara claimed less than 50 per cent of capital expenditure was used last year—prove it. I challenge three points—prove them.

¶ 15 We allocated Rs. 1.4 trillion for development. For the Southern Provincial Council, annual spending from 2020‑2024 averaged Rs. 650 million; we allocated Rs. 2,800 million for 2025 and Rs. 3,000 million this year—nearly six times. We may not have pomp and long vehicle convoys for openings, but we have deployed nearly Rs. 24,000 million to 14,000 GN divisions—Rs. 1‑3 million per village—to reduce poverty and rebuild the economy. No previous government did that. Last year’s stability laid an unprecedented foundation.

¶ 16 We brought education reforms, cracked down on drugs and organized crime; no more daily shootings. We enforced the law and brought to court those once “untouchable.”

¶ 17 The Opposition has always lied—Sajith Premadasa said, “If I have two, I will take only one.” Let him tell us what he has given up in the last one and a half years. They tried such lies, but people did not buy them. That is why our May Day rallies were at a 1:21 ratio against theirs across the country. They claim we have no people—now we all see who lacks people. As we continue this work, they will be further exposed. I conclude. Thank you.