The Hon. Gayantha Karunatilleka

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I have ten minutes.

¶ 02 I am very pleased to join the debate on the Interim Appropriation presented by the Government. First, I offer my respectful salutations to the beloved people of Bentara-Elpitiya and the Galle District who have continuously elected me to this Tenth Parliament for the seventh time, and as the first from our group in the last four elections.

¶ 03 In nearly two and a half decades here, the greatest lesson I learned is about impermanence. I have seen leaders rise with massive mandates and then fall; I have seen new leaders emerge; ideologies shift; governments once said to be solid like Sigiriya melt away like butter. I have seen political waves rise and be overtaken by newer waves. Power is like a swing: it goes to one side and then comes back.

¶ 04 We humbly acknowledge that the current Government has an enormous mandate. One can see it from any angle—even at lunchtime at the dining hall. I will not speak today about your long-term promises. But if you, including the President who chanted on platforms about what would be done immediately upon coming to power, have any sudden reluctance now, I will speak only on three key matters you can address immediately.

¶ 05 Fuel and electricity are the lifeblood of national development and daily life. I recall that in the 76 years you call a curse, under Dudley Senanayake the first oil refinery in Asia was initiated in 1967 and opened in 1969; Sapugaskanda began with capacity of 25,000–35,000 barrels per day, and under J.R. Jayewardene in 1983 it was expanded to 60,000 bpd. Even today, 100 percent of kerosene needs are refined there. You promised to reduce fuel prices infinitely, yet recently you increased kerosene by Rs. 5—hurting estate workers, low-income families, fishermen, farmers. The President spoke attractively about reducing prices, saying the formula and corrupt taxes and commissions were the reason for high prices, claiming Rs. 50 per litre was a corrupt tax. The current Industry Minister also said taxes would be removed to lower prices. Yet today more than Rs. 100 tax is added per litre. We still import from the same companies and use the same pricing formula you once called corrupt. Why? You promised to reduce by Rs. 100 per litre immediately; last week you cut petrol by only 200 cents (Rs. 2), and raised diesel and kerosene.

¶ 06 In the “76-year curse” you cite, hydropower was a key development. We saw reservoirs spilling recently. In 1950 under Sir John Kotelawala, the Lakshapana plant lit the first electric bulb. The Accelerated Mahaweli with the five great reservoirs was also in those 76 years.