The Hon. Chathura Galappaththi

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I thank the people of Matara for electing me with the highest preferences, especially those who voted for the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. I also remember with respect my late father, former MP and Provincial Minister Hon. Justin Galappaththi, and my father’s uncle, former State Minister of Fisheries P.S.L. Galappaththi.

¶ 02 I was a software engineer and then left that profession to engage full-time in politics—serving as a Municipal Councillor in 2012 and as a Provincial Councillor in 2014 with the highest preferences. I thank my wife, two children, sister, family, friends, and activists who supported me, and the teachers of Matara Sudarshana Model School, Matara Rahula College, and the University of Colombo School of Computing.

¶ 03 The President’s policy statement has been discussed today. In this debate on the Interim Appropriation, I will focus on one area: I believe the two main issues—curbing theft, corruption and fraud, and making the public service efficient—can be substantially addressed through digitalization. Since 2001 the world has advanced through digitalization; countries that embraced it developed rapidly. In 2001, then Minister Milinda Moragoda instructed the creation of an institution for IT development; Prof. V.K. Samaranayake and a capable team established ICTA. However, subsequent governments did not focus enough on ICT and digitalization. Even when President Gotabaya showed interest and appointed a capable team to change the system, the system changed the team, and experts like Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana left. I heard the last government even decided to close ICTA. That decision was made without understanding.

¶ 04 The current President appears keen on this and relies on a capable team. There is also a knowledgeable team on the Government benches. This is a special opportunity. I believe digitalization is the best and only way to stop corruption and make the public service efficient. Even from the Opposition, I will give maximum support.

¶ 05 Under our Leader of the Opposition, while in Opposition we considered how to empower society with ICT before digitalizing the state. We started the Smart Classroom project within schools as a small step. Many criticized it, but today everyone speaks about smart classrooms—yet it was not done by the then government; we did it from the Opposition. Beyond mere donations, we brought together principals and ICT teachers, created awareness, and used those smart classrooms to impart extra knowledge so students could become entrepreneurs beyond the curriculum. We aimed to secure the future of students—even those who had finished O/Ls, A/Ls, or degrees but were at home—by giving them ICT knowledge from school level, bringing the world’s latest knowledge to children in villages, and enabling them to stand on their own feet.

¶ 06 I again extend my good wishes to the President and Government. However, it saddens me that many debates focused repeatedly on a “74-year curse.” Before 1948, we were a colony with high poverty. From 1948 to 1994, Sri Lanka became one of the fastest developing countries in South Asia. Therefore, calling it a 74-year curse is wrong. From 1994 to 2024, left-leaning camps governed most of the time. On brief occasions when we had power, the Head of State was not from our party. So do not attribute a 74-year curse to us. Thank you for the opportunity.