The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, I wish to begin by responding to an issue raised this morning by the Chief Opposition Whip, Hon. Gayantha Karunatilleka. Citing the “Lankadeepa” newspaper, he said: “Fake medicines in 500 hospitals islandwide.” When I asked who said this, he said it was attributed to Dr. Rukshan Bellana, Deputy Director at the National Hospital, Colombo.

¶ 02 I obtained a report from the Medical Supplies Division on this matter and now table it. Before me, the Hon. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya oversaw the Health Ministry for about two and a half months; I have been there for about two weeks.

¶ 03 We acknowledge there have been serious issues in the Ministry’s Medical Supplies Division and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority. However, the story that “fake medicines are in 500 government hospitals” is a highly misleading and baseless report. Government hospitals are supplied only with medicines approved by the NMRA, and we are strengthening that process.

¶ 04 If a hospital faces a shortage of a medicine, there is provision for local purchasing under a defined procedure with a technical evaluation committee and proper tendering. Through that process, medicines can be obtained from government hospitals or authorized institutions. Therefore, the story that fake medicines are present in regional or central hospitals is false. No such reports have been received by the MSD or the NMRA. A medicine can be declared “substandard” only after samples are tested by the relevant accredited institutions and quality deficiencies are confirmed. Since the report did not even name the medicines, it can unnecessarily alarm the public about the medicines they use. Such statements without proper verification, for whatever agenda, are inappropriate. Shortages in certain medicines at certain times can occur, and we are addressing those systematically.

¶ 05 Hon. Member, you quoted what someone said, and I asked who said it. That is the point.

¶ 06 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, as you know, this Government is taking strong steps to increase State revenue. The President, as Minister of Finance, is continuously engaged in this. There is tax already embedded in alcohol prices that consumers pay; this is not a direct tax on the companies, but collected via consumption. Some companies have not remitted these taxes to the State.

¶ 07 Let me list them and the actions we have taken:

¶ 08 - W. M. Mendis & Company: Owned by Aloysius. Including tax and surcharges/penalties for 2022, 2023 and 2024, approximately Rs. 5.8 billion is due. Licences have been suspended; there is no leniency. Although the law explicitly provides only for suspension, we will also pursue attaching assets to recover dues.

¶ 09 - Wayamba Distilleries (Pvt) Ltd and Macallum Brewery (Pvt) Ltd: Both owe taxes and have filed cases against the Excise Department regarding assessed tax and penalties; cases are ongoing.

¶ 10 - Globe Blenders & Bottlers Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Kalutara Cooperative Society, and Wayamba Wholesale Spirit Storage Complexes (Pvt) Ltd: Arrears going back many years (2004–2005 and, for Kalutara Coop, 2008–2019). Though these entities may not be operational now, we are pursuing legal avenues to recover the arrears to the maximum.

¶ 11 Previously, bar licences were distributed while excise due on the arrack sold was not collected and allegedly shared among favourites, even funding elections in kind. Reports and even CID material about monies from Aloysius were tabled earlier. Some who took his money are in this very House.

¶ 12 Yesterday, Hon. Kabir Hashim claimed the current President is requesting the same allocation as former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, questioning how that squares with cuts. That was thoroughly disproved. What is before us is a Vote on Account for four months, and even from that, we will spend less and return savings to the Treasury.

¶ 13 For example, compared to what former President Wickremesinghe planned to allocate for the first four months of 2025, the current President’s allocation for his office is reduced by Rs. 1.446 billion. There is only one subhead where the current amount is higher by Rs. 621 million: facilities for former Presidents. That is solely because another former President – Mr. Wickremesinghe – has newly joined that category.

¶ 14 Had he not, even that line would not increase. Also, these entitlements will be reviewed and reduced in the coming months. For general administration of the President’s Office, the current allocation is 16.3 per cent less than what would have been under former President Wickremesinghe. We will underspend and return funds.

¶ 15 On Presidential advisors: we have appointed several subject-specific advisors who work voluntarily. Examples: - Prof. Gomika Udugamasooriya – Colombo University graduate with postgraduate qualifications and research recognition at the University of Houston, USA – serving voluntarily. - Senior Attorney J. M. Wijekoonthara – Senior Legal Advisor – voluntarily. - Hans Wijayasuriya – supporting the national digitalization initiative – voluntarily. - Duminda Hulangamuwa – a leading businessman and office-bearer of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce – serving as an economic advisor voluntarily.

¶ 16 Compare that with the long list of paid advisors under former President Wickremesinghe – with vehicles, fuel, phones, offices and salaries – including Akila Viraj Kariyawasam (Public Administration), Ruchan Wijewardena (Climate Change), Vadiwel Suresh, Dinesh Weerakkody (Treasury Affairs), Ashra Marasinghe (Parliamentary Affairs), Rosy Senanayake (Provincial Councils), John Amaratunga (Special), Ananda Kularatne (Special), Champika Premadasa (Special Co-chair), as well as others like Gamini Rajapakse, Harsha Kumara Navaratne, Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando who were appointed as advisors. In contrast, our advisors are professionals serving the country voluntarily. Casting aspersions on them is unfair.

¶ 17 Thank you.