The Hon. Harshana Rajakaruna

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Deputy Chairperson. Whatever you claim about this past year, do you know that HSBC—one of the foremost multinational banks, over a century in Sri Lanka—has decided to exit, selling to a local entity? Our remaining major international bank, Standard Chartered, is also preparing to leave. Within a short time, both will be gone. This reflects serious concerns about investment and the business climate.

¶ 02 Regarding drugs and the underworld, UNODC had issued a warning regarding those containers, yet two containers somehow left the port without proper checks. If those two slipped out, what of the other 323 containers that left without any inspections—what could be inside? Drugs? Or as one Member said, guns and bombs? You keep pointing fingers about who created the underworld. It has been a year under your government. Instead of pointing, act: if any politician is involved, name them and enforce the law.

¶ 03 You said investigations found southern politicians linked to the Middeniya containers; there is an audio clip referencing a southern politician; media have covered it. So who is that southern politician? Tell the country and apply the law. People did not elect you to ask “Did you get bread?” when someone consented to something. Today people cannot even afford bread. They elected you with great hope; in this short year those hopes have faded. Start delivering on your promises now. Thank you.