The Hon. (Mrs.) M.A.C.S. Chathuri Gangani

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak at the presentation of the second Citizens’ Budget of our democratic Government.

¶ 02 Eight months before presenting this second Citizens’ Budget, we presented the first Citizens’ Budget for 2025. We inherited an economy that had collapsed, a society driven down to the lowest rungs, and a State that had lost fiscal discipline and stability. These were the challenges before us. Through our first Budget, we took decisive measures to restore State stability, ensure macroeconomic stability, and thereby stabilize the lives of our people.

¶ 03 In the first eight months of 2025, we exceeded expectations — even the projections of experts and multilateral institutions — by stabilizing the economy. In the first half of 2025, we achieved an economic growth rate of 4.8 per cent. Treasury bill yields declined, strengthening financial stability. Before we assumed office, the Opposition spread panic that the exchange rate would reach Rs. 5,000 to the US dollar. Yet, over the past year, we maintained exchange rate stability.

¶ 04 We strengthened the external sector beyond expectations, raised gross official reserves above USD 6 billion, and recorded the highest-ever primary surplus at 2.3 per cent of GDP.

¶ 05 Today, the Opposition hurls accusations saying, “You did not do this or that.” I invite them to understand the strategic objectives of this Budget.

¶ 06 With this 2026 Budget, building on the stability we secured in 2025, we set out to sustainably grow the economy, accelerate development, and uplift people’s lives. We aim to surpass 7 per cent growth and ensure its benefits reach every citizen. Through a National Export Development Plan, we will promote new export products and services. We acknowledge that past borrowings were often not for well-targeted national objectives; even project loans were not productively deployed, pushing debt to 114.2 per cent of GDP by 2022. We target reducing debt to 96.8 per cent by 2026 and to 87 per cent by 2030, ensuring debt sustainability with a clear plan.

¶ 07 We remain an import-dependent economy. Therefore, a key thrust of this Budget is facilitating MSMEs to drive export growth.

¶ 08 Another key goal is eliminating rural poverty by expanding economic opportunities, developing rural infrastructure, advancing a productive economy, and ensuring access to education, health and essential services, alongside promoting digitalization.

¶ 09 This Budget includes concrete proposals for rural poverty alleviation. Notably, we proposed a Rs. 200 Government-paid attendance incentive for estate workers. Yet, the Opposition, including the Leader of the Opposition and his team, are attempting to obstruct this relief to a long-suffering, innocent estate worker community. MP Rohini Kavirathna has even gone to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption over this matter. Hon. Deputy Speaker, as people’s representatives, I ask: on what moral basis do they challenge such relief?

¶ 10 Our tea industry has been sustained by thousands of estate women whose lives are arduous — from dawn till dusk, picking leaves till their fingers blister. Paying Rs. 200 as a State duty to citizens is just. It is profoundly saddening that, especially as a woman, one would go to the Bribery Commission against such relief when the majority in that community are women. Where is the compassion and conscience in such actions? Is this the collective view of the entire Opposition? Do not challenge this. Whatever you do, we will continue to rebuild lives.

¶ 11 The Opposition’s Media Spokesman Amila Prasad Siriwardhana says it is wrong to use taxpayers’ money to increase estate workers’ wages. Are not estate workers among the working people and taxpayers’ beneficiaries of this country? Did we not survive the crisis in part due to their sweat and toil?

¶ 12 This Budget includes many just measures for education, health, differently-abled children and the public at large. We have also proposed measures to protect animals that deserve care. Yet, an Opposition MP trivialized this by saying principals should have been prioritized “over dogs,” a gross mischaracterization. The Opposition knows in their conscience this is a fair Budget. Why then oppose Rs. 200 to estate workers? Because they cannot continue to exploit or market their misery once we uplift their lives. That unfounded fear drives their opposition.

¶ 13 Let me conclude with a thought: Oscar Wilde said, “A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Though this Budget contains many good and just measures — which even their consciences recognize — some drown in numbers to make cynical critiques. Our President invites you to travel a better path than ours if you can. Let us fulfill our duty in line with our conscience, not as cynics, but as true representatives of the people.

¶ 14 Thank you.