The Hon. Chathura Galappaththi

¶ 01 He spoke for about 40 minutes previously. During the 2026 Budget speech, he spoke for about 4 hours and 20 minutes. If, with divine help, this Government continues as it is and presents the 2027 Budget, we can predict he will certainly go for five hours. That is fine. But when inviting ambassadors and special guests, you will have to tell them to bring mats and cushions. The young MPs of the Government said when they first came to Parliament, “We came to break traditions.” If you want to break traditions, first take care of the formalities for the invitees and invite them for the Budget presentation. Some of those who came that day left without even enjoying the refreshments.

¶ 02 However, the President’s Budget speech was destined to be lengthy. As soon as the “Whole Country Together” National Operation began, within two or three days, local-level leaders and junior party operatives of his own party began to be exposed as linked to drugs and various activities. That started from Peliyagoda, then Dehiwala–Mount Lavinia, then Mirigama, then Tangalle. As those matters surfaced, the IGP issued a circular and stopped related information being publicized in the media. The “Whole Country Together” operation is, in truth, very important. But not a word could be said about it at the Budget. The planned grand dance could not happen because people within his party machinery were implicated.

¶ 03 Despite speaking for four and a half hours, there were only about 62 new proposals in this Budget. We have been debating for days; yet the genuinely new proposals number around 62. For those 62, only about Rs. 109 billion in allocations have been set aside — roughly 2.46% of total state expenditure. Of the new items, there are 138 development proposals with about Rs. 17 billion allocated — around 0.3% of total expenditure. After four and a half hours of reading, what is newly added to the economy in 2026 is like a pin‑prick. If the Treasury is that “full,” why haven’t funds been allocated for new projects? That is why we say more weight must be placed on development in the Budget.

¶ 04 Our foremost duty as MPs is legislation and law reform. In 2025, 22 Bills were passed. Of those, 12 had been drafted in 2024 or earlier. Thus, this current Government has given effect to only about 10 new Acts. Historically, 28 Bills were passed in 2023 and 34 in 2024. So this Government has passed around 10. We must reflect whether we, as a Parliament, have properly discharged our legislative responsibilities.

¶ 05 Government speakers today keep nitpicking The Hon. Harsha de Silva’s remarks. He said that this year’s fiscal targets were met — revenue reached the expected levels. How did state revenue rise? Principally via taxes, especially because vehicle imports were banned for five years and then reopened under very high duties, leading to a surge of vehicle imports under punitive taxation. Take Toyota: a manufacturer that invests massively in R&D, pays staff, pays taxes, runs factories, and earns a margin — yet Sri Lanka taxes the consumer here at two or three times those margins and then boasts that the economy is stronger. That is your so‑called “recovery.” On top of that, capital allocations that should have been spent last year on development were not utilized and lapsed back to the Treasury, which is why expenditures look “contained.” If, instead, SOEs were earning large profits, or domestic and FDI inflows were genuinely stabilizing the economy, we would have no objection. We would welcome that.

¶ 06 Turning to the 2026 Budget: total expenditure is Rs. 4,434 billion. Of that, the Ministry of Finance receives Rs. 634 billion. The President’s budget head was Rs. 2.78 billion in 2025; this year it has increased to Rs. 11 billion — an additional Rs. 8 billion. Last year’s funds were not even fully and properly utilized, yet now such a large increase is given to that head. It raises doubts: does he distrust his own Cabinet and State Ministers so much that he concentrates funds under his own head?