The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman

¶ 01 You said “no.” Now you have proceeded with the IMF. The final review mission of the IMF programme ends in March 2027. What happens next? Is there a roadmap? Are you discussing that roadmap? You have neither discussed nor even considered such a roadmap. There are no proposals to increase our export income, no proposals to attract investors to our country, no proposals to strengthen the labour market.

¶ 02 There is no attention to labour participation of investors and competitiveness. No proposals to increase export income. No discussion on trade and investment agreements. If so, how will investors come? You have signed agreements with India, but you have not released them. You have signed agreements with the United States, not released. You have signed agreements with China, and you are hiding all those agreements without releasing a single one. We do not know why you are not releasing them. We do not know why they are kept secret. In the past, if governments signed such things and did not reveal them, you would gather every day at 4.00 p.m. at the Lipton Roundabout, or stand in front of the Fort Railway Station. Now that is not happening. You sign and hide them in drawers, not releasing them.

¶ 03 You increased the DOD levy. In 2026, VAT and the Social Security Contribution tax threshold has been reduced from Rs. 60 million to Rs. 36 million. Why? Why was it reduced from Rs. 60 million to Rs. 36 million? It is to hit the medium-scale traders and even the small traders. Why? To build a crony-friendly economy. To build a crony-friendly economy! The President says there is no crony economy. Why not? A liquor license was given to Ishara Nanayakkara; the Mannar wind power project to Dhammika Perera. Now, by wiping out the village small entrepreneur and creating more space for the large supermarket chains, you are saying, “Here, you take the rest.” That is exactly why the threshold was brought down to Rs. 36 million.

¶ 04 You talk about the working class, about the farmers, about the ordinary people. Apart from the voucher given to schoolchildren, can you show even one thing you have practically implemented for the ordinary small businessperson at your expense? Not a single one. As Minister Lal Kantha says, everything favours the super class. A few of those super-class businessmen are around the President today. It is for them that you have presented this Budget.

¶ 05 Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees, let us speak about investment. I have with me a document issued by the U.S. Department of State titled “2025 Sri Lanka Investment Climate Statement.” I table this document.

¶ 06 Placed in the Library.

¶ 07 At one point it states, I quote:

¶ 08 “The NPP’s commitment to the country’s $3 billion, four-year (2023–2027) Extended Fund Facility IMF programme reassured investors, but many remain wary given the NPP leadership’s historically anti-Western, Marxist-influenced ideology.”

¶ 09 What are they saying? They say the National People’s Power government is anti-Western; because of a Marxist-influenced ideology and leadership, there are concerns regarding investment. I do not know whether the Government has reviewed this document. We have not seen any response. There are about ten key points in this report. I will mention several important ones. They say there is no single policy for foreign investment. On page two, the first point states there is no unified policy for foreign investment. Next, they say when you go to a one‑stop shop to obtain approvals, there is red tape everywhere, and it takes a long time. Secondly, they note that due to the non-restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board, investors cannot obtain electricity at a profitable price. They also note that the previous government introduced an Economic Transformation Bill and tried to implement it instead of BOI-led mechanisms, but after you came to power, you are not implementing the Economic Transformation Bill and are still operating under the old system. They also say there is no unified tax policy: one tax regime for India, another for China, and diverse policies sending mixed signals to investors. Further, they note that in the 2025 Budget you gave a 15% tax concession for services exports and foreign companies, but compared with the tax concessions given to the Port City there is a large disparity. They point out that due to such policies, investors are not coming to this country today.

¶ 10 They ask what the Government’s policy is to attract investors. You must now state your policy. Because, as the report says, you accept Marxism and lead with Marxist ideas; you have said you do not accept the open economy. Now you must choose and state clearly: will you continue with the World Bank and the IMF, or will you continue with Marxist ideas you advocated in the Opposition? Only if you tell the world’s investors that will they come. Since this is portrayed as a leftist government according to an American report, you must say which path you take. Earlier, when marching in protests, you said, “Which road do we take? The road of Marx and Lenin.” Now say whether you go on the road of Trump or someone else. You must state it clearly. Only then will investors come; otherwise, secretly going to China will not help.

¶ 11 You must tell the truth. Do not keep lying. You cannot do this with lies. We have reached the maximum point. Beyond this, if you are to bring investors to this country, you must state whether your economic policy discards Marxist and leftist politics, or whether you still cling to them. If you say, “Apart from my left eye, left hand, and left leg, I know no other left,” then say that. Only then can this country move forward. This is no joke. We have reached the furthest point we can go. Beyond this, you must tell the world what your economic model is. On one hand, your party secretary goes to a workshop in China, spends weeks there, and returns saying, “We will study the Chinese model; it will take 15 years to bring it.” If you say that, investors will not come. Decide which path you take and say it. If you do not, remember the country cannot go forward. Clarify the model. Will you go with the open economy and the current programme, or will you carry forward the Marxist–Leninist programme you spoke of in Opposition? Choose one path. You cannot keep playing a double game, acting like Daniel at night and Miguel by day. Tell the truth—that is our request.

¶ 12 Finally, Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees, the large social pillars that brought you to power are distancing themselves from you. Farmers brought you to power saying, “We will look after farmers and end the rice mafia.” In the end, you stood with Dudley and the rice mafia still exists.

¶ 13 Next, you said you would care for potato and onion farmers, but ended up with smugglers. You said you would end teachers’ salary anomalies, but have failed. You said you would give relief to SMEs in the middle class, but you have provided none under this Budget. You raised a dream about vehicles, and then shattered that dream. You said you would give jobs to graduates; now the President says all graduates should go home, study, and pass exams. The large social pillars who voted for you are angry. Remember that. Because you alienated those social pillars, you lost 2.3 million votes at the local government elections.

¶ 14 Now even 159 MPs are angry with you—because you are taking their salaries. They are angry. Today they will vote, but we hear the talk outside. We do not know when some of those 159 will turn the other way, since their salaries go to a Pelawatte account. Because their salaries are going to an account in Pelawatte, they are crying behind you. We hear it when we go here and there. So be careful; otherwise, that too will become a problem.