The Hon. Thanura Dissanayake

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, we agree as a Government that production must be increased and the economy made production-based. If we do not plan and open space for new products, reducing youth unemployment and building entrepreneurs will not be easy.

¶ 02 Historically, production and trade were confined to a narrow group with capital and access to import/export licences, so income did not spread evenly. Some provinces contribute little to GDP—meaning production is weak there. We must expand production across the North, East, Central highlands, and all regions.

¶ 03 We insist that the public participate in economic activity and share fairly in its benefits. Hon. Member’s motion is timely and should be pursued bipartisanly. On self-employment, we must balance: not everyone needs to be an entrepreneur; we also need skilled professionals. There is no national entrepreneurship development policy; the National People’s Power Government is preparing a strategic framework to present this year—an integrated plan. Jobs for youth will come if businesses and entrepreneurs grow. For example, we negotiated reduced US tariffs from 44% to 30%, and the UK has opened free-tariff preferences. Such trade diplomacy can expand markets. Let us avoid misinforming the public and work together constructively.

¶ 04 Thank you.