The Hon. R.M. Gamini Rathnayake

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, I thank you for the opportunity to speak after the Leader of the Opposition in this debate on strengthening the Central Bank’s core measures to stabilize the foreign exchange market.

¶ 02 The Hon. Leader of the Opposition said farmers and workers are suffering and millions have lost jobs. I ask him to come down from his dream world and place his feet on the ground. As a trade unionist working with employees, I must respond.

¶ 03 He asked how many Hirdaramani factories closed. I say: when did they close? During whose time? They closed under your administrations. You also boasted of 200 apparel factories started by your father—where are they now? Who sold them to Kumar Devapura? Under which Government? Who shut them? Hon. Leader of the Opposition, you have a mouth but not a mind—do not recite rehearsed lines; understand reality on the ground.

¶ 04 You claimed the economy is collapsing. If so, consider this: we inherited a bankrupt economy with persistent Budget deficits; the 2024 Budget deficit was Rs. 2.46 trillion—borrowing. Yet for the first time in history, by Q1 2026 we recorded a Budget surplus of Rs. 116 billion. Moving from deficit to surplus in a year—by what economics is that “collapse”?

¶ 05 Look also to international validations, not just our Central Bank. Bloomberg recognized the Sri Lankan rupee as the strongest currency in South Asia over the recent period. How can a “collapsing” economy have the region’s strongest currency? Please come down to earth and work with the people. Otherwise, you will remain a shattered, bankrupt Opposition for a long time.

¶ 06 On today’s Rules: the Central Bank, under its mandate, needs legal tools to keep the exchange rate stable. We saw short-term volatility. To anchor stability and keep the rupee strong in the region, we are laying the legal foundation. If you were in power, you would have resorted to bans and rigid controls—caging the economy. We, instead, are taking measured steps to expand and strengthen the currency. Keep dreaming if you wish; we will build a stable economy in the real world for our people. That is the assurance from the National People’s Power Government.

¶ 07 Thank you.