The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, we are debating the Resolution under the Customs Ordinance.

¶ 02 Vehicle import prohibitions were in place earlier. We have now removed obstacles and put in place regulations to reopen imports in an orderly manner.

¶ 03 Members also spoke about the recent local elections and various narratives. The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam alleged the Government and the military are spreading racism in the North and East. On the contrary, this Government has defeated racism and united the country, refusing space for divisive politics. We will ensure all people—North, South, East and West—live freely and happily.

¶ 04 Some try to create fear over land in the North and East. We will address genuine land issues and ensure people there get title and can develop their lands. We will also expose and act on instances where politicians elsewhere grabbed State lands and sold them off.

¶ 05 On the local elections, it is common globally for interest in local polls to be lower after a presidential and parliamentary cycle. Still, the NPP won about 269 local authorities. Others may claim gains in seats due to the system, but in votes the Government has secured the largest share. We will continue governing responsibly.

¶ 06 This morning Hon. Harsha de Silva spoke about real GDP growth. He cited 3.1% for 2027. That is a forecast. For 2025, we expect headline GDP growth around 3.5%, with real growth forecast near 3.1–3.2% and a nominal GDP path rising from about Rs. 32,036 billion in 2025 to about Rs. 47,826 billion by 2030—an increase of about Rs. 15,000 billion over six years—implying nominal growth rates around 7–8% annually. Real growth at around 3% is prudent given our objective to manage the exchange rate gradually; abrupt changes would hurt exporters and those with dollar-priced inputs under existing import contracts.

¶ 07 We will maintain stability, rebuild credibility and proceed with calibrated opening, including vehicle imports, aligned to reserves and inflation objectives. Thank you.