The Hon. Chandima Hettiaratchi

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, during the Committee Stage on the Ministry of Digital Economy and the Ministry of Fisheries, I wish to highlight several points. We have a visionary leader as President and a knowledgeable Deputy Minister—Hon. Eranga Weeraratne—so we can implement our manifesto for a prosperous nation with digital governance, innovation-led growth, international partnerships, and standards-compliant infrastructure. Accordingly, we allocated Rs. 21 billion in 2025 and Rs. 25.5 billion this year for digital initiatives.

¶ 02 Critics ask, “Show what you have done.” On GovPay, by 30 September 2025, Rs. 200 million was allocated and Rs. 0.84 million spent—but physical progress is 100 per cent. Financial progress is measured at year-end; physical progress on key platforms is complete. For Lanka Government Network 2.0 and Lanka Government Cloud 2.0, physical progress is 100 per cent. The State Information Center’s AI-driven upgrades also show 100 per cent physical progress. We are moving with a clear plan, clear funding, and clear targets.

¶ 03 We held Disrupt Asia 2025, the Sri Lanka FinTech Summit, and the National AI Expo. Investments are beginning to flow. We have a National Cybersecurity Strategy 2025–2029 and have established the National Cyber Security Operations Centre under the President. We are building the National Data Exchange (NDE) to enable G2G, G2B, and G2C interoperability, breaking down data silos so national decisions can be data-driven.

¶ 04 Hon. Harsha de Silva asked whether we have contextual understanding and public discourse on digital transformation. We do—we received a popular mandate for it. If further discussions are needed, Parliament is the place; we are debating it now and will engage publicly as well.

¶ 05 On the “Hans” case study: governance decisions are collective; we operate with democratic values and institutional processes, not individual whims.

¶ 06 On Digital ID and citizenship concerns: Switzerland passed Digital ID via a referendum after years of debate. Our system is different, but if the Opposition seeks more dialogue, we are ready because this is significant.

¶ 07 On Science and Technology: Hon. Krishantha Abeysekara and team are developing the National Science Policy with Rs. 15 million allocated; 75 per cent of the work is done, with minimal expenditure due to collaboration with the President’s Office advisors.

¶ 08 We are also advancing the National Initiative for Research and Development Commercialization—converting research into economic outputs.

¶ 09 Regarding fisheries: some claimed fuel has not been reduced. Under the previous administration, furnace oil costs and diesel peaked; today diesel is Rs. 277 per litre versus Rs. 307 then, a reduction. We are also integrating digital communications for vessels and satellite-supported fish field intelligence through the Digital Economy Ministry.

¶ 10 In Beruwala, for large and small boat owners, we are implementing a slipway project via the Industries and Fisheries Ministries to earn dollars. We resolved environmental concerns about fibre dust through community engagement. We will continue delivering for the people. Some in the Opposition spread blatant falsehoods; the Government will work and win the people’s trust.