The Hon. Arjuna Sujeewa Senasinghe, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, following Hon. Chandima Hettiaratchi’s remarks, I will focus on three Heads: Fisheries; Science and Technology (under which I formerly served); and Digital Economy.

¶ 02 On fisheries technology: the President has spoken about providing fish-location technologies to fishers, but many fishers still have not received such support. Expedited delivery is needed.

¶ 03 On Science and Technology: major institutions—Sri Lanka Inventors Commission; NERD Centre; National Research Council; National Science Foundation; Planetarium; National Science and Technology Commission; Industrial Technology Institute; Sri Lanka Standards Institution; Centre of Excellence in Robotics; Atomic Energy Board; and National Innovation Agency—are critical. When appointing chairpersons, we must select by merit, not friendship. During my tenure I strove to appoint capable leaders.

¶ 04 However, many institutions work on the same projects for 7–10 years while global technology moves rapidly. Example: graphite to graphene battery R&D has dragged for years; likewise, a brush-cutter for clearing invasive plants was still using decade-old designs while other countries advanced. To raise efficiency, the private sector must be brought in; they are profit-motivated and will push state institutes to adopt cutting-edge tech and commercialize outputs. Too often, our business community is not integrated with these institutes.

¶ 05 Language is a barrier—most outputs are in English, limiting diffusion. I launched the “Shilpa Sena” programme—taking exhibitions to schools and districts, including BMICH events with large public turnout, showcasing defence and police tech, and enabling youth recruitment and tech transfer. This creates synergy among institutions and brings knowledge to rural youth. I propose reviving and expanding such district-to-district exhibitions for agriculture and other sectors as well.

¶ 06 On education allocations: contrary to Government claims, many capital heads have been reduced. Education capital fell from Rs. 99.3 billion (2025) to Rs. 98.8 billion (2026), down Rs. 500 million. Universities from Rs. 153.3 billion to Rs. 151.9 billion (down Rs. 1.4 billion). For 3,577 primary schools, only Rs. 60 lakhs is allocated—about Rs. 17,000 per school—insufficient. The Rs. 1,010 million for 1,000 secondary school upgrades last year has been cut by 75 per cent due to under-spending. Overall, only 60 per cent of last year’s education allocation has been provided this year, with no 1 per cent of GDP dedicated to education as previously promised. For 1,360 schools outside projects, allocations have been reduced; textbook printing down by Rs. 500 million; Grade 5 scholarship support for low-income students reduced by Rs. 45 million; nutrition for sports students cut by Rs. 80 million. Leaders must honour their pledges or candidly admit if they cannot.

¶ 07 We must think outside the box, crowd-in private investors, and ensure institutional mechanisms unlock development for our people. Thank you.