The Hon. Suranga Rathnayaka

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

¶ 02 On the Resolution under the Customs Ordinance—there is much debate on import tariffs and vehicle imports. As a citizen, I welcome that people can now import vehicles again, after long hardship. I thank the present government. But we must ask whether prices are at levels the public can bear. Sri Lanka is reportedly the second-highest taxed country for vehicles globally. This is not what was promised. You pledged to make the vehicle dream of public servants and middle-class earners a reality; today that dream has vanished.

¶ 03 While speaking of recovery and vehicle imports, credit must be given to previous governments too. Your own President, as Finance Minister presenting the last Budget, acknowledged that by Q1 2024 the economy was gradually normalizing—so you inherited an improving situation. Acknowledge that.

¶ 04 The President recently said the cash reserves exceed Rs. 1 trillion. But how? Revenues have increased mainly via indirect (turnover/consumption) taxes, not FDI or other sustainable sources. Who bears these? Not high earners, but daily wage earners who struggle to eat three meals. You once accused Ranil Wickremesinghe of taxing people to death; yet your government has ramped up indirect taxes from January–August 2024 to January–August 2025. Where are the reliefs you promised?

¶ 05 In April you proposed a Rs. 5,000 goods pack for low-income families during elections, allocating Rs. 10 billion; the Election Commission halted it. You claimed it wasn’t for elections, but after elections you dropped it. People still suffer. The public is intelligent and will respond at the right time.

¶ 06 On farmers: again they face severe issues—unable to sell harvests, burdened by debt. There are MPs here who lead the All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation; what structured plan have you implemented to purchase their paddy? You set a wet paddy price cap without due assessment, causing prices to fall further. You announced a Rs. 10 increase in rice price after a meeting with millers, but nothing materialized. The tug-of-war between government and big millers leaves farmers in distress; many MPs now avoid visiting paddy fields. Please honor your promises to the people. Thank you.