The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake

¶ 01 Why not? I want you to do the job the way we do it. You do not give the signal and turn right. That is why I keep talking about Lal Kantha, Sunil Handunnetti, Vijitha Herath and Bimal Rathnayake. Because what we want is to put that enterprise on the right track.

¶ 02 Hon. Minister, instead of hurling accusations in a procession, we would prefer that you answer us standing there today. Because when we raised these issues then, we were told “they are all thieves.” But today you also do the same; you approve the same. Because that is what needs to be done. We said this: 84,000 cars are not needed for government institutions. When government institutions in Australia own 8,400 vehicles, why should Sri Lanka’s government institutions, already having 76,600 vehicles, try to bring another 2,000? This is the problem. Earlier, government vehicles were taken to the Galle Face Green and a big exhibition was held, showing them off. With that many vehicles, do we still need to import 2,000 more? Not only that. If these 2,000 vehicles were to be brought for government institutions, that would be one thing. But they have been allocated to Members of Parliament. If so, doesn’t that make this entire Parliament a laughingstock? It is here that the proposals to stop such acts were brought. If so, correct this and do not say that vehicles are being brought for MPs. Those here came to cleanse the system. Then let us cleanse it. Giving a double-cab is not inherently corrupt. But that is the current perception. So, correct that perception—that is what I say. I am fine with you traveling by car. I say the President should travel by helicopter. Then, when going to Jaffna, instead of wasting around 10 hours on the road, he can get there in an hour. The official residence of the Hon. Speaker is near my house. Do not close it; do not give it to other staffs. Otherwise, for the next seven years there will be allegations that it was misused. If there is an official residence, there is no need to rent a house on Davidson Road, Madam Deputy Chairperson. The Speaker’s residence exists for the Speaker to live in, not for other purposes. So, do not turn it into a place for other showcases.

¶ 03 Next, I wish to say this: in Sri Lanka Railways, about Rs. 5,100 million has been paid as overtime. There are 14,057 employees. If that amount is divided over 305 days—assuming everyone did overtime every day—it comes to paying about Rs. 1,100 per person per day. That is if they worked continuously, weekdays and Sundays. This is how the Department of Railways is functioning. You have also said that even though payments were made for a five-year project, nothing has been done. In my view, funds allocated for such matters should be directed to the real issues, because those are unnecessary expenditures. I say: criticize politically—no problem. The 225 here, the President, the 456 at Provincial Councils, and 8,900 at Local Authorities—all are participants in these problems. Likewise, among the 1.6 million in the entire public service, some also have issues. About 90 percent of officials are good. It is around four to five percent where severe problems lie.

¶ 04 At this juncture, I must cite a point by Dr. Rohan Karunaratne, Chairman of the National Construction Association. He says that despite the government’s efforts to curb corruption, corruption has increased within institutions. I quote: “Although the Government has done much to resolve corruption in Sri Lanka, it still exists within institutions. The culture of corruption severely damages Sri Lanka’s reputation as a transparent investment destination, deterring investors who prioritize ethical business practices and rule of law.” He is not criticizing the government per se, but saying these practices persist. Dr. Rohan Karunaratne is a highly capable person. He has also said that the industrial sector’s contribution to GDP, which used to be around 9 percent, has today dropped to 2 percent.

¶ 05 Now, scolding Ministers won’t help. We are not a hypocritical Opposition. It’s been about 11 months since you took power. By now you must see that, from government, the problems are far more complex than when you shouted from the Opposition. That is why we encourage you. You know about this debt trap now. This is also part of the 76-year curse. Another 11 months have joined that 76-year span; the problem has not been solved, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti. I keep saying at every turn—this is not about party colors for me. I want to set this sector on the right path. Casting aside party and color, we must all link arms to rebuild the country.

¶ 06 Next, I must speak on SriLankan Airlines. In response to a question in Parliament, a Minister said SriLankan Airlines has to pay Rs. 23 billion in embarkation levies. If a private company had to pay even Rs. 100, by now CID would have arrested and remanded someone and then granted bail. This is a state enterprise. Rs. 23 billion—Rs. 2,300 crores—are due. What has been done about it? If this Rs. 2,300 crores had been used to convert young people into entrepreneurs—for example, giving Rs. 200,000 loans—we could have produced hundreds of thousands of young entrepreneurs. Likewise, Air India and FitsAir also have dues. Why is there no action? There is no point berating the Opposition. Conduct a proper review and take administration forward. I keep saying: the state officials have been a major part of the 76-year curse. Some officials might wonder what I am doing, but I reveal this because we too governed and saw these things.

¶ 07 Look at the construction sector. Ranil Wickremesinghe decided that the State should provide houses to people without charging five percent by the State sector. It started in the Colombo North seat. 54,300 houses were to be given to Colombo District. We gave 23,000 houses. When we were ready to give the rest, the government changed. Since then, not a single house has been given. Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, you are the only one I see here as a Minister right now. Please take this forward. Whether Ranil Wickremesinghe decided it or not, it does not matter. This is government giving money to people. It is capital formation—an investment. If one house costs Rs. 10 million, building 54,000 houses is a Rs. 5 trillion investment into the country. Isn’t that investment? It is not about whether Ranil gave or not. Even if Anura Dissanayake gives, it is a concept of giving houses to the people. Not charging five percent is a very important decision. I want to show through this that the UNP is a party that rendered an immense service to this country—Mahaweli project, Mahapola scholarships, garments industry, the 100,000 houses concept—all were done. These must be taken forward. This is a relay race; that baton has now been passed to your team led by Hon. Anura Dissanayake. But you keep berating the past 70 years saying “they did nothing”—that is the problem.

¶ 08 You said here that you will not engage in money printing. Ranil Wickremesinghe stopped money printing then without thinking of an election. He is in the Opposition now. Rather than claiming “this government stopped money printing,” wouldn’t it be better to say, “We are continuing what Ranil started”? When governments change, officials come and say “You did this” nicely. Since we have heard that, I tell you—do not be trapped by such deceptions.

¶ 09 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees: Hon. Member, you have two more minutes.

¶ 10 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake: Madam Deputy Chairperson, has 14 minutes already evaporated so fast? I don’t think so!

¶ 11 Look at modernization. At this moment, Vietnam is using US$1.7 billion—about Rs. 520 billion—to send 200,000 public servants home. What are we doing? We are trying to add 620,000 more to our already 1.6 million public servants. While spending Rs. 1.4 trillion, we are now trying to add another Rs. 60 billion. What we need is high-level talent. I saw a statement by Mr. Duminda Hulangamuwa, a capable person appointed by President Anura Dissanayake. He bravely says we need to reduce public servants by around 1.6 million—down to 1.85 million total service? I appreciate his statement. If we had said that, we would be accused of wanting to “eat the country.” This is what your NPP Government’s Mr. Hulangamuwa says. I endorse him—because fiscal discipline is necessary. He says reduce the service to 1.85 million. But I say: increase salaries for the legal sector by 200 to 300 percent; likewise for Police and Tri-Forces. Also, raise salaries by 300 percent for accountants, doctors, engineers, and graded officers—about 3 to 4 lakh key professionals. The Public Finance Committee, where Hon. Rauff Hakeem and I sit, received a request to raise the audit cadre’s pay. The top official there gets Rs. 250,000 a month. But a peon at the Central Bank gets Rs. 230,000. What is this—in a country with a GDP of Rs. 29 trillion—

¶ 12 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees: Time is up, Hon. Member.

¶ 13 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake: Please give me two more minutes, Madam Deputy Chairperson. Today is our Gayantha Karunathilaka’s birthday—he will surely grant me three or four extra minutes.

¶ 14 Some backbenchers cannot say certain things. But we will tell them what needs to be done. [Interruption.]

¶ 15 I have been given four more minutes.

¶ 16 Since Hon. Sunil Handunnetti is listening, and if Minister Lal Kantha also comes, and if Ministers Vijitha Herath and Bimal Rathnayake were here, they could directly take a Cabinet decision. Therefore, let me say this: what we need now is modernization. When we step out of Parliament—

¶ 17 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees: Time is up, Hon. Member. Your request has not been granted.

¶ 18 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake: No, it has been granted. On the birthday of Hon. Gayantha Karunathilaka—

¶ 19 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees: Are you giving four minutes, Hon. Gayantha Karunathilaka? Fine. Four minutes are allowed.

¶ 20 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake: Four minutes were given.

¶ 21 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees: Those four minutes have been given. Four minutes.

¶ 22 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake: Madam, when we leave Parliament, on the ground outside there are 10 to 12 people cutting grass with sickles every day. Rs. 10 to 20 million a month is spent on this. If we give them electric lawn mowers, we can automate. This is how to build the country. If we go on the expressway—

¶ 23 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees: Please wind up, Hon. Member.

¶ 24 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake: Alright, I will conclude. When you enter the expressway, they give you a small ticket. When you exit, they collect it. Across the country, 300 to 500 people are involved in this. If we install an ETC machine at exits, there will be no issue—no corruption—and it will move forward systematically. Then automation and digitalization will happen.

¶ 25 This is not happening. While we dream of fairylands, we still ride on a donkey’s back. While you are in the Chair, let me say one more thing and end.

¶ 26 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees: Please conclude, Hon. Member. You have already exceeded by a minute.

¶ 27 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake: The most important foreign exchange earner now is the export sector. Hon. Sunil Handunnetti knows this well. He courageously encouraged and restarted the BoI unit that once went on strike. Now there is an attempt to hand that BoI function back to Sri Lanka Customs. Why, Hon. Handunnetti? You say exports should reach US$36 billion by 2030. If you hand the BoI one-stop function to Customs, you will cut that to around US$20 billion.

¶ 28 Madam Deputy Chairperson, I know you are battling time. One more request: immediately make the EPF independent from the Central Bank. If the Central Bank is independent, the EPF need not be under them. Separate it and channel that fund into the construction sector to move forward.

¶ 29 Thank you very much.