The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I thank Hon. Oshani Umanga for bringing this Adjournment Motion at an appropriate time.

¶ 02 I have a question—though I am not sure if she is present to answer. Regarding the digital economy, can one open a PayPal account in Sri Lanka? No answer. Can one open a Payoneer account? From Sri Lanka we can sell a simple coconut-shell spoon—say for USD 30–40—on platforms like Etsy or eBay. But to receive payments via Etsy, you need GPay; can we open that here? The global handmade market largely uses Etsy, yet people here cannot easily set up those accounts. Without addressing such basics, motions like this bring little change.

¶ 03 Since “digital” is the topic, let me return briefly to fingerprint attendance. The postal service strike is now in its fourth day; the Postmaster General says VOP (vacation of post) action will begin tomorrow—which is proper. We should enforce such measures consistently across sectors, including hospitals.

¶ 04 To my friend, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa: overtime (OT) practices in hospitals are problematic. Some log OT from 6:00 a.m. when actual duty starts at 8:00 a.m., or from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. despite leaving earlier. Check CCTV, review claim books across years; you will see chronic inflation of OT hours. Nurses claim 200 hours per month; matrons 240—impossible humanly. Meanwhile, postal staff tell me they accept fingerprinting, but their concern is practical: if a colleague covers a duty in your absence, how does that colleague’s overtime get recorded under a fingerprint system tied to the original duty holder? They earn Rs. 100–120 per hour; such operational details need solutions.

¶ 05 Also, MPs’ remuneration: my gross last month was Rs. 400,000, including about Rs. 189,000 transport since I travel from Jaffna. Calculated per hour and minute of actual time in Parliament, it is modest. Doctors’ basic pay was Rs. 51,000; low pay structures push people to inflate OT. Better to raise basic to, say, Rs. 300,000, and OT abuse will decline.

¶ 06 Finally, a political point: let us respect all who died for the country. Do not reignite divisive narratives about Prabhakaran for electoral gain. Honour the Sinhala war heroes who sacrificed their lives as well.

¶ 07 Thank you.