The Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, I must also refer to Vietnam’s agriculture industry. It is remarkable—using advanced techniques to reap higher yields from smaller land extents. We tried to learn this during our programme, but we could not secure it. They say they are self-sufficient and have no fear or doubt about food security. I did not see our Ministers of Agriculture or Foreign Affairs directly engage on this in relation to the President’s address. We believe our technical universities should teach these methodologies. We too need a plan to advance an agriculture-based economy. We still import rice. We must consider how to teach these technologies to our children.

¶ 02 Today, our children are distancing themselves from agriculture-related jobs. Protecting our identity while modernizing our traditional agriculture to compete globally must be integrated into university education. Our universities produce scholars and intellectuals; we acknowledge that. But the question is how they use their education for the country’s development. I do not say this to insult anyone, but to highlight decisions taken by some intellectuals. Two campaign promises once gained popularity: one about distributing sanitary pads to schoolgirls—ridiculed then but now implemented by your Government’s Education Ministry—and another about straightening a banana’s peduncle. Which of these was the real “stupid” idea? Many educated and intelligent people chose the latter. To win as a country, we must correct such distortions.

¶ 03 We import any technical product from abroad, but when it breaks, we repair it here. Our teams have that know-how. For example, a small garage near Madivela—“Max Auto”—upgrades imported vehicles even better than new. Many of these skills come from those who studied in the vocational technical system and then formed teams with youths. This builds their personal economy, contributes to the national economy and helps employment. If we can expand the University of Vocational Technology island-wide with a clear plan, it would be a valuable contribution by the knowledgeable and intelligent within Government. Viewing this as a highly productive initiative, I conclude. Thank you.