The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, discussing Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, and Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, I ask: how can you speak of community empowerment without accurate indicators and data? Even the President cites a World Bank report stating poverty at 25.98%. But properly, poverty should be measured via a Household Income and Expenditure Survey, determining food and non-food costs to set a poverty line and identify those below it.

¶ 02 In the 2024 Progress Report, you state an objective to empower two million multidimensionally poor households between 2025–2029. That is fine, but it does not reflect total poverty. If poverty is 25.9% of 21.9 million people (per the President’s citation), about 5.6 million people are poor. How will you eliminate poverty without sound statistics? Merely giving cash transfers will not end poverty. It requires savings, investment, production, exports and consumption. Currently, it is only consumption via cash—no savings, investment, or production thrust.

¶ 03 This Government has no coherent program to eradicate poverty. Learn from lessons of Samurdhi and Aswesuma to build a rigorous, data-driven plan. Today, we lack proper poverty data; benefits have gone to ineligible, while some eligible have been excluded.

¶ 04 Your own documents say two million are multidimensionally poor; but LIRNEasia’s survey shows an increase from three to seven million—one in three citizens. With such conflicting data, how can you design an effective budget for poverty eradication? Even the Department of Census and Statistics lacks a clear definition of poverty. Establish a proper definition and framework first. Also assess subnational contributions to GDP—not only by province (where the Western Province dominates) but at Divisional Secretariat level, and ideally down to the 14,021 GN divisions. Then target empowerment programs accordingly.

¶ 05 You promised 35,000–40,000 graduate jobs; promises remain unfulfilled and these youth are slipping into poverty—they were protesting yesterday. Provide solutions.

¶ 06 On fisheries: where is the promised fuel subsidy? You pledged to scrap layered taxes and commissions and deliver significant price reductions from day one—for the public and fishers. If you implement a mechanism to deliver fuel relief excluding the super-rich but covering farmers, fishers, industrial workers and the poor, we will support it. But deliver it to those intended.

¶ 07 Regarding pensions and insurance: both farmer and fisher pension schemes have atrophied. I welcome movement towards a robust insurance-cum-pension scheme; if you implement a sound system, we will support it.

¶ 08 Lastly, Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone extends 200 nautical miles under UNCLOS. Build the blue economy through a sustainable exploitation model to earn the dollars we need.

¶ 09 Please consider these proposals and formulate a strong, implementable poverty eradication and empowerment program across all provinces, 25 districts, 341 DS divisions, and 14,021 GN divisions—covering the 51,000-plus villages and towns—while safeguarding the fishing community.