The Hon. Upul Kithsiri

¶ 01 Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees, we welcome Hon. Rohana Bandara’s private member’s motion. When in Opposition, some could not bring such measures; today, understanding Government operations, it can become reality.

¶ 02 As a Government, we have already focused on this. A previous speaker said this Government consists of people who “crossed over”; yes, there are such people and also those who fell from broken cliffs—let us focus on solutions.

¶ 03 On paddy prices, a previous Deputy Minister cited a Rs. 154 per kilo demand a couple of years ago. But in 2021 fertilizer subsidies were removed and by 2022 a bag of urea cost around Rs. 40,000; land preparation per acre cost about Rs. 25,000. Today, urea is around Rs. 7,500 per bag, and land preparation costs have reduced to about Rs. 18,000–20,000. Production costs have therefore decreased significantly. Current paddy pricing has been set to be fair to both farmers and consumers.

¶ 04 We are strengthening SATOSA and the cooperative movement to maintain rice stocks through an integrated public–private programme. Alongside Government paddy purchases, we have planned to maintain rice reserves. Recently, we inspected several paddy and rice stores. I draw special attention to the Ambilipitiya rice store, where not a single grain had been stored since 1984. We also saw essential goods ruined in stores during the previous administration. We understand the people’s heartbeat and are preparing to prevent a repetition, ensuring both buffer stocks and stable prices. We appreciate the Opposition’s proposal if brought in good faith; we regret any gratuitous criticism within it. Thank you.