The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, I wish to draw the Government’s attention to several urgent matters. Due to Cyclone Ditwah, the country has suffered enormous losses. A World Bank Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation shows US$ 4.1 billion in infrastructure damage alone, while total external assistance so far is less than US$ 1 billion. Beyond infrastructure, we need substantial support for livelihoods and damaged industries. Implement, to the letter, the relief pledge presented here: the promised Rs. 100,000; Rs. 500,000; and Rs. 2.5 million where applicable. Convene an international donor conference urgently; delay will push global attention elsewhere.

¶ 02 Renegotiate IMF conditions in light of Ditwah. We have repeatedly urged this, but to no avail.

¶ 03 MSMEs—who contribute over 52 per cent to GDP—are under severe distress. During COVID-19, commercial banks earned super-normal profits; according to the Ceylon Federation of MSMEs, reported post-tax profits rose from Rs. 304 billion to Rs. 467 billion over 2021–2022. The sector is preparing legal action to seek fairness. I table the relevant letter to the Central Bank Governor.

¶ 04 On the Civil Security Department (CSD): about 34,000 personnel rendered yeoman service safeguarding border villages during the conflict. A recent attempt to retire them with two instalments of Rs. 300,000 each was defeated here. Now, many are being removed from CSD duties in their home areas and attached to distant police stations, cutting their allowances by Rs. 28,000–30,000 from about Rs. 53,000 take-home. Stop these coercive transfers. If unavoidable, allow voluntary retirement on fairer terms than the Rs. 300,000 proposed in view of their distinguished service.

¶ 05 Vehicle importers face hardship due to demand dips after Ditwah. Current Regulations require sale and registration within 90 days or incur a 3 per cent monthly penalty up to 45 per cent. Associations request reducing the monthly surcharge from 3 per cent to 1 per cent and extending the grace period to six months. Please consider.

¶ 06 To Hon. Abeysinghe: Sri Lanka is a democracy with freedom of speech. We, as a responsible Opposition, will support positive policies that benefit our 22 million people. But you promised to change the DSA and IMF conditions; after assuming power, you have continued them, imposing severe hardship. Do not mislead the public. “Voodoo economics” aptly describes your approach: you cite macro numbers but ignore distributional impacts—inequity is growing. We walk the talk; you have forgotten your promises.

¶ 07 Thank you.