The Hon. Kanthasamy Prabu

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, we support Amendments to the 2021 Act so that Port City investments and jobs can proceed while maintaining stability. Registering international financial institutions under Central Bank oversight will stabilize foreign exchange earnings and curb illicit flows.

¶ 02 Workers will have opportunities to earn in foreign currency through foreign-invested enterprises within the zone, with applicable tax concessions.

¶ 03 Whereupon THE HON. DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES left the Chair, and DEPUTY SPEAKER [THE HON. (DR.) RIZVIE SALIH] took the Chair.

¶ 04 Hon. Deputy Speaker, Port City investments can generate demand across districts—for agriculture, industry, and tourism—while vocational training can prepare youth for jobs in these enterprises. Our Government’s decisions are people-centric; unlike predecessors, we will not run governance for personal networks.

¶ 05 Some attempted to politicize disaster relief during the recent natural calamity, seeking gain by criticizing aid distribution. The same elements now oppose people-centric programs like the National Poverty Eradication initiative and the village development program “Praja FHS”. For decades, so-called rural development under previous regimes reduced not people’s poverty but that of rulers’ families and associates, with misallocated projects and waste.

¶ 06 We remain committed to transparent, equitable development.

¶ 07 Thank you.