The Hon. Nimal Palihena

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, on this final day of the 2026 Budget debate, I wish to note that this unprecedented disaster has demanded all our efforts to provide for our affected people. We express sorrow for the lives lost and suffering endured, and affirm the Government’s resolve to act.

¶ 02 Compared even with the tsunami, we now estimate a greater national impact. Relative to GDP, losses could be in the range of 3–5 percent. Many of our dear fellow citizens are gone; livelihoods have been shattered. Although allocations existed for contingencies, the current scale exceeds those sums. The Treasury assesses a need of about Rs. 72 billion for immediate support and protection of lives, and we are moving funds accordingly.

¶ 03 Some ask why not just spend the Treasury surplus. That surplus exists because of policy discipline, reduced theft and corruption, improved revenue, and transparent, prudent expenditure. To the Opposition: it is better to live the Dhamma than merely preach it. Rather than casting aspersions, let us all work together in this national crisis.

¶ 04 We can and will reorganize budget heads within 2025 allocations to meet needs—reallocating year-end balances of ministries to disaster response. The Government is actively doing this. Those who now say “stop politics and build the country” have, for years, done little but politics themselves. Decades ago, our late leader Rohana Wijeweera warned against overbuilding above 5,000 feet, cautioning about future slides—warnings we now see borne out. Environmental damage from ill-planned reservoirs and constructions has worsened risks even with moderate rain.

¶ 05 Let us treat this as a national calamity; our people have always stood by all of us—let us stand by them now, together, nationally and internationally. Thank you.