The Hon. Thilanka U. Gamage

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, earlier when Opposition Members spoke, they started by preaching to us, saying if the “blow” is struck in the right place, things will be set right. Let us learn from where to strike, they say. The people of this country know very well about the blows they struck. They struck at the Central Bank; they struck at the funds that should have been used for the common people. They took on a mountain of debt and devastated the country. So, there is nothing for us to learn from their “blows”; the public already know.

¶ 02 We also know that in 2016, under section 181) a loan was obtained from the Peliyagoda branch of Lankaputra Bank. There is a court case now, and more than Rs. 45 million is to be paid. That is the “overdraft” they created for the people. They shout and drag out proceedings for an hour only to make a show of it.

¶ 03 At this moment, instead of talking about how to rescue our people from this tragedy, they are trying to create confusion.

¶ 04 As a government, we have intervened on every front. The Hon. President has issued new circulars enabling officials to act without fear and to take necessary decisions for any kind of intervention. Necessary decisions have already been taken swiftly. We have never seen a tragedy like this. The biggest we saw before was the tsunami. Back then, as a party, we intervened rapidly to provide relief, rebuild rail tracks, and bus stands. We helped the then government significantly. Unfortunately, we do not see the Opposition acting that way now. The Opposition is in disarray, while our people stand hand-in-hand with the government. The people themselves have become a relief force, gathering in large numbers to go to every affected area, bringing machinery and tools, lining up to help. They have never seen this before in their lifetimes. This is how you rebuild a country—with solidarity and a new political culture. From everywhere, people ask when to come, what to bring, and how to help those affected and rescue them from this disaster.

¶ 05 We are working to restore damaged roads. Many countries are assisting the government. Everyone is intervening. Yet at the time the Opposition should help, they try to disrupt and politicize. So, we tell the people not to fall for such tricks. If we all unite, we can restore the country quickly—beyond where it was.

¶ 06 We have now taken responsibility for cleaning different districts. As the Galle District team, we took on Kandy District. We divided the 20 Divisional Secretariat divisions of Kandy among our 20 local authorities in Galle and worked, reaching each division. We saw various accusations; but we made no distinctions. We all worked together with the people on the ground. I myself returned only this morning after spending five days in Kandy. We visited all camps. In some places, people could not come out at all because trees had fallen everywhere and roads were blocked. Our youth teamed up with two military teams to search; there were pregnant mothers, and persons with limb injuries who could not walk. Our youth carried them for 10–12 kilometres in their arms—making great sacrifices. Together, we can rebuild.

¶ 07 On the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies, some Members said we cannot pass this Budget. Do not create issues about the Budget. We have cut unnecessary expenditure and saved more than required for the country. Those savings can be spent on the people without issue—and that is what we are doing now. If the Treasury had not maintained such savings, we would face a major crisis now, needing to borrow at high interest and risk the Central Bank being unable to manage, leading to bankruptcy. Despite this tragedy, people have no fear about the economy because we can manage it. We have stabilized the economy, including debt management. Even if you are unaware, if Budget allocations are insufficient, we can bring a supplementary estimate or even an interim budget as needed.

¶ 08 Therefore, we can provide necessary relief under this Budget and take needed actions.

¶ 09 We also saw attempts to claim they started the distribution and did the work first, posing for photos on bank counters. It is shameful. We remember how, in past crises, even bananas were sealed before distribution. We have ended that culture. Today, through Divisional Secretariats and District Secretariats, a process has been set up to distribute supplies equitably, and to monitor every relief camp. We can normalize quickly if we all unite nationally for recovery. With that appeal, I conclude.

¶ 10 Thank you.