The Hon. Nishantha Perera

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity. This is the 80th Budget; the NPP Government’s second. When we entered the last Budget debate, we saw unprecedented circumstances. The previous rulers, over 78 years, presented 78 budgets—but by their 78th, they had wrecked the economy to the point that even the Treasury Secretary, upon retirement, said there were no rupees or dollars left.

¶ 02 Against that backdrop, as we present our second Budget, what should the Opposition do? Typically, propose relief to the people. Instead, the current Opposition became the first in our history to oppose even a Rs. 200 wage increase for workers. At that time, some in the Opposition—our colleagues Palani Digambaram and Mano Ganesan—set aside the SJB leadership and supported the Government. We thank them.

¶ 03 Then came an unprecedented calamity—sea surges, landslides across 22 districts at once, for the first time in history. Yet, as with the Budget, much of the Opposition’s content is envy and malice. President invited party leaders, convened Parliament on the 27th, and asked all MPs to go to the people and serve. We went to Galle, then were assigned districts—Galle and Kandy—for the NPP’s national effort.

¶ 04 We went to Akurana in Kandy—20 DS divisions. We took over 1,500 people with shovels, brooms, fuel, oil, food, and essential items. We coordinated with the Divisional Secretary and set up at Sri Vijitha Maha Viharaya in Konakalagala. Though the Opposition controls Akurana Pradeshiya Sabha, the town was piled with garbage and mud and stank; yet they make grand claims. With the Divisional Secretary and officials, in a day and a half we cleaned the town, cleared roads, and restored function. We went to all 35 GN divisions, repaired roads, cleaned houses. The temple housed us; the mosque fed us. Without race or religion, we worked as one family to rebuild Akurana. Even now, 95 of our volunteers remain working there. Thank you for the time.