The Hon. Amila Prasad

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, at the time of adjournment, I move the following:

¶ 02 “The Government elected with thousands of hopes of the people is now dashing those hopes. Due to the increase in prices of goods and the shortages of those goods in the market, people are suffering severely. Further, the Government’s administered price controls have failed and have become an instrument that burdens the people while benefitting traders.

¶ 03 The public expected immediate reliefs such as reductions in water and electricity bills from the new Government upon assuming power. Instead, what has been given are increases in remand fees, reductions in senior citizens’ deposit interest, etc. Consequently, the cost of living has become unbearable and people have fallen into distress.

¶ 04 Accordingly, we propose that an immediate programme be implemented to reduce the people’s cost of living.”

¶ 05 Hon. Deputy Speaker, at the end of last year the people initiated the first phase of the “Clean Sri Lanka” project, starting with cleaning Parliament, as promised by the current Government when they asked the people to “clean Parliament.” A vast mandate was thus given. However, as seen in the speech of Hon. Dilith Jayaweera, the same old conduct persists. Rather than discussing new programmes since coming to power, the Government keeps reciting 76 years of political history.

¶ 06 I also heard renewed allegations about antigen test kits. As Hon. Dilith Jayaweera said, you must remember you are in Government now. You sought a mandate to punish corruption, recover stolen funds, and revive the economy. If you continue to merely allege, that is your shortcoming. The people expect you to act: recover any stolen money and empower the people.

¶ 07 Our key problems are the dollar shortage and the rupee shortage. Solutions must address these. Yet you keep proposing welfare and redistribution, rather than how to earn dollars and rupees, or how to bring back alleged outflows. You appear to rely on relief as the path forward.

¶ 08 In 2022, the economy collapsed and painful tax and rate hikes followed. People felt it strongly. But today you inherit over USD 6 billion in reserves and notable fiscal space. Yet the 2022-era high taxes and interest burden are still being imposed on the people. First duty should be to restore living standards to pre-crisis levels before expanding relief. Instead, you collect funds and distribute selective benefits again.

¶ 09 You launched the Clean Sri Lanka project—good in principle. But you started with transport and decorative modifications without scientific assessment. Data shows accident rates may be higher in state buses than private, and more for cars than three-wheelers in recent periods. Ad hoc bans can harm micro-economies, such as vehicle decoration businesses, leasing, and insurance burdens if vehicle prices are pushed up via higher import taxes. The middle class, waiting five years for vehicles, could be further squeezed if policy raises prices and financing costs, enriching insurers and leasing companies.

¶ 10 Your Government must find real solutions for present and coming challenges within five years, not dwell on past misdeeds as the main agenda. It has been 100 days of the President; yet not a single rupee recovered from past allegations. Despite our small numbers, we have been a responsible Opposition: no protests or strikes to destabilize you in these 100 days—unlike how you acted in Opposition.

¶ 11 We want a prosperous country. Focus on targets: per capita income, GDP, services share, tourism inflows and more. Thank you.