The Hon. Chandana Sooriyaarachchi

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, today at the Committee Stage we debate the Expenditure Head of the Ministry of Finance, Fiscal Management and Economic Development. The Opposition Members who spoke earlier made various comments. We are concerned by some of those remarks.

¶ 02 Over decades, the people gave power at different times to the UNP, SLFP, SLPP, and the Yahapalana Government, expecting them to build the economy, increase production, start industries and transform political culture. What did they do after coming to power? The UNP had long periods with single-party control; the SLFP even longer. If those governments had implemented then the ideas they now suggest to this Government, Sri Lanka would not have gone bankrupt or become an impoverished, failed state. Those same leaders, families and cronies rotated power and drove the economy to collapse; now we must correct and put it on the right track.

¶ 03 After decades of wrong economic policies and a toxic political culture, the National People’s Power Government under President Anura Dissanayake has begun to establish the correct economic policies and a people‑centred political culture. We invite the Opposition to give constructive proposals; had they done these when in power, many problems would already be solved. Regardless, we will assume responsibility and proceed systematically with public understanding.

¶ 04 Some say: respect the armed forces. We know how past rulers and their associates misused the military—forcing soldiers to do menial and private tasks. Under the NPP Government, we will restore the professional dignity and independence needed for them to perform their duties.

¶ 05 Some Opposition speeches make us wonder whether they remember where the country was five months ago. Our responsibility now is to steer the economy to a position where every citizen can live with dignity, free of economic oppression. We have short-, medium- and long‑term plans, aligned to the five-year people’s mandate, to redirect the economy, restore stability and correct past policy errors. We will also reduce regional economic disparities—eliminating rural poverty, strengthening social welfare, increasing benefits for low‑income households, seniors, persons with disabilities and those with chronic illnesses.

¶ 06 Usually before a Budget, workers struggle for pay hikes. This time, without strikes or demands, the Government increased the salaries and increments of public servants to improve purchasing power and stimulate markets. That is why we presented this Budget—with clear goals on production, exports and eradicating rural poverty. Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member.