The Hon. Muhammad Faizal

¶ 01 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.

¶ 02 Assalamu Alaikum! Ayubowan! Vanakkam!

¶ 03 Hon. Presiding Member,

¶ 04 I am grateful for the opportunity to speak at the Committee Stage Debate on the allocations for the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

¶ 05 The National Agency to manage state assets, goods and expenditure was established under the Ministry of Finance on 07 March 2017 to improve the country’s economy through proper management and oversight. A former Finance Minister who spoke here asked whether he could transform our country into a prosperous nation, and whether the country’s economic decline was due to party members in our country. The main reason for our downfall was the disappearance of dollars. That happened due to the actions of the previous Government which, like “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” siphoned off the dollars from our banks. They left the country bankrupt. Moreover, improper and delayed submission of accounts by state institutions prevented proper measurement and advancement of economic growth.

¶ 06 Hon. Presiding Member, to foster economic growth and expedite the submission of accounts of state institutions, the Hon. President has proposed in this Budget a digital transformation. In our country, many assets—particularly lands, buildings and vehicles—are underutilized, which has contributed to economic decline. In my Puttalam electorate, many buildings constructed by previous Governments have not been handed over for public use. For instance, a Tourist Information Centre building on the Puttalam–Colombo Road remains unused and has turned into a shelter for goats, cattle and dogs. Leasing such a building to a private company could generate revenue.

¶ 07 A building of the Open University was handed over to the Health Department years ago. That has benefitted the people of Puttalam, and we have been using it effectively. Experts have now recommended that the current building in Puttalam town is unfit for use. Therefore, I request the Hon. Minister of Higher Education to consider constructing a new building for the Open University.

¶ 08 In Puzhudivayal village in my Puttalam electorate, buildings with ward facilities have been constructed to upgrade the primary health centre to a hospital, yet they have not been handed over for public use. If upgraded, large numbers of people from surrounding villages will access treatment there, reducing the patient load at the Puttalam Base Hospital. We met the Hon. Minister of Health to request an upgrade of the Puttalam Base Hospital, and he stated in the last Parliamentary Session that all necessary measures would indeed be taken. We thank him for that. If such idle state buildings exist in Puttalam alone, we must reflect on how many unused state buildings there are across the country.

¶ 09 Hon. Presiding Member, previous Governments built numerous Presidential Residences which now incur heavy maintenance costs. The Hon. President has announced in the Budget that these residences will be utilized for public benefit and to generate national income. This is part of an excellent Budget aimed at enriching the country. Although many state buildings exist in Colombo, one has been rented in Rajagiriya. In Mannar, in the Musali area, a bus stand building was constructed at a cost of Rs. 400 million and has undergone three renovations, yet remains unused. Likewise, a hostel built for female employees in Musali DS Division also remains unused. If this is the state of a few places we know, imagine the number of buildings lying idle island-wide due to mismanagement by successive Governments.

¶ 10 In Puttalam, many state lands are also underutilized. Our district has many large coconut estates—100, 200, even 500 acres—leased out on 99-year terms. The lessees have not developed them; they focus only on extracting income. Governments have failed to properly maintain these estates, contributing to the current shortage of coconuts. In our Puttalam area, land near the Dutch Canal could be distributed to local residents through the Divisional Secretariat to generate community income. If there are so many state lands in Puttalam, consider how many such lands exist nationwide. The Hon. President has taken steps through this Budget to monetize such assets.

¶ 11 Not only in state institutions but even in previous Governments, some Members of Parliament misused vehicles, causing significant expenses. They secretly abandoned vehicles at places like Galle Face in Colombo and vanished. Many vehicles still remain unaccounted for.

¶ 12 People who resettled in Puttalam during the war remain registered there. For them, travel to Mannar is long and difficult. Therefore, I request the Hon. Minister of Transport to open the Puttalam–Marichchukkaddi–Mannar Road to ease their travel.

¶ 13 This is the first Budget presented by the National People’s Power Government to transform our nation. The Opposition dreams of toppling this Government, but in the coming days our Government will present strong Budgets, transform this country into a prosperous nation and ensure a better life for our people. I conclude. Thank you.