The Hon. Ajith P. Perera

¶ 01 Hon. Minister, you are speaking of Millawa under the UDA in Horana. I refer to the Milleniya BOI Zone in Bandaragama electorate—different from the UDA zone in Millawa, Horana. Officials themselves confuse Millawa and Milleniya. People in Kalutara face severe hardship, travelling far for work; some send children abroad out of desperation. We have secured valuable lands: 244 acres already vested and nearly 500 acres prepared in total with surveys complete and basic works underway. Investors’ first questions are always about land and infrastructure. Who is blocking this? Horana Plantations may be a good company, but they hold only leasehold rights and much of the 50-year period has elapsed. Can a company with only leasehold rights block national development and stop long-planned projects? This is a serious situation, Hon. Prime Minister. You cannot develop a country merely by taxing. Build industries and businesses, and then tax them fairly. Today, innocent people and the IT sector are being taxed while valuable resources lie idle. The Budget envisages investment zones with private, international and domestic participation. We support building the right business climate and attracting investors. I trust you will give this your attention.

¶ 02 Thank you very much.