The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti - Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, today we debate the current economic situation. After the Leader of the Opposition’s speech, I remembered a cartoon we watched as kids—“Doctor Good Heart,” which had a character “Chow-Chow” who only said, “No, can’t; no, can’t.” That is exactly how Hon. Sajith Premadasa appeared today.

¶ 02 He said no data, no roadmap, no plan, no vision—like Chow-Chow’s “no, no.” Then mid-speech, he changed and said there were figures and plans, but the people do not feel it. Again, “no, no.” What do people actually say? That as long as Sajith Premadasa is there, you in Government will remain. Even Opposition friends tell us that. He is the eternal Leader of the Opposition. So we gladly call him “our dear Hon. Sajith Premadasa”; as long as he stays, we have no problem.

¶ 03 He lightly mocked former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to amuse himself. But his main claim was that President Anura Dissanayake appeared suddenly out of fear and made a speech. No—if anyone is afraid of President Anura’s speech, it is our eternal Leader of the Opposition. He remembers 61 supposed requests for him to become Prime Minister—counting every random remark as a “vote.” Even then, only 61 “asked” him. So he is indeed the eternal Opposition Leader.

¶ 04 He asked for our roadmap, timeline, and growth. He wants rapid growth. If this were Japan, Vietnam, or South Korea we inherited, perhaps. But those before you wrecked the country, made growth negative, the rupee collapse, debt crisis, interest soar, inflation surge—food inflation reached 73%. Such a country cannot be lifted overnight. Even if the eternal Opposition Leader is unhappy, the people know the economy, society, and governance are stabilizing, rule of law is taking hold, and action is being taken against corruption. We are on the right path.

¶ 05 He demanded export-oriented and domestic industries. We agree—and we are starting them. Let me set out concrete steps:

¶ 06 - Valachchenai Industrial Zone: 50 acres for mixed industries around ceramics and sand-based products; expected investment Rs. 900 million; environmental approvals underway; to complete in 2025. - Ingiriya Industrial Zone: 350 acres for auto components, rubber and allied products, pharmaceuticals; expected investment Rs. 3,000 million; Rs. 2,138 million spent; surveys complete; Moratuwa University doing feasibility; infrastructure with the State Engineering Corporation; completion 2027. - Katunayake Industrial Zone: 100 acres for vehicle assembly and rubber-based products; expected investment Rs. 1,500 million; Rs. 7.276 million spent; completion 2026; buildings with the State Development & Construction Corporation; feasibility with the Industrial Technology Institute. - Dambulla Industrial Zone: 64 acres for food processing; investment Rs. 1,200 million; Rs. 46.327 million spent; surveys and fencing done; EIA with ITI; completion 2025. - Sandamalagama–Rambewa Industrial Zone: 168 acres, mixed industries; expected investment Rs. 700 million; surveys, construction, land prep, water, power, access roads in place; completion 2026. - Divulapitiya–Aluthepola Industrial Zone: 7.9 acres, mixed; investment Rs. 150 million; electricity and internal roads ready; start within two months. - Sooriyawewa Industrial Zone: 20 acres, mixed; expected investment Rs. 340 million; access, water, power done; internal roads nearing completion; start within two months. - Raigam Industrial Zone: 24 acres; investment Rs. 1,353 million; Rs. 929 million spent; land subdivision, access, water, power done; start within two months.

¶ 07 Across the island, 19 zones are being newly invested in, covering 38 projects on 248 acres, 1 rood, 12.04 perches, with Cabinet approval. We expect Rs. 2,548 million in private investment and 1,159 jobs from these alone. So how does the Opposition Leader keep saying jobs are gone? This isn’t a cartoon.

¶ 08 We met all 25 District Secretaries today. We gave targets: prepare a database of lands not under cultivation, not for tourism, not for recreation, but suitable for industry; bring them into industrialization. The President has given us a plan focused on digitization—especially to support start-ups—through facilitation: water, power, roads, land, with no political lists. In some cases, names even come from Opposition nominees; that’s fine if they can start industries.

¶ 09 Yesterday, together with the Environment Minister, we summoned GSMB, CEA, BoI, Tourism Board, and the Land Commissioner General to Parliament. Looking at the minerals map, almost the entire island is covered by exploration licenses, except for a few pockets that happen to be protected forests; otherwise, they too would be grabbed. Yet in seven years, we earned only USD 60 million from minerals. Why? Exploration licenses have become a speculative business—passed around to boost stock prices, with no development. There are 58 companies with exploration licenses; most have done nothing. By 20 August they must report; we will cancel inactive licenses via Cabinet decision and gazette guidelines specifying where mining must start and end, ending the current litigation circus that only enriches lawyers.

¶ 10 Hon. Ravi Karunanayake: Minister, we must ensure value addition.

¶ 11 Yes, we are doing that. Value addition is essential; we will mandate it.

¶ 12 On the Cement Corporation: a 26-year court case, triggered by past unsolicited transactions—from Holcim, to INSEE, to PIL, to Asha Minerals—without Cabinet approval. Now cases abound, enriching only lawyers. We are intervening to resolve it.

¶ 13 We are a minerals-rich country—ilmenite, rutile, zircon, monazite; we can make titanium flakes. For 26 years nothing progressed. We concluded the long Eppawala phosphate litigation; gazetted the evaluations; and next week we will call tenders to produce single superphosphate at Eppawala. Similarly, we are moving to value-add graphite at Kahatagaha; tenders are being called.

¶ 14 At Sevanagala Pelwatte we are reserving 500 hectares to develop tourism; proposals will go to Cabinet on the 11th. We work as a collective team with a plan. For 76 years, policies did not change with governments: theft, waste, corruption continued. Today that policy is gone. The President set up the Export Development Council of Ministers (EDCM). Its first outcome: the Gem and Jewellery Authority’s VAT Refund Centre at the airport so tourists get VAT back easily. Also, Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Bimal Ratnayake began issuing temporary driving permits at the airport itself—no more two days wasted.

¶ 15 On entrepreneurship, we have a Strategic Plan: an “Entrepreneurial Mindset and Education Programme” reaching 10,000 schools (5 million students and 6 million families) and 17 universities (40,000 students). We have formed school entrepreneur clubs; recent RDB’s 40th anniversary at BMICH showcased student-run stalls from leading schools. Today, a major international export exhibition is on at BMICH with China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia—organized by EDB and JAAF. We are creating the spirit needed to build exports. We are also converting local export officers into resource persons—1,060 of them—to guide investors and start-ups, and we are establishing industry desks in every District Secretariat to streamline access to credit and facilities.

¶ 16 On credit and parate law concerns: over the last six months, we have worked with banks to create relief schemes where people fell into difficulty due to the crisis or COVID-19, and we table relevant documents and strategies.

¶ 17 The Opposition Leader offers only slogans: make programmes for entrepreneurs; eradicate poverty; develop exports. We are doing precisely that, with actions. This year’s export target is USD 18 billion—the highest in our history—and we will meet it through the BOI, Finance Ministry and us. On FTAs and comparative advantage: that is why we are developing the Port City, pursuing agreements with India, maintaining the Singapore FTA, and expanding India quotas. Currently we have only around eight million pieces in apparel quotas; we have requested to double it and encouraged Indian manufacturers to bring fabric and produce here to leverage our GSP+. We are also building Walachchenai industrial capacity for this.

¶ 18 We are nine months in and moving solidly towards our targets. Thank you.