The Hon. Dinesh Hemantha

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, among today’s subjects is the approval of Regulations under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, No. 1 of 1969. However, from this morning members of the Opposition have spoken almost exclusively about salt. Our ears are ringing from hearing “salt” so many times. Many Opposition MPs focused on salt today. Our Minister of Industries, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, came this morning and gave a correct clarification on the main reasons for the salt issue, with the timelines.

¶ 02 Typically, from the beginning to the end of a salt harvest, about seven months pass. Even if it starts in December, due to climatic variability and disruptions, issues like this can arise. The Minister explained this correctly.

¶ 03 As my colleague Hon. Dinindu Saman said earlier, when a small market disruption occurs, some channels amplify it to create public panic: “a salt shortage is coming, stock up.” Because of precautionary decisions and expectation of possible future constraints, people took two or three salt packs instead of one, and food manufacturers accumulated stocks. Thus the problem that might not have emerged so fast was accelerated. But we say to the Opposition with regret: you will talk about this for at most a week or a few days, then shift to another topic—like you moved from coconuts to rice to eggs and back to salt—to sling mud at the Government.

¶ 04 Globally, a country’s economic success is not judged by the price of salt, tomatoes, or carrots, as the Hon. Leader of the Opposition suggests. It’s judged by macroeconomic indicators.

¶ 05 Let us discuss, in this House of 159 members—some of whom constantly claim we are ruined—the indicators built over the last six to seven months: growth, exchange rate, employment/unemployment, and the general price level. If these flow in the right direction, the world recognizes a country as moving forward.

¶ 06 In the last six to seven months, we have increased foreign remittances to unprecedented levels. We have maintained the exchange rate around Rs. 300 per USD, kept reserves around USD 6.5 billion, and aim to increase by at least another billion by year-end. We have kept inflation at a lower, stable level and improved growth. These are the measures the world uses to assess performance.

¶ 07 Yesterday, the Hon. Leader of the Opposition spoke about inflation, citing an item list—especially tomatoes and carrots—comparing last year’s prices and claiming people cannot bear inflation. If he asked our own Hon. Harsha de Silva he would hear that when assessing core inflation in a country like Sri Lanka, volatile fresh foods are not included precisely because weather can push such prices up or down rapidly. You don’t use isolated items to judge inflation; you look at the overall price index behavior. If someone portrays isolated events as a collapse of the economy, I say: within six to seven months, through sacrifices, we have raised the basic salaries of public servants to historically high levels—even while our colleague Anura Dissanayake traveled frugally and saved money.

¶ 08 The Opposition repeatedly claims war heroes are not respected. We have given due respect by increasing their basic salaries. Yet a former Army Commander, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka—who provided true leadership for victory—was imprisoned after the war by those then in power, with cases prosecuted, heard, and decided by the Rajapaksas. Under our Government, we have now granted those exceptional honors that could not be given then.

¶ 09 Anyone who sacrifices life for our country is a hero: the soldier who dies on the battlefield; the bus driver who saves passengers by risking his life; the doctor who struggles to save a dying patient. We use the word with genuine respect. But some MPs shouted all day misusing such words for political mileage.

¶ 10 An Opposition MP from the North says Prabhakaran is his leader; another, who entered Parliament via family connections, says not using the term “war hero” is a grave insult. Their common aim is clear: they know if the peace achieved 16 years ago remains firmly established, their bankrupt parties have no path upward. So they reawaken communalism. We are ready to give true honor to fallen heroes across Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities. But we vow: whether carrying Prabhakaran or war-hero labels, we will not allow another ethnic or communal war in Sri Lanka. That is in the NPP Government’s policy statement. We swear we will not allow another 30-year war.

¶ 11 Finally, on the Regulations under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act: the Opposition did not address the actual decisions. Because of correct decisions on imports and exports, processes will be more efficient for importers and exporters. Reducing port dwell times for vehicles will cut demurrage, which otherwise inflates vehicle prices when added to CIF value. Though small, together with digitalization this is a significant change, easing burdens on citizens and import businesses.

¶ 12 As vehicle imports grow, demand for parts rises; service providers expand; garages repair more vehicles. Such linkages spread benefits across sectors. Day by day, step by step, we are making structural decisions—perhaps not visible as dramatic physical changes—to safeguard dollar reserves, protect import businesses and, through those imports, create opportunities for domestic industry.

¶ 13 We will build the strength to identify problems correctly and provide timely answers. We are the only party that practices self-criticism—taking satisfaction when steps succeed and self-criticizing when they fail—and moving forward while correcting shortcomings. Strengthening public confidence and reaffirming NPP policies, I thank you for the opportunity and conclude.