The Hon. Rohana Bandara

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I move:

¶ 02 “Since the process of importing essential food items, medicines and other items to Sri Lanka has been in the hands of a few individuals resulting in various difficulties to the public, this Parliament resolves that the Government should formulate a suitable programme to enhance the intervention of the State sector to prevent this situation.”

¶ 03 We know that from the time this Government was appointed, the people faced a major shortage of food items—essential ones. There was a shortage of rice; we also faced a shortage of coconut. Today there is a serious shortage of salt in the market. Although we are an island nation, we always talked about importing fish, but we have even failed to produce salt, and the price of a packet of salt has gone up significantly. We are not pointing fingers at only this Government; the reason is that for a long time there has been no systematic planning or implementation. While in Opposition, everyone talked about these issues; Ministers and MPs speak, but no practical action plan has been prepared. Both the consumer and producer are struggling. Producers are discouraged; consumers bear heavy costs. Shortages drive price volatility. During this period, some traders hoarded stocks causing great hardship to consumers. We are facing all these issues as a country.

¶ 04 The first issue this Government faced was rice. Rice is the staple, accounting for 69% of food consumption. Ensuring a continuous supply is a Government responsibility. You said the reason for the past shortage was the lack of buffer stocks, and that this would not recur. Yet when the Maha season arrived after you came to power, it was your responsibility to provide the fertilizer subsidy on time. You raised the subsidy from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000, but some farmers did not receive it in full; some received only parts.

¶ 05 Before maintaining rice stocks, we should have increased production. Then the State should have purchased paddy at a fair price. If the price is unfair, farmers will sell where they get more. A practical plan was needed. Because the Government failed, it could not procure a reasonable quantity of paddy.

¶ 06 I said before harvesting that due to heavy rains the paddy flowering would be affected and yields would drop, but you ignored it and calculated costs based on the prior Maha season. That was not fair relative to farmers’ costs. Large-scale mill owners anticipated this and bought paddy at higher prices. Farmers were not satisfied with Government prices. Now you are again in the same trap. What we say is not to score points; the entire consumer public is affected.

¶ 07 You also said production is down and the alternative is to import rice. Before importing, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture is here; the Yala season is coming with more rain. Can you ensure timely fertilizer subsidies, including TSP? As a farmer you know, if TSP is not applied on time, the crop does not set properly, affecting yields. So before talking of imports, ensure timely fertilizer subsidies.

¶ 08 Fertilizer prices are very high now; farmers can’t afford them. Why can’t you prioritize boosting local production with timely subsidies before focusing on imports? We saw MOP being distributed free earlier; TSP could also have been treated as essential and issued free. No action was taken.

¶ 09 We saw the President arriving by private jet. How much did that trip cost? Someone may have donated it, but who, and with what intent? These things are done with ulterior motives. You say you do not draw salaries, but you have 40 Ministers; look at the total monthly cost—has the Treasury gained any relief? You shouted “theft and corruption” before; do you see any difference now? Corruption often occurs by violating tender procedures and steering awards to favourites. Why is there no practical effort to resolve this? Are Ministers or responsible officials behind it? They were parts of that chain.

¶ 10 Maintaining buffer stocks is essential, but stock management is poor. After the crisis, a stock of imported rice was received but it spoiled in warehouses unnoticed. Similarly, you must release stocks on time and replenish them. Stock management is not rocket science.

¶ 11 Before turning to imports, check what we can produce locally. On salt, there was no shortage after the tsunami, but now there is. Why are we importing salt from India? Is there proper management? My time is up for this round; I emphasize we have not studied food security sufficiently. If you must import rice, why wait until the last moment? When prices spike, you call tenders. You should have a plan, maintain a buffer, and use rotation mechanisms through Sathosa now, rather than last-minute emergency purchases and reliance on private intermediaries. The private sector’s efficiency is useful, but the Government must prevent monopolies and protect consumers.

¶ 12 Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.