The Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, first I thank the people of the Kandy District for empowering us to represent the Tenth Parliament. Though we sit in Opposition, our duty to the people of Kandy and to the country remains: to conduct ourselves responsibly and align as an Opposition to help place the nation on the correct path.

¶ 02 Thank you for the opportunity to comment on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s Policy Statement. Although we are Opposition MPs, we extend respect and best wishes to the President and sincerely hope he fulfills his responsibilities, and we wish the Prime Minister and the Government strength to steer the country rightly. As the Opposition, we will present matters constructively and help where appropriate.

¶ 03 Many points in the Policy Statement were presented. We have heard throne speeches and policy statements before, but the question before all of us is how far these translate into practical action. Our task is to see if there is a feasible ground to implement the President’s proposals—short, medium and long term.

¶ 04 On the IMF: the agreement we have with the IMF is necessary and must be implemented. Otherwise, in months we could relapse into a worse crisis than 2022. While amendments were once suggested and the current President spoke of making it people-friendly, Parliament had passed, with consensus, the IMF programme under then President Ranil Wickremesinghe. I believe we must continue it as agreed. Reopening it for changes now could lead to more serious problems.

¶ 05 In the throne speech, the President said the fertilizer subsidy per hectare was increased from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000, and that he is ready to extend more where needed. That is fine, but we must evaluate long-term outcomes of subsidies. In many countries, the agriculture sector strengthens the State; it is not one that the State perpetually props up. If after 75 years we only add subsidies, within 2–3 years we may face another crisis.

¶ 06 We replaced Samurdhi with Aswasuma and started aiding about 1.5 million families, then identified a further 0.8 million, selected another 0.5 million—making 2 million families reliant on State support from revenue we must generate. How practical is that? Far more important would be to implement structural projects long planned.

¶ 07 Consider the North Central Province’s Maha Ela (Canal) and the Wayamba (North Western) Canal—studied since before 2016–2017. Research shows these can irrigate 125,000 hectares of fallow paddy. Yet in 2024 we are still talking about bringing water to Iranamadhu, completing the North Central Canal, and delivering water through the Wayamba Canal. If we only proceed on farmer subsidies, the Government may manage the first year or two, but will the country reach targets? We must prioritize such infrastructure.

¶ 08 On the public service size: media reported the President’s Senior Advisor proposed reducing around half a million public servants. I do not know the Government’s exact stance, but the President in his speech pledged a satisfied, efficient public service for both citizens and servants. Under IMF engagements, how will such policy-level decisions be implemented? The Government must clarify its position to Parliament.

¶ 09 Regarding SOEs: If the State can sustain SriLankan Airlines, fine. But if “SriLankan Airlines” is continued only by taxes paid by poor people for sugar, flour and groceries, that is wrong. The Government must clearly set out its policy on such entities. In 2023, losses from SOEs exceeded Rs. 700 billion. Some change is needed, and the Government should explain how it will proceed.

¶ 10 Two omissions in the Policy Statement deserve mention. First, abolishing the Executive Presidency—the President had clearly advocated this on political platforms, moving to a system accountable to Parliament. The Government should state its position. Second, if the parliamentary system is to be fully transformed, that too should have been in the Statement. Our policy decisions and required economic changes rest on our constitutional framework: the Executive, Parliament, and the Judiciary. If you intend to change these fundamentals for the better, we have no objection—but tell the country to what extent.

¶ 11 On foreign relations, the Statement did not clearly set out the Government’s path. During Mahinda Rajapaksa’s time, some relationships led to issues with other parties. The Government should clarify its policy regarding China, India and other nations.

¶ 12 We also passed 31 POAs in 2023–2024. Under the State Finance and Management law, Cabinet oversight powers are vested in Parliament. If the Public Finance Committee is not established, there will be a serious issue in scrutinizing the interim budget to be presented tomorrow. I thank the people of Kandy again for enabling me to speak today.