The Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe - Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker and Hon. Members,

¶ 02 Though our names are on these Government benches, these seats truly belong to the people who fought for years—some sacrificing their lives—and to those who in the last five years devoted time, money and effort on social platforms. We owe a duty to fulfill their expectations.

¶ 03 I thank the people of the Colombo District for giving us a very high mandate—14 seats out of Colombo. Twenty-one of us contested; all are worthy. Let me recall comrades—Shiva, Vrai Balthazar, Wimal Kettiparachchi, Alwis—who stepped forward to drive this change. Our politics is different from the Opposition’s. We carry responsibility, and they too continue to nurture this politics.

¶ 04 Listening today, it seems some in the Opposition still do not grasp the depth of this political change. Those used to winning seats with 10,000–20,000 votes must understand: in this politics, you will not last if you cannot comprehend the change. The President’s speech centered on eradicating poverty; the politics that sustained poverty ends here.

¶ 05 I speak for every professional and entrepreneur. For youth, politics’ doors were closed—kept for a few families or the wealthy. Today, young MPs on the Government side are here on merit, not family legacies.

¶ 06 To those demanding instant change within days, I say: we have undone in weeks what others took 100–200 years to entrench—ending corrupt family dynasties and inaugurating a new political culture on day one. The 15 percent of our people abroad and professionals at home asked only for the right to live and work here—something you denied.

¶ 07 On the economy: claiming the crisis began under Gotabaya alone is false. Its roots lie in policies since 1977 that led, by 2019, to bankruptcy: an import–export gap of USD 8 billion; a budget deficit of Rs. 4 trillion then, now Rs. 6 trillion; foreign debt USD 43 billion. Your “expert” economic policies and inequality drove people to require assistance—which is not our political goal but a necessity you created. The President addressed structural issues deeply; the problem is you do not understand.

¶ 08 While India, Vietnam, South Korea and Singapore accelerated, we have not had a serious policy debate here on how they did so. Sri Lanka’s GDP is USD 84 billion, with only USD 17 billion in goods and services exports. Senior Opposition MPs have even left the Chamber during this foundational debate. Tell us what you did to improve our Ease of Doing Business from 99th, Global Innovation Index from 89th (while South Korea is 4th), and Corruption Perceptions Index at 115th. If you know better, teach us.

¶ 09 We have fallen on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The reason we survive at all is the resilience of our local entrepreneurs and industries despite corrupt, visionless governance. State support to industry was dismantled; institutions were broken; SMEs left without support. We will reform the industrial system. To lift industry and entrepreneurship, we must roll back the destructive neoliberal policies you entrenched and your unscientific tax regimes that taxed raw material imports while freeing finished goods, allowing uncontrolled imports.

¶ 10 In Q1 next year, we will bring an anti-dumping Bill to protect domestic industry. We will restore certification, research and infrastructure support. Private sector credit stands at Rs. 1.7 trillion; SME loans at Rs. 350 billion—this is the economy you built, with high production costs, broken logistics, power and finance. Coconut, tea, vehicle assembly—every sector is down. There was no national policy adherence. The President’s speech addressed this throughout.

¶ 11 We did not come here to enjoy office or pursue private gain. We came to drive a production renaissance and entrepreneurial surge—providing data, knowledge, infrastructure and market access to the private sector which you failed to provide. The NPP came to deliver a massive socio-economic transformation. Do not underestimate this Government; those who fought in many arenas are now here.

¶ 12 The Opposition has two paths: support this change, or fade with the old politics. I invite all professionals and businessmen to support this transformation. As Sir Richard Branson said, “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes—then learn how to do it later.” We are making that change—modern, and determined to transform this country.

¶ 13 Thank you.