The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, thank you. Today we debate two key ministries — crucial to the economy on one hand and to law and order on the other.

¶ 02 Tourism has ebbed and flowed. Even during the war, 300,000–400,000 tourists visited annually. After the end of terrorism and with infrastructure development, numbers rose. However, the Easter attacks and COVID-19 crashed arrivals. It is the private sector that has held tourism together through crises; governments can support, but the backbone is private — large, small, and medium operators.

¶ 03 We need both volume and value. Quantitative growth must be matched by qualitative growth — higher per-tourist earnings. Sri Lanka’s unique culture and nature give us positioning, but we must act.

¶ 04 First: expand the airport. The Maldives now serves 7 million capacity; we are still around 6–6.5 million and even then tightly packed. Invest to expand and operationalize e-gates quickly; they are installed but still not functioning. The first impression at the airport matters.

¶ 05 Second: Tourism Development Levy proceeds currently go to the Treasury; little flows back to local authorities providing services or to promotion. Allocate TDL back into tourism development, including at local levels.

¶ 06 Third: Protect SMEs in tourism. In Hikkaduwa, Mirissa, Weligama, Tangalle, and Giriketiya, many small operators built businesses over decades. Where legality is in question, regularize through a clear regulatory framework that allows them to operate lawfully, rather than demolish summarily.

¶ 07 On foreign employment, continue to facilitate youth to access overseas jobs.

¶ 08 On the Justice Ministry: it has become highly politicized in recent months. We now see lower courts’ judges’ work suspended on complaints by the IGP. If there is an issue with an order, there are appellate courts; suspending functions on an IGP complaint implies the lower court is not acting to the IGP’s liking.

¶ 09 On transfers and promotions: historically based on seniority and experience. Now it appears different. When judges hearing cases involving members of the front bench are transferred within under three years, suspicions arise. The Government may claim it is “cleaning” the judiciary, but public confidence is eroded when seniority and track record are disregarded without transparent criteria, and when judges’ children face school placement issues after sudden transfers.

¶ 10 On prisons: the Minister says prisons should be like schools — agreed. A first-time drug user can become a lifetime dealer inside. Every government talks of drug crackdowns — before it was “Yukthiya”, now another name. Apply the law to all, including when school principals, local councillors, or others are caught; the law must be equal.

¶ 11 Please visit prisons, speak to inmates. Many await lab reports for months or years; when reports finally come, some do not confirm narcotics. Also, foreign convicts are here to serve sentences imposed abroad — groups from Kuwait, Maldives, etc.; what measures are taken? Beyond talking of “political prisoners” on one side, address these practical issues. Overcrowding is severe — 150–200 per ward, beyond control even for officers. Budget allocations exist, but execution lags. Digitize courts — court automation was tendered before and cancelled; urgently implement to reduce delays.

¶ 12 Finally, on the Trincomalee temple incident: yesterday there was a problem at a temple established in 1951, declared a place of worship in 2004, hosting the oldest Dhamma school in the Eastern Province. Today, two monks are reportedly in hospital following a clash with police. Do not inflame this into an ethnic issue ahead of provincial elections. Intervene, bring both sides together, and resolve it fairly.

¶ 13 Thank you.