The Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, on the Votes of two important Ministries, I wish to present proposals on tourism—a key industry in my District.

¶ 02 Tourism is one of the top three foreign exchange earners. Sri Lanka is a treasure: beautiful climate, beaches, hills, and people. Many initiatives could develop tourism, yet this Budget shows no concrete plan for advancement. The Minister travels widely with the President—use those ties to develop our tourism sector.

¶ 03 Under former Minister Harin Fernando, during the Yahapalana period, we achieved record arrivals; in 2019 Sri Lanka was named a top destination. Even during COVID, he secured much foreign exchange. This Government too should elevate this industry.

¶ 04 In my District, tourism was begun at grassroots by children of fishing families in Wellawaya—building three to six-room guesthouses, cleaning beaches. Yet today, small operators receive no support. Under prior governments, we gave assistance. Now, small guesthouse owners cannot sell even a bottle of beer to tourists. Five-star and three-star hotels have all permits; under President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s earlier program, bar permits were issued for small restaurants with seven rooms. But many guesthouse owners still have not received such permits.

¶ 05 There are 8,000–10,000 small guesthouses across Sri Lanka. For example, in Tangalle Municipality and Pradeshiya Sabha areas, over 400 guesthouses operate, yet cannot legally sell beer. They are fined repeatedly by Police and the Excise Department. Large hotels have bar permits; small operators with four to seven rooms, who maintain beaches and host tourists, should at least be allowed to sell beer to tourists.

¶ 06 All these guesthouses are licensed with the Divisional Secretariat and have business registrations with local authorities. Local bodies could levy a fee equivalent to excise fees and issue a limited permit—for sale of beer to tourists only. If Tangalle’s 400 guesthouses paid Rs. 50,000 annually, the local authority would earn Rs. 20 million for area cleanliness projects. Please implement a simple “beer case” (12 bottles) permit for tourist-only sales, replenished as needed.

¶ 07 Next, a big problem affecting national revenue: Yala National Park generates major income. Around Tissamaharama, 727 safari jeeps are licensed; licence issuance stopped in 2017. Now 567 have licences; 175 do not. Protests erupted; Police blocked jeeps. Those 175 are mostly drivers who, after years working for big fleet owners with 30–40 jeeps, took loans to buy their own. Now they are barred entry. Whether officials are corrupt or not, I cannot say, but the effect is unjust. I request licences be issued to the 175, or reduce the number held by those with 30–40 and allow a turn system so the new owners can work. These are our village youth who love serving tourists—showing elephants, leopards, bears, even lions if they could—to earn for the country. Please let their jeeps enter Yala.

¶ 08 I note Rs. 130 million is allocated for developing tourism in Jaffna—good, but insufficient. Jaffna is a prime destination. Use Sri Lanka Tourism Board funds to expand. Visit districts, meet operators and three-wheel drivers, discuss issues and projects. If we implement this robustly nationwide, we can revive the country.

¶ 09 Funds are allocated for an Arugam Bay sunset viewpoint—good. Also Rs. 800 million to upgrade institutions. I propose converting the old Tangalle Prison—now vacant since a modern prison was built in Angunakolapelessa—into a heritage museum and tourism site, similar to restoring the Kandy prison. The current building is a Dutch fort–era structure and now houses a notorious underworld figure at expense. Repurpose it as a city-center attraction.

¶ 10 Please give me one more minute, Hon. Presiding Member.

¶ 11 Develop the Tangalle prison site for tourism.

¶ 12 Another proposal: Rohana Wijeweera is our leader and kinsman; his house near Medaketiya has collapsed, overrun by snakes. Under the Clean Sri Lanka program, restore it and establish a “Wijeweera Museum,” with a statue, to honor the party’s founder under whose leadership your party reached Parliament and the Presidency. Even his sister had no place to keep his remains; they were kept at Hon. Nihal Galappaththi’s house. Do something tangible to honor him.