The Hon. Aruna Panagoda

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, during this debate on the Fiscal Strategy Statement - 2026, we intend to bring this discussion to where it should be: how we plan for the coming years and establish fiscal discipline. Yet the Opposition repeatedly says the Government lacks vision, plans, and proper statistics.

¶ 02 Given the track record, it is evident the Opposition previously had no such planning; they governed ad hoc, shelving policy, acting to entrench their political power and enrich themselves and their cronies, neglecting fiscal management and discipline, and thereby ruining the economy.

¶ 03 When preparing and implementing plans, identifying the problem is essential. A careful reading of this Statement shows we have done so—diagnosing where problems arose, crafting solutions, and setting plans for the future. It lays out how to drive revenue to targets, remedy gaps, and strengthen legal frameworks.

¶ 04 However, the Opposition forgets its own history. This morning, their chief organizer claimed they were not in Government then, ignoring years he himself held ministerial posts. Those who raised their hands for decisions that destroyed our economy and squandered public funds now make baseless allegations to derail stabilization. They seem to hope for new wars or pandemics to push the country back into chaos.

¶ 05 Why? Because they fear the strengthened legal framework will expose their past actions and hold them accountable. Thus, they try to destabilize the Government and scare investors by spreading that collapse is imminent.

¶ 06 We saw this all morning—fearmongering and forgetting their past: for example, the “Siriliya Saviya” account with double-nine digits, and what transpired there. Those same people now talk about fiscal discipline. When reminded that the law is functioning and their past misconduct will lead to accountability, they point fingers at the Government.

¶ 07 We are working hard to put the country on the right path. This cannot be done overnight. We are lifting a country that was bankrupted and dragged down, and putting it onto a stabilization path. The Opposition seeks to block this by deterring investors through claims of instability.

¶ 08 Note too that charges have been filed against a former BOI Chairman and a former BOI Director for their actions, including spending BOI funds—millions of rupees—on political campaigning for Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term. Where was fiscal discipline then? Today, by contrast, no Minister or MP of this Government faces such financial charges. Recall how, within a month of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s appointment in the past, the Central Bank collapsed—where was discipline then?

¶ 09 We are changing that and ushering in a new political culture: accountability and responsibility in rebuilding the country. The Fiscal Strategy Statement sets out a pathway for responsible conduct and restoring fiscal order. I urge the Opposition to stop undermining a recovering economy with fabrications—it is betrayal of the people. Instead, help the Government rebuild. Thank you.