The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and the Leader of the House of Parliament

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, we did not see hackers; but we have seen those who chewed through the system. Those who looted public funds and amassed illicit wealth avoided the CIABOC with political shelter, and now they talk about hackers’ reports.

¶ 02 Sri Lanka went to the IMF because the country was bankrupted — not by choice. The Supreme Court has named certain leaders, including Mahinda Rajapaksa and others, as economic offenders. That is not gossip; it is a court finding. Do not disrupt — listen.

¶ 03 On tourism, despite claims that tourists do not come, data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority show 145,745 arrivals in May 2026, a 9.6 per cent increase over May 2025 (132,919). Occupancy is around 30–35 per cent due to seasonal dips. Growth areas include local short-form content production, boutique logistics and equipment rentals, home-based food innovations and micro farming, and self-serve high-traffic treats. There are challenges, including higher fuel prices, but the sector has not collapsed.

¶ 04 On private sector credit: today banks are lending to domestic businesses; previously, governments took most of the loans. Allegations that people can be swayed by loud falsehoods underestimate the public. The people rightly denied power to those named by the Supreme Court as economic offenders.

¶ 05 Turning to the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT), COPA has examined serious fraud and corruption there based on internal audits and Auditor General’s reports and recommended referral to the Attorney-General and CIABOC. We have moved a Decision to that effect. The DMT has suffered deep corruption. Two former Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners have been arrested, and more cases continue. We believe corruption has reduced to some extent, but much remains.

¶ 06 Driving licences: for years, one company monopolized services and backlogs piled up. We changed the system lawfully via tender and have cleared around 450,000 backlog licences and restarted issuances. Last month only 33,000 licences were mailed though the capacity is over 100,000; we are fixing internal bottlenecks.

¶ 07 Number plates: for 28 years, excessive commissions were charged. After legal vetting and tender processes, we commenced issuing new plates yesterday. Within a few months, we aim to normalize issuance.

¶ 08 We will introduce an expanded, properly charged one-day service to eliminate under-the-table payments, and strengthen DMT’s electronic systems. Vehicle fraud is rampant because systems were kept from being integrated. We will connect Sri Lanka Customs, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and the DMT to close gaps. The so-called e-Motoring was a den of corruption; dismantling entrenched deals is legally complex because corrupt vendors and officials operate within. We are proceeding with legal guidance to roll out a genuine e-motoring system.

¶ 09 Licence renewal with medicals: we have started renewing light-vehicle licences at the medical testing centres themselves (e.g., NTMI Nugegoda and five other institutions), avoiding trips to Werahera. We aim to extend to all 25 districts, overcoming legacy obstacles.

¶ 10 Road safety: last year 2,750 deaths from road accidents — about 1,000 on motorcycles, 1,000 pedestrians, around 650 in vehicles. Seatbelts are mandatory, and for expressways from 19 June. But disciplining drivers requires a demerit points system. We plan a pilot by September and to implement nationwide before 31 March next year so repeat offenders lose points.

¶ 11 Highway Code: the current learner texts lack expressway rules though expressways opened over a decade ago. We are updating the Highway Code and issuing necessary Gazettes.

¶ 12 Public transport safety: after fatal bus crashes in Kotmale and Ella, examiners reported basic roadworthiness failures. We will mandate quarterly inspections for all passenger vehicles (buses, school vans, etc.) via a simple, low-cost test (about Rs. 1,000–1,500).

¶ 13 Driving schools will be regulated and supported to produce better drivers.

¶ 14 Railways: we will launch small online services, including an online system to obtain train season tickets. From tomorrow, as a pilot this month for public servants via a website, then within two months extend to the private sector. The railway has longstanding weaknesses; we are addressing them step by step, with electrification targeted to commence early next year.

¶ 15 On governance: COPE and COPA guidance has been invaluable. A key gap is weak internal audit across SOEs. Recruitment lacks proper standards and training; few are trained by the Department of Management Audit. Strengthening internal audit is essential to clean the State. We request COPA’s support to build capacity, including foreign training.

¶ 16 We will transmit COPA charters to the Attorney-General and request that AGO report to Parliament at least quarterly on action taken, otherwise even revised Standing Orders will not help.

¶ 17 Public transport remains weak and citizens suffer; in 18 months we have done small but concrete steps. We will continue this fight.

¶ 18 Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.