The Hon. Wasantha Piyathissa - Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, I thank you for the opportunity.

¶ 02 First, I extend my gratitude to the people of Digamadulla and the entire nation who placed their trust in the National People’s Power (NPP), its policies, and in us, delivering a resounding victory that enabled the election of so many people’s representatives.

¶ 03 Today we discuss our Government’s policy—State policy. In its entirety, His Excellency President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented an historic policy statement. It is indeed historic: for the first time in our history, the people have established a democratic government whose forward vision is clearly set out. That vision captures the heartbeat of our people, their long-suppressed dreams, and their future hopes.

¶ 04 Therefore, our comprehensive policy framework contains solutions to the future order of work and needs of our people, and to their shattered expectations. What is today’s context? Seventy-six years on, we have forged a more coherent political mandate, won a superior policy agenda, and a healthier political culture. Alongside, we have a sound, scientifically planned economic vision and programme. After such a historic mandate, we cannot be judged by simplistic queries—whether coconut prices or rice prices dropped in a week or two, whether harvests arrived, or whether a divisional secretariat’s road or irrigation bund was fixed overnight. Our duty is broader: we bear responsibility for the future of over 22 million people; for the lives of 4.5 million schoolchildren. We are here, united in this House, to shoulder that responsibility fully, ready for any sacrifice.

¶ 05 As Hon. Deputy Minister T. B. Sarath noted, we ask the Opposition Leader and all opposition MPs to consider this soberly—without speaking as though “born dead.”

¶ 06 Results have causes. The outcomes we see arose from decisions taken over the past 76 years by the main ruling parties. To change today’s condition fundamentally, policies and political culture must change. Theft, fraud, corruption, vulgarity, and shabby political deal-making must end immediately. Go and see the people of the difficult districts and villages—how they sweat and struggle to protect their children. Yet for decades, billions and trillions of public wealth and national assets were plundered and sold out, pushing the country to this state. The people entrusted us with a strong mandate to change all that. I reiterate: the present Government will act decisively to fulfil the hopes of millions, to set the country on a new path and rebuild it.

¶ 07 What is the harvest of 76 years? Two examples. The “Aswesuma” social assistance now reaches roughly 1.7 million families. Even if we estimate 1.9 million families and five persons per family, that is about 9.5 million people needing relief. After 76 years of governance, nearly a half of our population needs government assistance. Out of 22 million, around 10 million are poor. The people gave us power to change this. We will do so through short-, medium-, and long-term plans. We don’t need patronizing lectures, but we welcome any constructive proposal or fair critique.

¶ 08 The Governor of the Central Bank and the Auditor General have said in recent days that 41% of our population earns less than two US dollars per day. Visit remote villages in Ampara, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Chavakachcheri, Mullaitivu—you will find families with virtually no daily income. As a nation and as representatives, we should be ashamed if people have no income while others amassed ill-gotten fortunes by looting public wealth. We must probe how such assets were acquired, and mete out deserved punishment. This crisis was created by a criminal political path.