The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti - Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I am pleased to address the House after Hon. Dr. Upali Pannilage. I return to Parliament after five years. Once a small opposition group fought within and outside this House; today a large collective has been entrusted to drive social progress and the transformation we sought.

¶ 02 Some questioned whether a team lacking “experience” could govern. Yet this Government has been in office only a short time. This is only the second sitting since the President assumed office; the Cabinet has met merely three times—the third being yesterday. The people know what to expect at this early stage. The Opposition may pretend otherwise, but many on that side have been Ministers and held responsibilities—they know how government operates. You claimed the inexperienced would bankrupt the country and throw people onto the streets. But nature tested us first: severe floods in the North, East (Batticaloa), and South (Matara). That was no conspiracy—just a natural disaster. Even before District Coordinating Committees and their Chairs were appointed, Government intervention proceeded effectively. In earlier times, despite the full apparatus, outcomes were worse. The people’s hearts know this.

¶ 03 Today’s debate is on the President’s policy vision. Not one Opposition speaker engaged with that vision substantively. Either you agree with it—or you have nothing to say.

¶ 04 Our core economic policy is to build a national production economy with broad public participation and fair sharing of benefits. Judge us if we fail to mobilize participation, distribute benefits equitably, or grow production. But it’s premature to panic. Many of your criticisms are what one would raise a year or two into a term—not in the first weeks, before even a full Budget is presented.

¶ 05 Tourism is surging. Global indices now place Sri Lanka among the top four destinations for resuming travel. I do not claim this as a feat of a few weeks of the new President; it stems from political stability we collectively ensured after a declared bankruptcy. Our goal is to move from fourth to first—and we ask the House’s support.

¶ 06 Who led the country into bankruptcy? Failed economic policies and a broken social order. Consider exports: in 2023, total exports were US$11,759 million. Of this, US$10,655 million came from just 474 firms. After 76 years of “open economy” and liberalization, with sweeping tax concessions, we should have had thousands powering exports. Instead, 4,426 firms account for exports, with 2,136 of them bringing less than US$20 million each. Our aim is to multiply this base three- or four-fold.

¶ 07 We will expand exports through a national economic programme and a development vision—hence the President’s clear focus on a digital economy and the “Clean Sri Lanka” concept. This land is beautiful, but has been polluted and sold off. We are the team to rescue it. Perhaps we lack “experience” in stealing and corruption—that is true. Many of our Ministers are in public office for the first time.

¶ 08 As Industry Minister, I see the legacy: 34 institutions under my Ministry—half mothballed or slated for sale. Historically, giants like G. G. Ponnambalam, William de Silva, W. J. C. Munasinghe, Maithripala Senanayake, Philip Gunawardena, T. B. Subasinghe led this Ministry. Later names I will not list out of respect for those greats—history judges them.

¶ 09 A simple example: the BCC complex on Armour Street was to be sold. Built to produce coconut oil and soap for domestic needs and export, with oil tanks and pipelines to the Port planned from colonial times and extended after 1956. Kankesanthurai Cement had its own 32 MW power plant to electrify the province—our forebears planned industry to meet national needs and export. Later, assets like Hingurana, Pelwatte, Kantale sugar factories were lined up for sale. If we are to revive the national economy, the State must be able to compete robustly with the private sector—not do everything, but be a strong, competitive pillar. The people’s mandate to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the NPP is precisely to rebuild such capacity. If any Minister here is corrupt, question us—we invite scrutiny.

¶ 10 Many here work pro bono or at great personal sacrifice: professors, professionals, even our Justice Minister is a President’s Counsel and former Supreme Court lawyer who could earn vastly more outside. Boards and authorities, too, have many serving voluntarily. Judge us—but judge fairly.

¶ 11 This morning we witnessed breaches of Parliamentary decorum from those who know procedure best. Let us, with the mandate to change political culture, protect the dignity of this House—not turn it into a theatre. Thank you for the additional time and for listening.