The Hon. Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I wish to express views on the Opposition’s Adjournment Motion. Many Members spoke before me.

¶ 02 There are many things to buy and sell in our country. But we do not sell our preschool children and deposit Rs. 900 million into a bank account in Bandarawela claiming the child cannot walk, eat, or sleep.

¶ 03 [Expunged on the order of the Chair.]

¶ 04 Hon. Presiding Member, I believe at about 11.30 a.m. MP Marikkar presented this Adjournment Motion. He spoke about an account at the Homagama People’s Bank. Google Maps shows Homagama is 108 km away. It takes 1 hour 36 minutes to go and return. He has hours to go and come back. But I think he will not go to Homagama; rather, he will look for the house of the person who fed him false information. Therefore, before we conclude today’s proceedings, we trust MP Marikkar will find and present the account number and amount.

¶ 05 Furthermore, Hon. Presiding Member, some former Deputy Ministers and MPs who had long done business with Potensia and received monthly retainers are now screaming above 70 decibels—the threshold beyond which prolonged exposure causes hearing damage and mental stress. I request through you that the Hon. Speaker arrange a hearing evaluation for the staff in the Chamber because that MP thinks volume equals truth.

¶ 06 [Expunged on the order of the Chair.]

¶ 07 Now, who is making these accusations? Against a 500‑day Government that, within 500 days, has moved Sri Lanka up the Corruption Perceptions Index from 121st of 182 countries to 107th—14 places. For 76 years different leaders have ruled. But in 500 days President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s Government adopted anti-corruption policies and pushed the country up by 14 places. That is why world leaders, diplomats speak of, assist, and embrace Sri Lanka—because, for the first time in history, there is a straightforward leadership giving direction to anti-corruption policy.

¶ 08 Moreover, within the past 500 days we turned around previously loss-making SOEs into profit. I have that list here of 52 state entities; I table it. How did we make Milco profitable? The Postal Department? CHC? That is why the Treasury is overflowing; the Opposition themselves had to admit it. Record customs, domestic, and excise revenues were achieved due to anti-corruption policies. And an independent survey by Verité Research—a body unrelated to us—shows public support for the Government has risen to 65 percent despite Opposition attacks. Likewise, optimism about the economy increased from 55 to 64 percent. Against such a Government they bring a coal “scam” allegation—regrettable. The Treasury, once bankrupt, now has a trillion rupees due to anti-corruption policies. If you want to topple the Government, find another method; this will not work.

¶ 09 My time is limited. Let me place information on the tender process for coal from 2009 to 2016. Over five years, there were five tenders—see the 100-page Auditor General’s audit query. From 2009 to 2013, five tenders were called for coal supply, almost always awarded to the same company. In 2014, though another company was selected once, later, via a Ministerial Committee and with input from then Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the tender was re-awarded to the old company.

¶ 10 In 2011, two ships could not be unloaded, causing a loss of USD 4 million. In 2011, coal was purchased from Noble Resources International at USD 74 per ton as a spot purchase, though they had agreed to USD 68—incurring a massive loss. Further, due to lack of coal, from 28 September to 23 October 2011, for 25 days the plant was shut, causing a loss of Rs. 3,500 million. Under your leadership then, Rs. 35 billion was lost and the plant closed for 25 days.

¶ 11 In 2015–2016 another major fraud occurred: the penalty owed by Liberty Commodities was drastically reduced during the tenure of Hon. Ajith P. Perera as Deputy Minister of Power and Energy. A penalty due to supply issues had to be divided by 0.1, but was divided by 100—if you divide 100 by 100 it is 1, but if by 0.1 it is 1,000. Where 1,000 was due, only 100 was charged. Cases are still ongoing; the loss under so‑called “Yahapalana” is USD 1.5 million—Rs. 5 billion. The CEB and Lanka Coal Company are still litigating. That is what was done under “good governance.”

¶ 12 As for 2015–2016, during 2009–2019 payments to coal suppliers were released 100% against Load Port Reports—even before coal reached Sri Lanka. That was how they stole public funds. In contrast, we have regularised the tender process, ensured robust competition, and strict adherence to procurement, with transparency. These corruption allegations only reflect their pain at losing power, nothing else.

¶ 13 Thank you.