The Hon. Chandima Hettiaratchi

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, to run a country justly, justice must be done in every sphere and be seen to be done. Otherwise, institutions and countries collapse. In 2022, public property was misused and public funds wasted while attempting to justify it; the people took to the streets and expelled the thieves. The people have since given a fresh mandate to this Government.

¶ 02 Our mandate rests on principles: equal protection of the law, transparency and efficiency, independence, and restoring public trust. To realize these, we are preparing new laws and reforms: the Exchange of Information between State Institutions Act; the Investment Protection Act; the State Business Enterprises Management Act; the Public-Private Partnership Investment Management Act; the Statistics Act; the Valuation Act; the Public Asset Management Act; the Public Procurement Law; the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Act; strengthening the AML/CFT framework; and amendments to the Paddy Marketing Board Act. We will also bring a law on the rights of persons with disabilities and laws for recovery and forfeiture of proceeds of crime. This is how we deliver justice to a country where public assets were plundered.

¶ 03 Rs. 80.2 billion has been allocated to achieve the objectives in this Budget for law and order. To ensure justice at the grassroots, Rs. 14 billion has been allocated to strengthen the Mediation Boards Service. We are reforming the legal framework to uphold the rule of law, protect public assets, use them productively, and accelerate economic growth. Ultimately, those who robbed the public, looted the Central Bank, and stole through various rackets must be brought to justice; ill-gotten public assets must be recovered for the people. This is a Budget for justice and fairness, reflecting the people’s aspirations lawfully and equitably. Thank you.