The Hon. (Prof.) Ruwan Ranasinghe – Deputy Minister of Tourism

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, those who presided over ministries for decades and bankrupted the country now lecture us about “L-boards.” Yesterday we passed the Rescue, Rehabilitation and Insolvency Bill to rebuild what their wrong policies destroyed. Within a year, GDP rose towards USD 109 billion, and per capita income exceeded USD 5,000 for the first time, per the Central Bank. We have restored economic and legal stability, and law enforcement now applies to all—including those long considered untouchable.

¶ 02 Regarding tourism, we corrected the previously mishandled visa regime and, following global competitors like Vietnam and Thailand, introduced a six‑month free-visa pilot for 39/40 countries based on expert committee advice, to drive arrivals and net foreign exchange. We are working with airlines (e.g., IndiGo, Turkish) to expand capacity, signed agreements with Vietnam to bring in five aircraft per week, and saw record arrivals in Dec–Feb. Targets for 2025 of around 2.36 million arrivals are within reach. This “L-board Government” is delivering stabilization and growth. I conclude urging the Opposition to use the new insolvency law to rebuild even their bankrupted political parties.