The Hon. Thanura Dissanayake

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I am pleased to speak on a turning-point Budget. For decades, professionals and citizens across sectors watched each Budget hoping to see what benefits would finally reach their fields—often because long-unresolved issues and lack of economic access left them waiting every year.

¶ 02 Some in the Opposition speak of “promises,” forgetting that politics itself has changed. The people, having experienced the past, chose a democratic governance model—not a contract of transactional promises. We formed a consensus with the people to transform governance and the economy. Within only eight months of effective implementation time, we have still managed to design a Budget that thinks broadly and structurally—linking North, East, South, West, and the Hill Country without excluding anyone, integrating the North into the economy rather than leaving it isolated.

¶ 03 This Budget aims to change political culture—ending waste and establishing a target-driven, organized path. We faced fear-mongering that international relations would collapse and the currency would freefall if the NPP came to power. The people ignored that. Now, old narratives are being revived to cast doubt on our economic model. But we work with people on the ground; we communicate our democratic, progressive, and inclusive economic approach, and people understand it.

¶ 04 In the last three months in this House, some have tried to paint us falsely. But our record shows otherwise. We did not wait for the Budget to deliver relief: we enhanced fertilizer support to farmers earlier; we provided school supplies at the start of term; and we increased pensions by Rs. 3,000 before this Budget was presented. That is how a democratic government works.

¶ 05 Going forward, we will reduce rural poverty, bring services closer through digitalization, cut red tape and time burdens on citizens and public servants, and develop a clean, healthy environment under the Clean Sri Lanka initiative. Life is not just numbers and charts; we will improve social protection and transport systems long neglected—starting from basics like proper sanitary facilities at major public hubs, which we have already begun.

¶ 06 We will not sell national assets; earlier “experts” wanted to sell everything. Instead, we will build a production economy—protecting enterprises like Milco and moving them forward. We will ensure money in people’s hands and a better country by elevating society to the next stage through hard work and sacrifice.

¶ 07 Thank you.