Hon. Hector Appuhamy
Hon. Hector Appuhamy said fishermen previously relied on direct fuel delivery, sometimes on credit, making bill submission difficult, and noted that a past six-month subsidy had not been extended. He highlighted rising fuel and fishing gear costs and broader livelihood pressures, including the need for pensions and support. He asked whether the Government plans a new relief scheme for fishermen and how it would be implemented.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, I thank the Leader of the House for stepping in for the absent Ministers. However, when asking supplementaries, it is difficult as you may not be in a position to answer fully, but I will ask as permitted.
¶ 02 In the past, fishermen sometimes collected fuel at sheds, but for a long time there was also a system of delivering fuel to them directly, which they were used to, sometimes even on credit. Therefore, submitting bills became a serious problem for them. We discussed this locally but did not get a proper solution. As a remedy, the subsidy was given for six months at that time, but it was not extended.
¶ 03 Currently, fishermen face major issues: the rise in fuel prices; the increase in prices of fishing gear; and the challenge of sustaining their livelihoods, which are costly. We discussed pensions and other broader support.
¶ 04 Hon. Minister, in line with current global and local challenges, is there a new relief scheme to help fishermen continue their work and support their families, and how will it be implemented?
Provenance
- Source
- Hansard, Tuesday, 7 April 2026 ·No. 23476 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: Hon. Hector Appuhamy. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 7 April 2026. No. 23476. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/428