The Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe - Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I take this opportunity to present several points in this debate on the Clean Sri Lanka program. Opposition MPs make various allegations while the people know the Clean Sri Lanka program began some time ago. The Opposition seems to have forgotten that. The politics that abused political power, created fraud and corruption and brought the country to ruin has been rooted out, Parliament and political culture have been cleaned, and the people appointed a National People’s Power Government to take a new path of economic program and political culture.

¶ 02 When we say “clean,” at its core it is about productivity. Because of a lack of productivity, we face today’s economic crisis. Even the Government budget lacks productivity. Our industrial sector, relative to other countries, has not reached higher productivity, which is why we are where we are, while other countries increased productivity and made their economies competitive globally.

¶ 03 Hon. Deputy Speaker, we must understand there is no longer a “local market” in isolation; there is an international market, and Sri Lanka is a small part of it. Only if we raise productivity in our industry, state institutions and even in the school system can we move forward. The National Productivity Secretariat is now under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development. We are preparing to relaunch the National Productivity Awards in Sri Lanka. Across sectors—especially SOEs, schools and industry—we are bringing the concept of how to increase productivity and mobilizing the whole country through our Ministry.

¶ 04 In any organization or industry there is waste. Looking from a productivity perspective, we are adding costs instead of value. Whether defects, overproduction, waiting, underutilized labour, or inventory—various waste types exist. Under Clean Sri Lanka, we are now gearing the country to eliminate these wastes and enhance productivity. Likewise, our existing industrial zones were set up without a productivity focus. We are planning this year to increase output per land area of these zones.

¶ 05 Sri Lanka has the capacity to produce the paper—leaves, books, etc.—we need domestically. The Valachchenai Paper Mill has been given some impetus; it needs technology. But the biggest current problem to run and expand the mill is the unavailability of used paper. The recycling supply has become a mafia. We have initiated a Cabinet submission so that waste paper from government institutions, schools and households—especially from state institutions—will be supplied in aggregate to that factory, enabling it to reach maximum production. In parallel with Clean Sri Lanka, we are setting up collection centres via the school system to collect waste paper as feedstock under our Ministry.

¶ 06 At this point, many Opposition seats are empty. Let me say to the Opposition: Clean Sri Lanka is not confined to one place or one process. Some pick on removing an extra part from a three-wheeler or a bus and then talk about the whole project. We have explained this program clearly and broadly for two days. We have cleaned the country of fraud and corruption; we are cleaning political culture; and we are working to raise national productivity—how to direct the state sector to productivity, how to add productive value to entrepreneurs’ investments, and how to improve employee, technical, and production productivity to move the country forward.

¶ 07 Even the domestic manufacturer now competes in the global market because Sri Lanka is part of the global market. Without increasing productivity, no industry can progress. Our Ministry is providing the necessary strength, technical knowledge and direction. The National Productivity Secretariat will become a key driver of Sri Lanka’s industrial transformation starting this year. We invite Opposition MPs and the public to unite with this program. Starting from a firm foundation, we can increase efficiency in energy, inputs, labour and land. Because we did not increase productivity, we are discussing rice and coconut shortages today.

¶ 08 For years, politics from the Opposition side undermined production. Exporters who used to export 800 million coconuts have lost that opportunity. They have requested temporary access to intermediate raw materials—coconut milk, desiccated coconut and coconut oil—for their export processes. This is under consideration. No decision has been taken to import coconuts now. With that clarification, I conclude my remarks.