The Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you. The Clean Sri Lanka concept is good — we need a clean, beautiful Sri Lanka, as India did with “Clean India” and Singapore did through staged sanitation and systems. But people also expect the eradication of corruption, fraud, and waste; the recovery of stolen wealth; reduction of fuel and electricity prices; reduction or removal of VAT on education and health; and support for fisheries — these priorities must be central.

¶ 02 Removing stickers and trinkets from buses and three-wheelers may improve safety, which is good, but the Government must also address systemic passenger safety. Bus accidents are a major cause of death. In 2024 there were 4,919 bus-related accidents with 320 fatalities; from 2020–2024, general road fatalities rose from 2,321 to 2,557. SLTB buses accounted for about 50 deaths; private buses for about 152, with around 198 serious bus accidents. Footboard falls kill at least 13 passengers annually. Address permit transfers, service quality, accessibility for pregnant women and persons with disabilities, and the pervasive harassment women face in public transport. If you mean “clean,” clean all of this — not just cosmetic changes.

¶ 03 On waste: in my constituency of Kochchikade (Negombo) and in Wattala there are massive garbage mounds. They need proper, sustained systems — not one-off drain clean-ups. Establish and implement a comprehensive waste management system and tackle dengue sustainably, while fighting corruption and irregularities.

¶ 04 Customs officers say 323 containers were released through the Green Channel within a couple of hours without proper checks — a national security and revenue issue. What was inside — cash, drugs, weapons? We do not know. If you are cleaning the country, clean this too. Thank you.