The Hon. Manoj Rajapaksha

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, during today’s Committee Stage debate on the Heads of the Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development and the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Protection and Community Empowerment, I note that over the decades since Independence, our country has suffered in the economic, political, social, and cultural spheres. Different parties and groups came to power under different economic models and visions, yet when we examine the final balance, our people were impoverished and unable to afford daily needs; SMEs, large industries, agriculture and fisheries—all income-generating systems—declined.

¶ 02 In recent times, every sector collapsed, and we all experienced the country becoming a bankrupt state. Now, step by step, we are lifting our heads again. Some who ruled earlier, forgetting the past, criticized measures we are taking: governance of entrepreneurship, and social concepts. They even disparaged the National Programme against Narcotics, which has the blessings of the President and the people. In line with that programme, an awareness rally was held yesterday, which some criticized—showing they are disturbed by our agenda. They even implied that time used for youth training was wasted. They argued that anti-drug programmes are a crime—that position itself shows their motive.

¶ 03 Under the vision “A prosperous society sharing the benefits of development equally,” the Ministry prepares and implements programmes with participation of all stakeholders to enhance rural development, ensure social protection, and strengthen community empowerment. According to recent Household Income and Expenditure Surveys, 82.8 percent of the population lives in rural and estate areas.

¶ 04 In my Kegalle District, Dedigama electorate—an historic seat producing Prime Ministers and leaders—there are many estate and rural areas, and poverty levels are high. One in six people face multidimensional poverty; 95.3 percent of them live in rural and estate sectors. Therefore, social empowerment and social protection programmes must directly target rural poor and estate communities.

¶ 05 In the Budget Speech, the President outlined the rural poverty eradication programme (page 7, para 2.58): to eradicate rural poverty, we must transform the smallest unit—the village—into a prosperous village; bring national economic growth benefits to villages; empower rural people to engage in productive economic activities; and implement a modern, sustainable, inclusive national development framework—expanding economic opportunities, developing infrastructure, promoting the productive economy, planned urbanization, and improved education and health—while continuously protecting vulnerable groups and creating a strong social protection system for those falling into transient poverty due to crises.

¶ 06 Within Rural Development, three main institutions operate: the Rural Development Task Force, the Institute for Rural Development Training and Research, and the Secretariat for the Lanka Food Programme Partnership.

¶ 07 We are implementing the national “Praja Shakthi” (People’s Power) programme as a rural development initiative. Previously, many public officers were underutilized; today, aligned with Praja Shakthi, all officers in a division unite under an integrated national programme, with maximum commitment. Skilled community members, youth, and the poor in villages are organized through Community Development Councils, bringing a strategic vision together to eradicate rural poverty. With the 2026 Budget, the Ministry will be further empowered to continue this successfully. Thank you.