The Hon. (Mrs.) Oshani Umanga

¶ 01 Mr. Presiding Member, as we complete one full year in office, I thank you for the opportunity to speak as a backbencher on the Expenditure Head of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development.

¶ 02 Those who governed for decades now offer us lectures on how to steer the country properly. What they failed to do for decades, we are doing now. We did not come to continue the old system; people wanted us to remove the dark, corrupt, indecent order and replace it with a positive transformation. For the first time in recent history, we have significantly reduced the budget deficit and stabilized the economy with short-, medium-, and long-term plans.

¶ 03 From 2015 to 2023, exports hovered around USD 13–16 billion without real growth. Even when powerful ministers held the Industry portfolio, they treated it as a treasure chest for personal gain rather than national growth. Before and after coming to power, we declared we would build an entrepreneurial society. That is now succeeding.

¶ 04 For example, on Public Day, a young flower seller at the Bo tree asked not for welfare but for a chance to build a business. Previously, you gave a fish to the hungry; we teach to fish—strengthen the economy, end hunger, and enable people to live with dignity.

¶ 05 We will not sell anonymous commodities; we will take “Made in Sri Lanka” to the world. We have allocated Rs. 1,799 million for export promotion through the National Export Development Plan. Our five-year target is USD 36 billion in exports, with this year’s target USD 18 billion. By end of two quarters, we have reached USD 13 billion; growth has increased from 1–2 percent to about 7 percent this year—the highest annual export earnings. We have rebranded the country. There are no commission-takers or “Mr. Ten Percent” in our government; we operate with discipline and fiscal prudence. The Export Development Council of Ministers met this year under the President for the first time in 28 years since 1992—evidence that there was no consistent export plan before. We introduced a VAT refund system for tourists. Over the last eight months we have developed a National Export Development Plan with all stakeholders, allocating Rs. 250 million for foundational work.

¶ 06 I thank the officials, investors, exporters and all direct taxpayers. For the first time, we assigned targets to all ambassadors—to create and expand export markets and identify new exporters. In the last 10 months, 482 new exporters have emerged.

¶ 07 Foreign exchange comes via three main channels: exports, tourism and remittances—with 65–70 percent from exports. We have set targets down to District and Divisional Secretariats to identify and facilitate new exporters. Our aim is to move beyond traditional industries and build an export-oriented economy suited to global markets—for a prosperous country and a better life. We hope even the “association of advisers” in the Opposition will vote for this Budget.

¶ 08 Thank you.