The Hon. Hector Appuhamy

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity.

¶ 02 Every country is entangled in this war in different ways. Sri Lanka claims to be “neutral,” but the question is whether we are truly neutral or merely inactive. When an attack on a vessel occurred in our waters, we should have acted more decisively. Humanitarian response is crucial—we must provide it fearlessly and consistently.

¶ 03 The Government has entered agreements with the US and India; now is the time to disclose their contents. As we operate amid war, how do these agreements affect us? This deserves debate in Parliament and joint discussion by Government and Opposition. If hidden flaws emerge later, the people will bear the cost. Similarly, we continue to raise the coal issue. No past government said “bring substandard coal.” Many are implicated; we have information, including from within Government. We raise it because if power cuts happen due to bad coal, the Government must take full responsibility—do not blame the war.

¶ 04 Migrant workers have propped up our foreign exchange earnings, but their families are now in distress. Some lack visas; some face workplace issues. We need a stronger programme to support them—engage with their families here, assess their conditions abroad, and address their problems.

¶ 05 On fuel solutions, we must engage India and China for stable arrangements. The war’s trajectory is unknown. Have we negotiated properly and taken the right decisions?

¶ 06 We do not expect the President to come and deliver the CPC Chairman’s statistics in Parliament. He should present present and future plans. If we are to work together, table clear proposals for debate. Much of his talk is numbers—let officials present those.

¶ 07 The Government is collecting substantial revenue via fuel taxes—about Rs. 120 per litre. Use these funds now to give targeted relief to fuel users and affected sectors. And remember: you could not even get a new QR running; you used the previous system and still struggled. Agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and exports are all under strain with rising input costs. Present a concrete support programme to this House.

¶ 08 Thank you.