The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

Samagi Jana Balawegaya· Colombo· 18 March 2025 ·Oral question: Oral Question under Standing Order 27(2): Export of Sri Lanka's Textiles and Apparels and Ministerial Clarifications

EducationEmployment

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Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa sought clarification on the Government’s National People’s Power policy pledges to recruit graduates into teaching, IT, revenue, customs, foreign service, tourism and related sectors. Referring to ongoing protests by unemployed graduates at Poldowa and prior public assurances by Minister Sunil Handunnetti, he asked the Prime Minister to disclose a concrete action plan, roadmap and timeline for implementing the promised employment opportunities in 2025.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, a brief clarification. Hon. Prime Minister, thank you for the response. Under Part 4 of my Question I referred to what is clearly stated in the National People’s Power policy statement. On page 72, it says: “20,000 graduates to the teaching profession; 3,000 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics graduates and 9,000 non-STEM graduates to the IT sector; and another 3,000 to Inland Revenue, Customs, Foreign Service, the tourism industry...” etc.

¶ 02 You know that since yesterday graduates have been protesting at the Poldowa junction. Hon. Minister Sunil Handunnetti also has clearly promised these in public. If you can provide a concrete action plan, roadmap and timeline to implement these pledges, the unemployed graduates protesting in Poldowa would stand down. It was declared that 2025 would be the golden era for unemployed graduates. I ask: will you disclose the specific timeline, roadmap and implementation plan to provide these jobs?

Provenance

Source: Hansard, Tuesday, 18 March 2025 ·No. 1745915246032615 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 18 March 2025. No. 1745915246032615. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/8487