The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Madam Deputy Chair, we debate the Heads of the Ministries of Youth and Sports, and of Industries and Enterprise Development.

¶ 02 On industry: attracting investment requires a competitive tax model and solutions for MSME finance and market access. Despite some reduction in interest rates, our banking system remains collateral-driven; without reform of the Monetary Law Act and Central Bank directives, election-time “formulas” won’t work. Support schemes must actually achieve targets.

¶ 03 Consider India’s toy industry: once an importer, now a leading exporter by mobilizing MSMEs and building domestic and export markets. On IP and local manufacture, current tax policy—driven in part by IMF conditionalities—creates challenges. Take the Vega three-wheeler: IP registered in Sri Lanka; manufactured here, not SKD/CKD. Yet it is taxed like a fully imported vehicle rather than components-based. If we tax locally developed IP-based products as imports, we will never build an IP market. The US IP market alone exceeds US$6 trillion in economic value. We must craft regulations to nurture IP creation and commercialization in Sri Lanka, with direct government intervention where needed.

¶ 04 On youth and sports: during my tenure amid COVID-19, with Secretary Anuradha Wijekoon, DG (Sports) Amal Edirisuriya, and Sports Council Chair Mahela Jayawardena, we launched the LPL under bio-bubble conditions, which today is a brand valued over US$150 million.

¶ 05 Sport is not merely distributing gear or running isolated projects. The global sports economy exceeds US$2.3 trillion. India targets a US$130 billion domestic sports economy by 2030, 10.5 million jobs, and US$21 billion in tax revenue. The US sports economy is over US$500 billion. E-sports will surpass US$6 billion by 2030–2032; in countries like Korea, sports account for around 13 percent of the economy, with e-sports contributing similarly to the global market.

¶ 06 We must think beyond traditional competition sports to include leisure sports—walking, jogging—now major industries in places like Korea. To produce elite athletes, we need an active nation at the base. Build the apparel-to-manufacturing-to-IP-to-franchise chain, and develop sports tourism. For the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 22 matches will be in Sri Lanka. Had we maintained five world-class grounds, we could have hosted entire World Cups independently.

¶ 07 High Performance must be continuous, not ad-hoc six months before events. I note the Minister’s plan for a cricket high-performance school in Matara; such facilities should run on sustainable business models—leveraging Sooriyawewa, Pallekele, Dambulla, and Khettarama as bases—and expand to Jaffna with Sri Lanka Cricket, the Football Federation, and Athletics involved. Sri Lanka Cricket and Football can generate revenue; we must align federations in a holistic approach, with multi-venue scheduling recognizing our population limits.

¶ 08 On athlete support: we provided Rs. 100,000 monthly to High Performance athletes and Rs. 50,000 to coaches, plus nutrition support. Recently this has lapsed. Don’t cite “no funds” as an excuse; restructure the Budget. Historically, only about six percent of the Ministry’s allocation reached athletes and youth; we raised it to 21 percent via the Sports Council and aimed for 40 percent in four years. Developed sports economies allocate over 50 percent directly to athletes/youth. For next year’s Budget, raise this share to at least 21 percent so we can restore allowances, including for Paralympians who recently won but have not been paid—an injustice that must be rectified.

¶ 09 Do not discriminate against Paralympians; Sri Lanka has won Paralympic golds and this is a segment where we can win international medals. Treat them on the same platform.

¶ 10 Finally, reform the 1973 Sports Law—crafted before the open economy—where sport was seen as a welfare activity. Today it is a massive economic sector capable of creating billion-dollar brands even in developing countries. I propose empowering the Director General of Sports, depoliticizing administration, strengthening the Sports Council with full-time members, and placing the Department under the Secretary, coordinating independently with the NOC, SLC, Football, etc. Around the world, sports governance is being reformed to minimize political interference. When Governments and federations clash, the athlete suffers. We have seen Under-19, Football, and Rugby sanctions cost us events and talent. Depoliticize sport, support athletes and coaches, and give our Paralympians like Samitha Dulan and Palitha Bandara the assistance they deserve. Thank you.