The Hon. Nishantha Jayaweera

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, two corrections: the figure of over 20,000 refers to general permits, not the retirement concession you ask about. Retirement permits are one-time, for eligible designations only. The concession involves substantial duty relief in three bands—Rs. 12 million, Rs. 16 million and Rs. 22 million equivalents as applicable. When we assumed office, the economy was severely distressed; since then, stabilization has been underway, alongside unforeseen expenditures such as Rs. 500 billion for disaster response without external borrowing. We recognize this as an entitlement upon retirement, and the Government is discussing what can be done for these officers. That is my response to your first supplementary.