The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha
Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha criticized the Government’s rice duty policy, arguing that maintaining the Rs. 65 duty and adding Rs. 10 benefited large millers rather than farmers or consumers, and said import duties should have been reduced during shortages to lower prices and regulate the market. He urged priority completion of the North Western Canal’s 12 km Bowathenna-Wemedilla tunnel, noting that USD 370 million is required for the project to deliver benefits. He also raised concerns about the egg industry and requested the removal of VAT on eggs, stating that there is limited value addition at most points of sale.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Please grant me a few more minutes, Hon. Chairman.
¶ 02 We now say it’s “Dudley’s belly Malimawa,” not masala. Even if the phrase doesn’t fit, you force it to. By not reducing duty and by raising Rs. 10, only large millers benefited. You have not taken a single farmer-friendly decision. You collected Rs. 10 billion via the Rs. 65 duty, but during shortages you should have reduced it at least partly to lower imported rice prices and discipline local millers’ prices. You did not.
¶ 03 Regarding the North Western Canal, the funds used so far bring no benefit without the 12 km tunnel from Bowathenna to Wemedilla; USD 370 million is needed. Please prioritize its completion. I also raise the egg industry collapse. Per capita egg consumption has risen, which is good. Remove VAT on eggs; there is no real value addition at most points of sale.
¶ 04 Thank you, Hon. Chairman. I await responses to my questions.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Wednesday, 12 March 2025 ·No. 1744106534050382 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 12 March 2025. No. 1744106534050382. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/9447