The Hon. Roshan Akmeemana

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member.

¶ 02 Many Members have covered the Bill’s substance, and the Deputy Minister clarified Opposition concerns. I wish to address criticisms that the Government is inefficient.

¶ 03 The people entrusted us with a mandate for system change: to transform an unequal, unjust economy into economic democracy; to uproot political corruption; to heal social wounds; and, in the medium term, to set the economy on a development path toward becoming an advanced, high-income nation. That requires first regaining confidence—of workers, businesses, foreign investors, and international institutions—through political and economic stability.

¶ 04 In our first year, fiscal and monetary policy focused on stabilization. Key indicators show rapid progress beyond expectations of ADB, World Bank, and IMF. Customs revenue in the first nine months rose 55% year-on-year; September alone exceeded targets by 37%, driven by digitalization and tighter controls. Total state revenue for the first eight months rose 30%; we have already achieved 65% of the annual estimate and may exceed it—possibly a first in history.

¶ 05 We targeted a primary surplus of Rs. 750 billion; by end-August, it was about Rs. 1,300 billion, enabling planned capital spending in the remaining months. Remittances are up 18%; exports up about 6%; the current account has been in surplus for months. Growth in the first two quarters is near the 5% target—above earlier 3–4% projections.

¶ 06 Becoming a high-income country by 2050 implies per-capita income near USD 30,000, sustaining 6–7% growth for two decades—no easy task. Like Hercules’ labors, we face a nine-headed serpent: drugs, organized crime, bankruptcy, political collapse, social decay, etc. When one head is cut, two emerge. Our response is to heat the sword—build capacity and resolve—and sever each head decisively. The underworld murders and narcotics links we are uncovering show the depth of the challenge. We will persist.