Hon. R. M. Gamini Rathnayake

Hon. R. M. Gamini Rathnayake opened by noting that the House was considering three regulations under the Special Commodity Levy Act, one resolution under the Customs Ordinance, and two orders under the Motor Traffic Act. He then defended the Government's economic management record, citing wage increases across the public sector (from Rs. 24,250 to Rs. 40,000), private sector (from Rs. 21,500 to Rs. 30,000), and plantation workers (from Rs. 1,350 to Rs. 1,750), alongside the abolition of MPs' pensions. He pointed to macroeconomic indicators as evidence of stabilization, including inflation at approximately 2.1 percent, GDP growth near 5 percent, total revenue rising from Rs. 4.9 trillion (2024) to Rs. 5.12 trillion (2025), a doubling of the stock market index, and IMF recognition of Sri Lanka's recovery trajectory. He concluded that these gains enabled the Government to reduce prices of essential goods and deliver broader public benefits.