Multi-pronged development drive

The country has returned to normalcy after 30 years. The entire country is under one umbrella and there is no colour, creed, religious or provincial discrimination. All these were made possible by the excellent and bold leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and our brave Forces about 30,000 of whom sacrificed their lives. It is the duty of the Government and everyone of us to assist and work towards the welfare of their families.

The people have utmost faith in President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the UPFA. He is the only leader who was brave enough to reunite a separated and divided country without passing on the burden to the next generation.

The Government under the able and astute leadership of the President was able to withstand all challenges and strive for economic development while fighting the war. The policies and programs envisioned in the Mahinda Chintana - Vision for the Future has begun to transform our economy from a stagnant to an expanding and progressive one.

This is a people’s Budget. This has not burdened the average citizen. It encourages and supports the farmers with several facilities to produce rice and other agricultural products. Consequent to this proper land use policy and the recovery of extra land both from the North and South cultivation during the oncoming Maha season will be augmented.

Apart from paddy cultivation the recovery in livestock and the fisheries sector, the growth in plantation, agriculture and industries will help our economy to grow immensely and the income levels of the farmers and agriculturists will increase substantially.

Multiple sectors

With the accelerated development launched in multiple sectors the country had shown a steep growth related to economic development.

The per capita income in Sri Lanka has registered a steady increase from 2005 onwards and at the end of 2009 had reached US $2,053. We are graduating to a middle income economy states.

Much was debated about the recession in the global economy and its impact on Sri Lanka.

The Government was able to withstand such shocks, whereas giant companies and banks in the US and the West failed and collapsed. Our labour policies and labour standards protected not only the workers from being thrown out of employment but also employers were able to sustain their industries.

The Government shunned the privatization policies of the previous regime and took back the privatized institutions under Government management thus ensuring that the people’s properties and assets were not plundered by a few.

The Government brought together the private, public and corporate sectors.

Government policies are transparent and progressive. It does not resort to protectionism. Equal opportunities are offered to everybody.

We are reaching the common man not through empty words or promises but through solid small, medium and mega development programs of infrastructure. Development of roads, water supply and sanitation, construction of schools, hospitals, irrigation schemes farming and milk production, port development etc.

The Government has embarked on the development of Moragahakanda, Uma Oya, Deduru Oya, Weli Oya and several other minor irrigation schemes to offer irrigation facilities to the farmers in agricultural areas.

Budgetary provision has been made in my own Ministry or priority projects in water supply schemes in Hambantota, Batticaloa, Muttur and Polonnaruwa. This will ensure that 236 rural water supply schemes will be completed and the estimated rural population covered by the rural water schemes will be 318,000.

The Government has achieved six percent annual growth for the last five years. Unemployment has been brought down from 8.3 percent in 2004 to five percent. Inflation has stabilized at five percent. Our international reserves have shown an increase from US $1.2 billion to US $ six billion providing stability to the exchange rate. Interest rates have been brought down. Poverty indicators have also drastically declined to around 15 percent of the household population as compared to 23 percent a few years ago. Export earnings have increased by 28.5 percent in the first quarter of 2010.

Remittances from our migrant workers have increased. Tourist arrivals have increased. Sri Lanka will soon be a tourist paradise.

The youth are the future leaders. Recognizing their importance the President has mobilized all Government skills, education institutions under the newly created Ministry of Youth Affairs.

These public institutions in partnership with the privately managed skills education centres will supply the much needed multi skills for a high performing economy. Our workers will not be unskilled hereafter.

Training facilities

We will concentrate on providing necessary training facilities in all parts of the country so that they are geared to face challenges and obtain lucrative employment both in Sri Lanka and abroad. Empowering youth is our main concern. Our man power exports in future will increase our foreign exchange reserves.

Hon Speaker, all Government policies and programs are translated into action by our public servants. The President took prompt action by raising the minimum salary of a public servant from Rs 7,900 to Rs 11,730 from the first Budget itself.

In addition a cost of living allowance of Rs 5,250 has been introduced. Concessionary housing loans, leave benefits, medical insurance and pension rights have been restored.

The newly created Ministry of Management reforms will render an efficient public service. An effective social security system for our work force will be introduced in the year 2011.

There is much scope to expand and exploit the full potential of our tea, rubber, and cinnamon industries. Prospects of the rubber industry have improved. Cinnamon exports have made good progress. It has become necessary for the Government to encourage and provide support and technical assistance to both growers and exports.

Children are, our biggest asset. The Government is committed to provide free education to all.

This Budget has focused attention on long-term goals targeting a series of child welfare measures, improving nutrition and supporting low income families. The Government has allocated Rs 7,363 million for the provision of free textbooks, nutritional food, school uniforms and subsidized transport and scholarships to three million children.

The Government has proposed not only to increase rice production but also to hold adequate buffer stocks to maintain price stability during off seasons.

Since the return of peace there has been much enthusiasm among the farmers to go back to the land. The Government’s array of incentives and high prices, since the year 2005, is the main cause for this phenomenon.

The Government is very concerned about the young children of this country Milk is an important and essential nutrient food item for the young.

About US$ 300 million is spent in importing Milk powder and strategies are initiated to increase milk production by getting small and medium scale farmers as well as the large scale private sector participate.

The newly created Livestock and Rural Community development has taken quick action to reactivate abandoned farms especially in the North and East to ensure higher milk production.

The Government has embarked on heavy infrastructure development programs such as the international Airport and the Port at Hambantota, the Southern Express Way, Matara-Kataragama railway line, the Colombo Port, the Ports at Kankasanturai, Oluvil and Trincomalee.

Additionally, 20,000 Kms of the rural road network has been rehabilitated under the “Maga Naguma” program spending US$ 360 million. About 2500 Kms of rural roads have been concreted, while about US$ 2500 million has been invested for the construction of four power plants at Norochcholai, Kerawalapitiya, upper Kotmale and Sampur.

Strategies to develop various development activities by the Provincial Councils and Line ministries have also been initiated and regional institutions will initially target 10,000 lagging villages providing drinking water, access roads, electricity and quality housing.

The North and East are being developed through the “Uthuru Wasanthaya” and “Nagenahira Udanaya” program.

Bold efforts

There have been several misreports in spite of the Government’s bold efforts to resettle the internally displaced persons. So far 250,000 have been resettled. Only about 25,000 remain displaced.

Our neighbour India has been able to help us substantially in de-mining and with resettlement programs.

With the opening of the A9 road there is a steady movement of devotees visiting Nagadeepa which the Buddhists could not visit for almost 30 years Jaffna is now bubbling with much economic activity.

The budget has provided -

* Income support for families benefiting under the Samurdhi program.

* Support of nutritional improvements to around 74,000 expectant mothers, lactating mothers and infants.

* Fertilizer subsidies, subsidized credit and the procurement of Paddy at the guaranteed price.

* The supply of Medicines and other pharmaceuticals to around 50 million in and out door patients visiting the Government healthcare facilities.

The President has made history locally and abroad. He is the only President who could communicate with the Tamil people in their mother tongue. He spoke in Tamil at the UN which made the Tamil langauge known internationally.

But it is observed that external forces are active in depriving certain concessions such as the GSP+ which is said will affect our garment industry.

We support the President’s move to reject any conditions imposed by EU. As a sovereign State we cannot yield to economic pressures.

We also support the Government’s move to go ahead in finding new markets for our garments.

We also oppose the UN’s determination to appoint an inquiry panel be it investigative or advisory and we extend our full support to the President in rejecting the proposal.