Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that this year’s Budget covers all sectors of the country, and that the Government does not act based on short-term personal agendas or interests.

The Prime Minister made these remarks in Parliament on November 8, while commenting on the Appropriation Bill presented for the year 2026.

Addressing further, the Prime Minister stated,

If the Members of Parliament, setting aside the divisions, had truly listened to the President’s Budget speech, they would have realized that there were many valuable lessons and insights to be learned from both the speech and the proposals contained within the Budget.

Behind the contents, proposals, and statistics of the Budget lies a deeply meaningful message. I urge everyone to take the time to understand that message properly.

This budget speech as well as the budget itself. demonstrates how results can be achieved and how a nation can progress through a politically disciplined governance and visionary leadership when formulating policies involves proper planning and when formulating laws as well as governing them with discipline take place to achieve defined goals and that is what is truly important right now.

This is the second budget of the current government. Our first Budget was presented in April 2025. When we assumed office, there was uncertainty how long it will take for us to recover from this considering the state of the country and the international platform at that time as well as the shattered ideas of the people. It was that time this Government came into power.

With taking over a collapsed nation, the government presented its first budget in April. The figures presented yesterday cover the period from April to September, as that budget was applicable only for nine months. The full expenditure will only be visible by December.

Within the plan to stabilize the country, the President demonstrated successful governance through financial discipline, something that must be appreciated. Regardless of political differences, we can now move forward collectively, identifying and addressing shortcomings together.

Already, within the six months of implementing the first budget, we have shown more than 50% progress. The government expects this figure to grow even further by December 31. Since many projects only began implementation in September, viewing the progress from that perspective will give us a more accurate picture.

We must remember that we have reached this stage after taking over a fallen nation. The Opposition now acknowledges that the Treasury has managed to maintain savings. The government is maintaining fiscal discipline, and none of this has happened by chance. These are the results of visionary leadership, a lesson we must recognize and appreciate.

We can also take pride in the fact that, unlike previous governments, we did not fill state institutions with people when we assumed power. We made no mass replacements. Though even some of our own party members criticized us for that, we wanted to prove that with proper leadership, clear vision, and structured planning, the existing public service can deliver results. Of course, there is room for improvement with greater efficiency and better performance.

The reason for the significant relief to the public service, and giving away the second installment from January as well as increasing the allowances and other benefits is to increase greater efficiency and productivity. Funds have been allocated for this purpose in the budget.

Our goal is to transform the public service into one that is efficient, democratic, and goal-oriented. Compared to January 2025, we can already see progress in this process. We are confident that by 2026, there will be even greater advancement with more structured and result-driven development. We are not working for short-term or personal political gain, but collectively, as a team, for the long-term development the nation needs. This marks a significant transformation that can only be understood when one remembers the condition of the country we took over.

Shared understanding that this journey toward planned, collective national progress understood by both the government and by public officials and the people has shared to seeing these results. This is a process that cannot be compared simplistically with previous governments. The difference and the ongoing transformation must be properly understood.

We are not acting based on personal agendas, ministerial egos, or political motives. We are implementing a coordinated, team-based plan developed with the nation’s needs in mind. All 159 of us in the government understand our respective responsibilities and are committed to fulfilling them to ensure the success of the overall plan.

I believe that the Opposition has studied our policy framework in depth perhaps more than we have memorizing page numbers and paragraphs. I remind them fondly that this is our five-year plan. We have a long-term vision for the country.

Five years from now, in the next election, we will debate our progress on public platforms.

Today, the Opposition accuses us of threatening democracy and the multiparty system. I would like to ask them where exactly has democracy been endangered? We are operating by fully respecting Parliament’s financial authority. Is enforcing the law an act against democracy? Is applying the law equally to everyone undemocratic?

Now, you have all come together from various parties. When many parties merge into one, that is when the multiparty system is truly at risk. Therefore, if there is a threat to multiparty democracy today, it arises from the Opposition itself from its inability to protect and represent its own parties effectively before the people.

The government has no desire, nor time, to abolish the multiparty system. We came to power not for the Opposition, but for the people to rebuild the nation and fulfill the people’s aspirations. As we pursue that goal, politics itself is changing. The expectations of the people from politics are changing. This is the greatest transformation taking place, a change in the country’s political culture. The people will not return to the old ways. Unless the Opposition understands this new political culture and adapts to it, they will not be able to grasp the true nature of this transformation.

It must also be emphasized that no sector or social group has been neglected or excluded in this budget. The government has carefully identified the key national challenges and the vulnerable social groups that need protection. Within one year, we have presented a clearly structured, logically planned program addressing immediate issues while also setting out long-term strategies for sustainable solutions. Therefore, it is impossible to claim that anything significant has been ignored.

With the country now stabilized, this budget focuses on the next step followed by how to ensure growth, how to manage the surplus funds in the Treasury effectively for the people’s benefit, and how to prevent another economic crisis.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

The Opposition has lashed out at the NPP government for what it describes as a shady deal to procure 1,775 double cab pickups by manipulating the tender process.Opening the second-reading debate on Budget 2026 in Parliament on Saturday, SJB MP and economist Dr. Harsha de Silva called for the immediate cancellation of the tender for the pickup trucks, describing it as a “double-cab scam” designed to circumvent the national procurement process and enrich a certain company. He said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is also the Minister of Finance, had sought to silence the Opposition by offering to allocate the pickup trucks to the MPs.

Dr. de Silva said the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development had invited sealed bids for the purchase of 1,775 brand-new four-wheel-drive, automatic diesel double cabs under Bid Number MOF/NCB/23/76/2025. “While the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) process typically allows a 42-day window, this tender was compressed into just 12 days, prompting concerns that only one or two companies could meet the strict eligibility criteria.”

Dr. de Silva highlighted that bidders were required to prove that they had at least 10 years of experience in supplying and maintaining such vehicles, and delivered a minimum of 1,000 similar vehicles over the past decade, and maintained 10 service and repair centres countrywide, with an average annual turnover of Rs. 10 billion for 2017–2019. Additional requirements included tax compliance, registration under the Public Contracts Act, proof of access to a Letter of Credit facility, a non-collusion affidavit, and a security deposit of Rs. 50 million.

President Dissanayake defended the controversial tender in Parliament on Friday (7), saying the government’s current fleet was inadequate and obsolete, leading to high maintenance costs. He added that the vehicles to be provided to MPs would be returned after their term and insisted the procurement was necessary for government operations.

Opposition MPs, however, questioned the transparency of the process, noting the high financial thresholds stipulated by the government and stringent eligibility rules could effectively restrict competition.

NDF MP Ravi Karunanayake, addressing the media last week, alleged that the tender had been a repackaged version of a previously shelved plan to import 2,000 double cabs. He criticized the government for not exploring electric vehicle alternatives to reduce fuel costs.

The tender, potentially exceeding Rs. 50 billion, continues to spark debate over accountability, transparency, and the prioritisation of public funds.

Responding to Dr. de Silva’s criticism, on Saturday, Chief Government Whip and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament that the MPs were free to turn down the offer of vehicles.

by Saman Indrajith ✍️

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has expressed strong concern over “an inappropriate sex education programme” slated for inclusion in Sri Lanka’s school curriculum next year.

Speaking at the reopening of the renovated St. Stephen’s Church in Kinadeniya, Mirigama, on Saturday, the Cardinal said the initiative, due to be rolled out in January under the government’s education reforms, was being introduced under the influence of international organisations.

He noted that under the proposed reforms, sex education would be imparted from Grade 6, with teachers undergoing training and seminars being organised to support the new curriculum. “Is this really education? Isn’t it the responsibility of parents to guide their children on such matters at the appropriate time?” he asked.

Cardinal Ranjith further alleged that the programme included content on same-sex relationships and birth control, which he claimed were promoted with the backing of foreign agencies such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). “They have funded the government and the Education Ministry, printed books, and are now implementing a plan that misleads our children,” he charged.

He warned that the curriculum, scheduled to begin on Jan 27, could undermine the country’s cultural and moral foundations. “This is an attempt to corrupt our children. They are trying to import the values of a decayed Western world that has abandoned religion and morality,” the Cardinal said.

Cardinal Ranjith urged the government to halt the implementation of the proposed lessons. “If the Education Ministry acts in ways that lead innocent children astray, we must oppose it completely,” he said.