Sri Lankan President unveils vision in 10th Parliament policy statement

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake arrived at the Parliament of Sri Lanka this morning (November 21) to deliver the government’s Policy Statement during the inaugural session of the 10th Parliament.

The first sitting of the 10th Parliament began at 10:00 AM with the participation of newly elected legislators.

Following initial formalities, including the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Parliament was temporarily suspended until 11:30 AM.

After reconvening at 11:30 AM, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed Parliament and presented the Government’s Policy Statement in accordance with Articles 32(4) and 33 of the Constitution.

In his address, President Dissanayake emphasized that racist politics would not be allowed to reemerge and pledged to prevent the resurgence of religious extremism in the country.

“No one will enjoy legal immunity under the present Government,” he stated, adding, “We pledge to establish a democratic state free from fear and suspicion. Freedom is something common to all of us. We must reaffirm the rule of law.

Laws that are passed must be properly enforced, and the public must be convinced that the law is operational. However, in recent times, the people have lost faith in this. No politician or person in authority is above the law; everyone must be subject to it.

We are not acting to chase down and punish anyone. However, there are crimes that have caused public unrest. To restore public trust in the law, these controversial crimes must be reinvestigated, and the perpetrators must be punished.

I pledge to ensure that those responsible for these controversial crimes will be brought to justice.”

President Dissanayake also highlighted key economic priorities, stating that the Government expects to finalize a new staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by Friday (November 22).

President Dissanayake further announced plans to sign separate agreements with each of the official creditors.

Outlining a three-point strategy to address the economic collapse, the President called for a new economic framework to rapidly expand the production of goods and services.

He stressed the importance of public involvement in the economy, noting, “An economy disconnected from the people serves no purpose. Without public involvement, the benefits of the economy will not reach them.

No matter how much we produce, if the benefits are confined to only a portion of the population, it will not be effective. Our policy is to ensure that economic benefits flow fairly to the people.”

The President projected that the tourism industry would generate $8 billion over the next three to four years.

He also announced plans to increase the number of Information Technology (IT) professionals to 200,000 within five years, compared to the current 85,000, to better compete in the global IT market.

He further highlighted Sri Lanka’s potential to become a trade and maritime hub.

Turning to agriculture, he described the plight of indebted farmers as a major social tragedy, despite significant investments in the sector. The President emphasized the need to develop seed farms and revive agriculture to uplift rural communities. He assured that additional subsidies for the agricultural sector would be provided where necessary.

As part of efforts to eradicate poverty, the President promised to increase allocations for the ‘Aswesuma’ welfare benefit payments.

He also announced that a vote on account (an estimate of government expenditure to maintain services for a limited period without an appropriation act) would be presented in December 2024, with the full budget scheduled for March 2025.

After concluding the government’s Policy Statement, Parliament was adjourned until 9:30 AM on December 3, 2024.