Government has no links whatsoever with criminal gangs: Deputy Minister Kaushalya Ariyarathna

06-Nov-2026

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Deputy Minister of Media Kaushalya Ariyarathna has stated that the National People's Power (NPP) Government is committed to maintaining a clean administration free of corruption and that no one in the present Government has links with criminal gangs.

She made these remarks during the parliamentary debate on November 5, 2026, on regulations under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act and Supplementary Estimate No. 7 of 2026.

A supplementary estimate of Rs. 47 billion has been presented to Parliament to provide fuel subsidies and additional payments to families receiving benefits under the Aswesuma welfare programme, she said.

At a time when the entire world was facing various challenges, the Opposition was behaving as though nothing unusual was happening, she added.

She explained that rising fuel prices had increased the cost of goods and directly affected the country's current account.

According to her, US$ 4.9 billion had been allocated for fuel subsidies up to September this year, compared with US$ 2.96 billion in 2025.

Certain global developments could not be predicted in advance, but the Government was managing the resulting challenges systematically, she said.

Although fuel could not be sold at a price lower than its import cost, the Government was continuing to supply fuel to the public at subsidised rates. Despite the various challenges facing the country, the Government was taking measures to prevent the burden from being passed on to the people.

She added that the Budget for the coming year had been prepared with a focus on sustaining economic growth despite external challenges.

Although the tourism sector had experienced a decline during the middle of this year, it had now recovered to a satisfactory level. Foreign remittances had also increased, she said.