Save the rupee effort begins as President AKD urges fuel limits, import caution and public unity while vowing to crush drug networks.
Save the rupee efforts must now be supported by every citizen, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, urging the public to limit fuel use and reduce dollar outflows.
The President also stated that the political protection once enjoyed by drug dealers has now been completely removed.
He said no officer involved in drug investigations will face pressure, and expressed confidence that all relevant institutions will act within their powers and properly carry out the duties assigned to them.
President Dissanayake also said that if the current legal framework is not sufficient, new laws will be introduced.
He said the drug menace can be defeated through continuous work, relentless effort, and public vigilance, without leaving the responsibility only to the government, religious institutions, or the people.
The President made these remarks while attending the “Rata Meka Ekata” Batticaloa District programme held at Weber Stadium in Batticaloa this afternoon, May 20, as part of the national campaign against drugs.
Speaking further, he said significant progress has been made in drug raids and arrests during the six months since the national “Rata Meka Ekata” operation was launched.
He also praised the officers of the Police Special Task Force in the Eastern Province for their exceptional contribution towards eliminating drugs.
The full speech made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is as follows:
Today, we have gathered here to overcome a major challenge facing our country. As a government, we are focused on several key challenges and are working with firm determination to rebuild this nation.
Our first challenge is building a strong economy. Recently, several sectors affecting our economy came under pressure. Tax policies introduced by different countries placed a certain strain on our economy. Cyclone Ditwa became the disaster with the greatest economic impact in Sri Lanka’s recent history. Since it was an internal problem, we were able to face it strongly.
Recently, a war situation has emerged in the Middle East region. That has created an economic challenge for both developed countries and countries with weaker economic capacity.
The economic challenges before us mainly fall into two categories. The first is earning the rupees needed for the Treasury. We have achieved that successfully. Today, we have a Treasury account with the highest surplus in Sri Lanka’s history. That is why we were able to allocate Rs. 500,000 crore to face Cyclone Ditwa.
Likewise, because there were rupees in the Treasury, we were able to intervene to some extent in the increase in fuel prices and electricity bills caused by the Middle East war situation. We have allocated Rs. 10,000 crore for that. In April, we allocated Rs. 2,000 crore for a fuel subsidy. For the next two months, we will provide Rs. 2,000 crore each for that fuel subsidy.
Even today, the government provides a subsidy of Rs. 100 for every litre of fuel used by the people. That is possible because the Treasury has rupees.
Similarly, because of the increase in fuel prices, we had to increase electricity bills to a certain extent. However, 95% of electricity consumers will not see an increase in their electricity bills. The government decided to provide that as a subsidy. Therefore, in the latest increase, electricity bills rose only for about 5% of consumers.
We will provide that subsidy until September. The government will bear a cost of Rs. 1,500 crore for it. As a result of strong economic management, our Treasury has enough rupees to face such a disaster.
However, we are now facing a dollar crisis. The dollar has strengthened against other currencies. That has affected our rupee.
One of our main sources of dollar income is tourism. Tourist arrivals have dropped by 29% compared to April last year. That has affected our dollar inflows.
Due to the global economic crisis, demand for our exports has also declined. Therefore, export-related dollar earnings have also fallen. On the other hand, remittances sent by Sri Lankans living overseas have also declined this month.
Furthermore, due to the rise in the dollar price, the monthly cost of importing fuel has increased sharply. In February, our fuel import cost was US$ 98 million. In March, it was US$ 216 million. In April, it was US$ 368 million. This May, it has reached US$ 522 million.
The monthly fuel import cost has now exceeded US$ 500 million. This has created pressure on the rupee and increased demand for dollars. Therefore, many measures are being planned to face this crisis.
At this moment, we are managing the economy under an extended debt programme connected to the International Monetary Fund. Therefore, we are discussing with the IMF what decisions must be taken. We have also submitted our proposals.
We must control the short-term pressure on the dollar. For that, we must limit fuel usage.
We must also pay attention to the use of imported goods. We must reduce import expenditure. I request every citizen to think about how each of us can help reduce the amount of dollars leaving the country.
Let us face this short-term crisis strongly. I assure you that we will not allow the country to fall again into an old destructive economic situation. That is the economic path we must take.
We also need a strong public service. From the police and tri-forces to the District Secretary and all levels below, we need an efficient public service. We are working towards that.
We are filling vacancies in the public service and making the necessary appointments. We have implemented salary increases in three stages. Accordingly, there will be a salary increase in January. There are also other issues that must be resolved on a larger scale.
Today, our main objective is to free our motherland, our younger generation, and our nation from the drug menace. Drugs have become a national disaster in our country.
On one side, it is destroying our younger generation. As a result, parents are suffering deeply. A generation of youth without discipline and civility is being created. The extent of this disaster is visible in the daily news reports we receive. This has become a social tragedy. Therefore, ending this disaster is a critically important task.
At one time, this drug menace was limited to a few small towns around tourist areas. Today, it has spread even to remote villages. Our youth are becoming victims of this disaster.
We began this national campaign on October 30. Six months have now passed. In these six months, 5,122 boys under the age of 21 have been arrested. Another 128 girls have also been arrested.
Our tri-forces and police are performing a very honourable service. Several officers have also been arrested in connection with drugs. State officials have been arrested. This disaster has spread so far that no responsible or honourable position remains untouched.
It has even spread to religious sites that we venerate with folded hands. A frightening picture now stands before us as a society. Without distinction of age, status, religion, or whether one is an ordinary citizen, this drug disaster has become a massive national crisis.
Must we not defeat this? We must free the people of this country from this disaster. We have reached a firm decision that this disaster must be defeated.
Four main factors helped this disaster grow into a massive one. The first was political cover. These drug dealers and drug businesses grew under political protection.
At the last presidential election, the people of this country gave us a historic mandate and entrusted power to us. Let me give you one assurance. We have completely removed the political cover that drug dealers once enjoyed. No officer will face pressure.
We provide the necessary support for you to fulfil the responsibility entrusted to you, while respecting the honour of your position. The results are already being seen.
Recently, our Navy seized large stocks of drugs. The police carried out raids day and night. As a result, within the last six months, 1,943 kilograms of heroin have been seized. Similarly, 2,008 kilograms of ICE have been seized. Another 40,755 kilograms of cannabis have also been seized.
A huge disaster is before us. The first step towards defeating it is removing the political protection given to drug dealers. We have done that.
We also extend due appreciation to all those dedicated to this task, especially the tri-forces and police.
We have brought all institutions involved in suppressing this menace, including the tri-forces, police, customs, and the Department of Immigration and Emigration, under a single operation. That is an important step. Arrests have increased.
Criminal gangs have also grown around this disaster. There were several shootings recently. Many of them were conflicts linked to the drug market. Armed conflicts have emerged as a result. We must completely uproot this underworld.
We have already arrested underworld members who were abroad and brought 28 of them back to Sri Lanka. These include underworld leaders who operated under various nicknames. We will arrest several more and bring them back to Sri Lanka very soon.
Some operated their networks from inside prisons. We have taken steps to transfer these groups to a special camp. Instead of ordinary prison camps, we have created special prison camps for this purpose. To defeat this disaster, the underworld must be dismantled.
Is it impossible for those of you with ranks in the police and tri-forces, with responsibilities connected to relevant commands, to suppress this underworld built around various nicknames? I invite you to join that effort.
In these six months, 83 T-56 firearms, 118 pistols, 75 revolvers, and hand grenades have been seized. Weapons belonging to the underworld have been seized. To suppress the drug trade, the underworld must also be suppressed.
Likewise, the rule of law must be established for everyone. From myself down to the local council member, from the President’s Secretary to the Grama Niladhari, from the city to the village, everyone is equal before the law.
We must build a country where no one stands above the law.
Some people cannot tolerate such a country. They are not used to living in such a country. Some people think they are above the law. There was an era when they thought like that. We are ending that era.
No matter how much wrongdoing or privilege someone enjoyed in the past, no matter their family background, none of that matters before the law. Everyone is equal before the law. That is important in drug suppression.
But when the law reaches those who were once above the law, they become nervous. They are not used to respecting the law.
We have no nervousness. We have no hatred or anger towards anyone. We have a responsibility entrusted to us by the people. We must build a society where everyone lives within the boundaries of the law.
Therefore, even if some people become nervous and shout, even if they bring a few people to law enforcement institutions when the law is being enforced, they must understand that none of that can disrupt the law. They bring crowds with abusive language. The law will not bend for them.
The law will be enforced equally. Many more things will happen. The Criminal Investigation Department, the Colombo Crime Division, the Financial Crimes Division, and the Narcotics Bureau are all conducting investigations.
Some have been arrested. Investigations are underway to arrest others. Some have been charged. Those cases are being heard.
We will establish the necessary authority for each institution within its jurisdiction. No one will interfere in your investigations. However, we have confidence that the institutions will properly fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to them.
I especially tell the officers of the tri-forces and police that we have created an environment where you can work with your heads held high. You are subject only to the legal framework given to you.
I know the responsibility and limits entrusted to me as President. I will not exceed my limits. You also have limits within which to exercise your power according to commands. Work within those limits.
If those limits are too narrow for certain tasks, we will expand them through law. We hope to pass a special code in Parliament to suppress armed criminal gangs. If the law is not sufficient for you, we will strengthen the law.
There is also a major debate about seized drugs. Do they return to the market? Were they destroyed? All of this is within the legal framework. We are taking steps to enact laws to destroy seized drugs within a very short period. Those discussions are now in their final stages.
There were certain restricted areas that no one could enter. There were officials who could not be checked when going to the airport. We changed that. Everyone must use the identification card provided at the airport.
There was also a situation where entry to the port and customs areas was not possible. If there is information, we will give investigating officers the power to enter. We will strengthen these laws. We will fulfil this responsibility.
The people also have a huge role to play. You know who sells drugs in your village. You know who is addicted. Public support is needed for this.
So come forward. Let us defeat this disaster. If we work continuously, with relentless effort and without losing focus, we can defeat it. I invite everyone to join that effort.
Those present at the event included Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, Minister of Industry and Enterprise Development Sunil Handunetti, Eastern Province Governor Dr. Jayantha Lal Ratnasekara, Deputy Minister of Foreign Employment and Foreign Affairs Arun Hemachandra, Members of Parliament Kandasamy Prabhu, Roshan Akmeemana, M.L.A.M. Hisbullah, J.S. Arulraj, and other public representatives.
Also present were Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyyakontha, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ravi Seneviratne, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya, state officials, and heads of the security forces.
