Colombo, June 21 (Daily Mirror) – Speaking at a public meeting in Colombo on 20 June 2026, SLPP National Organizer Namal Rajapaksa criticized the government’s handling of the economy, rising living costs, and fuel pricing policies.

Rajapaksa noted that while many countries are reducing fuel prices in line with declining global oil prices, Sri Lankan consumers continue to face fuel price increases“Across the world, fuel prices are being reduced in response to lower global oil prices. Regional countries are cutting fuel prices, but in Sri Lanka, they are increased almost every month. Why? Because the government is passing the cost of its inefficiency, corruption, and mismanagement onto the people. If global prices have fallen, the government should be reducing fuel prices, not increasing them.”

He challenged the government to be transparent about how local fuel prices are determined and called for the immediate publication of a complete breakdown of fuel import costs.“If the government claims that fuel prices are being subsidized, then it must prove it. Publish the full cost breakdown, including import prices, taxes, levies, transport costs, margins, and every component used to calculate the final retail price. The people deserve facts, not slogans. If there is a subsidy, show the numbers and let the public judge for themselves.”Rajapaksa thanked supporters and party members for helping strengthen the political movement by bringing together people from all backgrounds regardless of political affiliation.

He said the government has become synonymous with broken promises and misleading the public, adding that comparisons between what ministers said before coming to power and what they say today clearly reveal the gap between promises and reality.According to Rajapaksa, instead of addressing youth unemployment, the rising cost of living, and the challenges facing businesses, the government is increasingly resorting to suppression to conceal its failures.“Whenever people raise their voices, whether graduates demanding jobs or three-wheeler operators making reasonable requests to protect their livelihoods, the government’s response is suppression rather than solutions.”He also raised concerns over the worsening dengue situation, accusing authorities of failing to take timely preventive measures. Rajapaksa argued that local councils should focus on protecting communities through effective waste management, drainage maintenance, mosquito control, and public health interventions.

Commenting on taxation and public finances, he criticized the heavy tax burden imposed on citizens and questioned the government’s ability to safeguard public funds in light of reported cybersecurity breaches involving state institutions.Rajapaksa further alleged that corruption and mismanagement in the energy sector have contributed to higher electricity generation costs and increased financial pressure on ordinary citizens.Turning to agriculture, he called on the government to strengthen domestic food production by providing fertilizer subsidies and supporting local farmers rather than relying on imports “Instead of spending valuable foreign exchange on importing food, we should be empowering our farmers, increasing local production, and reducing the burden on consumers.”

He also urged the government to provide fuel concessions to the fisheries sector, arguing that supporting local fishermen would help reduce food costs while saving foreign exchange currently spent on imports.Concluding his remarks, Rajapaksa said many Sri Lankan families are struggling to meet basic needs, with parents making personal sacrifices to ensure their children are fed.“Many parents are surviving on one or two meals a day so their children can eat three meals. That is the reality facing countless families today. The government has a responsibility to improve their lives, but instead it has abandoned that responsibility and focused solely on a policy of repression.”He emphasized that the government should prioritize economic relief, job creation, agriculture, fisheries, public health, and transparency instead of shifting the burden of its failures onto the people.