Performance Monitoring System

The need for food comes first before any other need. The primary aim of all development is to keep the people from hunger. That is our immediate priority. No one on this land should stay in hunger. Our first mission is to make every person consume at least three healthy meals a day.

Value Added Tax (VAT) and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax imposed upon all citizens will be systematically revised. The possible loss of revenue, as a result, will be recouped through already identified efficiency improvements and gap-filling in the Customs, Inland Revenue and Excise Departments.

With the easing of the tax burden, the cost of living will fall to a bearable level.

The current inefficient and costly method of tax collection will be replaced with an effective ICT system thereby allowing citizens to pay their taxes easily.

The additional income that comes to the people’s hands as a result of the tax revision will be spent on buying more goods and services which will in turn boost the country’s production and increase the market revenue.

Low-income citizens who are without a steady source of income will be given the Samurdhi financial aid package sufficient to consume three healthy meals per day.

The region's highest monthly water and electricity tariffs that are currently being forced upon the people will be immediately lowered to an optimal level.

Going by the earlier Mahinda Chinthana policy, paddy, vegetable and fruit farmers will receive a permanent fertiliser subsidy scheme. A reasonable price scheme will be extended to other crop plantations including tea. This will allow higher yields so that the food prices can be brought down within the first two seasons.

A special Market Integration Unit will be set up to export the extra yield with value addition.

Import restrictions which are killing the small, medium and large enterprises will be systematically removed allowing the local entrepreneurs to reconnect with their global supply chains and quickly revive their businesses.

Parallel to the imported goods, local manufacturers will also be supported.

The Market Integration Unit will work with local farmers to grow fast-yielding economic crops and with local manufacturers to produce high-quality goods, while also connecting them to the international markets.

A special project will be implemented to recruit citizens for local and foreign jobs, especially in the fields of Health, Education and Training, Software Engineering, Data Analysis, Cyber Security, Product Design, and Digital Content marketing.

A new personal loan scheme will be introduced to cover the initial cost of recruitment and travel for those who are selected for foreign employment.

New ICT Clusters will be introduced covering all divisions to support the youth with education, training and access to deliver ICT services to foreign clients.

Tariffs on internet connectivity will be immediately revised as an essential service needed for the above jobs.

A personal loan scheme will be introduced for the youth to buy computers and other essential hardware.

A Special Tourism Promotion Project will be launched with the priority of increasing the foreign revenue earned through tourism, which is essential for economic stabilisation.

Katunayake and Mattala airports will facilitate the above through essential management changes.

Both airports will provide additional facilities to attract the popular Budget Airlines.

Low-interest loans will be introduced specially for people working in the travel, tourism and leisure sectors to develop their businesses.

Homestay Tourism will be promoted with financial support attached to training.

Tourist Visa duration will be extended to six months.

An Integrated ICT system will be implemented across all public services thereby reducing the time wastage, cost of travel and unnecessary paperwork when obtaining essential public services from birth certificates to death certificates.

Migrant workers will be able to renew their passports within a week after introducing printing facilities at key Sri Lankan embassies.

Current shortages of medicines and medical supplies will be resolved promptly so that all patients island-wide will receive essential healthcare services without delays.

A special investment facilitation scheme will be implemented to secure quick investments exceeding US$ 250,000. A special Golden Visa scheme will be offered to such investors.

All the above short-term relief projects will be implemented, monitored and continuously improved by a Special Project Force composed of members of parliament and state officials under the direct supervision of the President.