NPP Government Properly Executing Its Deal with the People – Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe
The National People’s Power (NPP) government is properly executing its “deal” with the public, leaving those who previously switched political sides to avoid court cases now terrified, emphasized Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperatives, Wasantha Samarasinghe.
He stated this while addressing a massive farmers’ rally in Polonnaruwa on the 12th, held under the theme “Two Years of Government – Good for the Nation.”
Elaborating further at the rally, Minister Samarasinghe noted:
“As we approach the completion of two years since forming the government, we are conducting a series of public meetings. Following Brother Anura’s election as President, we held the parliamentary election and established a government with a historic supermajority of over two-thirds to drive deep political transformation.
During the initial phase, even some of our supporters expressed concern that the speed of arresting corrupt figures was slow. However, enforcing the law involves multiple institutions, including the police and judiciary. Some of these institutions required structural reforms, and new legislation had to be drafted. While this process took time, critics began mocking us, asking where the arrests were.
Yet today, while an opposition gathering in Anuradhapura attempts to project power by assembling individuals out on bail and under suspicion, the farming mothers and fathers of Polonnaruwa have gathered here to demonstrate the genuine strength of our government. Carrying the hopes of the farming community—who constitute 27% of this nation—along with working people and professionals, this administration moves forward strongly with the blessings of the Venerable Maha Sangha and clergy of all faiths.
We all recall how past rulers operated after taking office. When Brother Anura assumed the presidency, his public approval stood strong, and today it has exceeded 75%. In contrast, past leaders hid in coconut estates while awaiting election results, only to strike deals three years later and form a 52-day illegitimate government—where President Maithripala appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister, and Gotabaya later handed power to Ranil. In 2024, the public reclaimed that power from the elite class. Those who swapped sides to evade prosecution are now terrified because the NPP government is transparently fulfilling its pact with the people. Anyone found guilty before the law will face justice and head straight to prison.
We are holding this series of rallies to engage directly with the public about our achievements over the past two years. The main concern for local farmers currently is paddy pricing. By December 2024, the country was facing a severe rice shortage. After taking office, we raised the fertilizer subsidy from LKR 15,000 to LKR 25,000, and subsequently added another LKR 5,000. As a result, over 1.3 million hectares of paddy were cultivated across both the Yala and Maha seasons.
When we assumed power, there was no systematic purchasing mechanism for big onion farmers. To resolve this, we raised the import tax on onions from LKR 10 to LKR 40, boosting domestic production coverage from 4% to 15% of total national demand. The purchasing price for local onions, initially at LKR 140 per kilogram, has now increased to LKR 160. Similarly, potato farmers have secured fair market pricing.
The Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts account for a major share of Sri Lanka’s paddy production. In consultation with small and large-scale mill owners, we allocated LKR 28 billion across three seasons for paddy purchasing. Furthermore, we reserved funds to assist millers in purchasing paddy at the government’s guaranteed price. While setting the guaranteed price at LKR 120 per kilogram, we also introduced tailored policies for Nadu, Samba, and Keeri Samba. Additionally, we secured investments to construct two large-scale modern paddy mills capable of storing 15% of the country’s overall output, ensuring even wet paddy is purchased at guaranteed rates to permanently resolve the issues faced by paddy farmers.
By putting an end to theft, fraud, and corruption, we are offering concessions to farmers and investors alike while empowering small and medium-scale mill owners. Establishing a fair price for farmers who work the land requires a structured framework. Past administrations intended to shut down the Paddy Marketing Board entirely, but we are modernizing numerous warehouses. To stabilize prices amidst surplus yields, we reached agreements with mill owners. Currently, potato prices for farmers exceed LKR 360 per kilogram, while onion production prices have topped LKR 240 per kilogram, eliminating the need for immediate government intervention in those specific markets. Nevertheless, the government continues to intervene via the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) to safeguard potato, onion, and maize production.
The government is actively implementing plans to protect farmers cultivating under roughly 15,000 tanks. While certain political factions attempted to exploit farmers, we intervened to protect both producers and consumers by setting maximum retail prices of LKR 220 for Kekulu, LKR 230 for Nadu, and LKR 240 for Samba. We acknowledge that a 100% resolution has not yet been achieved and that some parties are attempting to manipulate the market. In 2025, total paddy yield reached 5.1 million metric tons, and in 2026, production surged significantly, already yielding over 5 million metric tons.
To protect the farming community, LKR 35 billion has been allocated this year for tank rehabilitation. Despite global fertilizer price hikes caused by conflicts in the Middle East, we ensured a bag of fertilizer reached farmers at a subsidized rate of approximately LKR 7,000 through Agrarian Services Centers. This administration is actively working to resolve the issues of farmers nationwide. No previous government has accomplished this volume of work within its first two years. The farmers of Polonnaruwa have effectively reduced the gathering of opposition factions to mere dust. I invite all of you to join hands and continue strengthening our journey to rebuild this nation.”
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