President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s unwavering commitment to its long-term development agenda, stating that the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah will not derail the country’s vision for national transformation.
Speaking on the government’s recovery strategy, the President noted that Sri Lanka was already on a steady path to economic recovery following one of the most severe downturns in its history when the disaster struck.
“We were entering a transformative phase when this crisis occurred. Many believed it would disrupt our carefully prepared roadmap. I assure you, it has not,” he said.
He stressed that the government’s development plan is not a short-term solution but a sustainable, future-oriented programme, and pledged that it would not be abandoned or reversed under any circumstances.
Referring to past crises, the President said disasters had often been used as excuses for inefficiency and inaction. “For decades, war was blamed for failures. Later, pandemics became the justification. We refuse to repeat that pattern,” he stated.
President Dissanayake also highlighted that Parliament continued deliberations on the national budget even as the cyclone unfolded, despite calls to suspend or rewrite it. “Our budget is not reactionary. It is a vision-driven framework designed to move our economy and our people forward,” he said.
To meet urgent recovery requirements without compromising the broader development agenda, the government introduced a supplementary estimate of Rs. 500 billion dedicated to rebuilding efforts. He emphasized that this allocation strengthens, rather than diverts from, the long-term plan.
Acknowledging the economic shock caused by the cyclone, the President said progress is often shaped by disruption. “Societies do not evolve without challenges. We had a choice—to remain in regret or to respond with resilience. As a government, we chose to rise and rebuild a stronger nation,” he added.
