Vocational training is key to ending poverty – Chathuranga

Vocational training is the only real solution to ending poverty in Sri Lanka, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe said.

In a Facebook post published today (July 10), the Deputy Minister highlighted the need to uplift the 30% of Sri Lankans who live below the poverty line.

He said that many people in society who are now in a position to pay taxes have forgotten that 70% of their former schoolmates had to drop out and that 30% of society did not grow up with the same family support system they had.

“A leftist government came into power to lift low-income families out of the vicious cycle of poverty,” he stated. He stressed that while no one can stop individuals from becoming successful by any means, the responsibility of the government is to support those who have been denied opportunities.

The Deputy Minister rejected the notion that poverty is caused by laziness. “Poverty is not a personal failure, it is the result of political decisions. It happens when people are denied equal education, proper housing, security, and fair economic opportunities,” he said.

According to him, the National People’s Power (NPP) government has made it a top priority to empower the poorest 30% through the “Praja Shakthi” community strengthening program.

He also criticized past welfare programs like Samurdhi and Janasaviya, stating that they failed to reduce poverty.

He pointed out how the number of welfare recipients increased over the years:

• 400,000 in 2005
• 1.2 million in 2010
• 1.8 million in 2019
• 2.3 million in 2024

Minister Abeysinghe said that their government is determined to cut this number in half and added, “If we can’t do that, there’s no point in doing politics.”

He concluded by assuring taxpayers that not a single cent of their money will be wasted and urged the public to share this message and ensure the real beneficiaries in villages actively take part in this national effort.