Namal Rajapaksa has accused the government of making decisions that benefit a small group of politically connected businessmen while placing the burden on ordinary citizens through rising taxes, higher living costs, and increasing electricity and fuel prices.

Speaking at a public gathering in Kuliyapitiya, he claimed that farmers, workers, small business owners, and low-income families are being neglected as industries struggle, factories close, and employment opportunities decline.

Rajapaksa also criticised the government’s handling of the economy, pointing to rising fertiliser costs, shortages of essential medicines, and what he described as poor management of energy procurement and public tenders.

He called for a people-centred economic recovery plan focused on investment, job creation, support for local industries, and greater accountability, arguing that the country’s challenges cannot be solved through political confrontation alone.