Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha, M.P.

Jathika Jana balawegaya (JJB)· Gampaha

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning

Profession: ---

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Speeches 368 #11 of 225·#5 in party

Attendance 5/8 days present (of recorded)

Speech history

368 speeches

1 December 2025 AI summary The Minister tabled Treasury Budget Circular No. 05/2025 on emergency relief procurement, issued to District and Divisional Secretaries to expedite assistance to affected people. He stated that Divisional Secretaries may carry out emergency procurement of goods, works and non-consultancy services up to Rs. 50 million under the 2024 Procurement Guidelines, with District Secretaries granting the necessary financial authority. He also noted that further disaster-relief expenditure should be referred by the Ministry of Defence’s Disaster Management Division to the Treasury for commitments and virements. Papers: Treasury Circular on Procurement and Relief Measures Parliamentary ProcedurePublic Finance Read →
27 November 2025 AI summary The member requested additional time to provide answers, addressing the Chair. Standing Order 27(2) Question and Procedural Matters Parliamentary Procedure Read →
27 November 2025 AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Anil Jayantha provided figures on BYD vehicle imports, stating that 9,100 had been imported and 8,190 released by Customs as at 23 November 2025. He declined to table engine-capacity-wise details because the matter is subject to ongoing litigation, and outlined the applicable Customs duty rates for electric vehicles by kilowatt category under the 2025 National Imports Tariff Guide. Oral Question: BYD Vehicles and Second Round Proceedings Public Finance Read →
27 November 2025 AI summary Minister Anil Jayantha stated that Sri Lanka is not facing an inability to borrow, noting that debt restructuring after the default is nearing completion and that the Government has been servicing debt, including foreign debt, in 2024 and 2025. He explained that LKR 1.6 trillion in accumulated arrears arose from unpaid interest during the restructuring period, emphasizing that this was interest cost added to debt arrears rather than new principal borrowing. Oral Question: Total Foreign and Domestic Debt with Supplementaries (Q.315/2024 (2)) Public Finance Read →
27 November 2025 AI summary The Minister disputed a cited public debt figure of LKR 32.6 trillion and requested its source, stating that under the State Debt Management framework the relevant measure is central government debt. He said Department of State Debt figures show debt at LKR 29.6 trillion at end-2024, LKR 30.7 trillion by July 2025, and LKR 30.938 trillion by 30 September 2025. He also compared this with a claimed 74 percent debt increase during 2015–2019 and stated that the current Government is borrowing within a debt management and stabilization programme. Oral Question: Total Foreign and Domestic Debt with Supplementaries (Q.315/2024 (2)) Public Finance Read →
27 November 2025 AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Finance and Planning, the Minister provided detailed figures on Sri Lanka’s central government debt, stating that total debt as at 31 December 2024 was Rs. 29.6 trillion, or US$101.3 billion, comprising US$64.5 billion domestic debt and US$36.7 billion foreign debt. He tabled year-end debt figures for 2021–2024 and broke down foreign debt into bilateral, multilateral, international sovereign bond, and commercial loan components, noting that multilateral debt stood at US$12.9 billion and bilateral debt at US$10.8 billion in 2024. He also provided data on multilateral disbursements from institutions including the World Bank, IMF, and Asian Development Bank, and stated that the remaining part of the question did not arise. Oral Question: Total Foreign and Domestic Debt with Supplementaries (Q.315/2024 (2)) Public Finance Read →
25 November 2025 AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha stated that EPF administration by the Department of Labour and fund management by the Central Bank currently operate as separate systems, limiting continuous real-time access to member information. He said a joint programme with the Central Bank’s EPF management unit is under way to integrate these systems into a single online data platform, enabling employees and employers to access contribution and benefit services without visiting offices in person. Oral Question: Employees' Provident Fund Information Access (Q.1/2025) Public FinanceEmployment Read →
25 November 2025 AI summary Dr. Anil Jayantha explained that the EPF has established procedures and downloadable forms for updating member information and nominating beneficiaries. He said beneficiary claims require verification because of possible third-party interests, so the process cannot be handled entirely online without risking disputes. He acknowledged low public awareness among employees and beneficiaries and stated that the Department of Labour would take steps to improve it. Oral Question: Employees' Provident Fund Information Access (Q.1/2025) Public FinanceEmployment Read →
25 November 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that EPF members can currently access account information online and by SMS, but automatic messaging is limited because the Central Bank’s EPF Department does not hold members’ telephone numbers or addresses in its existing records. He said SMS updates are being introduced for pre-retirement and regular benefit applications, as well as for unresolved name, NIC and account amendments. He further said the Government is developing an integrated digital system linking the Central Bank and Department of Labour to enable unified EPF/ETF payments, online member services, automated notifications, complaint management, labour inspection monitoring, and KYC-based verification. Oral Question: Employees' Provident Fund Information Access (Q.1/2025) EmploymentPublic Finance Read →
24 November 2025 AI summary Reiterating the restructuring notes set out in the Gazette, the Minister confirmed that the Appropriation totals remain unchanged. He clarified that only reallocations between expenditure heads are involved. Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation - Part 1 Public Finance Read →
20 November 2025 AI summary The Minister responded to Opposition criticisms on the Ministry of Power, arguing that Sri Lanka’s main electricity challenge is demand management and affordability rather than insufficient supply. He said CEB profits and tariff movements resulted from PUCSL’s regulatory methodology and updated cost projections, not misrepresentation, citing several tariff revisions from 2024 to 2025. He outlined the Government’s approach to electricity reform, including amendments to the Electricity Act, clearer roles in generation and distribution, controlled private participation, and rejection of high-cost renewable procurement proposals. He also noted a Rs. 23,100 million allocation for the Ministry, mainly for transmission and distribution, renewables, nuclear studies, and regularizing prior off-Budget commitments. Committee Stage: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cut Motion and Debate Public FinanceEnvironmentInfrastructure Read →
19 November 2025 AI summary A procedural motion was moved for the Committee to report progress and seek leave to sit again. The motion was agreed to, and the Committee was scheduled to resume sitting on Thursday, 20 November 2025. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Parliamentary Procedure Read →
19 November 2025 AI summary The Minister outlined planned reforms in the Labour Ministry, including digitalizing Labour Department services to improve efficiency and compensation processes, while criticizing a previous Cabinet proposal to use space in the Mehewara Piyasa building for commercial entertainment facilities. He linked the Ministry’s work to the 2026 Budget framework, emphasizing fiscal discipline, reducing the deficit to 5.1 percent of GDP, meeting salary, pension and interest obligations, and prioritizing human capital through health and education spending. He rejected Opposition claims on low capital expenditure execution, stating that 2025 had higher execution rates than cited past years, and noted that Rs. 6.4 billion had been allocated to the Labour Ministry, including Rs. 1.2 billion for capital expenditure. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) EmploymentPublic FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
15 November 2025 AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Finance, the Minister moved procedurally to postpone consideration of Clauses 2 to 10 until after the Schedules were considered. The Committee then proceeded to the First Schedule, beginning with the allocation for Head 1, His Excellency the President, under Operational Activities recurrent expenditure of Rs. 2,465,980,000. Debate: Committee Stage - Appropriation Bill 2026, Special Spending Units (Heads 1, 2, 4-11, 13, 16-25) Parliamentary Procedure Read →
15 November 2025 AI summary Parate execution is supervised by the Central Bank, and although its suspension was extended several times, that suspension has now expired. The Minister stated that expiry does not mean banks will immediately seize assets, and affected parties should raise specific issues with the relevant bank, the Central Bank, or the appropriate authority. Oral Question: Q.562/2025 - Lands Belonging to Sri Lanka Railways: Lease Public Finance Read →
15 November 2025 AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the Minister requested two weeks to provide an answer to the question. The question was accordingly ordered to stand down. Oral Question: Finance Question 20/2024 (1) and 119/2024 (1) - Stand Down Requests and Point of Order Parliamentary Procedure Read →
15 November 2025 AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the Minister requested a two-week period to provide the answer to the question. The question was ordered to stand down. Oral Question: Finance Question 20/2024 (1) and 119/2024 (1) - Stand Down Requests and Point of Order Parliamentary Procedure Read →
14 November 2025 AI summary The Bill was ordered to be committed to a Committee of the whole Parliament under Standing Order No. 57 on Saturday, 15th November 2025. This was a procedural step setting the next stage of consideration for the legislation. Committee Referral and Adjournment Parliamentary Procedure Read →
14 November 2025 AI summary Moved, on behalf of the Minister of Finance, that the Disposals Bill be referred to a Committee of the whole Parliament. The motion was put to the House and agreed to. Debate Conclusion and Division: Disposals Bill 2026 – Second Reading Parliamentary Procedure Read →
14 November 2025 AI summary The Minister defended the Government’s second Budget as part of a people-centred, fiscally disciplined programme aimed at stabilization, investment-led growth, and social transformation, rather than a set of discretionary annual allocations. He rejected Opposition criticisms on legislative output, capital expenditure, and the Parliamentary Budget Office, citing forthcoming Bills on state-owned enterprises, public-private partnerships, microfinance regulation, anti-money laundering and related reforms. He said Budget spending should be assessed against the Government’s strategic objectives, including sustaining stability and moving toward medium-term growth above 7 per cent. Debate Conclusion and Division: Disposals Bill 2026 – Second Reading Public FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Read →