Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P.

New Democratic Front (NDF)· National List

Profession: Chartered Accountant

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Speeches 694 #4 of 225·#1 in party

Attendance 8/8 days present (of recorded)

Top topic Parliamentary Procedure 359 speeches

Last spoke 10 June 2026 in Debate

Activity by sitting

114 sittings · counts only, no scoring.

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AI summary AI-assigned tags, 1–3 per speech. Counts only — not a score.

Speech history

694 speeches

20 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake argued that revenue policy should not rely mainly on vehicle taxes, noting a Rs. 5,000 billion revenue target and about Rs. 420 billion expected from cars, while revenue collections were reportedly 3 percent below estimates and expenditure 22 percent higher by 20 May 2025. He urged measures to protect the rupee, control expenditure, and broaden revenue sources, warning that depreciation increases inflation and foreign debt burdens. He questioned IMF concerns over Colombo Port City agreements and processes linked to major investments such as Sinopec in Hambantota, saying Sri Lanka should negotiate with the IMF while retaining control over tax and spending policy. He called for investor discussions and targeted incentives or qualifying payments to attract dollar-generating investment despite high taxes, interest rates, and utility costs. Debate: Order under the Excise (Special Provisions) Act - Electric Vehicle Tax Revision (Continued) Public FinanceForeign AffairsEmployment Read →
20 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake stated that Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka would extend his allotted speaking time. Debate: Order under the Excise (Special Provisions) Act - Electric Vehicle Tax Revision (Continued) Parliamentary Procedure Read →
20 May 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake requested twelve minutes of speaking time from the Presiding Member, indicating he would use the allotted time as the proceedings continued. Debate: Order under the Excise (Special Provisions) Act - Electric Vehicle Tax Revision (Continued) Parliamentary Procedure Read →
20 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake referred to concerns regarding his personal security and the prevailing situation affecting it. He sought attention to the matter in Parliament, implying a need for appropriate action or clarification from the relevant authorities. Points of Order and Privilege Matter: Death Threats to Hon. Rohana Bandara Security & Defence Read →
20 May 2025 AI summary The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake made a brief reference concerning the Hon. Rohana Bandara. No substantive policy issue, proposal, question, or legislative matter was raised in the provided excerpt. Points of Order and Privilege Matter: Death Threats to Hon. Rohana Bandara Parliamentary Procedure Read →
20 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake rose on a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or question was recorded in the provided excerpt. Points of Order and Privilege Matter: Death Threats to Hon. Rohana Bandara Parliamentary Procedure Read →
9 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake urged that housing delivery be treated as a non-partisan national priority and implemented through public–private partnerships rather than relying solely on government expenditure. He argued that available funds and land should be used to mobilize the private sector, speed up implementation, revive construction-related industry, and avoid delays from procurement processes. Citing estimates of a housing need of around 900,000 units and 1.5 million landless people, he called for a practical mechanism with clear targets to address housing shortages. Private Members' Motion (P.25/2024): Providing Housing for Every Family in Sri Lanka Land & HousingEmploymentPublic Finance Read →
9 May 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake argued for a supply-side, practical housing strategy linked to industrial investment, citing Malaysia’s experience and proposals received from Turkey and China. He said BOI-supported prefabricated housing could be built quickly at around Rs. 1.1 million per unit and urged tailored housing models for urban, agrarian, estate, fisheries, indigenous, war-displaced and village communities. He questioned whether the national housing deficit exceeds 580,000 and called for cross-party cooperation to address it within 10 years, with J.C. Alawathuwala seconding the Motion. Private Members' Motion (P.25/2024): Providing Housing for Every Family in Sri Lanka Public FinanceLand & HousingInfrastructure Read →
9 May 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake briefly urged that housing construction should also be prioritized for the country and requested a few more minutes to continue his remarks. Private Members' Motion (P.25/2024): Providing Housing for Every Family in Sri Lanka Land & Housing Read →
9 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake moved a Resolution calling for every household head to be facilitated to purchase, build or rent a home, framing housing as a non-partisan national priority linked to family security and economic revival. He cited past Sri Lankan housing initiatives and international examples, and stated that the country faces an estimated shortage of 400,000 to 500,000 housing units, including significant needs in Colombo, Gampaha and the Northern Province. He proposed replacing poor urban settlements with flats, expanding access through State and private financing channels, and treating a large-scale housing programme—estimated at about Rs. 2,500 billion for 500,000 homes—as a feasible supply-side economic intervention. Private Members' Motion (P.25/2024): Providing Housing for Every Family in Sri Lanka InfrastructureLand & HousingPublic Finance Read →
9 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake briefly intervened to assert his right to speak. No substantive policy position, proposal, question, or reference to legislation was made in the excerpt provided. Standing Order 27(2) Questions and Matters of Urgent Public Importance Parliamentary Procedure Read →
9 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake sought permission to ask a supplementary question and indicated that he needed to respond to a question raised by the Hon. Prime Minister regarding why he had posed his original question. No substantive policy issue or specific proposal is developed in the excerpt provided. Standing Order 27(2) Questions and Matters of Urgent Public Importance Parliamentary Procedure Read →
9 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake thanked the Prime Minister for the response but objected to the implication that his motive in asking the parliamentary question was being questioned. The excerpt ends before he develops his point further. Standing Order 27(2) Questions and Matters of Urgent Public Importance Parliamentary Procedure Read →
9 May 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake raised a Standing Order 27(2) question on higher education capacity following the 2024 GCE A/L results, asking for data on State university intake, per-student costs, options for qualified students not admitted, overseas study-related foreign exchange outflows, and the possible expansion of quality private universities and interest-free student loans. He also asked whether Sri Lanka could attract more foreign students and develop educational tourism, citing regional examples. Separately, he sought details on action taken after a reported Sabaragamuwa University death linked to possible ragging, including investigations, prevention mechanisms, enforcement of anti-ragging laws, awareness programmes, complaint systems, student welfare measures, and a list of registered university student unions. Standing Order 27(2) Questions and Matters of Urgent Public Importance Justice & Human RightsEducation Read →
8 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake addressed the Resolution under the Customs Ordinance in the context of reopening vehicle imports, noting expected revenue targets and current Customs collections, and urged measures to increase receipts while maintaining rupee stability. He raised concerns over delays in vehicle clearance, demurrage costs to consumers, valuation procedures, and reported difficulties with Japanese banks accepting Sri Lankan letters of credit, calling for steps to restore trading confidence. He also urged stronger trade negotiations for tariff relief, better use of the Indo–Sri Lanka FTA, and more active promotion of the Port City with competitive incentives to attract investment and position Sri Lanka as a financial and trading centre. Debate: Customs Ordinance - Resolution on Import Duties on Motor Vehicles Public FinanceInfrastructureForeign Affairs Read →
8 May 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake stated that the Deputy Minister had been expected to explain the outcome of trade negotiations with the United States but had not done so. He also complained that he was deprived of the opportunity to ask a supplementary question earlier and had not received an answer during the debate. Debate: Customs Ordinance - Resolution on Import Duties on Motor Vehicles Parliamentary Procedure Read →
8 May 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake rose on a Point of Order. No substantive argument, proposal, or question is recorded in the provided excerpt. Debate: Customs Ordinance - Resolution on Import Duties on Motor Vehicles Parliamentary Procedure Read →
8 May 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake moved for leave to introduce a Bill to repeal the Online Safety Act, No. 9 of 2024. The intervention was a procedural motion seeking Parliament’s permission to bring the repeal Bill forward. Procedural - Committee Matter and Staff Notice; Bills Presented Parliamentary Procedure Read →
8 May 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake argued from the consumer perspective that rice pricing should reflect paddy costs, noting that a retail price of Rs. 260 per kilogram can be assessed by dividing by 1.6 to estimate the paddy cost. He suggested imposing an excise if necessary to address concerns over end use, while allowing market forces to determine the sector’s direction. Questions under Standing Order 27(2) - Land Acquisition in North and East; Ministry Statements on Rice and Finance AgricultureCost of Living Read →
8 May 2025 AI summary Argued that productivity should be improved and markets opened with appropriate tariffs to promote competition. Proposed levying a tax to cover production costs, suggesting that this would remove the need for minimum guaranteed prices and benefit consumers. Questions under Standing Order 27(2) - Land Acquisition in North and East; Ministry Statements on Rice and Finance Public FinanceAgriculture Read →