Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P.
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament
Profession: ---
Speeches 691 #5 of 225·#2 in party
Attendance 8/8 days present (of recorded)
Top topic Parliamentary Procedure 333 speeches
Last spoke 10 June 2026 in Debate
Activity by sitting
126 sittings · counts only, no scoring.
Topic focus
AI summary AI-assigned tags, 1–3 per speech. Counts only — not a score.
Speech history
691 speeches- 11 March 2025 AI summary Sajith Premadasa questioned why the Government needed more time to respond on providing employment for 35,000 unemployed graduates, arguing that the issue should have been addressed in the Budget. He asked whether the absence of an immediate answer indicated that the graduates’ unemployment crisis had been ignored in budget planning. Procedural Matters: Standing Order 27(2) Question on Graduate Unemployment Employment Read →
- 11 March 2025 AI summary Sajith Premadasa stated that he had raised the matter under Standing Order 27(2), indicating it was presented as a special question or issue requiring ministerial attention. No substantive details of the issue raised were provided in the excerpt. Procedural Matters: Standing Order 27(2) Question on Graduate Unemployment Parliamentary Procedure Read →
- 11 March 2025 AI summary Sajith Premadasa questioned the delay in responding to a Budget-related matter, asking whether the Budget had been prepared without considering the relevant issue. He argued that no additional time should be needed and pressed for an immediate answer. Procedural Matters: Standing Order 27(2) Question on Graduate Unemployment Public Finance Read →
- 11 March 2025 AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa raised a Point of Order questioning how the Budget was prepared without clarity on measures for 35,000 unemployed graduates. He noted that requests for time to provide answers are usually accommodated, but asked for an explanation regarding the absence of a clear plan for this group. Procedural Matters: Standing Order 27(2) Question on Graduate Unemployment EmploymentParliamentary Procedure Read →
- 11 March 2025 AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa questioned the Government on graduate unemployment and the mismatch between education and employment, seeking data on public spending per student, studies on graduate job search periods, and plans for 580 local medical graduates awaiting internships. He asked how the Government will implement the National People’s Power pledge to employ 35,000 unemployed graduates, including sectoral recruitment numbers, budget allocations, and whether selection will use skills-based criteria or competitive examinations. He also called for targeted reforms for Arts graduates, age-relaxed access to public competitive exams up to 45 years, and a meeting led by the Prime Minister to present concrete solutions to unemployed graduates. Procedural Matters: Standing Order 27(2) Question on Graduate Unemployment EducationEmployment Read →
- 11 March 2025 AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa clarified that, during his tenure as Minister of Housing and Construction, the bridge projects in question were funded by the Ministry and implemented through State entities such as SD&CC, not private companies. He stated that the works were halted because the Government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stopped the entire bridge programme after the 2019 Presidential Election. Oral Question: Construction of Liyangastota Bridge (Q.4/2025) Public FinanceInfrastructure Read →
- 10 March 2025 AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa argued that education reform must begin with early childhood education and address inequalities between urban and rural schools while strengthening all 10,096 schools. He questioned the Government’s failure to remove VAT on educational equipment and noted that education spending remains far below the previously advocated target of 6 per cent of GDP. He proposed supplementary financing through education philanthropy, sister-school and foreign institutional partnerships, and school trust funds, while calling for action on staff shortages, teacher and principal salary anomalies, inclusive education for persons with disabilities, and integration of AI and STEAM education. He also sought clear plans for promised graduate recruitment, raised concerns over allowances for university staff, treatment of development officers, and alleged political reprisals in the education sector. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage EducationPublic FinanceEmployment Read →
- 8 March 2025 AI summary On International Women’s Day, Sajith Premadasa highlighted the impact of food inflation, poverty and malnutrition on women and children, citing the Ninth Parliament’s Special Committee report on malnutrition and calling for a coordinated, depoliticized national plan. He referred to UNDP and UN Women findings on women’s vulnerability, workplace discrimination, low labour force participation, digital access gaps, underrepresentation in senior positions and STEM, and high levels of underreported violence against women and girls. He urged stronger implementation of international conventions and domestic protections, and proposed amending the Constitution’s Fundamental Rights Chapter to explicitly include women’s and children’s rights. Appropriation Bill, 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Women and Child Affairs Women & ChildrenHealthcareCost of Living Read →
- 6 March 2025 AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa raised concerns about doctors’ grievances relating to salary revisions, stating that while the basic salary increase is acceptable, allowances should not be reduced to fund it. He urged the Minister to restore the requested allowances and honour undertakings given to medical unions, warning that unresolved issues could lead to strikes affecting patients. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Health and Mass Media HealthcareEmployment Read →
- 6 March 2025 AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa raised concerns about health-sector workforce retention amid migration and vacancies, urging the Government to restore or revise reduced allowances for doctors and nurses, update approved cadres, and address issues affecting postgraduate trainees, peripheral postings, and transport permits. He called for recruitment of unemployed allied health and Ayurveda graduates, regularization of dengue control assistants, overtime for minor hospital staff, resolution of Public Health Midwife vacancies and allowances, and implementation of the Cabinet decision to extend nurses’ compulsory retirement age to 63. He also asked the Government to review provisions of the Ayurveda Amendment Act No. 19 of 2023 and address shortages and costs in indigenous medicine. He concluded by proposing that health and education be constitutionally recognized as fundamental rights and said the Opposition would support such reform. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Health and Mass Media EmploymentHealthcarePublic Finance Read →
- 5 March 2025 AI summary Sajith Premadasa challenged the Deputy Minister to verify directly with fishing communities at each harbour whether the amount and frequency of relief provided match the Government’s claims. He argued that the communities’ responses would reveal whether they are satisfied with the assistance. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage: Heads 124, 216, 331, 151 and 290 Employment Read →
- 5 March 2025 AI summary Sajith Premadasa argued that poverty eradication and community empowerment require accurate, consistent data, including a clear poverty definition, reliable household income and expenditure indicators, and targeting down to Divisional Secretariat and Grama Niladhari levels. He criticized the Government’s reliance on cash transfers without a broader programme for savings, investment, production and exports, and called for lessons from Samurdhi and Aswesuma to address exclusion and ineligible beneficiaries. He also demanded action on promised graduate employment and fuel relief for fishers and other vulnerable groups, supported stronger farmer and fisher pension and insurance schemes, and urged development of the blue economy within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone under a sustainable model. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage: Heads 124, 216, 331, 151 and 290 Public FinanceCost of LivingEmployment Read →
- 4 March 2025 AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa raised concerns on public service promotions, recruitment, allowances, and alleged administrative victimization, calling for restoration of merit-based promotion examinations, implementation of the MN 3 salary category, and the holding of the advertised 2020 open competition for Management Service Officers. He urged action on Grama Niladhari demands, including allowances, staffing support, and a transparent Service Minute with fair promotion arrangements. He also requested a clear statement on promised graduate recruitments, cited unemployed graduates and teacher appointment delays, and tabled a related petition. He further called for accountability over delays to local government elections and urged that State or religious-cultural programmes not be used in ways that affect a level electoral playing field. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage EmploymentPublic FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
- 4 March 2025 AI summary Sajith Premadasa questioned why the tax on services exports was only reduced from 30% to 15% after IMF discussions rather than being removed entirely, citing the need to increase dollar inflows from SMEs in IT and digital services. He urged the Government to reconsider and fully withdraw the remaining 15% tax in line with its digital export promotion policy, and also called for the suspension of the OSA pending new legislation. Ministerial Statement: Online Safety Act and tax on export services Public FinanceEmployment Read →
- 4 March 2025 AI summary Under Standing Order 27(2), Sajith Premadasa questioned the Government on its election pledge to amend the Online Safety Act and asked whether its operation would be suspended pending amendment, citing concerns over freedom of expression. He requested data on arrests, remand orders and convictions under the Act. He also sought clarification on the proposed 15 per cent income tax on foreign exchange earnings from IT services, including the number affected, expected revenue, whether the policy would proceed, and what mechanisms or studies exist to assess its impact on the digital economy and remittance channels. Ministerial Statement: Online Safety Act and tax on export services EmploymentLaw & OrderPublic Finance Read →
- 3 March 2025 AI summary Sajith Premadasa questioned the Government on campaign pledges by the President and JVP/NPP to reduce fuel prices by removing levies and taxes, asking why these measures had not been implemented and whether the current pricing formula would continue under IMF conditions. He also asked when the remaining promised reduction in electricity tariffs would be granted, noting that only about 20 per cent of the promised one-third cut had occurred through the PUCSL process. Referring to the recent nationwide blackout, he demanded a transparent explanation of its cause and warned that unclear public accounts could harm industry, consumers, foreign investment, and debt-servicing prospects. Committee Stage Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cost of LivingPublic FinanceInfrastructure Read →
- 27 February 2025 AI summary Sajith Premadasa sought the Speaker’s permission to briefly raise a question concerning the 15 per cent SVAT. The intervention appears to introduce a query on that tax matter, but no further details or demands are included in the provided excerpt. Oral Question under Standing Order 27(2): Rule of Law and Inclusive Justice System Public Finance Read →
- 27 February 2025 AI summary Sajith Premadasa briefly addressed the Prime Minister, indicating that the Prime Minister could respond to the matter at hand while noting that the Minister was also willing to answer. No substantive policy issue or proposal was raised in the excerpt. Oral Question under Standing Order 27(2): Rule of Law and Inclusive Justice System Parliamentary Procedure Read →
- 27 February 2025 AI summary The Leader of the Opposition questioned the Government under Standing Order 27(2) on rising organised crime, citing 17 shootings in the first two months of 2025 and a murder within court premises, and asked what measures had been taken to restore public security. He sought details on promised procedures to protect suspects taken from police stations, guidelines on media coverage of arrests, and whether the Government had a concrete crime prevention plan beyond arrests after incidents. He also asked about reported tensions between the IGP and the Police Commission, the functioning and membership of the National Security Council, and raised concern that a 15% SVAT on services was harming digitalization and the digital economy. Oral Question under Standing Order 27(2): Rule of Law and Inclusive Justice System Law & OrderJustice & Human RightsSecurity & Defence Read →
- 25 February 2025 AI summary Sajith Premadasa questioned the Government’s earlier assurance that electricity bills would be reduced by one-third, noting that the actual average reduction was only about 20 percent. He sought clarification from the Prime Minister on the promised change to the electricity tariff formula, and challenged the Power Minister’s statement that bills may rise in future. He argued that such uncertainty would burden consumers, ordinary people, and potential investors. Second Reading Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025 (Day 1-7) Cost of Living Read →