Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, M.P.

Jathika Jana balawegaya (JJB)· Matara

Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development

Profession: Politician

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Speeches 141 #28 of 225·#14 in party

Attendance 2/8 days present (of recorded)

Speech history

141 speeches

18 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti asked whether proceedings should wait until Hon. Ajith P. Perera arrived. The remark was procedural and made amid an interruption. Procedural: Adjournment Motion Dispute and House Adjournment Parliamentary Procedure Read →
18 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti briefly noted that the matter being discussed had been the established practice. His remark was interrupted, and no substantive proposal, question, or further argument was recorded in this excerpt. Procedural: Adjournment Motion Dispute and House Adjournment Parliamentary Procedure Read →
18 June 2025 AI summary The Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, accepted a petition submitted by Mr. Anil Hevabandula of “Hansiprabha.” Petitions: Five Petitions Accepted Parliamentary Procedure Read →
6 June 2025 AI summary Arguing that payments to farmers and workers should not be reduced, Sunil Handunnetti proposed increasing the ethanol price per litre from Rs. 475 to Rs. 800. He stated that this increase would not require arrack prices to rise and appealed for support from Hon. Chamara Sampath. Oral Question: State-Owned Sugar Companies (Q.191/2024) Public FinanceCost of Living Read →
6 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti argued that reductions in ethanol prices had not led to lower arrack prices, so increasing ethanol from Rs. 475 to Rs. 800 per litre should not justify higher retail prices or losses for distilleries. He said illicit liquor consumption remains significant and proposed granting licences to sugar and molasses producers such as Hingurana and Pelwatte to produce a low-priced legal product to compete with kasippu. He also alleged that certain Finance Ministry officials were influenced by distillery companies and said he would report the matter to the President, framing the ethanol price increase as necessary to protect farmers and the ethanol and sugar industries. Oral Question: State-Owned Sugar Companies (Q.191/2024) Public FinanceAgricultureLaw & Order Read →
6 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti said there is no Government-held stock of 2,000–3,000 metric tons of expired sugar, and any old stocks in warehouses belong to buyers who have already paid but not collected them. He outlined measures to protect the domestic sugar industry, including a market plan, stricter Customs and standards checks to prevent brown sugar being imported or sold as white sugar, and action against concealed sugar imports. He also stated that ethanol imports will not be allowed, a minimum ethanol purchase price of Rs. 800 per litre has been set for distilleries, and payments to cane farmers and employee allowances have not been reduced. He referred to the closure of the Kantale Sugar Factory in 1993 and said similar decisions would not be taken regarding Hingurana, Pelwatte and Sevanagala. Oral Question: State-Owned Sugar Companies (Q.191/2024) AgriculturePublic Finance Read →
6 June 2025 AI summary The Minister answered a question on Sri Lanka’s sugar industry, stating that four sugar companies exist, of which Hingurana Sugar Industries and Kantale Sugar Company are not operational. He reported that Sri Lanka imported 564 million kg of sugar in 2024 at a cost of Rs. 112 billion, and about 140 million kg in January–February 2025 at about Rs. 24.757 billion, while current stocks stood at 23,696 MT of sugar and 2.35 million litres of ethanol. He outlined measures to increase domestic production, including expanding cultivation, establishing a 1,000-hectare breeder seed farm, improving agronomic practices, introducing modern irrigation and mechanization, expanding factory crushing capacity by 2,500 tons per day, and raising sugar recovery to 8 percent. Oral Question: State-Owned Sugar Companies (Q.191/2024) Public FinanceAgriculture Read →
6 June 2025 AI summary The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti invoked Standing Order 34(2), emphasizing that a parliamentary question should not be used as a pretext for debate. He requested that this rule be communicated and enforced in response to members allegedly not adhering to it. Procedural and Oral Question: Airport and Aviation Services and Standing Orders Clarification Parliamentary Procedure Read →
6 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti briefly rose to a Point of Order. No substantive argument, proposal, or question was presented in the provided excerpt. Procedural and Oral Question: Airport and Aviation Services and Standing Orders Clarification Parliamentary Procedure Read →
6 June 2025 AI summary The Minister rose on a Point of Order to address a procedural issue concerning the Standing Orders governing parliamentary questions. He indicated that he wished to make an important clarification before the relevant question was asked. Procedural: Standing Orders Discussion and Oral Questions Parliamentary Procedure Read →
4 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti supported the Anti-Corruption Act regulations, linking them to the Government’s stated effort to enforce the law and address past corruption. He cited the arrival of a new SriLankan Airlines Airbus as evidence of recovery after alleged mismanagement of the airline and criticised previous administrations over the Airbus deal and attempts to privatize or devalue the airline. He defended the Justice Minister and anti-corruption institutions against Opposition criticism, referred to complaints and alleged rackets involving sugar tax, onion imports, rice, minerals, expressways and public funds, and said investigations and prosecutions should proceed. He also announced plans for a transparent minerals investment process and a digital valuation app for gems and jewellery to improve public access and reduce opportunities for bribery. Debate: Anti-Corruption Act Regulations Justice & Human RightsCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
3 June 2025 AI summary The Minister rejected allegations that actions at the Elephant Pass Saltern were targeted against Tamil people or involved political interference, stating that “Raja Salt” was a national brand but that salt produced there will now be marketed as “Elephant Pass Salt.” He said production had fallen due to adverse weather, Cabinet had approved salt imports on 24 March 2025 to meet demand, and normal operations were expected to resume from the current season. He outlined recruitment steps for management positions, denied any worker dismissals, and said a protest that began on 14 May 2025 had ended after agreement on 10 worker demands, while rejecting demands to prevent distribution of Elephant Pass salt to other provinces. Ministerial Statement: Issues at Elephant Pass Saltern EmploymentPublic Finance Read →
3 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti stated that the Government is operating within IMF fiscal parameters and cannot selectively exempt one industry from VAT without creating a precedent. He said options are being examined to limit VAT to actual factory-level value addition or reimburse VAT through the Treasury, estimated at Rs. 1.3 billion annually. He added that any reimbursement would require an offsetting revenue plan to meet revenue-to-GDP and primary surplus targets, with proposals to be included in a report to the President covering revenue from exports, tourism, and organic brown sugar. Private Notice Question: VAT on Locally Produced Sugar AgriculturePublic Finance Read →
3 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti said locally produced sugar became subject to VAT from 1 January 2024 as part of a broader rationalization of exemptions, but argued that VAT removal alone would not address the sector’s difficulties. He stated that the Government has maintained farmer cane payments and employee benefits, fixed State-sector ethanol sales to distilleries at Rs. 800 per litre, and plans to establish a floor price for brown sugar while curbing mislabelled imports. He also said the Government will not privatize the Pelwatte and Sevanagala factories, and is preparing measures including brown sugar exports, market standardization, tourism-related use of factory lands, and resolution of land title issues to restore profitability. Private Notice Question: VAT on Locally Produced Sugar Public FinanceAgriculture Read →
3 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti provided data in response to the Opposition Leader on Sri Lanka’s sugar industry, identifying Pelwatte and Sevanagala as state factories, Ethimale as private, and Gal Oya as a public-private partnership. He tabled production figures showing Lanka Sugar Company produced 39,721 metric tons in 2024, about 6.03% of national sugar demand of 658,678 metric tons. He stated that imports were mainly refined white sugar, with 564 million kg imported in 2024 and 140 million kg from January to February 2025, and clarified that imported sugar is subject to a Rs. 50 per kg Special Commodity Levy while local sugar bears 18% VAT and 2.5% SSCL. Private Notice Question: VAT on Locally Produced Sugar AgriculturePublic Finance Read →
3 June 2025 AI summary Clay extraction permits are issued by Divisional Secretaries, while transport permits are handled separately through the National Crafts Council. The speech clarifies that registered artisans and associations obtain transport permits via the Council after receiving extraction approval at the local administrative level. Oral Question: Welangolla Estate Industrial Development (Q.791/2025) Agriculture Read →
3 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti stated that the proposed park is currently linked to a single applicant investor, while labour recruitment and worker transport remain major constraints in the area. He said these issues discourage larger investors, but discussions with chambers are underway to attract further investment, and proposed District Industrial Promotion Boards could help identify investors and address the problem. Oral Question: Welangolla Estate Industrial Development (Q.791/2025) InfrastructureEmploymentPublic Finance Read →
3 June 2025 AI summary The Minister answered Question 791/2025 on Welangolla Estate, stating that 17 acres and 32.19 perches of government land at Hamuge Watta have been allocated for the Ridibendigalla Industrial Park, with initial work underway. The land has been assigned to Ritz Clothing (Pvt) Ltd. for a garment-related industry expected to create 1,135 jobs. He added that idle lands are being identified at Divisional Secretariat level for future industrial allocation and requested Members’ support. Oral Question: Welangolla Estate Industrial Development (Q.791/2025) InfrastructureEmployment Read →
3 June 2025 AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti presented the 2022/2023 Annual Report of S.G.S. Lanka Limited to Parliament. He moved that the report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Economic Development and International Relations, and the motion was agreed to. Papers Presented: Orders, Regulations, Reports and Gazette Parliamentary Procedure Read →
23 May 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that the question had been received at around 2.00 p.m. the previous day and noted that he had already provided some clarification in his earlier speech. He undertook to submit a full, detailed answer to Parliament within one week. Questions under Standing Order 27(2): Procedural Matters and Opposition Questions Parliamentary Procedure Read →