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Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna, M.P.

Jathika Jana balawegaya (JJB)· Puttalam

Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government

Profession: Academician

Roster profile ↗
Speeches 146 #25 of 225·#12 in party
Attendance 7/8 days present (of recorded)
Top topic Parliamentary Procedure 62 speeches
Last spoke 9 June 2026 in Oral question

Activity by sitting

58 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

146 speeches
  • 23 May 2025 AI summary Minister Abayarathna formally moved that Parliament adjourn. The Presiding Member then proposed the question on the adjournment motion. Adjournment Motion and Adjournment Debate: Public Administration and Provincial Council Elections Parliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 23 May 2025 AI summary Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna informed Parliament that he was accepting a petition from Mr. R.M. Tikiri Banda of Bimbarama Road, Piliyandala. Petitions: Citizens' Petitions Presented by MPs Parliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 20 May 2025 AI summary The Minister said the Government would prefer to pay pensioners the same cost of living allowance as serving public officers, but noted that pensioners have historically received a lower allowance, citing the 2024 increases to Rs. 6,025 for pensioners and Rs. 17,800 for serving officers. He said differences may reflect work-related costs borne by serving officers, but affirmed that pensioners should receive a fair pension and allowance to live with dignity, with steps to be considered in future Budgets. He also stated that reductions in medicine prices would benefit both pensioners and serving officers. Oral Questions: Question Nos. 1-6 Cost of LivingPublic Finance Read →
  • 20 May 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that the 2025 Budget includes a proposal to make relevant payments to pensioners. He added that future Budgets would also provide for such payments to ensure no pensioner is disadvantaged. Oral Questions: Question Nos. 1-6 Public Finance Read →
  • 20 May 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that an approved pension revision had previously been suspended without payment. He said the Government is now taking steps to pay the arrears in stages. Oral Questions: Question Nos. 1-6 Public Finance Read →
  • 20 May 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that there is no pension discrepancy, noting that pensions for public officers retired on or before 01.01.2017 have already been revised under Public Administration Circulars 14/2019 and 03/2016. He said the 2025 Budget provides Rs. 10,000 million to revise pensions from 01.07.2025 for those retired before 01.01.2018, with further revisions planned for retirees before 01.01.2020 under stages 3, 4 and 5 of Circular 03/2016. He also noted that public sector salary increases will take effect from 01.01.2025, with payments from 01.04.2025 without arrears, and that the cost of living allowance for pensioners will continue at the level set under the 2024 Budget. Oral Questions: Question Nos. 1-6 Public Finance Read →
  • 10 April 2025 AI summary A written answer was tabled stating that the matter raised is known to the Government and that necessary steps are being taken. It noted that, following the B.C. Perera Salary Commission recommendations and Public Administration Circular 2/97 of 15 January 1997, new salary scales were granted to all classes and grades of the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Service and Sri Lanka Principals’ Service. Second Round of Oral Questions and Standing Order 27(2) Questions (Tabled) Education Read →
  • 10 April 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that the week in question already includes a public holiday for Good Friday, leaving three working days. He said no decision had yet been taken to declare the 15th a holiday, but the Member’s request would be considered. Oral Question 71/2024: Bakki-ella, Villukulam and Ambilanturai Roads in Batticaloa Parliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 10 April 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that the Budget provides increased allocations for rural road development. He noted that roads in the Member’s district, as well as in Puttalam, have suffered significant damage and said rehabilitation is being carried out in stages. Oral Question 71/2024: Bakki-ella, Villukulam and Ambilanturai Roads in Batticaloa Infrastructure Read →
  • 10 April 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that district-level allocation issues could be addressed through the District Coordinating Committee. He said he did not have the exact statistics immediately available but could provide them, and noted that allocations for the district and relevant Divisional Secretariat divisions could be clarified at the DCC. Oral Question 71/2024: Bakki-ella, Villukulam and Ambilanturai Roads in Batticaloa Parliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 10 April 2025 AI summary Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna acknowledged concerns about the condition of roads, particularly Bakki-ella, and said allocations had been made within budgetary constraints by the President as Minister of Finance. He stated that the Government would act according to those allocations and would examine any delays in convening District or Divisional Coordinating Committee meetings, where chairs have already been appointed, with a view to expediting them. Oral Question 71/2024: Bakki-ella, Villukulam and Ambilanturai Roads in Batticaloa Public FinanceInfrastructure Read →
  • 10 April 2025 AI summary The Minister replied that the Kokkadicholai–Ambilanturai Road is being rehabilitated by the Road Development Authority under the World Bank-funded Integrated Connectivity Development Project, with upgrading to a two-lane road using flexible and some concrete pavement. He stated that sections of Villukulam Road have already been rehabilitated and that remaining works will proceed in phases, with Rs. 20 million allocated for the year. He also said Rs. 31 million has been set aside in 2025 for Bakki-ella Road rehabilitation, including concrete pavement works and further proposed development by the Porativupattu Pradeshiya Sabha under the Eastern Rural Development Project. Oral Question 71/2024: Bakki-ella, Villukulam and Ambilanturai Roads in Batticaloa Infrastructure Read →
  • 9 April 2025 AI summary The Minister outlined the size and cost of Sri Lanka’s public service, stating that salaries and pensions in 2024 accounted for about 39 per cent of Government revenue, and argued that past recruitment outside approved procedures had created staffing imbalances, underutilization, and higher administrative costs. He said Cabinet restrictions imposed during the fiscal crisis limited recruitment to essential posts, while recent Cabinet decisions established committees to review staffing, approve essential recruitment, and redeploy excess staff. Under Budget 2025, he said the Government will fill 30,000 essential vacancies through merit- and competency-based open competitive recruitment, with Rs. 10 billion allocated, and that approvals have already been granted for 18,853 vacancies, including 3,147 Nursing Officers. He also linked youth unemployment to pressure for State jobs and proposed broader responses such as skills development, university programme review, rural job creation, entrepreneurship support, and expanded childcare facilities. Ministerial Statement and Privilege Question; Procedural Motions Corruption & Governance ReformPublic FinanceEmployment Read →
  • 8 April 2025 AI summary The Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government presented the 2023 Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration. He proposed referring the report to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Security, and the motion was agreed to. Papers: Annual Reports and Institutional Statements Parliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 19 March 2025 AI summary The Minister explained that the retirement age for public officers was raised to 65 in 2022 but later reduced to 60 through the Interim Budget and Public Administration Circular 19/2022, with exceptions such as medical officers subject to a court order. He argued that retaining or selectively extending retirement to 65 would delay recruitment and promotions, reduce opportunities for youth, increase salary and pension costs, and risk unequal treatment across sectors. He proposed instead to conduct a proper human resource and cadre review and make timely recruitments, stating that Sri Lanka’s current youth workforce makes a general extension of the retirement age unnecessary. Adjournment Debate: Public Administration Circular No. 19/2022 Public FinanceEmployment Read →
  • 19 March 2025 AI summary Moved the adjournment of Parliament. Adjournment Debate: Public Administration Circular No. 19/2022 Parliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 15 March 2025 AI summary The Minister tabled a written answer stating that the Local Government Commission is not functioning. He said the 2012 Delimitation Committee did not recommend a separate Divisional Secretariat for Thoppur because the area had too few families, and that no new delimitation committee has since been appointed, though future steps are expected. He also noted that 40 Grama Niladhari Divisions have over 1,000 families and five have fewer than 100, and that future boundary changes could be considered through a delimitation committee based on demographic and other criteria. Procedural: Point of Order on Public Petitions and Committee Discussion (Q.429/2025 Answer) Corruption & Governance Reform Read →
  • 12 March 2025 AI summary No formal disclosure has been made on the criteria for creating new local authorities or Divisional Secretaries’ divisions, but previous delimitation processes considered population, area, urban or rural character, topography and environmental factors. The Minister stated that the Government intends to consider public requests and current needs, and that an expert committee has proposed criteria including population and housing density, service and infrastructure capacity, commercial and industrial distribution, employment and self-generated income, based on the 1999 Local Government Reforms report. He added that Cabinet approved these criteria in 2017 and that ethnic or political considerations are not used in establishing or upgrading local authorities. Written Answers to Questions InfrastructureLand & Housing Read →
  • 12 March 2025 AI summary The Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government stated that while he did not have all the specific details requested, steps would be taken to appoint a suitably qualified officer. Oral Question: Provincial Commissioner of Revenue - Uva (Q.392/2025) Public Finance Read →
  • 12 March 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that an acting appointment has been made temporarily until island-wide applications are called and a suitable officer is selected. He said the vacancy will be filled in due course. Oral Question: Provincial Commissioner of Revenue - Uva (Q.392/2025) Parliamentary Procedure Read →