Hon. Vijitha Herath, M.P.

Jathika Jana balawegaya (JJB)· Gampaha

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

Profession: Politician

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Speeches 86 #59 of 225·#26 in party

Attendance 4/8 days present (of recorded)

Speech history

86 speeches

9 January 2025 AI summary The Minister stated that Sri Lankan workers for Korea are formally sent under E9 and E7 visa categories, while the Government has not recognized any E8 visa mechanism and the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency has no registration, monitoring, or intervention capacity for persons who may have gone under E8 visas. He said an April 2024 MoU signed by the then Labour Minister concerning E8 visas was unlawful because it lacked proper Cabinet approval and was not routed through the established foreign employment process. He further alleged the MoU was irregularly held at the Labour Ministry and contained drafting errors suggesting it was copied from a Korea–Pakistan agreement. Oral Questions Corruption & Governance ReformEmploymentForeign Affairs Read →
6 December 2024 AI summary Hon. Vijitha Herath clarified that his earlier remarks referred to an initial draft rather than a signed agreement. He stated that Ranil Wickremesinghe, while an Opposition MP, had asked for the draft to be presented, and emphasized that his reference was to that draft and not to any finalized agreement. Debate on Vote on Account for Ministry of Public Administration and Related Matters Parliamentary Procedure Read →
6 December 2024 AI summary Vijitha Herath said the Government is aware that Sri Lankan ex-service personnel have joined military service in Russia and Ukraine, with some injured, and is taking measures to assist and repatriate those affected despite difficulties. He rejected claims that the Government is continuing Ranil Wickremesinghe’s policies, arguing that the current IMF engagement is with Sri Lanka as a state and was initiated before Wickremesinghe’s presidency. He stated that the Government is engaging with international institutions to manage the economic crisis while planning to introduce a production-based programme in the forthcoming Budget. Debate on Vote on Account for Ministry of Public Administration and Related Matters Security & DefencePublic Finance Read →
6 December 2024 AI summary Hon. Vijitha Herath said the National People’s Power Government is operating under a previously presented policy mandate and that the Interim Appropriation is a short-term measure to meet day-to-day expenditure until a full Budget is presented next year. He stated that the Government will proceed with the IMF programme and international sovereign bond restructuring within agreed timelines, while pursuing a longer-term production-based economic strategy. He identified tourism and foreign employment remittances as immediate priorities for foreign exchange earnings, and cautioned the public against fraudulent foreign employment schemes, citing the E-8 visa issue as an example of an unauthorized arrangement lacking proper Cabinet and institutional approval. Debate on Vote on Account for Ministry of Public Administration and Related Matters Foreign AffairsPublic Finance Read →
4 December 2024 AI summary Hon. Vijitha Herath raised a point of order following a statement by the Minister of Public Security, saying questions should be taken at the appropriate stage of that item rather than intermittently. He urged that proceedings continue according to parliamentary rules, with the Speaker making the final decision. Ministerial Statement: Arrests for Spreading False Information on Social Media Parliamentary Procedure Read →
21 November 2024 AI summary Hon. Vijitha Herath seconded the Prime Minister’s proposal to elect Hon. (Dr.) Asoka Sapumal Ranwala as Speaker of the Tenth Parliament. Election of Speaker of the Tenth Parliament Parliamentary Procedure Read →