Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, M.P.

Jathika Jana balawegaya (JJB)· Colombo

Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development

Profession: Business Management Consultant

Roster profile ↗

Speeches 89 #54 of 225·#25 in party

Attendance 6/8 days present (of recorded)

Speech history

89 speeches

10 June 2026 AI summary Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe supported the foreign exchange Rules under the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act as a temporary, calibrated response to recent exchange market volatility linked to higher import costs, especially energy, arising from Middle East conflict. He said the Government’s macroeconomic management, including fiscal consolidation, primary surplus efforts, and an independent Central Bank, had strengthened confidence, while rejecting past practices of artificially fixing the exchange rate and depleting reserves. He explained that the reintroduced rule on export proceeds would require banks to convert only remaining surplus foreign currency after exporters meet legitimate foreign currency needs, with the aim of improving dollar availability without disrupting trade or production. Debate: Central Bank Rules on Export Proceeds Repatriation and Essential Public Services Resolution Foreign AffairsPublic Finance Read →
21 May 2026 AI summary On behalf of the Acting Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance, the Deputy Minister presented the Committee’s report on regulations made under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, as published in three Extraordinary Gazettes in March and April 2026, and on proposals under Section 8 of the Appropriation Act, No. 3 of 2025. The report was ordered to lie upon the Table, and he also presented a petition from Dr. T.N. Dissanayake of Thalawathugoda Road. Papers: Ministerial Consultative Committee Reports and Committee Reports Parliamentary Procedure Read →
19 May 2026 AI summary The Deputy Minister defended the Bill as creating an enforceable process for tax recovery, including Inland Revenue notice, time for rectification and representations, and Magistrate’s Court proceedings before action against deficiencies. He said the measure is aimed at formalizing economic activity and preventing persistent tax evasion while protecting compliant taxpayers, and noted RAMIS integration and expected collection efficiencies. He outlined proposed tax changes including exemptions or clarifications on motor vehicle sales, donations, life insurance, small interest income, salary arrears, investor visas, exporter expenses, capital allowances, and relief for SMEs through possible waiver of penalties and interest if arrears are settled within six months. He also said the Government is widening the tax base through TIN registration and mandatory use of TINs for economic activities. Debate: Second Reading of Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill and Committee Stage Public FinanceLaw & OrderEmployment Read →
6 May 2026 AI summary Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe defended the Government’s approach to public administration and disaster-resilient housing, stating it would protect lawful public officers and build 20,000 homes for people affected by floods and landslides. He said the Rescue, Rehabilitation and Insolvency (Corporate and Personal) Bill modernizes the 1853 Insolvency Ordinance by prioritizing rescue and rehabilitation before insolvency, with particular relevance to SMEs affected by recent crises and parate action. He outlined provisions including an Insolvency Regulatory Authority, structured repayment and turnaround plans, insolvency practitioners, possible use of District or Commercial Courts, relief for smaller loans and individuals, protection from perpetual credit blacklisting, and standstill periods before parate enforcement. He argued the framework would help viable businesses recover, preserve jobs and supply chains, and attract capital to distressed enterprises. Debate: Rescue, Rehabilitation and Insolvency (Corporate and Personal) Bill - Second Reading Public FinanceEmploymentCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
5 May 2026 AI summary Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe defended amendments to the Port City framework, stating they are intended to ensure accountability to Parliament, align with international free zone standards, and promote commerce through duty-free measures such as extending the US$2,000 purchase window. He cited investment leads, approved projects, growth, inflation, BOI inflows, private sector credit, and tax-to-GDP figures to argue that the economy is stabilising under current policies, while describing the merger of SSCL for financial services into a single levy as tax simplification. He also said corruption investigations are proceeding through strengthened institutions without political interference, and asserted that investment outcomes are expected in 2026-27 despite global challenges. Debate: Port City Economic Commission Regulations and Orders EmploymentPublic FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
7 April 2026 AI summary Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said the Government had maintained uninterrupted energy supply and industrial activity despite a 40-day global crisis, with no factory closures, job losses or power cuts. He cited reserves of USD 7.3 billion, debt repayments, vehicle import allocations, increased exports and remittances, and a Treasury surplus as evidence of economic stability and capacity for relief measures. He defended revisions to VAT and SSCL thresholds, QR-based payment formalization, changes to SSCL collection on imports, and a transparent BOI incentive framework, while noting forthcoming PPP legislation and equal investment incentives for domestic and foreign firms. He also argued that retaining key State enterprises such as the CEB and CPC supported current stability, and projected continued growth above 5 per cent with support from exports, remittances and dollar bond investment. Debate: Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment) Bill and Related Orders - Continuation (Post-Lunch) InfrastructurePublic FinanceEmployment Read →
19 March 2026 AI summary Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe rejected Opposition claims of an imminent economic or power crisis, stating that Sri Lanka recorded 5 per cent growth last year, maintains resilient exports and remittances, and is managing external shocks including the Middle East conflict and fuel needs for industry. He outlined proposed regulations under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act, including changes to land allocation, building height limits, retail space requirements, open space parameters and business classifications, and said investor interest remains strong. He said the Government is facilitating fuel quotas for industries and SMEs through relevant agencies and local administration, while assuring that electricity continuity will be maintained through thermal generation if coal output falls. Debate: Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act Regulations Approval Public FinanceEmploymentInfrastructure Read →
3 March 2026 AI summary Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe defended the Government’s economic strategy as aimed at building a “resilient economy” capable of withstanding global shocks, and rejected Opposition claims that Sri Lanka would be unable to meet future debt obligations. He cited improvements in remittances, reserves, exports, tourism and investment prospects, and said structural reforms were under way in digitisation, transport, energy and education. Referring to regulations under Section 22 of the 2017 Act, he said the Government was further relaxing outward capital transaction limits, including raising the investor limit from USD 200,000 to USD 500,000 and the personal cap from USD 20,000 to USD 25,000, as a signal of economic recovery and prudent liberalisation. Debate: Regulation under Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017 Public FinanceEmploymentEnvironment Read →
5 February 2026 AI summary Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe defended the Government’s economic management, stating that the IMF programme is on track, the next tranche is expected on time, and debt service, fiscal targets, inflation and interest rates are being managed within the programme framework. He argued that logistics and transport are central to export growth and said the Container Depot Operators Licensing Bill responds to industry demands by regulating depots, reducing congestion, setting service and price standards, and empowering the Director-General of Merchant Shipping, alongside digital port reforms such as the Port Community System and Single Window. He also supported the Institute of Real Estate Professionals, Sri Lanka, as a measure to professionalize the sector through standards, accountability and stakeholder consultation, while urging the Opposition to engage constructively through committee processes. Debate: Institute of Real Estate Professionals, Container Depot Operators Licensing, and Shipping Agents Licensing Bills (Second Reading) EmploymentInfrastructurePublic Finance Read →
21 January 2026 AI summary Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe stated that unsafe settlements and unauthorized constructions remain a long-term consequence of inadequate planning. He outlined measures to revive industries affected by recent damage, including the IRFP to connect major enterprises with 200 affected industries, Industrial Development Board assessments for machinery replacement, possible tax relief, and UNDP-supported guarantee and risk systems. He also called for a national approach to flood insurance, especially for riverbank businesses, and for embedding risk management and business continuity planning in industrial development. Adjournment Debate: Post-Cyclone "Ditwah" Situation (Part 2) Public FinanceInfrastructureEmployment Read →
21 January 2026 AI summary Chathuranga Abeysinghe made a brief remark indicating that a name he had mentioned could not realistically be avoided. No substantive policy argument, proposal, or procedural demand was made in the excerpt. Adjournment Debate: Post-Cyclone "Ditwah" Situation (Part 2) Parliamentary Procedure Read →
21 January 2026 AI summary During the debate on recovery from the “@OOo” cyclone, the Deputy Minister said the Government’s priority was to restore affected industries and businesses, with over 90 per cent of large industries resuming within one to two weeks after road, power and water services were restored. He outlined Ministry actions including a dedicated Disaster Management Centre, use of floodsupport.org to collect business data, Rs. 200,000 grants for MSMEs, and a target to pay 6,370 agency-linked beneficiaries by 31 January. He also cited Central Bank moratoria, subsidized credit facilities, a Rs. 10 billion on-lending scheme, a corporate-supported Industry Recovery Foster Programme, and plans for machinery replacement support, credit guarantees, risk management, insurance, and a national industrial resilience plan. Adjournment Debate: Post-Cyclone "Ditwah" Situation (Part 2) EmploymentPublic FinanceInfrastructure Read →
7 January 2026 AI summary The Deputy Minister stated that the Government is adhering to its policy book and will be accountable to its manifesto over the next five years. He noted that Debt Sustainability Analysis variables are updated every six months and said the Government should be judged by results, asserting that current figures indicate the country is on the right trajectory. Debate: Colombo Port City Economic Commission (Amendment) Bill Public Finance Read →
7 January 2026 AI summary Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe argued that Sri Lanka is maintaining fiscal discipline under the IMF programme and that debt sustainability, reserves and repayment capacity are improving through exports, FDI, remittances and tourism. He said the Port City Amendment strengthens regulation and aligns incentives with global standards, including Central Bank-regulated offshore banking, removal of tax-free status for employees, mandatory IRD tax filing and revised fee structures to ease investor entry. He noted that concessions for 24 previously approved companies were retained after negotiation, while four projects worth about US$ 1.2 billion are expected to begin in 2026 and a broader pipeline of Port City investments totals about US$ 3.9 billion. He urged the Opposition not to create fear about the economy, citing projected growth, falling interest costs as a share of revenue, and stronger export performance. Debate: Colombo Port City Economic Commission (Amendment) Bill EmploymentPublic FinanceInfrastructure Read →
7 January 2026 AI summary The Deputy Minister stated that while the main access to the estate is adequate, secondary access roads remain problematic because the Ministry and the Industrial Development Board receive allocations only for internal development, not external roads. He said the Ministry would coordinate with the District Coordinating Committee and Provincial Council to address the issue, and noted that Gampaha District industrial estates face broader challenges in access roads and solid waste management to be tackled through a district development programme during the year. Oral Question: Factories in Ekala Industrial Zone (Q.1564/2025) InfrastructurePublic Finance Read →
7 January 2026 AI summary The Deputy Minister stated that inadequate fire safety in industrial estates is a serious and widespread problem, noting that estates under the IDB, the Ministry, and the BOI were historically not designed with integrated fire protection. He said the Government is working to address this, including plans from the previous year to install water hydrants with proper water management. He also indicated that coordination is under way with nearby local authorities to position fire trucks close to industrial zones. Oral Question: Factories in Ekala Industrial Zone (Q.1564/2025) Public FinanceInfrastructure Read →
7 January 2026 AI summary The Deputy Minister reported that the Ekala Industrial Development Board Industrial Zone has 57 factories, of which 56 are operational, though six are not at full productivity. He said USS Engineering (Pvt.) Limited has been closed for about one and a half years, and the operator has been asked to restart it within a stipulated period. If it does not recommence operations, legal action will be taken to repossess the site for the IDB and reallocate it to another enterprise. Oral Question: Factories in Ekala Industrial Zone (Q.1564/2025) EmploymentInfrastructure Read →
21 November 2025 AI summary Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said the Ministry’s 2025 priority was to restore confidence in a distressed industrial and entrepreneurial sector, citing improved indicators including export growth, manufacturing growth, higher industrial production, lower NPLs, and increased registrations of industries, entrepreneurs, and exporters. He outlined Ministry actions such as allocating state land for industry, developing industrial parks, supporting MSME debt restructuring and concessional credit, strengthening productivity and district-level support systems, and reviving or restructuring state industrial enterprises. He said new institutional arrangements, export development measures, SME frameworks, training programmes, and digital decentralization were intended to support industrialization and entrepreneurship under the 2026 Estimates. Appropriation Bill, 2026 – Committee Stage Debate: Twelfth Allotted Day EmploymentInfrastructurePublic Finance Read →
8 November 2025 AI summary The Deputy Minister defended the Budget as part of a long-term policy framework aimed at moving from financial stability to a productive, inclusive economy, arguing that the Government met fiscal and macroeconomic targets in 2025 and is now targeting 7 percent growth and lower debt-to-GDP by 2030. He cited export, industrial, credit, tourism, IT and FDI growth as evidence of renewed investor confidence, and said reforms are under way on taxation, PPPs, investment protection, SOE management, MSME credit, digitization and the National Single Window. He also outlined measures for renewable energy, agriculture value chains, logistics, Customs modernization, public transport, disability inclusion, housing, waste management and improved ease of doing business, while contrasting these with what he described as past policy failures. Second Reading Debate: Appropriation Bill, 2026 EmploymentInfrastructurePublic Finance Read →
24 October 2025 AI summary Chathuranga Abeysinghe stated that unsupported allegations made in Parliament are later amplified through the media and can appear to gain legitimacy despite lacking evidence or legal basis. He said this was the reason he requested an investigation into the matter. Personal Explanation and Privilege Matter: Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe Parliamentary Procedure Read →