Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P.

Jathika Jana balawegaya (JJB)· Colombo

Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education

Profession: University Lecturer

Roster profile ↗

Speeches 536 #7 of 225·#3 in party

Attendance 4/8 days present (of recorded)

Speech history

536 speeches

6 March 2026 AI summary The Prime Minister tabled a response regarding a halted auditorium project at a school in the Polonnaruwa Education Zone, initiated in 2017 with an estimated value of about Rs. 542 million. She stated that Rs. 100 million was paid as an advance and Rs. 92 million in bills submitted, but funding allocations stopped amid the dissolution of the North Central Provincial Council, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economic crisis. She added that the Governor has questioned the project’s necessity and feasibility, and the Chief Secretary has been instructed to plan effective use of the completed sections. Oral Questions: Various Tabled Answers (Health, Justice, Education) Public FinanceEducation Read →
6 March 2026 AI summary Discussions are ongoing with principals’ associations regarding their requests, in consultation with the Department of Management Services. Depending on the Department’s responses, proposals are expected to be submitted to Cabinet for implementation. Oral Question: Vacancies in Education Services Education Read →
6 March 2026 AI summary The Prime Minister stated that the Government has discussed salary anomalies with principals and their associations and is seeking a sustainable solution. She said a Salaries Commission will be appointed this year to address anomalies across sectors, and that the Government will specifically present principals’ concerns to that Commission. Oral Question: Vacancies in Education Services Public FinanceEducation Read →
6 March 2026 AI summary As of the response, there were 903 vacancies in the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service and 3,790 in the Sri Lanka Principals’ Service. The Prime Minister stated that recent SLEAS appointments had been made through open, limited, and experience/skills streams, with further viva examinations and later competitive examinations planned to fill remaining and newly arising vacancies, while SLPS recruitment would proceed through a limited competitive examination under the relevant Service Minute. She clarified that entry from the Teachers’ Service to the Principals’ Service is treated as fresh recruitment, not promotion, but said a Cabinet Memorandum is being prepared to seek approval to apply pay-fixation provisions similar to promotions for such appointments. Mandatory SLPS training requirements include induction training and capacity development courses before promotion to higher grades. Oral Question: Vacancies in Education Services Public FinanceEducation Read →
5 March 2026 AI summary The Prime Minister supported the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus Adjournment Motion on a National Care Policy, arguing that unpaid care work is a major barrier to women’s equal participation in political, economic and social life. She called for care work to be recognized as a social responsibility requiring public intervention, infrastructure, financing, regulation and attitudinal change, including childcare and eldercare centres, disability support, safer transport, and reduced household burdens linked to education. She said the policy should form part of a wider structural transformation to value, redistribute and support both paid and unpaid care work, while promoting women’s leadership and equal citizenship. Adjournment: National Care Policy and International Women's Day EducationEmploymentWomen & Children Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya stated that the 2026 education reform allocations aim to address resource gaps in secondary schools, including laboratories, IT connectivity, equipment, devices, and smart classrooms. She said facilities had been assessed and would be provided in phases, with all secondary schools targeted to receive at least one smart classroom and adequate connectivity by year-end through negotiations with internet service providers. She also noted that identified schools would receive special support and that provinces would receive funds in addition to Line Ministry allocations. Oral Questions: Paddy Marketing Board and Fertilizer Subsidies InfrastructureEducationPublic Finance Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that a project begun in 2016 and stopped in 2020 had led to contractual and cost-related complications, requiring a review of projects in 2025–2026 and renegotiations with contractors. She said budget allocations had been prioritized for completing incomplete infrastructure, while some unusable buildings would be abandoned and unsafe school buildings should not be used pending decisions. She requested details of any specific unsafe school so the matter could be investigated. Oral Questions: Paddy Marketing Board and Fertilizer Subsidies EducationInfrastructure Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary Dr. Harini Amarasuriya replied to Question 1269/2025, stating that 356 partially constructed and abandoned buildings exist in government schools, with larger inventories identifying 468 projects under various categories. She attributed the delays to the closure of the “Nearest School – Best School” Project Management Unit in 2020, shortage of technical staff, COVID-19 disruptions, the economic crisis, contractor unwillingness to continue at old prices, and insufficient donor or private funding. She said the Government reviewed these projects in 2025 and 2026, allocated funds to complete viable buildings subject to contractual renegotiation, and would abandon unusable structures while instructing principals not to use unsafe buildings and to ensure student safety where limited use continues. Oral Questions: Paddy Marketing Board and Fertilizer Subsidies Public FinanceInfrastructureEducation Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary Compensation for housing damage will be provided based on verified assessments and established criteria. Payments will vary according to whether houses are partially or fully damaged and the extent of the damage, rather than being issued as a flat-rate amount. Oral Question: Cyclone Ditcha Relief and Compensation (Q.1368/2025) Land & Housing Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary Initial relief payments of Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000 have been provided to affected households, with about 98% in the Colombo District having received the Rs. 25,000 payment, though Kolonnawa-specific figures were not yet available. Further housing compensation will be assessed under existing criteria distinguishing total and partial damage, rather than being paid as a flat amount. Oral Question: Cyclone Ditcha Relief and Compensation (Q.1368/2025) Land & HousingPublic Finance Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000 grants are being provided to all affected households, while separate damage compensation is allocated based on established criteria. Households are categorized as fully damaged or partially damaged, and disbursements are being made accordingly. Oral Question: Cyclone Ditcha Relief and Compensation (Q.1368/2025) Public Finance Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary The Prime Minister provided a detailed update on relief measures following Cyclone “Ditcha”, stating that 2,487,114 persons were affected and tabling district-wise annexes on impacts and grant payments. She said one-time housing grants of Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000 had largely been disbursed, while compensation for fully and partially damaged houses was still at an early stage, with remaining funds requested and appeals under review. She also reported that 207,312 affected schoolchildren were eligible for a Rs. 25,000 grant for books, stationery and clothing, funded through Disaster Management allocations and the President’s Fund, with most payments completed but no fixed date set for full completion. Oral Question: Cyclone Ditcha Relief and Compensation (Q.1368/2025) EnvironmentPublic FinanceEducation Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary The Prime Minister stated that selected individuals would be appointed under agreements and bonds, with compliance mechanisms in place. She said the policy mirrors practices in other countries that identify top talent for specialized training, and is intended to address existing skills or capacity gaps. Oral Question: Government Printing Department Vacancies and Qualifications EducationEmployment Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary The Prime Minister stated that the Government has begun programmes to improve professionalism and qualifications in the public service, including MoUs and training opportunities with India and Singapore for serving officers. She also said high-performing A/L students will be funded to study critical fields at leading international universities, with the expectation that they return to serve the country. Oral Question: Government Printing Department Vacancies and Qualifications Public FinanceEducation Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary Over the past year and a half, the Prime Minister said the Government had begun orderly, merit-based recruitment processes to address the issue under discussion. She presented these recruitment measures as the relevant policy response within her education-related ministerial responsibilities. Oral Question: Government Printing Department Vacancies and Qualifications Public FinanceEducation Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary The Prime Minister stated that the decline in the public service is a long-standing issue caused by factors including improper recruitment practices, affecting multiple institutions. She indicated that the relevant subject Minister would provide details regarding the specific institution in question. Oral Question: Government Printing Department Vacancies and Qualifications Education Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary Under the Sri Lanka Printing Service Minute, no currently qualified departmental officer is available to serve as Government Printer, so a senior Special Grade Sri Lanka Administrative Service officer has been appointed on contract from 2 January 2025 with Cabinet approval to ensure continuity. The Prime Minister stated that security and confidential printing functions have not been reduced, and that quality, confidentiality and procedural integrity remain priorities. She added that a separate independent audit is not considered necessary beyond Auditor-General oversight, and that steps are being taken to make a full-time appointment. Oral Question: Government Printing Department Vacancies and Qualifications Public Finance Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya responded on Sri Lanka’s participation in the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit held from 16 to 20 February, stating that it focused on responsible, inclusive and human-centred AI governance under the themes People, Planet and Progress. She said Sri Lanka’s Head of State-level participation emphasized fair access, cultural and linguistic diversity, safety, and regional cooperation through affordable access, curated language datasets, common evaluation and safety tools, and capacity building. She also outlined bilateral meetings held with leaders from India, France, Bhutan, Brazil, the UAE and the United States, covering cooperation in digital technology, AI, trade, investment, tourism, education, health, maritime affairs and regional partnerships. Oral Question: Artificial Intelligence Summit 2026 EducationForeign Affairs Read →
4 March 2026 AI summary Guaranteed prices for the 2025/2026 Maha season were stated as Rs. 120 per kg for Nadu, Rs. 130 for Samba, and Rs. 140 for Keeri Samba, with Paddy Marketing Board stores opened for procurement under specified standards. A Rs. 10,000 million allocation has been made, purchasing centres are listed in an annex, and PMB storage capacity has been increased to 250,000 metric tons under warehouse rehabilitation. It was noted that more than 13,000 metric tons of paddy had already been delivered, and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock would respond to the supplementary question. Oral Question: Paddy Purchasing and Guaranteed Prices (Q.1347/2025) Agriculture Read →
3 March 2026 AI summary The Prime Minister requested two weeks to respond to the question raised in Parliament. The question was accordingly ordered to stand down. Oral Question: Question No. 3 (Q.840/2025) - Deferred Parliamentary Procedure Read →