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

Sitting of Thursday, 23 January 2025

10th Parliament· 19 debates· 178 speeches· 51 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1738314169039521 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

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Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

  4. 4 Oral question Oral Question No. 3 & 4 – 149/2024 & 176/2024: Bank of Ceylon Financial Status and Performance 6 speeches
    • Mr. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Prof.) Anil Jayantha JJB

      AI summary Responding on behalf of the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Prof. Anil Jayantha provided detailed information on the Bank of Ceylon, including its incorporation date, current leadership, 658 branches, 8,214 employees, Rs. 253 billion paid-up capital, and compliance with Basel capital adequacy requirements. He tabled financial performance data, stating that profits ranged from Rs. 20.3 billion in 2014 to Rs. 40.3 billion in 2023, with estimated profits of about or above Rs. 100 billion for 2024-2026, alongside ROA, ROE, administrative cost, net interest margin, and total asset figures. He further stated that no loans above Rs. 1 billion had been written off, though provisions exceeding Rs. 1 billion had been made in accordance with International Accounting Standards and internal procedures.

      Public Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF

      AI summary Ravi Karunanayake acknowledged the response given and contrasted deteriorated financial discipline before 2022 with improvements under the new Board and CEO Russel Fonseka appointed in 2022–2023. He asked whether the fall and subsequent recovery in return on equity was accepted, and whether the causes related to administrative costs or staff competencies and efficiency issues.

      Public Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Prof.) Anil Jayantha JJB

      AI summary The Minister stated that return on equity in State banks should be assessed through a detailed decomposition analysis to identify operational drivers, including administrative cost impacts. He noted that financial conditions are stabilizing and emphasized the importance of a sound financial system, with State banks playing a major role. He also said past appointments to bank governing bodies had included unqualified or inexperienced persons, and cited the appointment of the current Bank of Ceylon Chairman, a former Citibank Country Director, as an example of merit-based selection.

      Corruption & Governance ReformPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF

      AI summary Asked whether a bank with 8,500 staff and 658 branches can further expand its branch network while improving automation, noting that international banks often operate with fewer staff per branch. He questioned what measures are being taken to reduce high administrative costs, which he said contribute to higher lending rates for the public.

      InfrastructurePublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Prof.) Anil Jayantha JJB

      AI summary Prof. Anil Jayantha stated that the Government would conduct detailed cost analyses to identify non-value-added activities and skills gaps for reform. He emphasized that efficiency and cost reduction in banking would be pursued through gradual digitalization and technology adoption, while maintaining selective physical outreach and considering international expansion.

      EmploymentPublic Finance Full speech →