Sitting of Thursday, 23 January 2025

Order of business

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

1. 1 Opening Parliament Opening and Announcements 1 speeches ▸
2. 2 Committee report Committee Report: Regulations under Imports and Exports (Control) Act, No. 1 of 1969 4 speeches ▸
3. 3 Oral question Oral Question No. 1 – 103/2024: Bingiriya Export Processing Zone Infrastructure Facilities 8 speeches ▸
4. 4 Oral question Oral Question No. 3 & 4 – 149/2024 & 176/2024: Bank of Ceylon Financial Status and Performance 6 speeches ▸
5. 5 Oral question Oral Question: Family Medicine Specialist Training Stream 4 speeches ▸
6. 6 Oral question Oral Question: Disposal of the Dead Due to COVID-19 During 2019–2022 7 speeches ▸
7. 7 Oral question Oral Question: Educational Reforms and Student Welfare Programmes 6 speeches ▸
8. 8 Oral question Oral Question: IMF-related Economic Measures and Vehicle Imports Policy 7 speeches ▸
9. 9 Oral question Oral Question: Vehicle Assignments to Government Members 13 speeches ▸
10. 10 Oral question Oral Question: Olcott Mawatha Traders and Floating Market 6 speeches ▸
11. 11 Oral question Oral Question: Fuel Imports (Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene and Crude Oil) 2 speeches ▸
12. 12 Oral question Oral Question: Palpola Interchange on Southern Expressway 2 speeches ▸
13. 13 Procedural Chair Change: Deputy Speaker Takes Chair 1 speeches ▸
14. 14 Oral question Question by Private Notice: Delay in Issuing Passports 3 speeches ▾
    • Mr. Deputy Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB

      AI summary Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, raising a question under Standing Order 27(2), said passport issuance delays of three to four months had become a national problem, affecting especially those seeking overseas employment and allegedly encouraging unofficial payments. He asked the Minister to provide detailed figures on processing times, daily applications and issuances, pending applications since January 2024, booklet stocks and procurement plans. He also requested information on the current passport supplier, tender process and performance, and whether newly issued e-passports meet required quality standards, urging the Government to state when normal service would be restored.

      Parliamentary ProcedureEmployment Full speech →
    • The Hon. Ananda Wijepala - Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs JJB

      AI summary The Minister said the passport issuance crisis was inherited from the previous Government and is being managed through online appointments, urgent-review committees, and controlled daily issuance of around 2,900 passports despite a nominal cap of 2,500. He stated that about 586,935 applications had been received since January 2024 and about 587,094 passports issued, with a remaining backlog of roughly 125,000, while stock is conserved pending replenishment. He cited inadequate prior ordering and the pending writ case C.A. 609/2024 as barriers to normalization, and said the Government is expediting legal proceedings, considering an expert committee report, and initiating emergency procurement of five million passport booklets, with normalization expected after August 2025. He added that the current supplier, Thales DIS Finland Oy, is delivering monthly lots under the existing tender, and that the e-passports issued comply with ICAO standards.

      Public FinanceParliamentary Procedure Full speech →
15. 15 Procedural Matter of Privilege: Non-Allocation of Time to Speak in Parliament 15 speeches ▸
16. 16 Procedural Motion: Sittings of Parliament 1 speeches ▸
17. 17 Debate Debate: Regulations under Imports and Exports (Control) Act and Related Economic Measures 62 speeches ▸
18. 18 Procedural Motions: Strategic Development Projects and Ports Authority Regulations 3 speeches ▸
19. 19 Adjournment Adjournment Motion: Ensuring Protection for Rohingya Refugees in Sri Lanka 27 speeches ▸