Sitting of Monday, 17 February 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1740119376022420 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Order of business
Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.
- 1 Opening Opening and Papers Presented 13 speeches
- 2 Procedural Parliamentary Structure and Committees 48 speeches
- 3 Papers Papers Presented by Prime Minister 1 speeches
- 4 Debate Appropriation Bill, 2025: Second Reading - Debate Adjourned 10 speeches
- Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake - President; Minister of Defence; Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development; and Minister of Digital Economy
AI summary The President moved the Second Reading of the Government’s first National Budget, framing it as a response to the 2022 economic, social and political crisis and as a mandate arising from the 2024 elections. He attributed the crisis to structural governance and fiscal failures, said the new administration had stabilized reserves, the exchange rate and financial conditions, and projected around 5 percent growth in 2025. He acknowledged the role and social costs of IMF-backed reforms, highlighted completion of external debt restructuring in December 2024, and stated that the Government’s objective is to rebuild economic sovereignty through its own policy framework while maintaining stability and international confidence.
- The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayaka
AI summary Proposes Budget 2025 allocations to address port congestion and improve logistics, including Rs. 500 million each for initial work at the Examination Yard/Bloemendhal supply park, a rail-based internal container dry port at Chetiyagoda, and upgraded port digital systems, plus Rs. 1,000 million for advanced scanning systems at Colombo Port and Bandaranaike International Airport. Sets out a digital economy programme centred on a Universal Digital ID, stronger cybersecurity and data protection laws, a Digital Economy Authority, expanded digital payments, and support for private investment in emerging technologies. States targets to grow the digital economy beyond USD 15 billion and 12 per cent of GDP within five years, including ICT/BPM exports of USD 5 billion, and proposes an additional Rs. 3,000 million for this purpose.
- The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara SJB
AI summary The member asked for clarification on the order of proceedings, specifically whether certain matters would be taken up immediately or later.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayaka
AI summary Anura Kumara Dissanayaka outlined budget proposals covering overseas workers, senior citizens, anti-drug programmes, prisoner skills training, and transport infrastructure. Measures included increasing duty-free allowances for returning migrant workers, funding a 3 per cent additional interest scheme for senior citizens’ fixed deposits, allocating Rs. 500 million for drug prevention and rehabilitation, and expanding vocational training for prisoners. He also proposed major public transport investments, including low-floor buses, rail coach refurbishment and local production, studies for Kelani Valley Line extension, agricultural freight by rail, and continued support for the Kandy Multimodal Transport Terminal. On SriLankan Airlines, he said the Treasury would allocate Rs. 20,000 million in 2025 for legacy debt servicing, while requiring the airline to fund daily operations through improved profitability.
- The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayaka
AI summary Anura Kumara Dissanayaka outlined Budget 2025 allocations for the Clean Sri Lanka Programme, describing it as a broad social, environmental and ethical development initiative rather than a limited clean-up campaign, with Rs. 5,000 million allocated and support sought from the public, state sector, private sector, NGOs and donors. He highlighted road accidents as a national concern, citing deaths, disabilities and injuries over recent years, and said the programme would include measures to improve road safety. He also proposed Rs. 750 million for solid waste disposal facilities in Anuradhapura, particularly to address hospital and urban waste, and referred to measures and Budget provisions to mitigate human-elephant conflict through electric fence rehabilitation, habitat improvement and forest conservation.
- Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake
AI summary The speech outlines 2025 Budget proposals to expand health and education services, including health system digitalization, strengthening primary and estate-level health care, pandemic preparedness, and targeted services for children with neurodevelopmental disorders including autism. It proposes Rs. 200 million for a neurodevelopmental treatment centre at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Rs. 250 million for a model inclusive day-care centre, and a wider five-year district-level rollout. In education, it notes allocations for school and university infrastructure, increases the preschool breakfast payment from Rs. 60 to Rs. 100, provides funds for early childhood centres, and proposes an additional Rs. 1,000 allowance for preschool teachers from June.
- Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake – Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies
AI summary The Prime Minister said the 2022 crisis reflected both economic collapse and political failure, creating humanitarian hardship and leading to a public mandate for systemic change at the 2024 elections. Presenting the Budget as the foundation for that mandate, he argued that the new Government had stabilized the economy, strengthened reserves and the rupee, lowered Treasury Bill rates, restored investor and international partner confidence, and expected about 5 per cent growth in 2025. He acknowledged the role of the IMF-supported reform programme and debt restructuring in stabilization, while stating that the Government seeks greater economic sovereignty and sensitivity to the pressures placed on citizens by measures such as higher taxes, interest rates and cost-reflective energy pricing.
- Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake
AI summary Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake outlined budget proposals to re-initiate the Giribawa–Eppawala Water Supply Scheme with Rs. 1,000 million, using surface water sources such as Rajanganaya Tank to improve drinking water access in dry-zone areas. He proposed Rs. 10,000 million in 2025 to recruit 30,000 people to essential Public Service vacancies on the basis of qualifications, skills, and approved cadre needs. He also proposed a phased public sector salary revision costing Rs. 325 billion, including raising the minimum basic salary to Rs. 40,000, increasing annual increments by 80 per cent, allocating Rs. 110 billion in 2025, revising retirement benefit calculations from 2025, and increasing distress loan limits to Rs. 400,000. He further noted agreed increases to the private sector minimum wage and referred to reconsideration of plantation workers’ wages.
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- 5 Debate Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill: Second Reading 63 speeches
- 6 Debate Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill: Third Reading and Division 7 speeches
- 7 Adjournment Adjournment 2 speeches