Sitting of Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1740397565032971 ·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 Speaker's Announcements: Opposition Representation in Parliamentary Committees 11 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers Presented: Annual Reports and Ministry Statements 9 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions Presented by Members 7 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question No. 152/2024: Waste-to-Energy Power Plant in Kerawalapitiya 6 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question No. 179/2024: CEB Payment of Loans and Staff Emoluments 8 speeches
- 6 Procedural Procedural: Question No. 3 Deferred 1 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Questions: Holuwagoda Development Project and Sports Facilities 9 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Question (Second Round): Flood Control in Kolonnawa DS Division 3 speeches
- 9 Oral question Question by Private Notice (Standing Order 27(2)): Data on Poverty, Aswesuma Programme and Law and Order 13 speeches
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa, raising questions under Standing Order 27(2), asked what updated poverty data and sources were used in preparing the Budget and when new HIES and census reports would be released. He sought the Government’s position on whether the Aswesuma programme can eradicate poverty, its beneficiary selection issues, funding sources, and sustainability. He also asked whether the Government has a broader poverty-eradication strategy beyond cash assistance and what plans exist to protect exporters and poor communities affected by global tariff changes and protectionism.
- The Hon. (Prof.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development JJB
AI summary The Minister outlined the poverty and census data used in preparing the Budget, including official poverty lines, HIES 2019, the Multidimensional Poverty Index 2019 and a 2023 household survey, and gave timelines for forthcoming statistical releases. He said the next HIES will run from January 2025 to January 2026, with reports due in June and August 2026, and updated Parliament on the Population and Housing Census, including delays in Colombo and Gampaha and a preliminary enumeration report due on 5 March 2025. On Aswesuma, he stated that cash transfers alone cannot eradicate poverty and that the Government is developing an integrated, data-driven poverty-exit approach, while acknowledging beneficiary selection issues and describing the appeals and additional application processes.
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary The Leader of the Opposition asked the Minister to state the total number of applications that had been submitted, seeking a specific figure in relation to the matter under discussion.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Prof.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development JJB
AI summary Hon. (Prof.) Anil Jayantha outlined the status and funding of the Aswesuma programme, stating that 1,800,032 families had been selected by year-end and that a further 0.8 million applications would be reviewed through village-level committees. He said 2025 expenditure for Aswesuma would total Rs. 232.5 billion, including Rs. 72 billion in World Bank support, and that the nature of that support would be verified. He also described poverty-reduction plans to integrate low-income families into productive economic activity, with allocations for empowering 25,000 families and village-level production. On trade, he set out export promotion measures including the National Export Development Plan 2025–2029, a US$ 19 billion export target for 2025, economic diplomacy, trade digitalization, infrastructure improvements and industrial zone development.
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa questioned the basis for identifying Aswesuma beneficiaries, arguing that the programme was implemented without updated national poverty statistics or a current HIES-based poverty line, resulting in inclusion and exclusion errors. Citing LIRNEasia and World Bank-related poverty figures, he asked why Sri Lanka lacks its own updated data and urged a more scientific, data-driven poverty eradication strategy integrating consumption, savings, production and exports.
- The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara rose on a Point of Order. No substantive argument, proposal, or question was recorded in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara raised concerns over a shooting inside Court No. 5 of the Aluthkade Courts Complex, where a person allegedly posing as a lawyer shot “Ganemulle Sanjeeva,” described as linked to the underworld. He questioned court security and the safety of lawyers, citing a reported rise in murders, and urged Parliament to treat the law-and-order situation as a serious matter.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the Government is treating underworld activities, drug trafficking, black money networks, and alleged involvement of security personnel as serious concerns. He said the Special Task Force, Police, and intelligence services have been mobilized as part of ongoing measures to address these issues.
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa raised concern over what he described as a serious breakdown in law and order, citing daily homicides, deaths of children, and public fear even in attending court. He called on the Government, including the Chief Government Whip, to take strong and decisive action to restore safety, discipline, and public confidence. He stated that the Opposition is prepared to support such measures, while emphasizing that responsibility and authority currently rest with the Government.
- Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB
AI summary The Minister stated that the Government is acting firmly against underworld activities, including requiring the surrender of issued weapons through the Defence Ministry and pursuing ongoing investigations. He noted that some suspects had been brought back from India and Dubai to face legal action, and said the Government would continue enforcing the law strictly while not disclosing all operational details.
- 10 Debate Debate: Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Second Reading 90 speeches