Sitting of Wednesday, 9 April 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1747807095041246 ·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 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers Presented: Customs Resolution, Ministry Reports, Annual Reports 7 speeches
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB
AI summary A Resolution under Schedule “A” of the Customs Ordinance relating to Import Duties, published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2421/05 of 27 January 2025, was presented and referred to the Committee on Public Finance. An order made under Section 10A of the Customs Ordinance concerning preferential and general duties on imported goods, published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2421/43 of 31 January 2025, was also tabled.
Public Finance Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip JJB
AI summary Under Standing Order 119(4), reports on observations and actions taken by the Ministry of Mass Media and its institutions in response to Committee on Public Accounts findings were presented and referred to the Committee on Public Finance. On behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, the Annual Reports of the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board for 2022 and the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute for 2023 were also presented and referred to the relevant Sectoral Oversight Committee.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Sunil Kumara Gamage - Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports JJB
AI summary The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports presented the 2023 Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency. He moved that the report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital, and the motion was agreed to.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB
AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Justice, Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa presented the 2023 Performance Report of the Government Analyst’s Department. He moved that the report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Public Administration, Justice and Civil Security, and the House agreed.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage - Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment JJB
AI summary The Minister presented the 2023 Annual Report of the National Secretariat for Persons with Disabilities to Parliament. He moved that the Report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital, and the motion was agreed to.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj - Minister of Women and Child Affairs JJB
AI summary The Minister of Women and Child Affairs presented the National Child Protection Authority’s Annual Report for 2023. She moved that the report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Health, Mass Media and Women’s Empowerment, and the motion was agreed to.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva presented the Committee on Public Finance report on the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill and the Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme. He said the Committee had no objection to extending or expanding Aswesuma payments, but raised concerns about significant exclusion and inclusion errors in beneficiary selection, citing survey findings and urging the Government to address them using updated household income data. He also stated that exporter groups had requested a delay in removing the SVAT system due to tariff-related pressures, but the Government did not accept the proposed deferral, leading him and Hon. Ravi Karunanayake to oppose the Bill while Government Members approved it.
- 3 Committee report Committee Report: Committee on Public Finance (VAT and Aswesuma) 2 speeches
- 4 Petitions Petitions Presented 2 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question: Hon. Prime Minister on University Development and Conflict Resolution 16 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Questions: Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs; Foreign Employment 17 speeches
- 7 Oral question Ministerial Statement: SO 27(2) Question to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Procedural Matters 11 speeches
- 8 Procedural Ministerial Statement and Privilege Question; Procedural Motions 9 speeches
- 9 Debate Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Morning Session) 42 speeches
- 10 Debate Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) 77 speeches
- 11 Adjournment Adjournment Motion: Renewable Energy Policy and Rooftop Solar 44 speeches