Sitting of Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1749121318003248 ·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 Parliament Opening and Speaker's Announcements 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers - Annual Reports Tabling 6 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions - Presented to Committee on Public Petitions 8 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Lands Acquired for Kurunegala-Habarana Railway Line - Compensation/Ex-Gratia Payment (Q.1/2025) 6 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question: Bridge at Pansilgoda, Minuwangoda - Non-Completion (Q.2/2025) 7 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Question: Lady Ridgeway Hospital - Donations for Purchase of Surgical Items (Q.3/2025) 6 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Question: Sinhala and Tamil-Medium Government Schools - Teacher Vacancies (Q.4/2025) 4 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Question: Warehouses of Co-operative Wholesale Establishment in Welisara - Lease (Q.8/2025) 4 speeches
- 9 Oral question Oral Question: Director of Jaffna Teaching Hospital Appointment (Q.9/2025) 4 speeches
- 10 Oral question Oral Question: Millennium City Housing Complex, Oruwala - Lands for Common Amenities (Q.10/2025) 6 speeches
- 11 Oral question Oral Questions - Various Tabled and Private Notice Questions 7 speeches
- 12 Debate Debate: Finance Act Order - Tax Exemptions and Government Policy on Renewable Energy 11 speeches
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka – Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing
AI summary Moved for parliamentary approval of an Order made under Section 2(1) of the Finance Act, No. 25 of 2003, published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2421/30 of 31 January 2025 and presented on 8 May 2025, noting Cabinet approval. He also tabled the related notification listed as Item No. 2 on the Order Paper.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma – Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning
AI summary The Deputy Minister outlined Gazette Extraordinary No. 2421/30 and No. 2421/41, stating they were intended to support due process and development objectives. He explained that several airport-related concessions had expired between December 2024 and March 2025, and proposed extending them for one year, including a reduced embarkation fee at Mattala and a 50 per cent reduction to USD 30 for passengers using Bandaranaike, Ratmalana, and Jaffna airports.
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake briefly referred to the Deputy Minister’s mention of Bandaranaike International Airport, indicating a possible follow-up or clarification on that matter. No substantive argument, proposal, or demand is included in the provided excerpt.
Infrastructure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma
AI summary The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma clarified the wording of Item (ii), noting that it refers to a “person leaving Sri Lanka by aircraft from Colombo.” This appears to be a procedural clarification on the text under consideration.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake clarified that the reference being discussed was to the Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana. No further substantive argument or proposal was made in the statement.
Infrastructure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma
AI summary The speech supported gazettes relating to tourism-related charges and vehicle luxury tax amendments, arguing that tourism recovery requires efficient visa processing, airport development, and stronger legal mechanisms to ensure airlines remit fees collected through tickets. It stated that exemptions continue for children under five, airline crew, and short-term transit passengers, and criticized past stalled airport and online visa projects while saying the Government had restored legal and procedural compliance. The speaker also explained proposed Luxury Tax threshold increases for vehicles, citing depreciation and price increases after years of import restrictions, and linked the measures to wider economic activity, investment, tourism arrivals, and capital spending.
- The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma
AI summary The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma stated that the proposed measures are intended to raise the revenue needed to fund development plans and advance Sri Lanka’s national objectives.
Public Finance Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva sought clarification regarding references to the online visa issue, stating that the Committee on Public Finance had previously brought the matter before Parliament and court, including concerns about threats. He asked the Government to clarify which Opposition Members were being referred to and raised concern over the delay in appointing an Auditor General. As Chair of the Committee on Public Finance, he questioned whether a politically influenced appointment was being considered and emphasized the need for the Auditor General’s independence.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma
AI summary Alleged past wrongdoing was widely known and reported, with failures to follow the system despite court orders. The present Government, upon taking office, implemented the relevant requirements immediately, and the remarks framed the previous period as one of lawlessness.
- 13 Debate Debate: Finance Act Order - Continued Discussion (Multiple Speakers) 29 speeches
- 14 Debate Debate: Finance Act Order and Notification on Luxury Tax on Motor Vehicles - Continued (Afternoon Session) 37 speeches
- 15 Procedural Procedural: Questions on Bank of Ceylon Relief and Allied Health Graduates - Final Business 8 speeches