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
- 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
- The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law JJB
AI summary Hon. Lakmali Hemachandra asked the Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning for detailed information on Bank of Ceylon support to SMEs following its reported Rs. 30 billion pre-tax profit in the first quarter of 2025. She requested data on SME loans granted and repaid in 2025, district-wise and size-band breakdowns, amounts provided to women and youth, and details of any non-credit support programmes for SMEs.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning
AI summary Deputy Minister Harshana Suriyapperuma detailed Bank of Ceylon’s SME lending and support, stating that Rs. 37.629 billion had been granted from January 2025 to date, with 137,975 active SME loans outstanding at Rs. 147.685 billion as of 30 April 2025. He provided breakdowns by district, loan size, and borrower category, noting lending to women and youth entrepreneurs and outreach beyond the Western Province. He also outlined non-credit support initiatives, including district SME forums, advisory councils, village development programmes, and awareness programmes. In response to supplementary issues on debt restructuring and parate law relief, he said relief periods had been granted by loan category, Rs. 5.729 billion had been restructured so far, and remaining eligible borrowers were urged to approach banks for restructuring assessments.
- The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law JJB
AI summary Asked the Deputy Minister about the status of Government relief measures concerning the parate law and the restructuring process initiated with the involvement of the Ministry of Finance. Requested an update on the current progress of that process.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning
AI summary The Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning said the Government had quickly introduced amendments and a relief mechanism for SMEs, with grace periods based on loan principal size extending to June, September, or December 2025. He reported that Rs. 160.8 billion in eligible SME principal was covered, Rs. 57.365 billion had approached banks, and Rs. 5.729 billion had already been restructured. He urged remaining eligible borrowers to contact banks and said guidance had been sought from the Central Bank to extend relief windows fairly.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna cited Standing Orders 92(2)(b) and 92(1)(b) to argue that a Member may raise a point of order except during a division, and that Members should not interrupt another Member without permission. He stated that his intervention was to support proper procedure, not to obstruct the Government, and requested that Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara be allowed to proceed or raise his point of order.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dinesh Hemantha JJB
AI summary Hon. Dinesh Hemantha raised a point of order under Standing Order 92(2)(a), questioning the procedure being followed in the House. He asked why he was not being allowed to pose his question.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar - Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources JJB
AI summary Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar objected to Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara’s manner of raising a matter, emphasizing that proceedings must follow Standing Orders and established parliamentary practice. He urged respect for the Chair and stated that an MP should not attempt to command the Presiding Member.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Hansaka Wijemuni - Deputy Minister of Health and Mass Media JJB
AI summary The Deputy Minister said the Ministry could not provide precise annual figures for Allied Health graduates because aggregate numbers from state, private and foreign institutions are outside its remit. He detailed current vacancies in supplementary health professions and said recruitment action had been initiated through 2024 Gazettes for several cadres, with a proposal to recruit 100 pharmacists awaiting approval. He explained that a common general knowledge and IQ examination was required by the Public Service Commission where applicants exceeded vacancies, while categories with fewer applicants than vacancies could proceed without an exam. He stated that recruitment cannot be limited to state-university graduates, as private and foreign graduates have long been eligible, and said the Ministry remains open to dialogue or re-gazetting to fill posts quickly without disadvantaging candidates.