Sitting of Friday, 6 June 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1750753418078417 ·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: Parliament Commencement and Speaker's Announcements 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers: Annual and Committee Reports 4 speeches
- 3 Oral question Oral Question: Dedicated Economic Centres (Q.12/2024) 8 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Sub Post Office Building (Q.74/2024) 6 speeches
- 5 Procedural Procedural: Standing Orders Discussion and Oral Questions 59 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Question: Major Ports Revenue and Expenditure (Q.95/2024) 5 speeches
- 7 Procedural Procedural and Oral Question: Airport and Aviation Services and Standing Orders Clarification 70 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Question: State-Owned Sugar Companies (Q.191/2024) 16 speeches
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti - Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development JJB
AI summary The Minister answered a question on Sri Lanka’s sugar industry, stating that four sugar companies exist, of which Hingurana Sugar Industries and Kantale Sugar Company are not operational. He reported that Sri Lanka imported 564 million kg of sugar in 2024 at a cost of Rs. 112 billion, and about 140 million kg in January–February 2025 at about Rs. 24.757 billion, while current stocks stood at 23,696 MT of sugar and 2.35 million litres of ethanol. He outlined measures to increase domestic production, including expanding cultivation, establishing a 1,000-hectare breeder seed farm, improving agronomic practices, introducing modern irrigation and mechanization, expanding factory crushing capacity by 2,500 tons per day, and raising sugar recovery to 8 percent.
- The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB
AI summary Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha raised concerns over unsold sugar stocks at state sugar institutions, stating that about 2,000 metric tons of the reported 23,000 metric tons had expired and that remaining stocks had been stored for over a year. He argued that changes to distribution systems, falling sugar and molasses sales, and inadequate regulation of sugar and molasses imports had contributed to losses and market congestion. He asked what immediate action the Government would take to dispose of existing stocks, address the crisis at the Pelwatte and Sevanagala sugar factories, and ensure funds are available to pay and support farmers.
- The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti JJB
AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti said there is no Government-held stock of 2,000–3,000 metric tons of expired sugar, and any old stocks in warehouses belong to buyers who have already paid but not collected them. He outlined measures to protect the domestic sugar industry, including a market plan, stricter Customs and standards checks to prevent brown sugar being imported or sold as white sugar, and action against concealed sugar imports. He also stated that ethanol imports will not be allowed, a minimum ethanol purchase price of Rs. 800 per litre has been set for distilleries, and payments to cane farmers and employee allowances have not been reduced. He referred to the closure of the Kantale Sugar Factory in 1993 and said similar decisions would not be taken regarding Hingurana, Pelwatte and Sevanagala.
- The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Rauff Hakeem sought the Speaker’s permission, with Nalin Bandara Jayamaha’s consent, to ask a second supplementary question. No substantive policy issue or proposal was raised in this excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB
AI summary The member yielded his opportunity to ask the second supplementary question to Hon. Rauff Hakeem.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Rauff Hakeem noted the Minister’s statement that the price of ethanol per litre would be increased from Rs. 550 to Rs. 800. He sought clarification on this price increase in the context of the Minister’s announcement.
Cost of Living Full speech → - The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Rauff Hakeem warned that raising ethanol prices to offset losses of state sugar companies could increase legal alcohol prices and thereby encourage illicit liquor production. He said this would reduce excise revenue and risk missing government revenue targets, noting he had raised the issue with Excise Department officials at the Public Finance Committee. He urged the Minister to consult the Ministry of Finance on the revenue implications before proceeding.
- The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti JJB
AI summary Hon. Sunil Handunnetti argued that reductions in ethanol prices had not led to lower arrack prices, so increasing ethanol from Rs. 475 to Rs. 800 per litre should not justify higher retail prices or losses for distilleries. He said illicit liquor consumption remains significant and proposed granting licences to sugar and molasses producers such as Hingurana and Pelwatte to produce a low-priced legal product to compete with kasippu. He also alleged that certain Finance Ministry officials were influenced by distillery companies and said he would report the matter to the President, framing the ethanol price increase as necessary to protect farmers and the ethanol and sugar industries.
- An Hon. Member
AI summary The Member briefly pressed the Minister to provide specific examples, asking that a few be named.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti JJB
AI summary Arguing that payments to farmers and workers should not be reduced, Sunil Handunnetti proposed increasing the ethanol price per litre from Rs. 475 to Rs. 800. He stated that this increase would not require arrack prices to rise and appealed for support from Hon. Chamara Sampath.
- The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake discussed ethanol pricing and the trade-off between importing cheaper ethanol from South Africa and protecting local ethanol factories. He noted that even when ethanol was supplied at Rs. 1,200 per litre under the previous government, liquor prices remained high, and questioned why bottle prices are now around Rs. 3,600 if ethanol costs do not justify such increases.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF
AI summary Chamara Sampath Dasanayake asked the Speaker for speaking time, stating that he had not disrupted proceedings and had remained quietly seated.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF
AI summary Chamara Sampath Dasanayake urged the Minister not to close the Pelwatte and Sevanagala sugar factories, noting that Sri Lanka has few sugar factories remaining after closures such as Kantale. He proposed imposing VAT on imported white sugar while removing VAT on locally produced brown sugar, arguing that this would help resolve the problems facing the domestic sugar industry.
- 9 Oral question Oral Questions: Second Round 7 speeches
- 10 Oral question Oral Question: Mahaweli Re-awakening Week (Q.619/2025) 5 speeches
- 11 Oral question Oral Question: Ambassadors and High Commissioners with Dual Citizenship 16 speeches
- 12 Procedural Procedural: Second Round and Ministerial Statements 14 speeches
- 13 Procedural Procedural: Standing Order 27(2) Questions and Points of Order 32 speeches
- 14 Procedural Procedural: House Conduct and Petition Examination 14 speeches
- 15 Papers Papers: Private Members' Bills Introduction 7 speeches
- 16 Debate Debate: Votes of Condolence for Four Former MPs 46 speeches
- 17 Adjournment Adjournment: Adjournment Motion and Questions 13 speeches