Sitting of Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1750929357043199 ·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 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers: Regulations, Annual Reports and Ministerial Consultative Committee Reports 5 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions 5 speeches
- 4 Procedural Procedural: Points of Order and Question Scheduling 17 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question Q.279/2024: SMS Service for Electricity Bills 7 speeches
- 6 Procedural Oral Question Q.307/2024 (Standalone, Deferred) 4 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Question Q.??/2024: Gin River Overflow and Flood Management 6 speeches
- 8 Procedural Procedural: Points of Order and Question Scheduling 6 speeches
- 9 Oral question Oral Question Q.??/2025: Mahapola Educational and Trade Fair 4 speeches
- 10 Oral question Oral Question Q.??/2025: Land Reform Commission Employee Land Grants 8 speeches
- 11 Oral question Oral Questions Second Round Q.875/2025 and Related Questions 9 speeches
- 12 Oral question Question by Private Notice: Chemmani Cemetery and Related Issues (Q.27(2)) 46 speeches
- 13 Procedural Procedural: Israel-Iran Conflict Discussion and Ministerial Statement on Energy 79 speeches
- 14 Papers Presentation of Bills 4 speeches
- 15 Debate Debate: Convention Against Doping in Sports Regulations 62 speeches
- 16 Adjournment Adjournment Debate: Trade Tariffs and Iran-Israel Conflict Impact 17 speeches
- The Hon. Vijitha Herath - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism JJB
AI summary The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism moved the procedural motion that Parliament adjourn. No substantive policy issues or proposals were raised.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake raised a series of questions on trade policy, focusing on the impact of the United States’ new tariff regime, the status of Sri Lanka’s discussions with US officials, and measures to protect key exports such as apparel, rubber products and tea. He also sought information on market diversification, reciprocal trade policy, and whether economic analyses on inflation, supply chains and employment would be presented to Parliament. He further questioned the Government on EU GSP Plus negotiations, including stakeholder engagement, labour law reforms, the PTA, the Online Safety Act, and contingency plans if preferences are lost. He also asked whether Sri Lanka is pursuing a bilateral or protective trade arrangement with the United Kingdom in response to the UK-India FTA and potential risks to Sri Lankan exporters.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning
AI summary The Deputy Minister responded to a multi-part question on trade policy, stating that discussions with the United States on tariffs, reciprocity, export diversification and alternative markets are ongoing and not yet finalized. He said engagement with the EU on GSP Plus is continuing, including discussions on identified governance and regulatory issues such as the Online Safety Act, while the Government awaits further details on possible EU regulatory changes. On the United Kingdom, he said Sri Lanka is pursuing post-Brexit market access arrangements for sectors such as apparel, tea and rubber products, and is monitoring the India-UK FTA to assess potential impacts and opportunities for Sri Lankan exporters.
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake stated that his clarification was based on the Answer previously given. No further substantive issue, proposal, or question was included in the recorded remark.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma
AI summary The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma appears to be seeking clarification only, indicating that the exchange should proceed without introducing new questions. No substantive policy position, proposal, or argument is provided in the excerpt beyond this procedural direction.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake raised concerns that emerging regional alignments among major economies could disadvantage smaller exporting countries such as Sri Lanka. Referring to Sri Lanka’s USD 3.2 billion in exports to the United States, he asked whether possible universal tax arrangements and reduced cost disparities would weaken Sri Lanka’s competitiveness, and urged the Minister to anticipate these risks in ongoing negotiations.
- The Hon. Harshana Suriyapperuma
AI summary Hon. Harshana Suriyapperuma said Sri Lanka must respond to changing global conditions and regional tensions by diversifying markets and engaging with governments of all sizes. He cited ongoing discussions with the United States as constructive and said the Government’s aim is to secure favourable outcomes for exporters while opening alternative opportunities when access to traditional markets becomes constrained.
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake warned that Sri Lankan exporters cannot quickly replace the high-value US market with alternatives such as India or SAARC, noting that new markets may take two to four years to develop. He said high domestic taxes, labour and electricity costs are reducing competitiveness, while exporters are already facing thinner margins, stalled new orders and cash-flow pressures despite a temporary tariff suspension. He urged that the planned VAT digitalization and abolition of SVAT be implemented seamlessly, and called for priority attention to existing US, UK and EU markets that support around 1.5 million jobs.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma
AI summary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma said Sri Lanka’s competitiveness has been constrained by high energy and finance costs, despite strong entrepreneurial capacity. He referred to the Government’s manifesto commitment to reduce energy prices by about 30 percent over time, and said measures on digitization and SVAT are intended to create a seamless process while supporting industries facing global challenges.
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. (Mrs.) Geetha Herath, Attorney-at-Law JJB
AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Geetha Herath raised an Adjournment question on the Iran–Israel conflict, citing concerns about the safety of Sri Lankan workers in Israel and potential economic effects on Sri Lanka, including fuel prices. She asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs whether any Sri Lankans had been harmed, what interventions had been made, what contingency measures exist if the situation worsens, and what steps are being taken to address possible economic impacts.
- The Hon. Vijitha Herath - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism JJB
AI summary The Minister reported that four Sri Lankans in Israel had been injured amid the Middle East conflict and said the Embassy in Israel had facilitated treatment, while Sri Lankan missions in Israel, Iran, Türkiye and the wider region were coordinating safety measures and consular support. He said the Government had temporarily suspended sending workers to Israel, including those on leave in Sri Lanka, and was seeking visa extensions from Israeli authorities while advising Sri Lankans to use shelters and contact embassies as needed. He added that evacuation from Israel was difficult due to airport and land-route restrictions, that relocation options from Iran were being prepared with friendly governments, and that contingency measures were being considered for possible impacts on remittances and oil prices.
- The Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees procedural
- The Hon. (Mrs.) Geetha Herath, Attorney-at-Law JJB
AI summary Hon. Geetha Herath stated that no clarification was required and thanked the Minister. The question was agreed to, and Parliament was adjourned at 4.51 p.m. until 9.30 a.m. on 18 June 2025.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →