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Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Tuesday, 8 July 2025

10th Parliament· 17 debates· 194 speeches· 66 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1752482630017444 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

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Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

  9. 9 Oral question Oral Question: Refuse Tea Production in Tea Factories 6 speeches
    • The Hon. Lal Premanath JJB

      AI summary Hon. Lal Premanath asked the Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure about the handling of refuse or reclaimable tea produced in Sri Lankan tea factories, alleging that removal under Tea Board licences is not fully compliant with the law. He questioned whether such tea is being rebranded, sold at the Colombo Tea Auction, or exported illegally, thereby threatening quality assurance and the reputation of Ceylon Tea. He sought details on future measures, including whether exports of refuse tea would be prohibited or placed under Sri Lanka Tea Board supervision.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB

      AI summary The Minister responded to questions on refuse and reprocessed tea, stating that removal from factories is permitted only with Sri Lanka Tea Board approval for reprocessing or instant tea manufacture, and that exports of refuse tea are not legally permitted. He said the Tea Board allows export only of tea identifiable under Code 115 after testing, while Colombo Tea Auction lots are sampled and unsuitable tea is barred from sale. He further stated that possession, transport and sale of refuse or reprocessed tea require licences under the Tea Control Act, No. 51 of 1957, and illegal activity is addressed with the Police and Special Task Force.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Lal Premanath JJB

      AI summary Asked whether instant tea factories that process refuse tea manufacture products in quantities corresponding to the refuse tea discarded by factories nationwide. Requested the Minister’s assessment of whether the full quantity is being processed and sought clarification on the related production volumes and quality standards.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna JJB

      AI summary Responding to a supplementary question, the Minister provided monthly figures for January to May 2025 on refuse tea received and used by the instant CTC tea factory, which reprocesses refuse tea, along with instant tea output. He stated that receipts ranged from 533,333 kg to 758,700 kg per month, while instant tea production increased from 162,512 kg in January to 276,122 kg in May, with May usage including carryover stocks.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Lal Premanath JJB

      AI summary Hon. Lal Premanath raised concerns that the refuse tea trade is affecting smallholder incomes and has developed both domestic and international demand despite being substandard and subject to seizures by Police and Sri Lanka Tea Board officials. He asked whether the Government would consider a lawful mechanism to supply such teas to consumers who seek them, or alternatively introduce and enforce stronger laws to stop illegal trafficking in refuse tea.

      AgriculturePublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna JJB

      AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna responded that existing laws under the Ministry address concerns about refuse tea, while acknowledging public perceptions and alleged irregularities. He outlined the current legal processes for transporting, reprocessing, auctioning, and using purified refuse tea for instant tea production, and stated that the Ministry is focusing on reducing refuse tea output and improving tea quality for export and domestic markets.

      Agriculture Full speech →