Sitting of Wednesday, 9 July 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1752660241032216 ·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: Annual Performance Reports 9 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions 7 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Digital Transformation and Education Reforms 18 speeches
- 5 Procedural Procedural: Points of Order on Question Time Conduct 22 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Questions to Prime Minister: Pension Disputes and FDI 11 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Question: National Hospital Kandy (Q.614/2025) 7 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Question: Fish Catch, Import and Export (Q.637/2025) 18 speeches
- 9 Oral question Oral Question: Ragama–Peralanda Tank Development (Q.6511/2025) 6 speeches
- 10 Oral question Oral Question: CIABOC Cases Against Politicians (Q.712/2025) 7 speeches
- 11 Oral question Oral Question: Velanai DS Division Post Office (Q.950/2025) 7 speeches
- 12 Oral question Questions under Standing Order 27(2): Paddy Purchase, Rice Import, Horticultural Crops; Question of Privilege 13 speeches
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Sajith Premadasa raised a Private Notice Question on paddy procurement and rice import policy, asking for data on national rice requirements, Government-held stocks, expected Yala harvest by district, production costs, guaranteed prices, procurement targets, budget allocations, imports, and crop insurance. He argued that despite reported rice surpluses and a stated guaranteed price of Rs. 120 per kilogram of paddy, farmers are being forced to sell at Rs. 85-90 during harvest while rice imports continue. He questioned whether imports and weak distribution mechanisms, including alleged diversion of rice and market manipulation, are undermining fair prices for farmers and requested structured Government responses.
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Requested comprehensive answers from the Minister regarding the data used to determine the guaranteed price. He emphasized the need for clarity on the evidentiary basis behind that pricing decision.
Public Finance Full speech → - Mr. Deputy Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB
AI summary The Minister said the Opposition Leader’s Standing Order 27(2) question reached the Ministry only the previous afternoon and that several assertions required verification. He outlined available figures on rice consumption, Maha and Yala production, stockholding agencies, and recent imports, including 178,000 MT of rice, a proposed 40,000 MT for Keeri Samba, and 278,000 MT of maize for livestock and related industries. He also noted reported demand for rice by breweries and sake production, and stated that comprehensive written answers would be provided after confirming data with the relevant institutions.
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa questioned the basis for the Government’s guaranteed price of Rs. 120 per kilogram, asking whether it had been set without data from relevant institutions. He requested that, if such data already exist, they be tabled in Parliament.
- The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB
AI summary The Minister stated that the question had been received only the previous afternoon and that the relevant data were held by multiple institutions. He said the guaranteed price of Rs. 120 per kilogram was based on the Hector Kobbekaduwa Institute’s estimated production cost of about Rs. 96 per kilogram plus a one-third margin, and undertook to provide a detailed, institution-certified breakdown in writing.
- The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan ITAK
AI summary Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan raised, under Standing Order 27(2), concerns over declining up-country and horticultural cultivation in Jaffna District, citing climate impacts, disease, high labour and input costs, lack of seed potato supply, and depressed prices for small red onions. He questioned the Government’s failure to impose harvest-time import duties on small onions for the past three years, asked for compensation for farmers affected by continuous rains and crop losses, and sought measures on disease control, soil and water testing, and introduction of quality seed varieties. He also asked how the Government would verify heavy metals in imported onions and why a 10:1 culling ratio is applied only to Northern Province produce while not applied to Dambulla or imported onions.
- The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB
AI summary The Minister said the Question had been submitted only the previous evening and requested time until Friday to provide detailed answers. He noted that the Food Security Committee at the Presidential Secretariat had discussed measures to protect domestic production of crops such as red onions, big onions, and potatoes, and had resolved to take steps to safeguard local crops.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan ITAK
AI summary Sivagnanam Shritharan raised concerns about farmers in Achchuveli and Puthumaththani, noting that supplementary crops are vital to Jaffna’s economy. He asked the Minister to include immediate import-duty measures in an upcoming Friday response, stating that shipments of local produce to the south have fallen from about 40 lorries a day to less than one.
- The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB
AI summary The Minister stated that the Government is committed to protecting domestic producers of big onions, potatoes, and red onions in key districts, while balancing farmer and consumer interests. He noted that local production accounts for about 10–15% of national demand and said policy measures would ensure it is not undermined. A detailed response on the matter was promised for Friday.
- The Hon. Nalin Hewage - Deputy Minister of Vocational Education JJB
AI summary Nalin Hewage raised a Question of Privilege alleging that several media outlets published or broadcast false and defamatory material about him, including reports in “Ada” on 28 and 29 May 2025, an “Aruna” article on 1 June 2025, and a “Giru” TV segment the same day. He denied making the statement attributed to him as Chairman of the Galle District Coordinating Committee and requested that the matter be referred through the Deputy Speaker to the Speaker for a proper inquiry.
- 13 Procedural Procedural: Questions of Privilege and Parliamentary Conduct 18 speeches
- 14 Papers Papers: Rubber Control (Amendment) Bill 3 speeches
- 15 Procedural Procedural: Setting Sitting Hours 1 speeches
- 16 Adjournment Adjournment Debate: Easter Sunday Terrorist Attacks (21 April 2019) 146 speeches