Sitting of Friday, 25 July 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1754382585021621 ·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 Tabling of Reports and Orders 5 speeches
- 3 Committee report Committee on Public Accounts: Second Report 2 speeches
- 4 Petitions Petitions Presented to Parliament 9 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question: Easter Sunday Attack - Officers Accused (Q.115/2024) 17 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Question: Ambilanthurai–Kokkaddichcholai Road Reconstruction (Q.184/2024) 21 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Question: Gulf of Mannar - Exploration of Gas and Oil (Q.199/2024) 15 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Question: Employees' Provident Fund - Investments in Share Market (Q.217/2024) 25 speeches
- 9 Oral question Oral Question: Drafting of a New Constitution (Q.225/2024) 10 speeches
- 10 Oral question Oral Question: Import of Vehicles Under Duty-Free Permits (Q.508/2025) 18 speeches
- 11 Oral question Second Round Oral Questions and Procedural Matters 13 speeches
- 12 Oral question Standing Order 27(2): Renewal of Pharmacy Licences and Training of Pharmacists 17 speeches
- 13 Oral question Standing Order 27(2): Central Bank Accountability and Medicine Procurement Delays 12 speeches
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake, speaking under Standing Order 27(2), questioned the Minister of Finance on the accountability and performance of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka under the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act, No. 16 of 2023. He argued that the Bank had repeatedly missed inflation and monetary policy targets despite its statutory independence, and asked whether fiscal dominance, IMF or political constraints, or inadequate policy action had compromised its mandate. He sought explanations on target misses, monetary and exchange rate decisions, Treasury-Central Bank coordination, financial stability performance, and whether the Government would commission an independent external review of the Bank’s monetary policy framework. He also asked the Minister to clarify to whom the Central Bank and Governor are accountable under Section 5(2) of the Act and how that accountability is enforced.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development JJB
AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the Minister stated that recent inflation fell below target mainly due to supply-side deflation from administered price reductions in electricity and fuel, while the Central Bank had reduced policy rates by 8 percentage points between June 2023 and July 2025. He said the Central Bank Act grants CBSL independence, prohibits monetary financing, and establishes the Governing Board and Monetary Policy Board to operate a flexible exchange rate and flexible inflation targeting framework. He outlined the 2023 Monetary Policy Framework Agreement setting a 5 per cent inflation target with a ±2 per cent band until 2026, and described coordination, IMF review, parliamentary reporting, and public communication mechanisms for accountability when inflation deviates from target.
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake rose briefly to seek a clarification from the Deputy Speaker. No substantive policy issue, proposal, or question was detailed in the recorded remark.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake questioned whether Central Bank accountability is adequate, arguing that appearances before COPF and COPE do not clarify to whom the Governor and CBSL are directly responsible. He said key monetary and economic decisions affecting citizens and SMEs are controlled by an unelected official rather than the elected Minister of Finance, and raised concern over the Governor approving his own salary. He urged corrective legislative action if the current framework is inadequate and questioned the Governor’s involvement in Washington on matters linked to US tariff negotiations, saying it was inconsistent with CBSL independence.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development JJB
AI summary CBSL’s autonomy was defended as operating within a statutory framework that includes accountability through mandated, data-based reporting. The Minister said deviations from targets can be questioned through established report streams, and that the 5 per cent inflation target is based on the 20-year average and current conditions. He noted that inflation had fallen from crisis levels of around 70 per cent to near zero at times, and argued that the resulting price and financial stability should now be used to support growth and development.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip JJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa said recent medicine shortages were largely due to delayed 2025 procurement orders, noting that the process requires 9-11 months and many orders were received too late for timely supply. He stated that 2026 procurement was initiated in January 2025, with tenders called, evaluations underway and some awards already made, alongside oversight measures following COPA recommendations. He said coordination among MSD, SPC, NMRA and other institutions continues through weekly reviews, local and emergency procurement mechanisms, e-procurement improvements and the “Swastha” IT system to manage facility-level shortages and transfers.
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake questioned delays in the State medicines procurement process despite Rs. 155 billion being allocated for 2025, citing a 189-day procurement cycle and litigation that can delay tenders for years. He asked whether the private sector could procure more efficiently and argued that overregulation, committee delays, and officials’ fear of legal exposure were preventing timely purchases. He called for urgent reform of procurement procedures to avoid recurring shortages and implementation delays.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip JJB
AI summary The Minister said recent irregularities and corruption in the procurement of medicines, vaccines, surgical items and test kits require stricter procurement procedures. He stated that unnecessary delays in compliant procurements would be removed, but all parties must follow due process and ensure transparency in a medicines and devices market worth about Rs. 350 billion annually. He said the Government would act lawfully to secure timely and quality supplies.
- The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna raised a Question of Privilege over the conduct of the Jaffna District Coordinating Committee meeting on 17 July 2025, alleging violations of Circular No. 2022/01 in the appointment of the Chair and the invitation of local authority chairpersons and other unauthorized persons. He said invited local authority representatives verbally abused him during discussion of garbage collection issues, and argued that the meeting chair and District Secretary failed to maintain order or follow prescribed procedures. He requested referral of the matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, written instructions to prevent recurrence, and an inquiry involving the Jaffna District Secretary.
- The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- 14 Procedural Committee on Ethics and Privileges - Referral Motion 2 speeches
- 15 Adjournment Vote of Condolence: Late Hon. Rajavarothiam Sampanthan and Others 2 speeches
- 16 Debate Condolence Debate: Late Hon. Members (R. Sampanthan, A. Pilapitiya, W. B. Ekanayake, Lucky Jayawardana, Malani Fonseka) 41 speeches
- 17 Adjournment Adjournment Questions 7 speeches