Sitting of Thursday, 21 August 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1757391500023637 ·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 Announcements 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers: Reports and Agreements Tabled 8 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions 8 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Technical Officer Vacancies in Sri Lanka Railways (Q.676/2025) 8 speeches
- 5 Procedural Procedural: Parliamentary Business Committee Announcement 3 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Question: Strengthening Power Supply Stability (Q.735/2025) 8 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Questions: Q.3-808/2025, Q.4-832/2025, Q.5-859/2025 6 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Question: Vehicle Emission Testing Programme (Q.868/2025) 6 speeches
- 9 Oral question Oral Question: Flyovers and Road Tunnels (Q.955/2025) 6 speeches
- 10 Oral question Oral Questions: Second Round (Q.971/2025 and others) 19 speeches
- 11 Oral question Oral Questions under Standing Order 27(2) 6 speeches
- 12 Debate Debate: Customs Ordinance Resolution and Related Regulations 24 speeches
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha – Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development
AI summary Moved for Parliament to approve the resolution under Section 10 of the Customs Ordinance relating to import duties, as presented on 5 August 2025. He noted that the relevant order was published in Extraordinary Gazette No. 2434/02 of 28 April 2025 and had Cabinet approval.
Public Finance Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake asked the Minister whether a decision could be made administratively without resorting to court proceedings. The intervention sought clarification on the Minister’s authority or willingness to resolve the matter outside litigation.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha JJB
AI summary Dr. Anil Jayantha stated that some vehicle-related Customs matters can be resolved administratively without going to court, noting that previous administrations also released vehicles subject to penalties. However, he explained that under the 2025 Gazette, where regulatory violations occur, Customs has limited discretion and re-export is required in unresolved cases.
Law & Order Full speech → - The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake sought clarification on whether the matter under discussion concerned the difference between 100 kW and 150 kW capacity. His intervention was limited to confirming the specific capacity threshold at issue.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha JJB
AI summary Dr. Anil Jayantha stated that a dispute over whether certain vehicle motors are rated at 150 kW or limited to 100 kW by software led Customs to withhold release due to risk concerns. He said court-facilitated discussions allowed some vehicles to be released conditionally, with bank guarantees and further action depending on test results. He also noted cross-border transaction compliance issues and said re-exportation remains an option, but the matter will be resolved through the ongoing court process.
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake raised concern that funds have left Sri Lanka. He appeared to flag the matter for parliamentary attention, implying a need for scrutiny of the circumstances and possible implications.
Public Finance Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha JJB
AI summary Funds linked to regulatory violations would be handled only within the applicable legal and Gazette framework, including re-export where required, and any court decisions would be followed. Addressing allegations of “money printing,” he distinguished reserve money from broad money and said reserve money had risen by only Rs. 137 billion by June 2025 after sterilization of liquidity from Central Bank dollar purchases and limited government drawings. He argued that the cited Rs. 1.227 trillion increase referred to broad money, driven partly by improved private-sector credit demand, and said the Government was avoiding monetary financing while funding the 2025 deficit through market borrowing within a Rs. 4,000 billion borrowing limit.
Public Finance Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake stated that money printing had previously been carried out unlawfully and asserted that Ranil Wickremesinghe, while serving as Finance Minister, also proceeded with it.
Public Finance Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB
AI summary Hon. Ajith P. Perera said the BYD vehicle taxation dispute showed the need to update Customs and tax regulations for electric and hybrid vehicles to ensure consistency, legal certainty, and reduced corruption risks. He cited past under-invoicing cases involving Land Rover imports and urged broader legal and regulatory reforms to prevent revenue losses and unequal treatment. He called for the next Budget to prioritize a national EV charging network with the CEB, LECO and private sector, supported by renewable energy and smart-grid development to encourage EV adoption, attract power-sector investment, and strengthen grid stability.
- The Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB
AI summary Ajith P. Perera argued that, under Articles 42–46 of the Constitution, State Ministers and Deputy Ministers are collectively accountable to Parliament and should therefore be subject to Motions of No Confidence. He contended that Standing Orders do not prohibit such motions, citing past parliamentary practice including the 1981 motion against the Leader of the Opposition and references in Priyani Wijesekera’s work. He urged that a properly submitted no-confidence motion should not be blocked procedurally and should be taken up for debate.
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Bimal Rathnayake stated that while his side agrees to debate the substance of the matter, parliamentary procedures must be observed. He said the House should await a ruling from the Speaker and the Secretariat and proceed in accordance with that decision.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna raised a point of order under Standing Order 83(1), noting that references to the personal conduct of the President, Members, Judges, or persons involved in the administration of justice are not permitted except on a substantive motion. He requested clarification from the Chair to prevent recurrence of such references in the House.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha JJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha stated that the issue concerning electric vehicles raised by Hon. Mujibur Rahman had already been referred to him by the President one to two months earlier. He said meetings were held with importers, Customs, and the Ministry of Finance, relevant documents were examined, and the matter was not publicized due to possible market price sensitivities.
- The Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB
AI summary Called for a level playing field in the motor trade, arguing that small vehicle importers and agents are under pressure compared with larger firms. He urged equal enforcement of rules across the sector.
Employment Full speech → - The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing JJB
AI summary The Minister presented Gazette Extraordinary No. 2430/15 under the Construction Industry Development Act, updating criteria and fees for registering adjudicators and contractors, including reducing adjudicator renewal fees and revising contractor grading thresholds to reflect higher project costs. He outlined expanded registration criteria covering renewable electrical installations, financial and technical capacity, safety, quality systems, training, CSR and institutional memberships, alongside revised fees last adjusted in 2018. He also stated that the Government is preparing amendments to the CIDA Act, a National Construction Policy Green Paper by end-October, and procurement guideline reforms to support recovery and governance in the construction sector.
- The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran ITAK
AI summary Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran raised concerns during debate on several fiscal and regulatory instruments, urging action on local grievances. He asked the Government to consider Mannar residents’ objections to additional wind turbines after a presidential decision to suspend the project temporarily and seek public views. He also called for full cooperation with international forensic and human rights experts in the Chemmani mass grave exhumations, citing reported findings of 147 skeletal remains, alleged witness intimidation, past inquiries, and testimony from the Krishanthy Kumaraswamy case. He demanded an independent international judicial inquiry into Chemmani, the return of related case files to Jaffna, and similar international scrutiny of the Kokkuvil/Kokkilai/Kokkuthoduvai grave.
- The Hon. Dharmapriya Dissanayake JJB
AI summary Dharmapriya Dissanayake discussed the resumption of vehicle imports from 1 February 2025 after a nearly five-year suspension, including battery-powered, petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicles. He said difficulties with vehicles falling under “other” classifications led to Gazette No. 2434/04 of 28 April 2025 establishing a new taxation framework. He rejected Opposition concerns that imports would damage reserves or destabilize the economy, and urged support for the Government’s regulations and development measures.
- The Hon. Mujibur Rahman SJB
AI summary Mujibur Rahman argued that the rise in Customs revenue reflected steep import tax increases rather than economic growth, with high vehicle and essential-goods duties being passed on to consumers and reducing purchasing power. He cited sharp increases in prices of common cars, vans, motorcycles, rice, salt, and wheat flour, and said poverty had risen as a result. He questioned the Government’s handling of vehicle import controls, including BYD releases, used vehicles stuck at Hambantota, demurrage costs, and a Gazette validating Bureau Veritas certificates retrospectively, and called for equal conditional release arrangements for small importers. He alleged selective facilitation in import and tender decisions and warned that higher Customs revenue ultimately comes from the public.
- The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- 13 Debate Debate: Customs Ordinance, Excise Regulation, Finance Act Order, and Construction Industry Development Act (Continued) 47 speeches
- 14 Papers Papers: Regulations under Finance Act Moved 3 speeches
- 15 Adjournment Adjournment Motion: Government's Initiative towards an Inclusive Digital Economy 10 speeches
- 16 Procedural Parliament Adjourned 1 speeches