Sitting of Friday, 26 September 2025

Order of business

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

1. 1 Opening Parliament Opening 1 speeches ▸
2. 2 Papers Auditor-General's Report and Annual Report of Bank of Ceylon 3 speeches ▸
3. 3 Petitions Citizens' Petitions 6 speeches ▸
4. 4 Oral question Oral Question: Container Release from Colombo Port (Q.1/2025) 14 speeches ▸
5. 5 Oral question Oral Question: Air Quality in Kandy City (Q.2/2025) 6 speeches ▸
6. 6 Oral question Oral Question: Land and Irrigation (Q.5/2025, 880/2025) 3 speeches ▸
7. 7 Oral question Oral Question: Misinformation and Hate Speeches on Social Media (Q.6 & Q.7/2025) 10 speeches ▸
8. 8 Oral question Oral Question: Shabbat House and Religious Institutions (Q.8/2025) 7 speeches ▸
9. 9 Oral question Oral Questions: Department of Irrigation and Community Infrastructure (Q.9/2025) and Education (Q.10/2025) 6 speeches ▸
10. 10 Oral question Oral Questions: Energy (Adani Power Plant) and Agriculture (Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority) 4 speeches ▸
11. 11 Oral question Question by Private Notice: Sugar Industry 7 speeches ▸
12. 12 Oral question Question under Standing Order 27(2): Palaly Airport Allocations 5 speeches ▸
13. 13 Debate Ministerial Statement: Central Expressway Project 3 speeches ▾
    • The Hon. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB

      AI summary Bimal Rathnayake said the Kadawatha–Mirigama section of the Central Expressway had been stalled due to earlier procurement, financing, exchange-rate, and debt-suspension issues, causing local disruption and significant arrears. He stated that Cabinet had approved settlement of USD 189.51 million in arrears, paid as Rs. 57 billion, and that China EXIM Bank had agreed to provide a Yuan-equivalent USD 500 million facility to resume work. He argued that continuing with the existing contractor would cost about Rs. 217 billion, compared with an estimated Rs. 263 billion if the contract were terminated and re-procured, and rejected claims that the project would cost Rs. 450 billion or Rs. 12 billion per kilometre.

      InfrastructurePublic FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Full speech →
    • Hon. Speaker

      AI summary Environmental Impact Assessments were presented as essential for development projects, with Mattala and the Hambantota human–elephant conflict cited as examples of risks from inadequate environmental planning. The remarks clarified that work on only a 200-metre stretch of a 37-kilometre section of the 378-kilometre Central Expressway was briefly halted over a tree-related issue, later resolved by a Cabinet decision, while the wider project continued. It was stated that past signing failures and alleged corruption increased costs from an estimated Rs. 5.2 billion to Rs. 6.29 billion per kilometre, and that discussions are under way with China’s Exim Bank to reduce interest, with completion targets of December 2026/January 2027 for the Rambukkana section and mid-2028 for the Galagedara section.

      EnvironmentInfrastructureCorruption & Governance Reform Full speech →
14. 14 Debate Ministerial Statement: Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya Construction 2 speeches ▸
15. 15 Papers Appropriation Bill 2026 Presentation 1 speeches ▸
16. 16 Procedural Standing Orders Amendment (Standing Order 120) 5 speeches ▸
17. 17 Procedural Reference to Committee on Standing Orders 1 speeches ▸
18. 18 Adjournment Adjournment Debate: Fourth Report of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) 81 speeches ▸