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

Sitting of Friday, 5 December 2025

10th Parliament· 18 debates· 213 speeches· 92 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23059 ·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.

  13. 13 Debate Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Continued Budget Debate and Amendments 11 speeches
    • Mr. Speaker procedural
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    • The Hon. Jeevan Thondaman UNP

      AI summary Hon. Jeevan Thondaman described flood and cyclone damage in Kotmale and other hill-country areas, requesting urgent assistance for displaced families, including those at Nuwara Eliya Gamini Vidyalaya, and raising concerns about local administrative support. He reported relief efforts supported by private donors and said accounts for funds collected would be submitted to Parliament. While noting doubts about the Budget’s feasibility and reserving detailed comment on plantation wages, he urged the Government to consider granting land titles to plantation communities as a practical response where housing for all is unaffordable. He said the Opposition and the Ceylon Workers’ Congress would support the President and Government at this stage, emphasizing national cooperation beyond party, ethnic, or religious divisions.

      Land & HousingEnvironmentPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Chairman procedural
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    • The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake - President, Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and Minister of Digital Economy

      AI summary The President said the Budget Committee Stage also included Ministry of Finance estimates, supplementary allocations, and a Public Security Ordinance resolution, but that national attention must focus on the widespread flood disaster and its loss of life, missing persons, and displacement. He expressed the Government’s condolences and said the State has a responsibility to rebuild in a more humane and resilient manner to prevent such tragedies recurring. He praised public solidarity, overseas Sri Lankan support, blood donations, and community relief work, and rejected criticism of such civic mobilisation. He also commended the armed forces and police, citing a difficult Navy and Air Force rescue of passengers stranded near Kala Wewa as an example of their commitment and capability.

      EnvironmentSecurity & DefenceInfrastructure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake

      AI summary Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the State was on a recovery path in 2025, with higher public sector salaries, planned recruitment of 76,000 public servants including about 12,000 graduate positions, and improved revenue collection, but that a recent natural disaster had created a major economic shock. He argued that revenue gains came mainly from better tax administration rather than new taxes, noting reductions or deferrals to PAYE, digital services, property, and milk-product taxes, while Customs, Inland Revenue, and Excise collections had increased. He rejected proposals to halt the Appropriation Bill or introduce an interim Budget, stating that the 2026 Budget formed part of a broader economic strategy and that relief would be provided without destabilizing the fragile recovery.

      Public FinanceEmployment Full speech →
    • The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe JJB

      AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Finance, Wasantha Samarasinghe moved amendments during the Committee Stage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill relating to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development and its departments. The amendments increased capital provision under Head 116 by Rs. 1.5 billion, linked to Budget Proposals Nos. 26 and 59, and increased the Department of Food Commissioner’s capital provision by Rs. 250 million under Budget Proposal No. 24. The Committee agreed to the amended recurrent and capital allocations for the Ministry and related institutions, including the Departments of Commerce, Registrar of Companies, Measurement Units, Standards and Services, National Intellectual Property Office, Co-operative Development, and the Co-operative Employees Commission.

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

      AI summary Moved amendments to the 2026 Appropriation Bill during the Committee Stage on behalf of the Minister of Finance, revising allocations for the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure. The amendments increased total recurrent expenditure to Rs. 13.35 billion and reduced capital expenditure to Rs. 11.7 billion, with a further Rs. 7.5 billion increase under Head 135, Programme 02, reflecting Budget Proposals Nos. 14 and 23. The relevant recurrent and capital expenditure votes, including Programme 01 and Programme 02 allocations, were put to the House, agreed to, and ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

      Public Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Chairman procedural
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    • The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna JJB

      AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna moved a Committee Stage amendment to the Appropriation Bill, 2026, relating to Head 337. The amendment seeks to delete specified lines on page 28 in order to transfer the recurrent and capital allocations for the Department of Cinnamon Development to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, in line with Extraordinary Gazette No. 2458/65 of 18 October 2025.

      AgriculturePublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Chairman procedural
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    • Hon. Members

      AI summary Members agreed to the question put before the Committee. The Chairman left the Chair in order to report progress, indicating the procedural adjournment or continuation of the matter at a later stage.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →