Sitting of Wednesday, 4 March 2026
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23360 ·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 Auditor-General's Report 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers: Annual Reports and Auditor-General's Report 1 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions 4 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Paddy Purchasing and Guaranteed Prices (Q.1347/2025) 3 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question: Artificial Intelligence Summit 2026 2 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Question: Government Printing Department Vacancies and Qualifications 11 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Question: Cyclone Ditcha Relief and Compensation (Q.1368/2025) 9 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Questions: Paddy Marketing Board and Fertilizer Subsidies 21 speeches
- 9 Oral question Oral Question: Irrigation Tanks and Cascade Systems in Vavuniya (Q.1406/2025) 7 speeches
- 10 Oral question Oral Question: Special Sports Schools Development (Q.1468/2025) 5 speeches
- 11 Oral question Oral Question: Projects in Trincomalee District (Q.1476/2025) 5 speeches
- 12 Oral question Standing Order 27(2) Question: Middle East Crisis and Strait of Hormuz 25 speeches
- 13 Procedural Procedural: Points of Order on Iran Supreme Leader Assassination 8 speeches
- 14 Oral question Standing Order 27(2) Question: Central Bank Inflation Target Deviation 3 speeches
- 15 Procedural Procedural: Personal Explanation and Special Select Committee Announcement 8 speeches
- 16 Debate Debate: Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill - Second Reading 20 speeches
- The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa rose on a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or question was recorded in the provided speech text.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa questioned the Government’s handling of a proposed Special Select Committee on the “Ditva” cyclone and said the Opposition had requested that both the chairmanship and majority membership be given to the Opposition to ensure an impartial inquiry. He also asked why the Government was pursuing select committees in a manner he alleged could delay Provincial Council elections, and specifically sought confirmation on whether the Opposition would be given control of the cyclone-related committee.
- Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB
AI summary Committees and their membership are governed by Standing Orders, with both Government and Opposition submitting their respective nominees. The Chairmanship is appointed by the majority, which was described as the established procedure known to the Opposition.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa briefly rose on a point of order during the sitting, but no substantive argument, proposal, or question was recorded in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning JJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha began to address the Deputy Speaker but was interrupted before making any substantive remarks. No policy position, proposal, or question was recorded in the excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning JJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha moved the Second Reading of the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill. The intervention was brief and procedural, with no substantive argument or policy detail recorded beyond the reference to the Bill.
Public Finance Full speech → - Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa rose on a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or question is recorded in the excerpt beyond the procedural intervention.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK
AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam objected on procedural grounds, stating that the Leader of the Opposition should be given respect and allowed to speak when he seeks the floor.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Sajith Premadasa, identifying himself as Leader of the Opposition, asked the Deputy Speaker to accord him the appropriate parliamentary courtesy.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Hon. Kabir Hashim SJB
AI summary Hon. Kabir Hashim rose on a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or policy issue was recorded in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa criticized the Government’s selective use of Standing Orders, arguing that they are suspended when politically convenient but invoked to deny the Opposition representation. He demanded that Standing Orders be suspended in this case to allow the Opposition to hold the Chair and majority in the relevant Committee, warning that the Government’s approach was moving toward a one-party State.
- The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
- Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning JJB
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha moved the Second Reading of the Bill to establish the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority, regulate moneylending and microfinance, protect clients, and repeal the Microfinance Act, No. 6 of 2016. He said the existing framework was inadequate amid unregulated village, online, and app-based lending, and outlined the Bill’s provisions on licensing, supervision, investigations, penalties, and an independent fund for the Authority. He noted that the revised Bill followed earlier Cabinet approvals, Supreme Court proceedings, withdrawal of a previous version, and further committee review, with some outstanding matters to be addressed by regulations. He also stated that the Finance Ministry would link regulation with debt-relief and livelihood programmes, including Rs. 95.6 billion in concessional and interest-subsidised schemes for 2026 through the Praja Shakthi programme and Community Development Councils.
- 17 Procedural Procedural: Lunch Suspension 1 speeches
- 18 Debate Debate: Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill - Second Reading (Continued) 79 speeches
- 19 Procedural Procedural: Adjournment Motion 1 speeches
- 20 Adjournment Adjournment: Questions on Cyclone Relief and Tourism 7 speeches
- 21 Procedural Procedural: Parliament Adjournment 1 speeches