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

Sitting of Tuesday, 7 April 2026

10th Parliament· 19 debates· 264 speeches· 84 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23476 ·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.

  14. 14 Debate Debate: Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading and Related Orders (Chair Change - Introduction) 12 speeches
    • The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB

      AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake moved a procedural motion to vary the sitting hours of Parliament for the day, setting sessions from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 1.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., notwithstanding Standing Order 8. The motion also provided that the Speaker adjourn Parliament at 5.30 p.m., and it was agreed to.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Speaker procedural
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    • The Hon. Sunil Kumara Gamage - Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports JJB

      AI summary Moved that the Bill be read a second time. He also presented regulations under the Convention against Doping in Sports Act, an order under the Strategic Development Projects Act, and rules under the Monetary Law Act/Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act, after which the question was proposed.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. Nishantha Jayaweera - Deputy Minister of Economic Development JJB

      AI summary The Deputy Minister outlined amendments to the Social Security Contribution Levy Bill to charge the levy on imported motor vehicles at importation rather than resale, and to reduce the annual turnover liability threshold from Rs. 60 million to Rs. 36 million. He said the Government’s revenue strategy is based on tax administration technology, simplification, base-broadening and compliance, while citing recent tax relief measures and higher Inland Revenue Department collection targets. He also described rules allowing exporters to invest up to 10 per cent of repatriated export proceeds in domestic dollar bonds, and a rule-based Strategic Development Projects tax exemption framework intended to replace ad hoc concessions and support the Government’s 2026 investment targets.

      Public FinanceInfrastructureEmployment Full speech →
    • The Hon. Speaker procedural
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    • The Hon. Nishantha Jayaweera JJB

      AI summary The amendments are presented as part of the 2026 Budget commitments to increase revenue while improving investor predictability through domestic dollar bonds and a rule-based incentive framework under the Strategic Development Projects Act. Nishantha Jayaweera said the objective is to support higher, more inclusive growth by expanding investment and delivering benefits to the public.

      Public FinanceInfrastructure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
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    • The Hon. Kabir Hashim SJB

      AI summary Kabir Hashim criticized the Government’s tax policy and the regulation under the amended Strategic Development Projects Act, arguing that it remains insufficiently transparent and could allow discretionary tax concessions despite the 2025 reforms. He cited concerns raised by the Committee on Public Finance and questioned why tourism projects receive longer tax holidays than manufacturing and ICT if the Government prioritizes a production economy. He also argued that increased tourist arrivals have not translated into strong net earnings, citing lower per-tourist spending and foreign exchange leakages. He further opposed the SSCL and the reduced VAT registration threshold, saying these cascading tax burdens would affect small businesses and consumers amid high operating costs.

      Corruption & Governance ReformPublic FinanceCost of Living Full speech →
    • The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
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    • The Hon. Kabir Hashim SJB

      AI summary Hon. Kabir Hashim criticized government tax policy as favoring foreign investors through 10-year tax holidays while imposing heavier taxes and enforcement on domestic small industries, citing the beedi sector’s increased tendu leaf import duty, higher per-stick tax, raids, fines, closures, and declining number of licensed producers. He argued that cigarette tax policy had reduced State revenue by not applying the pricing formula, estimating a Rs. 9.48 billion loss and a decline in the tax-in-price ratio from 74 percent to 68 percent. He said foreign investment should be encouraged through consistent trade and investment policy, rule of law, investment protection, foreign exchange safeguards, the National Single Window, and accession to the Madrid Protocol rather than tax holidays.

      EmploymentPublic FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Full speech →
    • 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 outlined a three-month relief package in response to war-related global cost pressures affecting fuel, fertilizer, electricity and low-income households. Measures include Treasury subsidies of Rs. 100 per litre for diesel and Rs. 20 for regular petrol, additional fuel support for fishers, fixed-price urea and increased fertilizer assistance for paddy, other field crops and tea smallholders, plus a one-off April increase in Aswesuma payments. He said electricity cost increases were driven by low hydro levels, fuel costs and coal quality issues, and announced a temporary subsidy for consumers using under 90 units while stating that costs arising from substandard coal would be recovered from suppliers rather than passed to consumers.

      Cost of LivingAgriculturePublic Finance Full speech →