Politick Parliament. On record. For every citizen.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Thursday, 7 May 2026

10th Parliament· 20 debates· 248 speeches· 68 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23540 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

‹ Previous sitting Next sitting ›

Order of business

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

  16. 16 Debate Debate: National Transport Commission Act Regulations, Motor Traffic Act Regulations, Immigrants and Emigrants Act Regulations 17 speeches
    • The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB

      AI summary Moved approval of regulations issued under the National Transport Commission Act and published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2471/68 of 17 January 2026, noting Cabinet approval and prior presentation to Parliament on 07 April 2026. He also moved approval of related regulations under the Motor Traffic Act and the Tourism and Travel Act, after which the question was proposed.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB

      AI summary Bimal Rathnayake informed the House that the Minister of Public Security was present and could respond to Members, including Mano Ganesan or Thondaman, on the earlier issue if they were available. The intervention was procedural, directing relevant Members to raise the matter while the responsible Minister was in the Chamber.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. Deputy Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Prasanna Gunasena – Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways

      AI summary Regulations were presented under the National Transport Commission Act to formalize the transfer of passenger service permits, replacing informal transfers through powers of attorney with a regulated process based on service history, pending legal or institutional inquiries, public complaints, continued route operation, and a Rs. 2 million financial capacity requirement. The Deputy Minister said 320 regularization applications had been received, with 98 approved, and outlined plans to reallocate 357 non-operating or surrendered permits after a grace period ending 30 June through a Cabinet-approved points-based tender system, including new route permits from 17 June based on demand surveys. He also presented regulations under the Motor Traffic Act to allow advance reservation of vehicle registration numbers up to 100,000 numbers ahead, for prescribed fees ranging from Rs. 1 million to Rs. 10 million, excluding motorcycles and three-wheelers.

      InfrastructurePublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Sajith Premadasa – Leader of the Opposition

      AI summary Sajith Premadasa raised a point of order highlighting alleged violence by estate security personnel against residents in plantation areas. He said that after previously raising concerns about incidents in Ratnapura District estates, similar cases were now reported at Mocha Estate in Maskeliya and Delmar Estate in Nuwara Eliya.

      Parliamentary ProcedureLaw & Order Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna

      AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna raised a procedural objection under Standing Order 91(4), stating that time allocation is the Speaker’s responsibility. He questioned why Hon. Jeevan Thondaman was not granted even one minute to speak on an issue concerning the upcountry people while Government members continued to speak, framing it as a matter of fairness.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Jeevan Thondaman UNP

      AI summary Jeevan Thondaman raised a point of order after being referred to by a Minister regarding assaults in the upcountry, noting that earlier assurances had been given by the responsible Minister and a Deputy Minister that such incidents would be prevented. He stated that two more people had been assaulted in the previous two days and pressed the Chair for the promised response after the 30-minute period given to report on action taken had expired.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Mano Ganesan SJB

      AI summary Hon. Mano Ganesan raised a point of order alleging repeated assaults on estate workers in several areas, including incidents on 5 May at Mocha Estate in Maskeliya and Delmar Estate in Nuwara Eliya involving Sivakumar and Sritharan. He said the matter was being brought to the Government for action rather than politicization, and requested an urgent response, the convening of all 22 Regional Plantation Company heads with the IGP, and immediate measures to ensure the safety of the affected people.

      Parliamentary ProcedureJustice & Human RightsLaw & Order Full speech →
    • The Hon. Ananda Wijepala – Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs

      AI summary The Minister reported police action on three alleged assaults involving estate personnel and workers in Palmadulla, Mocha Estate, and Udupussellawa, stating that suspects had been arrested or remanded and would be produced before court. He said the Government does not condone assaults and that the law would apply equally to officials and others, while offering to provide further clarifications later. He also outlined regulations under the Immigrants and Emigrants Act to grant free 30-day tourist visas via ETA to nationals of 40 countries, arguing that the expected increase in tourist arrivals would offset foregone visa fee revenue, with the scheme to be reviewed after six months to one year and ETA-based security checks retained.

      Foreign AffairsLaw & Order Full speech →
    • The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka SJB

      AI summary Gayantha Karunathilleka supported the proposed Regulations under the National Transport Commission Act and Motor Traffic Act, noting that premium charges for forward vehicle numbers could increase non-tax revenue and that a legal framework for inter-provincial bus route permits could address longstanding issues. He then criticized the Government’s broader performance, citing high fuel prices, unmet promises on electricity bills, fertilizer delays, and the rising cost of living. He argued that the public expects practical relief and effective governance rather than repeated announcements and political slogans.

      Public FinanceInfrastructureCost of Living Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Prof.) Ruwan Ranasinghe – Deputy Minister of Tourism

      AI summary Deputy Minister Ruwan Ranasinghe defended the Government’s economic and tourism policy record, citing the passage of the Rescue, Rehabilitation and Insolvency Bill, reported GDP and per capita income gains, and strengthened legal stability and enforcement. He said the Government had corrected the visa regime by introducing a six-month free-visa pilot for selected countries, based on expert advice and international practice, to increase tourist arrivals and foreign exchange. He also referred to efforts to expand airline capacity, including discussions or agreements involving IndiGo, Turkish Airlines and Vietnam, and said 2025 tourist arrival targets remained achievable.

      InfrastructurePublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan ITAK

      AI summary Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan addressed the 2026 regulations under the National Transport Commission Act and Motor Traffic Act, noting that they create a formal mechanism for private inter-provincial bus permit transfers and extend access to special forward vehicle registration numbers for a Rs. 1 million fee. He welcomed the objectives of transparency and revenue generation but raised concerns that the Rs. 2 million financial capacity requirement could exclude smaller investors and that high-fee special numbers may reinforce wealth-based prestige. He also requested urgent support for Trincomalee SLTB services, including repairs to unserviceable buses, at least 10 additional buses, and action to address a 50 per cent staff shortage.

      InfrastructureEmploymentPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Jagath Vithana SJB

      AI summary Hon. Jagath Vithana raised concerns about NTC and Department of Motor Traffic processes, including the uneconomic position of private operators purchasing high-cost AC buses while being limited to existing luxury fares. He requested review of the Rs. 2 million bank balance requirement for new bus operators, faster implementation of same-day ownership transfer procedures at the NTC, and action on delays in registering new vehicles. He also tabled an Auditor General’s query regarding alleged unauthorized fee collections for popular vehicle registration numbers and called for investigation, recovery of losses, and regularization under the new Gazette.

      Law & OrderPublic FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Full speech →
    • Motor Traffic Act: Regulations

      AI summary The House agreed to the question on regulations under the Motor Traffic Act. No substantive debate or specific amendments were recorded in the provided excerpt.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • Immigrants and Emigrants Act: Regulations

      AI summary The House agreed to the question on regulations under the Immigrants and Emigrants Act. No substantive debate or additional arguments were recorded.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →