Sitting of Friday, 22 May 2026
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23666 ·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 Opening and Papers Presented 5 speeches
- 2 Petitions Petitions 3 speeches
- 3 Procedural Procedural: Parliamentary Business Committee and Party Leaders' Meeting 20 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Ancestral lands of displaced people of Mullikulam - Resettlement (Q.68/2025) 6 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Question: Land plots in Omanthai–Veppankulam distributed to public sector employees (Q.3/2025) 8 speeches
- 6 Procedural Question No. 4 Postponed 1 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Question: Low-capacity electricity cable systems - Expansion (Q.5/2025) 4 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Question: Provision of drinking water in Trincomalee District (Q.6/2025) 8 speeches
- 9 Oral question Oral Questions: Multiple Questions Tabled (Q.7-9, and Agricultural questions) 11 speeches
- 10 Procedural Question No. 10 - Trade/Commerce Question Stood Down 2 speeches
- 11 Oral question Standing Order 27(2) Questions: CESS Phase-out and Currency Depreciation 13 speeches
- 12 Debate Ministerial Statement: Cybersecurity Incidents and Response 16 speeches
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Eranga Weeraratne - Deputy Minister of Digital Economy JJB
AI summary The Deputy Minister stated that cybersecurity is now treated as a national security and economic stability issue, especially as public services, payments, identity systems and cloud infrastructure are digitalized. He said the Government has moved from a reactive approach to a coordinated national cyber-resilience model, involving policy measures, cybersecurity systems, guidelines and public awareness. Citing Sri Lanka CERT annual reports and public communications, he noted a significant increase in officially reported cyber incidents, including financial and non-financial scams, phishing, ransomware and website-related attacks.
- Hon. Eranga Weeraratne - Deputy Minister JJB
AI summary Hon. Eranga Weeraratne outlined Sri Lanka CERT data showing a rise in reported cybersecurity incidents, including financial scams, phishing, ransomware, data breaches and other attacks, while noting that the absence of a mandatory reporting law means the figures may not reflect the full scale of incidents. He highlighted major public-sector incidents, including the 2023 ICTA ransomware attack, the 2025 Department of Pensions cyberattack and an ongoing Ministry of Finance/ERD-related investigation involving suspected email compromise. He said current safeguards include the Government Information and Cybersecurity Policy, CERT advisory and response services, national monitoring, threat intelligence, vulnerability assessments, backup requirements and other technical guidelines, while the proposed Cybersecurity Law remains under drafting.
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake thanked the Deputy Minister for the response but questioned the adequacy of Sri Lanka’s legal framework for addressing cybercrime and cyberattacks, asking what general laws could apply in the absence of specific legislation. He raised concerns about the Auditor-General’s capacity to audit digital fraud and cyber incidents, citing a gap between manual auditing practices and modern digital risks. He urged the Ministry to engage with the UN Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance in July 2026 and requested a briefing on reported cyberattacks, including alleged losses linked to the Ministry of Finance, banks, and international payment/document-related incidents.
- The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and the Leader of the House of Parliament JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, as Leader of the House, reminded a Member to be brief because the House was scheduled to proceed with a vote of condolence.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake stated that the matter under discussion was important, without providing further details, proposals, or questions.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake requested the Chair’s indulgence to raise a single question, emphasizing that the matter was important. No substantive issue or policy detail was stated in the excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake warned that cybercrime poses a serious national risk and referred to reported cyberattacks on two commercial banks. He identified NDB as one affected bank and said he would not name the other because it had not yet publicly disclosed the incident.
Security & Defence Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake briefly requested that attention be given to a third matter concerning the Central Bank. He asked that the issue be looked into, without providing further details in the excerpt.
Public Finance Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Ravi Karunanayake begins to raise an issue concerning “interference,” but the provided speech excerpt is incomplete. No specific argument, proposal, question, or policy context can be determined from the available text.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Eranga Weeraratne JJB
AI summary Hon. Eranga Weeraratne stated that Sri Lanka currently lacks a mandatory legal framework for reporting cyberattacks on government institutions, leaving reporting to institutional discretion. He said the draft Cybersecurity Bill would establish a National Cyber Security Regulatory Authority to set mandatory reporting requirements and cybersecurity guidelines. Until then, institutions may voluntarily seek assistance from SLCERT and refer suspected crimes to the CID’s Computer Crimes Investigation Division.
- 13 Debate Statements of Condolence: Six Former Members of Parliament 29 speeches
- 14 Adjournment Adjournment Questions 11 speeches
- 15 Oral question Question No. 01 - 2003/2026 and Question No. 2004/2026 - Hydropower Capacity 3 speeches