The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka (on behalf of the Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan)

¶ 01 Question to the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development: (a) Will he state— (i) the number of State and private sector banks, insurance companies, microfinance and other financial institutions in the Northern Province and their names, separately in each district; and (ii) interest rates charged by State and private sector banks and microfinance institutions, separately, in providing loans? (b) Will he also state— (i) whether he is aware that some individuals have committed suicide due to the inhumane practices of the microfinance institutions in the Northern and Eastern Provinces; (ii) if so, the number of individuals who have committed suicide in each district, separately; (iii) the names of the parties who are responsible for the deaths of those individuals; and (iv) whether steps will be taken to monitor the functions of the microfinance institutions in future to stop the inhumane practices carried out by those institutions? (c) If not, why?