The Hon. Gamagedara Dissanayake - Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs
Gamagedara Dissanayake clarified matters concerning the Central Cultural Fund, stating that over Rs. 8,000 million had been spent between 2016 and 2019 without Board approval. He said a three-member committee chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Pradeep Jayatilake was appointed on 07 July to investigate, and that its report was nearing completion. He indicated that preliminary findings suggested fundamental breaches of the Central Cultural Fund Act and that further discussion could follow once the report is released.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, my name was mentioned. I must clarify. I hold the Central Cultural Fund Act here. Funds were expended from 2016–2019 without any Board approval, exceeding Rs. 8,000 million. Based on discussions, we appointed a three-member committee chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Pradeep Jayatilake on 07 July, with two months to report. Due to logistical reasons, they convened mid-July; the deadline will expire shortly. My understanding is the report is now in its final stage. Preliminary information indicates fundamental breaches of the Act in using funds during 2016–2019. Once the report is out, we can discuss further.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Wednesday, 24 September 2025 ·No. 1759815459006615 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Gamagedara Dissanayake - Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 24 September 2025. No. 1759815459006615. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/20841