The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law
Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara raised concerns over rising gold-loan indebtedness, noting Rs. 3,514.5 million in gold loans over 15 months and an average household burden of about Rs. 168,000, much of it through rural banks. He warned that the relevant authorization had lapsed in 2024, potentially creating legal issues, and questioned the impact on farmers who pawned gold to fund cultivation amid an upcoming harvest, reported rice imports of 157,000 metric tons, and the stated rice price band.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, this is a vital matter. In 15 months, gold loans amount to Rs. 3,514.5 million. For an average household, gold-loan indebtedness is around Rs. 168,000. As the Minister noted, many gold pawns are with rural banks. It is alarming that the existing authorization lapsed in 2024; legal challenges could arise. Farmers especially pawn gold to finance cultivation. With the harvest due next month, and with reports that 157,000 metric tons of rice were imported, though the price band is set at Rs. 1,200–1,300 per kilo, what future awaits farmers who pawned gold to cultivate?
Provenance
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- Hansard, Tuesday, 9 June 2026 ·No. 23706 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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/lk/speeches/2779
Cite as: The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 9 June 2026. No. 23706. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/2779