Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, an Opposition Member earlier raised a point under Standing Orders regarding the printing of papers, alleging that the Auditor-General’s Report on the coal fraud has not been provided or tabled.

¶ 02 Standing Order 26(1) states that papers shall be presented only by a Minister, a non-Cabinet Minister, or a Deputy Minister. Every paper presented must be recorded in the Minutes. A brief explanatory statement may be made when presenting, but no debate is permitted at that stage.

¶ 03 Standing Order 26(4) states that all papers presented shall be deemed to be laid on the Table, and, where a motion is made that a paper be printed, it shall be determined without amendment or debate.

¶ 04 Accordingly, when you, Hon. Speaker, presented today under item 3.(ii) “the Special Audit Report under Chapter Ten of the Auditor-General’s Report on the coal procurement process by Lanka Coal Company for the Lakvijaya Power Plant and coal procurement for the 2025/2026 season”, I moved that it be printed. Only thereafter can it be printed. Not every paper requires a special motion; some are printed automatically. Others require the specific motion “That the Report be printed.” Therefore, there has been no obstruction to printing this report; this is the procedure under the Standing Orders.

¶ 05 Thank you.