Topic
Corruption & Governance Reform
2,708 speeches · 349 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, M.P. JJB | 91 |
| 2 | Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, M.P. SJB | 86 |
| 3 | Hon. Mujibur Rahman, M.P. SJB | 80 |
| 4 | Hon. Ajith P. Perera, M.P. SJB | 70 |
| 5 | Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri, M.P. SJB | 68 |
| 6 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 68 |
| 7 | Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna, M.P. Independent Group 17 - Jaffna | 67 |
| 8 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 65 |
| 9 | Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, M.P. NDF | 64 |
| 10 | Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe, M.P. JJB | 64 |
Speeches
2,708 on this topic- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Ajith Gihan JJB AI summary Hon. Ajith Gihan defended the 50-day-old Government against Opposition criticism, arguing that previous administrations were responsible for the 2022 economic collapse and that the new Government has a mandate to rebuild the country. He referred to the President’s Throne Speech roadmap, the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, district and divisional coordination efforts, environmental protection, rural economic upliftment, and action on human-elephant conflict. He called for fair and constructive Opposition engagement while emphasizing the Government’s commitment to corruption-free, rules-based governance, economic democracy, and broad-based recovery. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. M.K.M. Aslam JJB AI summary Hon. M.K.M. Aslam defended the National People’s Power Government’s early record, arguing that despite criticism over rice and coconut prices, public confidence, rule of law, and inter-communal safety had improved since previous administrations. He said the Government would ensure supplies for festivals, including green rice for Ramadan porridge, and provide a safe environment for Muslims during the fasting month. He also justified police action on unsafe vehicle body spare parts under the Clean Sri Lanka programme and requested special attention to rehabilitate the Kalugahathenna landslide-affected area in Dodangaslanda. He called for Government and Opposition cooperation to address shortages and rebuild the country. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Lasith Bhashana Gamage JJB AI summary Lasith Bhashana Gamage said the Government’s initial relief was removing what he described as corrupt elite family politics and addressing a bankrupt economy, collapsed production, and social hardship. He cited measures including increasing the fertilizer subsidy from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000, assistance to 186,500 fisher families, expanded Aswesuma benefits for vulnerable groups, and a Rs. 6,000 allowance for schoolchildren, beginning with Aswesuma beneficiary families and small schools. He said development and welfare work would continue through District and Divisional Coordinating Committees until local authorities are constituted, while acknowledging implementation issues in Aswesuma and price pressures linked to past decisions. He argued that the Government would manage issues such as rice and salt supply and continue its programme despite Opposition criticism. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Imran Maharoof SJB AI summary Hon. Imran Maharoof criticized the Government for continuing to blame past administrations and the Opposition despite holding the Presidency, premiership, Cabinet and a large parliamentary majority. He argued that the Government had not presented a clear roadmap for the promised “system change” and should state what concrete measures it will implement, including on prices, fuel costs, public sector salaries and political culture. He urged the Government to use its majority and new Members to meet public expectations rather than relying on accusations against the Opposition. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka SJB AI summary Gayantha Karunathilleka supported the Opposition’s adjournment motion on rising essential prices and shortages, arguing that the Government has not delivered promised reductions in water, electricity and fuel tariffs despite receiving a strong mandate. He compared the current administration’s first 100 days with measures taken by the Yahapalana Government, including salary increases, fuel and electricity price reductions, price controls on essentials, the Right to Information Act and independent commissions. He focused on the rice shortage, questioning the availability of promised stocks, the effectiveness of controlled prices, reliance on Sathosa, and the Government’s decision to import rice despite earlier pledges against doing so. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB AI summary Wasantha Samarasinghe rejected Opposition claims that the Government was inactive on cost-of-living issues, saying its public-sector pay policy would be announced in the forthcoming Budget and challenging allegations about salary increases in state boards. He said the Government was using the 448-outlet Sathosa network to intervene in essential goods markets, including potatoes, onions, sugar, dhal, rice and canned fish, and cited a reduction of the controlled price of a 425g canned fish tin to Rs. 380 after consultations with local producers. Addressing rice prices and imports, he said Sri Lanka should have sufficient domestic production based on recent output and consumption figures, and argued that the issue lay in market governance rather than an inherent production shortfall. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Sudath Balagalla JJB AI summary Hon. Sudath Balagalla said the Government was formed to strengthen industry, tourism, and agriculture, and argued that its members had direct experience of struggles affecting farmers, fishers, workers, and teachers. He rejected Opposition criticism, asserting that the Government understood the causes of public problems and intended to address them within five years. He also criticized past actions against journalists and referred to the impact of the Dr. Shafi controversy, urging media institutions to recognize their role in national affairs. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Sudath Balagalla JJB AI summary Hon. Sudath Balagalla defended the Government’s early performance, arguing that it should be given time to rebuild the country and agriculture sector after what he described as decades of hardship and neglect. He said Cabinet members, MPs, and party members were working voluntarily, and asserted that the Government would fulfil its promises within five years, including addressing longstanding grievances affecting rural children’s educational opportunities. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Sudath Balagalla JJB AI summary Hon. Sudath Balagalla rejected Opposition claims that the Government had broken its promises, citing increased allowances for elders and CKD patients, continued foreign investment interest, no seizure of private property, and correction of welfare benefit allocations. He argued that the previous governments left widespread poverty, neglected rural infrastructure and education in areas such as Mahiyanganaya, and failed to rebuild agricultural systems and paddy storage facilities. He stated that current rice supply issues could not be resolved immediately after taking office because the Paddy Marketing Board and its stores had been weakened or repurposed under earlier administrations. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Hon. Namal Rajapaksa urged the Government to implement its election promises within the promised “100 days,” citing unresolved issues over rice, salt, coconuts, taxes, IMF commitments, and investor policy. He criticized alleged attacks on media and social media users, warned against using repression to mask administrative shortcomings, and called for lawful, consistent handling of defamation and terrorism-related complaints. He also raised concerns about politicization of the public service, unclear policy direction, and the implementation of the Clean Sri Lanka programme, asking that vehicle and traffic enforcement be regulated through the Motor Traffic Act without harming related livelihoods. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF AI summary Chamara Sampath Dasanayake alleged that Rs. 7 million in expenditure, including payments for a singer, recording, a website, and related costs, had been rejected by the President’s Office Accounts Branch due to improper procurement, and said he would table the documents. He urged the Health Minister to make better use of river resources for hospital water and hygiene and to prioritize building new hospitals over publicity-focused activities. He also called for quicker and more substantive responses to parliamentary questions, while referring to the role of 22 MPs who previously crossed over to support the current Government. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF AI summary Chamara Sampath Dasanayake criticized the Government’s conduct during its first 50 days, citing incidents including Bingiriya, the Health Minister’s actions at a cancer hospital event, rice tenders, and the launch of the Clean Sri Lanka programme. He alleged procurement irregularities in the programme’s launch expenditure, including payments for a song, website, and stage participants, and challenged the Government to table documents, saying he would resign if his claims were false. He further argued that the Clean Sri Lanka fund had been routed through the Deputy Treasury Secretary due to legal constraints under the State Financial Management Act, No. 44 of 2024, and urged the Government to implement the programme lawfully while asking the Health Minister to prioritize hospital hygiene. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Jagath Manuwarna JJB AI summary Jagath Manuwarna said the Government had been in office for about 50 days and could not resolve long-standing poverty and economic problems within that period. He criticized political and media actors for using shortages and poverty for spectacle, and referred to past misinformation and communal allegations, including the case of Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen. He clarified that “Clean Sri Lanka” was broader than traffic-law enforcement, noting discussions with bus operators and a three-month grace period to regularize vehicles, and urged police to act calmly while asking the Opposition and public to allow the Government time to address inherited crises. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan ITAK AI summary Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan argued that rising rice prices are partly linked to the loss of cultivated paddy lands in Trincomalee due to acquisitions or restrictions imposed by state agencies, especially the Department of Archaeology. He cited several areas where hundreds or thousands of acres of long-cultivated land, including temple-linked agricultural lands, have been gazetted, boundary-marked, or taken over as archaeological sites, preventing farmers from cultivating. He also said the Defence Ministry, Forest Department, and Port Authority are restricting agricultural land use, and urged the Government to provide redress. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Amila Prasad SJB AI summary Amila Prasad moved an adjournment motion calling for an immediate programme to reduce the cost of living, citing high prices, shortages, failed price controls, higher fees, and reduced senior citizens’ deposit interest. He argued that the Government should move from allegations about past corruption to concrete action, including recovering stolen funds, earning dollars and rupees, and restoring living standards after the economic crisis. He criticized aspects of the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative and transport-related measures as ad hoc and potentially harmful to small businesses and the middle class, and urged the Government to set clear economic targets on income, GDP, services, and tourism. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development JJB AI summary Minister Anil Jayantha rejected the view that government should be run on a private business profit-and-loss model, arguing that policy must prioritize public welfare, domestic production, and anti-corruption safeguards. He said the Orders under the Export Development Act and Special Commodity Levy Act are intended to correct market distortions, protect local producers and small farmers, and stabilize prices, including through limited rice imports during emergencies. He also stated that Aswesuma benefit extensions are being made while correcting selection issues and linking welfare to economic empowerment, and that the Colombo West International Terminal Order supports Sri Lanka’s trading hub and investment strategy. Special Commodity Levy Act: Orders and Related Motions Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Dilith Jayaweera SB AI summary Dilith Jayaweera urged the Government, composed of many first-time MPs, to shift from oppositional rhetoric to governing and to be candid with the public about which election promises can realistically be delivered. He argued that national confidence requires a clear plan rather than slogans, citing the “Clean Sri Lanka” agenda and criticizing attention to minor issues while larger pledges remain unmet. He also responded to allegations regarding Antigen Test kits by referring to figures in Hansard, and called for consistent standards when criticizing media ownership or conduct. Special Commodity Levy Act: Orders and Related Motions Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti - Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development JJB AI summary Minister Sunil Handunnetti rejected claims that the Government is continuing Ranil Wickremesinghe’s policies, arguing that in its first 100 days Ministers had not undertaken costly foreign trips or faced concrete allegations of corruption. He said programmes such as Clean Sri Lanka were being implemented without corruption and invited Members to raise any allegations through COPE. He clarified that a kabook export item in a Gazette had been carried over from earlier Cabinet decisions and would be corrected, and stated that Sathosa had reduced prices on 20 of 38 selected items, including an 8 per cent reduction over the previous four months. Special Commodity Levy Act: Orders and Related Motions Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Rauff Hakeem raised concerns about the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill, noting that deeming nominations never to have been presented may adversely affect public servants who took no-pay leave and lost promotions or increments after submitting nominations. He urged the Government to address their situation and said ambiguities identified by the Election Commission, including issues affecting local authority majorities such as in Elpitiya, should be corrected. He proposed referring the Bill to the Legislative Standing Committee for expedited review. Bills Presented and Orders Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Lakmali Hemachandra raised a supplementary question about institutions and agents collecting money by claiming to arrange Korean or other foreign employment. She asked whether such jobs are provided under Government auspices and, if not, what action would be taken against the entities and individuals involved. Oral Questions Read →