Topic
Cost of Living
1,181 speeches · 246 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. Wasantha Samarasinghe, M.P. JJB | 83 |
| 2 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 78 |
| 3 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 42 |
| 4 | Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, M.P. SJB | 27 |
| 5 | Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka, M.P. SJB | 27 |
| 6 | Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage, M.P. JJB | 24 |
| 7 | Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha, M.P. JJB | 24 |
| 8 | Hon. S.M. Marikkar, M.P. SJB | 21 |
| 9 | Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, M.P. NDF | 20 |
| 10 | Hon. Mujibur Rahman, M.P. SJB | 18 |
Speeches
1,181 on this topic- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva JJB AI summary Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva supported the Aswesuma amendment, stating that the Government is extending benefits by six months and increasing assistance as part of a welfare-oriented programme to improve living standards. He said welfare should be timely and targeted, citing the increase in the chronic kidney disease allowance from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 10,000, while also emphasizing that beneficiaries should be empowered rather than made dependent. He also referred to a proposed post-cyclone “Diththa” reconstruction package intended to rebuild homes to better standards, and criticized identity-based and protest-driven politics. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. R.M. Jayawardhana - Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister supported extending and amending the Aswesuma welfare benefit scheme, noting that 3.7 million applications indicate continuing demand despite the programme originally being designed to end by 2026. He said current eligibility criteria have excluded some needy households while benefiting others less in need, and proposed revised criteria, increased payments, a six-month extension, and stronger review committees to better target assistance by mid-year. He also linked the need for welfare support to poverty, rural educational disadvantage, and the aftermath of the economic crisis, while citing lower inflation and growth in 2025 as part of the Government’s stabilization context. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe referred to the first phase of the Aswesuma programme, which began on 10 November 2025, and raised concerns about alleged party bias in beneficiary selection in Ampara. He requested that, if “Praja Shakthi” committee leaders and secretaries are appointed as observers to review beneficiary data, representatives of all parties should also be included, or alternatively a neutral independent mechanism should be established to ensure fair selection. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development JJB AI summary The Minister sought approval to extend the Aswesuma Welfare Benefits Payment Scheme for six months for around 500,000 beneficiaries, while outlining related housing and community development initiatives, including a target of 16,000 houses and wider inter-ministerial plans for 50,000 houses. He highlighted government interventions to reduce prices of essential goods, citing reductions in onions, potatoes, sugar, milk powder, wheat flour and rice prices, alongside social protection measures. He defended ongoing education reforms based on curriculum, infrastructure, human resources, monitoring and evaluation, and public awareness, rejecting Opposition criticism over disputed content in a Grade 6 English module and calling for any no-confidence motion to be formally tabled. He said the reforms would proceed from Grade 1 with identified lapses corrected and public communication strengthened. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. M.A.M. Thahir ACMC AI summary Hon. M.A.M. Thahir argued that the Aswesuma welfare scheme continues to exclude many eligible households due to flawed criteria, while rising costs make current cash benefits inadequate. He called for reduced prices of essentials and utilities, revised eligibility rules for migrant families, fisherfolk, small self-employed persons and poor households with certain assets, and consideration of in-kind support through cooperatives. He also urged the return of seized agricultural lands in the North and East, better use of local resources to create employment, and urgent action to address disrupted public health services in the East. He supported education reform but demanded the removal of religiously objectionable sexually explicit content from proposed materials. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. K. Ilankumaran JJB AI summary Hon. K. Ilankumaran outlined the Government’s continuation and expansion of Aswesuma welfare payments, including support for poor and very poor families, vulnerable households, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, CKD patients, and students in Jaffna. He said “at-risk” payments would continue until June 2026 and core benefits until 2027, while the Government’s longer-term aim was to reduce dependency through employment and economic growth. He also referred to recovery from bankruptcy, improving state enterprises, and plans for Northern Province development, including restarting the Paranthan Chemical Factory and promoting equitable development across communities. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi JJB AI summary Hon. Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi supported approval of the Aswesuma payment scheme under the Welfare Benefits Act, arguing it should continue while beneficiaries are helped move from dependency to productive economic participation. He linked poverty, ignorance, drug abuse and weak development outcomes to the need for education reform, and stated that copybooks are not banned under the reforms but remain available for children who need support with letter formation. He also criticized Opposition Members for, in his view, commenting on reforms without seeking briefings or engaging sufficiently in committee work. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. (Ms.) Ambika Samivel JJB AI summary Hon. Ambika Samivel said discrepancies in the Aswesuma Welfare Benefits Payment Scheme, including exclusion of eligible plantation communities and inclusion of ineligible recipients, are being corrected by the Government. She noted increases in elderly, disability and CKD payments, support for children from low-income families, and argued that welfare should help families recover from poverty rather than create dependency. She also linked poverty reduction to education reform, defending the Government’s reform programme against calls for the Prime Minister’s resignation and stating that promised measures, including a Rs. 1,700 daily wage for plantation workers from the 10th of the next month, would be implemented. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Sajith Premadasa argued that the Aswesuma payment scheme is not a poverty-eradication programme unless linked to a broader strategy covering production, investment, consumption, savings and exports. He rejected claims that the Opposition opposed education reforms, stating that the Grade 6 reform was deferred by the President due to content, teacher training and technical issues, including an obscene link in an English module. He questioned whether parents were being required to fund TVs and smart boards despite assurances that the State would provide such equipment, and tabled related school letters and the disputed module. He said the Opposition supports genuine reforms, including languages and STEAM education, but demanded proper implementation and accountability. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation JJB AI summary The Minister said benefits for the “At-risk” category under the Welfare Benefits Act and Aswesuma programme have been extended to June 2026, while allowances for poor and extremely poor categories will continue until June 2027, covering 1.92 million families and additional elderly, kidney disease, and disability beneficiaries. He argued that welfare support should be temporary and linked to socioeconomic empowerment, citing the Praja Shakthi programme and livelihood initiatives. He also defended proposed education curriculum reforms as part of addressing multidimensional poverty, welcomed constructive criticism, and challenged the Opposition to promptly table and debate its proposed no-confidence motion over the reform process. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Muneer Mulaffer - Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Muneer Mulaffer rejected Opposition claims that officials were responsible for delays to the Central Expressway, arguing that contractor non-payment arose from the previous Government’s bankruptcy and mismanagement. He defended the Government’s poverty relief efforts, particularly Aswesuma, and said adjustments would be made to reflect disaster impacts while ensuring responsible use of public funds. He also linked poverty alleviation to education reform, criticizing opposition to reforms by politically motivated actors and stressing the need for education to help break the cycle of poverty. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Rohitha Abeygunawardhana NDF AI summary Hon. Rohitha Abeygunawardhana said he would support the Aswesuma payment scheme if it is properly delivered and expanded to eligible poor families, but questioned claims that poverty could be eliminated within five years amid high living costs. He urged the Government to fulfil election promises by reducing fuel prices, commodity prices and electricity tariffs, citing higher-than-expected revenue from vehicle imports as a source for relief. He also called for action against wastage and delays in the Central Expressway project, protection for officials handling disaster compensation, and safeguards for livelihoods such as traditional stake-net fisheries alongside welfare payments. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Sunil Biyanwila JJB AI summary Hon. Sunil Biyanwila supported amendments to the Aswesuma payment scheme, arguing that expanded social assistance was necessary after the economic crisis, fertilizer policy failures, and hardship faced by low-income groups. He said the Government had increased elderly, kidney patient, schoolchild, and disaster-related assistance while seeking to reduce unnecessary expenditure and redirect resources to vulnerable people. He emphasized that relief should not be permanent and linked the policy to rebuilding a productive economy through agriculture, tourism, new industries, and measures such as a Cinnamon Development Department. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran ITAK AI summary Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran welcomed the continuation of the Aswesuma welfare scheme but urged improvements in targeting, appeals, monitoring, periodic enumeration, and refinement of poverty indicators, particularly to reflect conflict-affected conditions in the North and East such as landlessness, school closures, livelihood loss, and families of the disappeared or detained. He called for an independent investigation into the death of 12-year-old Kuganesan Dinojo in Mullaitivu and linked “true solace” to justice, return of lands, livelihood restoration, and release of detained relatives. He also raised concerns on rising human-elephant conflict in the Vanni, delayed paddy procurement after flood-affected harvesting, and illegal fishing practices, requesting urgent ministerial action and stronger enforcement. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Thilanka U. Gamage JJB AI summary Hon. Thilanka U. Gamage supported amendments extending Aswesuma benefits, citing the impact of the “Didva” cyclone and continuing hardship, with poor and extreme poor categories extended to June 2027 and vulnerable beneficiaries to June 2026. He said the scheme remains temporary but should not end abruptly, and called for linking beneficiaries to production, credit, small industries, and poverty-eradication programmes while continuing support for schoolchildren, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. He also defended education reforms as central to reducing poverty, invited the Opposition to debate them, and referred to the Praja Shakthi National Programme as part of a five-year plan to build capacity and reduce rural poverty. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. Wijesiri Basnayake JJB AI summary Hon. Wijesiri Basnayake discussed amendments to the Aswesuma social protection payment scheme under the Welfare Benefits Act, noting extensions of benefits for vulnerable households to June 2026 and for poor and extreme poor households to June 2027, while disability, kidney patient, and elderly benefits continue. He outlined the scheme’s categories and payment levels, and linked the changes to continuing hardship after Cyclone “Didva.” He acknowledged concerns about targeting errors, including exclusion of eligible poor households and inclusion of ineligible households, and said a Technical Committee is revising indicators and weights, after which field verification and an updated poverty registry will be used to improve benefit delivery. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB AI summary Hon. Harsha de Silva supported extending Aswesuma payments but argued that the programme, originally introduced as a temporary crisis-response measure, should not continue without correcting serious targeting errors identified in research tabled in Parliament. He urged the Government to revise and properly weight eligibility indicators, pilot the revised system with at least 3,000 households before a national rollout, and conduct an independent evaluation of the Samurdhi Development Department’s spending and value for money. He also called for the immediate appointment of an Auditor-General, raised concerns about the proposed “Praja Shakthi” structure, and linked poverty policy to broader needs in education reform, teacher training, technology investment, and preparing for AI-related labour market changes. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage outlined revisions to Aswesuma and related social protection benefits, stating that disability allowances are being raised to Rs. 10,000 for 200,000 persons and chronic kidney disease beneficiaries increased from 50,000 to 70,000. He said around 1.92 million people in four welfare categories are receiving support, with benefit increases to Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 17,500, and that the programme is intended to continue until June 2027. He also described government empowerment measures, including grants, financial literacy training, concessional Samurdhi loans at 4 per cent, and allocations of Rs. 60 billion in 2026 to support micro and small enterprises. He rejected Opposition criticism of education reforms and said the reforms are structured around five pillars, including curriculum, human resources, facilities, and assessment changes. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 20 January 2026 The Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage - Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment JJB AI summary Moved approval of the amended Gazette for the Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme under the Welfare Benefits Act, No. 24 of 2002, noting Cabinet approval and its role as the main welfare programme for low-income and vulnerable groups. He explained that benefits are allocated under the Poor, Extremely Poor, Vulnerable and Transitional categories using Welfare Benefits Board criteria based on the 2019 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, and addressed concerns over beneficiary selection. The amendment extends payments for groups otherwise due to end in December 2025 until June 2026, citing the impact of the November cyclonic disaster, and also covers assistance for persons with disabilities, renal disease patients and elderly recipients. Debate - Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Read →
- 9 January 2026 The Hon. Dilith Jayaweera SB AI summary Dilith Jayaweera, speaking during debate on regulations under the Import and Export (Control) Act, argued that Sri Lanka’s external finances remain in severe distress despite reported export earnings, tourism income and remittances, citing import costs, weak official reserves, rupee depreciation and a negative international investment position. He called for more transparent, data-based parliamentary debate rather than leaving economic decisions to technocrats, and urged collective national action in response to IMF-recognised vulnerabilities. He also criticised the Government as a continuation of the 2015 Yahapalana administration and alleged risks to sovereignty, public education, culture and wealth creation under current policies. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act Regulations Read →