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- 8 November 2025 The Hon. Sunil Rathnasiri JJB AI summary Hon. Sunil Rathnasiri asked whether, after successive changes to poverty alleviation programmes from Janasaviya to Aswesuma, the Government intends to strengthen the Samurdhi Department. He specifically sought clarification on whether the Department would be developed for community empowerment and microfinance or allowed to decline. Oral Question: Financial Assistance Provided to Public During COVID Pandemic (Q.1492/2025) Read →
- 7 November 2025 The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake - President, Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Minister of Digital Economy AI summary President Anura Kumara Dissanayake moved the Second Reading of the Government’s second National Budget, stating that the administration had restored macroeconomic, fiscal and social stability after inheriting a crisis marked by debt distress, weak governance and fiscal imbalance. He cited 4.8% growth in the first half of 2025, low inflation, lower Treasury bill yields, stable exchange rates, reserves expected to reach about USD 7.9 billion by year-end, tax revenue near 16% of GDP, and a primary surplus exceeding the 2.3% target as evidence of recovery. He said the Budget continues reforms focused on fiscal discipline, revenue administration digitization, expenditure rationalization, debt reduction and transparent public financial management, with central government debt projected to fall to 96.8% of GDP by end-2026 and around 87% by 2030. Appropriation Bill, 2026: Second Reading Debate Read →
- 24 October 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake questioned the Government’s and Central Bank’s decision to maintain a 5 per cent inflation target, arguing that it weakens real incomes, savings, competitiveness, and investor confidence. He proposed shifting to a 2–3 per cent target alongside supply-side reforms, and asked whether higher interest rates and rupee depreciation impose major fiscal costs of about Rs. 160 billion per percentage point and Rs. 45 billion per rupee respectively. He also sought clarification on whether the Ministry of Finance has assessed the impact on public savings and whether the current target undermines long-term investment, export, and FDI goals. Point of Order and Procedural Matters - Budget-related Discussion Read →
- 24 October 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Prasanna Gunasena - Acting Minister of Transport and Highways JJB AI summary The Acting Minister said the priority for Sammanturai is to ensure continuous public transport service rather than immediately establishing a new depot. He explained that a new sub-depot would create additional costs, including staff and dead mileage for buses travelling 12–13 km to Kalmunai for refuelling. The Ministry will first regularize and monitor the integrated private-SLTB timetable from Kalmunai for one to two months, and if service remains inadequate, it will consider opening a Sammanturai depot with minimal staff despite the higher cost. Oral Question: SLTB Bus Depot in Pottuvil DS Division (Q.8-9/2025) Read →
- 24 October 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) Sena Nanayakkara JJB AI summary Prof. Sena Nanayakkara raised concerns about inadequate facilities at rest stops used by long-distance bus passengers, including poor food, hygiene, and sanitation, despite some improvements in bus transport services. He asked the Minister of Transport whether restaurants or canteens could be established under direct Government oversight through a new administrative mechanism to address these issues. Oral Question: Long-Distance Bus Services (Q.7/2025) Read →
- 23 October 2025 The Hon. Dilith Jayaweera SB AI summary Hon. Dilith Jayaweera condemned the Minister of Public Security’s response to the murder of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, arguing that labelling the victim before due process violated the presumption of innocence and undermined the rule of law. He demanded immediate security assurances for public representatives from local bodies to Parliament and warned against trivializing attacks on elected officials. He also argued that drug seizures and arrests do not address deeper social and economic causes of crime, linking instability to poverty, weak governance, and foreign geopolitical influence. He urged the Opposition to act more decisively and unite where possible in response to what he described as a serious threat to democracy and public representatives’ safety. Adjournment Debate: Organized Crime, Drug Trafficking and Nation Together Programme (Ratama Ekata) Read →
- 22 October 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera argued that the Special Commodity Levy on imported potatoes and big onions was imposed too late to significantly assist local farmers, as large imported stocks are already in the market and prices remain unfavourable to domestic growers. He said vegetable farmers, particularly in Nuwara Eliya, are facing sharply reduced prices and distress. He requested the Minister of Agriculture to introduce a planned crop-zoning framework, with designated districts or zones for specific crops, to prevent oversupply and stabilize farmer returns. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 The Hon. Nalin Hewage - Deputy Minister of Vocational Education JJB AI summary Nalin Hewage argued that agriculture must be central to Sri Lanka’s development and said import levy increases on potatoes and onions were intended to protect domestic farmers, while also noting the need to keep food affordable for consumers. He rejected Opposition claims that the Government delayed the levies to allow pre-levy imports, saying official monthly figures had disproved them, and called for more constructive criticism. He said the Government was pursuing lower production costs through better seed, fertilizer and technology, with a longer-term shift toward larger-scale, higher-productivity agriculture, and criticized past policies including the organic fertilizer decision. He also stated that Rs. 10.5 billion in excise arrears would be collected, alleging that some defaulters were linked to Opposition figures. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe JJB AI summary Wasantha Samarasinghe stated that the Nuwara Eliya Economic Centre reported a wholesale purchase price of Rs. 200 per kilogram for potatoes and a selling price of Rs. 220. He noted that recent heavy rains had reduced potato digging, while those holding stocks were selling at Rs. 200 per kilogram. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan SJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan raised concerns about severe losses faced by potato and vegetable farmers in Nuwara Eliya due to high production costs, low market prices, and competition from imported potatoes kept in cold storage. He said farmers are selling below cost, risking abandonment of cultivation, while seed potatoes remain unsold and related labour and trading activity have declined. He urged the Government to prepare a plan and adjust import levies in a timely manner, noting that earlier action could have reduced the present distress. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 The Hon. Sudath Balagalla JJB AI summary Sudath Balagalla argued that the previous Government’s excise and economic policies had worsened household debt, losses in State institutions, and social harms linked to alcohol and narcotics. He cited recent drug seizures, including about 1,248 kg of heroin and 1,852 kg of “ice” over nine months, and said investigations should proceed while holding the prior political culture morally accountable. Referring to potato farmers in Badulla, he said the Government plans to reduce production costs by developing domestic seed potato production, aiming to cut costs by about 25 per cent within two to three years. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara SJB AI summary R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara condemned the shooting death of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, describing it as a political assassination and linking it to a broader deterioration in security, citing 101 shootings and 57 deaths during the year. He urged the Government and the Speaker to ensure the security of elected representatives and protect democratic political activity. He also criticised the timing and handling of food import levies, arguing that delayed action on potatoes and onions failed to protect local farmers and allowed importers to benefit, and questioned the removal of the Director-General of the Department of Investment Policy. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 The Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen SJB AI summary Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen urged the Government, in the context of Orders under the Special Commodity Levy Act, to align import levies and import timing with local harvest seasons to prevent depressed prices for farmers, citing past coordination through the Cost of Living Committee. He raised the case of Muthunagar farmers in Trincomalee being prevented from cultivating long-used lands and requested either the return of the land or prompt allocation of nearby alternative land, noting ongoing protests and deadlines from the President’s Office. He also called for payment of salary arrears to 91 locally recruited workers at Lanka Mineral Sands Limited in Pulmoddai, and proposed reopening closed Sathosa outlets to buy and sell farm produce at fair prices. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB AI summary Minister Samantha Viddyarathna said the Government imposed import levies of Rs. 80 per kg on potatoes and Rs. 50 per kg on big onions to protect domestic farmers while seeking parliamentary approval for the relevant order. He said state and private sector purchasing mechanisms had been arranged, including Sathosa purchases and direct buying by Keells and Cargills at specified prices, with centres in areas such as Welimada/Bogahakumbura, Keppetipola, Dambulla, Thambuttegama and Jaffna. He also outlined plans to expand local seed potato production through tissue culture and state farm facilities, arguing that reducing dependence on imported seed and inputs is necessary to sustain cultivation. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 Hon. Chanaka Madugoda SLPP AI summary Hon. Chanaka Madugoda questioned the effectiveness of continuing import levies under the Special Commodity Levy Act to protect potato and onion farmers, noting that after nearly two decades domestic production remains about 28 per cent for potatoes and 4 per cent for onions. He argued that while farmers need protection, consumers must also be considered, and proposed targeted support, assured income mechanisms, and measures to raise domestic production instead of relying repeatedly on levies. He also urged the Government, in the context of floods and public hardship, to give local administrative officers discretion to provide relief based on actual conditions rather than rigid eligibility criteria. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake acknowledged the Government’s position on the timing of a tax but emphasized that the key issue is the current market situation. He stated that potatoes are priced at Rs. 140 and onions at Rs. 90 and argued that, at those prices, they cannot be sold. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake raised concern over the shooting death of the Chairman of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha and said the withdrawal of security for Opposition members made the Government accountable for their safety. He criticized the delayed imposition of taxes on imported potatoes and onions, arguing that earlier action was needed to protect farmers in Uva Paranagama, Welimada and other areas affected by crop and storage losses. He alleged irregularities in a Gazette permitting imports of Ponni Samba and Pal Samba rice, claiming that only traders close to the Government or Minister could benefit due to timing, port arrivals and Indian holidays, and called for either reduced import duties to benefit consumers or direct support such as fertilizer subsidies or cash assistance to farmers. He also questioned the handling of imported salt consignments remaining uncleared at the port and warned a similar situation could occur with rice imports. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 2) Read →
- 22 October 2025 Thilanka U. Gamage JJB AI summary Thilanka U. Gamage disputed the Opposition Leader’s estimate of big onion production costs, stating that improved yields had reduced costs to about Rs. 90–100 per kg, while noting broader economic stabilization indicators. He said new Excise rules are intended to enforce timely remittance of existing taxes, with a 3% monthly late fee after one month and licence cancellation after 90 days, addressing arrears of Rs. 10.5 billion. He supported increasing the Special Commodity Levy on big onions from Rs. 10 to Rs. 50 and potatoes from Rs. 60 to Rs. 80 to protect local farmers, encourage domestic production, manage imports, and maintain price stability. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 1) Read →
- 22 October 2025 Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Sajith Premadasa said increases in the Special Commodity Levy on potatoes and big onions must genuinely improve farmers’ cost recovery and not merely benefit importers through poor timing or pre-stocking. He cited production costs exceeding farm-gate prices, high import dependence, and difficulties faced by farmers in key growing areas, and called for levies to be timed with harvest cycles and set through the National Tariff Policy Committee and Cabinet after proper impact assessment. He also proposed reducing input and seed costs, improving coordination between Agriculture and Trade authorities, and introducing modern technologies and training for potato and big onion cultivation while maintaining fair consumer prices. Debate: Rules under Excise Ordinance and Special Commodity Levy Order (Session 1) Read →
- 22 October 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake called for a competitive market environment to protect both consumers and farmers. He argued that relying solely on State control is not an adequate solution. Ministerial Statements: Poverty Alleviation and Industry Development Read →