Topic
Employment
1,754 speeches · 310 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. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 84 |
| 2 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 78 |
| 3 | Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha, M.P. JJB | 60 |
| 4 | Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, M.P. JJB | 45 |
| 5 | Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe, M.P. JJB | 41 |
| 6 | Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, M.P. JJB | 32 |
| 7 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 31 |
| 8 | Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, M.P. JJB | 30 |
| 9 | Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, M.P. NDF | 29 |
| 10 | Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, M.P. SJB | 23 |
Speeches
1,754 on this topic- 18 November 2025 The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC SJB AI summary Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper argued that estate plantation companies, rather than public funds, should bear wage increases for workers, given their profits from state and public assets including the “Ceylon Tea” brand and estate infrastructure. He requested minimum security for leaders of constituent parties in the SJB, citing long-standing political risks, and urged resolution of delayed Police Sergeant promotions to Sub Inspector, which he said have remained unresolved for over a decade. He also proposed reallocating Rs. 7.5 billion from the Rs. 12.5 billion machinery and vehicle allocation, including MPs’ vehicles, to expand relief loans for SMEs affected by parate execution, noting that many are unable to access bank support due to CRIB listings. Committee Stage Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Defence and Public Security Expenditure Heads Read →
- 18 November 2025 The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC SJB AI summary Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper argued that profitable plantation companies should fund the Government-mandated wage increase for estate workers from their own profits, rather than receiving part of the Rs. 5 billion Government allocation. He proposed that the saved funds be used to further increase workers’ wages, while Government support should be limited to loss-making private and state-owned plantations to ensure the increment is paid. He also emphasized that estate land and the “Ceylon Tea” brand belong to the state and the people, not to plantation companies. Committee Stage Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Defence and Public Security Expenditure Heads Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Vijitha Herath - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism JJB AI summary Minister Vijitha Herath responded to issues raised during the debate, stating that passports are issued abroad only to legally resident applicants and that foreign employment deployments, including to Israel, are now handled transparently without political interference. He reported record tourism and remittance performance for 2025, with tourist arrivals reaching two million and remittances expected to exceed USD 7.5 billion, while explaining pending measures on free visas, e-gates, and airport expansion, including required legal amendments and JICA-supported development. He also outlined tourism and infrastructure initiatives in the North and East, efforts to manage Yala jeep operations within wildlife limits, and noted that the Ministry had promptly condemned the September attack in Qatar. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. J.C. Alawathuwala SJB AI summary Hon. J.C. Alawathuwala argued that foreign employment and tourism are critical foreign-exchange sectors and urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take a more active, structured role in managing them. He questioned whether the 2025 target of sending 350,000 workers abroad is achievable, calling for stronger regulation of employment agents, engagement with stakeholders, worker and family welfare programmes, and implementation of a migrant worker pension scheme first proposed in 2015. On tourism, he noted that arrivals may recover to 2018 levels but revenue remains significantly lower, and called for analysis of tourist markets, higher-yield strategies, and better support for operators. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Arun Hemachandra - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister said the Government is improving foreign relations and reviving stalled partnerships while pursuing more transparent administration in foreign affairs and foreign employment. He reported record worker remittances, Sri Lanka’s recognition as a GCM Champion, efforts to increase the proportion of trained migrant workers, and reforms to address flawed previous agreements, including those relating to Israel. He outlined measures against foreign employment fraud, including a special police unit, an audit into SLBFE air ticketing irregularities, obtaining an IATA licence for direct ticket issuance, and work on pensions and migrant voting rights. He also noted budget savings, upgrades to consular facilities and mission transport, and the appointment of labour attachés based on service needs rather than political considerations. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Chathura Galappaththi SJB AI summary Chathura Galappaththi called for a consistent, non-partisan foreign policy supported by a permanent think-tank of local and international experts, and requested that the Government publish details of the reported 70 agreements and 150 investor discussions arising from recent high-level foreign visits. He questioned whether some diaspora engagements had served national interests and urged future visits to deliver clearer benefits. He also proposed expanding vocational education pathways from Grade 9 to address low-skilled migration, unemployment, and related social issues. Referring to tourism in Matara, he suggested reviewing restrictions on late-night entertainment in designated areas with sound controls, while balancing community protections. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Priyantha Wijerathna, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Priyantha Wijerathna rejected the Opposition’s request for a further debate on estate workers’ wages, stating that the matter had already been addressed in the President’s Budget speech and debated from 8 to 14 November. He noted that the Second Reading of the Budget was approved on 14 November and argued that the Opposition, including Hon. Amila Prasad, had already had the opportunity to raise its points during that debate. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi SJB AI summary Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi argued that tourism lacks sufficient concrete support in the Budget despite being a major foreign exchange earner, and urged assistance for small guesthouse operators, including limited permits to sell beer to tourists through local authorities. He requested licences or a turn system for 175 safari jeep owners excluded from Yala National Park operations, saying many are village youth who bought vehicles after working for larger operators. He welcomed some allocations for Jaffna, Arugam Bay and tourism institutions but called for broader district-level engagement, and proposed converting the old Tangalle Prison into a heritage tourism site and restoring Rohana Wijeweera’s house under the Clean Sri Lanka programme. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Amila Prasad SJB AI summary Hon. Amila Prasad, during the Committee Stage debate on the expenditure Heads of the Ministries of Justice and National Integration and of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, raised concerns about plantation workers’ wages and objected to the issue being framed as an inter-ethnic matter. He called on government representatives, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to participate in a public television debate on the subject and stated that the matter should be resolved directly. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna welcomed the proposed contributory pension and social protection scheme for overseas workers, noting her related Private Member’s Bill, and urged implementation of stalled World Bank-assisted plans to develop the Knuckles conservation tourism zone in Matale. She clarified her absence from the Budget Second Reading vote and stated that her remarks on estate worker benefits were personal, while calling for any allowance or wage increase to be designed lawfully under the Public Financial Management Act. She tabled correspondence and an article relating to the Attorney-General’s view on the supremacy of the PFMA, and asked oversight institutions to verify whether proposed payments to estate workers comply with the law. She argued that the benefit should be broadened to Rs. 2,000 and extended beyond selected plantation companies and 25-day workers to include all estate workers and small and medium estate holders where legally possible. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe - Deputy Minister of Labour JJB AI summary Mahinda Jayasinghe said the Education Ministry Head would be debated on 25 November and challenged members to address the “two-thirds” issue then. On pensioners, he stated that the President had pledged to resolve issues arising from 2015–2019 in three phases, covering 700,000 persons retired up to 31 December 2024 rather than 85,000. He asked for more time, noting that the Government had been in office for one year and was presenting its second Budget. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage (Heads 110, 112, 228-236, 326) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka (on behalf of the Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha) SJB AI summary Asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism to provide details on the reported reduction of airfares to Israel, including the date and amount of the reduction and the number of Sri Lankans currently employed there. He also sought confirmation on whether the Ministry is aware of an alleged major fraud connected to the airfare reduction and what action will be taken, or reasons if the information cannot be provided. Oral Questions and Supplementaries (Q.1-Q.4 and Standing Order 27(2) Question) Read →
- 15 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna AI summary Hon. Ramanathan Archchuna said he voted against the Budget’s Second Reading because the Government had failed to fulfil pledges on releasing political prisoners and repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act. He raised grievances relating to the Northern Province, including unemployed graduates, fishermen’s difficulties, Provincial Council politics, halted excavations, and the non-release of civilian lands in Palaly despite airport expansion plans. He also criticised the proposed Rs. 200 wage increase for estate workers as inadequate in light of living costs, and said Hill Country workers had long been neglected by their representatives. Debate: Committee Stage - Appropriation Bill 2026, Special Spending Units (Heads 1, 2, 4-11, 13, 16-25) Read →
- 15 November 2025 Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe JJB AI summary Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe said public service recruitment, largely halted since 2019, is being restarted to address an estimated 280,000 vacancies, with Cabinet approval already granted for 75,000 posts and a committee chaired by the Prime Minister’s Secretary assessing further recruitment needs. He said around 25,000 Development Officers currently teaching in schools could be recruited to the teacher service through the competitive examination process once pending litigation is resolved, contributing to over 100,000 approved recruitments, including about 30,000 teacher posts. He defended the Budget as people-centred and development-oriented, citing measures such as the Rs. 1,750 estate worker wage target and a Rs. 400 allowance supported by the Government and estate owners. He also began to raise issues concerning the role, accountability, and functioning of Presidential and Independent Commissions in public service delivery. Debate: Committee Stage - Appropriation Bill 2026, Special Spending Units (Heads 1, 2, 4-11, 13, 16-25) Read →
- 15 November 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB AI summary The Minister said the Budget allocates funds for islandwide development, including roads, hospitals, schools and housing in the North and East, with a special housing project for 2,500 families affected by the war. He addressed pension issues, stating that a pending court case concerns teachers’ pension rights linked to the 1997 B.C. Perera Pay Commission and that the 2025 and 2026 Budget measures, including a new Pay Commission, aim to resolve pension and salary anomalies. He rejected opposition claims of politicization in community programmes and defended the VAT threshold reduction as a compliance measure targeting evasion within the value chain. He also said the Government is regularizing pension rights for public servants recruited since 2016, arguing that the previous contributory pension clauses were never operationalized. Debate: Committee Stage - Appropriation Bill 2026, Special Spending Units (Heads 1, 2, 4-11, 13, 16-25) Read →
- 15 November 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa urged the Government to honour pre-election commitments to resolve long-standing pension anomalies affecting retired teachers and principals, noting related court proceedings and union involvement. He argued that revenue and primary balance outcomes exceeding IMF targets had created fiscal space that should be redirected to poverty reduction, MSME revival, start-ups, and support for farmers, fishers, workers, the self-employed, and women. He also called for an investigation into alleged harassment of the Chairperson of the Aratchchikattuwa Pradeshiya Sabha and warned that macro-linked bonds in the debt restructuring could increase future debt service as growth improves. He further alleged politicization of the “Community Power” programme and related local structures, questioning whether this was consistent with the Government’s promised system change. Debate: Committee Stage - Appropriation Bill 2026, Special Spending Units (Heads 1, 2, 4-11, 13, 16-25) Read →
- 15 November 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Sajith Premadasa argued that the Government had failed to implement election pledges, including permanent appointments for teacher instructors, changes to the IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis, graduate employment commitments, and justice for the Easter Sunday attacks. He called for urgent action on distressed MSMEs, citing high closures, non-performing loans, parate executions, inadequate restructuring mechanisms, weak use of ADB credit support, and the impact of lowering the VAT registration threshold. He also urged a coherent national pension programme, restoration of promised senior citizens’ savings benefits, settlement of pension anomalies and arrears for retirees, and resolution of unresolved salary and pension issues affecting retired teachers and principals. Debate: Committee Stage - Appropriation Bill 2026, Special Spending Units (Heads 1, 2, 4-11, 13, 16-25) Read →
- 15 November 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Asked whether the Government would provide relief from the application of parate law, noting its impact on small millers and sectors such as hotels. The question was directed in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Finance. Oral Question: Q.562/2025 - Lands Belonging to Sri Lanka Railways: Lease Read →
- 15 November 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Hon. Kins Nelson raised concerns that small and medium rice millers, particularly in areas such as Polonnaruwa, have been unable to access bank credit after defaults linked to the Easter attacks, COVID-19, and the economic crisis, leading to CRIB listings and asset auctions under the parate law from 30 June 2025. He argued that lack of timely pre-harvest credit to these millers, while larger millers received facilities, is a key factor in rising rice prices. He asked whether the Ministry will ensure banks provide credit to small and medium millers before the Maha harvest, in line with the President’s stated commitment. Oral Question: Q.562/2025 - Lands Belonging to Sri Lanka Railways: Lease Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan SJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan stated support for the Government on the grounds that it had increased the wages of plantation workers. Debate Conclusion and Division: Disposals Bill 2026 – Second Reading Read →