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- 8 July 2025 The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC SJB AI summary Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper supported Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva’s motion and welcomed his appointment as a historic step for representation of persons with disabilities. He argued that the existing 3 percent public sector quota is inadequate and poorly implemented, particularly for blind and deaf persons, and said disability should not be treated as a single category but matched to specific capacities, education and skills. He urged the Government to strengthen specialized education, including Braille and tailored support, expand special schools and dedicated opportunities in regular schools, and build skills pipelines to prevent marginalization. Adjournment Debate: Employment for Persons with Disabilities Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nihal Abeysinghe JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nihal Abeysinghe seconded the motion on employment for persons with disabilities, citing data indicating that a large majority remain unemployed despite having employable skills. He stated that the existing 3 percent public service employment quota for persons with disabilities is not being properly implemented and said the National People’s Power Government proposes increasing it to 5 percent. He also proposed better coordination among officials at Divisional Secretariats to identify and direct persons with disabilities into suitable employment. Adjournment Debate: Employment for Persons with Disabilities Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva JJB AI summary Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva moved an Adjournment Motion calling for immediate action to improve the economic participation and social inclusion of persons with disabilities. Citing the 2012 Census figure that 71 percent of Sri Lanka’s 1.6 million persons with disabilities are not economically active, he said existing measures such as the 1988 public service 3 percent recruitment quota, the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, and UN commitments are not being properly implemented. He urged the Government to ensure recruitment procedures and official practice uphold the quota and enable persons with disabilities to contribute to national development. Adjournment Debate: Employment for Persons with Disabilities Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara rejected claims about Opposition absenteeism, noting that many MPs from both sides were attending committee meetings, and then focused on economic pressures on SMEs, arguing that parate enforcement and high interest rates had contributed to business closures, asset seizures, and job losses. He urged loan restructuring that prioritizes repayment of principal, defers interest, and allocates most repayments toward principal to prevent further SME collapse. He questioned recent fiscal and pricing measures, including taxes, fuel and electricity price increases, possible reliance on spot fuel tenders, and IMF-related property tax plans, while alleging irregularities in CPC operations and calling for scrutiny of the SAP system. He also asked the Government to investigate alleged profiteering and governance issues at Mantai Salt Ltd., stating that salt prices had risen sharply despite lower bulk costs. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe - Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister defended the Government’s use of import and export regulations, including salt imports, as a short-term price-stabilization measure while domestic production capacity is expanded through land, technology, and state intervention. He argued that the Government remains within the IMF-backed stabilization framework and cited improved macroeconomic indicators, while outlining policy work on cross-border e-commerce, VAT on foreign digital services, and environmental law reform. He also rejected allegations regarding high-cost “plug base” procurement, stating it related to industrial equipment for digital ID infrastructure procured under specified technical standards. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. Ajith Gihan JJB AI summary Hon. Ajith Gihan defended the Government’s regulations permitting salt imports, arguing that reduced production was caused by weather conditions and disrupted coastal salt pans, including in Puttalam, affecting fisheries and dried fish producers. He said Ministers acted promptly to protect affected industries and that imports were necessary but are now being limited. He rejected Opposition criticism over salt, rice and coconut imports, stating that the Government is making need-based decisions while pursuing broader plans to strengthen exports and increase domestic production. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan SJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan argued that Sri Lanka must address its trade and budget deficits through better planning and management, noting high import expenditure, declining tea exports, risks to apparel exports from possible US tariffs, and the need for prudent control of vehicle and food imports. He called for support to local production, including agriculture, fisheries and salt, while raising concerns about the cost of living, the unmet Rs. 1,700 wage pledge for plantation workers, and the impact of 18% VAT on digital services. He also urged proper investigation and facilities for excavations at the Chemmani mass graves and requested that the Central Provincial Education Department avoid replacing the Tamil Zonal Director in the majority-Tamil Hatton Education Zone in a way that could heighten ethnic tensions. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB AI summary Dr. Harsha de Silva questioned the Government’s claim that e-commerce clearance issues had been resolved, asking whether parcels were now being assessed by HS-code duties or another method. He called for a fit-for-purpose low-value B2C import regime, including pre-declaration, clearer de minimis or flat-tax rules, practical TIN requirements, platform-based collection options, and improved Customs/ASYHUB capacity. He also urged a practical transition for vehicles imported under third-country letters of credit, arguing that shipments already arrived or afloat should not be suddenly re-exported after years of inconsistent enforcement, and that rules on used vehicles and hub imports should be clarified prospectively. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development JJB AI summary The Minister stated that the Government is examining how VAT applies to digital platform services such as PickMe and Uber, noting that platforms argue tax should apply only to their local value addition. He said the Inland Revenue Department’s position is that VAT should capture the full taxable value added to the supply, and discussions are underway with platforms to ensure fair treatment and address gaps where parts of the supply chain are not legally connected in Sri Lanka. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. Ananda Wijepala - Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs JJB AI summary Approval has been granted to fill 5,000 of approximately 28,000 vacancies in the Sri Lanka Police, with gazette notices issued for recruiting Sub-Inspectors and Police Constables and applications currently being received. The Minister stated that recruitment will proceed without delay, while measures are also being taken to improve the quality, productivity, and welfare of existing officers to manage current staffing shortfalls. Oral Question: Disappearances in North-East after Civil War (Q. 516/2025) Read →
- 30 June 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Najith Indika JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Najith Indika argued that the current government has restored economic and political stability after inheriting a bankrupt country under IMF constraints, citing first-quarter growth of 4.8 percent, higher industry and services output, a Rs. 167 billion primary surplus increase, and rising tourism and remittances. He said these improvements were the result of a deliberate programme rather than accidental outcomes, and contrasted the government’s approach with previous reliance on tax increases and burdens on ordinary people. He rejected Opposition criticism as ad hoc, stating that the government is pursuing an orderly, long-term plan under the President’s policy framework while also seeking to strengthen social protection and living standards. Debate: Motion to Adjourn on Fiscal Strategy Statement 2026 Read →
- 30 June 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah SLMC AI summary Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah expressed support for the Government’s efforts to rebuild the economy but urged faster action on economic stabilization. He called on the President as Finance Minister to directly engage the U.S. President to seek relief from increased tariffs on Sri Lankan apparel exports, warning of serious impacts on factories and SMEs. He also objected to requiring local authorities to fund an increasing share of staff salaries under IMF-related measures without first strengthening their revenue base, especially in war-affected rural councils. He further urged faster implementation of capital expenditure allocations, cautioning against excessive taxation and the relocation of Sri Lankan entrepreneurs abroad. Debate: Motion to Adjourn on Fiscal Strategy Statement 2026 Read →
- 30 June 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake welcomed the Government’s acknowledgement that all wage demands cannot be met through strikes, but urged stronger action to attract investment, including facilitating investors such as Sinopec and depoliticizing economic policy. He called for youth entrepreneurship, SME-led rice production to reduce imports, and productivity improvements in agriculture, citing lower paddy yields than regional competitors. Referring to IMF comments and the President’s statements on debt-servicing capacity by 2028, he argued that sustained reforms, fiscal discipline, better data, and accountable discretion for officials are necessary to make the current IMF programme Sri Lanka’s last. Debate: Motion to Adjourn on Fiscal Strategy Statement 2026 Read →
- 30 June 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake welcomed the Fiscal Strategy Statement 2026 as a basis for medium-term planning but urged both Government and Opposition to use data and pursue continuity in economic policy, citing malnutrition, rising welfare dependency, household costs, and increased public debt. He argued that growth should focus on enterprises, especially SMEs, and proposed a one to one-and-a-half-year moratorium and a Private Members’ Bill to provide extraordinary relief and alternative repayment arrangements for vulnerable borrowers affected during 2020-2024. He called for a stronger restructuring model for SriLankan Airlines, protection for exporters and deemed exporters if SVAT is withdrawn, targeted SME lending at 8-10 per cent, and greater accountability of the Central Bank while preserving its independence. Debate: Motion to Adjourn on Fiscal Strategy Statement 2026 Read →
- 30 June 2025 The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar said the Fiscal Strategy Statement is a statutory requirement under the Public Financial Management Act, No. 44 of 2024, but argued that it lacks clear methods, targets and timelines for achieving its stated objectives. He asked the Government to provide time-bound plans on poverty reduction, rising household expenditure, job losses among business operators, SME relief with the reactivation of parate law, debt reduction, urban cost-of-living pressures, electricity tariff policy, and IMF exit targets. He also questioned the alleged USD 1 million penalty over delays relating to the FAO research vessel, future borrowing needs to bridge the budget deficit, expected revenue and investment targets, and whether senior citizens would receive the promised additional 3 per cent interest on fixed deposits from 1 July. Debate: Motion to Adjourn on Fiscal Strategy Statement 2026 Read →
- 30 June 2025 The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan ITAK AI summary Gnanamuththu Srineshan said Sri Lanka’s economic failures stemmed less from choosing capitalism or socialism than from corruption, waste, mismanagement and discriminatory development, and he welcomed the Fiscal Strategy Statement and action against those accused of looting public assets. He urged the Government to rebuild the economy by reopening and rehabilitating closed industries in the North and East, including the Valachchenai Paper Mill and other factories affected by the war, to create jobs and reduce poverty, especially among female-headed households and migrant workers. He argued that past tax cuts under Gotabaya Rajapaksa caused major revenue losses and called for progressive, strategic economic action at national, provincial and district levels while noting that reported growth had not yet resolved poverty and price instability. Debate: Motion to Adjourn on Fiscal Strategy Statement 2026 Read →
- 30 June 2025 Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Hon. Namal Rajapaksa argued that the Government has moved away from its election platform by continuing IMF-linked and previous administration policies, particularly tax increases, without measures to raise incomes, support SMEs, or create jobs. He questioned the consistency and credibility of reported investment figures, GDP growth projections, and the status of promised reforms such as procurement digitization and transparent tendering. He also criticized policies on agriculture, imports, taxation, and gambling-related regulation as inconsistent, and asked how much of the 2025 Budget had been implemented and how the Government plans to meet external debt obligations, expand revenue, attract investment, and protect livelihoods. Debate: Motion to Adjourn on Fiscal Strategy Statement 2026 Read →
- 30 June 2025 Hon. Dilith Jayaweera SB AI summary Hon. Dilith Jayaweera criticised the 2026 Fiscal Strategy Statement under the State Financial Management Act, arguing that it lacks a clear fiscal strategy, innovative thinking, and a roadmap for wealth creation alongside fiscal discipline. He called for stronger policies to attract FDI, clearer incentives and processes for investors, and a rehabilitation framework for viable local enterprises facing debt recovery. He also questioned current tourism policy, urging the use of digital ID and digital platforms to collect reliable data on tourist spending and net economic inflows. Debate: Motion to Adjourn on Fiscal Strategy Statement 2026 Read →
- 30 June 2025 Hon. Chandana Sooriyaarachchi JJB AI summary Hon. Chandana Sooriyaarachchi supported the Fiscal Strategy Statement, noting that it is being presented for the first time under the State Financial Management Act and focuses on revenue structuring, risk mitigation, and growth pathways. He argued that the NPP Government inherited a severely weakened economy and has prioritized stabilization, confidence-building, and disciplined fiscal management. He cited early 2025 improvements in export earnings and revenue collection above targets by the Inland Revenue Department, Excise Department, and Customs as evidence of progress toward strengthening public finance, production, and the external sector. Debate: Motion to Adjourn on Fiscal Strategy Statement 2026 Read →
- 20 June 2025 The Hon. Athula Welandagoda JJB AI summary Hon. Athula Welandagoda supported the Orders under the Stamp Duty (Special Provisions) Act and Regulations under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, while criticizing the Opposition for raising unrelated political arguments during the debate. He argued that recent local authority results show growing public support for the National People’s Power and said the Government has begun stabilizing a country it inherited in economic and social crisis. He also said the NPP has plans for youth development, village-level reconstruction, and broader participation in local governance, rejecting claims that support from others in local authorities amounts to political deals. Debate: Stamp Duty (Special Provisions) Act Order and Imports and Exports (Control) Act Regulations Read →