Topic
Infrastructure
2,546 speeches · 378 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 | 137 |
| 2 | Hon. Kumara Jayakody, M.P. JJB | 105 |
| 3 | Hon. Anura Karunathilaka, M.P. JJB | 83 |
| 4 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 76 |
| 5 | Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe, M.P. JJB | 62 |
| 6 | Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, M.P. ITAK | 47 |
| 7 | Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, M.P. JJB | 46 |
| 8 | Hon. Ajith P. Perera, M.P. SJB | 43 |
| 9 | Hon. (Dr.) Prasanna Gunasena, M.P. JJB | 36 |
| 10 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 34 |
Speeches
2,546 on this topic- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Imran Maharoof SJB AI summary Hon. Imran Maharoof raised several Trincomalee District issues during the Committee Stage debate on allocations for Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, and Labour. He urged the Government to amend or offset a circular requiring local authorities to bear increasing salary costs for permanent casual workers, establish a fire brigade at Kinniya Urban Council, and provide JCBs, gully bowsers and other vehicles to local bodies. He also requested staffing for Divisional Secretariats, survey and demarcation of disputed DS boundaries, creation of additional DS divisions in Kinniya and Thoppur, and a coordinated licensing mechanism for firewood cutters to prevent arrests and penalties. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Padmasiri Bandara JJB AI summary Padmasiri Bandara defended the Budget allocations under Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, rejecting Opposition claims about low capital spending and citing allocations for Health, Agriculture, and Rural and Infrastructure ministries as evidence of a capital-focused Budget. He highlighted the proposed implementation of a 3 per cent public service recruitment quota for persons with disabilities, alongside a Rs. 500 million wage subsidy scheme for private employers. He also said the Government would address local authority staff shortages through over 75,000 recruitments and allocate Rs. 12,500 million for shared essential equipment, while noting increased benefits for public servants including higher festival advances, disaster loan ceilings, and difficult-area allowances for teachers. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi SJB AI summary Condemning alleged attacks on Buddhist clergy in the Eastern Province, Dilip Wedaarachchi criticised the Government’s handling of public administration and local government, citing low utilization of development allocations in Hambantota and arguing that district projects were not being implemented effectively despite Government control of most local bodies. He contrasted this with past “Gamperaliya” and MP allocation programmes, claimed better local-level execution under previous administrations, and commended the Hambantota Municipal Council mayor for using funds for development. He also raised concerns over killings, narcotics and underworld activity ahead of the President’s visit to Hambantota, calling for inclusive anti-drug programmes and proper review mechanisms. Wedaarachchi further alleged intimidation, bribery and manipulation in the formation and control of local authorities, urging Opposition members in Hambantota councils to oppose what he described as corrupt budgets and administrations. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Upali Samarasingha – Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development AI summary Upali Samarasingha noted that the 2026 Budget allocates substantial funds to Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, and highlighted continuing post-war development gaps in the Northern Province, particularly in the Vanni District. He requested the Minister’s special attention to shortages of heavy machinery in local authorities and significant staff vacancies in Northern provincial ministries and departments, arguing these must be addressed for local bodies to function effectively. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan SJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan raised concerns about inadequate staffing, buildings, and service coverage in Divisional Secretariats, Pradeshiya Sabhas, and Grama Niladhari divisions in Nuwara Eliya District, particularly Norwood, Talawakelle, Walapane, Hanguranketha, and Kothmale. He requested the creation of additional DSDs and local authorities, recruitment of more GNs and Management Assistants, salary improvements, and appointment of unemployed graduates to fill service gaps. He also called for plantation communities to receive public services directly through GNs and DSDs without dependence on estate management, and requested fire engines for local bodies and a resolution to salary liabilities arising from the Ambagamuwa PS split. He further urged the Government to retain Provincial Councils, make any necessary legal amendments, and hold Provincial Council elections without delay. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe – Minister AI summary Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe defended current vehicle imports as necessary to restore basic operations in local authorities and government offices, citing shortages and unusable equipment such as gully bowsers, loaders, bulldozers, tractors and official vehicles. He said the next batch would include 100 gully bowsers, 175 tractors, 100 water bowsers, 160 tippers, 75 motor graders and other vehicles, with allocations made to all local authorities regardless of political control. He argued that maintaining about 4,000 old vehicles under the Ministry of Local Government costs around Rs. 3,350 million annually and that replacing unusable vehicles is more practical than repeated repairs. He rejected claims that the vehicles were being imported for political supporters, stating that MPs and officials would receive only operational vehicles where needed, including cabs to be returned after five years. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake informed Parliament that a rock-blasting operation to stabilize an NBRO-identified unsafe slope between Idalgasinna and Ohiya on the Badulla railway line caused rocks to fall onto the track, suspending services on that section. He stated that the Army, Railways Department staff and the contractor had been mobilized, with the aim of restoring Badulla line operations by the following night, while trains were operating only up to Nanu Oya that day. Procedural: Ministerial Statements and Parliamentary Business Management Read →
- 18 November 2025 The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman SJB AI summary Mujibur Rahuman briefly suggests that personnel or resources under discussion be deployed to build houses for Members of Parliament. The remark appears to be a proposal or interjection related to the use of available labour or deployment capacity for parliamentary housing needs. 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. Jagath Vithana SJB AI summary Hon. Jagath Vithana urged the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Service Commission to establish a new court complex in Matugama, citing severe overcrowding, inadequate facilities, and lack of basic amenities in the High Court, Magistrate’s Court and District Court serving a large population. He also highlighted critical overcrowding and unsafe conditions at Kalutara Prison, including poor officer quarters, inadequate sanitation, delays in drug analysis reports, restrictive bail practices and prolonged remand. He called for urgent inspections and remedies, with special attention to transporting children in probationary care separately from prisoners and improving conditions for under-18 detainees. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) Ruwan Ranasinghe JJB AI summary Hon. (Prof.) Ruwan Ranasinghe said the Government had restored macroeconomic stability with support from migrant remittances and tourism, and argued that current tourism performance and visitor spending should be assessed in light of exchange rate depreciation and regional comparisons. He stated that the main constraint on further tourist growth was airport capacity, not promotion, citing cancelled charter flight requests and announcing plans to commence Terminal 2 expansion next year. He also said the Government was enforcing the law against tourist harassment, regularizing beach and surf-related tourism activities, expanding tourism projects in the North and East, and using Tourism Fund allocations for training low-income youth for employment in the sector. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana SJB AI summary Hon. Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana questioned delays in the Sampur solar power project, including the absence of a tender process despite its inauguration during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit, and compared it to delays in the Dambulla Cold Storage Project. He criticized the Tourism Ministry’s engagement with industry stakeholders, promotion strategy, infrastructure shortcomings, online platform leakage, low tourist spending, harassment of tourists, and the handling of LGBTQ-related promotion. He also raised concerns over a reported CID visit to London without Attorney General involvement, called for justice in the Easter Sunday attacks, and demanded action over police conduct during a Trincomalee Buddha statue-related incident involving monks. 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 urged the Government to use digital tools to advance tourism, proposing a mandatory app or QR-linked profile for tourists to track preferences, movements, hotel check-ins, overstays, unregistered accommodation, and taxable activity. He argued that the Budget lacks funding or vision for such digitalization, despite tourism being a key foreign exchange earner directly benefiting communities. He criticized a proposed tourist licensing scheme, saying it could displace licensed guides, driver-guides, and tourist drivers, undermine private-sector-led destination development, and risk attracting lower-spending tourists, citing Thailand’s experience. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Susantha Dodawatta, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Susantha Dodawatta supported the Justice sector Budget allocations, arguing that they address delays in the justice system through improved court infrastructure, increased staffing, digitization, and legal reforms. He cited allocations for court renovations, 2,871 new recruitments, audio-visual technology for courts, amendments to criminal and civil procedure, and recent laws including the Proceeds of Crime Act and the removal of presidential immunities. He also highlighted prison reforms, including biometric systems, modernization funding, community-based corrections, possible alternatives to remand incarceration, and Rs. 100 million for the Watareka open prison in Homagama. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam urged the Government to prioritize connectivity as the basis for tourism development in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, citing the need to commission KKS Harbour, upgrade Palaly International Airport, use Batticaloa International Airport, and advance the Talaimannar–Rameswaran ferry. He welcomed the concessionary airline ticket scheme for migrant workers but asked the Foreign Employment Bureau to address cases of workers travelling to the Middle East without proper visas and ending up imprisoned. He also questioned whether rising tourist arrivals are generating the projected revenue, stressing that tourism and foreign employment are major sources of foreign exchange. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB AI summary S.M. Marikkar argued that Sri Lanka urgently needs higher dollar inflows to meet ongoing foreign debt obligations and reduce the trade deficit, noting limited reserves and only modest increases in tourism earnings and worker remittances. He urged the Government to adopt more effective measures to attract investment, expand exports, and increase tourism revenue, including improving airport capacity and temporarily reopening Ratmalana Airport until the Katunayake Airport expansion is completed. He also called for better promotion of tourist attractions, higher per-tourist spending, and a more practical approach to aviation and tourism infrastructure constraints. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Namal Rajapaksa said tourism policy should support both higher arrivals and higher earnings, calling for airport expansion, operational e-gates, better use of the Tourism Development Levy for promotion and local services, and a regulatory approach to protect small tourism operators rather than demolitions. He raised concerns about alleged politicization of the judiciary, including suspensions, transfers and promotions of judges, and urged transparent criteria to preserve public confidence. He also called for prison reform, faster lab reports, court digitization, attention to foreign convicts and overcrowding, and equal enforcement of drug laws. Referring to a recent incident at a Trincomalee temple, he urged the Government to intervene and resolve the matter fairly without allowing it to become an ethnic issue. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Prasanna Gunasena - Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister said Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange position depends on exports, remittances, foreign investment and tourism, noting improved tourist arrivals and revenue compared with 2024 while emphasizing the need to increase visitors’ length of stay and daily spending. He outlined tourism-related measures, including improved management of the Ella train experience, district-level tourism coordination committees, and the issuance of temporary driving licences to foreign visitors at Bandaranaike International Airport, stating that only about 1.19 per cent of arrivals had obtained such licences. He also detailed revised Motor Traffic Regulations increasing licence-related fees, while noting recognition of international driving permits under relevant conventions and the Motor Traffic Act. He argued that rule of law, social justice and a stable environment are essential to further strengthen tourism and investment. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) Read →
- 17 November 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Chamindranee Kiriella focused on tourism during the Committee Stage Debate on the 2026 Budget, noting that Sri Lanka is behind its targets of USD 5 billion in earnings and 3 million tourist arrivals, and called for the delayed national destination branding campaign to be launched urgently. She questioned the delay in gazetting the announced free visa scheme for 33 countries, raised concerns over unregistered foreign tour guides, harassment incidents involving foreign women tourists, and inadequate marketing of Kandy as a destination. She also requested revival of the unspent Walkability Improvement Project funds for Kandy and urged measures to improve basic services at the Kandy Court Complex as part of justice sector modernization. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage Continuation (Foreign Affairs, Justice and National Integration) 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 →