Topic
Public Finance
5,915 speeches · 726 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. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 283 |
| 2 | Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha, M.P. JJB | 229 |
| 3 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 171 |
| 4 | Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe, M.P. JJB | 167 |
| 5 | Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, M.P. JJB | 153 |
| 6 | Hon. Kumara Jayakody, M.P. JJB | 147 |
| 7 | Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva, M.P. SJB | 140 |
| 8 | Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, M.P. JJB | 135 |
| 9 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 115 |
| 10 | Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, M.P. SJB | 92 |
Speeches
5,915 on this topic- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman SJB AI summary Hon. Mujibur Rahuman questioned the Government’s post-IMF programme roadmap after the final review due in March 2027, arguing that the Budget lacks proposals to increase exports, attract investment, strengthen the labour market, or advance trade and investment agreements. He demanded disclosure of agreements signed with India, the United States and China, and criticized the reduction of VAT and Social Security Contribution Levy thresholds from Rs. 60 million to Rs. 36 million as harmful to small and medium traders. He alleged the Budget favours large business interests, citing liquor licensing and the Mannar wind power project, and asked what practical support had been provided to ordinary small businesses beyond schoolchildren’s vouchers. He also tabled the U.S. Department of State’s “2025 Sri Lanka Investment Climate Statement,” highlighting concerns about investor confidence, absence of a unified foreign investment policy, red tape, electricity costs, non-implementation of the Economic Transformation Bill, and lack of a unified tax policy. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman SJB AI summary Mujibur Rahuman argued that the Government is allowing the NPP party office in Pelawatte to influence state administration, citing the Colombo Municipal Council as an example. He criticized the Budget as a continuation of revenue measures introduced under former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, including higher VAT, levies, and IMF-linked policies, despite the NPP having opposed them in Opposition. He alleged that taxes on essentials, school supplies, vehicles, rice, and salt have increased the cost of living, worsened poverty, and reduced purchasing power, and called for VAT on school items to be removed. He also accused the Government of failing to support potato and onion farmers during market gluts and said many Budget proposals were recycled from previous policies. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and the Leader of the House of Parliament JJB AI summary The Minister defended the 2026 Budget, arguing that it maintains fiscal discipline, broadens the tax base, accelerates digitalization, and prioritizes production, MSMEs, investment promotion, wage adjustments, anti-corruption, anti-narcotics measures, and social welfare. He said the Budget includes around Rs. 1,400 billion in capital projects beyond the President’s speech, urged critics to read the full document, and cited measures such as bank-card payments for bus fares and increased assistance to poor hill-country families. He also criticized the Opposition and some plantation-sector political actors, while stating that reforms, including action on informal economies and pavement trading, would be implemented gradually with alternatives. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Padmasiri Bandara JJB AI summary Padmasiri Bandara defended the 2026 Budget as a stable and deliverable programme, contrasting it with what he described as inconsistent and theatrical criticism from the Opposition, including on the proposed Rs. 200 daily attendance incentive for plantation workers. He said the Government represented a different and educated parliamentary cohort and rejected claims that its “People’s Power” programme was politicized, arguing that it addressed rural economic aspirations. He highlighted major allocations for education, health, and transport, and urged Members to support the Budget at the vote. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Rohana Bandara AI summary Hon. Rohana Bandara criticized the Budget as failing to implement the Government’s election manifesto and questioned whether previous year allocations had been spent or development targets achieved. He challenged claims of a Treasury surplus amid rising debt and higher costs, and argued that unspent allocations and increased taxation had masked inaction. He called for a lawful and workable framework for increasing plantation workers’ wages, including smallholder workers, and criticized agricultural proposals on youth agripreneurs, paddy procurement and onion support as inadequate and ad hoc. He also urged the Government to hold Provincial Council elections promptly. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Gayan Janaka JJB AI summary Hon. Gayan Janaka supported the 2026 Budget, arguing that the Government is restoring the economy after the 2022 bankruptcy caused by long-term macroeconomic, fiscal, structural, and governance failures. He said capital expenditure implementation had reached 58 per cent by 30 October and was expected to exceed 80 per cent by year-end, contrasting this with previous governments’ performance. He stated that the Government had stabilized macroeconomic fundamentals, recovered some losses from the crisis, targeted 7 per cent medium-term growth, and provided wage increases, scholarships, and social support. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Namal Sudarshana - Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs JJB AI summary He cited a Gunadasa Kapuge song to argue against divisions based on ethnicity, religion, and region. He said the Budget should treat all communities across the North, South, and East equally as citizens of one country. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Namal Sudarshana - Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Namal Sudarshana supported the Budget, stating that economic stabilization had enabled programmes such as Clean Sri Lanka and digitalization to target rural development and poverty reduction. He rejected claims that preschool education was neglected, citing increased teacher and meal allowances and a new National Policy on Preschool Education to standardize curricula, teacher qualifications, governance, and regulation across provinces. He also outlined support for institutionalized children, including monthly assistance, improvements to care institutions, and a Rs. 2,000 million allocation to provide up to Rs. 2 million each for eligible youth leaving care to obtain land or housing. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Chathura Galappaththi SJB AI summary The MP argued that the Budget proposal to pay plantation workers an additional Rs. 10,000 per month conditional on 25 days’ attendance is impractical due to weekly holidays, monthly holidays, work quotas, weigh-cut systems, and shorter months. He said his side supports increasing plantation workers’ pay, including raising the daily wage to Rs. 1,750, but called for removal of the rigid 25-day condition and stated they cannot support the overall Budget. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Chathura Galappaththi SJB AI summary Chathura Galappaththi criticized the length and content of the 2026 Budget speech, arguing that despite its duration it contained few genuinely new proposals and insufficient allocations for development. He questioned the Government’s legislative performance, noting that only about 10 new Acts were attributable to the current administration in 2025 compared with higher numbers in previous years. He argued that improved revenue figures were mainly due to high taxation, particularly on reopened vehicle imports, and underutilized capital expenditure rather than stronger economic fundamentals. He also questioned the sharp increase in the President’s expenditure head and suggested excessive concentration of funds under the President and Ministry of Finance. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Chathura Galappaththi SJB AI summary Chathura Galappaththi noted the retirement of Parliament’s Director (Administration) M. M. M. Iqbal and then criticized the President and Prime Minister for not attending the World Marketing Forum hosted in Sri Lanka, which he described as an important opportunity to engage ambassadors, business leaders and investors. He stated that the Leader of the Opposition attended the event and was invited to address the Singapore Economic Forum, while suggesting that the President was prioritizing party and ministerial matters over economic forums. He then indicated he would turn to the Budget presented by the President as Finance Minister. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. R. M. Gamini Rathnayake JJB AI summary Hon. R. M. Gamini Rathnayake defended the 2026 Budget as the Government’s second budget and as a continuation of measures begun after the National People’s Power assumed office in 2024. He argued that the Budget maintains stability without new burdensome taxes or new borrowing, and said Opposition criticism lacked policy substance, citing vehicle procurement claims as misleading because the allocation covered 2,700 public sector vehicles rather than vehicles for MPs. He also stated that proposed state-owned enterprise reforms would protect workers’ EPF, ETF and gratuity entitlements through Treasury support where closures or divestments occur. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Dinesh Hemantha JJB AI summary Hon. Dinesh Hemantha defended Budget allocations by stating that the LKR 12,500 million vehicle provision is for 2,700 vehicles to address shortages in public institutions, with only MPs lacking pickups receiving them, and that the LKR 500 million for public servants’ property loans is for an interest subsidy rather than loan principal. He argued that the Government has exceeded revenue and fiscal targets in 2025, citing improved deficit figures, higher revenue collection, tourism, remittances and Customs income. He also called on Opposition MPs, particularly those representing plantation communities, to state whether they support the Rs. 200 plantation wage top-up and to reflect that position in the vote. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara argued that the Budget is primarily aligned with IMF programme conditions, particularly revenue measures, tax compliance, and restrained spending, and said the Government should present economic data honestly rather than use selective claims about the 2022 crisis. He questioned capital expenditure execution, alleging that only a limited share of allocations had been effectively spent while recurrent spending increased, and warned that rushed tendering to use funds could create irregularities. He called for an updated poverty survey and a structured poverty-alleviation programme, while criticising proposed vehicle purchases, low allocations for public transport, education, health, pensions, and public-sector pay commitments. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Hemali Weerasekara - Deputy Chairperson of Committees JJB AI summary Hon. Hemali Weerasekara supported the 2025 Budget, presenting macroeconomic indicators and revenue, export, remittance, tourism and stock market performance as evidence of improving stability and growth. She highlighted budget proposals for MSME concessional and collateral-free lending, tourism development, public service recruitment and benefits, regularization of certain public employees, and expanded support for persons with disabilities. She also reported on 2025 Budget implementation, stating that national financial progress had exceeded 50 per cent and that Gampaha District projects showed over 85 per cent physical progress, with allocations expected to be fully utilized. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Vijitha Herath - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism JJB AI summary The Minister said the Government had stabilized an inherited bankrupt economy through fiscal discipline and presented the Budget as part of its policy framework for continued stability. He emphasized Government action for the Sri Lanka Malaiyaha plantation community, citing the Hatton Declaration and commitments on housing, land, wages, education, health and infrastructure. He said the Budget provides for land allocation, housing support including projects under Indian credit lines, firm land titles, and a Rs. 200 Treasury-funded attendance incentive in addition to a Rs. 200 wage increase agreed by estate owners, amounting to a Rs. 400 increase for plantation workers. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne - Deputy Minister of Mass Media JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Kaushalya Ariyarathne described the 2026 Budget as an inclusion-focused and “feminist” Budget aimed at supporting historically excluded groups through welfare, education, housing, nutrition, pensions, eldercare, disability support and targeted subsidies. She highlighted allocations for school kits, daycare centres, children with disabilities, wage top-ups for employers hiring persons with disabilities, MSMEs, women’s livelihoods, rural economies, water schemes and farmer support. She defended the Rs. 200 attendance incentive for estate workers, rejected certain Opposition objections as procedurally misplaced, and said the Government’s ideological basis is equity and leaving no one behind. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nandana Millagala defended the 2026 Budget, stating that the NPP’s policy promised a Rs. 200 State-funded attendance incentive for Malaiyagam Tamil workers, not a Rs. 2,100 wage increase, and said this is being implemented. He argued that the Government had stabilized public finance, acted against corruption, narcotics and organized crime, and restored institutional independence since the 2025 Budget. He highlighted the Rs. 704 billion allocation for education, including support for estate schools in Kegalle District, and said the 2026 Budget builds on the foundation laid in 2025 toward the Government’s policy goals. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam stated that his party would abstain from voting on Budget 2026 as a signal of willingness to engage with the Government. He warned that they may oppose the next Budget if no action is taken by next year, and said the decision to abstain was based on the President’s agreement to meet them the following week. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →
- 14 November 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam said ITAK would abstain on the Second Reading of the 2026 Budget, arguing that it lacks sufficient commitments to Tamil political rights, constitutional reform, Provincial Council elections, land issues, accountability, and targeted development in the North and East. He questioned low utilization of previous Northern allocations, the handling of Eastern Province funds under a Governor, Mahaweli land alienation, and the absence of clear commitments to develop Palaly, Batticaloa, KKS and Trincomalee infrastructure. He said ITAK would support measures against drugs and corruption but not the Budget on the basis of feasibility studies, and raised concerns that estate worker wage and housing proposals did not adequately address dignity, land and secure housing for Malaiyagam Tamils. Debate: Second Reading of Appropriation Bill 2026 – Sixth Allotted Day Read →