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- 13 November 2025 The Hon. T.K. Jayasundara JJB AI summary Hon. T.K. Jayasundara concluded his remarks by reciting a short poem he said he had seen on Facebook, linked to a reaction to an Opposition MP’s speech. He stated that he omitted an inappropriate final word and replaced it with “laddaru,” a traditional Sri Lankan sweet, while presenting the poem as a critical comment on disunity and failure to engage with the Budget. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 Hon. T.K. Jayasundara JJB AI summary Hon. T.K. Jayasundara framed the 2026 Budget as part of a long-term development and fiscal sustainability plan, arguing that debate should address underlying political and economic philosophy. He criticised the Opposition, linking the UNP, SJB and SLPP to a decades-long economic model he said had failed since the 1977 Budget’s employment proposals. He defended the Government’s approach as a “people’s participatory economy” focused on human capital, citing the proposed Rs. 1,750 estate wage increase and post-tsunami railway reconstruction as examples of valuing collective national labour. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna - Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna rejected claims that the Norwood Divisional Secretariat would be moved to Hatton, stating that government policy is to bring services closer to villages. He argued that the 2026 Budget builds on 2025 stabilization measures after the economic crisis, citing fiscal discipline, anti-corruption efforts, inflation control, improved revenue, debt restructuring, reserve growth, tourism recovery, welfare support, and reduced VAT. He outlined a forward agenda based on inclusive growth, export diversification, debt sustainability, a production economy, rural poverty eradication, and digitalization, with support for SMEs, youth and women entrepreneurs, expanded education assistance, international university links, and a Rs. 21 billion allocation for research and development. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 Hon. Palani Thigambaram SJB AI summary Welcoming the Budget’s proposed wage support and Rs. 5,000 million allocation for estate communities, Palani Thigambaram asked the Government to clarify whether the Rs. 200 incentive will continue beyond 2026, whether it will be incorporated into the basic wage, and how the proposed allowance will be calculated. He argued that estate worker welfare must be paired with structural reforms, including allocating 10-perch land plots and converting workers into smallholders, while also requesting development of Hatton, dialysis facilities at Kiligama Hospital, and permanent buildings for local bodies and Divisional Secretariats in Nuwara Eliya. He defended past “good governance” initiatives for hill-country communities, opposed politically motivated administrative changes, urged continuation of the dedicated hill-country development authority, and said the Opposition would support Government measures that genuinely improve estate workers’ lives. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 Hon. Sugath Thilakaratne - Deputy Minister of Sports JJB AI summary Hon. Sugath Thilakaratne supported the Government’s second Budget, describing it as focused on fiscal discipline, poverty alleviation, production, exports, digitalization, investment, and protection of all communities. He defended the proposed estate worker wage increase to Rs. 1,750, including a Rs. 200 Government arrival incentive, and questioned Opposition criticism of that payment. He also highlighted allocations for tourism development, nature and heritage attractions, coastal and lagoon restoration under Clean Sri Lanka, and sports promotion, linking these measures to economic growth, public health, and a proposed sports economy. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe - Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply JJB AI summary Minister Susil Ranasinghe responded to Opposition claims about omissions in the Budget, citing allocations for Hindu religious affairs, restoration of Hindu sites, rubber subsidies, small tea smallholders, and cinnamon development from the Budget documents. He argued that the 2025 Budget stabilized an economy in crisis and that the 2026 Budget shifts toward development through support for rural poverty eradication, entrepreneurship, village-level funding mechanisms such as Prajashakthi, and expanded low-income housing grants. He said housing funds would rise from about Rs. 3.5 billion to Rs. 10.2 billion, defended a community-driven construction model, and contrasted it with earlier housing projects he described as incomplete. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran ITAK AI summary Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran said the 2026 Budget is largely aligned with IMF-led economic stabilization but contains positive allocations, particularly for health, including funding for Thirukkovil Base Hospital. He requested further attention to Ampara District’s rural roads and irrigation needs, including rehabilitation of canals and tanks to expand paddy cultivation. He called for higher education funding for research, innovation and technology, and questioned the absence of separate ministries for Hindu, Muslim and Christian affairs. He also requested recognition and civilian control of Maaveerar Thuyilum Illams in the North and East for remembrance purposes. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Rizvie Salih - Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Rizvie Salih supported the Second Reading of the 2026 Appropriation Bill, describing it as a continuation of fiscal stabilization aimed at directing resources to education, health, infrastructure, employment, and social welfare. He highlighted provisions including public sector salary and pension increases, recruitment for essential services through examinations, a daily wage increase for estate workers, school stationery support, university and Mahapola funding, and health investments such as a new National Cardiac Unit and assistance for Thalassemic patients. He also urged mandatory genetic screening with counselling for susceptible populations, while emphasizing implementation discipline, anti-drug rehabilitation and prevention measures, and inclusive growth through SMEs, digital infrastructure, and agricultural modernization. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 Hon. Sunil Handunnetti - Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development JJB AI summary The Minister defended the Government’s 2026 Budget against Opposition claims that it is tax-heavy, IMF-driven, and provides insufficient public benefit, arguing that the administration has implemented fiscal discipline, economic democracy, and agreed reforms in a way that stabilizes the economy. He said the Government is restructuring and improving state-owned enterprises rather than privatizing them, citing Treasury assumption of legacy debts and a USD 174 million allocation for SriLankan Airlines, along with steps to clear guarantees and digitalize state institutions. He also justified tax measures including broadening the tax base, lowering the VAT registration threshold from April 2026, and introducing a national tariff policy, saying these are necessary for revenue, fair competition, and domestic industry protection. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka SJB AI summary Gayantha Karunathilleka opened the Opposition’s debate on the Second Reading of the Budget, arguing that the Government’s second Budget repeats unimplemented proposals from the previous year and reflects poor delivery, citing low capital spending and limited progress on several 2025 proposals. He questioned allocations and priorities, including funding for digitization versus vehicle imports, and asked why pledges on teacher salary anomalies, VAT removal on schoolbooks, women’s programmes, and education spending had not been addressed. He also criticized the absence of increased support for war-hero dependants and said sectors such as small tea growers, poultry farmers, and rubber growers had been neglected. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Second Reading (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB AI summary Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe stated that Sri Lanka’s annual rice requirement is about 2.7 million metric tons and that Yala 2025 production data show a surplus of Nadu but a shortfall in Keeri Samba and other Samba varieties. He said Cabinet approved imports of Ponni/GR-11 rice as substitutes for Keeri Samba after CAA and Lanka Sathosa monitoring indicated shortages, with about 63,000 metric tons imported by 13 November 2025 and controls placed on shipment timing and importer quantities. He outlined current maximum retail prices, CAA enforcement actions including raids and fines, and said government intervention is limited to addressing unaffordable prices, hoarding, or black-market practices. He also cited longer-term measures such as encouraging diversified cultivation, supporting farmers, re-establishing the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment, distributing rice through Sathosa and cooperatives, providing paddy dryers in 2026, and registering millers for oversight. Private Notice Question: Paddy Prices and Rice Imports (27(2)) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. K. Kader Masthan SLLP AI summary Hon. K. Kader Masthan raised questions under Standing Order 27(2) to the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development regarding recent issues in rice distribution and pricing. He requested data on annual demand and domestic production by rice variety, especially any shortfalls, and asked how alleged stockpiling and black-market pricing of Keeri Samba could be controlled. He also sought details on imports of equivalent varieties such as Ponni and others, and asked whether new measures could support farmers, producers, consumers, regional millers, price stability, and uninterrupted supply. Private Notice Question: Paddy Prices and Rice Imports (27(2)) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning JJB AI summary The Minister explained that EPF administration is split between the Ministry of Labour and the Central Bank, with separate data systems causing delays when member records contain minor discrepancies. He said discussions are underway to integrate the systems and improve interoperability, while expanding online and remote services for members to check entitlements, claim refunds, and for employers to remit contributions. He added that improved digital remittance processes would help prevent delays and avoid surcharges of up to 50 percent. Oral Question: Recovery of EPF Contributions Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Oshani Umanga JJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Oshani Umanga raised concerns about delays and bureaucracy in obtaining EPF benefits, citing returned applications for minor discrepancies and difficulties verifying employment at closed institutions. She asked the Minister how soon digitized, more efficient procedures could be implemented to reduce paperwork and expedite EPF processing. Oral Question: Recovery of EPF Contributions Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning JJB AI summary The Minister stated that the Department of Labour continues to issue notices to employers for recovery of EPF contributions and surcharges following routine inspections and complaint investigations. He explained that notices cover the full period of default, while delays in issuing surcharge notices can result from Central Bank reconciliation requirements, mismatched employer and employee data, staff vacancies, and inadequate computer facilities. He added that no EPF surcharge relief was granted for the Easter Sunday attacks, but grace periods during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 economic crisis led to surcharge waivers totalling Rs. 109,800,657 for 291 institutions. Oral Question: Recovery of EPF Contributions Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe - Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply JJB AI summary The Minister said potable water supply to the tourism area and the wider public is recognized as essential. He noted that a proposed supply from Senanayake Samudraya would also need to serve communities along the route to Siyambalanduwa and Panama, with the initial phase estimated at about Rs. 12,000 million. He stated that discussions with the World Bank are ongoing to secure support for the project. Oral Question: Heda Oya Water Supply Project Status (1395/2025) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe - Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply JJB AI summary The Minister addressed water supply problems in Lahugala and Arugam Bay, noting that hotel water storage in the tourism zone reduces availability for residents. He stated that the National Water Supply and Drainage Board has tested deep wells, but no adequate groundwater source has yet been identified. Ongoing investigations continue, while the proposed long-term solution is to convey water from Senanayake Samudraya over about 60 kilometres. Oral Question: Heda Oya Water Supply Project Status (1395/2025) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe - Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply JJB AI summary In response to a question on water supply in Pottuvil and surrounding areas, the Minister stated that a USAID-funded groundwater project began in 2008 but now provides only about two hours of supply per day due to limited capacity. He said the Heda Oya Project proposed in 2016 for Pottuvil, Lahugala, Madulla and Siyambalanduwa was suspended for lack of funds and has not been approved for restart. Instead, a Rs. 12,000 million Phase I project to draw water from Senanayake Samudraya has been submitted to the World Bank for appraisal, while a weir-type anicut across Heda Oya–Navalaru is being built as a short-term measure for completion by July 2026. Oral Question: Heda Oya Water Supply Project Status (1395/2025) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) Sena Nanayakkara JJB AI summary Hon. (Prof.) Sena Nanayakkara raised concerns about unmarried children over 26, particularly those who remain unmarried to care for ailing pensioner parents, being ineligible for pension benefits after the parents’ deaths. He asked whether legal relief could be considered for such caregivers and whether they could be offered employment opportunities in the parents’ former institutions or supported through concessional loans or livelihood schemes. Oral Question: Payment of Pension since 2020 (1354/2025) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna - Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government JJB AI summary Approximately 735,110 pensioners are currently recorded, with about 2,500 new pensioners added monthly, and annual pension allocations have increased from Rs. 263,279 million in 2020 to Rs. 441,300 million in 2025. The Minister stated that pension benefits to spouses and eligible children are provided under the relevant Widows’, Widowers’ and Orphans’ pension laws, with unreduced pensions payable to spouses and orphans’ pensions payable to unemployed children under 26 where applicable. He noted that actual use of such pensions depends on the economic circumstances of the family unit. Oral Question: Payment of Pension since 2020 (1354/2025) Read →