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- 22 July 2025 The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara SJB AI summary R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara moved an Adjournment Motion on the crisis affecting sugarcane farmers and workers linked to the Pelwatte, Sevanagala, Ethimale and Gal Oya sugar factories in Monaragala and Ampara. He stated that unsold stocks of sugar and ethanol have led to salary arrears, restricted cane purchases and delayed payments to farmers, affecting about 50,000 farming families and 10,000 workers. He attributed the situation partly to permission granted for sugar and ethanol imports despite local production capacity, and called for urgent action to sell accumulated stocks, settle dues and restore normal factory operations. Adjournment Debate: Safeguarding Local Sugar Industry Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha moved new clauses to the Bill prohibiting employers from reducing workers’ wages or allowances because of the increase to the national minimum wage, including allowances under the relevant Minimum Wage and Budgetary Relief Allowance Acts. He also proposed empowering the Commissioner-General to direct employers, principal employers, intermediaries, and contractors to implement the wage increase. The clauses were added, the Bill was reported with amendments, and he moved its Third Reading while seeking leave to correct language and formatting errors and make consequential amendments. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB AI summary Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said the Government is using minimum wage legislation to protect private, estate, and informal sector workers while supporting investment, exports, and domestic job creation. He stated that the Minimum Wage Amendment consolidates earlier budgetary relief allowance laws to establish a single minimum wage of Rs. 30,000 and requires EPF/ETF contributions to be calculated on that basic amount. He also referred to export-sector challenges, including US tariffs and dumping, and said the Government would seek new markets, adjust input tariffs, advance Port City sustainably, and use anti-dumping legislation to protect local producers. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB AI summary Wasantha Samarasinghe said the Bills would raise the minimum wage for private sector workers from Rs. 21,000 to Rs. 30,000, with increases of Rs. 6,000 from April 2025 and Rs. 3,000 from January 2026, covering workers such as cleaners, security guards, manpower employees, shop workers, and apparel workers. He stated that the proposal follows discussions with the Labour Ministry and employers’ federations and builds on earlier Budgetary Relief Acts of 2005 and 2016. Addressing estate sector wages, he said the daily wage issue is before court, but the Government would act to ensure plantation workers can earn the Rs. 1,700 daily wage determined through the Wages Board process. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Gamagedara Dissanayake - Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs JJB AI summary Gamagedara Dissanayake supported the Bills to raise the private sector minimum monthly wage, stating it would increase from Rs. 17,500 in 2024 to Rs. 27,000 in 2025 and Rs. 30,000 by January 2026. He argued that increasing the basic wage, rather than relying on allowances, would improve linked benefits such as EPF and ETF, and rejected claims that workers in security, cleaning, manpower and other sectors would be excluded. He criticized legal challenges and Opposition arguments as delaying worker benefits, while noting that the Government is also discussing with the ILO ways to regularize informal sector employment. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. T.K. Jayasundara JJB AI summary Hon. T.K. Jayasundara supported amendments to wage-related legislation, stating that the Government is increasing the minimum wage for private sector and other workers from Rs. 21,000 to Rs. 30,000 from January, with related benefits for gratuity and ETF. He argued that this follows public sector salary increases and reflects a policy of expanding worker participation in the economy by raising purchasing power and circulating income. He contrasted the measure with past labour struggles and wage-related disputes, saying it was achieved through consultation at the National Labour Advisory Council with trade unions and employers, while also criticizing previous governments and the Opposition over alleged corruption and anti-worker actions. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Aboobucker Athambawa JJB AI summary Hon. Aboobucker Athambawa supported the Workers’ National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Bill, stating that it would benefit private sector workers such as drivers, security officers and cleaners, alongside earlier public sector salary increases under the Government’s Budget. He said the Government was also discussing wage increases and arrears for plantation workers, and indicated that further pay measures would be included in the forthcoming Budget. He criticized previous governments and the Opposition for failing workers and urged cross-party support for national reconstruction, while also condemning communal politics and calling for unity among all communities. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara JJB AI summary Hon. Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara supported the Bills under debate, stating that they would help address exploitation in the private security sector by ensuring fair wages. He argued that wage increases for private sector employees would motivate workers, strengthen both public and private sector labour, and contribute to economic growth. He urged all parties to support the measures despite opposition or obstruction. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara JJB AI summary Hon. Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara supported the Bills amending the Employees’ National Minimum Wage Act to raise the private sector minimum wage to Rs. 30,000 in two stages, citing previous increases in 2021 and 2024. He linked the measure to the Government’s policy pledge to establish a fair national wage structure, reduce disparities, and strengthen economic security alongside earlier public sector salary increases. He also referred to the State’s constitutional duty to eliminate exploitation and misuse of labour, noting past labour struggles including the death of Roshen Chanaka, and highlighted the relevance of wage protections to retired tri-forces personnel working in private security. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Piyathissa - Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister supported amendments to the Employees’ National Minimum Wage and related Bills, stating that they would legally implement Budget relief for over five million private sector workers. He defended the Government’s development agenda, citing programmes on irrigation rehabilitation, agriculture, dairy production, rural roads, housing, education reform, digitalization, and poverty reduction through family development plans and cooperatives. He also criticized the Opposition’s claims and said the Government was pursuing fiscal discipline and legal action against misuse of public property as part of its broader reform programme. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera raised concerns that small tea growers still lack access to concessionary fertilizer, noting that a sack costs around Rs. 10,000–11,000 and that the sector supports nearly two million people and foreign exchange earnings. He requested government action on fertilizer support and questioned its investment policy, alleging approval for a major casino project at the “City of Dreams Sri Lanka” complex despite unpaid licence fees and possible tax concessions. He contrasted this with earlier government criticism of casino-related investments. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Lakmali Hemachandra explained that the two Budgetary Relief Allowance amendment Bills require a two-thirds majority only because they are being passed simultaneously with the National Minimum Wage amendment, following a Supreme Court determination. She argued that the Rs. 3,500 allowance is not being removed in a way that cuts workers’ pay, but is being absorbed into the basic wage while the minimum wage is increased, with a further step to Rs. 30,000 in January to allow employers, including SMEs, to adjust. She also urged the Minister to establish a regular mechanism for periodic review of private-sector wages instead of relying on ad hoc legislation. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Oshani Umanga JJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Oshani Umanga said the Government had achieved a private-sector wage increase alongside the public-sector increase through consensus among trade unions, employers and the State, presenting it as part of its working-class mandate and economic recovery programme. She argued that higher basic wages would strengthen household incomes through EPF, ETF, gratuity and bonuses, encourage youth employment, improve productivity, and support macroeconomic stability, while noting lower inflation, a stronger rupee and reduced PAYE burdens. She also cited increased foreign direct investment, approval of 57 projects in six months and an expected 14,000 additional private-sector jobs as evidence that the Government’s policies were expanding employment and investment. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Kitnan Selvaraj JJB AI summary Kitnan Selvaraj supported the National Minimum Wage of Workers (Amendment) Bill, citing serious wage, welfare, housing and basic service issues faced by private-sector and plantation workers. He argued that past estate privatization and Collective Agreement mechanisms had failed plantation workers, and said the Government had shifted wage-setting to the Wages Board while working toward longer-term landownership or stakeholder arrangements for workers. He stated that the Government had set a Rs. 1,700 minimum daily wage for plantation workers and was negotiating to secure a Rs. 2,000 daily wage. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Mano Ganesan SJB AI summary Mano Ganesan welcomed welfare proposals but argued that wage and tax policies can offset benefits, and said plantation estate workers have been neglected despite budget references to a Rs. 1,700 wage. He rejected reliance on the Wages Board and urged the Government to reform the plantation model so workers become stakeholders, with a new business plan rather than piecemeal wage increases. He also asked the Youth Affairs Ministry to amend the National Youth Services Council circular limiting registration to one youth association per Grama Niladhari division, arguing that divisions with much larger populations, especially in estate areas and Colombo, require population-based provision. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Sanjeewa Ranasingha JJB AI summary Hon. Sanjeewa Ranasingha supported the Bills amending the Budgetary Relief Allowance of Workers Acts and the National Minimum Wage of Workers Act, stating that they legally implement long-anticipated private-sector wage increases and complement the Government’s 2025 Budget measures to address public-sector salary anomalies. He argued that the Government had engaged employers and trade unions to secure the best possible wage outcome, while also taking steps to diversify markets and protect employment amid external economic pressures, including risks to the garment sector. He said the IMF programme was necessary because of the country’s prior bankruptcy and linked the wage reforms to the National People’s Power Government’s broader political and economic transformation agenda. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe JJB AI summary Mahinda Jayasinghe rejected Opposition claims of political “witch-hunts” and argued that the Government was proceeding with investigations and policy commitments, including probes into alleged frauds such as those relating to the Cultural Fund. He said the Government had delivered a major private-sector wage increase but acknowledged unresolved labour issues in the public and private sectors, urging trade unions to allow time for planned measures including a Wages Commission, an Education Council, and reforms to professionalize education-related services. He also stated that the Government had identified 48 tanks with unauthorized constructions around them and was beginning demarcation and removal work according to a clear policy. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. V. S. Radhakrishnan SJB AI summary V. S. Radhakrishnan questioned whether the President was aware of a recent announcement of Rs. 1,700. The remark appears to seek clarification or accountability regarding that stated amount, likely in the context of a government decision or commitment. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe - Deputy Minister of Labour JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister said the Bills provide a historic increase in private sector wages, raising the basic wage from Rs. 17,500 to Rs. 30,000 by the following January, following earlier public sector increases. He stated that the process was delayed by a legal challenge from a trade union not represented in the National Labour Advisory Council, and said the Government had reconvened the NLAC after a long lapse to pursue tripartite dialogue. Responding to criticism on estate worker wages, he said existing collective agreements signed in September 2024 set wages until September 2027, while the Government would seek further improvements through discussions with employers and unions. He argued that a proposed Committee-stage amendment for a Rs. 1,600 daily estate wage could not be made through the present Bills. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Nilusha Lakmali Gamage supported the Second Reading of amendments to the Budgetary Relief Allowance of Workers Acts and the National Minimum Wage of Workers Act, stating that they implement Budget 2025 proposals to raise private sector minimum wages. She outlined the increases from April 2025 and January 2026, including monthly and daily minimum wage revisions, and noted that the increases would form part of the basic wage for EPF, ETF and relevant pension contributions. She said the measures align with ILO principles on minimum wage protection and would encourage workers, especially youth, to consider private sector employment alongside government jobs. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →