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- 9 July 2025 Catch, Import and Export of Fish Since 2015: Details AI summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy asked the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources to provide annual data from 2015 to date on Sri Lanka’s fish catch, income from fish exports, and expenditure on fish imports. He also requested details of measures being taken to increase the national fish catch, and asked for reasons if the information could not be provided. Oral Question: Fish Catch, Import and Export (Q.637/2025) Read →
- 9 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB AI summary Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the 2017 PACS project for five hospitals, valued at USD 33 million, raised serious concerns about its initiation, implementation, and USD 3 million in payments. He noted that audits and Bribery Commission action are ongoing, while hospitals continue CT and MRI services through alternative image-handling methods despite the lack of a functioning PACS. He said the current procurement and contract structure prevents approval of the next payment tranche to the vendor, and that discussions and committee reviews are continuing, though accountability is difficult to determine due to the way the project was executed. Oral Question: National Hospital Kandy (Q.614/2025) Read →
- 9 July 2025 The Hon. D.V. Chanaka SLPP AI summary D.V. Chanaka asked the Prime Minister for detailed data on Sri Lanka’s foreign direct investment from 2005 to May 2025, including annual inflows, components, and value by category, in the context of growth and IMF-related debt repayment capacity. He also sought specific information on the Supreme SAT communication satellite project, including the amount invested in 2011–2012, whether the Government contributed funds, and whether Sri Lanka has received any financial or non-financial benefits from the satellite. Oral Questions to Prime Minister: Pension Disputes and FDI Read →
- 9 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya JJB AI summary The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya stated that the anomaly affecting retirees during 2020–2024 has been addressed by the government. She added that where retirees continue to face difficulties, the Government is intervening, with the Minister of Public Administration holding and continuing discussions, including granting all requested meetings. Oral Questions to Prime Minister: Pension Disputes and FDI Read →
- 9 July 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna questioned the Government’s handling of pension adjustments arising from the 2025 Budget salary increase, arguing that retirees from 2020 to 2024 have been left in an unresolved anomaly while those retiring after 1 January 2025 are aligned to the 2027 salary step. She noted that affected retirees had written to the Cabinet and President seeking a meeting and had protested on 2 May, but had not received a date. She asked the Prime Minister to clarify the Government’s position, particularly the apparent contradiction between the President’s categorisation of retirees before 2020 and after 2025 and the unresolved status of the 2020–2024 group. Oral Questions to Prime Minister: Pension Disputes and FDI Read →
- 9 July 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya JJB AI summary (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya stated that the government is addressing long-standing pension and salary anomalies through policy-based, system-wide measures rather than ad hoc adjustments. She said the 2025 public sector salary increase does not require recalculating past retirees’ pensions to match new salaries, arguing that pensions and retiree welfare must be handled under separate programmes. She added that the government has already acted on accumulated retiree-related issues and will continue to strengthen retiree support while avoiding new anomalies in the public service. Oral Questions to Prime Minister: Pension Disputes and FDI Read →
- 9 July 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna questioned the fairness of requiring public servants who retired before 2020 to wait until 2027 to receive pension adjustments aligned with the 2020 salary step. She sought clarification on the timing and equity of the pension revision process. Oral Questions to Prime Minister: Pension Disputes and FDI Read →
- 9 July 2025 Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna raised concerns about pension disparities arising from salary commission decisions and recent pension structuring, particularly between public servants who retired before and after 1 January 2025. She cited examples across education, secretarial, health, military, police and labour services, stating that pension differences range from about Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 80,000 or more despite equal service. She questioned whether IMF-related public service rationalization policies contributed to the prospective pension structure and tabled supporting documents for the record. Oral Questions to Prime Minister: Pension Disputes and FDI Read →
- 9 July 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary The Prime Minister stated that the Government’s 2025 Budget measures address longstanding pension disparities by aligning pensions of those who retired before 01.01.2020 to the 01.01.2020 salary level under the 2016 salary revision in three phases from 2025 to 2027. She said retirees from 2020 to 2024 already receive pensions based on the 01.01.2020 salary and therefore no specific disparity is currently recognized for that group, which totals 155,616 pensioners across civil, armed forces, and widows/widowers and orphans categories. She added that the 2025 public service salary increase applies only to officers in service on 01.01.2025 and retiring thereafter, but the Government is discussing possible general relief measures for pensioners in the 2026 Budget. Oral Questions to Prime Minister: Pension Disputes and FDI Read →
- 9 July 2025 Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna SJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna asked the Prime Minister whether pension disparities have arisen for public officers who retired between 2020 and 2024 due to the 2025 public sector salary increase and pension adjustments linked to the 2019 salary structure. She sought details on the number of affected pensioners, the rupee and percentage extent of the disparity, the Government’s measures to resolve it, and how any required budgetary allocations would be made. Oral Questions to Prime Minister: Pension Disputes and FDI 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. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB AI summary The Minister corrected claims about Raigam Group representation, stating its directors are on the board of Puttalam Salt Ltd. and not Mantai Salt Ltd. He said the Government is working to improve agricultural production and import data, uses protective duties on pulses such as mung and cowpea to balance imports with farmer protection, and has extended parate moratorium measures while encouraging loan rescheduling, particularly through state banks. On salt, he explained that import restrictions were lifted due to climate-related production shortfalls, outlined current harvest and import figures, and said late shipments outside the permitted window would be re-exported or taken for state distribution through relevant agencies. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) 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. Chathura Galappaththi SJB AI summary Chathura Galappaththi criticized the Government’s handling of successive shortages in rice, coconut and salt, arguing that import decisions have been reactive and lacked foresight. Citing RTI-obtained data, he said imported salt cost about Rs. 75 per kilogram when released to private distributors, yet retailed at Rs. 200–400, and questioned why the Government and Consumer Affairs Authority had not imposed price controls or acted against excessive profiteering. He also rejected claims linking the Samagi Jana Balawegaya to privatization of Lanka Salt Ltd., and said production at Hambantota had nearly doubled after 2015 due to expansion of salt pan areas, urging swift action to address the current shortage. 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. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella criticized the Government’s authorization, under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act regulations, to import bulk salt without licences or quantitative limits from 19 May 2025. She argued that this contradicted the NPP’s stated policy of building a production economy, citing increased imports of rice, coconut products, milk powder and salt despite earlier opposition to such imports. She questioned why Sri Lanka, as an island nation, continued to face a prolonged salt shortage and asked why the Consumer Affairs Authority had not acted against high retail prices, noting a large gap between estimated import-related costs and market prices. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. P. Ruwan Senarath - Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government JJB AI summary Deputy Minister P. Ruwan Senarath supported approval of regulations under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act to permit salt imports, citing a decline in domestic production caused by unusually heavy rainfall and changed climatic conditions in Hambantota, which normally supplies about 60 per cent of national salt output. He stated that Sri Lanka’s annual requirement is about 180,000 metric tons and that imports are needed until the expected July–September harvest, estimated at about 50,000 metric tons subject to weather, is processed and ready for market. He defended debating the matter in Parliament as part of democratic decision-making and accused previous administrations of mismanagement and politicization in the salt sector, while saying the Government would consider constructive proposals. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. Sunil Biyanwila JJB AI summary Hon. Sunil Biyanwila supported the salt import regulations as a temporary response to reduced local production caused by climatic conditions, stating that the Government had stabilized the shortage and would act legally while considering producers and traders. He argued that wider food import issues, including potatoes, onions, pulses and chilies, were inherited from past economic and agricultural mismanagement and said the Government aims to reduce such imports within two to three years. He cited programmes to expand domestic production, including maize cultivation in Monaragala, coconut planting in Jaffna and minor export crop development, and maintained that the Government is pursuing an integrated plan to strengthen production and curb corruption. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) Read →
- 8 July 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera criticized regulations under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act related to salt imports, arguing that the Government is prioritizing imports over domestic production and failing to support exporters or local industries despite its stated “production economy” policy. He questioned the absence of concrete plans for fisheries, salt production, and related industries, and asked what action would be taken regarding the alleged improper release of “red-labelled” containers during port congestion. He also criticized reported plans for new casino operations and tax concessions, saying they contradicted earlier government positions, and urged relief from taxes, VAT, and rising living costs. Debate: Imports and Exports (Control) Act - Salt Import Regulations (Gazette No. 2437/04) Read →