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 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, approval was moved for the Annual Report and Accounts of Mantai Salt Limited for 2020/2021, including the Auditor-General’s observations for the year ended 31 March 2021, presented under Section 14(3) of the Finance Act, No. 38 of 1971. The report had been considered by the relevant Ministerial Consultative Committee on 4 March 2025 and its report presented to Parliament on 11 March 2025. The motion was put to the House and agreed to. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa moved for approval of the National Paper Company Limited Annual Report for 2015/2016, including the Auditor-General’s observations for the year ended 31 March 2016. The report had been presented under Section 14(3) of the Finance Act, No. 38 of 1971, considered by the relevant Ministerial Consultative Committee, and the motion was agreed to by Parliament. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, approval was sought for the 2021/2022 Annual Report of Colombo Commercial Fertilizers Limited, including the Auditor-General’s observations for the year ended 31 March 2022. The report had been presented under Section 14(3) of the Finance Act, No. 38 of 1971, considered by the relevant Ministerial Consultative Committee, and was approved by Parliament. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, approval was sought for the 2023 Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Fund, including the Auditor-General’s observations, submitted under the Tourism Act, No. 38 of 2005. The report had been considered by the relevant Ministerial Consultative Committee, and Parliament agreed to the motion. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB AI summary Moved, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, the approval of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Fund Annual Report for 2022, including the Auditor-General’s observations, under the Tourism Act, No. 38 of 2005. The report had been considered by the relevant Ministerial Consultative Committee and presented to Parliament, and the motion was agreed to. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, the motion was moved to approve the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Annual Report for 2023, including the Auditor-General’s observations for the year ending 31 December 2023. The report had been presented under Section 33 of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Act, considered by the relevant Ministerial Consultative Committee, and subsequently approved by Parliament. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB AI summary On behalf of the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa moved for approval of the Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme made under Section 9 of the Welfare Benefits Act, No. 24 of 2002. The scheme, published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2429/02 of 24 March 2025 and presented on 8 April 2025, had Cabinet approval and was agreed to by the House. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha said the VAT amendments aim to maintain a simple, predictable tax system while improving administration, enforcement, and compliance rather than repeatedly changing registrations or rates. He noted that the 18% VAT rate is high regionally and stated the Government’s intention to reduce it gradually, while seeking exemptions where possible for essential food items. He also referred to related discussions on increasing and extending Aswesuma benefits for low-income groups, and said the Bill corrects defects and omissions as a step toward a stronger VAT regime. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha JJB AI summary The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha stated that the Government is proceeding with a planned programme for tax administration reform, with a July simulation expected to confirm its functionality. He said any issues identified would be addressed within the available timeframe, while further decisions would be taken if unforeseen problems cannot be resolved. He emphasized that the Bill aims to establish integrated revenue management, strengthen fiscal discipline, and improve efficiency in domestic revenue administration. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Ravi Karunanayake asked the Minister to provide a definitive assurance on the Government’s approach to abolishing the Suspended VAT (SVAT) system. He warned that if the VAT refund mechanism does not function effectively, removing SVAT would create additional difficulties for exporters. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development JJB AI summary The Minister stated that the VAT (Amendment) Bill seeks to improve revenue administration, clarify definitions from 1 January 2024, prevent misuse in areas such as agriculture, and bring aircraft engines, parts, and non-resident digital service suppliers within the VAT framework while maintaining exemptions for international air transport. He said VAT would be removed from domestically produced liquid milk and yoghurt, anomalies on naphtha used for power generation would be corrected, and changes to service export income tax were separate from VAT on non-resident e-services. He also outlined plans to phase out the Simplified VAT system by improving refund mechanisms, with a July simulation linked to the IMF programme and a target date of 1 October subject to readiness. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne clarified proceedings of the Committee on Public Finance regarding the Singapore Free Trade Agreement, citing the 7 January 2025 report to state that the Committee sought stakeholder consultations before proceeding. She said the Agreement was subsequently approved at the next Committee meeting, and argued that the Opposition-held Committee chairmanship should not be used to misrepresent the Committee’s decisions in the House. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe JJB AI summary Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe stated that VAT should be collected throughout the supply chain, including from feed vendors and large traders, while small producers below the threshold remain exempt and can claim input VAT where applicable. He said the Government aims to protect small producers and address structural issues in production costs, while using VAT revenue to fund public services and infrastructure. He also explained changes to Withholding Tax, noting that monthly interest income up to Rs. 150,000 is exempt and deductions apply only to higher interest earners, with declarations available for eligible depositors. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara raised a concern about VAT treatment for producers using inputs such as rice polish and maize. He asked the Minister how such producers can claim input VAT when there is no apparent mechanism or place for them to recover it. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB AI summary Wasantha Samarasinghe stated that the Government would protect the education rights of all children without discrimination and respond to any impediments, while following procedures for private schools and funding public education. He rejected claims that the Prevention of Terrorism Act was being used oppressively in relation to a youth arrested over a sticker, arguing that authorities must act to prevent public safety risks and extremism-related escalation. On the VAT (Amendment) Bill, he said the Government was reducing VAT burdens on items such as dairy products, addressing SVAT misuse, exempting factory worker transport and meals from VAT, and engaging the United States on tariff issues. He also said small egg producers below the VAT threshold should not use VAT as a reason to raise prices, identifying feed costs as the main issue and noting plans to import maize while protecting local farmers. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. K. Kader Masthan SLLP AI summary Hon. K. Kader Masthan supported the VAT (Amendment) Bill’s objective of strengthening revenue administration but urged broader direct taxation, reduced indirect taxes on essentials, removal of taxes on basic food items, and effective safeguards against malpractice in VAT refunds. He raised concerns about overcrowding and inadequate facilities at Meelad School in Dehiwala, urging the Government and Education Minister to provide a permanent solution rather than transferring pupils to a distant school. He also criticized the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act against a youth arrested over a pro-Palestine sticker, called for his discharge, and urged the Government to honour its commitment to repeal the PTA. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. Padmasiri Bandara JJB AI summary Hon. Padmasiri Bandara supported the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, stating that it seeks to correct past tax measures that burdened workers and low-income households, including taxes affecting employer-provided meals and transport, and VAT on milk and yoghurt. He argued that the Government’s policy is to provide relief to the public while improving collection from wealthy individuals and large businesses that have evaded taxes, including arrears already identified. He also said the Bill addresses distortions in areas such as insurance commissions and forms part of a broader move toward digital transactions by 2027-2028 to reduce tax leakage, fraud and corruption. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Ravi Karunanayake argued that Sri Lanka should protect Labour GSP, noting that it was restored under the good governance government and supported key export sectors such as apparel and free trade zones. He questioned the feasibility of requiring the private sector to pay a Rs. 12,500 wage increase within one year while the Government pays public servants Rs. 15,000 over three years. He also called for reform of welfare targeting, citing reports that many eligible households are excluded while some ineligible recipients receive benefits, and urged a clean-up of subsidy delivery to better reduce poverty. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake urged Sri Lanka to respond proactively to new U.S. country-specific tariffs introduced under President Trump, noting that other countries are already engaging Washington or offering tariff concessions. He proposed that Sri Lanka offer zero import duties on U.S. goods as a reciprocal, country-specific measure within WTO safeguards, positioning the country as an investment launching pad. He also said the Government should raise the matter with the IMF as an external shock affecting revenue policy, and welcomed the appointment of a committee and the President’s all-party conference on the issue. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →
- 9 April 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Ravi Karunanayake stated that the debate concerns a difficult moment for the country and questioned the direction of discussion on the national economy. He indicated that his remarks would focus on what is being said about the economy in the context of the debate. Debate: Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading (Afternoon Session and Reported Business) Read →