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- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Namal Karunaratne – Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock AI summary The Deputy Minister responded to criticisms on fertilizer allocations, rice import duties, controlled rice prices and the guaranteed paddy price, arguing that budget figures reflected past loan servicing and that pricing decisions were based on official, academic and farmer-organization cost assessments. He said the Government had maintained the Rs. 65 per kilogram rice import duty, revived the Paddy Marketing Board, ensured farmers received about Rs. 130–140 per kilogram for paddy, and paid outstanding crop insurance, procurement and MILCO dues. He also stated that planned sales of state plantation and livestock assets had been halted, MILCO’s loans were being serviced, and productivity targets such as Rs. 3 million per acre were average benchmarks to be pursued through soil testing, better inputs, technology and coordinated agency programmes. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara SJB AI summary R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara argued that the Budget’s agricultural support is inadequate and uneven, citing limited disbursement of the Rs. 35 billion fertilizer subsidy and exclusion of many non-paddy farmers. He questioned the Government’s paddy procurement and buffer stock plans, rice imports, price controls, and handling of millers, while calling for fertilizer support to all crops and a guaranteed price for maize amid import licences and falling local prices. He also contrasted past irrigation and agricultural development with current policy, rejected a return to all-organic farming, and urged urgent action to address the crisis in the sugar sector, including blocked ethanol and sugar sales and unpaid workers. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Asoka Sapumal Ranwala JJB AI summary Hon. Asoka Sapumal Ranwala emphasized the importance of restoring soil health and microbial activity, arguing that excessive synthetic fertilizer use has degraded soil organic matter and reduced yields. He outlined the Government’s Soil Health Card programme, noting initial implementation in the Mahaweli “H” area, a 2025 target of 15,000 cards, and the use of soil testing to guide precise fertilizer recommendations. He said fertilizer subsidies have been liberalized to support organic and integrated approaches, and provided figures on farmer compensation and insurance payments for 2024 and early 2025, including flood-related support. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan ITAK AI summary Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan welcomed the increased overall allocation to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Resources, Lands and Irrigation in the 2025 Budget, but criticized reductions to agriculture, livestock and irrigation development allocations as inconsistent with rice self-sufficiency goals. He argued that unreleased pre-1985 cultivated lands, unrepaired tanks and anicuts, encroachments, and restrictions by the Forest, Wildlife, Archaeology and related authorities in Trincomalee District are significantly reducing paddy production. He urged the Minister to implement earlier decisions to release former farmlands, rehabilitate irrigation assets including Yan Oya-linked tanks, address departmental obstruction, and resolve restrictions on traditional pasture lands in Verugal. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera urged the Deputy Minister to meet affected residents and provide clear assurances regarding a contested project. He said conflicting statements by government-side politicians were preventing people from using or replanting their lands, and called for clarity on whether the project would proceed, along with guarantees of proper land allocation, due compensation, and prevention of injustice. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera urged the Minister to ensure fair resettlement and compensation for villagers affected by a World Bank-supported development project, noting that proper assessments had been promised. He said affected small tea-holders want land in Nagastenna or nearby estates, preferably together as relatives and community members, and would not oppose the project if given clear assurances. He expressed support for development, flood-control and drinking-water projects, provided they are implemented without harming local people, and requested the Minister to visit the area, meet the affected group and resolve their concerns. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. T.B. Sarath - Deputy Minister of Housing JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister rejected Opposition claims about unpaid flood compensation in Polonnaruwa, stating that Rs. 103.2 million had been paid to 6,234 farmers for 9,058.9 acres within a month of the damage. He defended the Government’s paddy purchasing price of Rs. 120 per kilo as based on production cost calculations and Treasury constraints, and said fertilizer subsidy spending would be reviewed in light of past allocations and actual disbursements. He outlined plans to move toward pesticide-free agriculture, require officer certification for agrochemical use, expand certified seed production through 29 seed farms, fund value-added agricultural industries, improve transport and market systems, and reduce maize imports by meeting national demand within two seasons. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Hon. Namal Rajapaksa argued that current paddy prices and the reduced fertilizer allocation require more practical intervention to protect farmer incomes, questioning whether the Rs. 5 billion set aside for paddy purchases is sufficient to influence market prices. He proposed soil testing and technology-based fertilizer distribution, greater adoption of modern farming methods, and credit support through cooperative and rural banks. He also raised concerns about police officers being required to vacate quarters within six months and requested a more practical timeframe, while noting issues at the German Technical College and expressing support for the planned count of monkeys, porcupines and langurs. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne NDF AI summary Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne called for a shift in agricultural policy toward higher productivity through technology, improved seeds, mechanization, reliable data systems, and land consolidation where possible, noting that a large share of Sri Lanka’s workforce produces a comparatively small share of GDP. He cited the Netherlands as an example of high-output agriculture with fewer workers and urged a more income-focused approach to improve farmer earnings and national output. He also pressed the Government to implement a practical programme to address crop damage from wild animals, citing Hector Kobbekaduwa Institute figures on major losses to coconuts and other crops, and urged Government-Opposition cooperation on the issue. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleke SJB AI summary Gayantha Karunathilleke urged the Government to address legal and practical concerns before proceeding with freehold land deeds under “Urumaya,” or a renamed programme, noting risks of land sales, tenancy concentration, and issues relating to paddy lands. He called for long-delayed amendments to land laws including the Land Development Ordinance, Land Acquisition Act, Registration of Title Act, and land use planning legislation, while also strengthening institutions and officials dealing with widespread land disputes. He further requested action for owners whose lands were acquired or restricted for stalled projects such as the Kelani Valley railway upgrade, Ruwanpura Expressway, and Habarana railway line, either by returning the lands or completing acquisition and paying compensation. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha - Minister JJB AI summary The Minister stated that the programme was halted due to 68 major shortcomings and that a committee has been appointed to examine them. He said implementation would resume in a revised form after recommendations addressing those shortcomings are received. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Kins Nelson urged relief for farmers affected by poor Maha-season conditions, proposing that at least 50 per cent of cultivation loans be waived where full write-offs are not possible. He called for protection and staffing of state seed farms, citing the 498-acre Polonnaruwa seed farm and the lack of permanent worker recruitment for a decade. He also proposed providing quality fertilizer through Agrarian Service Centres at Rs. 5,000 per bag and regulating pesticide costs to stabilize paddy and rice prices, while warning against allowing mill owners and traders to control prices, including for Keeri Samba. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Kins Nelson raised concerns that flood-affected farmers in Polonnaruwa have not received the compensation they were promised and said many were misled into expecting Rs. 100,000 per hectare for any crop damage. He clarified that the scheme is scaled according to the extent and duration of crop loss, and requested that officials communicate this through Agrarian Service Centres or a designated team. He cited extensive crop destruction in Medirigiriya, Gal Amuna, Pamburana, Palliyagodella and Dimbulagala, and said some affected areas had not yet been visited by officials. He also urged action on rising harvesting costs caused by wet conditions, which he said had increased from about Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 50,000–60,000 per hectare. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Susantha Kumara Nawarathna JJB AI summary The Minister said the Government has consolidated previously fragmented responsibilities and is developing a structured livestock policy under the “A Prosperous Country – A Beautiful Life” programme. He outlined plans to rebuild dairy production by organizing farmers into societies, profiling producers by supply levels, improving fodder cultivation infrastructure, expanding artificial insemination and sexed semen use, and developing state farms under the Mahaweli Authority and NLDB as breeding and production centres. He also said poultry support would focus on reducing feed costs, expanding maize cultivation and pursuing export opportunities, while the swine sector would be revived to improve protein supply and reduce malnutrition. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe - Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Susil Ranasinghe responded to issues raised on the Mundeni Aru project and Mayilathamadu grazing lands. He stated that Rs. 100 million has been allocated in the Budget for land acquisition and related work on Mundeni Aru, while discussions with AFD on prospective loan funding are ongoing. He denied that Opposition MPs had been excluded, saying they would be involved once AFD confirms funding readiness, and added that the Government is addressing the Mayilathamadu grazing lands issue sensitively. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Namal Karunaratne JJB AI summary Most payments related to the matter have been made. However, a separate issue has emerged and is currently under investigation, with details withheld at this stage. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB AI summary Sajith Premadasa questioned the Deputy Minister on whether the increased Rs. 25,000 fertilizer subsidy had been provided to farmers on time. He stated that some farmers had received only Rs. 15,000 or Rs. 10,000 and alleged that the distribution had not yet been completed. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa said the Opposition was responding constructively to the Government’s invitation for participation and tabled proposals for consideration. He argued that state procurement should cover at least 7–10 per cent of the harvest to affect prices, rather than the planned 40,000 metric tons at about Rs. 3 billion, and should extend beyond paddy to crops such as big onions and potatoes under a national plan covering producers of all scales. He also called for a national programme to modernize water management and rehabilitate irrigation systems from village tanks upwards, with the aim of improving food security and developing an export-oriented agricultural economy. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha JJB AI summary K.D. Lal Kantha stated that procured stocks could be used as collateral with banks to obtain funding or be allocated through Ministry funds. He indicated that existing financial mechanisms provide scope to manage or finance such stocks. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB AI summary Sajith Premadasa questioned whether the Budget allocation for agriculture adequately covers the full year, specifically asking where funding for the next Yala season would come from if only Maha-related needs are addressed. He said he was highlighting these gaps so they could be corrected in the Budget process. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →