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- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Anton Jayakody - Deputy Minister of Environment JJB AI summary Hon. Anton Jayakody spoke during the Committee Stage debate on the expenditure heads of the Ministries of Science and Technology and Digital Economy, focusing mainly on the need for research-based development of Sri Lanka’s natural resources. He noted that although the country has significant biodiversity, mineral resources, and gemstones, inadequate research, surveys, and resource management have contributed to underdevelopment and economic crisis. He also stated that the Government had contacted the Italian authorities regarding problems faced by Sri Lankans in Italy over driver’s licences and expected a resolution soon. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna criticized allocations in the “Major Public Investment Projects” document, arguing that key sectors in the North and East, including education, youth development, women’s safety, sports, heritage, agriculture, livestock and tourism, show little or no funding despite broader national expenditure claims. He specifically cited a Rs. 500 million allocation for the Mullivaikkal bridge as insufficient within the stated northern allocation. He linked these concerns to the treatment of the Tamil community and urged voters in the North to consider the future of Tamil people in the upcoming local elections. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Amila Prasad SJB AI summary Hon. Amila Prasad raised concerns about the impact of AI on Sri Lankan freelancers earning foreign income and called for reskilling and upskilling programmes with dedicated funding. He supported the proposal for VAT-registered businesses to use POS machines but urged rural training, cost support, and trust-building, while also calling for ICTA to be either comprehensively reformed or replaced. He opposed introducing a new tax on IT freelancers at this stage, arguing that investment and sector growth would generate more revenue and employment, and urged the Government to convert its digitalization commitments into national policy. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Amila Prasad SJB AI summary Amila Prasad argued that digitalization of public administration cannot be effectively implemented while maintaining an oversized and redundant workforce. He stated that some job reductions are inevitable, as seen in other countries, but said this could be managed through higher salaries, pensions, retirement, and private sector opportunities. He urged that the impact be assessed after the digitalization process is completed and presented the reforms as overdue rather than politically motivated. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Eranga Weeraratne JJB AI summary Eranga Weeraratne rejected the claim that digitalization of government services would eliminate public sector jobs. He argued that digitalization is intended to reduce queues and improve the speed of public service delivery, and cautioned against misleading the public on the issue. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Amila Prasad SJB AI summary Hon. Amila Prasad supported the Ministry’s digitalization agenda, arguing that public awareness, stronger legal frameworks, and clear data protection safeguards are necessary, especially for biometric and core identity systems. He said the Rs. 300 million allocation for awareness is inadequate but should be used effectively, and urged expansion of online commerce and job creation through digital platforms. Citing delays in issuing licences, police certificates and birth certificates, he called for urgent digitization of public services, including Parliament as a possible pilot. He also stated that digitalization would make some public-sector posts redundant and urged the Government to manage this openly through redeployment or fair early retirement with pensions, while pressing it to implement reforms boldly over the next five years. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Mujibur Rahman SJB AI summary Mujibur Rahman raised concerns about mobile phone number ownership, arguing that subscribers who pay for and use numbers for many years should have the right to own and transfer them rather than being forced to cancel and obtain new numbers. He urged the Government to introduce regulatory changes to recognize subscriber rights over mobile numbers. He also called for wider social dialogue on the proposed digital identity card before decisions are made. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Mujibur Rahman SJB AI summary Mujibur Rahman questioned whether multimillion- and multibillion-rupee transactions carried out by the previous government had followed proper tender procedures. He sought clarification on whether those deals were conducted transparently. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB AI summary Bimal Rathnayake stated that the equipment in question had been procured by the previous government for the relevant programme. He disputed any implication that the current speaker or administration had brought in the machines themselves. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Mujibur Rahman SJB AI summary Mujibur Rahman supported the shift to a digital economy, particularly in finance and revenue administration, to reduce fraud, corruption, and cash-based transactions. While accepting the digitization of the National Identity Card and basic biodata, he raised concerns over the collection of biometric data such as fingerprints and facial features, warning of risks of leakage, misuse, sale of data, and AI-enabled abuse. He called attention to the need for clarity on how and when such sensitive data would be used. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Hasara Liyanage, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Hasara Liyanage called for proper investigations and justice following a distressing report from Anuradhapura General Hospital after International Women’s Day. Speaking on the 2025 Budget expenditure heads for the Ministries of Digital Economy and Science and Technology, she argued that Sri Lanka needs a coherent national science and technology policy, better coordination among related institutions, and reforms to improve public service delivery. She highlighted allocations to strengthen institutions such as NERDC and NSF, promote commercialization of research for SMEs and rural communities, and expand STEM education, particularly to address women’s lower participation in the science and technology labour market. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Chathura Galappaththi SJB AI summary Hon. Chathura Galappaththi supported digitalization as essential to reducing corruption and improving public service efficiency, while noting past failures under ICTA and previous administrations. Focusing on the proposed digital ID, he raised national security and privacy concerns about centrally storing biometric data, citing international and local cyber incidents and the growing value of personal data. He proposed completing a robust cybersecurity framework first, strengthening SLCERT and data protection institutions, enacting the planned cybersecurity Bills, collecting biometric data only after safeguards are in place, avoiding unnecessary centralization, and rolling out the project in phases. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Najith Indika JJB AI summary Dr. Najith Indika condemned the assault on a young doctor at Anuradhapura Hospital and called for swift investigations, justice, and stronger preventive security at hospital premises, especially for women working night shifts. He urged the Ministry of Health to expedite renovation and protection of dilapidated staff quarters and on-call rooms, noting Budget allocations for this purpose. Responding to criticism of the Budget, he said the Government inherited an IMF programme and constrained fiscal conditions, but had prioritized education, health, transport, women, children, digitalization, and negotiated tax changes. He also rejected claims about the Digital ID project transferring data to India, citing a recent cross-party briefing with officials and experts to address such concerns. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. M.A.M. Thahir ACMC AI summary Hon. M.A.M. Thahir supported the Government’s digital economy initiatives but argued that they must begin with school and university-level reforms, including stronger language, computer, and IT training, expanded technology intakes, and training for graduates to access foreign employment. He urged wider implementation of digital payment systems such as GovPay, including in the private sector, and cited countries such as India, Singapore and Malaysia as examples of revenue generation through digital services. He also raised concerns about teacher transfers, shortages, poor school infrastructure in Ampara and Pottuvil, and the financial burden on parents, calling for increased education funding and better transfer policies. He concluded by urging the Government, given its electoral mandate, to focus on economic development and anti-corruption reforms rather than actions perceived as politically motivated. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning AI summary The Deputy Minister outlined Budget 2025’s digital economy priorities, including global connectivity, improving ease of doing business, decentralizing citizen services, reducing corruption through digitization, and broadening tax compliance by formalizing economic activity. He cited increased allocations for digital infrastructure and the Ministry of Digital Economy, including higher funding for ICTA and total sector support rising to Rs. 13,623 million. He rejected claims that the Digital Services Tax would reduce revenue, stating the Government had reduced the rate from 30 per cent to 15 per cent after IMF discussions and introduced related reliefs for digital service exporters, including deductible expenses, double taxation treaty benefits, no bank-level withholding, and a 15 per cent cap. He also said public procurement digitization was already under way, with minor procurement workflows connected to digital systems and further progress expected by year-end. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Namal Rajapaksa urged the Government to prioritize key pillars of the digital economy, including support for the creators’ economy and young people producing content for online platforms, and to consult them on possible tax relief. He called for digitizing citizen-centric services while protecting the sector, emphasizing that current technologies should be implemented promptly and that policy decisions should prepare Sri Lanka for emerging AI-based systems over the next five years. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Hon. Namal Rajapaksa said the Government’s digital economy targets could be undermined by a proposed 15 percent tax, arguing that investment in the sector depends on competitive tax incentives and living conditions. He urged implementation of the SL-UDI programme alongside a Data Protection Agency and legal safeguards, while calling for digitization of public services, e-Courts, e-Procurement, reverse bidding, mandatory acceptance of digital signatures, and a single-window government payment gateway. He also emphasized that legal and administrative frameworks must be updated so digitalization delivers practical benefits and improves transparency. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Asoka Sapumal Ranwala JJB AI summary Hon. Asoka Sapumal Ranwala emphasized the need to strengthen basic science awareness across all school streams, including Commerce, by establishing Science Clubs or societies throughout the school system. He noted Budget allocations, including Rs. 100 million under the national science and technology policy, to support ongoing research, commercialization of completed projects, and intellectual property protection. He said institutions such as the Inventors’ Commission and NSF would help support innovators financially, socially, and commercially, and welcomed the provisions made to strengthen these bodies. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Asoka Sapumal Ranwala JJB AI summary Asoka Sapumal Ranwala argued that the Ministry of Science and Technology had suffered from discontinuity, downgrading and institutional fragmentation since 2005, leaving it unable to guide national policy effectively. He said the current Budget gives the Ministry renewed prominence, including allocations for institutional reorganization, development projects, National Quality Infrastructure Systems and innovation. He called for scientific determinations to guide technical decisions across government, stronger inter-ministerial coordination, and a grassroots “scientific renaissance” to counter superstition and promote public trust in science. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB AI summary Ajith P. Perera called for accelerated implementation of key digital governance reforms, noting that the Personal Data Protection Act is not yet fully operational and urging urgent passage of a long-delayed Cybersecurity law. He proposed modernizing tax collection through automated digital assessment, citing Finland’s model, and urged completion of the National Data and Identity Interoperability Platform to enable secure identity verification and information exchange across public and private institutions. He also argued that ICTA’s current institutional model should be replaced and called for rapid scaling of court automation to reduce delays, improve evidence management, and support investor confidence in contract enforcement. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →