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- 10 March 2025 Hon. Members AI summary The Committee agreed to the relevant votes under Head 126 and associated education-sector heads in the Schedule, including amended recurrent and capital allocations for Programmes 01 and 02. It also approved allocations for the Department of Examinations, Department of Educational Publications, University Grants Commission, and Department of Technical Education and Training, covering specified recurrent and capital expenditure. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya JJB AI summary An amendment was moved to Expenditure Head 126 to revise allocations for Programme 01, Operational Activities, and Programme 02, Development Activities. The proposed changes would increase recurrent expenditure by Rs. 1.2 billion and capital expenditure by Rs. 700 million to implement Budget Proposal Nos. 15, 26, 44 and 46. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 Hon. Members AI summary The Committee agreed to increase the Recurrent Expenditure allocation by Rs. 207.2 billion and the Capital Expenditure allocation by Rs. 65.7 billion, and ordered both amended expenditures to stand part of the Schedule. It then recorded allocations under Head 126 for the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, including operational and development programme expenditures for recurrent and capital activities. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya JJB AI summary An amendment was moved at the Committee Stage of the 2025 Budget on behalf of the Minister of Finance to revise the allocations for the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. The proposed figures were Rs. 207.2 billion for recurrent expenditure and Rs. 65.7 billion for capital expenditure. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Amila Prasad SJB AI summary Hon. Amila Prasad argued that Sri Lanka’s education system must be reformed to prepare children for future labour markets, particularly the period after 2045, rather than focusing only on current curricula or past expenditure. He highlighted past education initiatives by right-of-centre governments, defended the Opposition Leader’s “Sakwala” programme as a non-election initiative supporting ICT access and schools, and called for acknowledgement of such efforts. He urged reconsideration of the 1982 Education White Paper’s proposals, including wider scope for private and vocational education while preserving free education, and questioned the efficiency of spending in small schools compared with larger schools. He also raised concern over shortages of science and mathematics teachers at A/L level due to salary pressures. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe - Deputy Minister of Labour JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe said the Government has made education a top Budget priority, allocating Rs. 619 billion and moving to fill long-standing vacancies in teaching, principals’ posts, the Education Administrative Service, and the Teacher Educators’ Service. He argued that simply designating schools as National Schools without resources was ineffective and said the policy should be to treat all schools equitably. Addressing the teachers’ and principals’ salary anomaly, he stated that recent salary increases exceed earlier union monetary demands but do not fully resolve the structural anomaly, which the NPP policy pledges to address along with establishing a Teachers’ Council and improving the status of the teaching profession. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj - Minister of Women and Child Affairs JJB AI summary Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj supported the Budget’s increased education allocations, arguing that education and health should be treated as fundamental rights and highlighting measures such as learning-material grants, free footwear and uniforms, nutrition programmes, increased university stipends, Mahapola and bursaries, and Rs. 15.4 billion for TVET. She noted Rs. 2.78 billion for student loan schemes, salary increases for teachers and principals, and targeted support for children at risk of dropping out or in institutional care. As Minister of Women and Child Affairs, she emphasized gender equality in education, citing Rs. 1.4 billion for sanitary pads for schoolgirls over 13, and called for adult education for women and the integration of preschool education into the national education system with curriculum standards and teacher training pathways. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy JJB AI summary Hon. Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy supported the Education Ministry allocation, citing Rs. 271 billion for eight months and outlining government plans for sports schools, preschool teacher pay increases, school infrastructure improvements, curriculum reform, and major teacher and education service recruitments from 2025. He highlighted poor sanitation and water facilities in teacher training institutions, disparities between elite and rural schools, and lower employability among graduates of Eastern and Jaffna Universities due to course-market mismatch. He also requested intervention to issue long-delayed original certificates for teacher trainees who completed training between 2010 and 2016. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran ITAK AI summary Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran welcomed the Budget’s focus and allocations for education but urged equitable, district-based distribution, particularly for the Vanni District. He highlighted serious shortages in school infrastructure, teachers, principals, support staff, ICT facilities, internet access, laboratories, libraries, and sanitation, citing major vacancies and defective computer stocks in Mullaitivu and Vavuniya South. He asked the Government to address teacher and staff shortages through regularizing development officers and integrating graduates, establish ICT and distance-learning centres in underserved Northern and Eastern zones, and adopt practical procedures for repairing or disposing of unusable electronic equipment. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage - Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment JJB AI summary Minister Upali Pannilage said the Government is increasing investment in higher education, including Rs. 135 billion for the sector, to address limited university access, curriculum and assessment reform, staffing shortages, and infrastructure gaps. He stated that Mahapola and bursary payments are proposed to be increased from April, with Rs. 4,600 million allocated, and Rs. 37,891 million set aside for university infrastructure including hostels, sanitation, and student facilities. He also said the Vice-Chancellor appointment process under the Universities Act needs depoliticization and reform, while Rs. 3,000 million has been allocated to begin addressing academic and non-academic vacancies and pay issues. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam ACTC AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam urged fuller implementation of the Subodhini Salary Commission recommendations for teachers and principals, arguing that the current Budget’s three-year increments fall short and proposing that funds be reprioritized from areas such as unnecessary Ministries and Defence. He called for an end to Civil Security Department-run preschools in the Northern Province, describing them as militarization of education, and requested that all preschools be brought under the Education Ministry with comparable salaries. He also highlighted urgent Northern Province education needs, including about Rs. 2 billion for incomplete facilities and significant teacher, administrative and minor staff vacancies, and asked that a UGC promotion examination be held in Jaffna or at least Vavuniya for the convenience of affected applicants. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. M.A.M. Thahir ACMC AI summary Hon. M.A.M. Thahir welcomed the Government’s Rs. 6,000 support for students but argued that weaknesses in teacher transfers, long commutes, and reduced teacher engagement are undermining free education and driving students toward private tuition, including for the Grade 5 scholarship. He questioned why the 2025 education allocation for Ampara District had reportedly been reduced to about half of the 2024 allocation. He urged the Education Ministry to develop a proper national plan for preschool education with qualified teachers and adequate facilities, and also highlighted shortages of school buildings, furniture, and other infrastructure affecting students. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing JJB AI summary Minister Anura Karunathilaka said the Government has increased higher education funding to Rs. 118 billion and allocated 1.9 per cent of GDP for education, while noting fiscal limits on the policy goal of reaching 6 per cent. He highlighted shortages in academic and non-academic university staff and urged that Rs. 3 billion allocated for recruitment be used efficiently in consultation with the Treasury. He also called for faster A/L results and university admissions through modernization of the Examinations Department and UGC processes, and proposed easing duty on research equipment and expediting foreign university MoU approvals. He outlined increased salaries and allowances for academic and non-academic staff, stating the Government’s commitment to retaining qualified personnel in universities. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Muneer Mulaffer - Deputy Minister of National Integration JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Muneer Mulaffer supported the education-related Heads of Expenditure, stating that the Government had prioritized student welfare and school infrastructure to reduce inequalities in access to education. He cited allocations for uniforms, school buses, student vouchers, sanitary pads, nutrition, student health insurance, scholarships, sports schools, and unfinished school buildings, including Al-Ulak Central College. He also criticized politically motivated national school declarations and admissions practices, and emphasized completing neglected facilities and improving basic conditions such as sanitation. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran JJB AI summary Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran highlighted increased education allocations in the Budget and requested that part of the Rs. 10,000 million for national school infrastructure be directed to poorly equipped schools in Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Mannar. He cited serious staffing shortages in the Northern Province and proposed district-based competitive recruitment and placement for teachers and principals to address failures in past appointment and transfer procedures. He also called for remedies for surplus and acting principals, appointment of minor staff for schools, and action on delayed teacher training, promotions and increments. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Hon. Kins Nelson urged greater budgetary attention to university accommodation and staffing, noting that only about 61,000 of 176,661 university students have hostel facilities and that State universities have around 7,000 vacancies against the approved cadre. He listed major infrastructure gaps in schools nationally and in Polonnaruwa District, including shortages of computers, laboratories, libraries, playgrounds, sanitation, teachers, and principals, with particular deficits in English, Mathematics and Science. He requested that recently designated national schools receive actual facilities and staff, citing specific needs at Thopawewa, Wilayaya and Ellehara Mahasen National Schools, including computers, teachers, quarters, an auditorium, water and sanitation. He also called for special attention to unsafe school access in Dimbulagala and Welikanda, including elephant threats and the need for protective fencing. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB AI summary Ajith P. Perera argued that Sri Lanka’s free education tradition, associated with C.W.W. Kannangara, originally included both equality of access and strong English-medium opportunities through Central Colleges and bilingual schools. He said English proficiency has become a decisive factor in employment, higher education and professional advancement, contributing to demand for international schools and English streams in national schools. He proposed making primary education available in the mother tongue while introducing compulsory dual-medium English education from the secondary level in every school. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 Hon. Rohitha Abeygunawardhana NDF AI summary Hon. Rohitha Abeygunawardhana welcomed increased allocations for education and asked the Government to clarify proposed reforms, including the reported Grade 9 examination and possible changes to the Grade 5 Scholarship, O/L and A/L examinations. He sought an explanation of the status and selection criteria for schools previously designated as National Schools under the programme to convert 1,000 Provincial Council schools, warning that unclear responsibility between provincial and central authorities could harm those schools. He also urged the Government to meet teachers’ and principals’ salary expectations and said strikes in health and education should be avoided because of their impact on lives and children’s futures. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne spoke on the Education Ministry Vote, emphasizing that the Rs. 619 billion allocation must address not only qualitative reforms but also basic infrastructure for safe and accessible learning environments. She highlighted substandard and unfinished school buildings, unused smart boards procured under a 2024 China-supported project, sanitation and water shortages, menstrual hygiene needs, and underused teacher-training facilities, outlining allocations for building completion, safety, provincial facilities, special education, assistive equipment, teacher training, and water and toilet improvements. She also cited major infrastructure and accessibility problems across universities, including incomplete buildings, inadequate laboratories and hostels, unsafe conditions, and lack of disability access, and noted funding for selected health sciences and medical faculty projects. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →
- 10 March 2025 Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa argued that education reform must begin with early childhood education and address inequalities between urban and rural schools while strengthening all 10,096 schools. He questioned the Government’s failure to remove VAT on educational equipment and noted that education spending remains far below the previously advocated target of 6 per cent of GDP. He proposed supplementary financing through education philanthropy, sister-school and foreign institutional partnerships, and school trust funds, while calling for action on staff shortages, teacher and principal salary anomalies, inclusive education for persons with disabilities, and integration of AI and STEAM education. He also sought clear plans for promised graduate recruitment, raised concerns over allowances for university staff, treatment of development officers, and alleged political reprisals in the education sector. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Seventeenth Allotted Day – Committee Stage Read →