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- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Kanchana Welipitiya JJB AI summary Hon. Kanchana Welipitiya supported the Second Reading of the Budget, presenting it as the NPP Government’s first Budget and a foundation for national rebuilding, while noting the Government had been in office only a few months and would more fully implement its programme in 2026. He highlighted expenditure reductions for the President, Ministers and MPs, including lower presidential allocations, fuel entitlements and insurance cover, and plans to move ministries into state-owned buildings. He said the Budget retained and expanded public benefits, citing salary and pension increases, a proposed Rs. 1,700 estate worker daily wage, higher elderly allowances, student and nutrition support, vocational trainee allowances, and increased Mahapola and bursary payments. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Nandana Pathmakumara JJB AI summary Hon. Nandana Pathmakumara supported the 2025 Budget presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as Minister of Finance, arguing that it is directed toward health, education, moral development, agriculture, environmental cleanliness, and improved public services. He cited allocations for Triposha and nutrition, non-communicable disease treatment, Suwa Sariya, hospital management committees, education at all levels, religious-based moral education, and sports, while linking these to the Government’s wider objectives of “Clean Sri Lanka” and a prosperous country. He criticized the Opposition as politically motivated and said public trust in the Government’s relief measures and programmes would be reflected at the forthcoming local government elections. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Jagath Vithana SJB AI summary Hon. Jagath Vithana criticized the Budget for lacking the VAT relief and fertilizer-cost reductions promised by the Government, arguing that rising prices and the absence of clear revenue measures leave the country’s direction unclear. He called for expedited justice mechanisms, including a special court and mandatory death penalty where murder is proven, citing delays in cases involving underworld violence and contract killings. He urged faster digitization linking Divisional Secretariats and banks to target welfare to genuinely needy recipients, while also raising concerns about practical facilities, insurance, and vehicle access for MPs and public servants. He welcomed private sector investment in luxury buses and requested relief for farmers, especially tea growers in Kalutara District, through fertilizer subsidies and price reductions. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister AI summary The Deputy Minister stated that the measure was not intended to provide targeted relief to any individual or company. He said it addressed long-disputed tax issues connected to tsunami reconstruction aid. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Jagath Vithana SJB AI summary Jagath Vithana asked for the total value of the relief being discussed. The intervention sought a specific figure or quantified estimate in relation to the relevant relief measure. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister AI summary The Deputy Minister clarified that the decision concerns tax arrears arising from inputs used in post-tsunami reconstruction projects funded by foreign aid. He stated that the measure is intended to settle long-standing disputed arrears and is not relief directed at any particular businessperson or entity. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Jagath Vithana SJB AI summary Hon. Jagath Vithana challenged the government’s claim that it inherited a bankrupt economy by citing the 2025 Budget, Economic and Financial Situation report, which records economic growth of 5.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2024. He also sought clarification on Annexure IV of the 2025 Budget Speech, which states that VAT arrears of construction contractors involved in tsunami projects will be written off. He requested details of the companies, beneficiaries, and amounts involved, noting concerns about the decision and its connection to projects from a period when the current President was a Cabinet Minister. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Kumara Jayakody - Minister of Energy JJB AI summary Minister Kumara Jayakody argued that the 2025 Budget is aimed at broad-based economic growth through modernization of education, health, land use, finance, transport, energy, and import-export systems. He said salary increases and revised tax thresholds are intended to retain professionals and reverse brain drain, citing resignations of engineers from institutions under his Ministry. He highlighted allocations for public transport, rail modernization, domestic production through a motor vehicle and rubber-based industrial zone, and major energy projects including grid upgrades, waste-to-energy, solar installations, island renewable systems, and preparatory work for future nuclear power. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Bhagya Sri Herath, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Bhagya Sri Herath argued that Opposition Members should account for earlier claims about extremism, economic collapse and social unrest before criticizing the Government’s Budget. He said the Government’s economic programme is based on social and economic transformation through collective effort and sacrifice, not individual patronage or employment promises. He rejected claims that isolated violent incidents amount to national security threats, while acknowledging recent murders as serious crimes that require broader social and economic rebuilding. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri SJB AI summary Chaminda Wijesiri sought clarification on the Budget proposal regarding salary increases for public servants. He asked that the relevant member state whether his earlier remarks on the public sector salary increase were correct, rather than making personal or unrelated comments. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Bhagya Sri Herath, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Bhagya Sri Herath said that long-standing allegations against his party regarding extremism, economic mismanagement, and religious fanaticism were disproved soon after it assumed power. He argued that voters had been influenced by scare narratives about economic collapse and calamity, but that these narratives were defeated within 24 hours of the new government taking office. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Bhagya Sri Herath, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Bhagya Sri Herath referred to public fears during the election period, stating that some people did not vote for the Government because they believed alms-giving or charitable religious practices would be stopped if it came to power. The remark appeared to address misconceptions about the Government’s intentions. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Bhagya Sri Herath, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Bhagya Sri Herath argued that the Budget must be understood in the context of past governments’ policies and economic management, and that current economic planning cannot ignore recent history. He criticized Opposition Members for procedural conduct in Parliament, particularly the misuse of Points of Order for publicity, and rejected prior Opposition claims that an NPP government would cause economic collapse, religious extremism, or instability. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri SJB AI summary Chaminda Wijesiri criticized the 2025 Budget, arguing that the NPP Government has abandoned its earlier socialist and anti-capitalist positions and is continuing economic policies similar to previous Ranil Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa administrations, including further borrowing to finance the deficit. He questioned the Government’s plans on rice procurement and price relief ahead of the April New Year, saying the Paddy Marketing Board had not secured adequate stocks. He also challenged the presentation of public-sector salary increases, claiming the cost-of-living allowance was being reclassified as basic salary and that promised increases spread to 2027 may not materialize. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Riyas Farook JJB AI summary Riyas Farook defended the Government’s first Budget as an effort to correct administrative and political failures in education and other sectors, particularly in school admissions, transfers, and infrastructure. He cited problems arising from the “1,000 National Schools” and “Nearest School — Best School” programmes in Akurana and Poojapitiya, including unresolved feeder-school allocations, declining enrolment, underfunded development projects, and alleged political interference in principal transfers. He requested action to rebuild facilities at Al Ashaar National School and said the Government was reviewing admissions practices that disadvantage poorer families, with the aim of presenting a more reliable education system by the following year. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar - Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources JJB AI summary Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar supported the National People’s Power Government’s Budget, presenting it as a mandate for national recovery after the economic and political crisis and the 2022 bankruptcy declaration. He said the Government had received significant support across communities and regions, including in the North and East, and emphasized his responsibility as Fisheries Minister and Jaffna District Coordinating Committee Chairman to improve conditions for fisherfolk. He highlighted poverty reduction as a central objective, noting high poverty levels in the Northern Province, especially Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi, and said Budget allocations would prioritize village-level infrastructure such as schools, roads, tanks, and related development. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning AI summary The Deputy Minister clarified that the Government expects to complete work on 182,370 houses during the year across urban housing, resettlement for conflict-affected families, ongoing housing in the Southern Province, and the estate sector. He added that 10,000 houses are planned in the estate sector, with 1,300 to be completed quickly. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning AI summary The Deputy Minister clarified that the Budget allocates Rs. 4,267 million for estate housing and infrastructure development, in response to concerns that the provision was insufficient. He stated that the allocation covers ongoing projects, completion of partially built houses from previous years, and new projects, with an expectation of completing 1,300 houses during the year. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera argued that the Government’s inaugural Budget fails to provide the immediate relief promised during the election campaign, particularly on VAT for essentials, fuel, electricity, school stationery, and public sector salaries. He questioned the credibility of financing a large deficit and warned that unmet revenue plans could lead to further taxation. Focusing on plantation areas, he doubted the proposed estate wage increase, said the estate housing allocation was inadequate, and proposed allocating land to estate families. He also urged targeted support for small tea-holders, including fertilizer assistance similar to that given to paddy farmers, citing their role in tea exports and foreign exchange earnings. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Chaminda Lalith Kumara JJB AI summary Hon. Chaminda Lalith Kumara supported the 2025 Budget, stating that the Government’s mandate enabled it to redirect savings from reduced political privileges toward public benefits, including salary increases, support for workers, domestic industry, and production. He emphasized agriculture and food security, citing fertilizer support, irrigation allocations, and the goal of meeting a significant share of nutritional needs domestically. He urged officials to implement allocations efficiently within the remaining months of the year and called on the Opposition to contribute constructively to rebuilding sectors such as transport, health, and education. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →