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. T.K. Jayasundara JJB AI summary Hon. T.K. Jayasundara defended the Government’s recent political change as a move away from corruption, chauvinism and patronage, arguing that it has restored international confidence and created a fairer environment for investment and entrepreneurship. He said the Government’s economic programme should combine humanist social renewal with sustainable and equitable development, including “economic democracy” and wider public participation. He highlighted targets to raise export earnings from USD 12.7 billion in 2024 to USD 19 billion in 2025 and expand tourism from 3 million to 8 million visitors, proposing responsible tourism development in inland areas of Galle District to support rural incomes and industries such as tea, cinnamon and kitul. He also referred to Budget support for small tea-holders, noting an increased allocation from Rs. 1,158 million in 2023 to Rs. 1,355 million. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi SJB AI summary Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi argued during the Budget debate that recent shootings and murders, including incidents in court, Middaniya, Uswetakeiyawa, Negombo and Kotahena, raise serious questions about national security under the new JVP-led Government. He linked the Middaniya killings to unresolved violence during the Aragalaya, stating that failure to arrest suspects earlier due to fear of witnesses had contributed to later tragedies. He called for a thorough investigation into the killing of Aruna Widanagamage, alias “Kajja”, including allegations about his political links, weapons possession and possible motives behind his death. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) A.M.M.M. Rathwaththe JJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) A.M.M.M. Rathwaththe supported the 2025 Budget as a “people’s Budget” focused on a production economy and social upliftment. She highlighted allocations for children in care institutions, including monthly support, proposed legal changes to allow them to remain in care until economically integrated, and marriage support after leaving care. She also cited Indian-supported projects for Ampara and the Eastern Province, increased education funding, higher allowances for chronic kidney disease patients, livelihood support for Aswesuma beneficiaries, and land-permit issues being addressed through Mahaweli Revival Week. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Aruna Panagoda JJB AI summary Aruna Panagoda supported the Budget’s Rs. 483 billion allocation for transport, arguing that public transport must be made reliable, safe, efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable after years of politicization and deterioration. He called for modernizing SLTB services, introducing structured bus services on the main corridors into Colombo, strengthening rural and late-evening bus operations, and improving the conduct and public-service culture of transport staff under the Clean Sri Lanka programme. He also raised unresolved compensation issues from land acquisitions for the Ruwanpura Expressway in the Homagama area, stating that Budget funds should be used in stages to address payments and related administrative gaps. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Jeevan Thondaman UNP AI summary Jeevan Thondaman clarified that 67 per cent of the State Ministry of Estate Housing and Community Infrastructure’s allocation was funded by India, including a Rs. 3,000 million grant and Rs. 3,500 million under the Indian Housing Project, though channelled through the Sri Lankan Government. He argued that since estate workers contribute 12 per cent of income to the Government, the allocation returned to them through Government funds should be higher. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development JJB AI summary The Minister clarified that projects funded through Indian assistance, whether grants or loans, are recorded within Sri Lanka’s State finances and implemented through State systems. He stated that it is inaccurate to suggest such projects fall outside the Government’s fiscal framework. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam urged the Government, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, not to delay the adoption of a new Constitution, arguing that economic recovery depends on it. He stated that his side is willing to help establish a special fund for the North and East with partner countries, but warned against postponing constitutional reform and seeking another election instead. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam argued that the 2025 Budget shows no significant policy shift and questioned whether the Government can finance and implement its stated capital projects, noting past underutilization of capital expenditure and a projected Rs. 2.2 trillion deficit. He said allocations for the Northern and Eastern Provinces, including roads, bridges, the Vattuvagal bridge and the Jaffna Library, are inadequate or risk remaining only on paper, despite electoral support from those areas. He also raised unresolved issues concerning the disappeared, political prisoners, mass graves, and the need for a new Constitution and power-sharing political settlement, stating that development alone cannot address Tamil political concerns. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Vijitha Herath JJB AI summary Hon. Vijitha Herath characterized the Budget as a pro-people measure aligned with national reconciliation and based on the public mandate. He argued that the Government is undertaking a long-term programme with public support and stated that criticism would not deter its implementation. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Vijitha Herath - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism JJB AI summary The Minister said the Government was pursuing a production-led economic recovery while using the IMF programme as a temporary stabilization measure, noting expected progress on the third review, a possible US$ 335 million tranche, reserves of US$ 6.1 billion, and fiscal targets including a primary surplus of about 2 per cent of GDP. He said measures were being taken to reduce production costs, attract foreign investment through stronger diplomatic ties and investment protection agreements, and investigate corruption and economic mismanagement lawfully. He outlined tourism and foreign employment as short-term foreign exchange priorities, citing increased tourist arrivals and proposing a National Tourism Commission, regional tourism development committees, improved facilities, and insurance and pension schemes for tourism workers. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Second Reading Debate (Fifth Allotted Day) Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Ravi Karunanayake sought clarification on Central Bank independence, arguing that practical interferences remain and requesting that responsibility be restored under the Finance Ministry. He also questioned the reported increase in total public debt from Rs. 28.8 trillion at end-September 2024 by Rs. 1.2 trillion over four months, asking how debt rose without development and noting that rupee depreciation had increased the rupee value of debt. Ministerial Statement: Foreign Reserves and Debt Servicing, with Points of Order and Procedural Matters Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development JJB AI summary The Minister replied to a Standing Order 27(2) question on foreign reserves and debt servicing, stating that reserve growth came mainly from Central Bank foreign exchange purchases, IMF EFF disbursements, and multilateral/bilateral project and programme loans, with official reserves rising from US$4.392 billion at end-2023 to US$6.122 billion at end-2024. He said Sri Lanka’s total external debt at end-2024 was about US$100.294 billion, and provided projected external principal and interest payments for 2025–2028, noting that the Government is primarily responsible for servicing debt and may request reserve releases from the Central Bank if needed. He cited IMF staff report projections showing reserves rising to US$15.105 billion by 2028, clarifying that these are revised projections rather than fixed EFF targets, while the programme’s performance criterion is Net International Reserves, which Sri Lanka has met in the first three reviews. He also said that under the State Debt Management Act, debt management responsibilities have moved to the State Debt Management Department from 25 November 2024, with a technical transition from Central Bank systems expected over about 18 months. Ministerial Statement: Foreign Reserves and Debt Servicing, with Points of Order and Procedural Matters Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Kumara Jayakody JJB AI summary Hon. Kumara Jayakody stated that the Government restored electricity within about four hours and would not permit power cuts during A/L examinations, contrasting this with previous periods of prolonged outages. He said the Government, in office for only three months, is studying unresolved issues in the power sector and taking measures, though some actions require time because necessary steps had not been taken earlier. He added that recent threats of Sunday power cuts were managed with low-cost solutions, acknowledged possible customer issues with existing systems, and called for cooperation while denying any “deals” in the sector. Ministerial Statements: Elephant Deaths from Train Collisions and Power Outage Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake raised concerns about unresolved issues at the Ceylon Electricity Board, including a dispute between unions over renewable energy policy. He questioned whether opposition to renewables was benefiting the oil lobby, noting that renewable power was paid at Rs. 29 per unit compared with a stated production cost of Rs. 78 per unit. He warned that the CEB’s recent Rs. 185 billion profit could turn into a Rs. 40 billion loss within two months, potentially leading to increased electricity tariffs. Ministerial Statements: Elephant Deaths from Train Collisions and Power Outage Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Kumara Jayakody JJB AI summary The Hon. Kumara Jayakody acknowledged existing issues in energy-related public services, including access and distance difficulties, and said he had raised and discussed them even before the outage. He stated that the Government is pursuing a people-centric energy transition, is gathering information, and needs time to address and resolve many of the problems. Ministerial Statements: Elephant Deaths from Train Collisions and Power Outage Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Ravi Karunanayake, speaking as a former Power Minister, said the priority in the electricity sector should be uninterrupted supply and adequate attention to consumers when supply failures occur. He questioned what support or redress is available to the 6.5 million consumers when outages happen for primary system reasons, noting that consumers face disconnection after two months of non-payment while their losses from repeated outages, including on Sundays, are not addressed. Ministerial Statements: Elephant Deaths from Train Collisions and Power Outage Read →
- 22 February 2025 The Hon. Kumara Jayakody - Minister of Energy JJB AI summary Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody replied to Hon. Ravi Karunanayake’s Standing Order 27(2) question on the islandwide power outage, stating that it was triggered by a 33 kV busbar failure at the Panadura Grid Substation, which caused under-frequency tripping at several major hydro plants. He outlined the restoration process, said the full system was restored by 3.45 p.m. via the Mahaweli hydro system, and noted that the CEB is assessing economic losses using grid-substation load data. He said the Ministry proposes an urgent Renewable Energy Desk with battery storage at the National System Control Centre, following an ADB agreement in December 2024, and added that preliminary inquiries found no negligence or sabotage while a further internal inquiry is ongoing. Ministerial Statements: Elephant Deaths from Train Collisions and Power Outage Read →
- 22 February 2025 Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake stated that steps would be taken to recover or reallocate the approximately Rs. 400 million performance bond, with Cabinet and district-level support, to complete pending road works. He said legal and enforcement action would be pursued against the contractors concerned, and that the matter would be referred through the Hon. Speaker to COPE to examine the decisions that led to the proposed re-awarding of the contracts. Oral Questions: STaRR Project (Q.1/2025), KL-2 Project Kalutara (Q.2/2025), Lands - Elpitiya DS (Q.3/2025), Meegahakiula Bus Station (Q.4/2025) Read →
- 22 February 2025 Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake said rural road funding would be detailed during the Ministry debate and addressed the KL-02 road project, stating it was terminated in July 2019 due to poor performance by the contractor joint venture. He said a subsequent Cabinet decision sought to re-award the balance work to the same contractors at updated rates, followed by litigation that delayed the project for five years. He proposed seeking Cabinet approval to use Rs. 400 million recovered through the performance bond to complete the roads, referring underperforming contractors to enforcement authorities, and sending the matter to COPE for examination. Oral Questions: STaRR Project (Q.1/2025), KL-2 Project Kalutara (Q.2/2025), Lands - Elpitiya DS (Q.3/2025), Meegahakiula Bus Station (Q.4/2025) Read →
- 22 February 2025 Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament JJB AI summary Under the ADB-funded iRoad Programme in Kalutara, the KL-02 package was awarded in 2016 to a joint venture but was terminated in 2019 due to poor performance after only 34.63 km of 88.44 km had been developed. The Minister stated that rebidding was delayed by a Commercial High Court injunction, with the case disposed of only in December 2024 after the programme period had ended, leaving nine roads in Matugama and Agalawatte incomplete and causing public inconvenience. He said the performance bond proceeds have been credited to the Treasury Deposit Account and proposed using these domestic funds to complete the remaining works. Oral Questions: STaRR Project (Q.1/2025), KL-2 Project Kalutara (Q.2/2025), Lands - Elpitiya DS (Q.3/2025), Meegahakiula Bus Station (Q.4/2025) Read →