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- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Upul Kithsiri JJB AI summary Hon. Upul Kithsiri welcomed Hon. Rohana Bandara’s private member’s motion and said the Government was already taking steps to address paddy and rice price stability. He argued that current paddy prices reflect reduced production costs compared with 2021–2022, citing lower fertilizer and land preparation costs, and said prices were being set to balance farmer and consumer interests. He stated that the Government was strengthening SATOSA and cooperatives through a public-private programme to maintain rice reserves, including inspections of storage facilities such as the Ambilipitiya rice store, and aimed to prevent stock shortages and price instability. Private Members' Motion 3: Making Arrangements for Maintaining a Rice Reserve Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan ITAK AI summary Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan supported Hon. Rohana Bandara’s Private Member’s Motion calling for the Government to maintain an official rice reserve and storage system. He argued that despite the East’s role as a major paddy-producing region, Sri Lanka continues to face shortages and imports, while private hoarding and profiteering affect poor consumers. He urged the Government to ensure fair prices, equitable distribution, prevention of shortages and price spikes, and proper storage standards to avoid spoilage and protect rice quality. Private Members' Motion 3: Making Arrangements for Maintaining a Rice Reserve Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri SJB AI summary Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri supported Hon. Rohana Bandara’s motion as a potential means to curb the dominance of large rice millers, but questioned whether the Government had the capacity to implement it. He challenged inconsistent claims about paddy production costs and fertilizer subsidies, asking how costs could have fallen when inputs, machinery, and land preparation costs had increased. He called for a practical, time-bound plan for purchasing paddy, maintaining a rice buffer, and milling paddy into rice, arguing that concrete implementation would reduce miller dominance and build public confidence. Private Members' Motion 3: Making Arrangements for Maintaining a Rice Reserve Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Chathura Galappaththi SJB AI summary Hon. Chathura Galappaththi supported the proposal to maintain a government buffer stock of rice but argued that storing paddy alone is insufficient because emergency rice supply depends on milling capacity, which he said is limited and contributes to market concentration. He proposed that the Government maintain buffer stocks of milled rice as well as paddy, citing a 2012 pilot project near Veyangoda using mechanical aeration that reportedly stored rice for over 15 months at low cost. He said such a system would support national food security, bridge seasonal supply gaps, enable emergency access to rice, and help stabilize retail prices. Private Members' Motion 3: Making Arrangements for Maintaining a Rice Reserve Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Rohana Bandara AI summary Rohana Bandara moved a Private Member’s Motion urging the Government to establish and maintain a public rice reserve to counter monopoly control in the rice market, stabilize prices, and reduce reliance on imports. He argued that farmer protection and consumer affordability must be balanced through a fair guaranteed paddy price, improved seed quality, regulation of agro-input prices and standards, and removal of taxes and duties on agricultural inputs and machinery. He proposed using revenue collected from rice import duties to create a Rs. 100 billion fund, managed jointly with institutions such as the Paddy Marketing Board, farmer organizations, SANASA, and the Consumer Affairs Authority, to finance paddy purchasing, storage, and market intervention on a continuous basis. Private Members' Motion 3: Making Arrangements for Maintaining a Rice Reserve Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri SJB AI summary Chaminda Wijesiri supported the motion on cooperatives, arguing that past mismanagement, land grabs, and unlawful decisions had undermined institutions originally built from members’ savings. He noted that cooperatives are a devolved subject under the 13th Amendment and urged the Government to pursue legal or regulatory changes through provincial mechanisms if it intends to revive the sector. He also questioned whether cooperative financial institutions issuing loans and accepting deposits have Monetary Board approval, calling for action to address banking-like activities without proper authority. Private Members' Motion 2: Proper Procurement Programme for Co-operatives Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Hon. Kins Nelson moved a motion urging the Government to create a proper procurement mechanism for co-operative societies, arguing that the sector has declined due to politicization, weak purchasing standards, substandard goods, and lack of modernization. He proposed investigations into co-op purchasing practices, introduction of digital payment facilities, rotation of senior co-operative officers, and renovation of unused or dilapidated buildings and warehouses. Citing Polonnaruwa and national co-operative assets, he called for co-ops to be used to buy, store, mill, and sell paddy through small and medium mills, thereby reducing price control by a few major millers and improving outcomes for farmers and consumers. Private Members' Motion 2: Proper Procurement Programme for Co-operatives Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera supported Hon. Hesha Withanage’s Private Member’s Motion on estate and plantation-adjacent roads, stating that many have deteriorated because plantation companies, provincial councils, local authorities, and the Road Development Authority have not adequately maintained them. He proposed that the Government vest and rehabilitate these roads using public funds or tax revenue collected from plantation companies, estimated at about Rs. 1.5 billion annually. He further requested that, after rehabilitation, routine maintenance be made the responsibility of the plantation companies and urged the Minister and Government to act urgently. Private Members' Motion 1: Acquisition of Estate Roads to the Government Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing JJB AI summary The Minister stated that the Ministry and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board have a duty to provide accurate information on water quality standards to Parliament and the public. He said allegations about high concentrations of carcinogens could create public anxiety, and emphasized that the response was not to defend any contractor but to clarify the facts. Ministerial Statements on Justice Department, Foreign Employment, and Hydrated Lime Importation Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing JJB AI summary The Minister clarified that laboratory testing methods may produce small variations, citing results of 11 to 14 mg/kg, but said such differences are not large. He stated that the request to revise the Sri Lanka Standard was made on 20 July 2024 and was unrelated to the consignment in question. He added that the consignment had not been accepted into stores or used, and that after further checks the contractor could be required to re-export it and supply material meeting the specification. Ministerial Statements on Justice Department, Foreign Employment, and Hydrated Lime Importation Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. D.V. Chanaka SLPP AI summary Hon. D.V. Chanaka questioned the handling of a hydrated lime consignment for water purification, stating that although the tender specified a 10 mg limit, successive tests allegedly showed higher values that gradually declined over repeated testing. He raised concerns that the National Water Supply and Drainage Board had asked the Sri Lanka Standards Institution to raise the permissible limit to 12 mg, despite Sri Lanka’s existing standard being based on local water conditions. He alleged possible irregularities, claimed some containers had already been distributed, and called for a proper investigation, rejection of the consignment if necessary, and clarity on how water purification would continue without a new tender. Ministerial Statements on Justice Department, Foreign Employment, and Hydrated Lime Importation Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Anura Karunathilaka - Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing JJB AI summary Minister Anura Karunathilaka clarified allegations that the National Water Supply and Drainage Board was supplying drinking water contaminated with carcinogens, explaining that a hydrated lime consignment procured through tender had tested slightly above the then-applicable SLS chromium limit of 10 mg/kg. He stated that the consignment had not been accepted or used in any water treatment plant, despite later SLS revisions allowing up to 12 mg/kg, and that the contractor could be required to replace or re-export it under the tender conditions. He said the NWSDB would continue to ensure safe drinking water and criticized statements based on incomplete information that caused public concern. Ministerial Statements on Justice Department, Foreign Employment, and Hydrated Lime Importation Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Kumara Jayakody JJB AI summary Hon. Kumara Jayakody tabled a written answer on solar power capacity and generation, stating that the Ceylon Electricity Board has 1,266 MW and LECO 259 MW of solar capacity, with 1,161 GWh added to the National Grid up to November 2024. The answer said solar schemes began on 6 September 2016 and included capacity additions under Net Plus, Net Metering and Net Accounting. It outlined measures to promote solar power, including competitive procurement of large-scale plants, streamlined approvals, online clearances, grid and transmission upgrades, energy storage development, public awareness, and support for installations in religious places and state institutions, in line with the 2030 target of 70 per cent renewable electricity generation. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka (on behalf of the Hon. Ajith P. Perera) SJB AI summary Asked the Minister of Energy to provide details on Sri Lanka’s solar power integration into the National Grid, including total installed capacity, annual additions, and the launch date of the “Soorya Bala Sangramaya” project. He requested separate figures for solar power added under the Net Plus, Net Metering and Net Accounting schemes, and asked what measures would be taken to further promote solar energy. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Major General (Rtd.) Aruna Jayasekera - Deputy Minister of Defence JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister of Defence, answering on behalf of the Minister, stated that only the Sri Lanka Army assisted in the relevant transport and interment operations, with troops used solely for perimeter security and not for handling bodies or burials. He said no additional payments were made to Army personnel and no fees were charged from relatives of the deceased. He provided details of hired, procured, and donated vehicles used for transportation, along with associated fuel quantities and costs, and stated that the remaining parts of the question were not applicable. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Rauff Hakeem asked the Minister of Defence for details on the Government’s COVID-19 burial programme at Majma Nagar in Batticaloa, including the role of the Armed Forces. He sought information on personnel deployed, allowances paid, vehicles used or rented, fuel costs, and whether relatives of the deceased were charged any fees and in what amounts. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning AI summary The Deputy Minister stated that he had already responded to the question and clarified that the percentage cited by the Member had not been specified by the Government. He asked Members to await the Budget for the relevant details. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning AI summary The Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning rejected the premise that the Government had promised a 15 per cent rate for senior citizens, stating that the policy statement contained no such commitment. He said measures for senior citizens would be included in the forthcoming Budget, while noting that reductions in essential medicine prices already benefit them, and that related spread issues would be addressed. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Ravi Karunanayake questioned the Government on its election pledge to provide a 15% interest rate on senior citizens’ deposits. He asked why the National Savings Bank is not paying that rate, noting that current rates are around 3% to 8%, and pressed the Deputy Minister to explain why the promise has not been implemented now that the Government is in office. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Read →
- 7 February 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning AI summary The Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning stated that the spread between lending and deposit interest rates is expected to narrow further as economic stabilization under the current administration continues. He noted that the figures cited were largely historical, with 2024 data provisional, and said the Government aims to encourage savings by maximizing deposit rates while reducing lending rates through the National Savings Bank. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Read →