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 January 2025 The Hon. M.L.A.M. Hizbullah SLMC AI summary Hon. M.L.A.M. Hizbullah expressed support for economic rebuilding during the debate on the 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position while highlighting infrastructure gaps affecting tourism development in the Eastern Province. He requested urgent measures for Arugam Bay, including gazetting it as a tourism zone, providing beach-cleaning equipment, repairing the seaplane landing dock, and establishing fire services to enable hotel development. He also called for terminal upgrades and ICAO certification for Batticaloa International Airport, a Passport Office in Batticaloa, and gazetting Trincomalee Harbour as a tourist harbour with suitable terminal facilities. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe JJB AI summary Wasantha Samarasinghe responded to allegations about rice imports and pricing, saying previous election-period distribution of red raw rice had distorted the market and caused supply issues. He said Cabinet had approved importing 70,000 MT through Sathosa and the State Trading Corporation, outlined the status of Sathosa and STC tenders, and stated that 116,000 MT had been imported by 6 January with further consignments arriving. He asked D.V. Chanaka to table the report underlying claims of excess costs and said imported rice was being distributed through Sathosa and cooperatives at Rs. 220 per kilo. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. D.V. Chanaka SLPP AI summary Hon. D.V. Chanaka alleged that the Government had failed to control the rice market, particularly red raw rice, which he said was unavailable in some markets and being sold above the controlled price. Citing Central Bank price data, he argued that prices rose after the new Government took office and claimed consumers were overcharged by billions of rupees in December. He further alleged irregularities in rice imports through Sathosa, saying imported rice was sold above the controlled price, and called on the Public Security Minister to investigate where the alleged commissions and excess earnings went. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. Amirthanathan Adaikkalanathan DTNA AI summary Amirthanathan Adaikkalanathan argued that repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act is necessary to build confidence among diaspora investors and support economic recovery. He requested Budget allocations for a proposed Vavuniya University campus in Mannar, urged the release of civilian lands held by the military, Forest Department and Department of Archaeology in the North and East, and called for action on Indian trawler incursions affecting fisheries. He also asked the Government to correct exclusions from relief schemes for families with one public servant spouse, and urged the Foreign Ministry to facilitate the return of Sri Lankan refugees from Indian camps, including through the proposed Kankesanthurai-Tuticorin ferry. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku - Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister argued that the Government’s mandate reflects public support for a new political direction and urged the Opposition to scrutinize accountability and performance rather than private lives. Referring to the Mid-Year Fiscal Position, he said state enterprise performance should be assessed against liabilities and debt service, citing plans to accelerate operations at the Colombo Port East Terminal and address airport capacity constraints to support foreign exchange earnings and tourism. He also outlined Government measures on fertilizer support, SME and debt moratorium relief, Aswesuma expansion, school supply assistance, tax threshold changes, and efforts to retain or attract professionals, presenting these as part of data-driven planning aligned with IMF benchmarks. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. Harshana Rajakaruna SJB AI summary Harshana Rajakaruna argued that the NPP cannot absolve itself of responsibility for Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy, noting that many of its Members supported the election of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose ad hoc decisions he identified as a principal cause. He said current economic “progress” has come through higher fuel prices, electricity tariffs, taxes and living costs, and accused the Government of continuing the same policies followed under Ranil Wickremesinghe. He questioned the increase of Withholding Tax on fixed deposit interest from 5 to 10 per cent and the failure to remove VAT on specified education, agriculture and food items, and demanded that the Government honour campaign promises to reduce fuel prices, abolish the fuel pricing formula, cut electricity bills by one-third, and provide immediate cost-of-living relief. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy JJB AI summary Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy said the Government was elected with a mandate for change and must stabilise the economy after the crisis caused by conflict, COVID-19, corruption, misgovernance and the 2022 suspension of external debt servicing. He outlined progress under the IMF programme, debt restructuring, the December 2024 bond exchange, SME relief measures, education-related allowances and increased elderly allowances, while noting that fiscal conditions had improved but remained challenging. He raised constituency concerns in the North and Jaffna, including hardships faced by fishing families, drug abuse, illicit liquor, damaged roads, weak public services, flooding, lack of banking, transport and telecommunications, rural school decline, illegal resource extraction, and inadequate agricultural storage and drying facilities. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar criticized the Government for failing to fulfil election pledges on rice prices, essential goods, tax reductions, utility bills, and senior citizens’ deposits, arguing that controlled prices and import decisions contradicted earlier promises. He questioned the Government’s debt and reserve management, stating that only part of sovereign bond principal is under standstill and asking what new revenue streams or investments had been secured to maintain debt sustainability. While saying the Opposition would not sabotage the Government and would support beneficial measures, he urged the Government to admit past campaign claims were false and to use the forthcoming Budget to provide relief, reduce taxes and bills, and implement its promises. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. S.M. Marikkar SJB AI summary Hon. S.M. Marikkar criticized the 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Report, arguing that increased revenues from taxes, electricity, fuel and water charges had not improved living conditions, nutrition, education or incomes. He questioned why CEB’s reported Rs. 139 billion surplus was not used to reduce electricity tariffs for low-consumption households and said election promises on reducing fuel prices and electricity bills had not been implemented. He also alleged that the Government had departed from pledges on the PAYE tax threshold and senior citizens’ fixed-deposit interest and withholding tax, placing additional pressure on workers and retirees. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Geetha Herath, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Geetha Herath discussed the 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report presented under the State Finance Management Act, outlining its coverage of revenue, expenditure, state enterprises, foreign financing and debt. She argued that the previous Government’s stabilization was achieved largely through tax burdens on ordinary people, particularly affecting women and low-income households, while corruption, waste and poor policy choices contributed to the economic crisis. She stated that the National People’s Power Government is managing expenditure more responsibly within IMF and debt constraints, citing the increased tax-free threshold, expanded Aswasuma benefits, rising tourism, remittances, investor interest and improved ratings as signs of stabilization. She called for support for the Clean Sri Lanka and nation-building programmes. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, PC NDF AI summary Faiszer Musthapha welcomed the change in government and said the President had a historic opportunity to build an inclusive national vision, while urging the Government to accept constructive criticism and pursue economic stability pragmatically, including through engagement with the IMF. He called for privatizing SriLankan Airlines, reforming investment promotion beyond BOI, Port City and Strategic Development Projects mechanisms, and creating incentives to direct FDI to lagging regions. He also urged reconsideration of taxes on cement and building materials, raised the need for confidence-building with northern and Muslim communities, sought remorse over the COVID-19 mandatory cremation policy, and referred to Sri Lanka’s refugee policy in relation to Rohingya asylum seekers. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. Thilina Samarakoon JJB AI summary Hon. Thilina Samarakoon discussed the mid-year fiscal report under the State Finance Management Act, noting improved 2024 indicators such as higher revenue, a reduced budget deficit, positive growth, increased reserves, and progress under the IMF programme. He said much of the revenue increase came from higher taxation, including PAYE and VAT changes, which created hardship and contributed to professional migration, but argued that tax thresholds and the wider tax mix are being adjusted. He emphasized plans to reduce public debt, improve the balance of payments, attract investment, strengthen state-owned enterprise management, and asked the Opposition to support the Government’s economic stabilization efforts. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran ITAK AI summary Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran said the 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position showed mixed economic indicators and argued that Sri Lanka needs a stronger economic policy, better investment planning, and improved management of scarce resources. He criticized the continued importation of rice despite agricultural potential and urged greater use of technology, land, marine resources, and reported seabed mineral deposits identified under the International Seabed Authority process. He also raised the impact of human-elephant conflict on farmers in Ampara, calling for more Wildlife Department staff and properly maintained elephant fences in specified affected villages. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa questioned whether continuing the existing IMF programme without a new debt sustainability analysis reflected the public mandate, and demanded relief measures including the promised fertilizer subsidy increase, electricity tariff reductions, fuel relief, and redress for EPF/ETF losses after domestic debt restructuring. He urged stronger support for MSMEs beyond the Parate moratorium, criticized the unresolved passport shortage and changes to the 1990 Suwaseriya board, and argued that economic “stability” must be assessed against poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, and business closures. He also called on the Government not to deport Rohingya refugees who arrived in Mullaitivu, citing non-refoulement and urging consultation with UNHCR. He said national recovery should involve Government, Opposition, civil society, business, donors, and international institutions while protecting sovereignty. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. Manjula Suraweera Arachchi JJB AI summary Manjula Suraweera Arachchi said the 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report shows some positive economic indicators, while attributing the crisis to past borrowing, weak production sectors, inadequate social protection and corruption that led to IMF-related constraints. He argued that the NPP Government has a mandate to pursue macroeconomic stabilization alongside social protection, citing measures such as fertilizer support, enhanced Aswasuma benefits, VAT reductions on dairy products, fuel subsidies for fishers, school allowances for low-income children and allowances for pensioners. He said the forthcoming Budget would implement the Government’s programme over five years, with attention to exchange-rate stability, investor confidence, remittances, stalled projects and improved relations with countries including India and China. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva questioned how the Government can use forecasting models based on past policy when it has described previous economic policy as destructive, and asked for a clear new work programme to sustain growth and achieve the stated USD 120 billion GDP target by 2030. He challenged the Government’s tax policy changes, noting that promises to raise the personal tax-free threshold to Rs. 2.4 million had been revised and that the increase in withholding tax from 5 per cent to 10 per cent was not in the policy statement. He argued that abolishing tax files could weaken collection from secondary incomes, and referred to his party’s proposals on modest income tax, refund interest, and VAT banding. He also called for the Budget to reflect Government promises to zero-rate VAT on school supplies, food, baby formula, pharmaceuticals and other essential items. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva said the Opposition supports economic stabilization but argued that the Government failed to recognize working people during the domestic debt optimization affecting EPF members and domestic savers. He proposed adding a clawback mechanism to domestic debt arrangements, similar to provisions in external and bilateral restructuring, so domestic creditors could benefit if economic conditions improve. He also challenged the Motion’s criticism of the post-1977 open economy, arguing that past growth figures and the Government’s own forecasting methods indicate the collapse was due more to policy errors, governance failures, fiscal indiscipline and credibility shocks than openness itself. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary By mid-2024 Sri Lanka had achieved macroeconomic stabilization and improved investor confidence, aided by completion of external debt restructuring, but the recovery was financed heavily through increased VAT and personal income tax burdens on ordinary people. Attention was drawn to reduced spending on education, health, and transport, including cuts to school welfare, textbooks, and health services, which increased unpaid care work and costs borne especially by women. Citing a December 2024 Human Rights Commission report on labour outsourcing, the remarks noted that many women moved into less-protected “manpower” work due to crisis pressures and lack of childcare. The Government was urged to direct the benefits of recovery toward social welfare, reintegration of affected groups, SMEs, workers, women, and lower-income households. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary The Member seconded the Adjournment Motion on the Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report submitted under the State Finance Management Act. She noted that the report reflects the fiscal position as at mid-2024 and shows signs of stabilization and growth after the economic collapse, attributing this to the work of the Finance Ministry and other state agencies. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →
- 7 January 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Najith Indika JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Najith Indika moved an Adjournment Motion on the Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report, arguing that Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic collapse resulted from decades of poor political and economic decision-making, governance failures and corruption, rather than unavoidable circumstances. He cited the report’s mid-2024 indicators, including improved growth, higher revenue and a reduced deficit, as evidence of early macroeconomic stabilization, while stressing that the social costs of the crisis included unemployment, poverty, migration, medicine shortages and school dropouts. He called for Government and Opposition support for long-term, inclusive economic planning to ensure sustainable growth and a dignified life for citizens. Adjournment Debate: 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report Read →