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- 6 January 2026 The Hon. Amirthanathan Adaikkalanathan DTNA AI summary Amirthanathan Adaikkalanathan asked the Minister to clarify the status of relief promised by the President to fishermen during a visit to his district. He said relief was reportedly being channelled through Divisional Secretariats, but alleged that fishermen were not receiving it. Oral Question: Fishermen in Pottuvil DS Division - Provision of Facilities (Q.1397/2025) Read →
- 6 January 2026 The Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth asked about compensation for fishermen in the Pottuvil DS Division whose boats and engines were lost or damaged during the mini-cyclone of 26 November 2024, with reported losses of Rs. 900,000 to Rs. 2,000,000 each. He noted that despite visits by the Deputy Minister and officials, no compensation had been paid, and requested confirmation on compensation and loan facilities to help the affected fishermen resume their livelihoods. Oral Question: Fishermen in Pottuvil DS Division - Provision of Facilities (Q.1397/2025) Read →
- 6 January 2026 The Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth raised a supplementary question on the impact of recent nationwide floods on fishermen, particularly in Ampara District areas including Maruthamunai, Kalmunai, Sainthamaruthu, Nintavur, Attalaichenai, Akkaraipattu, Thirukkovil, Pottuvil, Komari, and Panama. He asked whether the Government would provide grants or loans to restore livelihoods and compensate income losses, and sought clarification on how affected fishermen could access such assistance. Oral Question: Fishermen in Pottuvil DS Division - Provision of Facilities (Q.1397/2025) Read →
- 6 January 2026 The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB AI summary The Prime Minister presented the Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme, issued under the Welfare Benefits Act and published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2467/03, and moved that it be referred to the Committee on Public Finance, which was agreed to. She also tabled a Presidential Proclamation under the Essential Public Services Act and a note on supplementary allocations from the Development Activities Programme under the Appropriation Act for November 2025. Papers: Presidential Message, Auditor-General Reports, and Annual Reports Read →
- 6 January 2026 Committee on Public Accounts AI summary The Committee on Public Accounts was constituted with the listed Members appointed to serve on it. The announcement records the membership of the parliamentary oversight committee responsible for examining public accounts and related financial administration matters. Opening of Parliament and Official Business Read →
- 6 January 2026 President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka AI summary President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s speech is not included in the prompt beyond his name, offices, and the date. Please provide the Hansard speech text to enable a concise procedural summary. Opening of Parliament and Official Business Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake AI summary Anura Kumara Dissanayake said information had been received on nearly 1,000 rehabilitation needs and that plans were prepared to address them, including temples and other religious sites with the involvement of relevant donor boards. He proposed mobilizing support from the Government, Opposition, citizens, local benefactors, and Sri Lankans overseas by allocating projects to different donor groups. He requested Parliament to approve the Supplementary Estimate of Rs. 500 billion to support the programme anticipated in the Appropriation Bill. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake AI summary Anura Kumara Dissanayake outlined government measures to restore infrastructure damaged by recent events, including temporary bridges installed by the Army and RDA and plans to make road repairs permanent, with RDA estimating Rs. 190 billion needed. He said assessments and allocations are being prepared for railways, irrigation systems, and seasonal cultivation needs, with priority repairs planned before the Yala and next Maha seasons. He also described a structured aid framework through the National Physical Planning Department to match donor contributions to specific projects such as schools, hospitals, roads, and bridges, and noted that a Rs. 25,000 cleaning allowance had been released for 861 identified religious sites. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake - President, Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Minister of Digital Economy AI summary The President presented a Rs. 500 billion Supplementary Estimate following a recent disaster, arguing it is necessary to restore livelihoods and support the economy without increasing the 2026 borrowing limit. He said the Government’s fiscal position remains stable, citing a positive Treasury balance, higher-than-estimated revenue, a low deficit, a 3.8 percent primary surplus, and strong remittances, tourism, and export projections. He acknowledged inflation and exchange-rate risks from the spending and said funds would support both relief and production capacity, while the Government seeks rapid IMF support of US$200 million and additional World Bank, ADB, and foreign exchange financing. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran ITAK AI summary Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran described severe cyclone and flood damage in Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya, citing affected families, damaged homes, roads, tanks, boats, livestock and agricultural land, and said Mullaitivu remains highly vulnerable and underdeveloped despite repeated disasters. He called for 2026 allocations to fund permanent tank repairs, relocation of people from unsafe areas, rehabilitation of agricultural roads, flood and salinity-control bunds, urban drainage, and solutions for villages cut off by floods. He also demanded demarcation and clearing of riverbeds and drains, vesting of minor and abandoned tanks with relevant departments for maintenance, and questioned why tanks and riverbeds remain under the Forest Department and the Army. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake urged the Government to review and restore the disaster insurance mechanism introduced through the National Insurance Trust Fund when he was Finance Minister, saying it had previously produced significant payouts after the 2016 floods and could have provided resilience following Cyclone Ditwah. He requested permission to table related letters from the NITF and Allianz SE Reinsurance Branch, and argued that Sri Lanka should first conduct its own national damage estimates before seeking validation from bodies such as the UN or World Bank. He also called for disaster loss assessments to be made in US dollars, citing exchange-rate depreciation, and emphasized fiscal reconstruction, restoration of lost capital, macroeconomic stability, and liquidity recovery. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake supported the Rs. 500 billion supplementary estimate as a temporary measure for disaster recovery and called for coordinated efforts to rebuild the economy and affected areas. He thanked the armed forces, police, disaster management services, and citizens for their relief work, while comparing the scale of the current disaster to the 2004 tsunami. He also noted that securing the sixth IMF tranche of about US$357 million following the September review would have been particularly useful in the present circumstances. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva argued that post-disaster rebuilding should not merely restore damaged infrastructure but add net capacity, while prioritizing spending given poverty levels and future financing pressures. He said the Government is in fact taking Rs. 374 billion in debt, urged greater use of PPPs and private participation in areas such as SriLankan Airlines and electricity infrastructure, and cautioned against relying solely on public borrowing. Referring to affected communities in Hanguranketha and surrounding areas, he called for the National Involuntary Resettlement Policy to be enacted in law to prevent forced returns and protect livelihoods. He also urged Parliament to formally establish the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” fund, citing limited market appetite for dollar bonds, potentially costly IMF borrowing, and pressure on the rupee. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and the Leader of the House of Parliament JJB AI summary Bimal Rathnayake supported a Rs. 500 billion supplementary estimate for post-cyclone recovery, stating it would be funded domestically without new foreign borrowing and would supplement earlier emergency releases and the 2026 Budget. He outlined relief payments of Rs. 75,000 per affected household and Rs. 25,000 per schoolchild, alongside reconstruction of water schemes, schools, roads, bridges, railways and public transport infrastructure. He also announced transport and urban development measures, including additional road funding, railway repairs, online season tickets, clearing driving licence backlogs, licence services at Katunayake for returnees, SLTB bank card payments, Colombo and Mannar flood-control work, UDA modernization projects, and new road safety regulations from January 1. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen SJB AI summary Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen urged faster and more consistent disaster relief following widespread damage in several districts, stating that fishers, farmers, salt producers, small cultivators, and displaced families had suffered severe livelihood and property losses. He criticized delays and inconsistent procedures in distributing announced payments of Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000, and called for Divisional Secretaries and local institutions to facilitate immediate disbursement and infrastructure repairs. He also warned against politicizing relief distribution, thanked religious groups, citizens and foreign governments for assistance, and called for proper planning, effective use of aid, stronger laws and long-term measures to prevent future disasters. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB AI summary Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha rejected claims that the Mahaweli project caused recent disaster impacts, arguing that its reservoirs provide power generation, water management and flood control, while acknowledging that landslides and some impacts required better evacuation and water management. He called for urgent attention to hospital equipment and ICU capacity, compensation delays for displaced families, and the removal of permit-related obstacles to clearing roads, canals, wells and fields. He urged ministers to delegate authority to Divisional Secretaries, Pradeshiya Sabha Chairmen and village-level officials, allow farmers to remove sand and repair access using their own resources, and provide legal protection for officials. He also questioned whether the Disaster Management Committee met after receiving advance warning and said the Disaster Management Centre should be dissolved if it failed to act. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning JJB AI summary Minister Anil Jayantha outlined a supplementary estimate allocating Rs. 500 billion in 2026 for disaster relief and reconstruction, using emergency provisions under Section 16 of the State Finance Management Act to exceed the normal primary expenditure cap with parliamentary approval. He said 2025 relief needs were met through contingency funds and virements without additional borrowing or taxes, and that the 2026 allocation would similarly be funded from improved fiscal performance and cash buffers. He described immediate relief measures and longer-term reconstruction plans, said future disaster risk-transfer mechanisms would be redesigned after past insurance losses, and cited revenue overperformance, growth figures, debt-management progress, and governance arrangements for the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” fund. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. M.A.M. Thahir ACMC AI summary Hon. M.A.M. Thahir called for national unity in responding to the disaster and thanked foreign countries and others who assisted, while conveying condolences to victims. He urged the Government to ensure that the President’s promised relief, including the initial Rs. 25,000 cleaning allowance, housing, land and other assistance, is delivered promptly and humanely through local administration, warning that delays could undermine public trust. He requested special attention for flood-affected fishers and farmers in the North and East, whose livelihoods have been disrupted. He also raised concerns about shortages and counterfeit medicines, opposing the relocation of the Nintavur Osusala branch and asking that it remain open with adequate low-cost medicines. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Suranga Rathnayaka SJB AI summary Hon. Suranga Rathnayaka expressed sympathy for those affected by the “BOO” cyclone and thanked District Secretaries, Divisional Secretaries, and Grama Niladharis for their response, while stating that Opposition MPs also carried out relief work without party bias. He criticized government ministers for alleged lack of awareness of affected areas and rejected claims that the Opposition distributed aid on political grounds. He said weather and reservoir warnings issued after meetings of the Meteorology Department, Disaster Management Centre, and Water Panel were not acted upon, and claimed that timely action could have prevented much of the reservoir-related damage in the Mahaweli region. He called for a formal investigation, including at ministerial level and through a special Parliamentary committee, into decisions made after 24 December. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara rejected accusations that the Opposition was being destructive, stating that it was supporting disaster relief efforts and the Disaster Management Centre. He argued that the Meteorology Department had issued timely warnings before the disaster, tabled a statement from the Sri Lanka Association of Meteorologists, and called for officials, including the Director General of Meteorology, not to be intimidated. He urged support for affected businesses through concessional loans, requested investigations into alleged fraud in children’s medicines and the suspension of Dr. Bellana, and alleged irregularities in maize import licensing that he said were inflating prices and disadvantaging small poultry farmers. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →