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 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa — Minister of Health and Mass Media AI summary The Minister outlined capital investments in the postal service, including new and renovated post offices, the Dambulla Regional Mail Exchange, vehicle purchases, and technology upgrades, with Rs. 2,085 million in capital expenditure committed since May. He detailed ongoing recruitment and promotion measures across postal grades, including Post Assistants, Postal Service Officers, Sub-Postmasters, drivers, and Postmasters. He said postal revenue up to 30 September was Rs. 9,620 million against a target of Rs. 9,750 million, while expenditure was Rs. 14,830 million, attributing the deficit mainly to salary increases and stating that modernization and staffing measures are intended to improve revenue and profitability. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip JJB AI summary The Minister thanked Members for their contributions and responded on the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, beginning with the Postal Department. He said the Department, with 650 post offices, 3,500 sub-post offices and about 20,000 employees, has been stabilised after years of inadequate facilities and should be developed as a major public service institution. He highlighted its role in distributing pensions, allowances and other public assistance, noting that from January to September 2025 it facilitated Rs. 18,866 million to 4.941 million beneficiaries, and stated that Rs. 600 million has been allocated this year for capital improvements, including new buildings in areas such as Galewela and Matale. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Pushpa Kumara JJB AI summary Hon. Wasantha Pushpa Kumara outlined the 2026 Health Ministry allocations, citing Rs. 654 billion in total expenditure for hospital operations, development, medical supplies, nutrition, disease prevention, staff capacity development, research, indigenous medicine and ambulance services. He highlighted specific allocations for Ratnapura District, including oncology and cardiac facilities at Ratnapura Teaching Hospital, buildings at Kalawana Base Hospital and Embilipitiya District General Hospital, and ongoing provincial health projects. He also noted local improvements in Balangoda, Rassagala, Belihuloya and Kalthota, including Ayurveda services and plans for a new Balangoda Primary Medical Care Unit, and rejected Opposition claims that the health sector is collapsing. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran ITAK AI summary Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran welcomed increased allocations to the media sector and commended the Health Minister for pledging support, including funding for a multi-storey building at Thirukkovil Base Hospital. He said Thirukkovil Hospital had long been neglected despite its status as a Base Hospital since 2017, and requested permanent postings of doctors, nurses, minor staff and specialists, as well as improvements to dilapidated quarters and sanitary facilities. He also urged that Kalmunai North Base Hospital, an “A” grade institution with a long history, be upgraded to a District General Hospital and provided with facilities including a sewage treatment plant and an MRI scanner. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah SLMC AI summary Hon. M.L.A.M. Hizbullah supported the increased allocations for Health and Mass Media and urged the Government to address several health infrastructure needs in the Eastern Province. He requested the central takeover and upgrading of Kattankudy Base Hospital to a District General Hospital, a blood transfusion centre at Batticaloa District Hospital, funding to begin the proposed ETU complex at Valachchenai Base Hospital, and land and specialist staffing for Eravur Base Hospital. He also asked that media-related housing or land benefits include Tamil-speaking journalists in the North and East, and proposed media identity cards for bona fide digital journalists operating public-interest social media and YouTube channels. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB AI summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy supported plans to upgrade Puttalam Hospital but urged the Health Minister to address drug shortages, staffing and equipment gaps, corruption, and implementation of COPE/COPA recommendations, particularly regarding vacancies, lack of data collection, emergency procurement practices, and audit failures at the NMRA. He questioned delays and irregularities in the e-NMRA system, registration delays, missing essential medicines, insulin shortages, and alleged continuing influence by former officials, while calling for stronger scrutiny of procurement networks and support for local manufacturers. On mass media, he urged action against abusive social media activity and proposed a regulatory framework, informed by Australia’s approach, to restrict or manage social media use by children under 16 while preserving educational access. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen SJB AI summary Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen urged the Government to secure foreign funding or a special allocation of Rs. 17 billion to develop and upgrade the hospital into a District General Hospital within one or two years. He said the facility serves about 100,000 displaced people and patients from areas including Aanaimadu, Karuwalagaswewa, and Kalpitiya, and requested an indication of the expected timeline for the upgrade. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen SJB AI summary Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen raised concerns about the condition and capacity of Puttalam Hospital, noting that it serves around 450,000 people but has only 400 beds despite a daily requirement of 750–800. He recalled earlier efforts under the Yahapalana Government to develop a master plan and seek foreign funding, and said subsequent governments had not addressed the issue. He asked the Minister for a clear roadmap, timeline, and budget allocation to upgrade the hospital to a District General Hospital, arguing that provincial allocations were unlikely to be sufficient. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 Hon. (Prof.) Chrishantha Abeysena JJB AI summary Hon. (Prof.) Chrishantha Abeysena acknowledged staffing issues in the health sector, noting that shortages affect not only doctors but also nurses. He said Budget allocations had been increased for nursing education, including Rs. 150 million for the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Medical Faculty and Rs. 150 million for nursing training schools, while emphasizing that addressing the nursing cadre shortage will take time. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 Hon. (Prof.) Chrishantha Abeysena JJB AI summary Hon. (Prof.) Chrishantha Abeysena outlined Budget allocations to strengthen the health sector, including Rs. 605 million for scientific research into traditional medicine, Rs. 2,630 million for Emergency Accident Unit buildings in several districts, Rs. 650 million for further emergency unit expansion, and Rs. 4.2 billion for the Suwaseriya ambulance service. He said accident-related deaths and injuries require expanded emergency care and better-equipped ambulances with more highly trained emergency medical technicians. He also emphasized the need to improve job satisfaction among health workers, particularly doctors, noting their lengthy training, postgraduate commitments, on-call duties, and administrative challenges. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB AI summary Ajith P. Perera said a structured system is needed and criticized the Government for failing to present relevant proposals in the Budget despite being in office for over a year. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) Chrishantha Abeysena — Minister of Science and Technology AI summary The Minister said health sector funding has been increased to Rs. 654 billion and that the Government aims to reach higher spending targets for health and education progressively. He defended the Rs. 6.8 billion allocation for indigenous medicine, stating that Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani services should be strengthened alongside overall health-sector expansion. He called for correcting disparities affecting Ayurvedic officers, improving regulation of practitioner registration, and integrating indigenous hospitals run by different authorities into a coordinated system. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. Ashoka Gunasena JJB AI summary Hon. Ashoka Gunasena supported the Health and Mass Media expenditure heads, stating that the Budget allocates resources on national policy priorities rather than favouring particular districts. He said the Government would resolve issues from earlier irregular recruitments, including regularizing the remaining dengue control assistants, and argued these were legacy problems. He outlined plans to strengthen indigenous medicine by integrating it into the National Health Policy, expanding combined Western and Ayurvedic care, promoting wellness tourism and local medicinal cultivation, and improving sector management systems. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) S. Sri Bavanandarajah JJB AI summary The Hon. (Dr.) S. Sri Bavanandarajah stated that drug procurement involves 13 to 15 procedural stages, but said the Budget allocation would enable an uninterrupted supply of medicines. He expressed confidence that shortages would be progressively eliminated. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) S. Sri Bavanandarajah JJB AI summary Rs. 654 billion had been allocated for health, including Rs. 187 billion in the 2026 Budget for drug procurement, with the Government aiming to end the shortages that followed the economic crisis through proper procurement. The speech identified human resource gaps as the main remaining challenge, noting cadre revisions, expedited appointments of medical administrators, and priority for qualified long-serving hospital volunteers, especially in the Northern Province. Specific commitments were made to address deficiencies in offshore island health services, develop facilities including a proposed 10-storey maternity building at Jaffna Teaching Hospital, establish internal audit units in major hospitals, and create opportunities for unemployed Ayurvedic graduates. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake raised concerns about shortages of doctors, nurses, medicines, insulin, disinfectants, accommodation, and other facilities in the health sector, arguing that these undermine the free health service and rural hospital access. He urged the Minister to increase cadres, address doctors’ allowances and vehicle permits, work with medical trade unions, and provide quarters for staff posted to difficult areas, citing several hospitals in Badulla and Uva as examples. He also referred to rising non-communicable diseases, mental health, cardiac, cancer and kidney disease, and said Ayurveda funding and salary issues require attention. Additionally, he asked the Minister to examine administrative matters under the Mass Media Ministry and reported concerns over procurement delays and outside prescriptions. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. Ruwanthilaka Jayakody JJB AI summary Ruwanthilaka Jayakody stated that the Government is modernizing and digitalizing the postal service to improve nationwide connectivity and public service delivery. He also said equitable opportunities and facilities would be provided to regional media practitioners. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth thanked the Health Minister for recent support to Pottuvil but said the upgraded Pottuvil hospital continues to operate with an inadequate Type “B” cadre, lacking key specialists and sufficient nurses and technical staff. He requested implementation of cadre recommendations, staff accommodation, extended X-ray and emergency services, vehicles and public health staffing, and upgrades to facilities in Pottuvil, Komari, Irakkamam, Akkaraipattu, Sammanturai, Nintavur, and Kalmunai. He also called for completion or equipping of major hospital projects, provision of a CT scanner and dialysis repairs, and permission for Muslim female nurses to wear culturally appropriate attire within professional norms. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman SJB AI summary Mujibur Rahuman criticised the Government for failing to deliver on its promise to introduce a new Constitution and alternative policies. He argued that the Government is instead continuing Ranil Wickremesinghe’s economic policy, following the Rajapaksas’ political practices, and adopting previously used political tactics. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →
- 22 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Janaka Senarathna JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Janaka Senarathna defended the 2026 Budget health allocations, detailing funding for salaries, medical supplies, hospital development, Triposha, Suwa Seriya, staff accommodation, and capacity building, while disputing Opposition claims on doctors’ salaries and health indicators. He outlined Cabinet decisions on compensation for patients affected by contaminated eye drops at Nuwara Eliya Hospital, local production of assistive devices, medicine price reductions, restored pension rights, specialist postings, transfers, allowances, and recruitment across health cadres. He said procurement reforms would include new guidelines, e-procurement, framework agreements, and government-to-government sourcing, and tabled WHO indicators and a 2025 research article linking doctor migration to the economic crisis. Debate: Committee Stage - Heads of Expenditure 111, 210, 211, 220 and 308 (Health and Mass Media) Read →