The Hon. (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne, the Speaker took the Chair.
Announcements by the Speaker
1 : Member to serve in the Committee on Public Accounts
Presentation of Papers
(i) Annual Report of the Disaster Management Centre for the year 2024
(ii) Annual Performance Report of the Sri Lanka Air Force for the year 2025
(iii) Regulations made by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development under Section 29 read with Section 7 of the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2493/36 of 18th June 2026
(iv) Regulations made by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development under Section 29 read with Section 7 of the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2493/37 of 18th June 2026
(v) Order made by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development under Section 22 of the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2493/38 of 18th June 2026
(vi) Annual Performance Report of the Rehabilitation of the Visually Handicapped Trust Fund for the year 2025
Presentation of Petitions
(i) The Hon. (Dr.) Dammika Patabendi, Member of Parliament
(ii) The Hon. R. M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Member of Parliament
(iii) The Hon. Sanjeewa Ranasingha, Member of Parliament
(iv) The Hon. Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana, Member of Parliament - Two Petitions
(v) The Hon. Chandima Hettiaratchi, Member of Parliament
(Petitions stand referred to the Committee on Public Petitions)
Questions under Standing Order 27(2) of the Parliament
(i) The Hon. Sajith Premadasa
Issues in ‘Aswesuma’ welfare programme
The Hon. Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning replied to the above Question.
(ii) The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam
Details of development projects of ports and aviation in North and East
Ministerial Statements
(i) Hon. K. D. Lal Kantha, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation made a Ministerial Statement regarding measures to mitigate the impact on the agriculture due to El Nino climatic condition developing in the country.
(ii) Hon. Anura Karunathilaka, Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation and Minister of Energy made a Ministerial Statement on El Nino situation in the Sri Lanka.
(iii) Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, on behalf of the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development replied to the Questions raised by the Hon. Sajith Premadasa and Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam under the Standing Order 27(2) of the Parliament on 22.05.2026 and 05.08.2026 regarding ‘Issues regarding CESS Tax and local industries’ and ‘loss incurred to state owned banks due to non-performing and written off loans’ respectively.
House agreed to the following Motion moved by the Hon. Chief Government Whip,
Select Committee of Parliament to look into and report to Parliament on the matter of selecting the Electoral System under which the Provincial Council Elections should be held and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard
That the time period granted to the Select Committee of Parliament to look into and report to Parliament on the matter of selecting the Electoral System under which the Provincial Council Elections should be held and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard, as specified in the Resolution passed by Parliament on 06th January 2026, be extended up to 17th December 2026 in terms of Standing Order 102 of the Parliament, as the Committee needs further time to report its observations to Parliament.
Main Business of the House for Today
The following Motions (appearing as Item Nos. 1 to 6 of today’s Order Paper) were moved by the House and Passed: -
• Bringing Industries related to Petroleum, Fuel and Water under the regulation of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka
That this Parliament resolves that, whereas industries related to electricity, petroleum, fuel and water should be regulated, industries related to petroleum and water have not been subjected to regulation for more than 21 years because the Acts relevant to the supervision of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board have not been amended and therefore, necessary legal procedures be implemented to change this state of affairs.
• Providing an incentive to family units to increase the number of births in Sri Lanka
That this Parliament resolves that the government should take necessary measures to introduce an attractive incentive for family units with a view of increasing the number of births in Sri Lanka whereas it has been observed that the annual number of births in Sri Lanka has been continuously declining since 2018, whereas the youth population of Sri Lanka will definitely decline in the future as a result, and whereas such a decline in the youth population will have a severely detrimental impact on the economic development process of the country.
• Abolishing the additional six percent pension deduction from the salaries of Pirivena Teachers
That this Parliament resolves that necessary measures be taken, to abolish the deduction of an additional six percent from the salaries for the pension of Pirivena Teachers, who play a key role in Pirivena education with effect from 1st April 2026, whereas the traditional Pirivena education system, in parallel with the modern school system, holds a prominent place in the country’s education sector and whereas the privileges and recognition afforded to the modern school education system, its teachers, and students are not equally extended to the Pirivena education system and its teachers and lay and monastic students.
• Food crop cultivation in mountainous areas
That this Parliament resolves that steps should be taken to cultivate food crops such as jackfruit, mango, breadnut (Kosdel) and wild mango (Etamba) in the said landslide-hit mountainous areas for the food of these animals, for the preservation of environmental balance and also for the prevention of soil erosion, whereas the mountainous areas in the districts of Kegalle, Kandy, Matale and Badulla were extensively subjected to landslides due to the ‘Cyclone Ditwah’ which severely affected Sri Lanka in the month of November 2025; and whereas crop damages are currently caused by wild animals such as the toque macaque, monkey and giant squirrel in many districts of Sri Lanka.
• Developing the Kithul Industry
That this Parliament resolves that an appropriate mechanism be developed to integrate this industry with the emerging tourism industry, to develop new approaches for the economic development of the ordinary rural masses using modern technology, and to ensure the long-term protection of the Kithul industry, whereas declaring of the Kithul tapping technology of Sri Lanka as a World Heritage by UNESCO has earned special admiration of the world for our country, and since thousands of traditional industrialists are already engaged in the Kithul industry in the Galle, Matara, Kalutara, Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Badulla, Gampaha and other districts are running this industry with great difficulty.
• Establishment of a Faculty of Medicine for South Eastern University of Sri Lanka
That this Parliament resolves that a Medical Faculty be established for the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, taking into account the growing needs of the medical sectors in Sri Lanka, as well as global requirements, whereas considering that South Eastern University of Sri Lanka is an institution that supplies graduates with modern technical skills who fulfil requirements of both the domestic and foreign job markets.
Questions at the Adjournment Time
(i) The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney at Law, Member of Parliament
(ii) The Hon. R.M. Samantha Ranasinghe, Member of Parliament
The Parliament was, thereafter adjourned at 1738 Hrs. until 0930 Hrs. on Tuesday 22nd September 2026.
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