The Appropriation Bill for the year 2026 (Budget) was passed in Parliament today (Dec. 05) with a majority vote.
The vote on the third reading of the Appropriation Bill commenced at 7.30 p.m. The Bill received 158 votes in favour and 1 vote against, and 2 MPs abstained from voting. Accordingly, the Appropriation Bill was passed with a majority of 157 votes.
The second reading of the Appropriation Bill for 2026, commonly known as the Budget Speech, was presented to Parliament by Hon. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, on 07th November 2025. The debate on the second reading was held for six days, from 08th to 14th November, following which the second reading was passed in Parliament on 14th November with a majority of 118 votes.
The Committee Stage debate on the Appropriation Bill was then held for 14 days, from 15 November until today (05). Although the debate was originally scheduled to span 17 days, the number of days was reduced due to the adverse weather conditions and resulting disaster situation experienced in the country.
Owing to this situation, several Ministerial Expenditure Heads scheduled for debate on previous days could not be taken up as planned. Therefore, in addition to the Expenditure Head of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the Budget Heads of the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development were debated on 03rd December and today, and were passed with amendments.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne, today endorsed the certificate on the Appropriation Bill for the financial year 2026, in accordance with Article 79 of the Constitution. Accordingly, the Appropriation Bill shall come into force as the Appropriation Act No. 23 of 2025.
In addition, three Amendment Bills, the Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment), the Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment), and the Strategic Development Projects (Amendment) Bills were also passed in Parliament today without debate. Parliamentary approval was also granted for the Resolution under the Public Security Ordinance and the Resolution under the Essential Public Services Act. Furthermore, three Supplementary Estimates were approved today in Parliament.
2026-03-03
A decision was taken at the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business held today (Mar. 03), under the chairmanship of Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, to make a change to the parliamentary business scheduled for Friday, 6th March, 2026.Accordingly, it was decided that the Private Members’ Motions scheduled for that day would be taken up for debate on another date. Instead, the Resolution including the Proclamation made by the Hon. President under the Public Security Ordinance, as published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2477/46 dated 28th February, 2026, will be debated from 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.Thereafter, at 5.00 p.m., the Resolution under the Essential Public Services Act will be approved without debate. Following that, from 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., the Adjournment Motion to be moved by the Government will be taken up for debate.Meanwhile, as previously decided, the time from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for Business of Parliament as per Standing Order 22(1) to (6) of the Parliament. The time from 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. has been allocated for Questions for Oral Answers, and from 11.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. for Questions under Standing Order 27(2).Parliamentary business on Wednesday (04) and Thursday (05) will proceed as previously scheduled.
2026-02-26
Second Reading debate on the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill on March 4th Adjournment debate to mark International Women’s Day on March 5th Parliament is scheduled to meet from March 3rd to 6th. The decision regarding parliamentary business was taken at the Committee on Parliamentary Business meeting held on 18.02.2026 under the chairmanship of Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.On Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, the time from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for Business of Parliament as per Standing Order 22(1) to (6) of the Parliament. The time from 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. has been allocated for Questions for Oral Answers, and from 11.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. for Questions under Standing Order 27(2).Thereafter, from 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., the Order under the Foreign Exchange Act, published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2467/67, will be taken up for debate.From 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., time has been allocated for the Motion at the Adjournment Time (Opposition).On Wednesday, March 4th, 2026, the time from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for Business of Parliament as per Standing Order 22(1) to (6) of the Parliament. The time from 10.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. has been allocated for Questions to be asked from the Prime Minister and from 10.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. for Questions for Oral Answers. The time from 11.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. has been allocated for Questions under Standing Order 27(2). Thereafter, from 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., the Second Reading debate on the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill will be held.From 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., time has been allocated for Questions at the Adjournment Time.On Thursday, March 5th, 2026, the time from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for Business of Parliament as per Standing Order 22(1) to (6) of the Parliament. The time from 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. has been allocated for Questions for Oral Answers, and from 11.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. for Questions under Standing Order 27(2).Thereafter, from 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., an Adjournment Debate will be held in view of International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8.On Friday, March 6th, 2026, the time from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for Business of Parliament as per Standing Order 22(1) to (6) of the Parliament. The time from 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. has been allocated for Questions for Oral Answers, and from 11.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. for Questions under Standing Order 27(2).Thereafter, from 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., time has been allocated to debate Private Members’ Motions. Accordingly, the following Private Members’ Motions are scheduled to be taken up for debate.Name of Hon. Member of ParliamentTitle of the Private Member’s MotionHon. Hesha WithanageProviding opportunities for sportsmen and sportswomen who represent a national sports team or claim a national level record to read for any degree course related to the field of sportsHon. Chaminda WijesiriFormulating a program to make school students aware of the University of Vocational TechnologyHon. Ravi KarunanayakeSetting up of a unit with legal powers to solve the problems faced by the migrant employeesHon. Lal PremanathTaking actions to prevent public dissatisfaction with all local government institutions at the grassroots levelHon. Rohana BandaraFormulating a course of action to prevent the misuse of the positions of professors and doctorsHon. Nalin Bandara JayamahBringing Industries related to Petroleum, Fuel and Water under the regulation of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri LankaHon. Ravindra BandaraFormulating a methodology to prevent the damage caused by the pinus plantations to sources of water and the environment
2026-02-25
Bilateral Discussions with the Deputy Speaker of Sri LankaParliamentary Committees Hold Bilateral Discussions on AI and Digital TransformationThe Hon. Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary, Dr. Lajos Oláh, met with the Hon. Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, on 23.02.2026 at the Parliament premises, during his two-day official visit to Sri Lanka.Welcoming the Hon. Deputy Speaker, the Hon. Speaker of Sri Lanka reaffirmed the longstanding bilateral relations and strong people-to-people connectivity between Hungary and Sri Lanka. He expressed appreciation for Hungary’s continued support, particularly in road development and water treatment projects, as well as assistance extended at the European Union and other international levels, including GSP concessions.Highlighting the new Government’s commitment to eradicating corruption and poverty, the Hon. Speaker emphasized efforts to expand investment opportunities and invited Hungarian investors and traders to explore prospects in Sri Lanka. He also underscored the Government’s focus on developing the tourism sector, noting with satisfaction the increase in tourist arrivals from Hungary compared to previous years and stressing the importance of further enhancing tourism ties. The Hon. Speaker also expressed his intention to establish the Sri Lanka- Hungary Parliamentary Friendship Association for Tenth Parliament to further strengthen the cordial relations between the two countries.Expressing his views, the Hon. Deputy Speaker of Hungary reaffirmed the enduring friendship between the two nations. He commended Sri Lanka’s environment, natural beauty, rich culture, and warm hospitality.The Hon. Deputy Speaker Dr. Oláh further expressed Hungary’s interest in supporting Sri Lanka through the European Union’s INTER PARES Global Project to enhance Open Parliament initiatives, strengthen public engagement, and develop Parliamentary research capacities through the exchange of experiences and best practices. He also emphasized the importance of increasing tourism flows between both countries, the potential introduction of direct flights between Sri Lanka and Hungary, and the possibility of organizing an exhibition aimed at promoting tourism cooperation.The Hon. Deputy Speaker extended an invitation to the Hon. Speaker to visit Hungary.During the visit, the Hon. Deputy Speaker Dr. Oláh also met with his counterpart, the Hon. Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Sri Lanka, Dr. Risvie Salih. The cordial discussions focused on emerging global trends and challenges in artificial intelligence (AI), the political systems of both countries, enhancing public engagement initiatives such as student Parliaments, and further developing tourism cooperation.The Hungarian delegation additionally held discussions with members of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Science and Technology and the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Science, Technology and Digital Transformation. The meeting centered on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence.The discussions were attended by the Chairman of the Ministerial Consultative Committee, the Hon. Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Chrishantha Abeysena, the Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Science, Technology and Digital Transformation, the Hon. Member of parliament (Dr.) Janaka Senarathna and several Members representing both committees.Extensive deliberations focused on advancing collaboration in artificial intelligence technologies and effectively addressing emerging global challenges. The discussions emphasized the importance of establishing robust regulatory frameworks, ethical standards, and governance mechanisms to ensure the responsible development and deployment of AI.The Hon. Deputy Speaker Dr. Lajos Oláh proposed the establishment of a dedicated Parliamentary subcommittee on artificial intelligence to provide a structured platform for enhanced cooperation and knowledge exchange between the two countries.The discussions underscored the importance of international collaboration in responding to global AI-related challenges, reaffirming the shared commitment of Hungary and Sri Lanka to promoting innovation while ensuring transparency, accountability, and sustainable technological progress.The Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, the Honorary Consul Designate, Mr. Shevantha Hrindra Sudharaka Mendis, and a group of officials were also present at the meetings.In addition to the official discussions, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary participated in a guided tour of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, gaining further insight into its history and parliamentary traditions.
2026-02-20
Speaker Appoints Parliamentary Select Committee on Provincial Council Electoral System• Speaker Endorses “Sri Lanka Institute of Real Estate Professionals” BillHon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne today (Feb. 20) informed Parliament of the names of the Hon. Members appointed to serve on 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.Accordingly, the Select Committee will be chaired by Hon. Minister Vijitha Herath. The other appointed Hon. Members are: Muneer Mulaffer, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala, Arun Hemachandra, R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Mano Ganesan, Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi, Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, Samanmalee Gunasinghe, Dharmapriya Wijesinghe, Chandana Sooriyarachchi, and M. Nizam Kariapper, PC.Meanwhile, in terms of Article 79 of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the Hon. Speaker announced in Parliament that he had endorsed the certificate on 19.02.2026 in respect of the Bill titled “Institute of Real Estate Professionals, Sri Lanka”The Bill was presented to Parliament for First Reading on 05.12.2025 by the Hon. Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, and was passed by Parliament on 05.02.2026.The objective of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of the Sri Lanka Institute of Real Estate Professionals, which will be responsible for maintaining professional standards and discipline among its members, to protect and promote public interest in relation to the real estate profession and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.Accordingly, the “Institute of Real Estate Professionals, Sri Lanka” Bill comes into force as the Institute of Real Estate Professionals, Sri Lanka Act, No. 6 of 2026.
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