The Hon. Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne announced to the House today that he endorsed the certificate on three Bills on 17.12.2025. Accordingly, the Hon. Speaker endorsed the certificate on the Bills titled Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment), the Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment), and the Strategic Development Projects (Amendment).
The primary purpose of the Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment) Bill was to amend the Social Security Contribution Levy Act, No. 25 of 2022. The Bill was presented to Parliament on 09.10.2025, and the Bill was passed in Parliament on 05.12.2025.
The Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment) Bill, duly passed on 05.12.2025, aimed to amend Section 2 of the principal enactment. Accordingly, amendments to the Bill aimed to limit the gross collection of ten per centum to have been applicable only for the time period from April 1, 2023, to October 1, 2025, increase the gross collection levy from persons carrying on a business of bookmaker or business of gambling to eighteen per centum from October 1, 2025, and increase the casino entrance levy from persons who are citizens of Sri Lanka to United States Dollars one hundred.
The Strategic Development Projects (Amendment) Bill, presented to Parliament on 14.11.2025, was passed in Parliament on 05.12.2025 for the purpose of amending the Strategic Development Projects Act, No. 14 of 2008. Accordingly, said amendments included reducing the maximum tax holiday period from twenty-five years to ten years and mandating a new process for project identification, the Board of Investment (BOI) identifying a project and referring it to the Ministry of Finance for a mandatory ex-ante cost-benefit analysis before any tax holiday or concession was granted, establishing new requirements for ex-post monitoring by the BOI, including the authority to impose administrative penalties or restrict or revoke exemptions for non-compliance with key performance indicators, requiring tax returns to be filed, and mandating the Ministry of Finance to publish an annual report on tax expenditures related to these projects.
Accordingly, the said three Bills will come into force as the Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment) Act, No. 24 of 2025, the Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment) Act, No. 25 of 2025, and the Strategic Development Projects (Amendment) Act, No. 26 of 2025.
2026-07-14
Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, states that the business for Parliament Week, scheduled from July 21 to 24, 2026, has been decided. The decisions were taken at the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business held on July 10, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Hon. Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.Accordingly, on Tuesday, July 21, 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 2.30 p.m., Parliament is scheduled to debate two motions for approval under Standing Orders 119 and 120.The first motion relates to the approval of the decision to refer, in terms of Standing Order 119, to the Attorney General for observations and necessary action, the report containing the findings of the examination conducted by the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) on October 24, 2025, regarding the scheme implemented from May 1, 2022, to September 15, 2023, to issue permits for the importation of fully electric vehicles to Sri Lankans employed overseas using foreign remittances.The second motion relates to the approval of the decision taken under Standing Order 120 to refer to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) the matters identified through reports presented to Parliament based on investigations conducted by the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) during its committee proceedings, for appropriate action. (These two motions have been included as Items 87 and 88 of the Order Paper of Parliament No. 164, dated July 10, 2026.)Thereafter, from 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., an Adjournment Motion to be moved by the Chair of the Committee on Public Petitions on the work and performance of the Committee on Public Petitions of the Tenth Parliament is scheduled to be debated.On Wednesday, July 22, the time from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for business under Standing Orders 22(1) to 22(6).Thereafter, the period from 10.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. has been allocated for fifty Questions for Oral Answers, while the time from 4.30 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. has been set aside for Questions under Standing Order 27(2).The period from 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. has been allocated for Questions at the Adjournment Time.On Thursday, July 23, the time from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for business under Standing Orders 22(1) to 22(6). The time from 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. has been allocated for Questions for Oral Answers, while the period 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 2.30 p.m., Parliament is scheduled to debate for approval two Regulations published in Extraordinary Gazette Notifications Nos. 2493/03 and 2493/39 issued under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act.Subsequently, from 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., an Adjournment Motion to be moved by the Government is scheduled to be debated.On Friday, July 24, the time from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for business under Standing Orders 22(1) to 22(6). The time from 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. has been allocated for Questions for Oral Answers, while the period 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 following Private Members' Motions are scheduled to be debated:Name of the Hon. Member of ParliamentTitle of the Private Member MotionKanthasamy PrabuPromoting self-sufficiency in milk productionHector AppuhamyFormulation of a programme for the protection of mangrove ecosystemsM.S. UthumalebbeExpanding the railway line from Batticaloa to Pottuvil or the railway line from Matara to KalmunaiImran MaharoofEstablishment of a Commission to Investigate the Unilateral and Forced Cremation of the Remains of Deceased Muslims During the COVID-19 PandemicDayasiri JayasekaraFormulation of a system to stop the ripening of fruits using chemicalsSusantha Kumara NawarathnaFormulation of a National Policy and Methodology for the Wildlife Management in Sri LankaShanakiyan Rajaputhiran RasamanickamEstablishment of a special Development Fund dedicated to reduce regional disparities in developmentThereafter, from 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., a Motion at the Adjournment Time to be moved by the Opposition is scheduled to be debated.
2026-07-14
The Parliamentary Staff Sports Club has officially announced the upcoming Parliament Premier League 2026, the highly anticipated inter-department cricket tournament for Parliament staff.The action-packed annual tournament is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the Ananda Sasthralaya Stadium in Kotte.Organised under the guidance of Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, the Secretary General of Parliament, the event promises an exciting day of sportsmanship and camaraderie among various parliamentary departments and other affiliated departments.The tournament will reach its peak in the evening with a grand closing ceremony. The distribution of prizes and trophies for this colorful event is set to begin at 5:30 PM, marked by the arrival of the Guest of Honor, Hon. (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne, the Speaker of Parliament.Organisers cordially invite sports enthusiasts, colleagues, and special guests to attend and witness this premier sporting event.
2026-07-10
The Prevention of Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament today (Jul. 09) with the required special majority in respect of Clause 14, in accordance with the determination of the Supreme Court. The Financial Transactions Reporting (Amendment) Bill was passed, with amendments, without a division, while the Convention on the Suppression of Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Bill was passed without amendments and without a division.These Bills seek to further strengthen Sri Lanka's legal framework for preventing money laundering, terrorist financing, and financial crimes in line with international standards. They are also intended to enhance the transparency of the financial system and improve the efficiency of the regulatory framework governing financial transactions.
2026-07-08
The Revival Meeting of the Sri Lanka–Egypt Parliamentary Friendship Association for the Tenth Parliament was held yesterday (Jul. 07) at the Parliament of Sri Lanka under the patronage of the Hon. Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. H.E Adel Ibrahim, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Sri Lanka attended the meeting as the Guest of Honour. During the meeting, Hon. Minister (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna was elected as the President of the Association. Hon. Deputy Minister Muneer Mulaffer was elected as the Secretary, while Hon. Member of Parliament Ambika Samivel was elected as the Treasurer.Delivering the welcome address, Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne emphasized that Parliamentary Friendship Associations play a vital role in strengthening bilateral relations through Parliamentary diplomacy by providing Members of Parliament with a valuable platform to engage with their counterparts, exchange experiences, and enhance cooperation between the two countries.The Speaker further noted that Sri Lanka and Egypt have enjoyed longstanding and cordial relations founded on mutual respect, friendship and cooperation, expressing confidence that the revived Association would serve as an effective mechanism for strengthening Parliamentary ties and exploring new avenues of cooperation in areas of mutual interest.Addressing the gathering, H.E Adel Ibrahim, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Sri Lanka, highlighted the longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and Egypt and emphasized the importance of further enhancing bilateral cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including political, economic, cultural, educational and tourism exchanges. He expressed confidence that the Parliamentary Friendship Association would make a meaningful contribution towards further strengthening the relations between the two countries.Prior to the meeting, Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne and Ambassador Adel Ibrahim held a cordial discussion at the Speaker's official chamber, where they exchanged views on further enhancing the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Sri Lanka and Egypt.The event was attended by Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament and several distinguished invitees.
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