PARLIAMENT

The Hon. Ajith Rajapakse, the Deputy Speaker and the Chair of the Committee took the Chair.


Messages from the President

A : Order under the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40)


Announcements by the Speaker

B : Endorsement of the certificate on Bills under Article 79 of the Constitution   
C : Receipt of a copy of a petition filed at the Supreme Court


Presentation of Papers

(i) Annual Report of the National Building Research Organization for the year 2021
(ii)    Annual Reports of the National Apprentice & Industrial Training Authority for the years 2015, 2018 and 2019
(iii)    Annual Reports of the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission for the years 2017, 2018 and 2019
(iv)    Annual Report of the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies for the year 2020
(v)    Annual Report of the Postgraduate Institute of Pali & Buddhist Studies of University of Kelaniya for the year 2020
(vi)    Annual Report & Accounts of the Postgraduate Institute of Science of University of Peradeniya for the year 2020
(vii)    Annual Report of the Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka for the year 2020
(viii)    Annual Report of the Open University of Sri Lanka for the year 2020
(ix)    Annual Report of the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka for the year 2020
(x)    Annual Reports of the Hotel Developers (Lanka) PLC for the years 2017 and 2018
(xi)    Annual Report of the National Housing Development Authority for the year 2018
(xii)    Annual Report of the Ceylon Shipping Corporation Limited for the year 2019/2020
(xiii)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority for the year 2021
(xiv)    Annual Report of the Selacine Television Institute for the year 2019
(xv)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Transport Board for the year 2019
(xvi)    Annual Report of the Water Resources Board for the year 2021
(xvii)    Performance Report of the Department of Ayurveda for the year 2020
(xviii)    Annual Report of the Colombo Commercial Fertilizers Ltd for the year 2019/2020
(xix)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy for the year 2020
(xx)    Annual Report of the National Institute of Post-Harvest Management for the year 2020
(xxi)    Annual Report of the Superior Courts Complex Board of Management for the year 2021
(xxii)    Performance Report of the Attorney General’s Department for the year 2021
(xxiii)    Annual Performance Report of the Department of Community Based Corrections for the year 2021
(xxiv)    Annual Report of the National Institute of Plantation Management for the year 2020
(xxv)    Annual Reports of the Lanka Coal Company (Pvt) Ltd for the years 2017 and 2020

(xxvi) Regulations made by the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies under Section 20 of the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, No. 1 of 1969 amended by Acts, No. 48 of 1985 and No. 28 of 1987 read with Sections 4(1) and 14 of the aforesaid Act and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2307/12 of 23rd November 2022
(xxvii)    Regulations made by the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies under Section 20 of the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, No. 1 of 1969 amended by Acts, No. 48 of 1985 and No. 28 of 1987 read with Sections 4(1) and 14 of the aforesaid Act and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2308/26 of 01st December 2022
(xxviii)    Regulations made by the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies under Section 29 read with Section 7 of the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of  2017 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2308/51 of 02nd December 2022
(xxix)    Report on the Submission of observations and steps taken in terms of the Standing Order 120(4) of the Parliament with regard to the matters mentioned on Sri Lanka Social Security Board of the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment in the report of the Committee on Public Enterprises which was presented to Parliament
(xxx)    Note on Supplementary Allocations from the Supplementary Support Services and Contingent Liabilities Project appearing under Expenditure Head No. 240 of the Department of National Budget for the period from 01.11.2022 to 30.11.2022 under Section 6(1) of the Appropriation Act, No. 30 of 2021
(xxxi)    Proclamation made and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2313/25 of 03rd January 2023 and Schedule thereto, by virtue of the powers vested with the President in terms of Section 2 of the Essential Public Services Act, No. 61 of 1979
(xxxii)    Report on the submission of observations and steps taken in terms of the Standing Order 119(4) of the Parliament with regard to the matters mentioned on the Office of the Leader of the House of Parliament in the report of the Committee on Public Accounts which was presented to Parliament
(xxxiii)    Order made by the Minister of Education under Section 27(1) read with Section 21 and Section 139 of the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 on the recommendation of the University Grants Commission with regard to the establishment of Departments of Scientific Computing, Information Systems Engineering and Informatics, and Knowledge Engineering and Communication of the Faculty of Computing of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2285/09 of 22nd June 2022
(xxxiv)    Order made by the Minister of Education under Section 27(1) read with Section 21 and Section 139 of the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 on the recommendation of the University Grants Commission with regard to the establishment of a Department of Facilities Management of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2290/30 of 28th July 2022
(xxxv)    Order made by the Minister of Education under Section 25A of the Universities Act,   No. 16 of 1978 with regard to the Bachelor of Science Honours in Computer Science, Software Engineering and Information Technology Degrees awarded by Seagis Campus (Pvt) Limited and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2268/88 of 25th February 2022
(xxxvi)    Orders made by the Minister of Education under Section 27(1)(b) read with Section 25A of the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 with regard to the Bachelor of Science Honours in Chemical Science Degree awarded by Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon, Bachelor of  Business Management Degree awarded by Esoft Metro Campus (Private) Limited, Bachelor of Science Honours in Computer Science and Bachelor of Education Honours   in Information Technology Degrees awarded by Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (Guarantee) Limited, Bachelor of Arts in English Degree awarded by Seagis Campus (Pvt) Limited and an Amendment to the abbreviation for Degrees awarded by the said Institute, and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2293/25 of 17th  August 2022
(xxxvii)    Order made by the Minister of Education under Section 27(1) (b) read with Section 25A of the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 with regard to the Doctor of Philosophy in Management Degree awarded by National School of Business Management Limited and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2294/52 of 25th August 2022
(xxxviii)    Order made by the Minister of Education under Section 25A of the Universities Act,   No. 16 of 1978 with regard to the Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandise Management and Bachelor of Applied Information Technology Degrees awarded by SLT Campus (Private) Limited and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2296/08 of 07th  September 2022
(xxxix)    Orders made by the Minister of Education under Section 27(1)(b) read with Section 25A of the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 with regard to the Bachelor of Science Honours in Software Engineering Degree awarded by Benedict XVI Catholic Institute of Higher Education (Private) Limited, Bachelor of  Business Management Honours in Accounting Degree awarded by CINEC Campus (Private) Limited, Bachelor of Business Management Honours in Tourism and Hospitality Management Degree awarded by Seagis Campus (Pvt) Limited, and Bachelor of Science Honours in Information Technology Degree awarded by Nagananda International Institute for Buddhist Studies (Pvt) Limited (NIIBS), and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2301/19 of 10th  October 2022
(xl)    Orders made by the Minister of Education under Section 27(1)(b) read with Section 25A of the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 with regard to the Bachelor of Applied Accounting Honours and Bachelor of Applied Accounting Degrees awarded by Institute of Charted Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL), Bachelor of Science Honours in Software Engineering Degree awarded by International College of Business and Technology Limited, Bachelor of Science Honours in Computer Systems Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration Degrees awarded by Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (Guarantee) Limited, and Bachelor of Management Honours in  Business Analytics and Bachelor of Management Honours in Applied Economics Degrees awarded by National School of Business Management Limited, and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2302/17 of 19th October 2022
(xli)    Report on the submission of observations and steps taken in terms of the Standing Order 119(4) of the Parliament with regard to the matters mentioned on the Office of the Chief Government Whip of Parliament in the report of the Committee on Public Accounts which was presented to Parliament
(xlii)    Regulations made by the Sri Lanka Tea Board and approved by the Minister of Plantation under Section 25 read with Section 4 of the Sri Lanka Tea Board Law No. 14 of 1975 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2245/29 of 17th September 2021
(xliii)    Regulations made by the Sri Lanka Tea Board and approved by the Minister of Plantation under Section 25 of the Sri Lanka Tea Board Law No. 14 of 1975 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2248/36 of 06th October 2021
(xliv)    Regulations made by the Sri Lanka Tea Board and approved by the Minister of Plantation under Section 25 read with Sections 4(2)(f) and 8(1) of the Sri Lanka Tea Board Law No. 14 of 1975 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2248/37 of 06th October 2021
(xlv)    Regulations made by the Sri Lanka Tea Board and approved by the Minister of Plantation under Section 25 of the Sri Lanka Tea Board Law No. 14 of 1975 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2258/14 of 14th December 2021
(xlvi)    Regulations made by the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies under Section 527 read with Section 477 of the Companies Act, No. 7 of  2007 and under Section 19 of the Societies Ordinance No. 16 of 1891 (Chapter 123) read with the Societies (Amendment) Ordinance No. 11 of 2005 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2303/07 of 25th October 2022


Presentation of Reports under Standing Order No. 52(6) of the Parliament

(i)    The Report (Report 1) under Standing Order 52(6) of the Parliament on the Bill entitled

“Local Authorities Elections (Amendment)”

was presented by the Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government.

(ii) The Report (Report 2) under Standing Order 52(6) of the Parliament on the Bill entitled

“Local Authorities Elections (Amendment)”

was presented by the Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government.


Presentation of Reports from the Committees

The Report of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms was presented by the Hon. (Dr.) Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, the Chair of the Committee.


Presentation of Petitions

(i)    The Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne                    
(ii)    The Hon. Chandima Weerakkody, Attorney at Law                    
(iii)    The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna      -   Two Petitions
(iv)    The Hon. Jagath Kumara Sumithraarachchi                    
(v)    The Hon. Madhura Withanage, Attorney at Law                    
 (Petitions stand referred to the Committee on Public Petitions)


Questions under Standing Order 27(2) of the Parliament

The Hon. Sajith Premadasa

Issues regarding Teacher Advisory Services

The Hon. Minister of Education replied to the above Question.


Ministerial Statements

Hon. Nalin Fernando, Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security made a Ministerial Statement regarding price, importation, etc. of consumer goods.


Questions of Privilege

(i)    Hon. (Dr.) Ramesh Pathirana

Media reports regarding electricity bill due payments

(ii) Hon. (Mrs.) Kokila Gunawardene

Compensation payments to properties of Members of Parliament set fire by protesters on May 9th


Presentation of Bills

The Hon. Leader of the House of Parliament moved the Bill entitled

“Licensing of Shipping Agents, Freight Forwarders, Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers and Container Operators (Amendment)”

to amend the Licensing of Shipping Agents, Freight Forwarders, Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers and Container Operators Act, No. 10 of 1972.


Private Members’ Bills

The Hon. (Prof.) Charitha Herath was granted leave to introduce the following Bill, entitled

“Association of Professional Bankers-Sri Lanka (Incorporation)”

Main Business of the House for Today

Recovery of Possession of Premises Given on Lease Bill (appearing as Item No. 1 of today’s Order Paper)

was passed by the House with amendments.


Motion at the Adjournment Time

Motion at the Adjournment Time on “Formulating a mechanism to coordinate institutions relevant to agricultural sector” was proposed by the Hon. Jagath Samarawickrama.


The Parliament was, thereafter adjourned at 1650 Hrs. until 0930 Hrs. on Tuesday 17th January 2023.

*  This is an unedited version. For the official record of this day's proceedings, please refer the Hansard.