PARLIAMENT

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


Announcements by the Speaker

A : Co-opted Members to serve on Legislative Standing Committee for the consideration of the “Samadhi Meditation and Yoga Centre (Incorporation) Bill”


Presentation of Papers

(i)    Annual Reports of the Information and Communication Technology  Agency of Sri Lanka for the years 2019 and 2020
(ii)    Annual Report of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka for the year 2022
(iii)    Annual Reports of the Sri Lanka Energies (Pvt) Ltd for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021

(iv) Order made by the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies under Section 19(A) of the Customs Ordinance (Chapter 235) as amended by the Customs (Amendment) Law, No. 35 of 1974 and the Customs (Amendment) Act, No. 83 of 1988 relating to Customs Import Duty and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2356/02 of 30th October 2023
(v)    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 Degrees awarded by KIU Campus (Private) Limited and Aquinas College of Higher Studies and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2348/36 of 07th September 2023
(vi)    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 Degrees awarded by CINEC Campus (Private) Limited, SLT Campus (Private) Limited, Horizon College of Business and Technology (Private) Limited, SANASA Campus Limited and National School of Business Management Limited (NSBM) and published in the Gazette Extraordinary     No. 2348/37 of 07th September 2023
(vii)    Order made by the Minister of Education under Section 27(1)(b) read with Sections 25A and 70C of the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 with regard to the Benedict XVI Catholic Institute of Higher Education (Private) Limited and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2349/22 of 13th September 2023
(viii)    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 Degree awarded by KIU Campus (Private) Limited and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2353/17 of 09th October 2023
(ix)    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 Degree awarded by Institute of Surveying and Mapping and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2354/16 of 18th October 2023
(x)    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 Degree awarded by Benedict XVI Catholic International Institute of Higher Education and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2354/17 of 18th October 2023
(xi)    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 Degree awarded by Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL) and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2355/29 of 25th October 2023
(xii)    Order made by the Minister of Education under Section 25A of the Universities Act,   No. 16 of 1978 with regard to the Degree awarded by Gateway College (Private) Limited and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2356/30 of 03rd November 2023
(xiii)    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 Degree awarded by National School of Business Management Limited (NSBM) and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2356/32 of 03rd November 2023


Presentation of Reports from the Committees

The Third Report of the Committee on Public Accounts for the Fourth Session of the Ninth Parliament was presented by the Hon. Tissa Attanayake, member of the Committee on behalf of the Chair of the Committee.


Presentation of Petitions

(i)    The Hon. Anura Dissanayaka                    
(ii)    The Hon. Dullas Alahapperuma   -    Five Petitions
(iii)    The Hon. Wimalaweera Dissanayake                    
(iv)    The Hon. Kapila Athukorala                    
(v)    The Hon. (Mrs.) Rajika Wickramasinghe                    
(Petitions stand referred to the Committee on Public Petitions)


Questions under Standing Order 27(2) of the Parliament

(i)    The Hon. Anura Dissanayaka

RDA service minutes issues and handing over expressway affairs to Sahasya Investment Ltd.

Hon. Minister of Transport and Highways replied to the above Question.

(ii) The Hon. Sajith Premadasa

Issues faced by Persons with Disabilities


Personal Explanations

Hon. Selvarajah Kajendren

Remarks by Hon. (Dr.) Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe about him and his party leader


Questions of Privilege

(i)    Hon. Lakshman Kiriella

Recruitment and other facilities for Chief Opposition Whip post

(ii) Hon. Sanath Nishantha

Incident occurred on 21st November 2023 with the Leader of the Opposition in the House


Private Members’ Bills

The Hon. Tissa Attanayake was granted leave to withdraw the following Bill

“Human Rights Organization (Incorporation)”

Main Business of the House for Today

(i)    Appropriation Bill (2024) - Committee

Appropriation Bill – Twenty Second Allotted Day - Committee Stage Debate

The following Items (appearing as Item Nos. 2 to 22 of today’s Order Paper) were approved by the House.:-

(ii) Annual Report of the Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (2022)
(iii)    Annual Report of the Selacine Television Institute (2020)
(iv)    Annual Report of the Selacine Television Institute (2019)
(v)    Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the Sri Lanka Press Council (2020)
(vi)    Annual Report of the Independent Television Network Ltd (2021)
(vii)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Institute of Printing  (2015)
(viii)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (2019)
(ix)    Annual Report of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (2020)
(x)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (2019)
(xi)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Foundation (2021)
(xii)    Annual Report of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (2021)
(xiii)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (2020)
(xiv)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (2020)
(xv)    Annual Report of the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka (2015)
(xvi)    Annual Report of the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka (2016)
(xvii)    Annual Report of the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka (2017)
(xviii)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Institute of Printing (2016)
(xix)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Institute of Printing  (2017)
(xx)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Institute of Printing  (2018)
(xxi)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Institute of Printing  (2019)
(xxii)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Institute of Printing  (2020)


Motion at the Adjournment Time

Motion at the Adjournment Time on “Agriculture modernization program to increase harvest” was proposed by the Hon. Jagath Samarawickrama.


The Parliament was, thereafter adjourned at 1837 Hrs. until 0930 Hrs. on Saturday 9th December 2023.


[Budget 2024]

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