PARLIAMENT

The Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, the Speaker 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 : Regarding suspension of service of Parliament of a Member of Parliament     
D : Establishment of new two Parliamentary Caucuses


Presentation of Papers by the Speaker

(i)    Second Installment – Part XXXVI and Ninth Installment – Part XIX of the Report of the Auditor–General for the Financial Year 2022 in terms of Article 154(6) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

(ii)    
•    Tenth Installment – Part VI of the Report of the Auditor–General of the Special Audit Report of the Auditor-General on Importation of Nano Nitrogen Liquid Fertilizer ; and
•    Tenth Installment – Part VII of the Report of the Auditor–General of the Special Report of the Auditor-General on the Procurement of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) by Litro Gas Lanka Limited (LGLL) for the year 2022/2023

in terms of Article 154(6) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka


Presentation of Papers

(i)    Annual Report of the National Institute of Language Education and Training for the year 2021
(ii)    Annual Report of the Official Languages Commission for the year 2021
(iii)    Annual Report of the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka for the year 2021
(iv)    Annual Report of the State Mortgage and Investment Bank for the year 2021
(v)    Annual Report of the Sugarcane Research Institute for the year 2021
(vi)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd for the year 2022.
(vii)    Annual Report of the Development Lotteries Board for the year 2022
(viii)    Annual Report of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka for the year 2022
(ix)    Annual Report of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura for the year 2022
(x)    Performance Report of the Department of Government Factory for the year 2022
(xi)    Annual Report of the Sri Lankan Airlines Limited for the year 2021/2022
(xii)    Annual Report of the Selacine Television Institution for the year 2021
(xiii)    Annual Report of the Road Development Authority for the year 2021
(xiv)    Annual Report of the National Transport Commission for the year 2022
(xv)    Annual Report of the GSMB Technical Services (Pvt) Ltd for the year 2021
(xvi)    Annual Report of the Sri Lanka National Tea Board for the year 2022
(xvii)    Annual Report of the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority for the year 2022
(xviii)    Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the Office of the Reparations for the year 2021
(xix)    Annual Performance Reports of the Hindu Cultural Fund for the years 2020 and 2021
(xx)    Performance Report of the Department of Co-operative Development for the year 2022

(xxi) Order made by the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies under Section 2 of the Special Commodity Levy Act, No. 48 of 2007, relating to Special Commodity Levy and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2356/20 of 01st November 2023
(xxii)    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 01.11.2023 to 19.12.2023 under Section 6(1) of the Appropriation Act, No. 43 of 2022
(xxiii)    Proclamation made and Published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2365/29 of 03rd January 2024 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
(xxiv)    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 Ministry of Agriculture in the report of the Committee on Public Accounts which was presented to Parliament
(xxv)    Regulations made by the Minister of Justice with the concurrence of the Chief Justice under Section 60 read with Section 61 of the Judicature Act, No. 2 of 1978 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2238/34 of 30th July 2021
(xxvi)    Regulations made by the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms with the concurrence of the Chief Justice under Section 60 read with Section 61 of the Judicature Act, No. 2 of 1978 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2303/23 of 26th October 2022


Presentation of Reports from the Committees

(i)    The Report of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Just and Law-Abiding Society was presented by the Hon. W. D. J. Seneviratne, Attorney at Law, the Chair of the Committee.
(ii)    The Report of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Reconciliation & National Unity was presented by the Hon. Dilan Perera, the Chair of the Committee.
(iii)    The Report of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Children, Women and Gender was presented by the Hon. (Mrs.) Thalatha Athukorala, Attorney at Law, the Chair of the Committee.
(iv)    The Two Reports of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security was presented by the Hon. (Dr.) Sarath Weerasekara, the Chair of the Committee.
(v)    The Report of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development was presented by the Hon. Ajith Mannapperuma, the Chair of the Committee.


Presentation of Petitions

(i)    The Hon. Nalin Fernando                    
(ii)    The Hon. Tissa Attanayake                    
(iii)    The Hon. Vijitha Herath       -     Two Petitions
(iv)    The Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna
(Petitions stand referred to the Committee on Public Petitions)


Questions under Standing Order 27(2) of the Parliament

The Hon. Sajith Premadasa

Economic impact on housing units, SME sector and matters regarding Electricity Bill

The Hon. Ministers replied to the above Question.


Questions of Privilege

Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne

Divaina report regarding Ambuluwawa Trust


Presentation of Bills

The Hon. Leader of the House of Parliament moved the following Bills entitled-

(i)    Secured Transactions - to Provide for an Institutional framework for the regulation of secured transactions in movable property by the establishment of the secured transactions registration authority; to set out the powers, duties and functions of such authority; to provide for the determining of priorities amongst creditors having competing security rights in the movable property of their debtors; to set out the rights and duties or parties to security agreements; to provide for the establishment and maintenance of a register of security rights in movable  property; to repeal the secured transactions Act, No.49 of 2009; and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
(ii)    Prescription (Amendment) - to amend the Prescription Ordinance (Chapter 68).
(iii)    Trust Receipts (Amendment) - to amend the Trust Receipts Ordinance (Chapter 86).
(iv)    Mortgage (Amendment) - to amend the Mortgage Act (Chapter 89).
(v)    Finance Leasing (Amendment) - to amend the Finance Leasing Act, No.56 of 2000.
(vi)    Inland Trust Receipts (Amendment) - to amend the Inland Trust Receipts Act, No.14 of 1990.
(vii)    Companies (Amendment) - to amend the Companies Act, No. 07 of 2007.
(viii)    Registration of Documents (Amendment) - to amend the Registration of Documents Ordinance (Chapter 117).
(ix)    Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority - to provide for the establishment of the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority of Sri Lanka; to regulate the moneylending business and the microfinance business; to provide protection for the customers of the money lending business and the microfinance business; to repeal the Microfinance Act, No.6 of 2016 and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
(x)    Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) (Amendment) - to amend the Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act (Chapter 129).


Main Business of the House for Today

The following Items (appearing as Item Nos. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 of today’s Order Paper) were approved by the House and Item Nos. 6 and 7 referred to the Legislative Standing Committee.:-

(i) Office for National Unity and Reconciliation Bill - with amendments - Division was taken at the Second Reading (48 in favour; 7 against)
(ii)    National Hydrographic Bill
(iii)    Amendments to the Standing Orders of the Parliament
(iv)    Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers of Sri Lanka (Incorporation) Bill - Second Reading
(v)    Chiththa Advanced Psychological Studies Open Institute of Sri Lanka (Incorporation) Bill - Second Reading


Motion at the Adjournment Time

Motion at the Adjournment Time on “Mechanism for divisional & district level development projects” was proposed by the Hon. Kapila Athukorala.


The Parliament was, thereafter adjourned at 1744 Hrs. until 0930 Hrs. on Wednesday 10th January 2024.

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