Hon. Sajith Premadasa

## Summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa (Samagi Jana Balawegaya/Samagi Jana Sandhanaya) raised concerns about inadequate state welfare thresholds, arguing that basing policy on subsistence figures of Rs. 16,000–18,000 per month reflects a fundamental flaw in government policymaking. He called for stronger protections for Sri Lanka's overseas workforce — numbering over one million, predominantly in the Middle East — through embassy-level interventions and bilateral agreements, particularly given the regional instability caused by the ongoing conflict. Premadasa urged the government to convene an international donors' conference in response to Cyclone "Dicha," criticising the administration for missing an opportunity to mobilise international assistance, and proposed a cross-party, two-day parliamentary debate on the crisis. He also called for the President to personally engage in party leaders' discussions to develop a coordinated national response. Concluding on foreign policy, he explicitly condemned the attack on Iran as a violation of UN Charter Articles 2(4) and 2(7), and similarly condemned attacks on Gulf states, urging Sri Lanka to leverage the crisis to build credibility and attract foreign direct investment.

## Summary Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa opened by calling on Parliament to collectively condemn both the attack on Iran as a violation of international law under the UN Charter and retaliatory strikes on Gulf states, urging the Government to issue a formal statement and adopt a principled foreign policy position. He argued that Sri Lanka's fuel and gas crises reflect an erosion of public confidence in the Government, citing the reappearance of queues, and criticised the failure to promptly reassure the public with concrete data on fuel reserves. Premadasa proposed renegotiating the IMF programme to make it more "democratic and people-centred," convening an international donors' conference in response to the cyclone and current instability, and strengthening contingency planning for potential disruption to oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz given rising external debt service obligations of US$ 3.5–4.0 billion annually by 2028. He also challenged the credibility of Department of Census and Statistics poverty figures suggesting an individual can subsist on Rs. 16,000–18,000 per month, contending that policy decisions based on such data are fundamentally flawed.

The Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, raised a pointed question regarding an emergency procurement of nine additional coal ships, demanding an explanation from the government. He implied that this urgent purchase contradicts any official position that there is no problem with coal supply, challenging the government to account for the decision.

The Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, rose to raise a point of order in the parliamentary chamber. No further substantive content or argument is contained within the speech as recorded. The brevity of the excerpt prevents identification of the specific procedural concern being invoked.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Sajith Premadasa, rose to raise a point of order in Parliament on 3 March 2026. No further content of the point of order is provided in the available text of the speech.

The Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, raised a concern regarding a procurement issue involving ships, noting that 10 of 25 ordered vessels had arrived and all were found to be substandard. He clarified the specific nature of his inquiry, distinguishing it from an unrelated matter, and requested that the Minister be permitted to respond before allowing him to reply, while also seeking permission to formally raise the question during that week's proceedings.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa responded to a preceding statement by raising concerns about the quality of coal imports, noting that 25 coal ships have been ordered and that imports continued even after an Adjournment Debate on the matter. He alleged that the imported coal fails to meet technical specifications — including insufficient GCV (Gross Calorific Value) to generate the required 300 MW and problematic ash content — contrasting this with eleven Russian ships that he stated fully met standards and achieved the 300 MW target.

## Summary Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa raised a privilege complaint alleging that he was improperly denied the opportunity to pose questions under Standing Order 27(2) regarding substandard coal imports and their impact on power generation at Norochcholai. He argued that ten coal shipments, including nine from South Africa, have been widely acknowledged as substandard, and that his questions sought specific quantitative data—including gross calorific value, ash content, volatile matter levels, generation capacity, and emergency procurement details—that are of urgent national importance. Premadasa contended that the ruling authority's justification that an earlier Adjournment Debate had "covered" these issues was insufficient, as that mechanism does not compel the Government to provide precise, accountable numerical answers. He requested that the Speaker investigate the matter as a breach of his parliamentary privileges under Article 3 of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act and permit him to raise the questions within the same week.

## Summary Leader of the Opposition Hon. Sajith Premadasa raised several concerns regarding the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), focusing primarily on allegations of coal procurement corruption and broken electoral promises on electricity tariffs. He highlighted that over 550 CEB employees who passed internal examinations have been denied promotions despite Department of Labour recommendations, citing a circular dated 25 August 2025 on recruitment freezes as the stated justification. On tariffs, Premadasa accused the Government of contradicting its election pledges of a 33% tariff reduction by instead introducing new surcharges for public lighting maintenance and a 2.2% levy on all customer bills, none of which were disclosed during the presidential or general election campaigns. He also criticised the National Electricity Policy being opened for public consultation for only seven days, requesting a minimum period of 14–21 days. On coal procurement, Premadasa presented technical data—unit generation figures and coal consumption rates per kWh—for eight recently delivered South African coal shipments, arguing that none of the three 300 MW Norochcholai units achieved their rated capacity and that coal consumption consistently exceeded the accepted standard of 0.37 kg/kWh, indicating substandard coal quality. He attributed this to a compromised tender process in which pre-qualification requirements were significantly reduced, and alleged Cabinet delays prevented timely procurement, and called for a transparent public investigation into what he characterised as "centrally orchestrated coal corruption," warning that the Opposition would mobilise electricity consumers if costs were passed on through tariff increases.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Sajith Premadasa, used his brief speaking time to call on Hon. Ananda Wijepala to immediately contact the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to demand that anyone connected to the crimes under discussion be investigated and arrested, with the rule of law upheld. He pledged the Opposition's full support for such action.