Parliament is scheduled to convene from May 19 to 22, with the second reading debate on the contested Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill leading off the week, the Department of Commission of Parliament said on Thursday.
The agenda was decided at a meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih. May 19 will be devoted to the second reading debate on the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill, the same legislation whose tax-arrest powers under Section 185A drew sharp opposition pushback from Samagi Jana Balawegaya leader Sajith Premadasa earlier this week. The Supreme Court has already struck down Clause 34 of the bill as unconstitutional in determinations laid before the House.
On May 20, MPs will hold an adjournment debate on the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s 2025 Annual Economic Review on a motion moved by the government, opening the parliamentary record on Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe’s GDP-recovery picture and the recent rupee depreciation to Rs. 329.92, its weakest since December 2023.
May 21 will see debate on three Regulations under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, published in Extraordinary Gazette Nos. 2481/02, 2482/08 and 2482/12, alongside nine Resolutions under the Appropriation Act. On May 22, the chamber has allocated 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for votes of condolence on late Members of Parliament.
Each sitting day will set aside 9:30-10:00 a.m. for parliamentary business under Standing Order 22(1)-(6), 10:00-11:00 a.m. for Questions for Oral Answers and 11:00-11:30 a.m. for Standing Order 27(2) questions, the Parliament statement said.
