Four Monetary Bills deemed not passed

Uditha Kumarasinghe, Rajmi Manatunga and Irangika Range

KOTTE: Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara informed Parliament yesterday that four out of the five monetary Bills presented by the Government on September 6 were not legally passed at the Committee stage.

Addressing the House at the commencement of proceedings, the Speaker proposed that a party leader's meeting be convened to discuss the matter and hold the Committee stage of the Finance (Amendment) (No 257) Bill, Regional Infrastructure Development Levy (Amendment) Bill, Excise (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Bill and the Special Commodity Levy Bill on a future date.

The proposal was not opposed by any of the political parties represented in House. The Speaker however reiterated that the Finance (Amendment) (No 256) Bill which was taken up for voting first, was passed in complete accordance with the correct procedure.

"But, I have come to the conclusion that the other four Bills which did not go through the Committee stage cannot be deemed to have been validly passed merely because I made a declaration to that effect.

I thank the Members of this House who brought this to my notice," he said.

The Speaker on September 6 used the powers vested in him by the Standing Orders to declare the four monetary Bills as passed as a result of unprecedented pandemonium and violence in the House.

Among the disputed legislation proposed was the Finance (Amendment) (No 257) Bill which sought to increase the tax on mobile phone users from 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent.