2021-02-12
News Categories : Committee News
The Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Prof. Charitha Herath instructed the relevant authorities of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) coming under the Ministry of Education to expedite the implementation of a national policy which is one of the primary responsibilities of the Authority. The Chairman stated the above at the COPE committee meeting held on the 12th of February 2021.
The COPE committee disclosed that the National Child Protection Authority was established in 1998 with the objective of formulating a national policy on the prevention of child abuse and for the protection and for the purpose of treating children who are victims of such abuse.
However, the committee pointed out that the implementation of a national policy has not been carried out accordingly paving way for a delay of 21 years. The Committee emphasized the importance of expediting the implementation of the National Policy which has been already approved.
Members of Parliament Jagath Pushpakumara, Eran Wickramaratne, Premnath C. Dolawaththa, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam and officials representing the Child Protection Authority were present at the occasion.
It was also brought to the committees’ attention that annual reports of the Authority for the years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 have not been submitted to Parliament so far. Expressing displeasure over the matter, the COPE Chairman instructed the Secretary to the Ministry of Education and the Secretary to the Ministry of State to immediately look into the matter and submit the relevant annual reports to Parliament within two months.
It was revealed that Rs. 9 million for consultants for the purpose of creating a database for the Authority has been spent in the years 2016, 2017 and that a grant of Rs. 1.2 million has also been provided by the Department of Computer Studies, University of Colombo in order to develop a software which is has come to a state of being futile. The COPE committee emphasized that although it is important to prepare such a database, there should be a proper methodology in the use of government funds. Thus, the Committee instructed the Secretary to the Ministry to immediately conduct an internal investigation and submit a report on the aforesaid matter.
Although a legal framework and regulations had been identified to regulate the transportation of school children as a measure to prevent child abuse, the COPE committee pointed out that it had not yet been implemented thus far. The Chairman of the Authority said that the requisite standards have been prepared pertaining to the matter and that the authority should take action to fill the vacancies for regulatory purposes. The Committee instructed to expedite this program by employing the newly appointed graduates according based on their qualifications.
The committee also raised concerns over the difficulties faced by the victims as a result of time-consuming process of child abuse cases. Emphasis was placed on the importance of developing a system to minimize the time period affiliated to child abuse cases before children reach the phase of adulthood.
It was revealed that although 3165 school child protection committees have been set up to prevent child abuse, only 2392 committees are active at present. The committee recommended that this should be revived with a more attractive approach in order to popularize it among school children and that it should be included in the institution's active program schedule accordingly.
It was revealed that it is not at all sufficient in terms of conducting activities of the Authority as there are only two persons to serve in the Legal Division of the Authority. Therefore, the Chairman of the Committee recommended the Secretary to the Ministry of State that necessary steps to strengthen the legal sector should be looked into with immediate effect.
It was also revealed that the Authority had received 89,405 complaints during the period between2011-2020 and as at 31.01.2021, the number of unresolved complaints brought forward was 40,668. The committee stated that it is unfortunate to have only one person working in the Law Enforcement Division who handles complaints. Furthermore, the Committee directed that the Law Enforcement Division be strengthened in order to expedite the process of handling complaints accordingly.
The need to investigate and regulate all orphanages in Sri Lanka was also discussed at length. The Chairman recommended that the Authority prepare a new program for this purpose and take immediate action to obtain all the basic data.
Although the National Child Protection Authority has data on complaints, the committee also noted the lack of a national database on child abuse. The Committee directed that steps be taken to develop a more formal database as formal data is essential for future child abuse prevention programs.
It was revealed that there are 548 approved posts in the institute and 206 of them are vacant. The COPE Chairman instructed the authorities to take immediate action as the recruitment process for the approved posts could be done with the approval of the Secretary to the Ministry.
COPE committee Chairman Prof. Herath stressed the importance of resolving these issues of the National Child Protection Authority, which plays a crucial role in the country advocating for abused children. Thus, the Chairman emphasized on the importance of making the institution a strong institution. He also said that the authority would be summoned before the COPE Committee again later this year.
2026-09-01
The third programme in the “Voice to Policy” dialogue series, organized by the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative, is scheduled to be held on September 5 at the Golden Crown Hotel in Kandy for youth in the Kandy District.The programme is being organized with the aim of further promoting the concept of an Open Parliament through the participation of young representatives. It will be held under the leadership of the Co-Chairs of the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative, Hon. Minister Prof. Krishantha Abeyasena and Hon. Member of Parliament Shanakiyan Rasamanickam. Members of the Caucus, as well as Members of Parliament representing the Kandy District, are also expected to participate in the event. Through this workshop, it is expected to raise awareness among young people, in particular, about parliamentary affairs, the legislative process and the principles of an Open Parliament, while further strengthening the relationship between Parliament and citizens.Young men and women between the ages of 18 and 35 from the Kandy District who wish to participate in the workshop are required to register by completing the relevant form through the following link before 12.00 noon on September 3: https://forms.gle/aVp5UzhLbtPSmVap8Participants are also required to wear clothing without any symbols promoting a political party or political movement.The workshop series is being organized with the sponsorship support of CII (Coalition for Inclusive Impact).
2026-08-25
A special meeting was held yesterday at Parliament to discuss the future work of the Expert Panel appointed to reform Sri Lanka’s electoral system, excluding Provincial Council elections, to make it more efficient, transparent, and responsive to the expectations of the people.The discussion was held under the chairmanship of Hon. Prof. A.H.M.H. Abeyaratne, Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, who is also the Chairman of the Select Committee of Parliament to review the laws dealing with Elections (excluding laws dealing with Provincial Council Elections) and report to Parliament and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard.The meeting included extensive discussions on the role of the Expert Panel, the matters that should be reviewed, and how the next stages of the process should be carried out.The Expert Panel is expected to conduct an in-depth review of 31 proposals submitted by the public and various organizations concerning electoral reforms and to make the necessary recommendations. Relevant studies and research conducted by the university community and research institutions will also be taken into consideration during the review process.The Panel has been given a period of two months to conduct this review. During this period, attention will be focused not only on identifying shortcomings in the existing electoral system, but also, where necessary, on making recommendations for establishing a new electoral system and electoral culture with more constructive and positive features.Accordingly, the ultimate objective of the Committee is not merely to introduce several amendments to the existing system. Rather, it is to present Parliament with a report containing the necessary policy and legislative recommendations for a more credible, democratic, and efficient electoral system that is suited to current needs and the expectations of the people.Committee members Hon. Members of Parliament Ruwanthilaka Jayakody, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, and Chandima Hettiarachchi also participated in the meeting.
2026-08-25
The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) paid special attention to the progress of investigations into financial fraud and disciplinary violations that have occurred within the Department of Posts from 2004 to 2025.This was discussed when COPA met at Parliament recently (Aug. 20), under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim, to review the progress made in implementing the recommendations issued by COPA on April 7, 2026, as well as the current performance of the Department of Posts.It was revealed that a new computerized software system has been introduced to streamline the investigation process. The system is being used to update information relating to investigation files and monitor their progress. The Committee stressed the need to expedite investigations by prioritizing significant financial fraud and serious disciplinary violations, rather than spending resources on prolonged investigations into minor incidents.The meeting also discussed the fact that some investigations have remained unresolved for many years, that some individuals facing allegations have disappeared or died, that legal action in certain cases has been delayed, and that the investigation division is experiencing a shortage of human resources.The Committee further emphasized the need to complete investigations and disciplinary proceedings against officers accused of financial fraud within specified timeframes. Instructions were also given to expedite the necessary measures to recover losses from the parties responsible once investigations have been completed.The Committee also focused on the need to further strengthen financial management and internal control mechanisms within the Department of Posts.Meanwhile, the management of overtime payments within the Department of Posts was also discussed. Officials stated that steps are being taken to introduce an Optimum Cadre - the optimal number of employees - based on a work study conducted by the Department of Management Services covering all nine provinces and the Central Mail Exchange. It was noted that fingerprint machines are now being used to accurately verify employee attendance when making overtime payments. Going forward, the Department plans to use this data to further streamline the payment of overtime allowances.The modernization and digitalization of postal services also received the Committee's attention. Discussions covered plans to further expand value-added services such as Speed Post, Cash on Delivery, and International Courier, digitalize postal banking services, and increase the Department of Posts' revenue through the use of new technologies.The Committee also stressed the importance of maintaining sub-post offices in difficult-to-reach areas where they provide essential services to the public, rather than closing them as part of the restructuring of the Department of Posts' network of sub-post offices.The meeting was attended by Committee member and Hon. Deputy Minister Nalin Hewage, as well as Committee members Hon. Members of parliament Chanaka Madugoda, Oshani Umanga, Attorney-at-Law Sagarika Athauda, Manjula Suraweera Arachchi, Chandana Sooriyaarachchi, Ajanta Gammaddege, Lal Premanath, Ruwanthilaka Jayakody and Sunil Ratnasiri.
2026-08-24
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection focused on obtaining the views and proposals of the Police Department on measures that could be taken to reduce overcrowding in prisons.At a recent meeting of the committee held at Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Najith Indika, discussions focused particularly on the Police Department’s procedures from the arrest of suspects in connection with drug-related offences through to the filing of cases, as well as on removing existing legal obstacles affecting these processes.The committee also discussed delays in proceedings relating to drug-related cases, delays in obtaining reports from the Government Analyst, and the resulting increase in the number of suspects being held in remand custody.It was emphasized that, in combating drug-related offences, it is necessary not only to arrest individuals but also to use modern technology to identify and control drug-trafficking networks and the illegal financial transactions associated with them. The need to introduce appropriate regulatory mechanisms to prevent the misuse of digital money-transfer systems operated by telecommunications companies by drug traffickers for illegal financial transactions was also highlighted.The meeting also discussed the need to strengthen community-based rehabilitation programmes as an alternative to imprisoning persons addicted to drugs, increase public participation in crime prevention, and amend existing laws to bring them in line with current requirements.Views were also expressed on the need to establish a modern forensic laboratory within the Police Department in order to expedite criminal investigations. It was pointed out that speeding up the analysis of scientific evidence could accelerate court proceedings and thereby help reduce prison overcrowding.In addition, attention was given to improving the welfare of police officers, enhancing their professional training and investigative skills, and strengthening mechanisms for evaluating police performance.Members of the committee who attended the meeting included Hon. Members of Parliament Ajith P. Perera, G.G. Ponnambalam, Mujibur Rahman, M.K.M. Aslam, Dr. Sellathamby Thilakanathan, Dharmapriya Wijesinghe, Chandana Suriyaarachchi, and Major General (Retired) G.D. Sooriyabandara.Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs D.W.R.B. Seneviratne, Inspector General of Police Attorney-at-Law Priyantha Weerasuriya, and a number of senior officers of the Police Department were also present at the meeting.
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