2021-02-23
The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) directed the Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation and its respective officials to prepare a formal plan in order to expedite the implementation of the recommendations made to resolve the human-elephant conflict which is now a grave concern in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the COPA committee directed for a report to be submitted to Parliament within two months.
In addition to the report containing the recommendations of the special committee chaired by Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando appointed by His Excellency the President to find a solution to the existing human-elephant conflict, which has already been submitted to the President, the COPA committee also called for a review of the National Policy on the Resolution of the Elephant-Human Conflict in 2006 by a panel of experts when preparing the formal plan.
The COPA meeting which was held on the 9th of December 2020, disclosed that Sri Lanka has become a country with the highest number of elephant deaths in the world due to the human-elephant conflict. It was also revealed that Sri Lanka has the second highest number of reported human deaths in the world as a result of the ongoing human-elephant conflict. Therefore, the Committee stressed the need for immediate action with regard to the said concern.
State Ministers Hon. (Dr.) (Mrs.) Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Hon. Lasantha Alagiyawanna, and Members of Parliament Hon. Cader Mastan, Hon. (Dr.) Upul Galappaththi, Hon. Weerasumana Weerasinghe and Hon. Niroshan Perera, B.Y.G. Ratnasekera were present at the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) chaired by Prof. Tissa Vitharana.
It was pointed out that the Department of Wildlife Conservation cannot be entirely burdened with the responsibility as recommended by the report containing the recommendations of the special committee submitted to H.E. the President. It was also emphasized that the construction and maintenance of electric fences should be carried out under the collaborative efforts of the relevant Divisional Secretariats, Agrarian Services Department and the Mahaweli Authority. The recommendations also contain proposals pertaining to a community based village electric fence and an alternative electrical fencing system only applicable during the periods of cultivation.
Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando an expert in research and experience governing the human – elephant conflict, pointed out that traditional methods of chasing elephants, which is currently in operation, have failed for nearly 50 years.
The committee observed that there are areas with elephant fences which are successfully being implemented with the contribution of the community and the respective local stakeholders, and thus this problem can be minimized by adopting such successful methods in other areas as well.
Officials of the Department of Wildlife Conservation said that programs such as the construction of elephant fences, elephant proof trench digging, building beehives to deter elephants from raiding crops being implemented. While highlighting that the total number of employees in the Department of Wildlife Conservation is close to 1500, it was disclosed that there are many problems when working at the ground level as there is only a very limited number of employees to work on the fencing process.
It was also discussed that there are reports of villagers in some areas refusing to build the fence as it disrupts the boundary of their land and that in some areas there have been reports of theft of the batteries used for the electric fence.
However, the committee emphasized that by educating them the villagers, they too should be involved in the active contribution to the issues including the fencing process. The committee also called for the immediate revival of community organizations such as ‘Gajamithuro’, which are currently inactive. The committee also pointed out that the contribution of all relevant Divisional Secretariats, Grama Niladharis and other stakeholders should be sought for this purpose and highlighted the importance of working more closely with the village community.
The committee pointed out that although there are proposals in policy documents to resolve the human-elephant conflict, they are not being implemented in practice at the grassroots level.
The committee also drew attention to the recommendations not being carried out pertaining to the said issue. The improper construction of elephant reserves and elephant corridors, content pertaining to the issue not being included to the curriculum by the Ministry of Education and the construction of electric fences without proper standards were pointed out the need to execute such matters as soon as possible was also made note of.
Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, Secretary to the Ministry of State, Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and a number of government officials were present at this meeting.
2026-10-27
The Parliamentary Select Committee of Parliament to look into and report to Parliament on the matter of selecting the Electoral System under which the Provincial Council Elections should be held and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard, obtained the views and proposals of several political parties.This took place when the Select Committee met recently in Parliament under the chairmanship of its Chairman, Hon. Minister Vijitha Herath.At the meeting, Hon. Member of Parliament Tahir Marikkar presented the views and proposals of the All-Ceylon Makkal Congress, while Mr. Nuwan Bellanthudawa presented the views of the New Freedom Front. Former Member of Parliament M. A. Sumanthiran presented the views and proposals of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi.The purpose of the discussion was to obtain the views of different political parties on the electoral system that should be adopted for conducting Provincial Council elections.Hon. Deputy Ministers Muneer Mulaffer and Sunil Watagala and members of the Select Committee, Hon. Members of Parliament Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, President’s Counsel M. Nizam Kariapper, Dharmapriya Wijesinghe, Samanmali Gunasinghe, Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi and Susantha Dodawaththa also attended the meeting.
2026-10-27
Discussions were held on presenting the views and proposals put forward by youth during the “Voice to Policy” workshop series, organized by the Parliamentary Caucus for the Open Parliament Initiative, to parliamentary committees and on securing the participation of youth representatives in this process.Accordingly, the matter was discussed at a meeting held recently at Parliament, chaired by the Co-Chairs of the Caucus, Hon. Minister Professor Chrishantha Abeysena and Hon. Member of Parliament Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam.The “Voice to Policy” workshops were organized with the aim of promoting the concept of an Open Parliament and enhancing youth participation in parliamentary affairs. The workshops were held in the Gampaha, Batticaloa and Kandy districts.At the meeting, youth representatives from the respective districts presented the common issues, views and policy proposals raised by young people during these workshops.Discussions also focused on the importance of bringing issues identified by young people, together with their proposed solutions, into the parliamentary process for consideration in future parliamentary work. In addition, attention was given to providing youth representatives with opportunities to engage with the relevant Sectoral Oversight Committees of Parliament and present their views and proposals on matters within their respective areas of interest.The initiative aims to further strengthen public participation by integrating the views and proposals of young people into the parliamentary process.Members of the Caucus also attended the meeting, along with officials representing CII (Coalition for Inclusive Impact) and NDI (National Democratic Institute), which support the “Voice to Policy” workshop series.
2026-10-19
The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) focused on the payment of allowances to officials of public institutions, the failure to properly implement circulars, irregularities in procurement procedures, and financial losses incurred in the auctioning of machinery during its review of the Auditor General’s reports and the current performance of the Southern Provincial Council.These matters received extensive attention when the Committee met at Parliament recently, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim, to follow up on the recommendations made at the COPA meeting held on March 24, 2023, and to discuss the Auditor General’s Triennial Report for 2021–2023, the Auditor General’s Reports for 2024 and 2025, and the Council’s current performance.Special attention was drawn to alleged irregularities in the auctioning of an asphalt production machine belonging to the Southern Provincial Road Development Authority in 2021. Officials explained that the machine had been transferred to the Authority in 2013 but had been taken out of service after 2018 due to the absence of large-scale road carpeting projects. The maintenance and security costs incurred in keeping the machine idle were also cited as a reason for its auction.However, the Committee discussed the financial loss allegedly caused by the failure to properly assess and include 21,782 litres of residual bitumen and the remaining diesel stock in the auction value when the machine was sold. It was revealed that legal action had been initiated to recover the relevant amount from the buyer and that complaints had also been lodged with the police.Although preliminary investigations and formal disciplinary inquiries had been conducted and disciplinary action taken against two officials, the loss had not yet been recovered from the officers concerned. Officials informed the Committee that, taking into account the explanations submitted by the relevant officers, a new comprehensive investigation committee had been appointed to conduct further inquiries into the incident and identify those truly responsible.In addition, the Committee focused on issues that had arisen in procurement procedures carried out under the Southern Provincial Council. Discussions covered the awarding of several contracts to a single supplier for the supply of plants, the failure to complete the required supplies despite the payment of advance funds, and measures taken to acquire a parcel of land to recover outstanding amounts.The Committee also discussed the purchase of 86 scanners at a cost of approximately Rs. 27 million without a proper needs assessment or feasibility study, and the fact that the majority of these scanners were not used for their intended purposes. Attention was further drawn to the suspension of digitization activities midway through implementation due to problems encountered with the relevant software project.Furthermore, inquiries were made into whether the applicable circulars and financial regulations had been properly followed when providing fuel and housing allowances to officials of public institutions.Emphasizing the importance of ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of public funds and property, the Committee highlighted the need to conduct formal investigations into the issues identified, establish the parties responsible, and take the appropriate legal and disciplinary action.The meeting was attended by Hon. State Ministers Nalin Hewage, Retired Major General Aruna Jayasekara and Aravinda Senarath, along with Hon. Members of Parliament Attorney-at-Law Sagarika Athauda, T. K. Jayasundara, Lal Premanath, Susantha Kumara Navaratne, Ruwanthilaka Jayakody, Manjula Suraweera Arachchi, Ajantha Gammaddege and Sunil Rathnasiri.
2026-10-19
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Economic Development and International Relations has focused on the need to expedite the implementation of the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Act to ensure the proper regulation of the microfinance sector.The Committee, chaired by Hon. Member of Parliament Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law, met recently at Parliament, where discussions were held with officials of the Sri Lanka Microfinance Practitioners’ Association on the matter.The need to expedite the implementation of the Act enacted to regulate the microfinance and lending sectors was emphasized during the meeting. The importance of controlling lending institutions that impose excessively high interest rates through informal practices and cause hardship to the public was highlighted, alongside the need to establish a fair regulatory environment for properly functioning microfinance institutions.Discussions also covered the licensing process for institutions engaged in microfinance activities, legal and practical challenges relating to certain provisions of the Act, restrictions on accepting deposits, and the cost of funds. Proposals were also put forward to simplify the licensing process for existing microfinance institutions, allow them to accept limited public deposits under regulatory supervision, and facilitate access to lower-cost funding.Attention was also drawn to the possibility of reducing lending interest rates by establishing a mechanism to channel concessional funding from international institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank, to regulated microfinance institutions.The implementation of the consumer protection provisions of the Act, the time required to establish the Regulatory Authority, and the deadlines granted to institutions to obtain licences were also discussed.Meanwhile, the Committee also considered matters relating to the granting of mining rights for 68 grids to Lanka Mineral Sands Limited (LMSL) and the provision of operational support to the company. The Committee decided to issue the necessary recommendations on these matters.Lanka Mineral Sands Limited, a state-owned enterprise, had submitted a request to the Committee seeking exclusive mining rights over the mineral sand deposits along the northeastern coastline, requesting that these deposits not be allocated to other private institutions.Discussions focused on the need to ensure a long-term and uninterrupted supply of raw materials for value-added industries by utilizing the mineral sand deposits along the eastern coastline. In line with the Government’s policy of exporting mineral sands as value-added products rather than merely as raw materials, the Committee also considered the implementation of value-addition projects by attracting both local and foreign investors.Furthermore, the review of mineral mining licences issued in the past, the necessary action to be taken regarding irregular licences, and the transfer of the relevant mineral deposits to LMSL were discussed. It was also noted that steps had been taken to forward information concerning certain irregularities identified in the recent past to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).Attention was also drawn to implementing a multi-agency committee mechanism to ensure transparency and coordination among relevant institutions when issuing mineral mining licences in the future.The meeting was attended by Hon. Members of Parliament Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi, Attorney-at-Law Sagarika Athawuda, Kandhasamy Prabhu, Thilina Samarakoon, Wijesiri Basnayake, Suranga Rathnayake and Sivagnanam Sritharan, along with a number of officials from the Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development.
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