2021-09-07
News Categories : Committee News
Hon. Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila stated that the USD 267 billion worth of oil and gas resources hidden in the Mannar Basin could generate three times the total debt of the country. The Minister stated the aforesaid at the Consultative Committee on Energy held in Parliament today (07).
The Minister further stated that although investors who invest in these oil and gas drills are given 50%, USD 133.5 billions is Government owned and it is almost three times the total debt value of the country which is a total of USD 47 billion.
The Minister made this observation while briefing the Committee including Hon. Parliamentarians on the Petroleum Resources Bill to be tabled in Parliament for the second reading. Accordingly, the Bill was approved by the Committee.
The Minister further stated that this Bill, which seeks to regulate and manage the exploration of petroleum resources, including the establishment of the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka, will be presented to Parliament as a matter of priority for the Government.
Hon. Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila said that the Norochcholai power plant could operate for 120 years only from the gas in the Mannar Basin and the Sapugaskanda oil refinery could operate for 143 years with the oil alone.
Although our neighboring country India has been extracting oil and gas from the seas close to Sri Lanka since the 1940s, Sri Lanka has missed it due to various reasons. After lengthy discussions with experts on the subject, it was identified that there were several reasons have contributed for the aforesaid, the further Minister said.
The Minister said large companies around the world have not come to explore oil resources in Sri Lanka in the recent past due to various reasons.
Quote:
“We took steps to hand over this task to experts on the subject matter through the establishment of the Petroleum Development Authority given the lack of understanding on the scope of subject the officials who were to take decisions on this regard previously had. Also, as the regulatory powers such as the issuance of licenses were completely concentrated in the hands of the Minister, all activities had been disrupted when there was a change of the Minister. Therefore, we have decided to transfer all the powers of the Minister to the Board of Directors of this Authority. Also, a modern map was prepared to replace the existing traditional map for oil and gas exploration” the Minister added.
The Bill will also introduce a strong legal framework to protect these large investments and appoint a special committee to advise the minister, as billions of dollars will have to be invested in the industry, the Minister of Energy said.
Furthermore, in general, a country would succeed in one when drilling seven wells in search for oil and gas according to world standards. The Norwegian government had to dig 31 wells for one success story whilst 3 out of 4 wells drilled in Sri Lanka were successful the Minister said.
He also stated that he intends to seek the assistance of Sri Lankan experts in the field from around the world in this regard.
Committee Members Hon. State Minister Jayantha Samaraweera, Hon. Members of Parliament Chandima Weerakkody, Nalin Bandara, Muditha Prishanthi, Gunathilaka Rajapaksha, B.Y.G Ratnasekera and the Secretary to the Mrs. KDR Olga, Secretary to the Ministry were present at the meeting.
2026-04-09
The Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) met on 07th April 2026 under the chairmanship of Hon Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva.The Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, along with members of the Governing Board, the Monetary Policy Board, and senior officials, attended the meeting as part of the Central Bank’s statutory presentation to Parliament conducted once every four months.Hon. Deputy Ministers Chathuranga Abeysinghe, (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathnea and Nishantha Jayaweera, Hon. Members of parliament Rauff Hakeem, Attorney at Law, Ravi Karunanayake, M.K.M. Aslam, Nimal Palihena, Chithral Fernando, Attorney at Law, Wijesiri Basnayake, Thilina Samarakoon, Champika Hettiarachchi and (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney at Law were also present at the meeting.During the meeting, the Committee took up as a matter of priority the alleged fraud at NDB Bank. The Committee initiated a focused discussion with the Central Bank, underscoring the seriousness of the issue and the need for urgent attention.The Governor informed the Committee that an initial investigation in this regard is currently underway. He further assured that the Central Bank will report back to the Committee at the earliest possible opportunity once the necessary information has been gathered.The Committee observed with serious concern that there appear to have been considerable lapses in corporate governance at the bank, deficiencies in supervision by the relevant departments of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and undue delays in the reporting of material information.The Committee firmly underscored that such shortcomings are unacceptable and directed that immediate corrective measures be undertaken. It further emphasized that it will continue to closely monitor this matter and exercise stringent oversight to ensure full accountability, transparency, and the safeguarding of public confidence in the financial system.
2026-04-02
The Committee on High Posts has approved the appointments of four Ministry Secretaries.The approval was granted when the Committee met in Parliament recently (Mar. 20) under the chairmanship of Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.Accordingly, the Committee approved the appointments of Air Vice Marshall H.S.S Thuyyacontha (Retd.) as the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Mr. L Mohamed Navavi as the Secretary to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. W.M.D.T Wickramasinghe as the Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Mr. W.W.S Mangala as the Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation.
2026-03-31
A Parliamentary delegation from the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, led by Hon. S. M. Marikkar, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Committee, undertook a Parliamentary Study Tour to New Delhi and Mumbai from 22nd to 27th March 2026, following an invitation extended by the High Commission of India.The Sri Lankan delegation comprised the Chief Opposition Whip Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka, Members of Parliament Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, Hon. Manjula Suraweera Arachchi, Hon. K. Ilankumaran, Hon. Chathura Galappaththi, Hon. Ravindra Bandara, Hon. Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana, Hon. Shantha Pathma Kumara Subasingha, Hon. (Mrs.) Geetha Herath, Attorney at Law, Hon. Kins Nelson and Hon. Dharmapriya Wijesinghe. Parliament staff members attached to the office of the Sectoral Oversight Committees who were also present included Assistant Director (Administration) Mr. K. P. Chandana, Principal Officer Ms. S. W. T. R. De Silva and Parliamentary Officer Ms. W. K. A. M. M. M. Arthanayaka. The delegation arrived in New Delhi on 22nd March 2026 and commenced official engagements on the following day. The programme included a meeting with the Foreign Secretary of India and a floral tribute at Prerna Sthal in the Parliament House Complex. The delegation also paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha.An orientation session on the Indian Parliamentary system was conducted, providing valuable insights into institutional structures and legislative processes. The delegation further held productive interactions with the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, as well as the Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs.On 24th March 2026, the delegation participated in a series of technical and policy-focused engagements, including a session on India’s “PM Gati Shakti” National Master Plan. Visits were made to the National Highways Authority of India and the Solar Energy Corporation of India, alongside discussions with the Confederation of Indian Industry. The delegation also engaged with the India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group, further strengthening bilateral Parliamentary relations.Continuing its programme on 25th March 2026, the delegation visited the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to study urban mass transit systems and best practices in public transportation. This was followed by an interaction with the New Delhi Municipal Council on Smart City initiatives, focusing on urban governance, digital infrastructure, and sustainable urban development. The delegation also met with officials of the Jal Jeevan Mission under the Ministry of Jal Shakti to discuss large-scale water supply management and rural infrastructure development.The programme in Mumbai included visits to key infrastructure and development sites such as the Atal Setu Bridge and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, as well as the Navi Mumbai Airport. The delegation also visited the Power Exchange India Limited and met with the Hon. Chief Minister of Maharashtra.On 27th March 2026, the delegation visited prominent locations including the Gateway of India and Elephanta Caves. The programme also included a meeting with the Hon. Speaker of the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha and discussions with senior officials responsible for investment promotion and industries, prior to their departure to Colombo.Sri Lanka’s participation in this Parliamentary Study Tour underscored its continued commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation with India and advancing institutional capacity, knowledge exchange, and best practices in infrastructure and strategic development through sustained Parliamentary engagement.
2026-03-30
Progress on the implementation of recommendations issued by the COPA on 06th January 2026 was reviewed Matters relating to the 2024 Auditor General’s Report and current performance were also examined The Department of Archaeology was summoned before the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), where attention was drawn to the progress made in implementing the recommendations issued at the COPA meeting held on 06th January 2026, as well as to the current performance of the Department.These matters were discussed at the COPA meeting held in Parliament on 19th March 2026 under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim, to examine the Auditor General’s triennial report for the years 2021–2023, the 2024 Auditor General’s Report, and the current performance of the Department of Archaeology.At its meeting on 06th January 2026, it was recommended that a report on the gazetted and ungazetted antiquities identified by the Department of Archaeology be submitted to the Committee within a month. However, the Auditor General’s Department pointed out that data relating to antiquities not declared by Gazette had still not been submitted to the Committee. Accordingly, the Chair of the Committee instructed that a report be submitted within two weeks, including details of such antiquities, reasons for not publishing them by Gazette, and a proposed timeline for their gazetting.The Committee also focused on the lack of progress in implementing the recommendation to establish a centralized data system for the Department of Archaeology, and instructed that a progress report on this matter be submitted to the Committee.Furthermore, it was revealed that although Cabinet approval stipulates that 25% of the revenue generated by the Central Cultural Fund should be allocated to the Ministry of National Heritage, the Department of Archaeology has been requesting a lower allocation annually. Officials who appeared before the Committee stated that funds allocated through Cabinet approval had remained unutilized, and that there are plans to reduce future allocations requested from the Treasury accordingly.The shortage of vehicles available to the Department was also discussed, with officials noting that this has significantly affected the institution’s performance. The Committee stated that it would take steps to raise this matter with the relevant authorities.The meeting was attended by Committee Member Hon. Deputy Minister Dinindu Saman Hennayake and Hon. Members of Parliament (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, Hector Appuhamy, Chanaka Madugoda, Chandana Sooriyaarachchi, and Ruwanthilaka Jayakody.
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