2021-09-14
News Categories : Committee News
Leader of the House, Minister of Education Dinesh Gunawardena said that a new national education policy that the country needed is being formulated. He was speaking at the Consultative Committee on Education held in Parliament recently (10).
The need to formulate a proper system to fill the vacancies of principals in schools was also discussed at this meeting.
While claiming that resolving the current teacher salary anomaly is a serious problem, State Minister Susil Premajayantha said that the process of locating teachers should also be streamlined. The State Minister also stated that a program is underway to transform the teacher training National Colleges of Education into Universities.
Addressing the committee through online technology, Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that the official languages are in a state of decline. He also drew the attention of the Committee to the fact that English is becoming the language of education in the country at present.
It was revealed at the Consultative Committee on Education that the report of the technical committee for the inclusion of law in Sri Lanka as a subject in the school syllabus will be submitted to the relevant subcommittee within two weeks. It was also suggested that law should be included not as a separate subject but as part of the subject of Civic education. Member of Parliament Dr. (Ms) Harini Amarasuriya, said that it is very important to include children's rights in this as well. She pointed out that the relationship between law and society should also be reflected in it.
It was also discussed at this Committee that a proper program should be implemented to make permanent the graduate trainees attached to the schools. MPs brought to the notice of the committee that out of 60,000 graduates, 18,000 are currently attached to schools and the methodology proposed to make permanent them is problematic. State Minister Jayantha Samaraweera stated that some of the graduates who are currently attached to schools do not like this methodology.
MP Chandima Weerakkody pointed out the need to implement a proper program to protect the dignity of teachers.
Further discussions were held at the Committee on the School Selection Program for the project to establish 1000 National Schools. The Committee Chairman informed the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Prof. Kapila Perera to take measures and explain the matter to the Committee.
State Minister Sitha Arambepola, Members of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Parliamentarians Anupa Pasqual, Yadamini Gunawardena and Premanath C. Dolawatta were also present at the Committee Meeting. Meanwhile Minister Douglas Devananda, State Ministers Vijitha Berugoda and Piyal Nishantha as well as Parliamentarians Upul Mahendra Rajapaksa and Gevidu Kumaratunga joined the Committee via online technology.
Officials of the Ministry of Education and related institutions also participated in this committee meeting through online technology.
This Committee which met six months later is the first Ministerial Consultative Committee Meeting of the Ministry of Education held after the appointment of the Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena as the Minister of Education.
2026-01-09
Committee draws attention to the need to recruit IT OfficersCommittee highlights the failure to update the official website of the Department of ArchaeologyThe Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) emphasized the necessity of maintaining a centralized data system containing comprehensive information on antiquities and archaeological excavations.This matter was discussed when COPA met in Parliament on 06th January 2026, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim, to examine the Auditor General’s Reports for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023 relating to the Department of Archaeology, as well as the department’s current performance.The Committee recalled that at its meeting held on 03rd October 2023, it had recommended the establishment and maintenance of a data system incorporating information on all archaeological excavation sites in the country, discoveries made through such excavations, the success or failure of those excavations, whether further excavations should be continued, and details of other locations requiring excavation.When the Chair inquired into the current progress, the officials present stated that a comprehensive database containing all such information has not yet been established, and that a data system is currently maintained only in relation to excavation permits.Accordingly, the Committee stressed that it is critically important to establish and continuously update such a data system, and informed officials that COPA is prepared to provide assistance if required. The Chair further emphasized the importance of assigning a sufficient number of IT officers to the Department of Archaeology.Officials informed the Committee that although approval had been granted by the Department of Management Services to recruit 12 IT officers, currently only one officer is in service, and that officer is not attached to the head office. The Committee therefore instructed that urgent action be taken to fill the existing vacancies.The Chair also recommended that a formal proposal with regard to the centralized, up-to-date database on archaeological excavations be submitted to the Committee within three months.The Committee further drew attention to the failure to update the official website of the Department of Archaeology. Members pointed out that maintaining an updated official website is vital for tourist attraction. Accordingly, the Committee instructed the Department to prepare a mechanism and take prompt action to update the website.Additionally, the Committee took note that 48% of the total archaeological sites identified as at 31 December 2023 have not yet been gazetted. The Committee recommended that a report containing full details of gazetted and non-gazetted sites be submitted within one month.Furthermore, the Committee recommended the submission of a report on sites identified for nomination to UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, along with the relevant draft proposals.The meeting was attended by Committee Members, Hon. Deputy Ministers Sugath Thilakaratne, Aravinda Senarath, and Nalin Hewage, and Committee Members Hon. Members of parliament M. L. A. M. Hisbullah, Dr. Janaka Senarathna, T. K. Jayasundara, Chandana Sooriyarachchi, (Attorney at Law) Sagarika Athauda, (Attorney at Law) Thushari Jayasinghe, Oshani Umanga, Lal Premanath, Manjula Suraweera Arachchi, Ruwanthilaka Jayakody and Sunil Ratnasiri.
2026-01-08
Rs. 25 million working capital loan and investment scheme for businesses affected by Cyclone Dithwa, along with a Rs. 25 million loan scheme at 5% interest – Secretary to the Ministry of FinanceThe Ministerial Consultative Committee on Finance, Planning and Economic Development met on 07.01.2026 at the Parliamentary Complex under the chairmanship of Hon. President and Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Anura Kumara Dissanayake.The meeting was attended by the Hon. Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Anil Jayantha, Hon.Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Nishantha Jayaweera, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, among others.Discussions focused on financial assistance for industries affected by Cyclone Dithwa. It was noted that several loan schemes have been introduced to support affected business owners. Accordingly, the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, stated that a Rs. 25 million working capital loan and investment scheme, as well as a Rs. 25 million loan scheme at a concessional interest rate of 5%, have already been arranged.It was further revealed that a sum of Rs. 1 billion has already been allocated to the Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development. The Committee drew attention to the fact that these funds have not yet been utilized in a proper and effective manner.Hon. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake instructed the Ministry to take necessary steps to establish a systematic mechanism to ensure the effective utilization of the funds already allocated and released, before considering the allocation of additional funds.The Committee also discussed the need for a mechanism to register all businesses contributing to the national economy, as well as the importance of raising awareness among the business community about the benefits of such registration.Accordingly, the Chairperson of the Committee stated that the Government has also focused its attention on providing relief to unregistered small and medium-scale entrepreneurs who were affected by the recent disaster. District Secretaries have been instructed to submit reports in this regard.In addition, Hon. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the compensation payments for fully damaged houses and the programme for constructing new houses will commence on January 09, starting from Anuradhapura and Kurunegala.The meeting was attended by the Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Ms. Hemali Weerasekara, several Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and Members of Parliament, the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and officials of institutions under the Ministry, the Secretary-General of Parliament, Ms. Kushani Rohanadeera and several officials including the Director (Legislative Services) and the Acting Director of Communications, Mr. M. Jayalath Perera.
2026-01-08
The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways and Urban Development has approved the Regulations under the Motor Traffic Act (Chapter 203) scheduled to be presented to Parliament for approval on 08.01.2025.Accordingly, this approval was granted at the recent (Jan. 06) meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways and Urban Development held in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake.As such, the Regulations published in the Extraordinary Gazette bearing No. 2452/40 under the Motor Traffic Act (Chapter 203) state that in an instance where a police officer has reasonable suspicion that a person driving, operating or physically controlling a motor vehicle on any road has used drugs, such police officer shall produce that person to a Government Medical Officer or an officer of a hospital who has been empowered for the purpose, for further examination.Furthermore, the Regulations published in the Extraordinary Gazette bearing No. 2455/29 under the Motor Traffic Act (Chapter 203) state that every person travelling on an expressway must wear a seat belt. Accordingly, the Committee granted approval for the said Regulations.In addition, officials of the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development briefed the Committee on the damage caused due to the sudden disaster situation that arose within the country and the progress of restoration efforts. Officials of the Road Development Authority stated that approximately 287 road sections belonging to the Authority, covering a distance of around 1481 kilometers, have been damaged. They further informed the Committee that the estimated cost for reconstruction would be around Rs. 86 billion.Officials of the Railway Department stated that the Department has incurred a loss of approximately Rs. 300 billion. Furthermore, officials stated that the Sri Lanka Transport Board has suffered a loss of around Rs. 63 million due to the emergency disaster situation.The Chair of the Committee also stated that a web page has been created to inform the public regarding the damage caused to the road system in various parts of the country. Accordingly, he pointed out that the public may access the page https://road-lk.org/ to obtain information on the relevant damage.Hon. Deputy Chairman of the Committees Hemali Weerasekara, Hon. Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, Hon. State Minister of Transport and Highways (Dr.) Prasanna Gunasekera, Hon. Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara, other Hon. Deputy Ministers, Hon. Members of Parliament and several government officials were present at this occasion.
2026-01-08
Approval of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Labour has been granted for the Regulation under Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act (Chapter 129), scheduled for debate in Parliament tomorrow (Jan. 9).This approval was granted at the meeting of the Committee held in Parliament on 2026.01.06, chaired by the Minister of Labour (Dr.) Anil Jayantha and with the participation of the Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe.This Regulation, made by the Minister of Labour on 2025.12.12, was presented to Parliament on 2025.12.18. The Regulation amends the current legal provision which states:“Any female employee who has attained the age of eighteen years may be employed in a residential hotel after 6.00 p.m and before 6.00 a.m, on the work of a female reception officer, ladies linen room attendant, ladies cloak room attendant or ladies lavatory attendant.”Accordingly, the Regulation introduces the required legal amendments to allow, in addition to the designated categories already permitted, female workers over the age of 18 employed in residential hotels as Food and Beverage Stewardess to be engaged in employment after 6.00 p.m. or before 6.00 a.m. on the following day.However, officials informed the Committee that under this Regulation, in any instance where the work shift of a female employer employed under this provision ends between 6.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m., the employer shall be responsible for ensuring her health care, safety and welfare by providing suitable accommodation until 6.00 a.m. or providing transport facilities to her usual residence.Although the current female population in Sri Lanka is approximately 51%, female labour force participation is around 34%. It was discussed that easing existing legal restrictions is a timely need in order to create opportunities to increase female labour contributions, especially to support the rapidly developing tourism sector.A number of proposals on measures that can be taken to safeguard the rights of female workers and other employees, as well as matters relating to increasing the wages of plantation workers, were presented to the Committee by Hon. Members of Parliament. The Hon. Minister of Labour stated that discussions on these matters will be carried out in the future and necessary steps will be taken accordingly.A number of Members of Parliament, the Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, and officials representing the Ministry of Labour and institutions under it also participated in this Committee meeting.
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