2021-09-23
News Categories : Committee News
It is the general opinion of the Select Committee of Parliament to Identify Appropriate Reforms of the Election Laws and the Electoral System and to Recommend Necessary Amendments that the Provincial Council Elections should be held expeditiously, said the committee Chairman, Leader of the House, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday (22).
He also said that a request has already been made to obtain the recommendations of the Attorney General's Department regarding the steps to be taken to hold the election expeditiously.
Member of Parliament Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero who testified on behalf of the
the 'Our Power of People Party' (Ape Janabala Pakshaya) said that it would be appropriate to abolish the existing preferential electoral system completely. Ven. Rathana Thero also pointed out the need to have a Member of Parliament responsible for a division. Ven. Rathana Thero further stated that the representation of minority parties should be ensured and a culture of ideological politics should be created in the country.
Ven. Thero further stated that criteria should be formulated regarding the control of election expenses and that democratic principles should be introduced to political parties.
Speaking at the committee on behalf of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the party's chief executive, former minister Ajith. P. Perera, said that the 20th amendment to the constitution had given power to other parties. He also pointed out that a policy of checks and balances should be implemented between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
Mr. Perera stated that there is a code of conduct for Members of Parliament and it should be implemented in practice. He also raised the need to formulate a Code of Conduct for Members of Provincial Councils and Local Government Bodies.
He also said that in all electoral reforms, the right to vote should be guaranteed as a part of the sovereignty of the people and the principles of democracy should be upheld there.
Mr. Perera further stated that it was very important that all elections be held freely and fairly. He also emphasized in the Committee that Parliamentary, Provincial Council and Local Government elections should be held under the Proportional Representation System.
He pointed out that new laws should be enacted to regulate the financial expenditure of the election campaign and to ensure the representation of youth and women.
Mr. Ajith P. Perera suggested in the Committee that dual citizenship should be a disqualification to contest elections and that a system should be set up for the proper registration of all eligible voters.
The “Samagi Jana Balawegaya” also stressed the need for equal distribution of state and private media airtime between the parties contesting the elections. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim stated that there should be an election schedule in the country to ensure the right of the people to vote.
Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Douglas Devananda, Wimal Weerawansa, M.U.M Ali Sabbari, Members of Parliament Anura Dissanayake, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, M.A Sumanthiran, Rauf Hakeem, Mano Ganeshan, Madura Vithanage and Sagara Kariyawasam were also present at the meeting.
Officials from the Delimitation Commission and the Attorney General's Department also participated in the committee. The next meeting of the Parliamentary Select Committee is scheduled to be held on the 29th of September, said the Secretary to the Select Committee, Deputy Secretary General & Chief of Staff of Parliament Ms. Kushani Rohanadheera.
2026-08-14
The Caucus on Climate Parliament of Sri Lanka emphasized the need to move beyond reactive crisis management and establish Anticipatory Crisis Governance mechanisms to strengthen Sri Lanka’s climate resilience in the face of climate change, including El Niño conditions.At the meeting, held recently in Parliament under the joint chairmanship of Hon. Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa and Hon. Member of Parliament Prof. L.M. Abeywickrema, discussions covered a wide range of issues, including climate change, El Niño conditions, agriculture, water management, wildlife conservation, human-elephant conflict, disaster management and environmental management.Delivering the main expert presentation at the meeting, Prof. Charitha Pattiarachchi, Winthrop Professor of coastal oceanography at the University of Western Australia, highlighted the need for early preparedness in the face of climate risks, science-based policymaking and stronger disaster management mechanisms. The disaster management model of the Indian state of Odisha was also discussed. It was noted that, during a cyclone in 2019, the state was able to evacuate approximately one million people to safe locations within 24 hours.The interim report presented by Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human-Elephant Conflict, pointed out that climate conditions could intensify human-elephant conflict and highlighted the need for short- and long-term measures, including community-based electric fences, seasonal paddy-field fencing, wildlife habitat management and water management.The interim report presented by Prof. Sampath Seneviratne, Chairman of the Independent Expert Advisory Group on El Niño Resilience, analyzed the impacts of climate change on agriculture, biodiversity, water security and the rural economy. The report also proposed a Strategic Climate Resilience Framework based on scientific evidence.With regard to wildlife conservation, attention was drawn to addressing the shortage of veterinary officers, strengthening wildlife management, and reducing environmental damage caused by human activities, plastics and waste in and around national parks. Proposals were also put forward to minimize environmental impacts in sensitive sacred areas, introduce a differential pricing system for the tourism sector, and develop infrastructure in national parks.The meeting also emphasized the need to strengthen science-based policies, institutional coordination and early-preparedness mechanisms in order to enhance Sri Lanka’s resilience to climate change.Members of Parliament, government officials, representatives of international organizations and development partners, researchers, youth representatives and representatives of civil society organizations participated in the meeting.
2026-08-13
The Committee on Public Finance stressed the need to make the security sticker system used on liquor bottles more efficient and cost-effective.The Committee on Public Finance, Chaired by Hon. Member of Parliament (Dr.) Harsha de Silva, met recently in Parliament. The Committee discussed the security sticker system used on liquor bottles, the Regulations issued under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, No. 1 of 1969, and matters relating to the dissolution of the Shrama Vasana Fund under the Finance Act, No. 38 of 1971. Hon. Deputy Ministers Chathuranga Abeysinghe and Nishantha Jayaweera, Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne and Hon. Members of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake, Harshana Rajakaruna and Attorney at Law Lakmali Hemachandra, participated in the meeting. Hon. Wijesiri Basnayake and Hon. Attorney at Law Chithral Fernando, participated online. The Committee paid extensive attention to the cost of the security sticker system, its technical standards and the economic benefits to the Government. It was revealed that the system was introduced in accordance with the 2016 Budget proposals to reduce the use of untaxed liquor, safeguard excise revenue and prevent the circulation of counterfeit liquor. The contract for the system was awarded in 2017 to the Indian company Madras Security Printers (MSP).The Committee also discussed the practical difficulties of using physical stickers in high-speed liquor production processes. Accordingly, permission was granted in 2021 to use digital (inkjet) code printing. The Committee noted that the same fee of US$ 5.99 charged for 1,000 printed paper stickers is also being charged for digital code printing.While the initial infrastructure costs for sticker printing machines at bottling plants need to be considered, a digital sticker would generally cost less than a paper sticker. Therefore, the Committee stressed the need to review the existing cost structure and the benefits received by the Government.The Committee also discussed the need to adequately adopt international ISO standards for the security sticker system, introduce a Track and Trace system to monitor the movement of liquor products from production to the consumer, and provide a facility for consumers to verify the authenticity of products through a mobile application.The Committee further stressed that the new tender process should consider not only the price but also quality, data security and technical standards. It was also emphasized that officers with the necessary technical expertise should be involved in the tender evaluation process to prevent counterfeit stickers and imitation.The Excise Department was instructed to study global best practices followed by other countries and prepare a report for submission to the Committee.Meanwhile, the Committee also considered the new Regulations issued under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, No. 1 of 1969. The Regulations, published in Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2496/38 dated 10 July 2026, prohibit the importation into Sri Lanka of goods manufactured wholly or partly using forced labour. The objective is to strengthen the legal framework for responsible trade and compliance with international labour standards.The relevant Gazette Notification has been submitted to Parliament for approval in terms of Section 20 of the Act. It was also noted that the Gazette Notification prohibiting the importation of goods manufactured using forced labour enabled Sri Lanka to be included in the lowest and more favourable 10% category, instead of the initially applicable 12.5% category, under the United States’ forced-labour-related tariff measures implemented under Section 301, which were concluded on 23 July 2026.The Committee also considered matters relating to the dissolution of the Shrama Vasana Fund established under the Finance Act, No. 38 of 1971. It was stated that the Fund, established under the Act of 1998 and amended by the Act of 2019, had been identified for dissolution due to its lack of relevance to the present context, poor performance and underutilisation of its assets.Officials explained to the Committee that following the closure of the Fund, its essential services would continue to be provided through the Ministry of Labour. This is expected to reduce the cost of maintaining a separate institutional structure and enable public resources to be utilized more effectively.
2026-08-13
The Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amendment) Bill, which is scheduled to be debated in Parliament on the 20th (Second Reading), was recently considered by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital.The matter was discussed when the Committee met recently under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Sunil Rajapaksa. The meeting was chaired by Hon. MP Sunil Rajapaksa as the Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital, Hon. Attorney-at-Law Hesha Withanage, was absent on that occasion.Officials of the Ministry of Labour stated that the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amendment) Bill has been introduced to increase the fines imposed for offences under the Women, Young Persons and Children (Employment) Act No. 47 of 1956, from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 100,000.The Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act No. 47 of 1956 completely prohibits the employment of children below the age of 16. The Act also sets out regulations that employers must follow when employing young persons above the age of 16 but below 18. Under the Act and the regulations issued under it, employing children and young persons within these age groups in hazardous occupations that could adversely affect their health, safety or morals constitutes a punishable offence.An amendment made to the Act in 2003 introduced provisions allowing a person convicted of an offence under the Act to be punished by a fine not exceeding Rs. 10,000, imprisonment for a period not exceeding 12 months, or either of these penalties, as well as both the fine and imprisonment. The court may also, at its discretion, order compensation to be paid to the affected child. However, it has been observed that the existing fines are no longer adequate.Accordingly, it is proposed to update and amend the minimum fines specified in Sections 7(3), 13(2) and 20(a)(3) of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act No. 47 of 1956, while also bringing the legislation into conformity with the conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) ratified by Sri Lanka.In view of the above, the Committee Chairman stated that the proposed amendment is a timely necessity, and the Committee subsequently approved the Bill.The Committee also considered the annual performance reports of the Ministry of Labour for 2024 and 2025; the annual performance report of the Department of Labour for 2024; the annual performance report of the Department of Manpower and Employment for 2024; the annual report of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health for 2023; and the annual reports of the National Institute of Labour Studies for 2023 and 2024.A number of Committee members, as well as officials from the Ministry of Labour and several institutions under its purview, participated in the Committee meeting.
2026-08-11
The need to modernize Sri Lanka’s land administration system to make it more transparent and efficient through digital technology was emphasized at the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability.The Committee, which met recently at Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy, held an extensive discussion on the roles of institutions responsible for the country’s land sector, the challenges they face, and the reforms required in the field of land administration.During the meeting, the need to network all land-related data through an integrated digital system was emphasized in order to minimize the misuse of state land and fraud involving forged deeds. Officials pointed out that land administration could be made more systematic by maintaining information on the ownership, boundaries and other relevant details of state lands under a single data system. They further noted that land fraud could be minimized by establishing a national digital land information system based on GPS coordinates.Attention was also drawn to coordination issues relating to land ownership and boundary demarcation among government institutions, including the Land Reform Commission and the Mahaweli Authority. The Committee emphasized that transparency and efficiency in the land administration sector could be further enhanced by implementing the necessary legal and administrative reforms, introducing digital data systems, and strengthening coordination among government institutions.Meanwhile, the Committee also considered and approved a Bill to amend the Animals Act No. 29 of 1958. The proposed amendments are intended to bring the transportation of goats, pigs and sheep within the regulatory framework of the Act and to facilitate measures to control animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease through the proper regulation of animal transportation.A proposal to amend the Survey Act No. 17 of 2002 was also considered. Discussions focused on establishing the necessary legal framework for depositing private survey plans prepared by licensed surveyors in the archives of the Survey Department of Sri Lanka, protecting intellectual property rights, and enabling members of the public to obtain certified copies of such plans.Committee members Hon. Members of Parliament Upul Kithsiri, Roshan Akmeemana, Susantha Kumara Nawarathna, Kitnan Selvaraj, Attorney-at-Law Bhagya Sri Herath and Gnanamuttu Srinesan participated in the meeting. With the permission of the Chairperson of the Committee, Hon. Members of Parliament Ajith P. Perera and Ruwanthilaka Jayakody also participated. A number of government officials, including Secretaries of the relevant ministries, were also present.
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