2023-06-14
• Orders to draft a new Act in accordance with international standards
• Overcrowding in prisons has increased by 250%
• Instructions for prompt filling of employee vacancies
• The need for expediting inspection reports is emphasized
It was disclosed at the Committee on Public Accounts held under the Chairmanship of Hon. Lasantha Alagiyawanna recently (June 09) that there are many issues in the Department of Prisons.
The Committee expressed its displeasure at the delay in the work as recommended by the Committee previously that a new Act be prepared in accordance with international standards to replace the existing Act establishing the Prisons Department.
Accordingly, the Committee Chair instructed to provide a report with a specific time frame on the completion of these activities by July 10th.
Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya said that the capacity in prisons has increased and this figure is generally 259% and in some prisons this figure has increased by 300%-400%. Accordingly, although there is room for only 11762 inmates in the prisons, 26791 inmates are currently in prisons, Secretary to the Justice Ministry Mrs. Wasantha Perera revealed.
Out of this number, 17502 are remand prisoners and 10470 of them are drug related offenders. Furthermore, the Commissioner General of Prisons said that there are 9289 people who have been convicted by the court and 3569 of them are drug-related offenders. It was also revealed that 1309 of them are in prison for not being able to pay fines.
Mr. Chandana Ekanayake, Additional Commissioner General of Prisons, said that it is a big problem that people who cannot pay fines are released under special amnesty on occasions like Vesak and Poson.
It was also revealed that the number of drug-related offenders has increased rapidly. According to this, rehabilitation work will be done in 9 new centers, said the Commissioner General of Prisons. The Committee also informed the officials to quickly prepare and submit the necessary proposals and plans to control this situation.
It was also revealed that out of the total number of 7872 employees, there are 1663 vacancies. COPA Chair instructed to complete these as well as to present related plans and proposals if an increase in the total number of employees is required.
It was also revealed that 4 of the 11 machines that are used to body check and check the bags of goods in the prison are not working. Officials pointed out that since these machines are more than 10 years old, it is profitable to buy new machines compared to the cost of repairs. Accordingly, the COPA Chair instructed the officers to submit a plan regarding the necessary machines for all prisons.
Due to the 'jammer' that disables telephone signals in the prison, attention was drawn to the fact that signals are not working in the surrounding areas as well. The Commissioner General of Prisons said that these activities are currently being carried out by the Sri Lanka Signal Corps and that a technology that works accurately only for the relevant area is currently available in developed countries. Accordingly, the Committee advised to discuss this matter with the relevant security forces as well as with the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and take the necessary steps immediately.
The Committee also discussed about submission of inspection reports. Government Analyst Mrs. Deepika Seneviratne said that there are 25 vacancies due to the majority of scientific officers going abroad. However, she said that the number of reports to be given has been reduced to 3944 and that 15 more officers will be hired under the contract basis and the accumulated amount will be completed soon. Also, in 2021 and 2022, the number of reports to be given per month is between 1200-1500, but this year, it is more than 2500 per month, she said. It was also revealed that a large number of them were drug cases. The Committee advised to complete the required number of employees and consider these activities as a special task and complete them promptly.
Apart from this, the need to set up an accurate computer data system related to the prison department, reducing the quality of food after obtaining the tender by using realistic prices for the supply of prisoners' food during the procurement activities were also discussed.
State Ministers Hon. (Ms.) Diana Gamage, Hon. Prasanna Ranaweera, Members of Parliament Hon. Ashok Abeysinghe, Hon. Niroshan Perera, Hon. Wimalaweera Dissanayake, Hon. Jayantha Ketagoda, Hon. (Ms.) Manjula Dissanayake, Hon. Sahan Pradeep Withana, Hon. Isuru Dodangoda, Hon. (Ms.) Mudita Prashanthi and Hon. Premnath C. Dolawatte with the approval of the Chair were present at the Committee meeting held.
2026-09-08
The Co-Chairs of the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative stated that steps will be taken to present to Parliament the views and proposals put forward during the “Voice to Policy” dialogue series organized for youth, with the aim of promoting the concept of an Open Parliament.They made these remarks while participating in the “Voice to Policy” programme held last Saturday (Sep. 05) at the Golden Crown Hotel in Kandy for youth in the Kandy District. The Co-Chairs of the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative, Hon. Minister Prof. Krishantha Abeyasena and Hon. Member of Parliament Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, participated in the programme.The first programme of the “Voice to Policy” dialogue series was held in the Gampaha District, the second in the Batticaloa District, and the third in the Kandy District. Members of the Caucus, Hon. Members of Parliament S.M. Marikkar, Attorney-at-Law Susanta Dodawatte, Attorney-at-Law Chamindrani Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, Lal Premanath, Major General (Retired) G.D. Sooriyabandara and M.K.M. Aslam, as well as Assistant Secretary-General of Parliament Mr. Hansa Abeyratne and others, participated in the programme held in Kandy.The young people who participated in the programme representing the Kandy District identified the challenges they face under five key themes: economic opportunities and employment; public administration and accountability; social inclusion and justice; political participation and representation; and other matters.They also proposed solutions to the identified issues and identified the relevant government institutions that could be held responsible for addressing them. The young participants subsequently presented the issues and proposals to members of the Caucus. Based on these proposals, an extensive dialogue was held between representatives of the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative and the youth of the Kandy District.Members of the Caucus stated that their objective is to bring the views and proposals of youth to Parliament. They further assured that steps would be taken to submit to Parliament a report containing the views and proposals presented during the “Voice to Policy” programmes conducted to date, and to take the necessary measures to further engage young people with parliamentary processes and activities.The programme was sponsored by CII (Coalition for Inclusive Impact).
2026-09-07
The Select Committee of Parliament to conduct a comprehensive study on the lack of preparedness to face Cyclone Ditwah and report to Parliament and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard recently questioned senior officials of the Sri Lanka Police who were involved in responding to the disaster at the time.The questioning took place when the Committee met recently at Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa.Accordingly, a group of Senior Superintendents of Police and Superintendents of Police from the districts affected by Cyclone Ditwah were summoned before the Committee.Former Member of Parliament Nimal Piyatissa was also summoned before the Committee. He was called to provide detailed information regarding comments he made to the media concerning the measures taken in response to the cyclone at the time it occurred.Members of Parliament serving on the Committee also participated in the meeting.
2026-09-07
The 13th meeting of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities was held recently at Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Chair of the Caucus.The meeting focused on the draft action plan of the Caucus prepared for the period from July 2026 to June 2027, and discussions were held on its implementation going forward.Prepared with the technical assistance of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the action plan has been developed under four key areas: parliamentary coordination and oversight; budget advocacy and accountability; legal and policy reforms; and accessible and inclusive public services. The meeting discussed future actions relating to each of these areas.IFES Sri Lanka Deputy Director Mr. Indraka Ubesekara, Senior Programme Officer Ms. Anojitha Sivaskaran, and National Council for Persons with Disabilities member Mr. Tikiri Kumara Jayawardena briefed the Caucus on the work carried out to date and the plans for the future.The importance of incorporating the views and needs of persons with disabilities into planning at the local level was also highlighted. Based on the experiences of district-level consultation programmes conducted in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Kalutara and Polonnaruwa, it was noted that a similar programme is scheduled to be held in the Hambantota District in the future.Discussions were also held on establishing an appropriate mechanism to ensure the active participation of the disability community in the preparation of local development plans through district-level accessibility audit committees and district coordinating committees. It was further pointed out that incorporating accessibility features from the initial stages of building and urban planning can help minimize the costly modifications that may otherwise be required at a later stage.The meeting was also informed that a report comprising 234 policy and practical proposals, prepared with the participation of nearly 60 organizations representing the disability community for the 2027 National Budget, has already been submitted to the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Finance and relevant government institutions. The Caucus decided to closely monitor how these proposals are implemented and whether they result in tangible benefits for persons with disabilities.Attention was also drawn to further strengthening the existing legal and policy framework to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure accessibility. It was decided to hold a special discussion with officials of the relevant ministries and the Legal Draftsman’s Department to inquire into the progress of the proposed “New Bill on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” and the “Sign Language Bill”, which are currently being drafted.The meeting also discussed the need to update existing legal provisions and standards relating to accessibility for persons with disabilities in line with international best practices. Proposals were put forward to introduce accessibility guidelines for private-sector institutions and gradually incorporate them into the legal framework, as well as to implement a pilot project with several selected private institutions.Special attention was also given to making public services more accessible and inclusive. The meeting discussed the findings of accessibility audits conducted at the Ministry of Labour’s “Mehewara Piyasa” building and Sethsiripaya Buildings Phases I and II. It was also noted that steps have been taken to ensure that the construction of Sethsiripaya Phase III is designed to be accessible to persons with disabilities from the outset.In addition, programmes such as low-floor bus services, accessible tourism for persons with disabilities, and the “Friendly Cities” programme were identified as models for improving accessibility within public services. Attention was also drawn to removing accessibility barriers faced by persons with disabilities when accessing healthcare services.Addressing the meeting at its conclusion, the Chair of the Caucus, Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, stated that one of the Caucus’s primary objectives is to create an environment in which the disability community can lead free, independent and dignified lives without fear or uncertainty.The Chair further stated that Parliament would continue to fulfil its role in giving priority to the voices of persons with disabilities when making decisions concerning them, and in ensuring their participation in every sector of society. He also expressed his appreciation to all Members of Parliament, IFES and other stakeholders who have contributed to this work.The meeting was attended by Hon. Members of Parliament, including (Dr.) Nihal Abeysinghe, Attorney-at-Law Susantha Dodawatte, Padmasiri Bandara, (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath, Attorney-at-Law Bhagya Sri Herath and Chandima Hettiarachchi, among others.
2026-09-03
The Committee on Ways and Means of Parliament recently reviewed the operations of Sri Lanka Customs, including its revenue performance. The matter was considered when the Committee met recently under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Wijesiri Basnayake.Officials, including the Director General of Customs, informed the Committee that the expected Customs revenue as of June 30, 2026, was Rs. 1,060,559 million, while actual revenue collected by that date amounted to Rs. 1,379,084 million. This represented 130% achievement against the expected revenue target. Officials further informed the Committee that Customs had generated revenue exceeding the monthly targets in every month of the year to date, and that, compared with 2025, higher revenue performance had been recorded in each month.Providing information on vehicle imports in 2026, officials stated that 316,000 vehicles had been imported as of June 30, 2026, generating Rs. 512,547 million in tax revenue. According to the information presented to the Committee, the highest amount of tax revenue, Rs. 386,726 million, had been generated through the importation of motor vehicles.Furthermore, among the categories of commodities generating the highest Customs revenue, petrol motor cars less than 1,000cc ranked first, generating Rs. 137.4 billion. This represented 9.96% of total revenue.The Committee also focused on matters including the volume of imported containers and the procedures followed for their inspection, the introduction of modern technology to improve the efficiency of Sri Lanka Customs operations, challenges in revenue administration, and future plans.Several Members of the Committee on Ways and Means, together with officials representing the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Sri Lanka Customs, participated in the Committee meeting.
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