2023-06-27
Lanka Sathosa Ltd was called before the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) on 22.06.2023 under the chairmanship of Hon. (Prof.) Ranjith Bandara, Member of Parliament.
Here, the following primary facts related to the company's 2019 and 2020 Auditor General's reports and current performance were investigated.
Instructions to prepare a comprehensive plan up until 2028
Attention was drawn towards the fact that a concrete plan for 2021-24 was in place but it was not approved by the Ministry. Thus, the Committee Chair informed the officials to prepare a comprehensive plan up until 2028 and report on its activities within 2 months. He further instructed to prepare an action plan.
Attention directed towards internal audit queries not being done properly
It was discussed that although there are 21 internal auditor staff, only 3 audit queries have been submitted for the year 2021 and none for the year 2022. Moreover, attention was drawn to the auditor's difficulty in obtaining information regarding the company's accounts. Accordingly, the Auditor General also informed that the Internal Audit Department should be notified in this regard through an internal circular.
A decision to discuss separately the loss of 6 billion rupees due to the importation of rice
It was disclosed that during 2014-2015, there was a loss of 6 billion rupees due to the importation of rice through Lanka Sathosa. It was also discussed that the imported has been sold for animal feed due to expiry. A report has been prepared by the Auditor General regarding this incident and thus it was decided at the Committee to discuss this matter in the future.
The Chair also said that the loss of Lanka Sathosa in 2022 is close to 600 million. It was also discussed that the total loss by December 31st, 2021 is close to 15 billion.
The need to prepare a suitable business model for Lanka Sathosa emphasized
It was discussed in the Committee that instead of importing and selling goods, Lanka Sathosa y has missed the opportunity to sell goods at a lower price to the customer and gain more profit for the company by buying and selling goods from the Pettah.
Furthermore, the officials explained about the loss due to the delay in receiving money even though the goods are imported based on the policy decisions taken by the government.
The COPE Chair emphasized the need to prepare a business model suitable for Sathosa. The Auditor General also pointed out the internal administrative weaknesses as well as the need to establish this institution under a business model that can make decisions independently without external interference.
The Committee also emphasized the need to attract more customers to Lanka Sathosa stores.
Instructions to carry out a re-evaluation in respect of the vacancies before filling them
It was revealed that there are 1123 employee vacancies in the institution and the Auditor General pointed out the need for a re-evaluation before filling those employee vacancies.
It was also decided to re-summonl Lanka Sathosa on August 22nd.
Members of Parliament Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Hon. Nimal Lanza, Hon. Jayantha Samaraweera, Hon. S. M. M. Muszhaaraff, Hon. S. M. Marikkar, Hon. Sanjeeva Edirimanna, Hon. Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, Hon. Madhura Withanage, Hon. (Prof.) Charitha Herath, were present at the Committee meeting held.
2026-09-15
The wearing of seat belts will be made mandatory from September 20 for all persons travelling in all seats of vehicles operating on expressways. The Order published in Extraordinary Gazette No. 2493/19 dated June 17, 2026, which was introduced to bring an end to the concessionary period granted for compliance with this requirement, has been approved by Parliament.The matter was discussed at length recently at a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways and Urban Development, chaired by Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, held at Parliament.An amendment to the Motor Traffic (Expressways) Order dated August 3, 2011, published under Gazette No. 1717/14, was introduced through Gazette Notification No. 2455/29 dated September 25, 2025, making the wearing of seat belts mandatory for all persons travelling in vehicles operating on expressways. The measure was introduced with the objective of reducing the number of fatalities resulting from the increasing number of road accidents and minimizing the severity of injuries caused by such accidents.Accordingly, a three-month concessionary period was granted from the date of publication of the Gazette notification for the installation of seat belts in seats that had not been fitted with seat belts by the vehicle manufacturer. This concessionary period ended on December 25, 2025.However, taking into consideration various public requests to further extend the concessionary period to allow vehicle owners additional time to install seat belts, steps were taken to extend the period again from March 20, 2026, to June 19, 2026.The Committee also discussed the inspection of the minimum standards and specifications relating to the technical condition of vehicles used for passenger transport services regulated by the National Transport Commission, Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authorities, or the Sri Lanka Transport Board. This included passenger transport services, school transport services, office transport services, and vehicles engaged in special tours operated on a hired basis, with the objective of ensuring their roadworthiness.The Orders published in Extraordinary Gazette No. 2489/22 dated May 19, 2026, introduced for this purpose, have also been approved by Parliament.With the increasing number of motor vehicles in Sri Lanka, the need to ensure road safety, environmental protection, and the technical fitness of vehicles has become increasingly important. During the Committee meeting, it was also noted that studies of road accidents occurring in Sri Lanka have revealed that serious traffic accidents are frequently caused not only by driver errors but also by mechanical defects and vehicle maintenance issues.The Chairperson requested Members of Parliament to take steps to raise awareness among vehicle owners and the general public regarding these matters.The meeting was attended by Dr. Prasanna Gunasena, Hon. Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways; Eranga Gunasekara, Hon. Deputy Minister of Urban Development, along with several Members of Parliament and government officials.
2026-09-14
The Subcommittee on Education Reforms met recently (Sep. 09) in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.The meeting focused on the progress of the General Education Reforms and Preschool Education Reforms scheduled to be implemented from 2027.It was stated that, as the initial step in implementing the General Education Reforms, activity books, teacher guides and modules required for Grades 2 and 6 have been prepared, while teacher training programmes are currently being conducted.It was also stated that plans are in place to include seven subjects, including History and Aesthetic Studies, for the G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination; introduce vocational education from Grades 10 and 11; and introduce modules on social cohesion, law and ethics for Grades 12 and 13.It was further announced that a series of awareness programmes on the new education reforms will be conducted in the future.The meeting also revealed that a National Preschool Education Policy has been formulated to formalize preschool education, and that work is underway on activities including the registration of preschools, preparation of curricula and teacher guides, and implementation of teacher training programmes.Hon. Dr. Madura Seneviratne, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education, along with Members of Parliament and a group of officials, participated in the meeting.
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.
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