2023-07-01
Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka (JAAFSL), which is the organization representing garment manufacturing and exporting industries was summoned before the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis.
This committee met in Parliament on 22.06.2023 under the chairmanship of Member of Parliament Hon. Gamini Waleboda and discussed the problems and future activities of the garment industry in Sri Lanka.
Garment manufacturers said that due to the impact of the economic crisis, a number of factories in the apparel sector established in Sri Lanka have closed their factories and are establishing their industries abroad. They further mentioned that the currently operating factories are producing less than 25% of the total capacity. They also pointed out that due to the increase in costs due to raw material duties and electricity charges, their competitiveness in the international market has decreased and the receipt of new orders has decreased very seriously.
It was also pointed out that about 3 1/2 lakh direct jobs and 3 lakh indirect jobs have been provided to the country by this industry.
Apart from this, the garment manufacturers also presented information to the committee about the difficulties they have faced due to non-reimbursement of billions of VAT.
It was pointed out that there is a possibility that the garment industry will completely collapse if the SVAT system is removed in the face of threats such as rising production costs including electricity bills, imposition of new taxes, collapse of the world market and decrease in orders.
Accordingly, the committee assured that before removing the SVAT system, it would intervene to introduce a suitable system for the protection of the industry. The committee acknowledged the need for a system to manage taxes until an automatic VAT Refund system is implemented and its chairman, Hon. Gamini Waleboda, assured that the committee will work to submit a report containing the recommendations to the Parliament and the government as soon as possible.
The issues in converting foreign exchange into rupees and the existing laws in the region were discussed. The chairman informed the committee to provide a report based on the existing laws and policies regarding the conversion of export earnings of other countries in the region into local currency.
It was also discussed about the future support to be provided by the JAAFSL to the Sectoral Oversight Committee in order to speed up the submission of the aforementioned proposal to the government. Apart from that, attention was also paid to the problems faced by industrialists in general and industrialists in the Board of Investment areas.
Hon. Sahan Pradeep Withana, Hon. W. H. M. Dharmasena, Hon. Prof. Charita Herath, Hon. Asanka Navaratne, Hon. Upul Mahendra Rajapaksa, Hon. Sudath Manjula, Hon. Mohammad Musammil and Hon. Karunadasa Kodithuwakku were present in this committee meeting.
2026-09-18
Hon. Member of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva, MP (Parliament of Sri Lanka) was awarded the 2026 New Parliamentarian Award in recognition of his contribution to promoting inclusive parliamentary democracy. The award was officially presented to him yesterday (Sep. 17) at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held in Cape Town, South Africa.Elected in November 2024 as Sri Lanka's first-ever blind Member of Parliament, he has advanced the principles of disability-inclusive governance through his work as Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities. Through cross-institutional collaboration, he has also delivered practical reforms, best exemplified through Sri Lanka's first national participatory budget consultation with persons with disabilities.
2026-09-18
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, has decided to summon representatives of Pradeshiya Sabhas and Municipal Councils before the Committee to examine how local authorities coordinated their response during the disaster situation.Committee members particularly highlighted the need for further investigation into how local authorities, including Pradeshiya Sabhas and Municipal Councils, were involved in official communication and coordination processes during the disaster.At a recent meeting of the Committee held in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, information was sought from members of the National Council for Disaster Management and the District Secretaries of Kandy and Matale regarding the disaster management process in the Kandy and Matale districts.Accordingly, the Committee focused its attention on the early warning systems, communication among government institutions, and emergency response procedures in response to the heavy rainfall, landslides, and flooding experienced in these areas from 23 to 27 November 2025.The Committee also discussed the need to establish formal written procedures to be followed during emergency disaster situations, conduct disaster preparedness drills regularly, and further improve the efficiency of early warning systems.Committee members, including Hon. Deputy Ministers Major General (Retired) Aruna Jayasekara and Anton Jayakody, and Members of Parliament Attorney-at-Law Anuradha Jayaratne, Rohini Kumari Wijerathne, Kanthasamy Prabu, Ruwan Mapalagama, and Dr. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, also participated in the meeting.
2026-09-17
The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Energy Affairs approved the Order relating to the calling for investment proposals for the exploration and development of petroleum resources in Sri Lanka and the formalization of the relevant process.The approval was granted at a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee held recently (Sep. 11) at Parliament under the chairmanship of Anura Karunathilaka, Hon. Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation and Energy.The Order, made by the Minister of Energy under Section 48 of the Petroleum Resources Act, No. 21 of 2021, read together with Section 17 of the said Act, and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, was published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2497/37 dated 16 July 2026.Under this Order, any person seeking to explore or develop petroleum resources in one or more identified blocks is required to submit an investment proposal together with payment of the administrative fee specified in the relevant invitation for bids.Deputy Minister of Energy Arkam Illyas, Members of Parliament, officials of the Ministry of Energy, and other officials participated in the meeting.
2026-09-17
Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, emphasized that universities must take the necessary measures to ensure that victim students have confidence in the investigations being conducted into incidents of ragging at universities.This matter was discussed at a meeting of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, convened under the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, which was held at Parliament under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister.The meeting included an extensive discussion on measures to be taken regarding vacancies in the higher education sector, particularly at universities, as well as incidents of ragging.The Prime Minister pointed out that universities have a moral responsibility to prevent and control ragging and emphasized that students subjected to ragging must have confidence in the investigative procedures currently in place at universities.Accordingly, the Prime Minister stressed that investigations into ragging incidents must be efficient and effective and should be conducted in a manner that enables relief to be provided to victim students without delay.The Prime Minister also inquired from university vice-chancellors about the failure to date to make appointments that have already been approved by the Ministry to fill vacancies at universities. She instructed officials to take the necessary measures to fill the approved vacancies expeditiously.The meeting was attended by Hon. Dr. Upali Pannilage, Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Social Empowerment; Hon. Dr. Madhura Seneviratne, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education; Hon. Member of Parliament Manjula Sugath Ratnayake; university vice-chancellors; the Chairman of the University Grants Commission; and a number of other representatives.
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