2023-07-12
Although there are 500,000 personal income tax files in this country, only 31,000 of them are paying tax, Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Economic and Physical Plans said. He pointed out that there are 105,000 registered limited companies in the country, but 82% of the tax revenue is received from only 382 companies.
The Chair also emphasized that it is important to maintain the inflation, the reserves of the country and the government's income in an optimal condition by December by the time of the second review of the International Monetary Fund, given that the said factors must be taken into account when granting loans. Therefore, the Chair said that his Committee will hold regular discussions with Sri Lanka Customs, Excise Department and Inland Revenue Department to provide necessary facilities to increase the state revenue.
He stated the above when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Economic and Physical Plans met in Parliament recently (Jul. 06).
The Chair spoke at length about the failure of the Inland Revenue Department to collect the tax revenue and stated that the Committee is making positive improvements in this regard. There was also a discussion about the collection of 904 billion rupees in arrears which is due to the Inland Revenue Department. The Chair also pointed out that discussions are being held with the Minister of Justice to amend the Inland Revenue Apart from the said Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that he would also provide his utmost assistance to fill the existing employee vacancies in the Inland Revenue Department.
The Inland Revenue Commissioner General who spoke on the occasion said that he appreciated the support received from the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Economic and Physical Plans to make the work of his department efficient.
The Commissioner stated that the tax revenue target given by the government for the year 2023 of Rs 1.6 trillion was expected to be earned by 40% in the first 6 months and 60% in the remaining 6 months, and the target for the first 6 months has already been met. Apart from the said, he stated that work is being done to generate expected tax revenue in the remaining 6 months.
The Chair mentioned that there is a need to establish a systematic mechanism to regulate the collection of tax revenue. Members as well as officials pointed out that due to the fact that the data provided for the registration of companies in this country is not true, they have to face problems in tax collection.
The Committee also discussed at length the need to establish a digital data system linking the Sri Lanka Customs Department, the Excise Department and the Inland Revenue Department as soon as possible, as well as the need to re-register the private tax file in the country.
Members of the Committee Hon. Wimalaweera Dissanayake, Hon. Eran Wickramaratne, Hon. Sudath Manjula, Hon. Gunathilaka Rajapaksha, Hon. Dhammika Perera, Hon. Udayana Kirindigoda, Hon. Karunadasa Kodithuwakku, Hon. Madhura Withanage, Hon. Mohomad Muzammil were present at the Committee meeting held.
A group of officials including the Inland Revenue Commissioner General was also 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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