2024-03-20
Member of Parliament Hon. Rohitha Abeygunawardana, stated that although it is possible to summon 363 institutions before the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), 102 institutions have not been summoned before the Committee so far. This was stated when the Committee on Public Enterprises met recently (Mar. 19) under his Chairmanship. Before the commencement of the Committee, the Chair made a full presentation on the objectives of COPE and the functioning of the Committee so far. It is reported to be the first time in the history COPE that a new Chai has made such a clarification.
The State Plantation Corporation of Sri Lanka was summoned before COPE today to examine the Auditor General's reports and current performance for the years 2017 and 2018. Accordingly, the Auditor General pointed out that in the entirety of 27 years, the Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation has made a profit in only 4 years. It was also disclosed that 7 of the 10 tea factories owned by the Plantation Corporation, which is continuously losing money, are inactive. However, the audit pointed out that the corporation had not taken any action to resume production or lease out the inactive tea factories.
Officials of Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation informed to the Committee that the primary reason for the corporation's continuous losses was lack of capital. The officials further commented that due to the lack of capital, the failure to use fertilizers and related herbicides at the right time was also a reason for the losses. However, the Committee pointed out to the officials concerned that the main reason for the losses of the Corporation was not the lack of capital itself. Accordingly, the Committee presented data on the very high employee cost of the Plantation Corporation and it was disclosed that the employee cost of the Sri Lanka Plantation Corporation is about 75%.
Furthermore, there was a discussion at length in the Committee regarding the acquisition of the land owned by the Plantation Corporation given on lease basis by third parties. Accordingly, the Chair instructed the officials to promptly implement the necessary legal procedures to recover the illegally acquired lands.
The Chair further instructed officials to immediately re-survey the land available to the Sri Lanka Plantation Corporation and submit a detailed report on which lands have been given by the Plantation Corporation on lease basis, who are the institutions and individuals who have given the land, the money contracted for them and the income obtained from the land given on lease basis.
Furthermore, it was disclosed that the Plantation Corporation has to pay 1.5 billion in various payments including Employee Provident Fund and Employee Trust Fund for the employees of the company. Accordingly, the Chair also instructed the officials to intervene immediately and prepare a program to complete the relevant payments within the next two months.
Furthermore, a comprehensive plan for the period 2024-2028 of the plantation corporation was presented to the council. However, the Committee questioned the officials regarding the lack of inclusion in the relevant business plan of the proposals prepared for the institution to gain profit. Accordingly, the Chair who expressed his regret that other parties have created the compact plan without knowing the needs of his company, gave instructions to prepare a compact plan within 02 months by including the future program of the company to be implemented immediately.
Furthermore, the Committee expressed its displeasure about the absence of a proper data system regarding the vehicles of the Plantation Corporation, and the Chair instructed the officials to send a detailed report to the Committee immediately.
State Ministers Hon. Janaka Wakkumbura, Hon. Indika Anuruddha, Members of Parliament Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Hon. Shantha Bandara, Hon. Sanjeeva Edirimanna, Hon. Hesha Withanage, Hon. (Prof.) Ranjith Bandara, Hon. Jagath Kumara Sumithraarachchi, Hon. Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, Hon. (Major) Sudarshana Denipitiya, Hon. Upul Mahendra Rajapaksha, Auditor General Mr. W.P.C. Wickramaratne and other officials were present at the Committee meeting held.
2026-09-25
The Committee on High Posts of Parliament recently granted approval for the appointment of a new Ambassador, a High Commissioner, and a chairperson of a state institution.The approvals were granted when the Committee on High Posts met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.Accordingly, the Committee approved the appointment of Mrs. Anzul Banu Jhan as the new Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of the Philippines and Mr. Chandana Rohana Kumara Ambagolla as the new High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Canada.The Committee also approved the appointment of Mr. Nusith Kumarathunga as the new Chairman of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Limited.
2026-09-23
A special committee appointed by the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways and Urban Development, to address the difficulties faced by persons with disabilities in obtaining driving licences, held its first meeting in Parliament recently, with particular attention focused on the steps that should be taken to make the process of obtaining driving licences more accessible and streamlined for persons with disabilities.At the meeting, attended by Hon. Members of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Dinesh Hemantha and M.A.C.S. Chathuri Gangani, extensive discussions were held on the practical and legal challenges faced by persons with disabilities both in obtaining driving licences and in modifying and using vehicles to suit their respective disabilities.Attention was drawn to the medical examinations conducted by the National Transport Medical Institute (NTMI), the medical recommendations issued based on the nature of a person’s disability, and the procedure for issuing driving licences accordingly. Discussions also focused on conducting medical examinations at district level, expanding the range of vehicle types for which driving licences may be issued to persons with visual impairments, taking into consideration medical criteria including the field of vision, installing appropriate safety equipment in vehicles, and proposed amendments to the relevant Gazette notifications.The legal framework governing the issuance of driving licences to persons with hearing impairments, the use of special identification signs, and the assistance of sign-language interpreters were also discussed. Attention was also given to procedures for modifying vehicles to suit the individual needs arising from a person’s disability.Proposals were also put forward regarding issuing licences to one individual for multiple vehicles, simplifying the medical examination process, and improving the online system between the National Transport Medical Institute and the Department of Motor Traffic.The need for the necessary amendments to the relevant Gazette notifications, expanding services at the regional level, and creating awareness among relevant institutions to make the process of obtaining driving licences more accessible and streamlined for persons with disabilities was also emphasised. The importance of taking further steps to ensure the transportation rights of persons with disabilities while ensuring road safety was also stressed.Officials of the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and other relevant representatives attended the meeting.
2026-09-23
The Promotion of Export Agriculture (Amendment) Bill was considered and approved at a recent meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability.The matter was discussed when the Committee, chaired by Hon. Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy, met on the occasion under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament, Attorney-at-Law Bhagya Sri Herath.As part of the restructuring of the institutional structure of the Department of Export Agriculture, new positions were created and existing positions were upgraded, including changing the designation of “Director” to “Director General.” However, the relevant provisions of the Export Agriculture Promotion Act, No. 46 of 1992, had not been amended accordingly. Furthermore, other related designations that required amendment had also not been revised. The necessary amendments have therefore been introduced through this Bill.It was also noted that the definitions of export agricultural crops referred to in the Act as “notified agricultural crops” have become practically incompatible with current production and market conditions. Accordingly, the need has arisen to revise and update the relevant definition so that it is appropriate for the present and future export agriculture sector.Accordingly, the Bill provides that, in place of the definition of the term “Export Agricultural Crop” in Section 19 of the Act, the term shall mean means any crop identified as a crop that have an export potential in addition to the local consumption other than paddy, vegetables, fruits, root crops and additional food crops belonging to the category of food crops and declared by the Minister in charge of the subject as “a notified agricultural crop” under section 2 of this Act. It further provides that any crop identified as a plantation crop shall not be included in this definition.The Committee also inquired into matters relating to the export of crops from Sri Lanka, including pepper. It was revealed that Sri Lanka exported 12,910 metric tonnes of pepper in 2025, with India being the country's largest buyer.Several members of the Committee, along with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, participated in the Committee meeting.
2026-09-23
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital has decided to appoint a Parliamentary subcommittee to study the salary disparities arising when teachers are appointed to the Principals’ Service, as well as the resulting reluctance among senior teachers to enter the Principals’ Service, and to make recommendations in this regard.These matters were discussed when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital met in Parliament recently, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament, Attorney-at-Law Hesha Withanage.Particular attention was drawn to the salary disparity arising from the fact that, under the Sri Lanka Principals’ Service Minute issued on 22 October 2014, entry into the Principals’ Service from the Teachers’ Service is considered a “new appointment” rather than a “promotion.”Officials pointed out that this situation is further aggravated by the significant difference in salary increments when a teacher is appointed from Grade 1 of the Teachers’ Service to Grade III of the Principals’ Service. They also noted that, although an adjustment allowance was introduced under Circular No. 03/2014 to address the salary difference arising at the time of appointment to the Principals’ Service, a salary gap emerges again as the teacher’s service progresses because they do not receive the higher salary increments that they would have received had they remained in the Teachers’ Service.It was also discussed that, as a result, senior and experienced teachers in Grades 1 and 2-I of the Teachers’ Service are being discouraged from sitting for the Principals’ Service examination and entering the Principals’ Service. Accordingly, attention was drawn to amending the Service Minute so that entry into the Principals’ Service from the Teachers’ Service would be treated as a “promotion” rather than a “new appointment.”The procedure for granting promotions within the Teachers’ Service was also discussed. The Committee pointed out that a newly appointed teacher entering the service with a university qualification takes approximately 19 years of service to reach Grade 1 of the Teachers’ Service.Attention was also drawn to the direct recruitment of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) graduates to Grade 2 of the Teachers’ Service in accordance with the Teachers’ Service Minute.Meanwhile, it was revealed that a verbal agreement had been reached with the Public Service Commission to recruit B.Ed. graduates as teachers under the previous system until 2030. Accordingly, it was stated that a Cabinet Memorandum has been submitted to recruit B.Ed. graduates to Grade 2 of the Teachers’ Service during this year.It was also discussed that these recruitments are planned to be carried out separately from the ongoing recruitment process for 23,000 teachers, based on subject-specific vacancies existing at provincial level.The Committee also considered the need to give universities until 2030 to update B.Ed. degree programmes so that they correspond with the actual subject requirements of the school system. In particular, the Committee highlighted the need to introduce specialised B.Ed. programmes in fields such as Science, Mathematics and Primary Education.Meanwhile, the Committee also considered the issue of recovering excess salary payments made to 261 laboratory attendants and security guards in the Southern Province. It was revealed that approximately Rs. 50.8 million had been overpaid as a result of the employees being placed on the 12th salary step instead of the initial salary step of the relevant salary scale in 2008 and 2009.It was stated that the matter was identified in 2016 and was subsequently examined through an audit query in 2022. To date, Rs. 15.1 million has been recovered through the suspension of salary increments and deductions from salaries.The representatives who appeared before the Committee pointed out that the employees were not directly responsible for this administrative error and that their letters of appointment had specified a particular salary scale. Accordingly, the Committee decided to bring the matter to the attention of the Governor of the Southern Province by way of a letter, with a view to obtaining his positive intervention regarding the difficulties faced by the employees.
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