2024-04-19
Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources & Sustainable Development Hon. Ajith Mannapperuma instructed officials of all institutions to work together within a specified time frame to speed up the Galle Port Marina Development Project and the establishment of Blue Flag Beaches.
The Chair also pointed out that many projects beneficial to the country are being delayed due to lack of proper coordination and lack of consensus among government institutions.
The Committee Chair stated the said during the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources & Sustainable Development when discussing the Galle Harbor Marina Development Project and the establishment of blue flag beaches initiated in 2018 which has been delayed for 16 years.
Officials representing the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Ministry of Tourism and Lands, Port Authority, Housing Development Authority, Marine Environmental Protection Authority, Coastal Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department, Galle Municipal Council, Archeology Department, Wildlife Conservation Department were present at the meeting held.
It was disclosed that the grant for the Galle Port Development Project, which is being implemented with the aim of increasing tourist attraction, was approved in 2006 and was not implemented as it was not a financial advantage.
Thereafter, based on the economic advantages of the project, according to the second project proposal, the identified 40 hectares of land will be reclaimed and a heritage impact report, environmental and archeological evaluation report will be obtained for this and given to a suitable investor, the officials of the Port Authority informed the Committee.
Archeology officials also pointed out that there are 4 shipwrecks in this area and an Archaeological Impact Analysis (AIA) could lead to alternative methods such as exhuming the ship parts and displaying them. They further stated that since this land is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attention should be given to it.
The legal hurdles for this project, including the approval of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, were also taken into discussion here. Attention was also paid to the feasibility of this project being handed over to the Urban Development Authority and the Karaka Council emphasized the need for such projects to be beneficial to the country and implemented in coordination with all institutions. Furthermore, Hon. Ajith Mannapperuma, Chairman of the Committee, pointed out that this Sectoral Oversight Committee should be used as a platform to meet all the institutions and parties and solve the problems.
Accordingly, the port authority was informed to report the related progress to the Committee twice in two weeks and the coastal conservation department was informed to inform the relevant preliminary progress by April 26.
Attention was also paid to the Blue Flag Beaches project, which is implemented with the aim of increasing tourist attraction and protecting the marine environment. It was also disclosed that 28 beaches with tourist attractions in Sri Lanka have been selected for this and 33 criteria must be met for this certificate. The Chair pointed out that 8 beaches in India, which started this project after Sri Lanka, have already received this certificate, and that this project, which was started when he was the state minister for Environment, has been delayed for years and has not yet been implemented.
Officials of the Maritime Environment Protection Authority stated that the beaches of Unawatuna, Bentota, Pasikuda and Arugambe have been identified as beaches that can get official certification and the relevant activities are being carried out. Accordingly, Hon. Ajith Mannapperuma emphasized the need to speed up these activities by coordinating all relevant institutions.
Accordingly, the Committee also advised to organize a workshop to inform all parties including the relevant regional secretaries under the initiative of the Maritime Environment Protection Authority and the Ministry of Tourism and Lands.
2026-11-11
The role of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, inflation targeting, private sector credit growth, economic growth potential and financial system stability were discussed extensively at a recent meeting of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), held in Parliament recently under the chairmanship of Dr. Harsha de Silva, Member of Parliament.The meeting was attended by Hon. Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe and Hon. Members of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake, Harshana Rajakaruna, Ajith Agalakada, Nimal Palihena, Wijesiri Basnayake, Sunil Rajapaksa and Thilina Samarakoon. A group of Central Bank officials, including the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, also participated in the meeting.In accordance with the provisions of Section 80(2)(a) of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act, the Governor of the Central Bank, members of the Governing Board and the Monetary Policy Board, as well as Deputy Governors, are required to appear before Parliament or one of its committees once every four months to brief them on the functions of the Central Bank. Furthermore, under Section 26(5), if the Central Bank fails to achieve its prescribed inflation targets for two consecutive quarters, it is required to submit a report to Parliament explaining the situation.During the meeting, Central Bank officials explained the decision to maintain the headline inflation target, based on the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI), at 5%, and to continue maintaining this target over the next three years. It was also revealed that seven special reports had been submitted to Parliament on occasions when inflation remained below the lower limit of the target range of 3%.It was stated that the volume of credit extended to the private sector during the first nine months of 2026 amounted to Rs. 2.1 trillion, compared to Rs. 1.9 trillion during the corresponding period in 2025. Approximately 74% of this credit was provided by licensed commercial banks.However, the Committee drew attention to the increase in the share of short-term loans from 42% to 47%, while the share of long-term loans had declined from 35% to 29%. Discussions also focused on whether bank lending was being adequately channeled towards capital formation, new investments and expanding production capacity. In addition, the Committee sought clarification on the growth of different categories of loans, including mortgage loans and vehicle loans.The country's long-term economic growth potential was also discussed. The importance of implementing reforms in the trade, labour and land sectors, alongside monetary policy, was emphasized as essential for achieving sustainable economic growth. The development of human capital, improvements in productivity and attracting foreign direct investment were also highlighted as key priorities.Providing an update on financial system stability, Central Bank officials explained that the banking sector's Stage 3 non-performing loan ratio had declined from 9.7% to 8.8%. They also noted that capital and liquidity levels within the banking system remained above the regulatory requirements.Regarding NDB Bank, Central Bank officials stated that the forensic audit conducted in relation to the bank, together with the report of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board, had been referred to the Attorney General on October 15, 2026. They further stated that regulatory measures had been imposed on the bank, including restrictions on dividend distributions, branch expansion and directors' remuneration.The Committee also focused on institutions illegally accepting public deposits and financial scams involving the fraudulent use of artificial intelligence to create fake images and voices of the Central Bank Governor, the Prime Minister and Members of Parliament.Central Bank officials pointed out that measures were being taken in coordination with the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT), the Police and Meta to prevent such scams.In addition, the Committee discussed regulatory matters relating to virtual assets and cryptocurrencies, the supervision of banking activities within the Colombo Port City, and the proposed consolidation of state-owned banks.
2026-11-10
The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus met recently (Nov. 06) at Parliament under the chairpersonship of Hon. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj. Discussions focused on promoting children’s rights, taking action against gender-based violence, and strengthening the technical and research capacities of women parliamentarians.Accordingly, during a discussion with representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Sri Lanka, attention was drawn to the “Special Children’s Parliamentary Participation Programme”, scheduled to be held at Parliament on 20th November to mark World Children’s Day. It was noted that a Children’s Statement, prepared based on the views and opinions of more than 1,200 children from across the country, is to be presented to Members of Parliament with the participation of 50 children. The need to re-establish a Children’s Caucus within Parliament to promote children’s rights and welfare was also discussed.Furthermore, attention was drawn to expediting cases relating to child abuse, removing existing legal barriers to this process, and strengthening coordination among the relevant institutions.Subsequently, during a discussion with representatives of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Sri Lanka, matters relating to the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign were discussed. The discussion focused on plans to organize an awareness march under the theme “This is my right” and conduct public awareness programmes on preventing violence against women as part of the campaign, which is scheduled to run from November 25 to December 10.The visiting representatives stated that, in addition to women parliamentarians, Members of Parliament, Ministers, officials of government institutions, representatives of civil society organizations and university students are expected to participate in the march. Discussions were also held on introducing a digital directory of services, featuring a QR code, containing information on institutions and services available to women experiencing violence, as well as organizing a dialogue with the participation of relevant stakeholders.Meanwhile, during a follow-up discussion on technical cooperation with representatives of the Max Planck Foundation, attention was focused on parliamentary research support and knowledge sharing. The possibility of providing technical and research assistance to Members of Parliament in areas such as legislative drafting, comparative legal studies, and assessing the impact of proposed legislation on gender equality and human rights was also discussed.The importance of pursuing further initiatives in collaboration with international organizations to strengthen child protection, women's rights and gender-responsive policy measures was also emphasized during the discussions.The Hon.Deputy Chairperson of Committees of Parliament, Hemali Weerasekara; the Hon. Deputy Co-Chairpersons of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, Attorney-at-Law Chamindrani Kiriella and Samanmali Gunasinghe; along with several women Members of Parliament serving on the Caucus, also participated in these discussions.
2026-11-10
The Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), Hon. Member of Parliament Dr Nishantha Samaraweera, has emphasized the importance of developing appropriate corporate and operational plans for State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), identifying measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to assess their progress, and ensuring their effective implementation to enhance institutional performance.He made these remarks at a progress review workshop on the Key Performance Indicators outlined in the corporate and operational plans of 41 institutions, which had initially presented their corporate plans before the Third Sub-Committee of the Committee on Public Enterprises. The workshop was held recently at the Parliament.The Chairman also pointed out the need for public institutions to identify and act in accordance with their statutory powers and responsibilities to ensure the proper discharge of their functions, financial discipline and operational efficiency.He further stressed that, rather than focusing solely on past audit issues, it was important to assess the progress made in implementing corporate plans and evaluate whether the intended outcomes had been achieved through their implementation.The workshop was attended by Members of Parliament serving on the Committee on Public Enterprises; Auditor General Ms Samudika Jayaratne and audit officers of the National Audit Office; P. Ranasinghe and C. S. Mayadunne, Advisers to the Committee on Public Enterprises and the Committee on Public Accounts, respectively; officials from the Department of Management Audit, the Department of Public Enterprises and the Department of National Budget; as well as chief executive officers and chief financial officers of State-Owned Enterprises and other officials.
2026-11-10
The Select Committee of Parliament to look into and report to Parliament on the matter of selecting the Electoral System under which the Provincial Council Elections should be held and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard, sought the views and proposals of various political parties on the matter.This took place when the Select Committee met recently at Parliament under the chairmanship of, Hon. Minister Vijitha Herath.At the meeting, K. Premachandran, representing the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF); Ramasamy Rajendran, representing the Eros Democratic Front; and Shanmuganathan Sanjeevan, representing the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), presented the views and proposals of their respective political parties.The objective of the discussion was to obtain the views of political parties on matters including the electoral system that should be adopted for conducting Provincial Council elections, as well as the representation of women and youth.The meeting was also attended by Hon. Deputy Ministers Munir Mulaffer, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala and Arun Hemachandra, together with members of the Select Committee, Hon. Members of Parliament Dharmapriya Wijesinghe, Samanmali Gunasinghe and Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi.
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