2024-05-08
The Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka stated that a full proposal related to the creation of a new electronic platform containing all the information including the prices of food items such as potatoes and onions produced in Sri Lanka and imported to Sri Lanka is expected to be submitted to the Parliament in three weeks at the Committee meeting held recently (May 08).
The Committee Chair also pointed out that since some essential food items have to be sold to consumers in Sri Lanka at a much higher price than the imported price, this open digital platform is a very good solution for that.
Mr. Hasitha Abeywardena and Mr. Nalinda Jayawardena, who are experts in the relevant field, made a presentation during the Committee. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies, Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Sri Lanka Customs, Consumer Affairs Authority as well as representatives of wholesale/import trade associations and experts in the field were also called before this Committee.
It was disclosed that this system is successfully used in many countries of the world and especially in India. In such a way as to ensure the welfare of the consumers, through a digital efficient mechanism, all the data on the need of all essential food items including potatoes, onions and lentils, the quantities of those food items to be produced and imported in Sri Lanka will be taken on an open platform and thereby importers also get the opportunity to import them competitively with transparency. Furthermore, it was disclosed that after importation, the complete data including the prices of these foodstuff wholesalers, middlemen and retailers will be open to all people.
Therefore, through this system, the customer will be able to know all the details including the price of the food items that he buys.
It is proposed to establish the proposed Essential Commodity Commission as a fully empowered commission consisting of representatives of all relevant government agencies, and a mechanism will be set up that will be implemented considering the market and other functions so that importers and traders get a fair profit under an open system. Furthermore, the importers pointed out that the current licensing system is a failure in an open market system, and that this will affect the import of food items.
It was also stated that according to the objectives and powers of the Consumer Affairs Authority, the said authority does not have the legal capacity to set up such a mechanism, and the Consumer Affairs Authority only intervenes after the importation of the goods to provide them to the consumers at a reasonable price.
All the government officials who were present, as well as the representatives of the Food Importers Association in Sri Lanka, expressed positive views regarding this method. Furthermore, the Committee Chair pointed out that the Central Bank should implement an incentive program to make payments through digital methods rather than making payments in cash, and that India's system can be used as a model for that. Emphasizing that tax concerns will be minimized and the income can be doubled, he also said that the Committee on Ways and Means has submitted a detailed report in this regard.
Accordingly, Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, instructed the respective officials to provide insights whether the proposed digital mechanism is practical and its existing problems, solutions and suggestions for progress to the Committee within two weeks.
He also pointed out that the next step is to develop digital infrastructure by bringing the government's main procurement processes like coal, fuel, medicine and fertilizer procurement to a digital platform. The Committee Chair also pointed out that through this transparency, corruption will be fenced off. He further pointed out that through this, not only the price but also the quality and standard will be evaluated.
Accordingly, he further pointed out that within the next three weeks, a series of formal proposals in this regard are expected to be presented to the government and all political parties, and accordingly it will help to recover the country from the current situation.
The Committee also discussed the proposed national tariff policy. Officials of the Department of Trade and Investment Policy were called before the Committee for this purpose.
The department made a presentation on the proposed National Tariff Policy before the House, and this policy was prepared according to the World Bank's proposals to increase export revenue. Committee Chairman Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka pointed out that the customs revenue can be increased by 100% without raising taxes by preparing a digital platform to implement the customs process as in India. He also pointed out the need to reduce the electricity bill and maintain a low tariff rate for intermediate goods in order to increase the export income.
Members of Parliament Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Hon. Ashok Abeysinghe, Hon. Sanjeeva Edirimanna, Hon. Udayana Kirindigoda, Hon. Wasantha Yapabandara, and Hon. Gamini Waleboda were also present in this Committee meeting held.
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.
2026-09-07
The 13th meeting of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities was held recently at Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Chair of the Caucus.The meeting focused on the draft action plan of the Caucus prepared for the period from July 2026 to June 2027, and discussions were held on its implementation going forward.Prepared with the technical assistance of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the action plan has been developed under four key areas: parliamentary coordination and oversight; budget advocacy and accountability; legal and policy reforms; and accessible and inclusive public services. The meeting discussed future actions relating to each of these areas.IFES Sri Lanka Deputy Director Mr. Indraka Ubesekara, Senior Programme Officer Ms. Anojitha Sivaskaran, and National Council for Persons with Disabilities member Mr. Tikiri Kumara Jayawardena briefed the Caucus on the work carried out to date and the plans for the future.The importance of incorporating the views and needs of persons with disabilities into planning at the local level was also highlighted. Based on the experiences of district-level consultation programmes conducted in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Kalutara and Polonnaruwa, it was noted that a similar programme is scheduled to be held in the Hambantota District in the future.Discussions were also held on establishing an appropriate mechanism to ensure the active participation of the disability community in the preparation of local development plans through district-level accessibility audit committees and district coordinating committees. It was further pointed out that incorporating accessibility features from the initial stages of building and urban planning can help minimize the costly modifications that may otherwise be required at a later stage.The meeting was also informed that a report comprising 234 policy and practical proposals, prepared with the participation of nearly 60 organizations representing the disability community for the 2027 National Budget, has already been submitted to the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Finance and relevant government institutions. The Caucus decided to closely monitor how these proposals are implemented and whether they result in tangible benefits for persons with disabilities.Attention was also drawn to further strengthening the existing legal and policy framework to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure accessibility. It was decided to hold a special discussion with officials of the relevant ministries and the Legal Draftsman’s Department to inquire into the progress of the proposed “New Bill on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” and the “Sign Language Bill”, which are currently being drafted.The meeting also discussed the need to update existing legal provisions and standards relating to accessibility for persons with disabilities in line with international best practices. Proposals were put forward to introduce accessibility guidelines for private-sector institutions and gradually incorporate them into the legal framework, as well as to implement a pilot project with several selected private institutions.Special attention was also given to making public services more accessible and inclusive. The meeting discussed the findings of accessibility audits conducted at the Ministry of Labour’s “Mehewara Piyasa” building and Sethsiripaya Buildings Phases I and II. It was also noted that steps have been taken to ensure that the construction of Sethsiripaya Phase III is designed to be accessible to persons with disabilities from the outset.In addition, programmes such as low-floor bus services, accessible tourism for persons with disabilities, and the “Friendly Cities” programme were identified as models for improving accessibility within public services. Attention was also drawn to removing accessibility barriers faced by persons with disabilities when accessing healthcare services.Addressing the meeting at its conclusion, the Chair of the Caucus, Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, stated that one of the Caucus’s primary objectives is to create an environment in which the disability community can lead free, independent and dignified lives without fear or uncertainty.The Chair further stated that Parliament would continue to fulfil its role in giving priority to the voices of persons with disabilities when making decisions concerning them, and in ensuring their participation in every sector of society. He also expressed his appreciation to all Members of Parliament, IFES and other stakeholders who have contributed to this work.The meeting was attended by Hon. Members of Parliament, including (Dr.) Nihal Abeysinghe, Attorney-at-Law Susantha Dodawatte, Padmasiri Bandara, (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath, Attorney-at-Law Bhagya Sri Herath and Chandima Hettiarachchi, among others.
2026-09-03
The Committee on Ways and Means of Parliament recently reviewed the operations of Sri Lanka Customs, including its revenue performance. The matter was considered when the Committee met recently under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Wijesiri Basnayake.Officials, including the Director General of Customs, informed the Committee that the expected Customs revenue as of June 30, 2026, was Rs. 1,060,559 million, while actual revenue collected by that date amounted to Rs. 1,379,084 million. This represented 130% achievement against the expected revenue target. Officials further informed the Committee that Customs had generated revenue exceeding the monthly targets in every month of the year to date, and that, compared with 2025, higher revenue performance had been recorded in each month.Providing information on vehicle imports in 2026, officials stated that 316,000 vehicles had been imported as of June 30, 2026, generating Rs. 512,547 million in tax revenue. According to the information presented to the Committee, the highest amount of tax revenue, Rs. 386,726 million, had been generated through the importation of motor vehicles.Furthermore, among the categories of commodities generating the highest Customs revenue, petrol motor cars less than 1,000cc ranked first, generating Rs. 137.4 billion. This represented 9.96% of total revenue.The Committee also focused on matters including the volume of imported containers and the procedures followed for their inspection, the introduction of modern technology to improve the efficiency of Sri Lanka Customs operations, challenges in revenue administration, and future plans.Several Members of the Committee on Ways and Means, together with officials representing the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Sri Lanka Customs, participated in the Committee meeting.
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