2024-07-23
News Categories : Committee News
It is the responsibility of every government institution summoned before the Sectoral Oversight Committee on An Open & Accountable Government within a year to implement the recommendations given by the Committee, as well as to act according to the Public Administration Circular No. 27/2023 related to providing an open and responsible public service. This was pointed out by Hon. Jagath Kumara Sumithraarachchi, Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on An Open & Accountable Government.
The Chair of the Committee stated the said when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on An Open & Accountable Government met in Parliament on 11.07.2024.
The top officials of the institutions were summoned before the Committee to investigate the progress of implementation of the recommendations given to the institutions of State Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Ministry of Education, Western Provincial Council, Ministry of Transport and Highways, Ministry of Mass Media and the Election Commission. It was also necessary to inquire regarding the measures taken by the said public institutions according to the Public Administration Circular 27/2023 issued through the intervention of the Committee. Furthermore, the Election Commission's performance report for the year 2023 was also considered.
Attention was drawn to the earlier recommendation by the Committee that further coloring of fingers is not necessary as the identity will be clearly verified during the election. According to the said, the Election Commissioner General Mr. Saman Sri Ratnayake stated that although the Cabinet has submitted the document to remove finger coloring, it has been decided not to implement it at this juncture as per the decision of the Cabinet. It was also discussed that eliminating the coloring of the finger would save a lot of money, time and effort. Accordingly, the Committee Chair informed the Election Commissioner General to submit all the proposals related to the amendment of the Election Act to the House.
He also stated that many positive steps have been taken in the upcoming elections for the disabled community and that a special tactile ballot paper will be introduced for the visually impaired community for the first time in this presidential election. He also mentioned that a new sign language vocabulary of 320 words related to the election has been introduced for the benefit of the hearing-impaired community and to provide maximum facilities for the disabled community's activities including access facilities has been planned.
Furthermore, the Committee also gave necessary instructions to appoint a separate group at the ministerial level to educate all officers regarding open and responsible public service and conduct officer awareness programs. Moreover, Hon. Jagath Kumara Sumithraarachchi, Chair of the Committee, expressed his appreciation to the organizations that are successfully carrying out these activities.
Additionally, the officials to the Ministry of Education were instructed to take steps to inform the education authorities including the principals regarding this.
The Director General of Pensions was also informed regarding the need to prepare a program to obtain the names of persons who die during the payment of pension from the Registrar General's office. The Committee pointed out that it would prevent the inconvenience of obtaining the life certificate and confirm the ability to carry out the work in a more transparent manner.
The Committee Chair also emphasized the need to prepare a reasonable program to give the benefit of fuel price reduction to the people. The officials stated that they expect to take further steps to update the equation used for the revision of bus fares to match the present.
The Committee Chair also pointed out the need to run a few special trains during a railway strike. The Chair further instructed that special trains should be deployed for tourists, especially as the tourism industry, which is a major source of income in this country, will collapse.
Members of Parliament Hon. Wajira Abeywardana, Hon. Mohomad Muzammil, Hon. Rohana Bandara, Hon. Jayantha Weerasinghe, PC, Hon. Marjan Faleel and Hon. W. H. M. Dharmasena were present at this Committee meeting held.
2026-07-16
The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education recently discussed and approved the final report of the Committee appointed to make recommendations for the establishment of an Education Council in Sri Lanka which had been endorsed by the Sub-Committee on the Establishment of an Education Council.The approval was granted at the meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education held in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.During the meeting, the Chair of the Sub-Committee, Hon. Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe, presented the report to the Committee. The report incorporates the observations and recommendations made following a comprehensive study conducted by the panel of experts appointed by the Ministry to formulate recommendations for the establishment of an Education Council in Sri Lanka.Thereafter, the Committee sought the views and proposals of its members on the contents of the report. Following an extensive discussion, the Ministerial Consultative Committee approved the report.The meeting was attended by Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament, and officials of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.
2026-07-16
The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) extensively reviewed the Auditor General's Reports relating to the Department of Examinations of Sri Lanka for the years 2021 to 2024, as well as its current performance.The discussion took place when the Committee met in Parliament under the chairmanship of its Chair, Hon. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim.During the meeting, the Committee focused on a number of matters, including the conduct of examinations and the process of releasing examination results, the use of information technology systems, human resource management, procurement procedures, the submission of annual reports to Parliament, and the implementation of the recommendations of the Auditor General.Officials also briefed the Committee on the measures taken to further enhance the Department's current performance and service efficiency, as well as the programmes scheduled to be implemented in the future.The Committee also discussed the action taken in response to the observations of the Auditor General and instructed the officials to take the necessary steps to expedite the implementation of the remaining recommendations.The meeting was attended by Committee Members Hon. Deputy Ministers Nalin Hewage and Sugath Thilakarathna, and Hon. Members of Parliament Chanaka Madugoda, Dr. M. L. A. M. Hizbullah, Hector Appuhamy, T. K. Jayasundara, Chandana Sooriyarachchi, Lal Premanath, Ruwanthilaka Jayakody, Dr. Janaka Senarathna and Sunil Rathnasiri.
2026-07-16
Parliamentary Caucus for Youth focused on the importance of obtaining the views and proposals of young people on the Draft National Youth Policy.The matter was discussed at the sixth meeting of the Parliamentary Forum for Youth, held recently in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Deputy Minister Eranga Gunasekara.During the meeting, an extensive discussion was held on the Draft National Youth Policy. Attention was also drawn to obtaining the views and proposals of the Members of the Caucus with a view to incorporating the needs and aspirations of young people into the policy in a more effective manner.It was further emphasised that the Parliamentary Caucus for Youth will continue to facilitate the meaningful inclusion of the voices of young people in the policy formulation process.The meeting was attended by Hon. Members of Parliament and officials.
2026-07-10
The Committee on High Posts, which met in Parliament recently (Jul. 08), has granted its approval for the appointment of Mr. D.P. Wickramasingha as the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation.The meeting was chaired by the Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and was attended by Hon. Ministers Bimal Rathnayake and Dr. Upali Pannilage, as well as Hon. Members of Parliament Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, Rishad Bathiudeen, K. Kader Mastan, Kumara Jayakody, Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan, and Attorney-at-Law Chamindrani Kiriella.
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