2025-10-03
News Categories : Committee News
A special awareness workshop was held on 02.10.2025 in Parliament for the heads of 457 state institutions that fall under the oversight of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE). Around 700 individuals, including chairpersons, director generals, chief executive officers, or other senior officials from these institutions, were invited in three groups to participate in the workshop.
This program was held under the patronage of Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the COPE. Key speakers included Acting Auditor General G.H.D. Dharmapala; Director of the Department of Public Enterprises, K.V.C. Dilrukshi; Director of the National Budget Department, K.S.M. de Silva; Director of the Department of Management Services, M.A. Karunaratne; and R.K. Jayalath.
Speaking at the event, the COPE Chairman Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera pointed out that the heads of institutions as well as the COPE have the responsibility to change the public perception of public enterprises as well as the COPE. Accordingly, the awareness and discussions gained through this workshop mark a new beginning, and avoiding past shortcomings to guide these institutions in the right direction is the expectation of all, said the COPE Chairman.
The COPE Chairman also stated that this is the first time in history that such an awareness was organized by calling all the heads of institutions under the COPE at once.
Dr. Samaraweera highlighted the need to avoid fundamental weaknesses such as situations where existing laws are not followed, legal provisions are misinterpreted, or outdated regulations are applied without amendment. He also emphasized the need to update the Act as soon as possible if there are outdated sections to make them relevant to the present.
The Committee Chairman said that it is not the intention of his committee to summon officials before the Committee, question them or expose them as guilty. He said that there is no obstacle to working creatively within the limits without any fear and that some are trying to create false opinions that decisions cannot be taken. He also emphasized the need to strengthen internal audit.
The COPE Chairman stated that steps have been taken to amend the Standing Orders to direct legal action to be taken against corruption and frauds revealed in the COPE. Since it is not possible to summon every institution within a period of one year, the COPE Chairman further said that a new mechanism will be implemented to monitor the functioning of these 457 institutions every year. He also stated that the order of institutions to be summoned to the COPE in the future will be determined according to a scientific methodology.
The Acting Auditor General explained the role of the National Audit Office to ensure transparency and accountability. The heads of institutions were also informed about the correct implementation of the corporate plan, action plan, institutional structures, annual reports, board of directors' activities, budget management, employee recruitment and filling of vacancies, etc. The heads of institutions also had the opportunity to present practical issues and proposals for the attention of the Committee and the COPE Chairman informed the heads to convey their suggestions and ideas to the Committee in writing.
It was also revealed that more workshops are expected to be organized in the future to educate the legal officers and other officers of these institutions.
COPE members, Hon. Members of Parliament Attorney at Law Dayasiri Jayasekara, Asitha Niroshana Egoda Withana, Chandima Hettiarchchi, Assistant Secretary General of Parliament Mr. Hansa Abeyratne, Director of Legislative Services and Director of Communications (Acting) of Parliament Mr. M. Jayalath Perera, former Auditor General and COPE and COPA Advisor Mr. S.C. Mayadunne and former High Court Judge and COPE Advisor Mr. Piyasena Ranasinghe also participated in this event.
2026-03-30
Progress on the implementation of recommendations issued by the COPA on 06th January 2026 was reviewed Matters relating to the 2024 Auditor General’s Report and current performance were also examined The Department of Archaeology was summoned before the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), where attention was drawn to the progress made in implementing the recommendations issued at the COPA meeting held on 06th January 2026, as well as to the current performance of the Department.These matters were discussed at the COPA meeting held in Parliament on 19th March 2026 under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim, to examine the Auditor General’s triennial report for the years 2021–2023, the 2024 Auditor General’s Report, and the current performance of the Department of Archaeology.At its meeting on 06th January 2026, it was recommended that a report on the gazetted and ungazetted antiquities identified by the Department of Archaeology be submitted to the Committee within a month. However, the Auditor General’s Department pointed out that data relating to antiquities not declared by Gazette had still not been submitted to the Committee. Accordingly, the Chair of the Committee instructed that a report be submitted within two weeks, including details of such antiquities, reasons for not publishing them by Gazette, and a proposed timeline for their gazetting.The Committee also focused on the lack of progress in implementing the recommendation to establish a centralized data system for the Department of Archaeology, and instructed that a progress report on this matter be submitted to the Committee.Furthermore, it was revealed that although Cabinet approval stipulates that 25% of the revenue generated by the Central Cultural Fund should be allocated to the Ministry of National Heritage, the Department of Archaeology has been requesting a lower allocation annually. Officials who appeared before the Committee stated that funds allocated through Cabinet approval had remained unutilized, and that there are plans to reduce future allocations requested from the Treasury accordingly.The shortage of vehicles available to the Department was also discussed, with officials noting that this has significantly affected the institution’s performance. The Committee stated that it would take steps to raise this matter with the relevant authorities.The meeting was attended by Committee Member Hon. Deputy Minister Dinindu Saman Hennayake and Hon. Members of Parliament (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, Hector Appuhamy, Chanaka Madugoda, Chandana Sooriyaarachchi, and Ruwanthilaka Jayakody.
2026-03-30
The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Youth Affairs and Sports has granted approval for the regulations under the “Convention Against Doping in Sports Act.” These regulations have been published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2471/51 dated 16 January 2026.The approval was granted at a meeting of the Committee held recently (Mar. 20) in Parliament, under the chairmanship of the Hon. Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage, with the participation of the Hon. Deputy Minister, Dinindu Saman Hennayake.A number of Member Parliamentarians of the Committee, as well as non-member Parliamentarians, were present at the meeting. Officials, including the Secretary to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, also attended the occasion.
2026-03-30
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability has instructed officials to immediately prepare a plan for the environmentally friendly disposal of ash emitted from the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant.These instructions were given at a meeting of the Committee held in Parliament on the Mar. 17th, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy.It was revealed during the meeting that, due to issues related to the quality of coal imported to Sri Lanka for power generation, the volume of ash emitted during electricity generation has increased significantly. The Committee noted that if this ash is not properly disposed of, there is a risk of future environmental damage. Accordingly, officials were directed to formulate a plan under the leadership of the District Secretary of the Puttalam District to take the necessary measures.It was also proposed that the possibility of reusing the removed ash for production purposes be studied, and that any revenue generated from such products be utilized for welfare projects benefiting the communities affected by the power plant.In addition, the Committee instructed the Central Environmental Authority to submit a comprehensive report on whether water and air pollution have occurred as a result of the Norochcholai Power Plant. Furthermore, the North Western Provincial Environmental Authority was also recommended to provide responses within two weeks regarding the questionnaire and related matters submitted by the Committee in connection with the Norochcholai Power Plant.Officials of the North Western Provincial Environmental Authority stated that although the volume of ash emitted from the plant has increased, the filtration system in use at the plant is sufficient to absorb these particles. Several matters, including the issuance of environmental protection licenses for the power plant, were discussed in detail.The meeting was attended by Committee Members, Hon. Members of Parliament Kings Nelson, Roshan Akmeemana, Attorney-at-Law Chithral Fernando, Susantha Kumara Navaratne, Kitnan Selvaraj and Upul Kithsiri.
2026-03-24
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, met for the first time on 19.03.2026 at Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa.Addressing the meeting, the Chair emphasized the importance of gaining a clear understanding of how the relevant responsible institutions operate during natural disasters such as Cyclone Ditwah, in order to effectively carry forward the work of the Committee. Accordingly, it was decided to summon officials from the Disaster Management Centre, the Department of Meteorology, the Department of Irrigation, and the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka to the next two committee meetings to obtain the necessary preliminary briefings.It was also proposed that, given the subject-specific scope of the Committee, officials possessing technical expertise and specialized knowledge in relevant fields should be called before the Committee from time to time to assist in understanding complex technical matters. The Chair noted that the Committee is required to submit its report to Parliament within three months from the date of its first meeting by 19.06.2026. Accordingly, efforts will be made to hold meetings promptly and prepare the report, including relevant recommendations, within this timeframe. He further stated that, in addition to proposals related to the Committee’s scope, the report is expected to include recommendations aimed at establishing a stronger mechanism to effectively respond to future events similar to Cyclone Ditwah.The meeting was attended by Hon. Members of Parliament Anuradha Jayaratne (Attorney-at-Law), Hector Appuhamy, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, M.K.M. Aslam, Anushka Thilakaratne (Attorney-at-Law), Kanthasamy Prabhu, Ruwan Mapalagama, and (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam. Hon. Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa also attended with the special permission of the Chair.
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