2026-01-08
News Categories : Committee News
Approval of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Labour has been granted for the Regulation under Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act (Chapter 129), scheduled for debate in Parliament tomorrow (Jan. 9).
This approval was granted at the meeting of the Committee held in Parliament on 2026.01.06, chaired by the Minister of Labour (Dr.) Anil Jayantha and with the participation of the Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe.
This Regulation, made by the Minister of Labour on 2025.12.12, was presented to Parliament on 2025.12.18. The Regulation amends the current legal provision which states:
“Any female employee who has attained the age of eighteen years may be employed in a residential hotel after 6.00 p.m and before 6.00 a.m, on the work of a female reception officer, ladies linen room attendant, ladies cloak room attendant or ladies lavatory attendant.”
Accordingly, the Regulation introduces the required legal amendments to allow, in addition to the designated categories already permitted, female workers over the age of 18 employed in residential hotels as Food and Beverage Stewardess to be engaged in employment after 6.00 p.m. or before 6.00 a.m. on the following day.
However, officials informed the Committee that under this Regulation, in any instance where the work shift of a female employer employed under this provision ends between 6.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m., the employer shall be responsible for ensuring her health care, safety and welfare by providing suitable accommodation until 6.00 a.m. or providing transport facilities to her usual residence.
Although the current female population in Sri Lanka is approximately 51%, female labour force participation is around 34%. It was discussed that easing existing legal restrictions is a timely need in order to create opportunities to increase female labour contributions, especially to support the rapidly developing tourism sector.
A number of proposals on measures that can be taken to safeguard the rights of female workers and other employees, as well as matters relating to increasing the wages of plantation workers, were presented to the Committee by Hon. Members of Parliament. The Hon. Minister of Labour stated that discussions on these matters will be carried out in the future and necessary steps will be taken accordingly.
A number of Members of Parliament, the Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, and officials representing the Ministry of Labour and institutions under it also participated in this Committee meeting.
2026-05-15
A Parliamentary delegation of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, headed by Hon. (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj, MP, Minister of Women and Child Affairs is currently undertaking an official visit to India from 10th to 16th May 2026 at the invitation of the Indian High Commission, Sri Lanka.The visit aims to further strengthen the longstanding Parliamentary, cultural and bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and India while promoting closer cooperation on matters relating to women’s empowerment, Parliamentary affairs, social development and gender-responsive governance.The delegation paid floral tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Parliament House Complex and also held discussions with Hon. Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, where both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation.The programme further included interactions with the Ministry of Women and Child Development of India, during which the Sri Lankan delegation paid a courtesy call on Hon. Annpurna Devi, Minister for Women and Child Development and held fruitful discussions on women’s empowerment programmes, child welfare initiatives, gender-responsive policies, and opportunities for enhanced cooperation and exchange of best practices between the two countries.The delegation also met with the Commissioner of Delhi Police and held productive discussions on best practices and effective strategies adopted in preventing and addressing crimes against women and children, with particular focus on women’s and children's safety, protection mechanisms, legal enforcement and community awareness initiatives.The delegation held discussions with women-led self-help groups and representatives of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ladies Organisation (FICCI FLO).During the visit, the delegation is participating in a comprehensive programme organized by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) of the Parliament of India. The programme includes sessions on the Indian Parliamentary system, committee system, Parliamentary privileges and ethics, as well as discussions on women-led development initiatives and best practices adopted by India in addressing issues relating to women and children.A meeting with the Chief Minister of New Delhi and visit significant cultural and historical sites, including the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in Agra is also scheduled for the delegation during the coming days. The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of Sri Lanka continues to play an important role in advocating gender equality, women’s empowerment and social inclusion through Parliamentary engagement and outreach initiatives.The delegation comprises fifteen Hon. Women Members of Parliament (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, (Mrs.) Oshani Umanga, (Ms.) Krishnan Kalaichelvi, (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law, (Mrs.) Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Attorney-at-Law, (Mrs.) M.A.C.S. Chathuri Gangani, (Mrs.) Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, Attorney-at-Law, (Mrs.) Thushari Jayasingha, Attorney-at-Law, (Mrs.) Anushka Thilakarathne, Attorney-at-Law, (Mrs.) A.M.M.M. Rathwaththe, (Mrs.) Hasara Liyanage, Attorney-at-Law, (Ms.) Ambika Samivel, (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law, (Mrs.) Geetha Herath, Attorney-at-Law. Delegation also included senior Parliamentary officials, including Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, Secretary-General of Parliament and Secretary to the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, along with Ms. Hashmi Fernandopulle, Assistant Principal Officer, Ms. Chamila Nissanga, Senior Parliamentary Interpreter and Mr. Ranil Nanayakkara, Senior Assistant Parliamentary Protocol Officer.
2026-05-15
A strong internal audit process is essential for the wellbeing of State-Owned Enterprises – COPE Chairman Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera emphasizes while addressing Chief Financial Officers and Internal Audit Officers of SOEsChairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera, recently emphasized that a strong internal audit mechanism is essential for the wellbeing of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), while addressing Chief Financial Officers and Internal Audit Officers of SOEs.He made these remarks while addressing a workshop organized by the COPE, with the sponsorship of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), at the Monarch Imperial Hotel premises in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, aimed at strengthening internal auditing and financial oversight within SOEs.Addressing the gathering, the COPE Chairman pointed out that active intervention is required to eliminate the existing disorganized conditions within the state enterprise sector, and stressed that officials accountable to the State are expected to demonstrate a high level of performance. He further noted that a successful workshop had previously been conducted for heads of all SOEs, and that this programme for Internal Audit Officers and Chief Financial Officers had been organized with the objective of strengthening financial discipline and internal audit processes across all institutions.The Chairman also stated that since there are 457 State - Owned Enterprises, it is practically difficult to summon all institutions before the COPE. Therefore, he said that efforts are being made to introduce a digital mechanism to monitor and evaluate the performance of those institutions.Auditor General Ms. Samudika Jayaratne delivered a lecture on “The State Auditor and Public Institutions: Roles, Responsibilities and Collaborations.” She pointed out that public funds belong to the people and therefore must be managed properly for the benefit of the public. She further emphasized the importance of maintaining proper financial discipline and internal auditing systems while extending support to the state audit process.In addition, Director General of the Department of Management Audit, Mr. A.P. Kurumbalapitiya, delivered a lecture on “The Role of Internal Audit Unit in Ensuring Public Accountability,” while former Auditor General and Advisor to the COPE and COPA Committees, Mr. Sarath Mayadunne, delivered a lecture on “The Role of State-Owned Enterprises within the Public Accountability Structure in Sri Lanka.”Participants were also given the opportunity to raise questions related to the subject area. Discussions included the need to make the position of Internal Auditor more independent by having it report to the Ministry Secretary rather than placing it under the head of the respective institution.M. Jayalath Perera, the Director Legislative Services of Parliament, Internal Audit Officers and Heads of Finance Divisions from nearly 300 State-Owned Enterprises participated in the workshop.
2026-04-29
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, called officials from the Department of Meteorology and the Disaster Management Centre to appear before it.These matters were discussed when the Committee met recently in Parliament under the chairmanship of the Hon. minister (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa. The meeting was attended by a group of senior officials from the respective institutions, including the Director General of the Department of Meteorology, Mr. Athula Karunanayake, and the Director General of the Disaster Management Centre, Major General (Retd) Sampath Kotuwegoda.During the meeting, the Committee inquired into how the Department of Meteorology and the Disaster Management Centre operate as primary responding institutions during natural disasters.Officials also clarified the shortcomings in the existing system as well as deficiencies in the relevant technical equipment.It was also decided to summon officials from the Department of Irrigation and the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka before the Committee in the future to examine how those institutions function as primary responding bodies, and subsequently to call these institutions separately to investigate incidents related to Cyclone “Ditwah.”The meeting was attended by the Committee members including Hon. Deputy Ministers Dr. Prasanna Gunasena, Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara, and Anton Jayakodi, as well as Hon. Members of Parliament Attorney at Law Anuradha Jayaratne, Hector Appuhamy, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, M.K.M. Aslam, Attorney at Law Anushka Thilakaratne, Kandasamy Prabhu, Ruwan Mapalagama, and (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam.
2026-04-28
The Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities held discussions with several ministries regarding the allocations made in the 2026 Budget for persons with disabilities and the progress of related programs. The meeting took place recently in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva.During the meeting, relevant ministries presented matters related to higher education, religious and cultural sites, accessible housing for persons with disabilities, access to credit for entrepreneurship, and technological innovations.Accordingly, the University Grants Commission stated that 143 students with disabilities were admitted during 2024/2025, and it is expected to increase this number to 203 in 2025/2026. Each university has been allocated between Rs. 25–50 million for infrastructure development. It was also noted that an additional monthly allowance of Rs. 5,000 will be provided to low-income students with disabilities. Officials further stated that a pilot project is being implemented to admit students with disabilities into medical faculties in several universities. Measures will also be taken to recruit permanent sign language interpreters for universities and to develop a program to identify students who become disabled due to accidents and provide them with assistive devices such as wheelchairs.Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs stated that coordinating officers have already been appointed under the ministry to handle matters related to persons with disabilities. The Chair of the Caucus drew attention to the lack of physical accessibility at religious places, especially temples. It was decided to coordinate with the Central Cultural Fund and the Department of Archaeology to improve accessibility infrastructure at religious and historical sites.The Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply has allocated Rs. 500 million to provide sanitary facilities for persons with disabilities in the Western Province and plans to construct 9,700 houses in 2026. The ministry also agreed to adopt a special loan scheme for persons with disabilities and to develop “model plans” to construct houses that meet their specific needs.Officials further informed the Caucus that housing construction will be carried out based on flexible “model plans” designed with consideration for the specific needs of persons with disabilities.The Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development pointed out that there is a significant “trust gap” between banks and entrepreneurs with disabilities, making it difficult for them to obtain loans. Accordingly, the Chair instructed the ministry to explore the possibility of introducing a Credit Guarantee Scheme for micro and small entrepreneurs with disabilities.In addition, the Ministry of Science and Technology stated that it will pay special attention to research that supports the needs of the disabled community, particularly in the commercialization of innovations. The Caucus advised the ministry to encourage research teams to develop assistive devices and to prioritize bringing such products to market.Officials from the Ministries of Youth Affairs and Sports, Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, and Environment also shared their views.The Caucus further decided to review the progress of all the proposed plans by each ministry again in six months.The meeting was attended by the Deputy Co-Chair of the Caucus, Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, members of the Caucus including Hon. Members of Parliament Padmasiri Bandara, Chandima Hettiarachchi, and with the permission of the Chair, Hon. Members of Parliament T.K. Jayasundara and Jagath Manuwarna, along with a group of officials.Representatives from several organizations, including the National Forum of Women with Disabilities, the Sri Lanka Central Federation of the Deaf, the Little People Association, and the Youth Network with Disabilities (YND), also attended. Additionally, representatives of the disability community were present as observers at the invitation of the Chair, along with officials from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).
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