2026-06-02
News Categories : Committee News
The government has allocated Rs. 1,000 million (Rs. 1 billion) this year through the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) to improve paddy drying, storage and other related facilities. The necessary machinery and equipment are scheduled to be installed in the Southern and Northern Provinces, according to Hon. Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe.
The Minister made these remarks during a recent meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, which he chaired in Parliament.
The Committee Chair further stated that a Rs. 500 million project is being implemented this year to provide paddy drying machines to cooperative societies, while a Rs. 100 million project has been launched to procure production and packaging machinery for producer cooperatives.
The Minister also noted that the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment has intervened in the process of converting paddy into rice and purchasing potatoes. Potatoes are being purchased at Rs. 220 per kilogram and sold through Lanka Sathosa Ltd.
In addition, he stated that 120,000 metric tons of rice were imported during April as substitute varieties for Samba and Keeri Samba rice. Further rice imports will only be considered if deemed necessary.
The Committee held extensive discussions on fraud and corruption reported in certain cooperative societies. Members of Parliament raised concerns about individuals involved in such irregularities being reappointed to positions within those societies without facing any penalties. The Minister sought explanations from officials and instructed them to address existing legal weaknesses and other shortcomings without delay.
The Minister also announced the establishment of a new Alumni Association of Mahapola Scholarship Recipients and invited all former scholarship holders to join and contribute to its activities. He noted that the association would be able to implement programmes aimed at supporting and advancing future generations of students.
The Committee further discussed issues relating to the modernization of the information system of the Department of the Registrar of Companies, measures to improve its efficiency, matters concerning free trade agreements, and other issues relevant to the sector.
The meeting was attended by Hon. Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security R.M. Jayawardana, Hon. Deputy Minister of Cooperative Development Upali Samarasinghe, several Members of Parliament, and officials representing the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development and its affiliated institutions.
2026-08-21
The second programme in the “Voice to Policy” series of regional dialogue programmes, organized by the Parliamentary Caucus for the Open Parliament Initiative, is scheduled to be held for the youth of Batticaloa District on August 29 at the East Lagoon Hotel in Batticaloa.The organizational arrangements for the programme were discussed at a meeting held recently (Aug. 19) at Parliament under the leadership of the Co-Chairpersons of the Parliamentary Caucus for the Open Parliament Initiative, Hon. Minister Prof. Krishantha Abeyasena and Hon. Shanakiyan Rasamanickam.The workshop series is being organized with the aim of further promoting the concept of an Open Parliament through the participation of youth representatives. Members of the Parliamentary Caucus, as well as Members of Parliament representing the Batticaloa District, are expected to participate in the event.The workshops are intended particularly to raise awareness among young people about parliamentary affairs, the legislative process and the principles of an Open Parliament, while further strengthening the relationship between Parliament and citizens.Young people aged 18–35 from Batticaloa District who wish to participate in the workshop are required to complete the relevant registration form via https://forms.gle/aVp5UzhLbtPSmVap8 and register before August 24. The Caucus also informed participants that they should wear clothing without symbols promoting any political party or movement.Members of the Parliamentary Caucus and representatives of CII (Coalition for Inclusive Impact), the development partner providing sponsorship for the workshop series, also participated in the meeting.In addition, a virtual discussion was held during the meeting with representatives of the INTER Pares, focusing on the possibility of obtaining their support for the Caucus’s future activities. Mr. Sanjaya Vignaraja, Country Director of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), who contributed to coordinating the discussion, also participated in the meeting.
2026-08-18
The Committee on High Posts has approved the appointments of one Ministry Secretary and three chairpersons to government statutory boards and institutions.Accordingly, the Committee approved the appointment of Dr. Anil Jasinghe as Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media; Mr. S.A.M. Peiris as Chairman of the Colombo Lotus Tower Management Company (Pvt) Ltd.; Mr. H.M.P. Ratnayake as Chairman of Kurunegala Plantations Limited; and Dr. (Mrs.) W.M.V. Wanasinghe as Chairperson of the National Insurance Trust Fund.The meeting was chaired by the Hon. Prime Minister (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya and was attended by the Hon. Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, the Hon. Members of Parliament Kumara Jayakody, and Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law.
2026-08-18
The “Voice to Policy” dialogue programme organized for youth in the Gampaha District by the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative was held recently (Aug. 16) at Jetwing Blue Hotel in Negombo. The programme provided an opportunity for young people from the Gampaha District to present their policy proposals directly to Members of Parliament. The programme was conducted as the first in a series of workshops organized by the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative, covering all districts of the country with the aim of further promoting the concept of an Open Parliament. The main objective of the programme was to provide young people with an opportunity to directly present their views, concerns and policy proposals to Members of Parliament. Young men and women representing the Gampaha District participated in the workshop. The event was attended by the Co-Chairs of the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative, Hon. Minister Prof. Krishantha Abeysena and Hon. Member of Parliament Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, as well as Members of Parliament Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney at Law, S. M. Marikkar, Retired Lieutenant Commander N. R. Prageeth Maduranga, Retired Major General G. D. Suriyabandara and Champika Hettiarachchi.During the programme, young participants presented their views and proposals on a wide range of issues, including education and higher education, political participation, vocational training, employment opportunities, technology, entrepreneurship, and access to opportunities and information available to young people.Particular attention was given to reducing the time required to complete higher education courses and degree programmes, creating greater opportunities for young people who wish to enter politics, and expanding youth entrepreneurship.A key feature of the programme was that the young participants themselves identified their priority concerns, discussed them, grouped them into common areas, and selected fields requiring policy attention before engaging in direct dialogue with Members of Parliament on those issues.The Parliamentary Caucus indicated that it would give consideration to forwarding the proposals presented by the youth during the programme for further consideration by Parliament. Discussions were also held on providing youth representatives with opportunities to engage in the future with the relevant Sectoral Oversight Committees of Parliament on these matters.In addition, Youth Rapporteurs were appointed to document the recommendations and proposals raised during the programme and submit them to the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative.This workshop was organized in collaboration with the CII (Coalition for Inclusive Impact) and sponsored by the NDI (National Democratic Institute).
2026-08-14
The Caucus on Climate Parliament of Sri Lanka emphasized the need to move beyond reactive crisis management and establish Anticipatory Crisis Governance mechanisms to strengthen Sri Lanka’s climate resilience in the face of climate change, including El Niño conditions.At the meeting, held recently in Parliament under the joint chairmanship of Hon. Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa and Hon. Member of Parliament Prof. L.M. Abeywickrema, discussions covered a wide range of issues, including climate change, El Niño conditions, agriculture, water management, wildlife conservation, human-elephant conflict, disaster management and environmental management.Delivering the main expert presentation at the meeting, Prof. Charitha Pattiarachchi, Winthrop Professor of coastal oceanography at the University of Western Australia, highlighted the need for early preparedness in the face of climate risks, science-based policymaking and stronger disaster management mechanisms. The disaster management model of the Indian state of Odisha was also discussed. It was noted that, during a cyclone in 2019, the state was able to evacuate approximately one million people to safe locations within 24 hours.The interim report presented by Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human-Elephant Conflict, pointed out that climate conditions could intensify human-elephant conflict and highlighted the need for short- and long-term measures, including community-based electric fences, seasonal paddy-field fencing, wildlife habitat management and water management.The interim report presented by Prof. Sampath Seneviratne, Chairman of the Independent Expert Advisory Group on El Niño Resilience, analyzed the impacts of climate change on agriculture, biodiversity, water security and the rural economy. The report also proposed a Strategic Climate Resilience Framework based on scientific evidence.With regard to wildlife conservation, attention was drawn to addressing the shortage of veterinary officers, strengthening wildlife management, and reducing environmental damage caused by human activities, plastics and waste in and around national parks. Proposals were also put forward to minimize environmental impacts in sensitive sacred areas, introduce a differential pricing system for the tourism sector, and develop infrastructure in national parks.The meeting also emphasized the need to strengthen science-based policies, institutional coordination and early-preparedness mechanisms in order to enhance Sri Lanka’s resilience to climate change.Members of Parliament, government officials, representatives of international organizations and development partners, researchers, youth representatives and representatives of civil society organizations participated in the meeting.
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