2026-08-03
News Categories : Committee News
The Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative held extensive discussions on organizing three regional workshops aimed at further promoting the concept of an Open Parliament through the active participation of youth representatives. The discussions took place when the Caucus met in Parliament recently under the co-chairmanship of Hon. Minister Prof. Krishantha Abeysena and Hon. Member of Parliament Shanakkiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam.
Accordingly, the Caucus agreed to hold the first workshop in the Gampaha District on 8 August 2026, the second workshop in the Eastern Province on 29 August 2026, and the third workshop in Kandy on 5 September 2026.
The workshops are intended to enhance awareness among young people on the functions of Parliament, the legislative process, and the principles of Open Parliament, while further strengthening the relationship between Parliament and citizens through greater public engagement.
The Caucus also discussed organizing a study visit to India for its members to examine the country's Open Parliament practices and approaches to public participation, with a view to drawing lessons that could support the further development of Sri Lanka's Open Parliament Initiative.
The meeting was attended by Members of the Caucus as well as representatives of the Coalition for Inclusive Impact (CII), the development partner supporting the implementation of the workshops.
2026-08-03
The Committee on Ways and Means reviewed the progress of the ongoing process to revise the existing beneficiary selection criteria for the Aswesuma Welfare Programme.The matter was taken up when the Committee met in Parliament rcently under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Wijesiri Basnayake.The Committee had previously instructed the relevant authorities to review the existing beneficiary selection criteria in order to identify and address shortcomings in the current selection process for the Aswesuma Welfare Programme.Accordingly, officials of the Welfare Benefits Board briefed the Committee on the pilot study relating to the new beneficiary selection methodology recommended by the expert committee appointed for this purpose.Officials informed the Committee that the proposed methodology seeks to replace the existing selection criteria with a new framework based on socio-economic vulnerability. They further stated that a pilot study is expected to be conducted in several selected districts to test the proposed methodology before its wider implementation.It was also revealed that the proposed methodology would assess a range of socio-economic vulnerability indicators, including employment and livelihood security of the household, family composition, ageing, disability, chronic illnesses, access to housing and essential services, as well as household indebtedness.The Committee held extensive discussions on the proposed methodology and subsequently granted its approval for the implementation of the pilot study.The meeting was attended by Committee Members, Hon. Deputy Ministers Chathuranga Abeysinghe and Eranga Weeraratne, as well as Hon. Members of Parliament Dr. Nandana Millagala, Thilina Samarakoon, Champika Hettiarachchi, and Chathura Galappatthi, together with other officials.
2026-08-03
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection held extensive discussions on formulating a systematic programme to reduce prison overcrowding and inmate density in Sri Lanka. The discussion took place when the Committee met recently in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Najith Indika.The Committee extensively deliberated on the key measures currently being implemented by the Government to address prison overcrowding and inmate density. These include increasing the number of prison officers, transferring inmates to other correctional facilities, improving prison infrastructure, enhancing the efficiency of the Government Analyst's Department, introducing new legislative amendments, expanding prison facilities, expediting judicial proceedings, and promoting community corrections.During the discussions, the Committee identified the need to amend the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance No. 17 of 1929. Attention was also drawn to the importance of clearly distinguishing between drug peddlers and persons suffering from drug addiction.Officials of the Ministry of Justice and National Integration informed the Committee that steps are being taken to establish the necessary technological infrastructure to facilitate the use of house arrest as an alternative to remanding accused persons in prison.The Committee also focused on several other measures, including improving the efficiency of the bail system, reducing delays in court proceedings, encouraging the use of alternative sentencing instead of imprisonment for minor offences, modernising prison management, recruiting additional prison officers to address human resource shortages, strengthening prison security and rehabilitation programmes, and promoting community service and other alternatives to imprisonment for minor drug-related offences and other petty crimes.The welfare of female inmates and children under the age of five residing with them in prisons was also discussed at length. Particular attention was paid to the arrangements for the care of such children after they reach the age of five, including the possibility of placing them under the care of the Department of Probation and Child Care Services.The Committee further considered measures relating to the rehabilitation of persons with drug addiction through rehabilitation and community correction programmes, as well as possible interventions for individuals who remain in remand custody solely because they are unable to afford bail.Prior to preparing its final report, the Committee also agreed to meet with prison officers to obtain their views and to undertake observation visits to several prisons to gain first-hand insight into the prevailing conditions.The meeting was attended by Committee Members Hon. Ajith P. Perera, Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam, Hon. Mujibur Rahuman, Hon. M.K.M. Aslam, Attorney-at-Law Hon. Thushari Jayasinghe, Major General (Retd.) Hon. G.D. Sooriyabandara, and, with the permission of the Chair, Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera and Attorney-at-Law Hon. Hasara Liyanage. Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, President's Counsel Ayesha Jinasena, Acting Commissioner General of Prisons R. Prasad Hemantha Kumara, and a number of officials representing the relevant institutions were also present.
2026-07-31
Plans are underway to establish a new National Handicrafts Authority by 2027 through the integration of the Department of Textile Industries, the National Crafts Council, the National Design Centre, and Laksala, it was revealed at the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA).The proposed authority aims to transform Sri Lanka's traditional textile and handicrafts sector into a competitive industry by integrating it with modern fashion, design, and technology while targeting international markets.These matters were discussed at length when the Committee on Public Accounts met recently in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim. The Committee reviewed the Auditor General's triennial reports relating to the Department of Textile Industries for the period 2021–2023, the Auditor General's report for 2024, and the Department's current performance, with particular attention to its progress, challenges, and the proposed restructuring programme. During the discussions, officials stated that the Government intends to develop the textile industry not only as an important component of Sri Lanka's cultural heritage but also as an economically viable sector aligned with modern design, technology, and evolving market demands.Officials further informed the Committee that efforts are being made to attract more young people to the sector by expanding higher education and technical training opportunities through the Sri Lanka Institute of Textile and Apparel (SLITA).The Committee also discussed the Department's human resource shortages, including vacancies for internal auditors and accountants, the suspension of the recruitment of textile instructors at the provincial level, and the resulting impact on training programmes.It was revealed that 720 students had enrolled in the Department's training courses between 2021 and 2025, of whom only 456 successfully completed their programmes. Accordingly, the dropout rate exceeds 40%. The Committee was also informed that, in certain instances, the Government had incurred expenditure ranging from Rs. 700,000 to Rs. 1.1 million per trainee.The Committee further inquired into several issues, including the underutilization of textile machinery purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the inadequate use of facilities at the Katubedda Training Centre, and the failure to make effective use of the Department's tourist bungalows as income-generating assets.The Committee emphasized that Sri Lanka's textile industry should evolve into a competitive sector that preserves the country's cultural heritage while embracing modern technology, innovative design, and international market opportunities. It further stressed the importance of implementing the proposed restructuring programme within the stipulated timeframe while ensuring the efficient utilisation of public resources.The meeting was attended by Hon. Committee Members, Hector Appuhamy, Ruwanthilaka Jayakody, Lal Premanath, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, T.K. Jayasundara, Ajantha Gammaddhege, Chandana Sooriyaarachchi, and Sunil Rathnasiri, together with a number of senior public officials.
2026-07-31
A Parliamentary Roundtable Discussion under the theme "Financing the Care Economy: The Role of Parliament", organised by the Women Parliamentarians' Caucus with the technical support of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), was held in Colombo recently under the patronage of Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne and Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.Delivering the welcome address, Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians' Caucus and Hon. Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Mrs. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, highlighted the importance of strengthening Sri Lanka's care economy and noted that her Ministry is working closely with all relevant institutions to advance this initiative.Addressing the gathering as the Chief Guest, Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne emphasised that recognising and strengthening the care economy is essential to achieving sustainable national development. He further stated that Parliament has a responsibility to support, through the legislative and budgetary processes, policies that promote gender equality, social inclusion and equitable economic development.Delivering the keynote address, Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya noted that investing in social care services, including childcare, elder care and support services for persons with disabilities, is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic investment that expands labour force participation, creates employment opportunities and strengthens the national economy.Discussions also focused on how gender-responsive budgeting could be utilised to address barriers to economic growth and ensure that investments in social care are reflected more effectively and strategically in future national budgets.The technical sessions were facilitated by Dr. Gayathri Lokuge, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), who delivered a presentation on Sri Lanka's social care policies and gender-responsive budgeting.Former Director of the UK Women's National Commission and current Chair of the UK's Women's Budget Group, Janet Veitch OBE, delivered a presentation titled "Invest in Women, Grow the Economy", sharing international experiences on how investment in the care economy can increase women's economic participation, generate employment, promote economic growth and strengthen gender-responsive budgeting.Representatives of local policy research institutions also presented recommendations on future budget allocations to strengthen social care. These included proposals for a national time-use survey, new funding mechanisms for assistive technology for persons with disabilities, the expansion of elder care services, and after-school care programmes for children.Hon. Members of Parliament, policy experts and officials of the Ministry of Finance also engaged in extensive discussions on the policy priorities and resource requirements necessary to strengthen investments in the care economy through future national budgets.During the discussion, a representative of the International Labour Organization (ILO) stated that the Ten-Year Action Plan on the Care Economy, developed by the National Social Care Working Group co-chaired by the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, and the Ministry of Labour, based on the second strategic pillar on social care under the National Social Protection Strategy formulated in line with the National Social Protection Policy, is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers shortly for approval. She further noted that the issues discussed at the roundtable are comprehensively addressed in the Action Plan and that it has been developed through an extensive stakeholder consultation process with the technical support of the ILO.The event was attended by Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees Hemali Weerasekara, Chair of the Committee on Public Finance, Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva, Country Director of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), Mr. Sanje Wignaraja, Members of the Women Parliamentarians' Caucus, Hon. Members of Parliament, policymakers, public officials, researchers and development partners.
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