H.E Khaled Nasser Al Ameri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Sri Lanka, paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Dr. Rizvie Salih on 23rd September at the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Secretary General of Parliament Ms. Kushani Rohanadeera was also present at the meeting.
Welcoming the UAE Ambassador, the Deputy Speaker reaffirmed the longstanding and cordial bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. He expressed his appreciation for the support extended by the UAE to Sri Lanka, particularly the economic contribution arising from the large Sri Lankan workforce employed in the UAE.
The Deputy Speaker also welcomed the increase in the number of tourists travelling from the UAE to Sri Lanka and emphasized the importance of further strengthening cooperation in the tourism sector between the two countries.
He further stated that the Sri Lanka - UAE Parliamentary Friendship Association is expected to be revived in the Tenth Parliament, with the objective of further strengthening Parliamentary relations and expanding cooperation across various sectors.
Ambassador Khaled Nasser Al Ameri expressed his appreciation for the contribution of Sri Lankan workers to the economies of both countries. He noted that the Sri Lankan workforce in the UAE is highly valued and appreciated for being skilled, peaceful and respectful. The Ambassador also highlighted the strong trade relations between Sri Lanka and the UAE, as well as the importance of strong air connectivity between the two countries. He appreciated Sri Lanka’s natural beauty, social values and cultural richness.
The discussion also focused on further enhancing cooperation in education and higher education for the mutual benefit of both countries. Attention was also drawn to the ongoing UAE–India–Sri Lanka tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at developing Trincomalee as a regional energy hub, as well as opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the field of security.
The Ambassador commended the hospitality of the Sri Lankan people and their warm and welcoming nature, noting the friendliness and smiles of the people as among Sri Lanka’s valued attributes. He reaffirmed that the UAE would continue to extend its support to Sri Lanka as a close and trusted friend.
2026-09-24
Mr.Habeebu Lebbe Mohammed Rifan was sworn in today (Sep. 24) as a Member of the Tenth Parliament before the Hon. Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.Following the oath and affirmation before the Speaker, he signed the Members’ Roll placed beforethe Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera.Mr.Habeebu Lebbe Mohammed Rifan has been appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mr. Mohamed Sheriff Abthul Wazeeth, who served as a National List Member of Parliament representing the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. An Attorney-at-law by profession, Mr.Habeebu Lebbe Mohammed Rifan completed his school education at Oddamavadi Central College in Batticaloa. He is also serving as the Kalkudah Electorate Organizer of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.
2026-09-23
Promotion of Export Agriculture (Amendment) Bill debated today also passed by ParliamentSupplementary Estimate No. 05 of 2026 relating to the Ministry of Energy was approved by Parliament today (Sep. 23) following a debate.The Supplementary Estimate was presented to provide financial assistance of Rs. 17,213 million to provide relief to the public in relation to electricity bills. The funds required for the Supplementary Estimate have been allocated from provisions originally allocated to Line Ministries for 2026 but identified as unlikely to be utilized by the end of the year. Accordingly, the transfer of these provisions will be carried out without affecting either the overall expenditure ceiling approved under the Appropriation Act, No. 23 of 2025, or the Government’s maximum borrowing limit.The Supplementary Estimate was considered by the Committee on Public Finance yesterday (22), following which it received the approval of the Committee.Meanwhile, the Promotion of Export Agriculture (Amendment) Bill, which was taken up for debate today, was also passed by Parliament without amendments.The Bill was introduced to amend the Export Agriculture Promotion Act, No. 46 of 1992. Although, under the restructuring of the institutional structure of the Department of Export Agriculture, new positions were created and existing positions were upgraded, resulting in the designation “Director” being changed to “Director General,” the relevant provisions of the Export Agriculture Promotion Act, No. 46 of 1992, had not been amended accordingly. Furthermore, other related designations requiring amendment had also not been revised. The necessary amendments have therefore been introduced through this Bill.Furthermore, the definitions of export agricultural crops referred to in the aforesaid Act as “notified agricultural crops” have become practically incompatible with current production and market conditions. Accordingly, the need had arisen to revise and update the relevant definition so that it is appropriate for the present and future export agriculture sector.Accordingly, the Bill provides that, in place of the definition of the term “Export Agricultural Crop” in Section 19 of the Act, the term shall mean means any crop identified as a crop that have an export potential in addition to the local consumption other than paddy, vegetables, fruits, root crops and additional food crops belonging to the category of food crops and declared by the Minister in charge of the subject as “a notified agricultural crop” under section 2 of this Act. It further provides that any crop identified as a plantation crop shall not be included in this definition.
2026-09-23
Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne endorsed the certificate on the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Bill on 22nd September.The Bill was presented to Parliament for its First Reading on 4th August 2026. The debate on the Second Reading of the Bill was held on 9th September 2026, following which it was passed without a division.The Bill was introduced to repeal the Chief of Defence Staff Act, No. 35 of 2009, which established the office of the Chief of Defence Staff.The Act enacted in 2009 established the office of the Chief of Defence Staff to carry out functions including the coordination of activities between the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence, in accordance with prevailing requirements.Accordingly, with the repeal of the Chief of Defence Staff Act, No. 35 of 2009, under this Bill, the office of the Chief of Defence Staff will also cease to exist.Furthermore, upon the commencement of this Act, all movable and immovable property belonging to the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff will be transferred to the Ministry of Defence. Accordingly, the aforesaid Bill comes into force as the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Act, No. 22 of 2026.
2026-09-22
Hon. Speaker Announces Supreme Court Determination on the “Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution” and the “Judicature (Amendment)” Bills to ParliamentHon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne today (Sep. 22) announced to Parliament the determination of the Supreme Court concerning the Bills titled the “Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution” and the “Judicature (Amendment)”.The announcement is as follows:I wish to announce that I have received the Determination of the Supreme Court in respect of the Bills titled “Twenty Second Amendment to the Constitution” and “Judicature” (Amendment)” which were challenged in the Supreme Court under Article 121 (1) of the Constitution.The Supreme Court has determined that;• The provisions of the “Twenty Second Amendment To The Constitution” Bill or any part thereof does not require approval by the people at a Referendum by virtue of the provisions of Article 83 of the Constitution.• In the proviso appearing in Clause 2 of the “Twenty Second Amendment To The Constitution” Bill, the phrase “හැට හතට එලඹෙන දිනය” appearing therein shall be replaced with the phrase “හැට හත සම්පූර්ණ කළ දිනය”• The following to be added as the second proviso to Clause 2 of the “Twenty Second Amendment To The Constitution” Bill: “Provided further that the term limit of six years set out in the first proviso will not apply to any person holding the office of the Chief Justice as at the date of coming into operation of this Act” The Supreme Court has further determined that;• The provisions of the “Judicature” (Amendment)” Bill are not inconsistent with the Constitution and may be passed by the simple majority of the ParliamentI order that the Full Determination of the Supreme Court be printed in the official report of today's proceedings.
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