Sri Lanka’s population aged over 60 stands at 3,921,124, accounting for 18.002% of the country’s total population, according to the 2024 Census of Population and Housing, said Dr. Upali Pannilage, Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment.
The Minister made these remarks recently while responding in Parliament to a question for oral answers raised by Hon. Member of Parliament Dhanushka Ranganath.
The Minister further noted that 1,712,535 of the country’s elderly population are male, while 2,208,589 are female. Accordingly, males account for 43.67% of the elderly population, while females account for 56.33%.
The National Secretariat for Elders and the National Council for Elders were established in June 2002 under the Protection of the Rights of Elders Act, No. 9 of 2000, the Minister stated.
These institutions work to protect the rights of older persons, ensure their welfare and provide necessary services. Their key responsibilities include registering and regulating elder care homes, providing support to elder day-care centres, and empowering elderly committees, the Minister added.
The Minister also stated that 44,899 senior citizen identity cards were issued in 2025, while 45,000 cards are expected to be issued in 2026. In addition, assistance is expected to be provided to 500 beneficiaries in 2026 to support renovation work and the provision of equipment at 25 elder care homes.
2026-10-13
A total of 53,604 kidney patients had been identified by August this year to receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 10,000 each, revealed Dr. Upali Pannilage, Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment.The Minister made these remarks while responding in Parliament to questions for oral answers raised by Hon. Member of Parliament Rohana Bandara.He further stated that there is no waiting list for receiving the allowance and that eligible kidney patients who apply are paid the monthly allowance based on their eligibility.
2026-10-13
A total of 19,646 private buses are currently operating across the island, said Dr. Prasanna Gunasena, Hon. Deputy Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development.The Hon. Deputy Minister made these remarks recently while responding in Parliament to a question for oral answers raised by Hon. Member of Parliament Ruwanthilaka Jayakody.He explained that inter-provincial private bus services are regulated by the National Transport Commission, while buses operating within individual provinces are regulated by the nine respective Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authorities.The Deputy Minister also stated that no individual has the legal authority or permission to collect money unlawfully from private buses at public bus terminals.He further noted that bus operators and staff have been informed of measures to prevent such illegal collections. If any such incidents are reported, the Sri Lanka Police will take the necessary legal action, he added.
2026-10-12
The Hon. Speaker of Parliament of Sri Lanka (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne, together with the Hon. Member of Parliament Rishad Bathiudeen, participated in the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and related meetings held in Arusha, Tanzania, from 5 to 9 October 2026. The high-level Sri Lankan delegation participated robustly across the Assembly’s core plenary debates, panel discussions, and Standing Committees, highlighting Sri Lanka's progressive strides in democratic governance, human rights, and resilient public health frameworks. Addressing the General Assembly under the main theme, “Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all,” the Hon. Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne emphasized that public trust and inclusiveness form the bedrock of sustainable democracy. Highlighting Sri Lanka's domestic milestones, the Hon. Speaker informed the General Assembly that the current Tenth Parliament marks a historic milestone with twenty-two women members of Parliament representing 9.8% of its membership, which includes two women representing the Malayagam community. Furthermore, for the first time, a member with a disability is serving in the Tenth Parliament and was recently awarded the prestigious 2026 New Parliamentarian Award by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The Hon. Speaker detailed how dedicated mechanisms such as the Women Parliamentarians' Caucus, the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, and specialized oversight committees like the Committee on Public Finance, the Committee on Public Accounts, and the Committee on Public Enterprises continue to champion legislative equity, transparency, and public accountability. He also underscored recent Open Parliament initiatives, including broadcasting Parliamentary debates with sign-language interpretation and opening committee proceedings to the media and civil society, which successfully bridge the gap between citizens and lawmakers. Furthermore, the delegation received special recognition during a High-Level Side Event hosted by the IPU African Geopolitical Group, titled “From Commitment to Results: African Parliamentary Action for the Three Zeros on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) Towards 2030.” The recognition acknowledged the professional medical background of the Hon. Speaker,(Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne, and underscored the importance of his medical expertise and Parliamentary leadership in advancing maternal and newborn health, strengthening healthcare systems, and promoting the well-being of vulnerable populations.On the margins of the Assembly, the Sri Lankan delegation held a vital consultative meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO) representatives, specifically meeting with Mr. Ludy Suryantoro, Head of Multisectoral Engagement for Health Security Preparedness. Discussions centered heavily on strengthening national health security and advancing the WHO Universal Health Preparedness Review. The Sri Lankan delegation underscored that the Parliament plays a pivotal role in providing legal authority for preparedness reforms, approving and protecting funding through budget processes, exercising rigorous oversight and accountability, strengthening multi-sectoral governance and coordination, and ensuring equity and human rights for vulnerable populations. Sri Lanka Parliamentary delegation, actively engaged in key deliberations across the IPU's Standing Committees and thematic workshops. These sessions addressed critical global challenges, including Parliamentary strategies for inclusive social development, the role of Parliaments in securing peace in the age of military artificial intelligence, shaping peaceful futures through Parliamentary diplomacy and mediation, strengthening maritime security and protecting critical infrastructure in times of conflict, and considering motions to review the United Nations Charter and conflict prevention machinery. Additional workshops explored strengthening responses to terrorism using the IPU reference framework, oversight of extractive industries, coping with digital overload and mental health across generations, promoting ethical artificial intelligence serving child rights, delivering healthy food in a changing climate, and enforcing mechanisms for international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The participation of the Sri Lankan Parliamentary Delegation at the 153rd IPU Assembly reflects Sri Lanka’s continued engagement in international Parliamentary dialogue and cooperation on matters of democratic governance, inclusivity, public accountability, health security and sustainable development.
2026-10-12
The Parliament of Sri Lanka marked a major milestone on 5th October with the official opening of its newly established Translation Unit.Established with the aim of providing the necessary facilities to handle the translation work of the Parliament more efficiently, this Unit was declared open by Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, Secretary-General of Parliament. Speaking at the event, the Secretary-General of Parliament noted that sound leadership as well as collective unity are essential for the progress of any institution. Stating that the Parliamentary Secretariat always stands for the well-being, job security, and professional advancement of all its employees, she emphasized that the staff is the most valuable asset of the Parliament in ensuring its smooth functioning. Further, the Secretary-General expressed great pleasure about how the interpreters have actively taken the lead and played a driving role in bringing this initiative to fruition despite that this new unit was opened for translators.Mr. Hansa Abeyratne, Assistant Secretary-General of Parliament, Mr. Jayalath Perera, Director - Legislative Services, and Heads of Departments and other senior officers of Parliament were also present at the occasion.Delivering the welcome address, Mr. Jayalath Perera, Director - Legislative Services, mentioned that in addition to providing interpreting services, the Interpreters’ Office undertakes a large volume of written translation work. He added that, despite this workload, no office in Parliament has ever raised a complaint regarding delays in translation work.The concept of establishing a separate Translation Unit to handle parliamentary translation work was submitted to the Secretary-General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, by the Chief Parliamentary Interpreter, Mr. C. J. Karunarathna. It became a reality with the full support of the Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretary-General. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Karunarathna, Chief Parliamentary Interpreter, expressed deep appreciation for the support extended by the Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretary-General in upgrading the physical infrastructure of the Interpreters’ Office and providing training opportunities to parliamentary interpreters to enhance the quality of interpretation.The establishment of this unit aims to create a better professional environment for translators in Parliament and to better meet the translation requirements of the institution.During the event, the Translators’ Anthem and the Code of Ethics for Interpreters were presented to the Secretary-General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, and the Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Hansa Abeyratne. Certificates were also awarded to newly appointed interpreters and translators who successfully completed the training programme conducted by the Interpreters’ Office.Additionally, mementos were presented to the Secretary-General of Parliament and the Assistant Secretary-General to mark the establishment of the Translation Unit.Meanwhile, the commemoration of International Translation Day 2026, which fell on September 30th, was also held concurrently under the patronage of the Assistant Secretary-General of Parliament, Mr. Hansa Abeyratne. This year’s International Translation Day was commemorated under the theme "Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights" along with the sub-theme "The Power of Being Understood."The event highlighted the crucial role that interpretation and translation play in fostering communication and mutual understanding across diverse languages and cultures.Former Deputy Chief Parliamentary Interpreters, Mr. K. M. Christopher and Mr. N. Seerpadam, also attended the ceremony, and their valuable service to the Parliamentary Interpretation Service was commended.Commemorating both the establishment of the first ever Translation Unit of the Parliament and the International Translation Day 2026, this event marked an important step in elevating the parliamentary interpretation and translation services into a more professional and efficient service.A large number of interpreters and translators, including Deputy Chief Parliamentary Interpreters Mr. A. Saravanabavanandan, Ms. Chamila Nissanga, and Mr. G.F.P. Sureshwaran, attended this event.
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