2024-06-24
News Categories : Committee News
Attention directed towards drinking water issue suffered by people of Avissawella for 29 years - People allege that the reason is unauthorized gem mining
The Committee on Ways and Means of Parliament met on 20.06.2024 under the Chairmanship of Member of Parliament Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, at the Parliament premises.
Whilst the Budget 2024 report prepared by the Verité Research Institute was taken up for discussion here, the representatives of the said institute made an introduction regarding their report to the Committee on Ways and Means. By providing a background on the objectives of the report and the budgeting process in Sri Lanka, attention was drawn to the various shortcomings in the 2024 budget. The report states that since 1991, Sri Lanka's failure to meet budget targets has continuously increased the budget deficit. Furthermore, this report presented data on the revenue targeted by the 2023 budget, the revenue collected as well as the revenue expected to be collected through the increase in tax rates for the year 2024.
The Chair of the Committee requested the representatives of Verité Research Institute to calculate whether the expected revenue from the Value Added Tax is a realistic value. Moreover, he requested that a report be submitted on the impact of inflation on government revenue during the period 2022 – 2024 to the Committee on Ways and Means Committee.
In addition, a request was made to provide a research report related to the property tax proposed by the government to the Committee on Ways and Means. The Committee's next focus was on a petition submitted by five petitioners living in the Avissawella area. Accordingly, attention was paid to check the supply of drinking water mixed with mud by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board.
Accordingly, the Avissawella center of the National Water Supply Board revealed that the drinking water provided to the people of Avissawella and Talduwa for about 29 years is in a very feculent condition, and it was revealed that about 33,000 people in 8752 water connections are affected by this.
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board stated that this situation has developed due to the damage to the water treatment system due to the unauthorized and irregular dredging of the Sitawaka river. The Chair of the Committee inquired whether a formal investigation was conducted and a complaint was made to the Gem and Jewelery Authority regarding this situation, and the Water Supply and Drainage Board stated that although complaints were made to the Gems and Jewelery Authority, the Police and the Central Environment Authority in this regard, A proper solution was not found.
As the existing water treatment system is about 50 years old, a proposal for a new water treatment system (Rs. 1600 million) has been prepared as a solution, and it was also revealed that a tender call has not been made yet. It was also stated that it will take a long time of 2 years to complete the entire process. Furthermore, the petitioners pointed out that if it is possible to obtain water from the area 500 meters above the current water intake location, there will be a solution.
The Committee Chair, Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka instructed that the existing system will have to be shut down for about two weeks at the start of the two-year process, so that a temporary alternative for water supply should be found during that period. The Chair instructed to check the possibility of getting water supply connection from Kalatuwa area and to convene another meeting to discuss this matter on the 10th of the coming month for this purpose.
In addition, the Committee Chair informed the National Water Supply and Drainage Board to give a report regarding the approximate cost of the low-cost project that can be brought as an alternative to the proposed water treatment system, which is currently estimated at 1600 million rupees. It was also advised to submit a report regarding the determination (Time Line) before the Committee.
2025-10-29
The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) questioned the North Western Provincial Council over its decision to adopt a “Design and Build Procurement Process” for a six-storey office complex, resulting in a higher financial burden on the Council, despite no feasibility study report having been obtained Although the North Western Provincial Council, together with the Kurunegala Municipal Council, had called for tenders and entered into an agreement with a contractor for the construction of the six-storey office building, it was disclosed before COPA that the construction work has now been suspended due to an ongoing supervisory inquiry. It was also disclosed that a feasibility study report, which is a prerequisite for such a project, had not been obtained. Furthermore, COPA emphasized that choosing the Design and Build Procurement Process which shifts the entire design and construction responsibility to the contractor, for a standard six-storey office building (not of a special nature) was problematic, as it imposed an unnecessary financial burden on the Provincial Council. These matters were discussed during the meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), chaired by Hon. Kabir Hashim, Member of Parliament, held on 23.10.2025, to examine the Auditor General’s Reports for the years 2023 and 2024 and the current performance of the North Western Provincial Council. Accordingly, COPA decided to summon the respective officials for further examination of this construction project and recommended that within one month, all recommendations, procurement documents, technical committee reports, and all other related records pertaining to the project be submitted to the Auditor General. COPA also inquired into the recovery of loan funds and overdue interest provided by the Department of the Food Commissioner through the Department of Co-operative Development of the North Western Province to paddy-producing co-operative societies. It was recommended that a report including the measures taken to recover these funds, along with a timeline, be submitted to COPA within two months. Further, although the Provincial Land Commissioner’s Department had been instructed to prepare a comprehensive record on state lands, COPA observed that such records were not being properly maintained to allow identification of all state lands, details on lands given on long-term lease with or without approval, and arrears in lease rentals. COPA emphasized that officials must take action without hesitation to recover monies due to the government and assured that the Committee will extend all necessary support to ensure this. Accordingly, the Committee recommended that a report on the total amount expected to be recovered by the end of this year be submitted. It was further revealed that due to ongoing supervisory issues, approximately Rs. 85 million in tax arrears could not be recovered, and COPA directed that a detailed report on this matter also be submitted to the Committee. The meeting was attended by COPA Members including Hon. Deputy Ministers Aravinda Senaratne and Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), and Hon. Members of Parliament (Dr.) Janaka Senarathna, T.K. Jayasundara, Ruwanthilaka Jayakody, Thushari Jayasinghe, Attorney-at-Law Sagarika Athauda, Attorney-at-Law and Sunil Rathnasiri.
2025-10-29
A discussion aimed at sharing agricultural development experiences and expanding future cooperation opportunities between the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation and a Chinese delegation led by Yan Yalin, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Yunnan Province, was held recently (Oct. 24) at the Parliament premises. The meeting was chaired by Hon. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne, during which discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the fields of tea, coffee, and tobacco cultivation. Expressing his views at the discussion, Hon. Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne stated that preliminary discussions had already been conducted at the ministerial level and that this meeting aimed to facilitate in-depth dialogue between the delegation and Members of Parliament on these sectors. Appreciating the continuous support extended by China to Sri Lanka’s development process over the years, the Hon. Deputy Minister also emphasized the longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and China. He further noted that such interactions would contribute to strengthening bilateral cooperation and to the modernization and expansion of Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector. Both parties exchanged views regarding the development of the tea, coffee, and tobacco industries, with particular focus on the application of modern technological innovations. The need to utilize advanced technology to address challenges arising from the declining labor force and to improve the productivity of tea cultivation was also discussed. The Chinese delegation proposed the use of fourth-generation fertilizers as suitable for improving soil fertility and enhancing crop yields. Attention was also drawn to coffee cultivation, where it was noted that Sri Lanka’s coffee industry had demonstrated notable progress over the past decade. The need to expand the allocation of land for coffee cultivation was discussed as well. Officials indicated that currently over 5,000 hectares are under coffee cultivation and that plans are underway to expand it to 10,000 hectares within the next two years. Furthermore, discussions were held regarding Sri Lanka’s tobacco industry, where it was pointed out that exporting value-added finished products to the market instead of raw materials would enable Sri Lanka to gain better access to international markets. It was also highlighted that the tobacco industry in Sri Lanka still operates on a small-scale basis, and the Chinese delegation stressed the importance of developing it into a large-scale, factory-centered industry. Hon. Members of Parliament of the Ministerial Consultative Committee and other Hon. Members, Chinese representatives, and officials from Parliament and the Ministry participated in this meeting.
2025-10-27
World Bank representatives have emphasized the importance of maintaining an updated and accurate data system when selecting eligible beneficiaries for the Aswesuma Social Security Programme. They further stated their readiness to provide the necessary technical support and international expertise for this purpose. These observations were made during a joint meeting held recently (Oct. 22) at Parliament, attended by Members of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Finance, Planning and Economic Development; Members of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Economic Development and International Relations; other Honourable Members of Parliament; representatives of the World Bank; and officials of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies. The meeting was held with the participation of the Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage, Minister of Rural Development, Social Empowerment and Welfare; and the Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law, Chairperson of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Economic Development and International Relations. The World Bank delegation included Ms. Francesca Lamanna, Senior Economist for the Social Security Project, and Mr. Srinivas Varadan, Senior Social Security Specialist, along with several others. During the discussions, the World Bank representatives stated that establishing a comprehensive data system for social Security would enable the accurate identification of genuinely poor and vulnerable individuals and families. They noted that the mere inclusion of citizens’ information in the database would not automatically qualify them as Aswesuma beneficiaries. Instead, the data must be verified and analyzed to correctly identify those eligible for relevant benefits. They further emphasized that such a Social Security data system constitutes a productive investment for the country and, therefore, highlighted the need for continuous updating of the data system. Members of Parliament who took part in the discussion also expressed their views regarding issues encountered in distributing Aswesuma benefits. They suggested that the beneficiaries of Aswesuma be selected through local committees and that the list of selected beneficiaries be publicly displayed within the respective village to ensure transparency in the process. Officials involved in implementing the Aswesuma programme stated that certain challenges had arisen due to inadequate information provided to the implementing officers, Divisional Secretaries, and Grama Niladhari officers. However, they noted that measures are currently being taken to properly inform these officers of their respective roles and to obtain their cooperation in ensuring the successful implementation of the programme. This occasion was also attended by the Hon. Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, Hon. Ministers, Hon. Deputy Ministers, Hon. Members of Parliament, Ms. Shalika Subasinghe – Advisor to the World Bank, and officials of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies.
2025-10-24
The Committee on Public Finance has granted its approval for the Appropriation Bill for the year 2026. This approval was given during a committee meeting held in Parliament yesterday (Oct. 23) under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva. Officials from the Ministry of Finance, who attended the meeting, briefed the Committee on the allocation of funds for various sectors and the targets set for the year 2026. After an extensive discussion on these matters, the Committee granted its approval for the Bill. The Appropriation Bill for the year 2026 is scheduled to be presented to Parliament for the second reading (Budget Speech) by the Hon. President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance on 7th of November.
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