2025-09-02
News Categories : Committee News
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Economic Development and International Relations reviewed the performance of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and the performance of the five institutions under it.
This took place recently in Parliament under the Chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Ms. Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney at Law. Hon. Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti and Hon. Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe also participated in the Committee meeting held.
Accordingly, the performance reports of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development for the years 2023 and 2024, the annual reports of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority for the years 2022 and 2023, the annual report of the Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute for the year 2023, the annual reports of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023, the annual reports of B.C.C. Lanka Limited for the financial years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023, and the annual reports and accounts of the National Salt Company for the financial years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 were reviewed and subsequently approved.
Attention was drawn to the issues prevailing in the country’s industrial sector. The Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development pointed out that several issues, including the allocation of land to investors according to existing procedures, have persisted for a long time. Accordingly, it was revealed that the process of allocating land for a new industry could take more than 4 years. The Secretary also stated that, according to international concepts, generally 3% of a country’s land area should be allocated for industries, whereas in Sri Lanka this figure stands at only 0.01%.
It was also discussed that in the past, land was not allocated for industries in accordance with a national plan, but rather due to political or other reasons, resulting in various problematic situations. Accordingly, officials revealed that plans are now in place to allocate 50,000 acres of suitable land for industries across the island. The Committee recommended that a report be submitted, in consultation with the Land Reforms Commission, the Urban Development Authority, and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, on the steps that could be taken and the future plan in this regard.
Attention was also drawn towards the current performance and issues of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority. Officials stated that steps will be taken in the future to merge the National Gem and Jewellery Authority with the Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute.
The current performance of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board was also taken into consideration. Officials stated that this is the only institution in the country responsible for promoting and developing exports, and that 5-year plans have been prepared covering sectors including apparel, tea, rubber, spices, information technology, gems, and jewellery. They further revealed that successfully managing U.S. taxation policies, the country’s largest export market, has been a significant achievement, and that with an export income of around USD 15 billion in 2023, the target is to increase this to USD 28 billion by 2028.
Officials stated that the production activities of the National Salt Company are being carried out with high efficiency. They pointed out that due to changes in climatic conditions, natural salt production has decreased in recent times. Accordingly, it was revealed that plans are in place to establish a facility in the Elephant Pass area to artificially produce salt using modern technology instead of the natural process. Officials further stated that the revenue target of the National Salt Company for this year is Rs. 1 billion, which is a 50% increase compared to the previous year.
It was also revealed that although B.C.C. Lanka Limited, a 192-year-old institution, produces high-quality coconut oil, the company has not obtained quality certifications. The current Chairman of the company informed the Committee that many export opportunities have been lost due to this situation, and that immediate steps have now been taken to obtain SLS, ISO, and other quality certifications.
Members of Parliament Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne, Attorney at Law, Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan, Hon. Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Attorney at Law, Hon. Kanthasamy Prabu, Hon. Wijesiri Basnayake, Hon. Suranga Rathnayaka, and Hon. Thilina Samarakoon participated in this Committee meeting.
2025-09-12
For the first session of the Tenth Parliament, Hon. Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim was appointed as the new Chair of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA). This appointment fills the vacancy created following the resignation of Hon. Member of Parliament Aravinda Senarath, who served as the Chair of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) for the first session of the Tenth Parliament, on 06.08.2025. The Committee convened in Parliament today (Sep. 12) to elect the new Chairman. For the position of Chair, the name of Hon. MP Kabir Hashim was proposed and seconded respectively by Hon. Members of Parliament J.C. Alawathuwala and Rohitha Abeygunawardhana. Subsequently, addressing the Committee, the new Chair stated that he expects to carry out his duties in a neutral manner, free from political bias, with the cooperation of all members. He further expressed his special appreciation for the work performed by former Chair Hon. Member of Parliament Aravinda Senarath and stated that he expects to carry out the responsibilities of his office even more effectively. Moreover, the new Chair indicated that he is prepared to take the necessary measures to further systematize the functions of the COPA Committee by formulating new plans. The occasion was also attended by Hon. Deputy Minister Sugath Thilakaratne, Hon. MPs (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, Rohitha Abeygunawardhana, J.C. Alawathuwala, Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, Hector Appuhamy, (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana, Oshani Umanga, Ruwanthilaka Jayakody, Thushari Jayasingha, Attorney at Law, M.A.M. Thahir, Lal Premanath, Chanaka Madugoda, as well as Parliament officials including Director (Legislative Services) and Acting Director (Communication) M. Jayalath Perera.
2025-09-12
The Committee on Public Finance has granted approval for the 2026 budget estimate of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).This approval was granted during a meeting of the Committee held yesterday (Sep. 11th ) in Parliament, chaired by Hon. Dr. Harsha de Silva, Member of Parliament.During the meeting, the Chairman of the Committee pointed out that just as the Central Bank of Sri Lanka experience the financial independence, it is important to grant financial autonomy to institutions such as the Bribery Commission (CIABOC) and the Auditor General’s Department to ensure greater independence in their operations. He further stated that with such financial independence, these institutions would be able to function more autonomously, irrespective of which government is in power, and free from prevailing political authority. Accordingly, the Committee decided to inform the Minister of Finance, who is also the President, about this matter.Additionally, Hon. Dr. Harsha de Silva stated that the remuneration of the Chairman, Director General, and members of the Commission should be aligned with that of the President of the Court of Appeal. Therefore, as the salary of the President of the Court of Appeal is revised, the salaries of these officials should also be revised accordingly. The Committee Chair also noted that the necessary intervention will be made in this regard.Members of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake, Harshana Rajakaruna, (Dr.) Kaushalya Ariyaratne, Wijesiri Basnayake, Sunil Rajapaksha, Nimal Palihena, Thilina Samarakoon, and Nishantha Jayaweera participated in the meeting.
2025-09-11
The Committee on Public Finance reviewed the country’s income, expenditure, and debt conditions during the first half of 2025. This took place at a meeting of the committee held in Parliament on the 9th September 2025, chaired by Honorable Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva. Accordingly, the Sri Lankan government has reported a strong fiscal performance for the first half of 2025 compared to the total revenue for the first six months of 2024, exceeding the mid-year target, officials from the Ministry of Finance informed the Committee. Presenting data, Finance Ministry officials pointed out that the total revenue collected from the half-yearly estimated income of Rs. 2,241 billion from January to June 2025 was Rs. 2,318 billion, which exceeded the half-yearly estimate by 3%. Meanwhile, the total government expenditure in the first half of 2025 was Rs. 3,467 billion, an increase of Rs. 367 billion compared to the expenditure in the first six months of 2024. The main reason for this increase has been debt servicing, which was Rs. 1,984 billion in the first half of 2025. Recurring expenditure on essential public services, including public sector salaries, pensions, social security programs such as ‘Aswesuma’ and ‘Samurdhi’, has also increased, Finance Ministry officials said. Furthermore, the Sri Lanka Customs Department has recorded a revenue of Rs. 996 billion between January and June 2025, recording a growth of 47% compared to the year 2024 (January - June). The revenue received from the import of automobiles contributed significantly to this growth, which had received Rs. 429 billion. Since the opening of vehicles for import, 220,026 vehicles have been imported into Sri Lanka so far, of which 154,537 vehicles have been cleared by Sri Lanka Customs, the Finance Ministry officials pointed out. Furthermore, the Hon. Members of the Committee also inquired from the Sri Lanka Customs Department about the issues faced by importers due to the time taken at Customs for container clearance activities of 9 - 10 days. Accordingly, the departmental officials informed the committee that a method is being developed to resolve the issue and complete the clearance of the relevant goods within 2-3 days. The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) also reported an increase, reporting an income of Rs. 1,040,388 million out of the estimated income of Rs. 1,022,691 million in the first half of 2025. Here, the departmental officials pointed out that TIN (Tax Identification Number) numbers have been issued for about 1.3 million Sri Lankans over the age of 18. Here, the Chairman questioned whether the expected economic growth target for this year can be achieved based on this data. However, Finance Ministry officials said that it can be assumed that economic growth will be around 3.1% this year. The Chairman of the Committee also instructed the officials to take steps to inform the Committee about the policy of the Ministry of Finance regarding the tax policy applied to cigarettes. The Committee also discussed the discrepancy between the forecasts made by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Finance regarding the country's foreign reserves at the end of the year. The meeting was attended by the Hon. Members of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake, Harshana Rajakaruna, Ajith Agalakada, M.K.M. Aslam, (Dr.) Kaushalya Ariyaratne, Nimal Palihena, Attorney-at-Law Chitral Fernando, Wijesiri Basnayake, Sunil Rajapaksa, Champika Hettiarachchi, Attorney-at-Law Lakmali Hemachandra, and Nishantha Jayaweera.
2025-09-10
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital appointed this subcommittee in order to take necessary measures aimed at creating young entrepreneurs through the National Youth Services Council. This subcommittee, which will be chaired by Hon. Member of Parliament Sunil Rajapaksha, consists of Hon. Members of Parliament Chanaka Madugoda, Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, Attorney at Law, Krishnan Kalaichelvi, and Sujeewa Dissanayake as its other members. The subcommittee was appointed at the meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital, chaired by Hon. Member of Parliament Hesha Withanage Ankumbura Arachchi, which was held yesterday (Sep. 09) in Parliament. Accordingly, this committee is expected to hold discussions with various institutions and individuals in order to take more practical measures for the creation of young entrepreneurs through the National Youth Services Council and to report on the same. The committee chair recalled the individuals produced by the National Youth Services Council for various fields such as arts and sports, and emphasized the importance of treating this program of creating entrepreneurs for the youth community as a national program. Furthermore, the committee chairman inquired about the present status of the Youth Parliament conducted by the National Youth Services Council. Officials informed the committee that the Youth Parliament has currently been dissolved and that arrangements are being made to re-establish it by holding an election next year. The committee chairman emphasized the necessity of carrying out the selection process of members for the Youth Parliament with greater transparency. The following Hon. Members of Parliament participated in this meeting: Hon. Ajith P. Perera, Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan, Hon. K. Ilankumaran, Hon. Krishnan Kalaichelvi, Hon. Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, Attorney at Law, Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Hon. Sujeewa Dissanayake, Hon. Chanaka Madugoda, Hon. Sanjeewa Ranasingha, Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran, and Hon. Sunil Rajapaksha.
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