Naina Thambi Marikkar Mohamed Thahir was sworn in as a Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) National List Member of Parliament before Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne yesterday (05).

His appointment follows the resignation of SJB Parliamentarian Muhammathu Ismail Muththu Mohamed, who stepped down from his position on 28 November.

The SJB subsequently nominated Thahir to fill the resulting vacancy.

Accordingly, the Election Commission issued a Gazette Extraordinary declaring Naina Thambi Marikkar Mohamed Thahir a Member of Parliament, in terms of Section 64(5) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981, as amended by Section 6 of the Elections (Special Provisions) Act, No. 35 of 1988.

With the issuance of the gazette, and the subsequent swearing-in, Thahir has officially assumed duties as a National List MP, representing the SJB.

A joint programme by the Ministry of Finance and commercial banks to provide loan facilities for new entrepreneurs will be launched in January next year, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Sunil Handunneththi, told Parliament’s Ministerial Consultative Committee on 25 November.

Handunneththi said Rs 80 billion allocated in Budget 2026 for entrepreneurship loans will be channelled through the new scheme to ensure funds are distributed efficiently. A separate programme is scheduled for January to brief MPs on eligible sectors and the overall loan distribution process.

The Minister also announced the launch of a National Database for Industrialists, designed to consolidate information on all industrialists, under one system. Ministry officials told the Committee that promotional campaigns would be rolled out to encourage entrepreneurs to register, enabling easier access to government services.

Committee members also discussed the possibility of extending collateral-free loans to craftsmen registered with the National Crafts Council.

Officials from the National Paper Company Limited reported significant improvements in operations, saying monthly production at the mill had increased from 150–180 metric tons to 400 metric tons after rectifying earlier deficiencies.

Handunneththi further briefed the Committee on a new National Advisory Framework for issuing excavation permits, aimed at replacing the current ad hoc system with a more structured process. The framework is also expected to come into effect in January.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chairperson of Committees Hemali Weerasekara, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MPs, and officials from the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development.

Sri Lanka Customs is working to clear a four-day cargo backlog after last week’s severe weather disrupted operations, with clearance expected to return to normal, only by the end of December, Customs Director General Seevali Arukgoda said.

“Clearance was affected from Thursday to Sunday because staff turnout was low, and there was some flooding around the port,” Arukgoda told the media. He said several vessels had to be moved out of the port due to strong winds.

“We’re now working through the four-day backlog. It will take some time to return to usual clearance, probably toward the end of December,” he said.

Despite the delays, Customs has already met its annual revenue target of Rs 2,115 billion for the year.