News

Attention of parliamentary committee drawn to need for expert assistance

Published

4 years ago

2021/07/21

Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake addressing the gathering. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, MP Angajan Ramanathan and Minister Dinesh Gunawardena look on (pic courtesy Parliament)

Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake said that the attention of the Parliamentary Liaison Committee had been drawn to the need to seek the assistance of experts and researchers for special committees such as the Committee on Public Finance, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA).

A number of Committee Chairpersons who participated in this Committee meeting expressed their views in this regard and pointed out the need to obtain the contribution of experts in various fields including economics.

The meeting chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, was attended by the Leader of the House and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and the Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardane.

MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa pointed out that the assistance of experts as well as researchers was very much needed as committees such as the Committee on Public Finance had to meet daily during the budget period and had to discuss and approve economic and financial regulations.

Leader of the House and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena who approved that stance also stated that it was very important to seek the assistance of experts for special committees. He also said that the possibility of amending the Standing Orders and holding Ministerial Consultative Committee meetings within the Ministry should be explored and through that more officials could be involved.

In addition, attention was drawn to the possibility of holding committees with public engagement such as the Committee on Public Petitions outside Parliament, the Secretary General said. He also said that the members of the committee had instructed him to look for a place to use a government building outside the parliament premises for the purpose.

The Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardane as well as Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera pointed out the need for researchers to make the MPs more aware of the issues that needed to be addressed during parliamentary debates.

The Liaison Committee meets once in two months under the chairmanship of the Speaker. At the meeting the Secretary General said that officials were currently being contacted online at many committee meetings and that steps had also been taken to update the website and make the information of the committees more accessible to the public.

The Secretary General said that the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) meetings and the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) meetings were recorded and broadcast. With the permission of the Chairpersons of other Committees, press releases were issued to the media through the Department of Communication of Parliament, he said.

Leader of the House Minister Gunawardena requested the Speaker to look into the possibility of holding Ministerial Consultative Committee meetings at the relevant ministry premises as it is possible to obtain the contribution of a large number of officials.

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Navy seize an Indian fishing boat poaching in northern waters

Published

10 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.

The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.

Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.

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Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

16 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.

The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.

News

CEB demands 11.57 percent power tariff hike in first quarter

Published

18 hours ago

2026/01/3

Thilina Walpola

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.

According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.

Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.

The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.

In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.

The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.

The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.

Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.

By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️