News
More sexual predators preying on female staff of parliament to be weeded out
Several more heads to be rolled from the Parliament senior staff hierarchy for their involvement in sexually harassing female workers of the parliament’s House Keeping Department, sources said.Sources said that a probe conducted by a special investigation committee has listed out several names in a report with evidence to implicate several officials sexually abusing female staff members. The report is scheduled to be handed over to Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadheera this week.
A three-member committee headed by three female officers under the direction of the Secretary General of Parliament is investigating the incidents of sexual exploitation of female workers in parliament staff.Two assistant housekeepers have already been suspended on the allegations against them, parliament sources aid.
Sources said that findings have indicated that sexual exploitation of female staff members had been carried out with aiding and abetting of several officials. Victims have given testimonies that they had been repeatedly abused under threats and those who had been reluctant to cooperate or declined the requests by high officials had been given transfers to other departments or been avenged with demotions or holding back their due promotions.
Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is expected to inform the House of the progress of the probe conducted by the special investigation committee.
Parliament sources said that a special work protocol has been introduced by the Secretary General to prevent sexual exploitation of female workers and she had stated recently that action would be taken against all those found guilty irrespective of their position and rank.
SJB Matale District MP Rohini Kumari Wijeratne during the last sitting week said that certain senior officials accused of sexual abuse and harassment of female employees in the Housekeeping Department, had started to collect statements from victims denying the occurrence of any such incidents.
MP Wijeratne told Parliament that there was reason to believe that some powerful politicians backed the process of forcing the victims to issue letters retracting the allegations of sexual abuse and harassment so that they could see the end of the probe.
MP Wijeratne said: “It has been reported that some senior officials have sexually abused female employees of the Housekeeping Department of the Parliament.Meanwhile, the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus is separately inquiring into the alleged sexual abuse. Caucus member MP Wijeratne has already taken steps to obtain statements from several female housekeepers on the matter.
The Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development has recommended the establishment of Sri Lankan Standards, i.e. the import testing methodology for imported tires used for passenger cars and pneumatic tires for three-wheelers with the aim of ensuring a fair competitive environment for local
manufactures and ensuring consumer safety and security.
Taking into the said recommendations, “Import and Export (control regulations N0.08 of the 2026)” has been enacted to amend the existing regulations by means of the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2508/27 dated 2026-10-01, prescribing Sri Lanka standard 1212 for the import of passenger types (HS Code 4011.10.90) and Sri Lanka standard 1347 for the import of
pneumatic tires for three – wheeled vehicles (HS Code 4011.90.10).
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to submit the aforementioned regulations to Parliament for approval.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 02.06.2025 to introduce a new act to promote and providing legal provisions for facilitating the Public Private Joint Enterprises within Sri Lanka as well as the establishment of the National Agency for Public Private Partnership Joint Enterprises.
Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the relevant draft bill and the Attorney General has given his clearance to the said draft bill.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to publish the said
draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby submit it to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Regulation, development and control of indigenous medical sector in Sri Lanka comprised of Ayurvedha, Sidhdha, Unani, Local Therapies are carried out under the provisions of Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961.
Although amendments were made to the act from time to time as per the requirements, the necessity of further amending the Ayurvedha Act has been identified to enable efficiently maintaining all activities of local medical field productively, further formalizing the regulation of the sector, taking actions to providing licenses applicable to export of local medicines, and achieving the progress and sustainable development goals in the local medical sector.
Based on the said factors, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to direct the Legal Draftsman to formulate a draft bill to amend the Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961.
Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 08 of 2026
Draft Bill of the Public Private Partnership Enterprises Act to be gazzetted
Amendment of the Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961
Cabinet nod to amend the Sri Lanka Development Administration Institute Act No. 9 of 1982
Establishment of the National Higher Performance Centre
State patronage for the cremation ceremony of the late deputy prelate (Anu Nayaka Thero) of the Sri Laka Ramangya Maha Nikaya, Gatambe Rajopawanramadhipatha, Siri Chandawimala Wanshalankara, Chandrakeerthi Sri Amarawansha, Sadhdharmawageeshwara, Shasanashobhanna Most Venerable Keppetiyagoda Siriwimalabhidhana Thero
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