The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the answer to the question raised by the Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan is as follows.

¶ 02 The Sri Lanka-German Technical Training Institute established at the Kilinochchi Knowledge City has not been granted autonomy. Operating it as a branch under the Sri Lanka-German Technical Training Institute in Colombo will confer on it the same high level of recognition that CGTTI has, and more students will have access to recognized course certification. “German Tech” is highly regarded; we believe this affiliation will secure that recognition for the Kilinochchi Institute as well and expand recognized certification opportunities.

¶ 03 1. Current student numbers are as follows: - Tamil students: NVQ Level 4 – 63; NVQ Levels 5 and 6 – 114; Total – 177. - Sinhalese students: NVQ Level 4 – 186; NVQ Levels 5 and 6 – 40; Total – 226. - Muslim students: NVQ Level 4 – 21; NVQ Levels 5 and 6 – 25; Total – 46.

¶ 04 Admissions are based on calls for applications and available placements per course. If applications are insufficient, further interviews are held; if applications exceed placements, an entrance test and interview are conducted.

¶ 05 Current courses include: - Automobile Technology – Automobile Technician - Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Mechanic - Construction Technology – Site Supervisor; Draft Person; Quantity Surveying Assistant - Food Technology – Baker; Laboratory Assistant - Mechanical Technology – Machinist; Welder - Electrical and Electronic Technology – Electrician; Sewing Machine Mechanic - Information and Communication Technology – Computer Hardware and Network Technology; ICT Technician - Renewable Energy - Production Technology

¶ 06 2. Initially, the intention was to establish it as a separate autonomous institute, but it was set up under Act No. 15 of 2017, under which CGTTI was established. At establishment, the Attorney-General’s Department advised that the Act needed amendment to create a separate autonomous institute. That amendment has not been made. Although in 2020 the Institute commenced and in 2022 the Cabinet decided it should be set up as a separate institute, the necessary legal amendments were not effected. We are examining feasibility and whether an amendment to the Act should be made.

¶ 07 3. I visited the Kilinochchi SLGTI with Ministry officials and observed several issues, particularly regarding student welfare. While there is equipment and potential to expand, welfare and hostel facilities are inadequate, creating difficulties, especially given the site’s relative isolation and lack of nearby services. Following the visit, we have allocated funds in Budget 2025 to upgrade hostel and welfare facilities, and we plan to allocate funds in Budget 2026 to complete hostel construction in 2026. The longstanding recruitment issue is being addressed; the required cadre proposal has been submitted to the recruitment committee and we expect a favourable response to recruit necessary staff.

¶ 08 4. We recognize the Institute’s capacity to do much more. There are problems with physical infrastructure and human resources, and steps are underway to address them. We hope by next year to upgrade the Institute to the required standard.