The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, my time was reduced to six minutes; I request the full six.

¶ 02 We are debating amendments to regulations under two Acts; let me address the Import and Export (Control) Act regulations. Sri Lanka has had both strong and oppressive laws. Laws and regulations must evolve with circumstances. The present amendments to allow disaster relief goods to be imported without standard import permits via the DMC reflect current needs. In true emergencies, such discretion is fine—but Government must prevent abuse.

¶ 03 As someone who served in Mullaitivu during the 2004 tsunami, I recall that many donated items—clothes, foods, plastics—were unsuitable for our climate and customs. Authorities struggled to manage them; warehouses overflowed, and items went unused. Therefore, while this framework expedites goods, there must be filters to avoid taking everything at the gate simply because it is free.

¶ 04 Another caution: allowing a single official—the Controller of Imports and Exports—to override standards (e.g., Sri Lanka Standards certification) can be dangerous. Concentrating such authority in one person risks adverse outcomes.

¶ 05 Separately, we must amend other problematic laws—e.g., the Mahaweli Authority Act and Forestry/Wildlife institutional mandates that facilitate land encroachments with little accountability. Meanwhile, we should modernize beneficial laws too. Many local authorities are revenue-poor. For example, bicycle licences still carry a Rs. 5 fee while the plate costs Rs. 25, creating a loss per plate; this needs revision.

¶ 06 On public safety, in the North and East many road deaths stem from animals on roads at night. A simple fix: require reflective ear tags for livestock so headlights pick them up, reducing accidents. Many more die annually from road accidents than perished in war years. Sensible legal updates like these deserve support.

¶ 07 Thank you.