The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I wish to raise matters regarding the Ministry of Fisheries. I am pleased the Hon. Minister is here. In the Eastern Province, when people bring problems to him, he listens and pays attention—how far he succeeds is another matter, but at least he listens.

¶ 02 Hon. Minister, in Trincomalee District around 1,845 fishing families risk losing their livelihoods due to an agreement with Global Ceylon Seafoods (Pvt.) Ltd. for cage fishing. While foreign exchange is welcome, 1,845 families may lose their traditional fishing: in particular, 550 families in Thaqwa Nagar, 250 in Muttur East, 150 in Kattakarachchenai, 200 in Sampur, 120 in Neithal Nagar, 75 in Thaha Nagar, 50 in Pal Nagar, 100 in Anaichenai and 200 in Nadu Theevu. Please meet them and discuss solutions. Two options: provide alternative fishing opportunities to them, or provide an alternative site to the company. Mere cash handouts are useless—their livelihood depends on fishing.

¶ 03 In my town of Kalmunai, early monsoonal rains have severely impacted fishers. The usual December monsoon has already started. Last year, during floods, about ten people, including madrasa students, died at the Karaithivu–Mavadippalli junction. Today that spot looks like a watercourse; it is actually a road. You had allocated funds for railings, but they have not been properly installed. A bridge was promised by the Hon. President, but the 2021 allocation is insufficient. Local officials say: “We did soil tests; we will see later.” I urge action.

¶ 04 Further, due to heavy rains, relief including dry rations for affected fishers should be provided by the Ministry of Fisheries together with the Department of Social Services.

¶ 05 Next, regarding the Ministry of Digital Economy: I appreciate the strong discussion in the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Science, Technology and Digital Transformation, of which I am a member. I wish to raise public concerns.

¶ 06 For example, there is a serious efficiency issue in the digitization of the Department of Immigration and Emigration. A person urgently applied online for a visa from London to visit an ailing family member. He paid considerable fees, but at the counter he was told, “This is a fake online visa.” He had to pay again and wait. There is clearly a problem in their digital system.

¶ 07 Another issue: people often do not know if they are subject to travel bans from old Magistrate’s Court cases. Even when the CID or police later state they will not proceed, the Immigration Department’s travel block remains. People discover it only at the airport counter. This is a grave human problem. There must be a secure online way—QR, OTP, fingerprint verification—to check passport travel impediments, with proper personal data protection in place.

¶ 08 On EVs: there should be a unified system and app showing charging stations—DC fast chargers and Level 2 AC chargers—their availability and occupancy. From 2025, Gen Z will increasingly adopt EVs; you must mitigate charging challenges. Every fuel station should have EV charging points integrated with globally used software and protocols.

¶ 09 On online purchases: international methods like Google Pay are not working due to foreign exchange and exchange control issues. The legal and regulatory framework must be updated so digitalization is not hindered, while ensuring taxes due to Sri Lanka are collected.

¶ 10 I wish the Ministry of Digital Economy well and urge continued focus. Thank you.