The Hon. Vijitha Herath - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, I thank all Members who expressed views and criticisms today. Briefly on some points:

¶ 02 On passports for Sri Lankans abroad, including in Italy: Missions issue passports only to those who are legally resident in conformity with the law. For those who meet legal requirements, passports are issued by the relevant Embassy/Consulate.

¶ 03 On deployment to Israel: There is no delay. This year we have already sent 6,511 persons to various sectors. The previous Minister sent 10,000 to agriculture, influenced by political considerations. Israel later complained that many were unfit, lacked skills, or were unwilling to work hard, and asked us not to send such categories. As a result, that 10,000 could not be continued; about 8,000 were withdrawn and redirected to other sectors, not agriculture. Due to those political interferences at the time, agricultural recruitment was halted. Today, at the SLBFE, there is no political interference; no private allocations to agents as in the past. At the SLBFE’s 40th Anniversary, we did not burden any agent. Previously Ministers raised funds from various parties; not now. We proceed transparently, without political interference, under a strengthened process.

¶ 04 On tourism arrivals: We mark today the two-millionth tourist arrival for the year. With 1.5 months to go, we will certainly reach 2.4 million—the highest arrivals in Sri Lanka’s history—making 2025 the record year.

¶ 05 On remittances: The previous peak was 2016 at USD 7.2 billion. We are already at USD 6.5 billion, averaging about USD 650 million per month, and by year-end we will exceed USD 7.5 billion—again, a historic high alongside record tourist arrivals.

¶ 06 On tourism revenue seeming lower despite higher arrivals: The exchange rate matters. Today USD 1 ≈ LKR 300–306, whereas in earlier periods it was LKR 103–108. Purchasing power dynamics differ, so the measured dollar total varies; that is the difference I noted.

¶ 07 On free visa: We have decided to implement it after receiving the Attorney-General’s clarification. There was a legal issue linked to past events and the VFS case. It is peak season now; even if implementation slips, starting it in the off-season is sufficient and we will proceed.

¶ 08 On e-gates: Hardware is installed but cannot be operated under the current law. A new Immigration and Emigration Bill with necessary clauses has been drafted and amendments made. Once Parliament passes it, e-gates can be activated. Until then, they remain idle at the airport due to legal constraints.

¶ 09 Airport expansion is essential for tourism. We have commenced the project under JICA assistance. Technical and financial evaluations will conclude by early February, and by April next year the expansion will commence. For the current season, a group of private sector stakeholders jointly funded temporary terminals (around USD 35 million equivalent) to ease congestion. The long-term fix remains the expansion project.

¶ 10 We are also advancing projects in the North and East: developing Palaly Airport and other initiatives. We are coordinating with India on development programmes; Cabinet today approved a proposal for World Bank-assisted activities. Lonely Planet has listed Jaffna as a tourist destination. We have allocated several million dollars for Northern projects and have multiple initiatives in Eravur and Kattankudy as well. The Tourism Ministry has a portfolio of projects across both provinces.

¶ 11 On Yala jeep issues: Currently 500 jeeps are deployed and there is a request for 175 more. The Department of Wildlife says capacity cannot be increased without harming wildlife. Therefore, to accommodate newcomers, we may have to reduce quotas of existing operators. A consensus-based approach among registered operators is needed; we will facilitate through the proper mechanism.

¶ 12 On the attack in Qatar: The Ministry issued a clear statement the very next day—incident on 9 September; statement on the 10th condemning it. At the UN Human Rights Council, Sri Lanka co-chaired and supported the resolution condemning the attack. At the UN General Assembly, the President reiterated Sri Lanka’s consistent position supporting a two-state solution and the rights of the Palestinian people. Our stance is unchanged whether in Government or Opposition.

¶ 13 On trade agreements—SAFTA, Singapore, Thailand and others—Cabinet has appointed a subcommittee to review benefits and drawbacks and consider updates, given the time since they were signed. We will take necessary decisions based on that review.

¶ 14 Tourism development requires coordinated action across many ministries and agencies. We are laying the foundation and aim to make tourism the highest foreign exchange earner, expanding jobs and boosting the economy. On foreign employment, our goal is to increase remittances; not to chase ever-higher deployment numbers as an end in itself. A strong domestic economy and production base should encourage people to stay and work here. For now, the reality is that the largest forex share comes via remittances, mainly from the Middle East—especially Kuwait, followed by UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. We are engaging from that premise.

¶ 15 Our foreign policy is clear: to make Sri Lanka a dignified nation in the world and to build constructive ties with all countries. I thank the Members who participated, and the Secretaries and staff of the Ministry for their dedicated effort.