The Hon. Kanchana Welipitiya

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, these Regulations under the Intellectual Property Act are of particular importance to our new Government’s programme to build a production‑oriented economy to eradicate rural poverty. The “geographical indication” (GI) regime is crucial to establish quality and distinctiveness for local products domestically and internationally under national laws, regional agreements and WTO TRIPS.

¶ 02 Sri Lanka has many unique products—tea, cinnamon, pepper, blue sapphires, Ruhuna buffalo curd, among others—with global demand. GI protection enables producers to secure recognition, premium pricing, and competitiveness while confirming origin and attributes tied to specific regions.

¶ 03 Other countries have moved ahead quickly: China has secured over 9,700 GIs, Germany over 7,600, Georgia over 400, and India over 300. Our past rulers failed to secure these for our producers, preferring to privatize and sell state assets rather than strengthen production. Our policy “A Prosperous Country, a Beautiful Life” aims to leverage GIs to expand export opportunities and incomes for rural producers.