The Hon. Chandana Thennakoon

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, these Regulations are long overdue.

¶ 02 GIs certify that a product’s special qualities are linked to a specific geography. Certification is granted not to a single trader but to all compliant producers in that region and can apply from a village or ecological zone up to the whole country. Benefits include legal, economic and social protection; premium prices (studies show 20–50 percent higher); stronger consumer trust; and a powerful tool for export promotion.

¶ 03 GIs also drive rural development by empowering small producers and easing market access. For Sri Lanka, strengthening GIs for “Ceylon Tea”, “Ceylon Cinnamon”, “Ceylon Pepper”, “Ceylon Cashew”, “Ceylon King Coconut”, and unique regional products (e.g., Southern buffalo curd) can protect against misuse, differentiate authentic origin, and even boost tourism—much like the Jura mountain Comté cheese route in France which attracts visitors due to its GI story.

¶ 04 We lag behind India, China and others because past governance did not nurture production but exploited systems. Our Government will promote a production economy, provide GI protection and necessary facilities to producers, and advance exports.