Columns

• As Prime Minister Harini, in charge of education, embarks on high-profile visits to China and India; President addresses teacher concerns
• Govt. prepares to present second budget amid people’s expectations of relief on cost of living and taxes
• Nationwide programme to combat drug menace set to launch; no reprieve in crackdown on underworld gangs

By our Political Desk

The attendees were teachers who the President said were the vanguard of the campaign to bring the National People’s Power (NPP) to power, but by now, post-election fervour seems to have diminished, with the President’s lengthy speech not drawing the kind of enthusiastic applause that such meetings drew prior to last year’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

The lack of enthusiasm among those in the education sector is understandable, given that their demands for the government to address salary-related issues have not been met. They also feel blindsided by moves to toughen laws on corporal punishment and by the proposed education reforms.

In his address, the President was non-committal on the teachers’ demand to rectify their salary anomalies but hinted that the amendment to the Penal Code on corporal punishment might not become law.

“There has been some concern regarding the proposed amendment to the law. However, this draft has not been passed by Parliament. Laws are not made by me or by Parliament; they are made for the citizens. I assure you that no law that people disagree with will ever be passed in Parliament. The era of drafting laws and amending the Constitution to suit the needs of those in power has now come to an end. All these changes are for the benefit of the public,” the President said.

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya meeting China's Preisdent Xi Jinping and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in two high profile visits to China and India this week

Teachers and principals have voiced opposition to tougher laws on corporal punishment, citing concerns that they could face legal action for disciplining students — which, in turn, could lead to a breakdown in school discipline.

Adding their voices to the teachers’ concerns have been the senior Buddhist clergy and Colombo’s Archbishop Malcom Cardinal Ranjith. Their opposition has no doubt put enough pressure on the government to want to ditch the proposed amendments.

On top of this, there are also the education reforms, some of which will take effect from next year. Controversial among them is the decision to make history an optional subject for the Ordinary Level examinations starting from 2029, whereas it’s a mandatory subject in the current O/L syllabus. The decision to make history optional has caused an uproar among some sections who allege that the government is trying to alienate students from the country’s history. It’s likely this part of the education reforms will not see the light of day given the growing pressure on the government to ensure that history stays mandatory.

Earlier there were also reports that the Health Ministry’s National STD/AIDS Control Programme had recommended integrating HIV/STI prevention measures—including condom use—into Sri Lanka’s school curriculum and that the National Institute of Education (NIE) was set to introduce HIV/STI prevention measures into the Grade 10 Science textbook. Again, the growing opposition forced the government to backtrack, stating it had no such plans.

Through all the upheavals in the education sector, the minister in charge of the subject has been keeping a low profile, with some in government actively defending the proposed changes, while others have been playing it safe, stating that the reforms will align with the needs of the country and be in keeping with its culture and values and with international obligations.

In July, when a parliamentary debate was held on the proposed education reforms, it was President Dissanayake who took centre stage by giving a detailed account of what his government planned to do while the minister in charge of the subject sat beside him paying heed.

Education has always been a tricky portfolio to handle, given there are many sensitive matters involved. Trade unions in the sector too are powerful, but with the JVP being the main segment of the ruling NPP alliance, the government has been able to control the unions to some extent and hence managed to prevent crippling strikes in the sector so far. The government is aware that those in the teaching profession are a major vote bloc, and upsetting parents of schoolgoing children with any dramatic changes to school syllabuses could cost it electorally. Hence the President’s eagerness for damage control by addressing the teachers’ convention on Friday.

Last week saw the government’s first cabinet reshuffle, where a powerful minister, Bimal Rathnayake, lost two of his important portfolios, namely the Ports and Aviation. The message is that no one is too important to be kept in the same portfolio for the entirety of the term of the government, and heads will roll if the work in their ministries does not make the expected progress. So, while the Prime Minister is away on her second overseas tour in a week, education sector reforms may be off her mind for now, but the hurdles ahead are a reality. Usually when the hurdles get too high, it’s usually the minister who loses the job and not the education system getting changed.

PM in China/India

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya had time to take a break from domestic political matters this week when she undertook visits to China and India, rubbing shoulders with the leaders of these countries. It’s the most high-profile visit she has undertaken since becoming Prime Minister, and she was well received in both countries.

In China, in addition to taking part in the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women and visiting the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square, she called on Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing.

The main focus of Prime Minister Amarasuriya’s visit to Beijing was to attend the Global Women’s Summit held to mark the 30th anniversary of the historic UN’s world conference on women, which took place in Beijing in 1995. She addressed the opening day of the summit, where she reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to advancing the rights and well-being of women and girls and to translating principles into practical action for equality and dignity.

While her visit to India was to participate in the NDTV Global Summit 2025, it was a nostalgic tour for the Prime Minister which took her back to the halls of her classroom at Hindu College of the University of Delhi, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in sociology.

She received a warm welcome from the college administration, faculty members, and students, and in recognition of her achievements, the college inaugurated a new research facility named the “Harini Amarasuriya Social & Ethnographic Research Lab.” She also took the time to revisit the classrooms where she once studied and shared reflections on her time as a student, recalling how her education at Hindu College, New Delhi, shaped her academic journey and lifelong commitment to social justice, equality, and education reform.

While in New Delhi, she also met the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. “Glad to welcome Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ms Harini Amarasuriya. Our discussions covered a broad range of areas, including education, women’s empowerment, innovation, development cooperation and welfare of our fishermen. As close neighbours, our cooperation holds immense importance for the prosperity of our two peoples as well as the shared region,” PM Modi said on his X handle after the meeting.

She also met with representatives of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and exploring opportunities for collaboration across key sectors, including energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, fintech, AI-driven business development, skilling and innovation, wellness tourism, fertiliser production, and port development, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

She also addressed the NDTV World Summit 2025, where she was along with Indian Prime Minister Modi. She was one of the main speakers while two former prime ministers from Commonwealth nations, Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom and Tony Abbott of Australia, were in attendance.

In her speech, Premier Amarasuriya underscored the deepening partnership between India and Sri Lanka, grounded in India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and MAHASAGAR Vision, and acknowledged India’s vital support during Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic crisis and the ongoing collaboration in areas such as energy, connectivity, education, defence, trade, and technology.

She also reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to building a clean, inclusive, and forward-looking democracy and to working in partnership with India and the international community to promote shared prosperity in the region.

Budget in two weeks

In just over two weeks, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will present his government’s second budget to Parliament. Contrary to the doom and gloom scenario his opponents have been predicting for Sri Lanka since President Dissanayake and his National People’s Power (NPP) were elected to power, the country has not spiralled back into the economic abyss of 2021/2022. In fact, under the NPP, the country’s economic recovery continues to be somewhat robust, earning praise from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which asks the government to keep the course under its programme. Earlier this month, the IMF and the government reached a staff-level agreement on economic policies to conclude the Fifth Review of the organisation’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for the country. Once the review is approved by the IMF’s Executive Board, Sri Lanka will have access to a further USD 347 million in financing. The IMF’s four-year EFF arrangement for Sri Lanka, approved in March 2023, amounts to about USD 3 billion. The USD 347 million the country is set to receive upon approval by the IMF’s Executive Board will bring the total IMF financial support disbursed under the arrangement to about US$2.04 billion.

Yet, there are still many challenges before President Dissanayake and his government as they prepare to unveil Budget 2026 on November 7. The economy might be stable, but the road to full recovery remains long, hard and fraught with risk. The cost of living remains high, and the government, despite pre-election rhetoric, has so far not followed through on pledges to reduce certain taxes, such as the Value Added Tax (VAT) on school items and essential foods. It walked back some of the reforms planned by former president Ranil Wickremesinghe for loss-making State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), shelving plans for privatisation in favour of a restructuring process. The most prominent and significant restructuring process for a large SOE—the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB)—remains mired in controversy, with trade unions gradually escalating their protests over the move to form four successor companies to the state-owned utility. The government’s plans to attract foreign investors have also been hurt by critical comments in the US State Department’s recently released 2025 Investment Climate Statements report, which stated that the government’s “institutional capacity to encourage an open investment environment remains limited despite positive rhetoric.” The report added that many potential investors remain reluctant to invest in Sri Lanka given ongoing mixed messages by the government.

These issues faced by foreign investors were exemplified when China’s Sinopec Group, whose USD 3.7 billion oil refinery project in Hambantota is Sri Lanka’s largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), sent a 10-member delegation to the country this week. The delegation, led by Sinopec Vice Chairman Lv Lianggong, was in Sri Lanka to review progress of the project with Sri Lankan authorities and discus lingering issues surrounding it. Among those government members the Chinese delegation met were Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando, and senior officials from the Ministry of Energy and the Board of Investment (BoI).

Sinopec’s Hambantota refinery is expected to produce up to 200,000 barrels per day once completed. While an agreement on the refinery project was signed in January, the beginning of construction had run into repeated delays. Minister Herath says that four major outstanding issues came up for discussion during his meeting with the Chinese delegation. Firstly, Sinopec wanted to expand the land area of the refinery. It also wanted more tax concessions and a better water supply for the refinery. The company had also sought an increase in the share of oil from the refinery it can release to the domestic market. Mr Herath said the government was agreeable to the first three requests and that the company had eventually agreed to the previously agreed market share of 20 per cent oil from the refinery for the domestic market, while the remaining 80 per cent will be exported.

Sinopec, through the Chinese Embassy in Colombo, had earlier sought urgent intervention from Minister Herath to resolve issues surrounding the project, as it was important to both countries that it went ahead without further delay. The minister said a Cabinet Sub-Committee will be appointed to study the proposed solutions to resolve issues related to the project and submit recommendations. He said the government is hopeful that solutions can be found before Budget 2026 is presented, enabling the project to commence without further delay.

Separately, Minister Herath also addressed allegations levelled by opposition parties that the government was attempting to continue delaying the holding of provincial council elections. The NPP’s manifesto, ‘A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life’, states that both provincial council and local government elections will be held within a year of the party coming to power. While local government elections were held in May, PC polls continue to be delayed. Minister Herath told Parliament last week that the government hopes to hold the PC election next year.

The government’s argument is that a decision on the PC election should be taken by Parliament once the delimitation process, which determines electoral boundaries for Provincial Councils, is concluded. “We aim to hold the PC election next year. However, the present barrier is that the delimitation process has not been approved yet. A mixed electoral system has also been introduced. As such, we must either approve the delimitation and go with the new electoral system, or we have to hold the election under the old system. Either way, it is Parliament that has to decide on the matter,” the minister claimed. He added the government hopes to conduct a review of the delimitation process to decide whether to go by the existing process or the new one. This is not a decision that the government can take alone. A motion must be presented to Parliament, and the House must appoint a committee to review it and take a decision, he said.

The current electoral system has a 25 per cent female representation quota. The minister said the female representation quota, too, needs to be ensured when holding the elections, as any decision to revert to the old system would mean that quota will also be abolished. “We need to ensure female representation, as it will create problems if the representation is not ensured. The issue is really quite complex. Parliament will have to consider all angles before taking a decision.”

Opposition groups and election monitors, however, have argued that these are flimsy excuses, noting that if the government actually wanted the election to be held now, all it requires is a motion to be presented to hold the election under the previous electoral system, which can be passed with a simple majority. Some have proposed going back to the previous system but including a nomination quota for women.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said his party is preparing for PC elections next year. He pushed back at Minister Herath’s assertion that the issue is complex and not as easy as simply passing a motion to revert to the old system. “There is really no serious complication. All it requires is for the House to pass a motion with a simple majority to hold the election under the old system. Our parliamentary group will give the utmost support to pass the necessary legislation to hold PC elections without delay.”

High profile arrests

The news feeds have been overwhelmed this week with news of the arrest in Nepal of 26-year-old Ishara Sewwandi, who is linked to the murder of underworld gangster Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne, alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa.

This is the second high-profile operation to arrest wanted Sri Lankan criminals from overseas within the past two months. In August, notorious underworld figure Manudinu Padmasiri Perera, better known as ‘Kehelbaddara Padme’, was arrested in Indonesia, along with four others, and brought back to Sri Lanka.

Ishara Sewwandi was on Interpol’s red notice list since the killing of Ganemulle Sanjeewa in February 2025. The notice had prompted Interpol member countries, including Nepal, to track her movements. The Sri Lankan Embassy in Kathmandu had shown particular concern over the case, leading to increased surveillance. She and five other suspects arrested during the operation were found to have been living discreetly in Nepal for several weeks, using false identities and claiming to be Indian nationals. Two of them reportedly entered Nepal by air, while the others are believed to have crossed the border from India by land.

Nepalese police investigations revealed that all six were members of the notorious Kehelbaddara Padme gang, a Sri Lankan criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking and organised crime from Malaysia and Dubai.

As none of the suspects had committed crimes in Nepal, the authorities coordinated with the Department of Immigration to facilitate their deportation in line with Nepali law. They have been fined as per legal requirements and handed over to Sri Lankan authorities under police supervision.

Interpol officials noted that such cases of Sri Lankan underworld figures seeking refuge in Nepal are extremely rare, adding that coordination between Nepal Police and the Sri Lankan Embassy was crucial in ensuring their swift deportation.

New programme to tackle drug menace

Along with its anti-corruption drive, the government is serious about eliminating drugs and organised crime. Towards this end, the government will launch a National Campaign to Eliminate Drugs and Organised Crime on October 30.

The government’s focus on tackling the drug menace has now resulted in the ‘Ratama Ekata (Nation United) National Operation’—aimed at eradicating the drug menace and strengthening rehabilitation efforts through public participation. The Cabinet this week approved the President’s proposal for the programme, which will be a flagship project for the President in his second term.

The programme will be officially launched on October 30 and will be an island-wide initiative with the involvement of multiple state agencies. It will be overseen by a National Operations Council headed by President Dissanayake. Other members on the Council include Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, the Inspector General of Police, Commanders of the Tri-Forces and Secretaries to the Ministries of Defence, Public Security, Education, Public Administration and Health. A number of committees will also function under the Council, including an operations committee, a committee of civil representatives, a rehabilitation committee, a media committee and a committee of religious leaders.

The police and the Special Task Force (STF) will continue to play the major role in anti-drug operations under the Ratama Ekata programme while the armed forces will also be on standby to assist, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told the Sunday Times. A 24-hour national operations centre will be established in Colombo under the programme. The government hopes to house the operations centre at the recently vacated official residence of a VIP, the minister added. Noting that the media plays a vital role in informing the public and forming public opinions, the President will be calling a meeting with heads of media organisations next week to brief them about the programme and ask for their support to make it a success, he revealed.

Anti-drug committees will also be formed in all government institutions, including ministries and other departments, he added. Minister Wijepala insisted that the NPP government’s anti-drug programme will be different from those mounted by previous governments. “For one, it will not be a media circus, designed to grab headlines and quietly scaled back or stopped after a few months. This will be a continuous operation, with the main aim being to prevent school students and young people from falling prey to drugs.” Members of the clergy of different religions too will be requested to educate the public about the programme, he added.

Rehabilitation efforts will also receive wide state support under the programme, with 25 new drug rehabilitation centres to be established island-wide. A difference among these centres is that they will also allow people to admit themselves to the centres voluntarily to undergo treatment. Minister Wijepala said the President is also expected to make a request to the private sector to provide about 1 per cent of their jobs to those who successfully undergo rehabilitation.

Funding for the Ratama Ekata programme will come from the expenditure head of the President, the minister further confirmed. Budgetary allocations under the expenditure head of the President (both recurrent and capital expenditure) in Appropriation Bill 2026 come to about Rs. 11.3 billion. The allocations have been divided into operational and developmental activities. Accordingly, Rs. 2.8 billion for operational activities (Rs. 2.4 billion for recurrent expenditure and Rs. 418 million for capital expenditure) and Rs. 8.5 billion for developmental activities (Rs. 200 million for recurrent expenditure and Rs. 8.3 billion for capital expenditure) have been set aside.

The President’s expenditure head includes Rs. 5 billion for the Clean Sri Lanka programme and Rs. 1 billion for research and innovation.

SL faces WTO trade policy review

Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe was in Geneva this week to attend the fifth review of the trade policies and practices of Sri Lanka. The basis for the review is a report by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Secretariat and a report by the Government of Sri Lanka.

At the conclusion of the review, the WTO representatives praised Sri Lanka’s progress in debt restructuring, as well as its bold reform efforts to restore macroeconomic stability and foster sustainable, diversified and inclusive growth. Sri Lanka’s trade facilitation initiatives, including risk-based customs clearance, the digitisation of various procedures, its Authorised Economic Operator programme, and its efforts to implement a National Single Window by 2027, were also recognised by the WTO.

However, concerns were expressed about the lack of predictability for traders arising from Sri Lanka’s modest tariff binding coverage, its complex system of taxes and para-tariffs, and certain customs valuation practices. Some members also encouraged Sri Lanka to lower tariff and non-tariff barriers on agricultural products, reduce state-owned enterprises’ economic footprint, enhance environmental and labour rights safeguards, and strengthen intellectual property protection and enforcement.