ධීවර ප්‍රජාවගේ ජීවන තත්වය ඉහළ මට්ටමට ගෙන ඒමට අවශ්‍ය සහය රජය ලබා දෙනවා

ධීවර ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ සංවර්ධනයට පළමු වතාවට නීල ආර්ථිකය (Blue Economy) වෙනුවෙන් ප්‍රතිපත්ති, සැළසුම් සහ ක්‍රමවේද සකස් කරනවා

ජලජ ජීවීන් සහ ජලජ පැලෑටි සහ අගය එකතු කළ මුහුදු ආහාර නිෂ්පාදන ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ නවෝත්පාදනයන් ගෝලීය මතස්‍ය වෙළඳපොළ ඉලක්ක කරගනිමින් අපි සිදු කළ යුතු බව අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ආචාර්ය හරිනි අමරසූරිය පැවසුවාය.

“ජලජ සම්පතෙන් සමෘද්ධිමත් හෙටක්” යන තේමාව යටතේ ධීවර, ජලජ සහ සාගර සම්පත් අමාත්‍යාංශය සංවිධානය කළ ඇක්වා ප්ලැනට් ශ්‍රී ලංකා - 2025" ප්‍රදර්ශනයේ සමාරම්භක අවස්ථාවට සහභාගී වෙමින් අද (21) අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමිය එසේ ප්‍රකාශ කළාය .

ධීවර හා ජලජ සම්පත් ආශ්‍රීත නිෂ්පාදන නවීන තාක්ෂණික උපාංග, ජලජ පැලෑටි, විසිතුරු මසුන් ඇතුළු ධීවර ක්ෂේත්‍රයට අදාල අංශ නියෝජනය වන පරිදි පැවැත්වෙන ඇක්වා ප්ලැනට් 2025 ජාත්‍යන්තර ප්‍රදර්ශනය අද (21) සිට 23 දක්වා නෙළුම් කුළුණ පරිශ්‍රයේදී පැවැත් වේ.

සමාරම්භක උත්සවයට සමගාමීව ධීවර ප්‍රජාව වෙනුවෙන් රජය හදුන්වා දුන් විශ්‍රාම වැටුප් හිමිකම් ප්‍රධානය කිරීම අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමියගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් සිදු කෙරිණ. ඇක්වා ප්ලැනට් 2025 සංකේතවත් කරමින් මුල් දින කවරයක් සහ සමරු මුදදරයක් නිකුත් කිරීමද මෙහිදී සිදු විය.

මෙහිදී වැඩි දුරටත් අදහස් දැක් වූ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ආචාර්ය හරිනි අමරසූරිය මෙසේ ප්‍රකාශ කළාය.

"ඇක්වා ප්ලැනට් ශ්‍රී ලංකා - 2025 ජාත්‍යන්තර ප්‍රදර්ශනය" මම දකින්නේ අපේ රජයේ "පොහොසත් රටක් – ලස්සන ජීවිතයක්" කියන ප්‍රතිපත්ති ප්‍රකාශය අනුව අපි බලාපොරොත්තු වන ශ්‍රීලංකාව ධීවර ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ ගෝලීය අපනයන කේන්ද්‍රස්ථානයක් (Global Export Hub) බවට පත්කිරීමේ දැක්ම යථාර්ථයක් කිරීමේ පියවරක් ලෙසයි.

ජාතික ආර්ථිකයේ වැදගත් ස්ථානයක් වගේම අපේ රටේ විශාල පිරිසකගේ ප්‍රධාන ජීවනෝපාය බවට ධීවර කර්මාන්තය පත්වී තිබෙනවා.

ඒ සඳහා ජලජීවී වගාව සහ අභ්‍යන්තර ධීවර කර්මාන්තය පුළුල් ලෙස ප්‍රවර්ධනය කිරීම අවශ්‍යයි. ජලජ ජීවීන් සහ ජලජ පැලෑටි සහ අගය එකතු කළ මුහුදු ආහාර නිෂ්පාදන ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ නවෝත්පාදනයන් ගෝලීය මතස්‍ය වෙළඳපොළ ඉලක්ක කරගනිමින් අපි සිදු කළ යුතුයි.

ඒ සඳහා විද්‍යානුකූල පදනමකින් (science-based) සම්පත් කළමනාකරණය, ඇසුරුම්කරණය වගේම , පරිසර හිතකාමී ධීවර ආම්පන්න භාවිත කිරීම, ආරක්ෂාව සහ නවීන ජලජීවී වගා පද්ධති පිළිබඳ දැනුම හා තාක්ෂණය ලබා ගැනීමටත් ගැනීමටත් අවශ්‍යයි.

ඒ සඳහා අවශ්‍ය සහය ලබා දෙන්න රජයක් ලෙස අපි සුදානම් බව මම මේ අවස්ථාවේ මතක් කරන්න කැමතියි.

විශේෂයෙන් අගය එකතු කළ මත්ස්‍ය නිෂ්පාදන වෙනුවෙන් අවශ්‍ය මූළ්‍ය පහසුකම් ලබා දීම සඳහා වැඩපිළිවෙලක් රජය ක්‍රියාත්මක කරමින් යනවා. ඒ වගේම ධීවර කර්මාන්තය ආශ්‍රීත ග්‍රාමීය කුඩා පරිමාණ නිෂ්පාදකයින්ගේ ජීවන තත්ත්වය ඉහළට ගෙන ඒම වෙනුවෙන් අවශ්‍ය සහය ලබා දීමට රජය කටයුතු කරමින් තිබෙනවා.

ඔබ දන්නවා මේ දවස්වල ප්‍රධාන මාතෘකාව වෙලා තිබෙන්නේ අපේ රජයේ දෙවැනි අයවැය.

2026 අයවැය තුළින් ධීවර කර්මාන්යේ සංවර්ධනයට රජය විශේෂ අවධානයක් යොමු කර තිබෙනවා. අපේ ධීවර ක්ෂේත්‍රයේ සංවර්ධනයට පළමු වතාවට නීල ආර්ථිකය (Blue Economy) වෙනුවෙන් ප්‍රතිපත්ති, සැළසුම් සහ ක්‍රමවේද සකස් කිරීමට මෙවර අයවැයෙන් මුදල් වෙන් කර තිබෙනවා.

වරාය යටිතල පහසුකම් සංවර්ධනය කිරීම සහ ධීවර ප්‍රජාවගේ ජීවනෝපාය වැඩිදියුණු කිරීම සඳහා රුපියල් මිලියන 500ක් අපි වෙන් කර තිබෙනවා. ඒ වගේම වාලච්චේන ධීවර වරාය සංවර්ධනය සඳහා රුපියල් මිලියන 350ක් වෙන්කළා. ධීවරයින් සඳහා ජීවිතාරක්ෂක උපකරණ ලබාදීමට රුපියල් මිලියන 100ක් මෙවර අයවැයෙන් වෙන් කර තිබෙනවා. චන්ද්‍රිකා පාදක ධීවර කලාප ලුහුබැඳීමේ පද්ධති (satellite-based fish-ground tracking systems) සඳහාත් රුපියල් මිලියන 100ක් වෙන් කිරීමට රජය කටයුතු කළා. ජලජීවී වගා සංවර්ධන මධ්‍යස්ථාන ඇති කිරීම, ධීවර ප්‍රජාවගේ ආරක්ෂාව, යටිතල පහසුකම් වැඩිදියුණු කිරීම සහ කර්මාන්තයේ තාක්ෂණික දියුණුව සඳහාත් මෙවර අයවැය තුළින් ප්‍රතිපාදන වෙන් කර තිබෙන බව මම කියන්න කැමතියි.

අවසාන වශයෙන් පොහොසත් රටක් ලස්සන ජීවිතයක් සියළු දෙනාට ළගා කිරීමේ අපේ කාර්යට දායක වන ලෙස ධීවර කර්මාන්තයේ නියැළෙන ඔබ සැමගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටිනවා.

ධීවර, ජලජ හා සාගර සම්පත් අමාත්‍ය රාමලිංගම් චන්ද්‍රසේකරන් මහතා

කඩාවැටී තිබූ ධීවර කර්මාන්තය නගාසිටවීම සඳහා දැවැන්ත වැඩපිළිවෙළක් ක්‍රියාත්මක කල බවත් එහි එක් පියවරක් ලෙස මෙම ප්‍රදර්ශනය සැලසුම් කල බවයි. මෙම ප්‍රදර්ශනයේ ප්‍රධාන අරමුණ වන්නේ අප රටේ සාගර සම්පත් පිළිබඳව ජනතාවට අවබෝධයක් ලබාදීම හා සාගර සම්පත වැඩිදියුණු කිරීමට, එම කර්මාන්තවලට ජනතාව දායක කරගැනීම තුල ජනතාවට ප්‍රතිලාභ හා රටේ අපනයන ආදායම වැඩිකර ගැනීමයි

ධීවර, ජලජ හා සාගර සම්පත් නියෝජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය රත්න ගමගේ, වෘත්තීය අධ්‍යාපන නියෝජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය නලින් හේවගේ, ඩිජිටල් ආර්ථික අරුණ ජයසේකර, කම්කරු නියෝජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය මහින්ද ජයසිංහ යන මහත්වරුන් ඇතුළු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්, ධීවර, ජලජ සහ සාගර සම්පත් අමාත්‍යංශයේ ලේකම් කෝලිත කමල් ජිනදාස මහතා ඇතුළු අමාත්‍යංශ ලේකම්වරුන්, රජ්‍ය නිලධාරීන්, තානාපතිවරුන්, විදේශ නියෝජිතයින් සහ ධීවර ජනතාව මෙම අවස්ථාවට සහභාගී වූහ.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

Creating awareness on waste management is essential at public and school-level

The Special Sub-Committee appointed on Western Province Waste Management convened on 19 th of November at the Parliament premises with the participation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

The discussion was focused on the current status of managing municipal solid waste generated through households, streets, institutions, and businesses , challenges, and way forward in the Western Province.

Extended discussions were also held on issues such as the lack of designated, dedicated and knowledgeable officers for waste management in local authority, the shortage of suitable land and infrastructure for waste management, as well as solutions to address these issues.

Addressing the discussion, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of creating proper awareness on waste management at both community and school levels, stressing that the progress can be achieved through programmes such as Praja Shakthi and Clean Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister further noted that introducing waste management as a new vocational subject in collaboration with the vocational education sector could help raise public awareness on waste management while also creating carrier paths.

The discussion was attended by the Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara; Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Colombo District Coordination Committee Lakshman Nipunarachchi; Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Advisory Council to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Chandana Suriyaarachchi, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri; Colombo District Secretary Ginige Prasanna Janaka Kumara; officers of the District Secretariat; officials from the Central Environmental Authority; and officials from the Urban Development Authority.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

Every intervention contributes to sustainability, equity, and human dignity.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya made these remarks while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the 28th Asia Pacific Social Work Conference 2025, held on 18 November at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Colombo.

Organised by the Sri Lanka Association of Professional Social Workers (SLAPSW) and the National Institute of Social Development (NISD), the conference takes place from 18–21 November in Colombo under the theme “Social Work Responses to Climate Change and Other Environmental Issues.”

The Prime Minister further stated:

“Sri Lanka faces coastal erosion, unpredictable monsoons, urban flooding, droughts, and other climate-related challenges that directly affect agriculture, fisheries, and rural communities. These environmental changes also worsen existing social inequalities, disproportionately impacting rural farmers, fisherfolk, plantation communities, and other marginalised groups.

Social workers play a critical role in addressing these challenges. They are often the first responders during disasters, providing immediate assistance, psychosocial support, and long-term rehabilitation. In Sri Lanka, social workers strengthen community resilience, support youth and women’s empowerment, and advocate for environmentally responsible practices.

The government supports these efforts through integrated approaches that combine climate adaptation, social protection, and community empowerment.

Our youth are making an important contribution to climate action and sustainability. Across Sri Lanka, students participate in school-based climate clubs, lead awareness campaigns, and organise community clean-up drives. Young people, through school clubs and the National Youth Services Council, are driving large-scale tree-planting and reforestation initiatives that restore degraded landscapes and protect vulnerable communities.

Technology and innovation, including digital disaster monitoring and climate-smart agriculture are helping communities respond effectively. The 2026 national budget reinforces this vision, prioritising national research and innovation through the establishment of a National Research and Development Institute and Council to ensure evidence-based solutions to environmental and social challenges.

It strengthens the Clean Sri Lanka initiative, expands support for children with disabilities from low-income families, and improves accessible public infrastructure. The budget also addresses the housing needs of vulnerable communities, including those living in landslide-prone areas and internally displaced families. Social protection reforms are being advanced through the Integrated Social Protection Registry and the People’s Income Support Programme, alongside measures to increase wages for estate workers and dedicated support for women’s empowerment.

In addition, the budget emphasises environmental research and strategies to mitigate human–wildlife conflict, supported by targeted infrastructure investments. No state can achieve environmental justice alone; collaboration is essential. This conference provides a platform to share experiences, research, and solutions, strengthening regional capacity and solidarity. Sri Lanka calls upon our partners to join us in building resilient communities, effective social work institutions, and inclusive policies that respond to climate challenges.”

The event was attended by the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, Dr. Upali Pannilage, Prof. Machiko Ohara, President of the International Federation of Social Work Asia-Pacific, and other distinguished guests.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that education is a process of sharing collective knowledge, and has the power to bring people together politically, socially, and economically.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the conference held today (18) at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, aimed at fostering cooperation among countries in Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific region regarding the role of education within the Green Transition.

The Erasmus+ Programme funded by the European Union, is one of the world’s leading initiatives for international cooperation in education, training, youth, and sports. Its objectives include enhancing mobility between countries, intercultural exchange, capacity development, and policy advancement.

The programme creates opportunities for collaboration and funding in higher education, vocational training, youth development, and institutional partnerships in Sri Lanka. This conference will be held from the 18th to the 20th of this month at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo.

Further expressing her views, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya sated:

As a legacy of the post-colonial education system, Sri Lanka has become a country with a high literacy rate.

However, today, education has become something that focuses only on individual success and achievement. As a result, the planning and principles of education have become heavily driven by competition.

Consequently, our education system has become extremely competitive and examination-oriented. Education should not be a process aimed solely at individual achievement.

What we now strive for is to move away from this educational model and restore the true purpose of education where its aims be not merely scoring high marks, but sharing collective knowledge and strengthening transformative learning.

We often forget the transformative power of education. It goes beyond personal achievement. Education has the ability to unite people politically, socially, and economically. Therefore, it is essential to shape education into a shared space of mutual expectation and mutual success.

Within our new education reforms, promoting collaborative learning, fostering a sense of responsibility towards one another, building responsibility towards the world, and especially towards the environment amidst today’s global challenges, have become extremely important.

Amid the spread of unscientific methods and misinformation in the modern world, the necessity of education has become even more pronounced. Moreover, the pressures within the university system can also be overcome through this transformation.

The importance of such dialogues, exchanges, and discussions emphasises once again the need for transformative education, a form of learning that encourages sharing of ideas and working together.

Transforming our education system from a cage of competition into a free space of collaboration and responsible knowledge-sharing is one of the fundamental challenges Sri Lanka must overcome for its future.

The event was attended by the Ambassador of the European Union to Sri Lanka Carmen Moreno, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, as well as regional representatives and government officials.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

The Armed Forces Remembrance and Poppy flower celebration Day commemoration ceremony was held on 16th of November 2025 at the Cenotaph War Memorial at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
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The Cenotaph War Memorial has been built in memory of war heroes from Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) who were killed in action during World War I and World War II.

It was designed by the architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens.
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This monument is one of the oldest and most significant war memorials in Sri Lanka, and the national commemoration ceremony is held here annually on Remembrance Day (the Sunday closest to November 11).

During the event, the Prime Minister laid a wreath of poppies at the War Heroes’ Memorial and paid floral tributes in remembrance of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives.

The main purpose of this annual commemoration was to honour and remember all war heroes who have sacrificed their lives for the protection of the motherland from the period of the First World War to the present and to recognize their noble cause.

Poppy Day has been commemorated in Great Britain since 1919 to remember the members of the armed forces who died in the First World War, with the poppy becoming the main symbol of remembrance.

The poem “In Flanders Fields”, written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae after witnessing the poppies that had grown on the graves of fallen soldiers on a battlefield in Belgium, played a significant role in establishing the poppy as an eternal symbol of remembrance.

Later, Ms. Moina Michael, who served as a secretary at the American Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), further strengthened the significance of the poppy by initiating the sale of poppies and directing the proceeds towards the welfare of the families of war heroes.

The Poppy Day commemoration in Sri Lanka was organized in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen’s Association and the Armed Forces.

The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retired) Aruna Jayasekara, Secretary of Defence Ministry Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Sampath Thuyacontha, Tri-Forces Commanders, retired Tri-Forces Commanders, foreign diplomats, as well as the Chairman, Secretary, and a large number of members of the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen’s Association.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

It is also our responsibility to transform our human resource into an internationally demanded and value added human resource.

The commemorative ceremony organized to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau was held on 15 November 2025 at Temple Trees, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

The event was organized by the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, and held under the theme “Beyond Borders – Empowering Sri Lankans.”

Coinciding with this occasion, several initiatives and benefits such as the launch of a mobile application dedicated to providing convenient services to the migrant community and Launch of the digitalization programme of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, increasing the death compensation paid to a migrant worker’s family from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 100,000, commencement of services at the newly modernized 24/7 Call Centre of the SLBFE, recognition of migrant workers who have successfully engaged in entrepreneurship, recognition of long-standing licensed foreign employment agencies, increasing the insurance benefits paid in the event of a migrant worker’s death from Rs. 600,000 to Rs. 2,000,000, and increasing the housing loan amount available for migrant workers up to Rs. 10 million, providing welfare benefits to migrant families through the President’s Fund were initiated to enhance the welfare of the migrant community.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister appreciated and recognized not only the financial contribution that the migrant community makes to the economy, but also their contribution to technological exchange and the new entrepreneurial opportunities created through their labor.

Further expressing her views, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:

With a history of 40 years, we have now reached one of the most progressive and successful periods in this sector. When we speak of foreign employment today, the old, unpleasant image no longer remains. Instead, it has evolved into a progressive, fair, stable sector that significantly contributes to our national economy.

The Prime Minister further emphasized the importance and responsibility of creating trained, safe, and ethical migrant workers, noting that it is a responsibility of the government to transform our human resource into an internationally demanded and highly valued one.

The Prime Minister also commended the assistance provided by embassies for Sri Lankans living abroad and stated that the wellbeing, safety, and protection of Sri Lankan migrant communities, and the Prime Minister further emphasized the continuous support of embassies to ensure the access to job opportunities and services abroad for migrant community.

Addressing the event, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, explained the responsibilities of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, including proper facilitation for workers migrating abroad, guaranteeing their safety and wages, regulating necessary mechanisms in situations of health emergencies, and ensuring the protection of their employment and lives.

He added that through the digitalization of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, Sri Lankans will receive a more transparent, fair, and accessible service.

Our goal and commitment are to ensure that 100% of our migrant workers are properly trained and send Sri Lankans for high-level professional and skilled employment.

We can proudly say that 2025 is the year Sri Lanka earned the highest amount of foreign exchange in history. We celebrate this 40th anniversary with pride having sent more workers abroad and earned greater foreign income. However, our national vision is to build a strong production-based economy that expands local employment opportunities and creates a country where everyone wishes to live. It is with this objective in mind that the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau functions.

Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra, while addressing the event, highlighted the commitment of the Foreign Employment Bureau towards the welfare of the migrant community and clarified the government’s ongoing process regarding granting voting rights for migrant workers.

The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau Kosal Wickramasinghe, ambassadors, the Governor of the Western Province, representatives from migrant workers and their families, and representatives from foreign employment agencies.

Prime Minister’s Media Division