18-member Deregulation Commission appointed by President to simplify existing laws

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed an 18-member Deregulation Commission for the simplification of the existing laws and regulations, the President's Media Unit said.

The Commission is co-chaired by former Secretary to the President and Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Chairman of John Keells Group Krishan Balendra.

Other members of the Commission are the following:

Mr. S.D.A.B. Boralessa – Secretary, State Ministry of Land Management, State Enterprises Land and Property Development
Mr. M.M.C. Ferdinando – Retired Ministry Secretary, Power sector
Mr. Suresh de Mel – Chairman, Export Development Board
Ms. C. Weligamage – Director General, Department of Public Finance
Mr. Chandana Kumarasinghe – Director General of Establishments, Ministry of Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government
Dr. Harsha Cabral – Company Law expert
Dr. Nihal Jayawardana – President’s Counsel
Mr. Thishan Subashinghe – Chartered Accountant of Sri Lanka
Mr. Ranjith Gunathilake – Chief Executive Officer, Sanken Constructions (Private) Limited
Ms. Renuka Weerakoon – Executive Director, Board of Investments of Sri Lanka
Mr. Gerard Ondaatjie – Board of Director, Mercantile Investments and Finance PLC
Mr. Arjun Fernando – Non-Executive Director, Nations Trust Bank
Mr. S.P. Liyanarachchi- SME Construction Sector
Mr. Anslem Perera – Managing Director, Mlesna Tea
Mr. Nissanka Wijeratna – Secretary General/ Chief Executive Officer, Chamber of Construction Industry
Mr. Chandra Wickremasinghe – Chairman/ Director General, Theme Resorts and Spas

The Commission is tasked with Reviewing all laws, regulations and circular instructions pertaining to Government finance, revenue laws and circular instructions, licensing and permit arrangements, investments, approvals and building permits etc., and how those regulations and circular instructions have evolved and circumstances influencing such regulations.

Further, they will be required to assess as to whether the issuance of regulations and circular instructions has resulted in over regulation and deviated from the scope and objectives of original legislations.

The Commission will assess the relevance of regulations in the context of global standards and applicability of them in the Sri Lankan context to identify new rooms to adopt to make the most effective modern regulatory systems.

The Commission will identify areas where simplifications and rationalization could be made to existing regulations and circular instructions and issue directions to do away, modify if required and simplify all such regulations.

The Commission is given a 90 day period to fulfill this task and issue instructions to relevant agencies as required for the purpose of executing the task entrusted.

G. S. Vithanage, retired Ministry Secretary has been appointed as Secretary to the Commission.