The Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with Mr. Julian Hill, M.P., Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs and Assistant Minister for International Education of Australia, on 11 December 2025 at the Ministry of Education, Isurupaya.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the support extended by the Government of Australia with a contribution of AUD 3.5 million following the recent adverse weather conditions that affected the entire nation to provide humanitarian assistance and restore essential services. The Prime Minister further stated that Sri Lanka has completed search and rescue operations and is now beginning the next phase of recovery, focusing on resettlement, relocation, and rebuilding.

The discussion underscored education, covered bilateral relations, development cooperation, economic and trade ties, tourism, investment opportunities, and regional collaboration. The Prime Minister acknowledged Australia’s longstanding cooperation in the education sector, including development assistance, the expansion of higher education and scholarships offered under the Australia Awards programme.

The representatives reaffirmed Australia’s role as a long-term strategic partner of Sri Lanka and emphasized Australia’s continued commitment to supporting the country’s education sector. They noted that Australia remains dedicated to being a reliable and high-quality partner in advancing Sri Lanka’s education priorities and broader development goals.

The meeting was attended by the Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka H.E. Matthew Duckworth, First Assistant Secretary Ms. Karen Ann Sandercock, Chief of Staff Mr. Cameron Geoffrey Green, Deputy High Commissioner of the Australian High Commission in Colombo Ms. Ruth Baird and representing Sri Lanka Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Mr. Nalaka Kaluwewe, Additional Secretary (Development) Higher Education Sector Ms. Apsara Caldera, and officials from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of foreign affairs.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

A meeting between representatives of UNICEF and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was held on the 10 th of December at the Prime Minister&rsquos Office.

During the discussion, an initial review of the new digitalization policy draft was conducted, and it was emphasized that the new digital policy must be formulated to align with the ongoing education reforms.

The Prime Minister highlighted that the digital policy should be developed in a way that supports all five core pillars of the current education reforms, including curriculum reform, infrastructure development, and administrative restructuring.

It was further noted that the current draft is primarily focused on curriculum-related matters, and the digital policy should be structured to influence the overall education reform process.

Extensive discussions were also held on the importance of digital literacy, NEMIS, the provision of digital infrastructure, and minimizing the existing digital divide.

Attention was also drawn to the gaps in the current teacher training mechanisms , and the Prime Minister stressed the need to reduce paper usage.

The meeting was attended by the UNICEF representatives Dr. Emma Brigham and Deborah Wyburn, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Additional Secretary A.B.M. Ashraff, and several other officials.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the government is taking steps to strengthen local exporters by making trade facilitation, customs procedures, and investment approvals more efficient, and by improving export services.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the 27th Presidential Export Awards 2024/25 ceremony organized by the Ministry of Industries and Industrial Development together with the Export Development Board.

At this ceremony, which was held to recognize the best exporters of Sri Lanka for the financial year 2024/2025, a total of 107 awards including 15 overall awards and 92 sectoral awards for products and services were presented. Merit awards were also presented to eligible sectors based on applicants’ performance and their contribution to national economic development. Awardees were selected on several criteria such as export market diversification, job creation, growth in export revenue, repatriation of export income, environmental sustainability, institutional social responsibility, and value addition.

Institutions that demonstrated outstanding performance in the export sector were presented with the prestigious Presidential Export Awards for the year under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Minister of Industries and Industrial Development, Mr. Sunil Hadunnetti.

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

The Presidential Awards Ceremony for exporters reminds us that Sri Lanka’s progress depends not merely on policies or administration, but on the ability to produce, to create value, and to compete internationally.

Over the past year, we faced numerous challenges. As a result, global markets and supply chains were disrupted. Economic uncertainty prevailed. We faced natural disasters. Despite this, many exporters had to adjust to these changes, reorganize production processes, diversify customers, and adopt digital technologies in order to remain competitive in the market.

The impact of the Ditwah cyclone also affected several industries within the export sector. Production facilities, storage facilities, and transportation routes in affected areas were damaged. Production chains and delivery schedules were disrupted.

Under such a difficult situation, some exporters experienced significant setbacks while trying to meet international export demands.

The government is taking steps to support exporters by assessing the damages they suffered due to the emergency situation, restoring their operations, and helping them recover.

The government is also working to strengthen resilience against future natural disasters and to rebuild affected areas in a way that minimizes the risk of similar situations arising again.

Sri Lanka is currently undergoing a new economic transformation. For many years, instability, policy inconsistencies, and administrative inefficiencies hindered the progress of the country. This weakened investor confidence and made it difficult for businesses to plan ahead.

However, the present government is committed to governance based on stability, transparency, and accountability. This is not a short-term approach. It is a long-term process to ensure that the country does not fall back into uncertainty.

For this purpose, the government is implementing strong fiscal management, predictable policies, clear and simplified regulations, anti-corruption measures, major institutional reforms, measures that allow businesses to plan ahead, instill investor confidence, minimize unnecessary barriers, and support the development of the private sector.

For a long time, we relied heavily on international loans to sustain national expenditures. However, this is not leading a path toward a stable future. Our progress depends on our ability to earn through trade, innovation, and global engagement.

Your ability to take Sri Lankan expertise and creativity to the world is a strength for the entire nation. The government is ready to extend the necessary support to achieve this.

We understand that issues such as policy inconsistencies, delays that increase operational costs, limited access to competitive financing, gaps in infrastructure and technology, weaknesses in trade facilitation, and slow progress in expanding market access have impacted you. I would like to assure you that the government is directly addressing these challenges.

The focus of the government has drawn to build efficient, transparent, and predictable systems, streamlining trade facilitation, customs processes, and investment approvals, improving export facilities, and minimising the gap between local businesses and global markets.

This event was attended by Ministers Kumara Jayakody, Ramalingam Chandrasekaran, Sunil Kumara Gamage; Deputy Ministers Chathuranga Abesingha, Eranga Weerarathna, Arun Hemachandra, Nishantha Jayaweera, Muditha Hansaka Wijayamuni; Governor of the Central Bank Nandalal Weerasinghe; Secretary to the Ministry of Industries and Industrial Development Tilaka Jayasundara; Chairman of the Export Development Board Mangala Wijesinghe, along with ambassadors, foreign delegates, exporters, and a large gathering.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that accurate data is essential for the post-disaster recovery process of the country, and that a structured mechanism with public participation is needed for efficient data collection.

The Prime Minister made these remarks during a discussion held on the 10th of December at the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the country’s recovery process following the recent disaster situation.

During the meeting, Professor Nihal Perera demonstrated how national development should take place in harmony with nature while minimizing natural disasters.

Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated:

One of the main challenges we face when moving towards a new development framework is the limited access to a proper system to consolidate data from various sectors into a single platform.

Establishing a data-collection mechanism that includes both state officials at ground level and community participation is extremely important. It is the people at the village level who best understand the accurate ground realities. Therefore, setting up a proper data-collecting mechanism at divisional and district levels is vital.

Expressing views, Deputy Minister of Mass Media Kaushalya Ariyarathna stated:

The recent disaster situation gave us a clear understanding of how practical and effective the actions led through community participation. During the recent floods, we successfully carried out relief activities in Kaduwela with the active participation of the local community. In that case, the division committee model became extremely useful. If a similar community-based structure such as Praja Shakthi committees or division councils can be used for data collection, it would be highly beneficial.

Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputantri noted that one of the key issues related to data is the lack of proper coordination among state institutions. Poor institutional collaboration and officials limiting their responsibilities strictly within their designated boundaries have led to this situation. Therefore, establishing an integrated data-collection mechanism covering all Grama Niladhari divisions is extremely important.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of data-driven decision-making and the need to raise awareness among both officials and the public at the regional level regarding this matter.

The event was attended by the Additional Secretaries to the Prime Minister and several other officials.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

A series of inter-religious programs launched across the island under the directions of the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs to offer blessings for the people affected by the Ditwah Cyclone and floods and to confer prayers for all those who lost their lives during the disaster.

Accordingly, under the supervision of the Chief Prelate of Hunupitiya Gangarama temple, Ven. Dr. Kirinde Assaji Nayaka Thero, a Sarwa Rathika Pirith chanting ceremony was held at the Seema Malaka of Hunupitiya Gangarama Temple in Colombo. Following the offering of gilanpasa and flowers for the sacred relic by the Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Hiniduwa Sunil, the Maha Sangha commenced the Pirith chanting ceremony.

During the occasion, an amount of LKR 128 million was contributed to the government to restore religious sites across the island that were damaged by the emergency disaster situation.

The ceremony was attended by the Anunayaka of the Malwathu Chapter, Most Venerable Dimbulkumbure Sri Saranankara Thero; and the members of the Maha Sangha, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister Mr. Pradeep Saputhanthri, officials and a larger number of devotees.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

We cannot allow flooding to become a part of the daily lives of the people in the Colombo District.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that there will be no permission granted for unauthorized constructions within the Colombo District, nor any form of residential developments that endanger the public by carrying out under the guise of development agenda.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the media at the conclusion of the Colombo District Disaster Management Committee meeting held on December 09 at the Colombo District Secretariat.

Addressing further, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:

The Colombo District has become vulnerable to this extent due to the constructions carried out without any proper planning or understanding of regulations, along with personal and politically motivated decisions that have placed both the district and its people at risk.

Compared to the districts that suffered severe loss of life and property due to the recent cyclone, the damage to the Colombo District has been relatively lower. However, special intervention is being carried out together with the relevant institutions to manage the potential future flood risks in the district.

This matter was also given special attention during today’s District Disaster Management Committee meeting. We cannot allow the annual flooding to become a regular part of the lives of the people in Colombo. All relevant institutions will come together to put forward a common plan for flood control in the district, and the necessary steps are being prepared to implement it accordingly.

The Prime Minister further stated that discussions are already underway to provide sustainable solutions for the people living in high-risk areas within the Colombo District.

The discussion was attended by the Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Mass Media Kaushalya Ariyaratne, and Colombo District Members of Parliament Aruna Panagoda and Chandana Suriyarachchi.

Prime Minister’s Media Division