Sri Lanka: COPA Slams Department of Archaeology: 48% of Identified Sites Remain Ungazetted
By Lions Roar News National Bureau
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (January 13, 2026) — The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has expressed strong displeasure with the Department of Archaeology after it was revealed that 48% of identified archaeological sites in Sri Lanka have not been legally gazetted.
The committee, chaired by Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim, met on January 6th to examine the Auditor General’s reports for 2021, 2022, and 2023, along with the current performance of the department.
📉 Major Governance Gaps Revealed
During the parliamentary session, COPA members highlighted several critical failures within the department’s administrative and digital frameworks:
- Missing Gazettes: Nearly half of the country’s identified historical sites lack official gazette notification, leaving them vulnerable and without full legal protection.
- Lack of a Centralized Database: Despite a recommendation made in October 2023 to establish a digital database for all excavations and findings, officials admitted that no such system exists yet. Currently, a system is only used for excavation licenses.
- Outdated Website: The committee noted that the department’s official website is severely outdated, hindering Sri Lanka’s ability to attract international tourists interested in heritage.
⚖️ Directives and Deadlines
Chairperson Kabir Hashim and the committee issued strict instructions to rectify these issues:
- Comprehensive Report: The department must provide a full report on all gazetted and non-gazetted sites within one month.
- Digital Database: Immediate steps must be taken to include details on all excavations—including findings, success rates, and future excavation plans—into a centralized system.
- Website Revamp: Officials were ordered to develop a mechanism to update the website immediately to support the tourism sector.
👥 High-Level Attendance
The meeting was attended by several Deputy Ministers including Sugath Thilakaratne, Aravinda Senarath, and Nalin Hewage, as well as several other Members of Parliament. The committee emphasized that the preservation of Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage is not only a matter of history but also a vital component of the national economy through tourism.
