Hon. Major General (Rtd.) Aruna Jayasekera
2026-02-19
Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Rtd.) Aruna Jayasekera reported on a government review of firearms issued for personal protection, conducted between 20 November 2024 and 1 January 2025. The review aims to regulate such firearms by limiting individuals to one firearm each. He acknowledged significant administrative deficiencies from past issuances, including incomplete records and untraced firearms, and stated that the government is taking steps to regularize the system, drawing on international best practices from developed countries.
Thank you for that question, Hon. Member. Mr. Speaker, we conducted a review after our Government assumed office on 20.11.2024, and it was completed on 01.01.2025. The objective is to regulate firearms issued for personal protection, limiting to one firearm per individual. This is a complex matter. We have taken it up with great responsibility. We found that for some past issuances—especially during certain periods—proper records were not maintained; data is lacking and in some cases the locations of issued firearms cannot be traced. We are now taking prompt steps to regularize the system, and we have studied international practices used by developed countries.