The registration of new Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Sri Lanka has come to a standstill, with an ongoing leadership vacuum at the NGO Secretariat reportedly obstructing the approval of applications.
The issue arises from a critical procedural gap stemming from the resignation of former Director General of the NGO Secretariat Sanjeewa Wimalagunarathna in March this year.
Since then, no new director general has been appointed, resulting in delays in processing applications for new NGOs and changes required by existing organisations.
When contacted, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala said he was unaware of the situation.
“I am unaware of the issue and I will have to look into the matter,” the Minister stated.
Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala, while acknowledging some familiarity with the circumstances, said the ministry was in the process of recruiting a new director general.
“I am not fully aware of the issue, but I might have an idea. After the former Director General resigned, we called for proposals to fill the seat of the director general. We need to be patient until this issue is resolved,” he explained.
In the interim, the functions of the director general are being carried out by L.K. Muhandiramge, who also serves as Director of the NGO Secretariat. However, she clarified that her current appointment did not permit her to fulfil the responsibilities of the registrar – an essential role typically held concurrently by the director general.
“Since the former Director General resigned in March, I have been performing the role of Acting Director General. However, the problem is that there is a dual role to be performed. One role is that of the director general, and there is another role of the registrar. I have not been empowered to perform the role of the registrar, which has resulted in this dilemma,” Muhandiramge said.
She added that she had informed the Ministry of Public Security about the issue upon taking up her acting role and expressed hope that a resolution would soon be reached.
A source attached to the NGO Secretariat, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that both new registrations and modifications to existing NGOs had been halted due to the absence of a registrar.
“There’s no registration taking place right now. A few NGOs were expected to register, but they cannot. They have legal issues concerning fund transfers and account openings and the delay in registering has caused a problem,” the source said.
The source further noted that the registration bottleneck affected not only new NGOs but also existing organisations that needed official changes, such as name amendments or mandate revisions.
“Especially with the USAID cuts, some NGOs now rely on funds from Germany and other countries, which might mean modifications to the way they function. But they cannot proceed without the signature and approval of the registrar,” the source added.
The NGO Secretariat functions under the Ministry of Public Security and is responsible for monitoring, regulating, and facilitating the operations of NGOs across Sri Lanka. With the current administrative impasse, civil society organisations are left in limbo, many unable to legally operate or access funds critical for their humanitarian, environmental, or development work.