The Government is to introduce a new mechanism to reissue firearm licences, aiming for ensured accurate records and enhanced security.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara highlighted the need for a new mechanism in issuing renewed licences to firearm holders.

“A new methodology for firearm licence reissuing has not been finalised yet and will be publicised once it has been devised,” he said.

In early 2019, the then Ministry of Defence acknowledged a longstanding gap in firearm regulation. 

The lack of a centralised networked database of vital information relating to firearm licences posed a threat to security, with the ministry in the dark about who possessed a firearm and who did not.

At the time, the ministry said it did not know the exact number of firearm licence holders in the country, admitting that it did not have a database for law enforcement officials and regulatory agencies to check compliance or match weapons recovered from crime scenes.

In mid-2019, the ministry revealed that there were 21,247 licensed firearms in Sri Lanka, falling under four categories.

Of them, 15,783 licensed firearms had been issued for agricultural purposes or pest control and 411 for sporting purposes.

– By Kenolee Perera