President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has stated that the Central Highlands Protection Authority Bill is expected to be passed in Parliament by the end of this year or early next year.

The Authority is being established with assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and will be given powers to protect the Central Highlands ecosystem.

The President also stated that steps are being taken to safeguard the rights of the Malaiyaha Tamil community and remove obstacles preventing Sri Lankans who fled to India during the war from returning to the country.