Commissioner for Tourism Administration appointed

The office of the Commissioner for Tourism Administration has been established to ensure the delivery of justice to any aggrieved party in the event of any injustice, unfair treatment or failure to perform any statutory obligations by any agencies in the tourism sector, the Tourism Ministry said.

The new Office comes into operation with new institutional infrastructure implemented with the promulgation of the Tourism Act of 2005. The appointment was made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the recommendation of Chief Justice Sarath Silva with Appeal Court Judge L.K. Wimalachandra being appointed as the first Commissioner.

Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda speaking at the event held at Hotel School Auditorium to establish the new Commissioner's Office said that the government has attempted to create a partnership between the government and the private sector in order to develop the tourism industry. "Certain institutional reforms we have taken in the year 2007 have laid the foundation to build a Tourism Industry fit for the 21st century," he said.

Chief Justice Sarath Silva speaking at this event commended the minister saying that the law does not require the minister to appoint a Commissioner and he had done so to ensure fairness in the tourism industry. He said that if the government could appoint this type of commissioners to all the ministries it will benefit to the county.