It was disclosed in a recent session of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainable Development that the compensation process for victims of the Express Pearl disaster is in disarray due to a lack of proper coordination among key state agencies involved.
The committee highlighted the challenges arising from poor coordination among the Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA), the Ministry of Fisheries, and the Attorney General's Department, particularly affecting the timely compensation for fishermen affected by the maritime incident.
Committee Chair MP Ajith Mannapperuma issued directives for the Attorney General's Department, the Ministry of Fisheries, MEPA, and the expert committee appointed by MEPA to collaborate on a comprehensive program and submit a detailed report to the committee.
MEPA officials expressed concerns about the lack of communication from the Attorney General's Department in response to their inquiries regarding the activities of the MEPA-appointed expert committee and its future requirements.
While MEPA officials are yet to receive a satisfactory response, they revealed information obtained from the Ministry of Justice suggesting the appointment of an international, independent expert committee to continue assessing damages related to the incident.
The MEPA officials emphasized the need for improved collaboration, stating that the current lack of awareness within their institution regarding the Attorney General's Department's efforts poses a significant challenge in decision-making.
The committee further unveiled that payments related to research activities conducted by the MEPA expert committee have not been processed. In light of this, the Ministry has been urged to submit a Cabinet Paper to explore the feasibility of making these overdue payments.
Meanwhile, it was disclosed that no appointments have been made to the expert committee for the year 2023, further contributing to the complications surrounding the compensation process.
