Sri Lanka is set to dramatically strengthen its legal deterrents against child labour, with a new legislative proposal seeking to increase fines for related offences by a factor of ten — from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 100,000.
A Long-Overdue Amendment
The proposed changes are contained within the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amendment) Bill, which targets the existing legislative framework established under the original 1956 Act. Critics and child welfare advocates have long argued that the current penalty structure is woefully inadequate as a meaningful deterrent, given how little Rs. 10,000 weighs against the economic incentives that drive exploitative labour practices.
What the Bill Proposes
- Fines for child labour offences to be raised from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 100,000
- Amendments targeting provisions under the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act of 1956
Why This Matters
Child labour remains a persistent concern across several sectors in Sri Lanka, including agriculture, domestic service, and informal trade. The existing penalties, unchanged for decades, have been widely regarded as symbolic rather than punitive, doing little to discourage employers from flouting the law.
The proposed tenfold increase in fines signals a clear legislative intent to treat child labour as a serious offence deserving of proportionate consequences.
The amendment bill represents one of the more significant updates to Sri Lanka's child employment legislation in recent years, and its passage could mark a turning point in the country's efforts to uphold international labour standards and protect its most vulnerable young citizens from exploitation.
The bill is expected to be taken up for debate in Parliament, where its provisions will face scrutiny from lawmakers across party lines.
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finally some action but will they actually enforce it or just collect the fine and move on
exactly, laws are there already no, just nobody follows