The global beauty industry generates billions by promising youthfulness and fairness, yet Sri Lanka has failed to regulate cosmetics, leading to severe health concerns as unauthorized products flood the market.
Despite the associated health risks, the country lacks proper laws to oversee cosmetics, as highlighted during recent Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) proceedings. Concerns have long been raised about low-quality cosmetics that can pose serious health hazards.
COPE emphasized the urgent need for regulations on perfumes and creams due to health risks. However, it was revealed that no institution currently has the legal authority to enforce such regulations. Officials suggested that necessary legal provisions should be introduced to grant regulatory power to an appropriate body.
Additionally, COPE disclosed that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) had issued Waiver of Registration (WOR) certifications through a special mechanism without formal committee approval.
This revelation came during a recent COPE meeting, chaired by MP (Dr.) Nishantha Samaraweera, which reviewed Auditor General reports from 2022 to 2024 and the NMRA’s current performance.
Discussions also covered NMRA’s role in emergency medicine procurement. It was revealed that WOR certifications were granted through a fast-track process, bypassing formal committee approval. This allowed the NMRA’s Chief Executive Officer to make unilateral decisions on emergency purchases.
Further revelations indicated that in 2022, the then-CEO was involved in this mechanism, and approval for bulk medicine purchases was allegedly sought during a dinner event at a prominent Colombo hotel.
