Colombo : Parliament, on October 05, opened its first Translation Unit aimed at improving the efficiency of its translation services and providing a better professional environment for translators. The unit was declared open by Secretary-General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera, who said sound leadership and collective unity were essential for institutional progress.
She said the Parliamentary Secretariat considered its employees its most valuable asset and remained committed to their welfare, job security and professional advancement.
Director of Legislative Services Jayalath Perera said the Interpreters’ Office handled a substantial volume of written translation work in addition to interpretation services. Despite the workload, no parliamentary office had complained about delays in translation work, he said.
The initiative to establish a separate Translation Unit was proposed by Chief Parliamentary Interpreter C. J. Karunarathna and implemented with the support of the Secretary-General and Assistant Secretary-General Hansa Abeyratne.
The ceremony also marked International Translation Day 2026, commemorated under the theme “Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights” and the sub-theme “The Power of Being Understood”.
Certificates were presented to newly appointed interpreters and translators who completed training conducted by the Interpreters’ Office.
Former Deputy Chief Parliamentary Interpreters K. M. Christopher and N. Seerpadam were also recognised for their service.
The event was attended by senior parliamentary officials, interpreters and translators.
