Labour minister rescinds gazette that lacked parliamentary approval

Labour Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva has been forced to rescind a gazette notification issued on Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Regulations, as the gazette had been printed before the regulations were submitted for Parliamentary approval.

The EPF Regulations, published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2239/26 on August 3, had amended a number of EPF Regulations, mostly regarding the structure and wording of EPF Forms. The regulations were gazetted under Section 46 of the EPF Act No. 15 of 1958. The minister, however, has rescinded his earlier gazette through the issue of Gazette Extraordinary No.2244/14, dated September 8.

When queried as to why the earlier gazette had been rescinded, a senior official said it had been sent to the Government Printer without the regulations having been presented to Parliament for approval. As such, the gazette had to be rescinded since it was in violation of the EPF Act.