Sri Lanka targets three-month drug analyst reports by January 2027

Sri Lanka aims to reduce the time taken to issue drug analyst reports to three months by January 31, 2027, Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara has announced.

The Minister made the announcement during an inspection visit to the Government Analyst’s Department in Battaramulla on Friday (October 16, 2026), where he reviewed the progress of issuing reports related to narcotic substances.

During the visit, officials revealed that the Department had completed issuing analyst reports for narcotic samples weighing less than five grams received up to August 2026, under a special programme to clear the backlog of pending reports.

Work to complete the remaining reports has also been accelerated.

According to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, delays in issuing Government Analyst’s reports have been a major obstacle to speeding up court proceedings and reducing the number of inmates held in prisons.

The Ministry said staff vacancies and limited facilities at the Department had previously caused serious delays in issuing reports.

After the current government took office, these problems were identified, and measures were introduced to improve the situation. These included filling vacant positions, providing necessary facilities and granting allowances to officers working night shifts.

During his inspection, Minister Nanayakkara visited the laboratories, spoke with officials about their work and reviewed the facilities available to speed up the reporting process.

He also examined the ongoing computerization of analyst reports and stressed the importance of carrying out responsibilities efficiently to achieve the expected results.

The Minister said the necessary measures and systems were now in place to meet the targets by January 31, 2027, allowing the time required to issue analyst reports to be reduced to three months.

He thanked officials for their dedication to clearing pending reports and asked them to inform him of any difficulties affecting their work, assuring them of his fullest support in addressing such issues.

The Minister also gave instructions to maintain a more systematic and efficient reporting process and reviewed the progress of ongoing work.

Acting Government Analyst Kamini Perera and several officials of the Government Analyst’s Department were present during the inspection.