Global quality expert to lead Sri Lanka’s consumer protection campaign

Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen handing over the letter of appointment to new CAA Chairman Dr. Lalith Senaweera (centre) yesterday as Secretary to the Ministry KDN Ranjith Ashoka (left) looks on 

Sri Lanka’s national consumer protection is to be led by an internationally accredited quality professional and a leading academic in management science. 

“With this appointment, we leverage your local and international experience for our consumer protection,” said Industry Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, while handing over the letter of appointment to Dr. Lalith Senaweera (PhD in Management-USA, MBA-Colombo, BSc Hons- Sri Lanka), the ninth Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) of Sri Lanka at the Ministry yesterday. 

 As the former Director General – CEO of Sri Lanka Standards Institution, Dr. Senaweera led it for 36 years, infusing various aspects of international standardisation to the Sri Lankan domain. He introduced the ISO series to Lankan business sector for the first time 1994, starting with ISO 9000. He was the Chairman of DEVCO – ISO during 2013-2016, the International Organization for Standardization which comprises 163 member countries. As a result he brought honour to Sri Lanka being the only Sri Lankan to hold this distinguished international position in global standardisation. The global action plan for Standardisation (2016-2020) now being implemented across the world was developed during his Chairmanship of DEVCO. DEVCO-ISO integrates implementation of ISO across the world. 

Considering his significant contribution to propagate and promote quality and quality management locally and internationally, he was recognised by global authorities and was awarded the fellowship of American Society for Quality (ASQ) and Chartered Quality Professional of Chartered Quality Institute of UK. He is the sole Sri Lankan to hold both these recognitions in Sri Lanka today. He is an approved Assessor Team Leader for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) UN Framework on Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and conducted a number of institutional assessments in leading countries including UK, Japan, Korea, China to accredit applying country-organisations. He has published many academic articles and research papers and also the author of three volumes on Quality and Quality Management. He is a visiting academic in a number of local and foreign affiliated universities.

“I shall render my services and expertise to upgrade CAA and to serve the consumer protection vision of the Unity Government,” said Dr. Senaweera, responding to Minister Bathiudeen.
He possesses 17 years’ senior management experience, serving in various senior capacities at SLSI and other international bodies. In 2013, he clinched the ‘Best CEO’ awarded by the Ministry of Science and Technology competing with 15 scientific institutions, under the same Ministry.