Cabinet Decisions

Amending the Firearms Ordinance

It has been identified that the Firearms Ordinance No. 33 of 1916 should be amended to suit the present needs including use of firearms in assuring law and order, issuing them for protecting agricultural cultivation and other properties and prohibiting using firearms in public places. Accordingly, the proposal made by President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the Defence Minister to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft legislation to amend the ordinance as recommended by the Committee of Officials appointed in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet.

Implementing an integrated urban solid waste management project for Kandy District

It has become a timely need to prepare an integrated waste management method for disposal of solid waste of about 250 MT gathered in municipal and other areas in the Kandy District. The proposal made by President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as Mahaweli Development and Environment Minister to implement such an integrated programme through a joint company established by the Kandy Municipal Council and a private investor selected through calling open proposals, was approved.

Taking over the land in Iranawila which is under the American Embassy

A land of about 166.038 hectares in the Iranawila area in Puttalam has been leased to the American Embassy in 1991 to establish a Voice of America transmission station in Sri Lanka. The American Embassy has informed that they wish to hand over the land and other assets on that land to the Sri Lankan Government before the lease agreement expiration. The proposal made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the National Policies and Economic Affairs Minister to take over the land and assets by terminating the agreement, was approved.

Improveing quality of Three-wheeler passenger services and school services

Budget 2017 has proposed to establish an authority to regulate three-wheeler transport services. The proposal made by Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to appoint a Committee of Officials comprising Secretaries to Ministries to report the Cabinet on implementing this proposal, was approved.

Implementing National Human Resources and Employment policy

The proposal made by Labour and Trade Union Relations Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne to implement the National Human Resources and Employment Policy, which is updated with the comments made by all the relevant parties to widen the contribution of the private sector in gaining a high economic growth in Sri Lanka, was approved.

Managing water supply facilities in dry spell

The prevailing dry spell has severely affected small community water supply systems in rural areas, and the demand for water is expected to be increased. The proposal made by City Planning and Water Supply Minister Rauff Hakeem to broaden water supply through water bowsers by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, construct 400 tube wells, renovate 1,000 hand pumped deep wells in rural areas, and to construct 200 such wells, and to educate public on frugal use of water, and to coordinate with relevant authorities to take necessary steps in interruption to supply, was approved.

Obtaining drivers' consent to donate organs and tissues to transplant

Organ and tissue transplantation gives many benefits to patients. Living humans as well as brain dead or dead via circulatory death may donate organs if their willingness is declared earlier. Many drivers experience accidents that cause such brain or circulatory deaths. Therefore, the proposal made by Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senarathne to amend forms to obtain and renew driving licences by including a declaration to declare the will of drivers to donate their organs and to indicate that will on the driving licence card, was approved.

Constructing quarters/housing facilities for medical officers and other staff members in government hospitals

Budget 2017 has proposed to provide residential facilities to medical officers and other staff members who serve in hospitals in remote rural areas through projects implemented under public-private partnership. Accordingly, the proposal made by Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senarathne to provide residential facilities to staff members serving in hospitals under central government and provincial councils, was approved.

Empowering women economically through small garment factories

The Cabinet has already approved to establish 150 small garment factories after training women in rural areas including the Eastern and the Uva Provinces, giving priority to women in displaced families and war widows. Accordingly, the proposal made by Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen to increase the number of direct beneficiaries from 15 to 20 from a factory and to install additional five sewing machines and to grant the ownership of these machines to cooperative societies engaged in training programmes, was approved.

Prohibiting trawl fishing operation using mechanised boats

The proposal made by Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera to present the bill in parliament for approval which was drafted to amend the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act No. 2 of 1996 on the purpose, was approved.

Providing reliefs to people affected by land acquisition for Yanoya Reservoir project

About 85 percent work has been completed in the Yanoya Reservoirproject, and 242 families are still to be removed for its further activities. The proposal made by Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa to complete its remaining work as scheduled by removing these families by granting financial assistance to build new complete houses, paying a compensation for persons illegally enjoying developed state lands and to pay a financial compensation for the loss incurred in cultivation due to the project, deviating from prevailing provisions, was approved.

Regulations made under the Merchant Shipping Act No. 52 of 1971 to regulate small commercial vessels

Using small vessels in shipping activities is a trend with the promotion in tourism industry. Accordingly, the proposal made by Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga to impose the regulations to regulate the registration and these small vessels, was approved.

MoU to be signed by Sri Lanka with Ukraine and Denmark on recognision of certificates issued to seafarers

A seafarer who possesses a competency certificate should obtain a certificate of recognition to serve in a ship with a flag of a foreign country, which is issued by the country where the ship is registered. A convention or a MoU should be signed with relevant states to issue such a certificate. Sri Lanka has already entered into such agreements with 30 countries. The Ukraine and Denmark governments have agreed to enter into such agreements, and it will help in providing the opportunity for Sri Lankan seafarers to serve in their ships. The proposal made by Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga to enter into MoUs with Ukraine and Denmark for the issue of certificates of recognition, was approved.

Awarding contracts to construct buildings for the University of the Visual and Performing Arts and the Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education

The proposal made by Higher Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella to award the contracts to construct a building and landscaping at the Faculty of Visual Arts at the University of the Visual and Performing Arts and to construct academic and administrative buildings in the Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education in Galle, Gampaha, Kandy, Kurunegala, and Sammanthurai, as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved.

Pre-fabricated structured building to store medical supplies for the Medical Supplies Division at the Welisara Hospital Premises

As storing capacity of the Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Ministry is limited, for medical supplies, storing facilities have to be obtained from private sector on lease basis at a high cost. Hence, the building is to be constructed. Therefore, the proposal made by Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senarathne to award the relevant contract as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved.

Design and build St. Sebastian North Lock Gates and Pumping Station

The project is implemented under World Bank loan assistance to control floods in the Colombo City. The proposal made by Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka to award the contract as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved.

National Human Rights Action Plan 2017-2021

The Cabinet has approved the appointment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee co-chaired by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Skills Development and Vocational Training, Justice, and Development Strategies and International Trade to look into the preparation of National Human Rights Action Plan 2017-2021. The drafted action plan presented by Foreign Affairs Acting Minister Harsha de Silva, was approved.

Hosting the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators workshop in Sri Lanka

The forum was established to exchange experiences of deficiencies caused by independent audit regulators. The Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board has been its member since 2007. The Forum holds an annual workshop and the proposal made by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake to host the annual workshop 2018 in February 2018 in Colombo, was approved.