Independence Day Celebrations on February 3, 2021
The Cabinet approved the resolution submitted by Irrigation Minister and Internal Defence, Home Affairs and Disaster Management State Minister to appoint a Ministerial Sub-committee to organise and monitor the 73rd Independence Day Celebrations that falls on February 4, 202I. The committee will comprise Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Education Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris, Foreign Affairs Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Public Service, Provincial Councils and Local Govemments Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Mass Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, Irrigation Minister and Internal Defence, Home Affairs and Disaster Management State Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, Power Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, and Water Supply Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara
Establishing Expressway Investment Company
The rural by-ways project covering 100,000 kilo metres is being implemented, while the priority being given to complete the construction work of the central expressway, inaugurating the Ruwanpura Expressway construction work and completing construction of the Kelaniya-Athurugiriya Expressway that totally runs on columns.
Converting Vidyalankara International Buddhist Conference Hall into a service supplying condition
The Government has spent Rs. 1,200 million to construct Vidyalankara Intemational Buddhist Conference Hall and the approval of the Cabinet has been granted on November 11, 2019 to appoint a Trust for proper maintenance of technical equipment with high efficiency affixed to the conference hall altogether considering the size of the investment. The clearance of the Attorney General has been granted for the Trust Bond prepared in that connection and the Cabinet has given their consent followed by the information received from the Prime Minister as the Buddha Sasana Minister that the Ministry Secretary is to sign the trust bond on behalf of the Government as the first party.
Constructing multi-storey vehicle parking and implementating mixed development projects in Colombo city and other selected cities
A programme to construct and maintain vehicle parks by investors selected as per the open competitive procurement has been planned to minimise the daily traffic congestion caused in the influx of vehicles towards Colombo and suburbs. The Cabinet approved the resolution by the Prime Minister as the Urban Development and Housing Minister to implement the project under two methods.
The first is by inviting proposals from the private sector investors to construct general multi-storey vehicle parking and mechanical parking stations in eight venues within Colombo and Battaramulla, Anuradhapura and Kandy as a State-Private Joint Venture. By inviting proposals to construct general multi-storey vehicle parking and mechanical parking stations in Narahenpita, Telecom car part in Pettah, parking venue at the Ottus Sports Club - Colombo 7 and Kinsey Avenue - Colombo 7with other appropriate projects including housing units, office spaces among oothers so that the expenditure for the project can be generated from the project itself on the pre-sale basis.
Allocating land to University of Uva Wellassa
The Cabinet approved transferring two acres from the land in the Kalugalpitiya, Badulla under the District Secretariat of Badulla to inaugurate undergraduate studies in one of the most appropriate fields required in addition to the fields in which undergraduate studies are conducted already in the University of Uva Wellassa considering a resolution submitted by the Education Minister.
Action concerning railway employees residing in railway reserve lands belonging to Railway Department
The Railway Department possesses approximately 14,000 acres of reserved land. About 10 per cent of them are leased to various parties. About 80 per cent of the remaining land is occupied by various parties without permission. These unauthorised occupants include the departmental officers as well as those who are retired from the departmental service. These lands are being used for unauthorised purposes such as constructing houses and business premises and cultivation.Some railway employees who have illegally acquired those lands were removed through court action. There have also been instances of disciplinary action being taken against them and the suspension of pensions. Accordingly the Cabinet approved the proposal by the Transport Minister to appoint a Committee of Ministers to make recommendations to the Cabinet studying the matter.
The proposed committee will include Transport Minister Gamini Lokuge, Chairman; Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara Thennakoon; Land Minister S.M.Chandrasena and Money, Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms State Minister Ajith Niward Cabraal.
Amendments to Intellectual Properties Act No. 36 of 2003
There are a number of local products that can be promoted as geographical indications. Such products face a big competition caused by the counterfeit imitations in the local and foreign markets. It has been identified that it is appropriate to register such products in Sri Lanka as geographical indicators.
The Cabinet approved the proposal by theTrade Minister to advice the Legal Draftsman to draft a bill to amend the Intellectual Properties Act No. 36 of 2003, with the provisions to establish of a comprehensive and definite legal framework to register geographical indications in Sri Lanka.
Importing Basmati Rice under Pakistan-Sri Lanka Trade Agreement
About 6,000 metric tonnes of Basmati rice can be imported annually under the provisions of Pakistan-SriLanka Trade Agreement. In importing rice under this provision, the private sector has also been given permission to import Basmathi Rice. However, complaints have been received regarding various irregularities in importing rice committed by importing rice which does not belong to the prescribed categories. Considering these facts, the proposal made by the Trade Minister to import rice under this facility only by the Sri Lanka State Trading (General) Corporation and the CWE was approved by the Cabinet.
Greater Colombo Water and Wastewater Management Improvement Investment Programme
Rehabilitating and expanding the water supply system and limiting the free of charge water supplying the North Eastern part of Colombo and rehabilitating and expanding the waste water system in the southern catchment area of Colombo are being carried out under the Greater Colombo Water and Wastewater Management Improvement Investment Programme. The projects under this programme are planned to be carried out from 2012 to October 24, 2022. Two loan facilities are provided under Phase 3 of the programme and following projects will be implemented using the loan facility.
Providing new wastewater gravity pipes, pressure pipes and pumping stations for the Kirulapone catchment area.
Constructing Wellawatte Wastewater Treatment Plan to Rehabilitation and expanding water supply systems in the northeastern and south western parts of the Colombo city and limiting the free of charge water supply.
Procuring vehicles and office equipment and conducting training workshops to assist Project Management Unit of Colombo Municipal Council
The loan facility under Phase 3 of this programme is scheduled to end on December 31, 2020 and accordingly the proposal made by the Public Service, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister to extend the loan facility to October 24, 2022 was approved by the Cabinet.
Solving issues related to procuring special bamboo sticks required as raw material for incense stick production
Approval of the Cabinet was granted to the proposal by the Industries Minister to take actions to solve the issues related to procuring special bamboo sticks required as raw material for incense stick production. Importing the required quantity of special bamboo sticks used as raw material to product incense sticks until the required quantity is produced locally to the required standard.Granting tax relief for such imported bamboo sticks.Taking necessary steps through the Department of Forest Cons Department of Agrarian Development and Mahaweli Authority to identify locations of this particular bamboo plant and to identify the lands where this plant can be cultivated.
Obtaining the assistance of the Industrial Development Board to introduce advanced technological devices to produce incense sticks.
Procurement for supplying 11,250 vials of Bevacizumab Injection 100mg/4ml
International competitive bids have been called to procure the medicine called Bevacizumab used to treat some types of cancers. In accordance with the recommendation of the Procurement Appeals Board, the Cabinet approved the proposal by the Health Minister to award the procurement of supplying 11,250 vials of Bevacizumab Injection100mg/4ml to M/s Medmart Pharma (Pvt.) limited for Rs. 196.88 million.
Procurement for supplying 6,875 Trastuzumab injection 440 mg vials with 20ml solvent vials
International competitive bids have been called to procure the medicine called Trastuzumab used to treat some types of cancers. In accordance with the recommendation of Cabinet appointed standing procurement committee, the Cabinet approved the proposal by the Health Minister to award the contract of supplying 6,875 Trastuzumab injection 440 mg vials with 20ml solvent vials to M/s Transfarma Dis Ticaret Anonim Sirketi for Euro 1.62 million of total cost and freight.
The Greater Colombo Water and Waste Water Management Improvement Investment Programme -Tranche 3 - Designing, Constructing and Operating of Waste Water Treatment Plant inWellawatta
International Competitive bids have been invited from qualified institutions to procure to design, construct and operate of the waste water treatment plant in Wellawatta under the Greater Colombo Water and Waste Water Management Improvement Investment Programme -Tranche 3, which is to be implemented with the funds of the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, approval of the Cabinet has been granted for the proposal by the Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister to confer the relevant contract to the Joint Venture of Power of China Zhongnan Engineering Corporation Limited with the Beijing Enterprises Water Group Limited at US Dollar 20.96 million and Sri Lankan Rupees 4.36 Billion (VAT exempted) as per the recommendation by the Procurement Committee appointed by the Cabinet.
Simplification systems and procedures to accelerate implementation of development activities
The following issues hve been identified as some of the barriers to accelerate the implementation of development Activities.
The Ministries should take actions to obtain the approval of several institutions and finally the Cabinet for general matters which are not relevant to the policy matters and there regulatory requirements. Delays in payments to be done to private contractors cause delays in development projects and increase project costs.Accordingly, the Cabinet approved the proposal tabled by the Prime Minister as the Finance Minister to perform as follows to minimise the delays as possible to accelerate development activities. Submitting a report to the Cabinet once in three months on the development projects which could be implemented expediently with the approval of the Secretary to theTreasury and the other authorities.Introducing a new procedure to ensure continuous cash flow for the key development projects by issuing Treasury Guarantee or Facilitation Letters to their banks which enable to the pay contractors for the work completed without delay.
Execution of recommendations of Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Investigating Edirisinghe Trust Investment Finance Limited
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a presidential commission on 09.01.2020 to investigate, inspect and report the alleged wrongdoings, irregularities and malpractices of the Edirisinghe Trust Investments Limited, which was chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge K.T.Chithasiri.
The report that contains observations and recommendations of the aforesaid commission has been submitted to the President on 06.10.2020. The commission has pointed out that there have been several offences under the Company Law, the Financial Cooperation Act, the Money Laundering Act, the Financial Information Reporting Act, the Legal Framework for the transfer of lands to foreigners and the Penal Code by its observations and recommendations.
The report of the commission has pointed out the need to reform the Non-Banking Financial Institutions Supervision Department of the Central Bank of SriLanka that supervises and regulates Finance Companies. Approval of the Cabinet has been granted for the proposal by the President while drawing the attention of the Cabinet to the matters.
Forwarding the report to the Attorney General to take immediate legal actions to execute the recommendations of the commission report on alleged finance and property irregularities of the Edirisinghe Trust Investment Limited.
Informing the Finance Ministry to completely reform the Non-Bank Financial Institutions Supervision Department of Central Bank of Sri Lanka and to formulate a new institutional structure to regulate Finance Companies.
Submitting the report of the commission and report the measures that are to be taken thereof to Parliament by the Justice Minister.
