The District Secretaries and the District Coordinating Committee (DCC) Chairmen have been granted powers to take measures at their fullest capacity to control and contain the COVID-19 pandemic within their districts without affecting the economic development in the country, Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication Presidential Task Force chairman Basil Rajapaksa said yesterday.
He also said that the government is taking all possible measures to maintain the economic development rate at the highest possible level amidst the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping an eye to run the life of the public as smoothly as possible.
He made these observations during a discussion held at Temple Trees yesterday (03). Rajapaksa also instructed officials to protect the agricultural industry protecting both the consumers and farmers, in their respective districts. He also emphasised that the provision of standard and quality fertilizer to the farmers in the agricultural sector should not be interrupted under any circumstances.
He instructed the District Secretaries and other officials to continue with all the other essential services including health, transport, agricultural affairs, industries, provision of fuel, water and electricity and garbage management.
Basil Rajapaksa also emphasises the need of implementing all the other government plans while combating the COVID-19 epidemic to ensure the economic development of the country.
He said that the government’s attention has been drawn to provide packed fish to consumers by the Fisheries Corporation.The government too decided to provide export quality fish to Samurdhi recipients.
He said further that those who work in the essential industries in the Industrial Zones could use the letters issued by the Secretary to the Industrial Ministry as a curfew pass.
In the meantime a new mechanism to issue curfew licence to the employees in production and economic fields in areas where quarantine curfew is in progress has been introduced by the Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication Presidential Task Force.
He also pointed out that there is possibility to reopen all the economic centres in the Western Province following the health guidelines tomorrow (5) and the Welisara Economic Centre could be opened on November 9 after having 350 employees facing PCR tests.
