Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister and Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana and Director General of Government Information Dinith Karunarathna, at the weekly Cabinet media briefing held yesterday at the Government Information Department.
Solar energy project at Kilinochchi Poonakary Lake
Cabinet approval has been received to invite expression of interest proposals from prospective investors for developing 
renewable energy projects with a capacity of 50 MW or more in order to assist in the implementation of accelerated renewable energy development programmes in the country.
Accordingly, United Solar Energy Sri Lanka has submitted a proposal to develop a solar power plant of 700 MW with a battery energy storage system at Kilinochchi PoonakaryLake to provide a power supply of 134 MW. The project is proposed to be implemented with a total investment of US$ 1,727 million as a 100 percent foreign direct investment venture. From this amount, US$ 500 million will be used for domestic project components. The project proponent company has proposed to construct three anicuts around the Poonakary Lake to prevent the ingress of seawater, a part of the proposed project.
Instead, the Northern Provincial Council, the Northern Provincial Irrigation Department and the Agricultural Development Department have already agreed to grant 1,080 acres of the shallow area of the lake to the company on a 35-year lease agreement to establish the 700 MW power plant. As such the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Power and Energy Minister to accept the project proposal presented by United Solar Energy Sri Lanka in principle and to appoint a Cabinet negotiation committee to evaluate the proposal and make recommendations.
Draft Bill on equality of gender socialization
A contretemps is apparent in Sri Lanka regarding the equality of gender socialization and the Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment Ministry is taking measures to minimize the gender imbalance of socialization.
Accordingly, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting on September 5, 2022, to draft a Bill to introduce required legal provisions with the objective of empowering equality of gender socialization and women. Accordingly, the President in his capacity as the Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment submitted the draft Bill which was prepared by the Legal Draftsman and the Cabinet of Ministers decided to grant it policy approval.
Date of implementation of provisions to repeal simplified VAT revised
The concurrence of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted to submit to Parliament the draft Bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman to revise the Value-Added Tax Act No. 14 of 2002 including the repeal of the simplified value-added tax scheme (SVAT) with effect from January 1, 2024.
The representations made by the relevant parties point out that drastic issues may erupt in finance flow in relation to individuals, especially exporters, who have been registered under the system at present if the simplified value-added tariff system is repealed without a strong value-added tax repayment system.
Therefore, it is apparent that it is appropriate to repeal the simplified value-added tax system step by step until a strong tax repaying mechanism is established. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal furnished by the President in his capacity as the Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies Minister to submit a proposal for revision of the date of implementation of the relevant provisions to repeal the simplified value- added tax as April 1, 2025, when it was taken for discussion at the Committee Stage of Parliament for discussing the Value-Added Tax (Amended) Bill.
Contract for purchase of four shipments of 92 octane petrol
Bids have been invited from suppliers registered under the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation for a long-term contract for the purchase of four shipments of 92 Unl octane petrol over a period of four months from September 21, 2023 to January 21, 2024.
Four companies have submitted bids. Accordingly, the proposal presented by the Power and Energy Minister to award this procurement to Vitol Asia Company of Singapore as per the recommendation of Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Hostel accommodation for Colombo University students
The Board of Management of the Urban Development Authority has approved the transfer of the 0.2761 hectare plot of land with the apartment complex consisting of 144 housing units located at Kalinga Mawatha in Narahenpita to the University of Colombo. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Urban Development and Housing Minister to hand over the plot of land containing the apartment complex as a free grant to be used as hostel facilities of the University of Colombo.
Entering into Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on December 20, 2021, to take necessary measures 
for signing the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the Foreign Minister for Sri Lanka to sign the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the ceremony to be held in relation to the treaty parallel to the General Assembly of the United Nations.
