Cabinet Decisions

Taking actions to prevent wild elephants from loitering in waste disposing dumps

Improper waste disposal have impacted badly on the environment as well as animals. About 54 waste disposing dumps are located in wild life zones and about 300 wild elephants are loitering around these dumps. Eating this waste has become a threat to their health. Accordingly, the joint proposal made by Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife Gamini Jayawickrama Perera and Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Faizer Musthapha, to implement a waste recycling programme, giving priority to such wildlife zones and to make electric fences for preventing wild elephants from reaching such dumps, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Charging due lease rents from users of reservations belonging to the Department of Railways

About 1,934 acres of land of the Railway Department have been leased to 6,400 lessees, but many of them have not paid their rents properly. A due amount of about Rs. 1,468 million should be paid by them. The Cabinet decided at its meeting held on May 10, 2016, to lease out lands to users of railway reservations for more than 10 years for a maximum period of 5 years on government's assessment. Accordingly, the proposal made by Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva, to introduce a proper and concessionary method to collect the said due amounts, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Hosting the next conference of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education in 2019

Above network is established with combination of more than 200 active organisations in the field and its summit is held once in two years for exchanging their experiences. The proposal made by Minister of Higher Education and Highways Lakshman Kiriella, to hold its next summit in 2019 in Sri Lanka, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Loan facility of USD 200 million from government of Pakistan

The government of Pakistan agrees to provide a loan facility of USD 200 million and it will be used for financing projects such as housing construction, development of livestock, importing equipment required for agriculture and dairy production and development of Industrial Technology Institute. The proposal, which was made by former Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake, to enter into a loan agreement with Pakistan in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Allocation of land plots from regional industrial estates for establishment of new industries

The proposal made by Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen, to lease out 23 lands in industrial estates in Buttala, Nalanda (Matale), Nalanda Ellawala, Galigamuwa, Kalutara, Millawa, Minuwangoda, Mathugama, Dambadeniya, Nurana, Makandura (west), Dankotuwa, Udukawa, Trincomalee, for 35 years for selected investors who expects to invest about Rs. 1,617 billion, on the basis of charging lease rent determined by the Chief Assessor, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

MoU between Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy and Malaysia Agricultural Research Development Institute for development of human resources of Agricultural Scientists in National Agricultural Research System

The above MoU was signed during the official visit of the President in Malaysia in 2016. The proposal made by Minister of Agriculture Duminda Dissanayake, to approve this MoU to enable funds to be allocated from the General Treasury which are required for implementing agreed programmes, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Hosting the Asia – Oceania regional intergovernmental ministerial meeting on anti-doping in sports - 2018

The World Anti-doping Agency has requested Sri Lanka to host the above event and 150 participants, including its members, members of Asian Olympic Committee and Sri Lankan intellectuals will participate in it. Accordingly, the proposal made by Minister of Sports Dayasiri Jayasekara, to host the above event at an estimated cost of Rs. 20 million and to obtain relevant allocations in year 2018, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Award of contract for the construction from Lunugala to Bibile (from 171.80 km to 190.80 km) under the Badulla-Chenkalady Road Improvement Project

The proposal made by Minister of Higher Education and Highways Lakshman Kiriella, to award the above contract as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Award of contract for design and construction of 500 houses for professionals at Weera Mawatha, Pannipitiya

Above project is implemented by the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development and the proposal made by Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka, award the above contract as recommended by the Technical Evaluation Committee and Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Providing official quarters for public officers – Colombo District

As many of the officers in government offices in Colombo reside outside Colombo, they tend to expect quarters. However, there are no ample quarters to be provided for officers such as Secretaries to Ministries' and Department heads. As a solution, a project has been planned to be implemented for construction of 49 houses in an eight-storied housing complex in a land of 0.284 hectares at Hector Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Colombo 7, which is owned by the Ministry of Public Administration and Management. The project is expected to be completed in 2019. The proposal made by Minister of Public Administration and Management Ranjith Maddumabandara, to implement this project and to obtain necessary allocations from the General Treasury during 2017-2019, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Purchasing a supplementary bulk of 150 MT of dates by Sathosa to be distributed among the Islam devotees during the Ramadan season

The Government of Saudi Arabia has donated 150 MT of dates for the above purpose, but it is insufficient for all the devotees. Hence, the proposal made by Minister of Post, Postal Services and Muslim Religious Affairs M.H.A. Haleem, to purchase a bulk of 150 MT of dates through Sathosa and distribute among Islam devotees under the supervision of the ministry, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Regulation on imposition of import control license requirement for concrete pump trucks which are more than ten years old in terms of Import and Export Control Act No. 1 of 1969

Under the above regulations, two HS Codes have been created to cover concrete pump trucks which are less than 10 years old and which are more than 10 years old. Accordingly, the proposal made by Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama, to present in parliament for approval, the gazette notification no. 2019/24 and dated May 19 under the Import and Export Control Act No. 1 of 1969, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Reinsurance cover for national natural disaster and emergency relief insurance scheme for the year 2017/18

According to a budget proposal in 2016, the above cover was introduced for natural disasters covering the whole country. Rs. 500 million was allocated for further improvement of this scheme. The payments of claims have been expanded, including a wide range of accidents due to natural disasters. The policy will be renewed with a cover of Rs. 15 billion and to prevent any abnormal losses to this policy, it requires to be re-insured. Accordingly, the proposal made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to select a reinsurance company as recommended by the Technical Evaluation Committee and Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee and to pay its premium and to enter into relevant agreements, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.