02.    Grant Assistance from Japan to strengthen public security and prevention of terrorism (Document No – 11)

 

Government of Japan has agreed to provide productions under non-project grants, of 250 million Yen (Rs. 327 million approx.) within 2016/2017 for strengthening public security and activities against terrorism. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to sign exchange notes with the government of Japan to obtain the said grants, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

03.    Project for improvement of financial sector for modernizing the finance field of Sri Lanka (Document No – 13)

 

Above project aims to implement several essential reforms identified for the development of the field within 2017-2022. It will be implemented under three (03) aspects of financial assistance for reforms, strengthening capacity of regulatory agencies, and development of infrastructure.

Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to implement the above project by the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Sri Lanka Insurance Board within 2017-2022, and to obtain a credit of Special Drawing Rights equivalent to USD 75 million from the International Development Agency of the World Bank for the above purpose, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

04.    Increase of the amount of compensation paid for deaths caused by wild elephant attacks (Document No – 15)

 

The Cabinet has recently approved the increase of compensations paid for damages caused by wild elephant attacks on individuals and properties. Accordingly, amending the amounts further, the proposal made by Hon. Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, to increase the compensation paid for human deaths and permanent disabilities from Rs. 200,000/- to Rs. 500,000/-, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

05.    Obtaining assistance of Sri Lanka Scouts Movement in introduction of sustainable solution for conservation of Natural resources and to build up human-wildlife co-existence (Document No – 16)

 

Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, to conduct a training programme for three (03) years for Sri Lanka Scouts Movement on the above purpose with the assistance of Ministry of Education at the Randenigala Training Centre of Sri Lanka Wildlife Trust, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

06.    Amendment to industrial disputes act – representation and appearance before Labour Tribunals (Document No – 18)

 

It has been identified that some misinterpretations of certain Presidents of Labour Tribunals, preventing representatives other than lawyers to advocate the victims, have caused a prejudice to general employees. Accordingly, the joint proposal made by Hon. W.D.J. Seneviratne, Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations, and Hon. Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, Minister of Justice, to instruct the Legal Draftsman to amend the Industrial Disputes Act making provisions to a person who is not a lawyer to represent or advocate parties, to remove provisions preventing a lawyer from advocating in an inquiry conducted before Commissioner of Labour or authorized officer, and to transfer the power of taking action against employers who neglect orders made by such a tribunal from the Commissioner of Labour to Tribunal Presidents, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

07.    Development of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka into a state of the art modern hospital (Document No – 20)

 

It is timely to develop the NHSL to a state of the art hospital which is considered as the apex centre of Sri Lankan health system, which is comprised of 3,382 beds. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senarathne, Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to implement following urgent measures as a part of this project, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

•    Renovation of Old Victoria Building and Bandaranaike building

•    Renovation of quarters of Doctors located in Barns Place and quarters of Nurses in no. 93.

 

08.    Establishment of a Modern Neonatal Specialist centre at De Soyza Maternity Hospital, Colombo (Document No – 21)

 

De Soyza hospital provides healthcare for maternal, obstetrics and Gynaecology, sub-fertility, baby care and family planning and medical care and provides training for undergraduate and postgraduate students of University of Colombo. Cabinet has already approved the expansion of Premature Baby Unit and Special Care Baby Unit as a large number of births take place in the hospital and many children are transferred from peripheral hospitals.

Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senarathne, Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to establish a Neonatal Specialist Centre in this hospital under assistance of the government of France, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

09.    Draft bill on credit information service providers (Document No – 25)

 

Sri Lanka Credit Information Bureau is the sole authorised body for providing credit information in Sri Lanka and the government has identified the positive impact of private credit information service providers on the economy. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to publish the draft bill in the gazette and subsequently present in parliament for approval, which has been drafted to issue license for credit information service providers, and to provide for their regulation and supervision, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

10.    Funding essential infrastructure projects through a government owned Special Infrastructure Company (Document No – 26)

 

 

The proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to establish the 'Special Infrastructure Company' owned by the Sri Lankan Government and Road Development Authority enabling efficient investment in expressway projects, to transfer assets of current expressways and expressways to be constructed in the future and to earn capital from investors using those assets as a base or to obtain loans by providing them as sureties, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

11.    Euroclearing of securities issued by the government of Sri Lanka (Document No – 27)

 

Euroclearing will help in popularising government's securities among foreign investors, minimizing complexity of transactions, and in reducing the cost. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to establish the legal and regulatory frame for obtaining the euroclearing facility for Sri Lankan Securities with the view of providing direct and unobstructed access for foreign investors to the Government's Security Market, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

12.    Regulations framed under the companies act No. 07 of 2007 (Document No – 28)

 

The proposal made by Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce, to present 'Companies (Secretaries) Regulations', published in gazette extraordinary no. 1998/11 dated 20-12-2016 prepared under the article 527 of Companies Act no. 07 of 2007, for enabling members of Institute of Certified Management Accountant of Sri Lanka to be registered as Company Secretaries, in parliament for approval, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

13.    Feed in tariff for purchasing electricity generated through combustion of municipal solid waste (Document No – 29)

 

The proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to implement the feed in tariff prescribed by the Public Utilities Commission for purchasing electricity generated through combustion of solid waste in Municipal Solid Waste Processing Centres which have already been approved to be established in Karadiyana and Muthurajawela and centres to be established in due course, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

14.    Allocation of a block of land from Ratnapura New Town to construct the Ratnapura District Cultural Centre (Document No – 31)

 

The proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to transfer a land of 01 acres from Farm Garden Estate owned by UDA to Ratnapura District Secretary on the above purpose, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

15.    Allocation of a block of land from Ratnapura New Town to construct the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Office of the Department of Community Based Correction (Document No – 33)

 

The proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to transfer a land of 20 perches from Farm Garden Estate owned by UDA to the Department of Community Based Correction through Ratnapura Divisional Secretary on the above purpose, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

16.    Allocation of a block of land from Ratnapura New Town to construct the Ratnapura District Office of the Department of National Community Water Supply (Document No – 34)

 

The proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to transfer a land of 01 Rood and 29 perches from Farm Garden Estate owned by UDA to the Department of National Community Water Supply through Ratnapura Divisional Secretary on the above purpose, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

17.    Allocation of lands to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, University of Moratuwa from Mahenawatta of Pitipana, Homagama (Document No – 35)

 

UDA has acquired lands of about 34 hectares from the above estate to establishment of institutions related to science and technology. The proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to transfer lands of about 46 acres from the above estate to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, University of Moratuwa subject to the payment of assessed value of the land, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

18.    Implementation of livelihood development and poverty alleviation projects for fisheries community (Document No – 36)

 

Funds of Rs. 1200 million have been allocated in 2017 to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development for above projects. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, to implement 30 priority projects identified by the ministry with the assistance of the private sector, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

19.    Amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure (Special Provisions) Act No. 2 of 2013 – (rights of detainees – access to legal counsel) (Document No – 38)

 

Cabinet has already granted approval on 10-01-2017 to make above amendments and the proposal made by Hon. Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, Minister of Justice, to publish the 'Code of Criminal Procedure (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Bill' prepared by Legal Draftsman and cleared by the Attorney General, in the gazette and subsequently present in parliament for approval, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

20.    Infrastructure development of the construction equipment operator training centre (Document No – 40)

 

Above centre which is established in 1982 in Galkulama, Anuradhapura under the Construction Industry Development Authority is a priority institution providing man power to construction field in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Sajith Premadasa, Minister of Housing and Construction, to identify necessary infrastructure developments to be done in this centre under a comprehensive plan, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

21.    Signing of a statement of mutual agreement between Prot of Colombo and Prot and Urban Projects bureau of Kobe City Government (Document No – 41)

 

The proposal made by Hon. Arjuna Ranatunga, Minister of Ports and Shipping, to sign the above statement during the International Port Conference in Kobe, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

22.    Construction of houses for the plantation community – Request to increase the allocation per house from Rs. 650,000.00 to 1,000,000.00 (Document No – 42)

 

Houses are being built for plantation community under the Ministry of Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure and Community Development on loan and grant assistance basis. According to estimates prepared in 2014 Rs. 650,000 has been allocated per a house but considering current prices construction material it is insufficient. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. U. Palani Thigambaram, Minister of Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure and Community Development, to increase the cost for a house from Rs. 650,000 to Rs. 1,000,000 and to provide Rs. 480,000 of them as an non-repayable grant and the rest Rs. 520,000 as a loan to be repayable in 15 years, and to provide the full amount as a non-repayable grant for those who are being informed to vacate their residences due to landslide threats, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

23.    Establishment of the National Commission on women (Document No – 43)

 

As prevailing institutions on women's affairs has no legal power to address the increasing violence against women, the proposal made by Hon. Chandrani Bandara, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, to establish the National Commission on Women, considering the responsibility assigned on the government by the constitution and Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

24.    Improvement of Infrastructure in Saraswathi Central College, Pussellawa (Document No – 44)

 

About thousand students study in this school which is about 100 years old and it has been identified as a school to be developed with facilities for students of plantation community. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Minister of Education, to enter into an agreement with the Republic of India to develop infrastructure of this school under Indian assistance, and to implement the developments by the Ministry of Education with the assistance of the Central Provincial Ministry of Education, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

25.    Rehabilitation of Moragoda Ela and Temple Bypass (Document No – 48)

 

International Development Agency has provided USD 147 million to implement strategic urban development projects in Kandy and Galle. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to award the contract for above rehabilitations done by a portion of above grants, to the M/s Business Promoters & Partners Engineering (Pvt.) Ltd at a cost of Rs. 844,907,205.00 without VAT as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

 

26.    Compensation for victims of boat accident in the seas off Katukurunda, Kalutara on 19-02-2017 (Document No – 52)

 

The proposal made by Hon. Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Minister of Disaster Management, to pay compensations for victims of the above accident as Rs. 100,000/- for a deceased person and Rs. 20,000/- for an injured person, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.