01. Establishment of the Cabinet Sub – committee on economic growth and recovery.
Immediate decisions should be taken with regard to the steps to be taken with escalated priority
for economic revival / recovery and growth in the wake of the current economic crisis.
Accordingly, it has been recognized to establish a cabinet sub – committee on economic growth
and recovery / revival with a view to render the strategic guidance required for national
economic management activities. The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal
submitted by the Hon. President for appointing the aforementioned committee with the Hon.
President in the chair and another 05 ministers of the Cabinet including the Hon. Prime
Minister.
02. Conducting the national literary art festival
State Literary festival, national literary festival and national literary art festival are annually
held with the intention of promoting the literature, art, aesthetic and related sectors. Since those
festivals are not appropriate to be held this year owing to the economic circumstances
prevailing within the country at present, it has been planned to conduct the “National Literary
art Festival” (Jathika Saahithya Kalaa Mahothsawaya) fortified with all unique features of the
above festivals. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to the proposal
furnished by the Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs for conducting the
said festival in conjunction with state and private sector institutions from the 27th to 30th of
October 2022 at the Bandaranayaka Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).
03. Submission of the third national communication report on climate changes in Sri Lanka
to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes.
Sri Lanka as a stakeholder state of the Unite Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change should submit information reports on contemporary climate changes. Accordingly, its
first and second communication reports have been presented respectively in the years 2000 and
2012. The said communication report should consist of the climate, economic and social
situation, national greenhouse gas inventory, the actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
the risk of climate changes and the actions to adjust to it, education, training and capacity
development, technology exchange, researches and formal observations etc. Accordingly, the
Ministry of Environment has prepared the third National Communication Report - 2018 – 2021
on the climate changes in Sri Lanka obtaining the views and resolutions of intellects’
committees on climate changes and inter – institutional coordination committees. The Cabinet
of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to submit the
said report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes.
04. Financing the purchase of drugs and medical supplies essential to the Ministry of Health
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, focusing on the foreign exchange crisis faced by the
country , has agreed to provide funds amounting to 100 million USD immediately by revising
the scope of the Project to assist Colombo Urban Regeneration Project and the Reduction of
Landslide Vulnerability by Mitigation Measures project funded by the bank. Accordingly the
Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by Hon. President in his capacity as the
Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to use funds of US$ 70
million from the Project to assist Colombo Urban Regeneration Project and US$ 30 million
from Reduction of Landslide Vulnerability by Mitigation Measures project for the purchase
of essential medicines and medical supplies.
05. Submission of regulations issued under the Import and Export (Control) Act No. 1 of
1969 for approval by Parliament
Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by Hon. President in his capacity as the
Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to submit to Parliament the
following regulations issued under the Import and Export (Control) Act No. 1 of 1969.
❖ Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 12 of 2022 enacted by the Gazette
Notification dated 23.08.2022 to enable import of raw materials, equipment and utility
vehicles required for certain industries in order to ensure public sector imports and
operational contribution in selected sectors
❖ Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 13 of 2022 enacted by Gazette
Notification dated 23.08.2022 to temporarily suspend the import of a number of
selected commodities as recommended by the Central Bank in order to manage the
limited foreign exchange liquidity existing.
06. Review of Public Service Recruitment Process.
Under the current economic situation, the government has decided to temporarily suspend the
recruitment for public service. For this reason actions initiated, as per the provisions of service
minutes and recruitment procedures, for filling up the vacancies of approved posts have to be
stopped. There is a surplus of employees in the public service as a whole due to the direct
recruitment of graduates and other categories of employees into the public service from time
to time following the approved recruitment procedures as well as under the policy decisions
taken by the existing governments. However, it has been reported that there are vacancies in
certain categories. Moreover, appropriate measures should be taken regarding the issued that
have arisen in the public service as a result of adopting different methods in recruitments.
Accordingly, Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Hon. Prime
Minister in his capacity as the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial
Council and Local Government to appoint a Committee of Officers headed by the Secretary
to the Prime Minister to review the above matters and make suitable recommendations for
the problems currently arising in the public service and to identify the priorities regarding the
essential recruitments to be made and to recommend the time frames for the same for the
continuation of the public service more efficiently and effectively.
