1. Upgrading urban councils of Ampara and Mannar into municipal councils.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 08.08.2022 for taking
measures to convert the Urban Councils in several districts into municipal Councils without
spending additional allocations and utilizing the existing infrastructure facilities, office facilities
and human resources. Considering the said approval, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval
to the proposal furnished by the Hon. Prime Minister as the Minister of Public Administration,
Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Governments to upgrade the urban councils of
Ampara and Mannar to municipal councils in order to perform development activities expected
to be performed in those two cities considered to be the major cities of the districts of Ampara
and Mannar.
2. Introduction of ‘Sathimath Bawa Pihituweema’ (Establishing right conscience)
programme for the school students.
Measures have been taken to implement the ‘Sathimath Bawa Pihituweema’ (establishing right
conscience) programme initiated by the Ministry of Education jointly with the ‘Sathi Paasala
Foundation’ which is a programme of Rev. Udaeeriyagama Dhammajeewa Thero; who is the
founder of ‘Sathi School’. The programme is expected to be implemented in every school in the
island as an educational programme that assists to prevent erroneous conduct of students by
providing stimulation inside the school to strengthen their personality to survive the complex
and dynamic society. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted their concurrence for the
proposal made by the Minister of Education to implement a pilot programme every Wednesday
from 04 th January 2023 to 24 th March 2023, and continue the programme 10 minutes every
Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7.30 to 7.40 a.m. thereafter.
3. Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Water Supply of the
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Environment, Climate
Change and Technology of the Republic of Maldives in regard to the technical
cooperation in water and sewage drainage sector.
A proposal has been made to sign a memorandum of understanding between Sri Lanka and the
Maldives for the technical cooperation relevant to the development of water supply and sewage
drainage systems. The draft bill prepared for it has been accepted by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and the clearance concurrence of the Attorney General has been granted to the same.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution tabled by the Minister of Water
Supply for signing the proposed memorandum of understanding.
4. Judicature Act No. 02 of 1978
Extraordinary gazette dated 30.07.2021 was issued publishing orders relating to the Judicature
Act enabling the courts of the Northern Province to exercise their judicial authority to empower
financial statutes enacted by the Northern Provincial Council. At the instance they were
submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers in order to seek approval for submitting them to the
Parliament, The Cabinet of Ministers decided that the relevant financial statutes should be made
effective in both Northern and Eastern provinces at the same time, parallel to each other.
Therefore, the Minister of Justice has issued orders nominating the magistrate and district courts
within the Northern Province to hear and decide all court matters, legal matters or actions
relevant to impose of any tax or charges related to financial statutes subject to the provisions of
the Judicature Act. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by
the Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms to table the orders so imposed
to the Parliament for approval.
05. Strengthening existing legal provisions prohibiting sexual assault, sexual harassment,
sexual bribery and to punish those found guilty of such criminal acts.
Sexual harassment is a violation of fundamental human rights and is mentioned in Section 345 of
the Penal Code. It is observed that this problem continues even though there are legal provisions
to set the punishment for those crimes. Accordingly the proposal, presented by the Minister of
Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms to instruct legal draftsman to prepare a bill to
include articles in the Penal Code criminalizing sexual assault and all forms of sexual harassment
and to introduce a new section to give severe punishment for that and to make sexual bribery an
offence, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
06. Policy Approval for PSC Procedural Rules
The Procedural Rules of the Public Service Commission effective from 02.04.2009 have been
redrafted to suit the present requirements and rules. The said draft procedural rules have been
further studied by a Cabinet Appointed Committee of Officials and the final draft has been
prepared by incorporating the suggestions made. Accordingly the proposal presented by the Hon.
President to grant policy approval as per the provisions of Article 55(1) of the Constitution for
PSC Procedural Rules so formed and to implement the said procedural rules with effect from
01.01.2023 was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
07. Legislation of Media Guidelines Under Article 104b(5)(A) Of the Constitution Of The
Democratic Socialist Republic Of Sri Lanka
Media Guidelines have been published in Extra Ordinary Gazette No. 2178/24 dated 03.06.2020
in accordance with the Article 104b (5)(A) Of the Constitution Of The Democratic Socialist
Republic Of Sri Lanka. However, the measures that can be taken in case of violation of the
Media Guidelines have not been inacted so far. Accordingly the Cabinet of Ministers approved
the proposal presented by the Hon. President to instruct legal draftsman to prepare a bill to
include in the Presidential Elections Act, Parliamentary elections Act, Provincial Council
Elections Act and Local Government Elections Ordinance the provisions making the
contravention of the said Media Guidelines an electoral offence or to introduce provisions to
consider the violation of media guidelines as an illegal act under the each Elections Act .
08. Amendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act (No. 1 of 1981)
A Code of Conduct for political parties/independent groups and candidates contesting elections
has been published in Extra Ordinary Gazette NO. 2178/25 dated 03.06.2020, by the Election
Commission in accordance with the section 8(8) of the Parliamentary Elections Act NO.1 of
1981. It has been recognized that it is desirable to amend the Parliamentary Elections Act (No. 1
of 1981) to include provisions specifying the steps that can be taken in case of violation of the
said Code of Conduct and that the steps will remain in force for the duration of the tenure and to
allow persons holding recognized special positions to vote on election day at a special center
apart from the polling station allotted to them. Accordingly the Cabinet of Ministers approved
the proposal presented by the Hon. President to instruct legal draftsman to prepare a bill for the
amendment of said act by introducing the provisions for that purpose.
