01. Providing alternative lands for families who lost their residences due to land acquisition and transfer under the Greater Hambantota
Development Project
Alternative lands have to be given to 97 families who have lost their homes due to the Greater
Hambantota Development Project. A government land of about 10.11 hectares located in
Hambantota Siribopura area has been identified as suitable for that purpose. 126 plots of land
have been identified for residential use. Plots have been allocated for 84 families out of the 97
families who have lost their homes. Taking into account the proposal presented by the Minister
of Urban Development and Housing in this regard, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to allocate
land plots from the government land of about 10.11 hectares located in Siribopura, Hambantota
to the families who lost their homes due to the Greater Hambantota Development Project and to
issue legal Grants for the said land plots under the guidance of the Land Commissioner General.
02. Reconstruction of pedestrian bridges constructed across Marine Drive near Bambalapitiya
and Wellawatta railway stations
Considering the precarious condition of the pedestrian bridges constructed across Marine Drive
to access Bambalapitiya and Wellawatta railway stations, the need for construction of temporary
steps and immediate reconstruction of the pedestrian bridges has been identified. As this
pedestrian bridges reconstruction is an urgent and essential construction, the Cabinet of Ministers
approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport and Highways to hand over the
contract to the State Development and Design Statutory Corporation subject to the condition of
completion within a period of six months.
03. Calling for Requests for Proposals for the Mixed Development Project at Kirimandala
Mawatha under Public Private Partnership Methodology
5acre land developed by the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation is located on Nawala
Kirimandala Mawatha.The land has been identified as suitable for implementing a mixed
development project. Accordingly the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by
the Minister of Urban Development and Land to implement a mixed development project under
the public private method in the first phase on an area of 2.67 acres and in the second phase on
the remaining 2.33 acres of land and to take necessary steps to invite requests for proposals from
interested investors.
04. Proposed amendments to the Customs Ordinance (Chapter 235)
The proposal to amend Sections 47, 57, and 153 of the Customs Ordinance (Chapter 235)
regarding issues such as revenue collection, transparency, trade facilitation and compliance
requirements, presented by the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National
Policies, has been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on 13.10.2022. A ministerial committee
headed by the Hon. Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation has been appointed to study and
report on the issues related to the release of goods detained by Sri Lanka Customs and taking
into consideration the recommendations presented by that committee the Cabinet of Ministers
has given approval on 04.09.2023 to amend the relevant provisions of the Customs Ordinance.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Hon. President in
his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to instruct
a legal draftsman to prepare a bill to amend the Customs Ordinance by including the proposed
amendments.
05. Revisions to Sri Lanka Notaries (Amendment) Act, No. 31 of 2022.
As a remedy to the confusion and complications in the Sri Lanka Notaries (Amendment) Act,
No. 31 of 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval at their meeting held on 08.05.2023 to
revise the said act. Clearance of the Attorney General has been granted to the draft bill prepared
by the Legal Draftsman applying the relevant revisions. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers
granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and
Constitutional Reforms to publish the draft bill in the Government gazette notification and
subsequently forward to the Parliament for its concurrence.
06. Revisions to the Prevention of Frauds Ordinance
The Prevention of Frauds Ordinance has been revised by act No. 30 of 2022 as per the revisions
introduced to the Wills (Amendment) Ordinance No. 29 of 2022 and the Sri Lanka Notaries
(Amendment) Act, No. 31 of 2022. The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval at their meeting
held on 08.05.2023 to revise the Sri Lanka Notaries (Amendment) Act, No. 31 of 2022 as a
remedy to the confusion and complications in the act and to revise the relevant provisions of the
Prevention of Frauds Ordinance parallel to it. Accordingly, clearance of the Attorney General
has been granted to the draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman to amend the Prevention of
Frauds Ordinance. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution
furnished by the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms to publish the
draft bill in the Government gazette notification and subsequently forward it to the Parliament
for its concurrence.
07. Establishment of the Sri Lanka Economic Commission and preparation of the draft bill of
the Sri Lanka New Investment Act
Taking into consideration the existence of a strong mechanism to create a more favourable
environment for investment and export promotion, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was
granted at their meeting held on 16.01.2023 to establish a new institution consolidating the Board
of Investment and the Export Development Board. Accordingly, a Supervisory Committee on
Export and Imports comprised of individuals with expertise in the relevant fields to take
necessary actions in this endeavor was established under the Presidential Secretariat. The
Committee has studied all facts pertaining to this scenario and has furnished resolutions for the
establishment of a new institutional structure and the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal
submitted by the Hon. President to take necessary relevant actions to initiate the establishment of
the Sri Lanka Economic Commission and related units.
08. Obtaining approval to submit the rules published in the Government gazette to the
Parliament for its concurrence.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal submitted by the Hon. President in his office as
the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to submit the following
order the rules in the Parliament.
(i) Revenue Conservation Order published in the extraordinary gazette notification No.
2347/06 dated 29.08.2023 as per the provisions in the Revenue Conservation Act No. 19
of 1962
(ii) Orders published by the following gazette notifications as per provisions under the
Special Commodity Levy Act No. 48 of 2007.
• The rule published by the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2343/11 dated 01.08.2023
• The rule published by the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2345/64 dated 17.08.2023
• The rule published by the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2346/16 dated 21.08.2023
• The rule published by the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2348/44 dated 08.09.2023
• The rule published by the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2353/77 dated 14.10.2023
In the event of any inconsistency between the English translations of this document, the Sinhala
text shall prevail.
