• Provision of a pledge by all the Members of the Cabinet that they would safeguard the collective responsibility of the Cabinet and in order to establish a new a moral political culture by protecting the noble traditions of the Cabinet of Ministers and to display their dedication to safeguard this tradition
• Appointment of a sub-committee of the Cabinet of Ministers to formulate code of conduct that should be voluntarily implemented by the Ministers in accordance with the commendable norms of good governance and the Cabinet of Ministers to approve within one month the said Code of Conduct that would be formulated.
Accordingly, all the Ministers gave a pledge at this meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers stating that they would safeguard the collective responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers.
02. Expression of Sri Lanka’s agreement to minimize climatic disasters in accordance with conditions stipulated by Kiyoko Organization
The Alliance established in the year 1997 by the international community in the city of Kiyoko in Japan to discuss about problems relating to climatic changes is called the Kiyoko Alliance. The objective of this Alliance is to attain the goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which represent the main convention collectively agreed upon by the international community that is keen to prevent \ adversities of climatic changes.
Although the industrialized nations should have reduced the greenhouse gases emitted from their countries at least by 5.2% from the amount of gases emitted in the year 1990, during the first bonded period of this alliance which covered the period from 2008-2012, this target could not be achieved by the year 2012. Hence, at the 8th conference of the participants of the Alliance held in Doha, the capital of Qatar in the year 2012 a proposal to stipulate a 2nd bonded period was adopted and accordingly it was decided that the industrialized Nations should reduce individually or collectively by 18% during the period 2013-2020, the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by them in the year 1990.
As a result of excessive emission of greenhouse gases by the Developed Industrialized Nations there is a threat of danger of adverse effects due to increase in the warmth and rising of sea levels for many island nations such as Sri Lanka.
It is possible for countries such as Sri Lanka to effectively direct the Developed Industrialized Nations to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and Carbon Dioxide to the space during the proposed second bonded period of the Kiyoko Alliance. It will also become possible to obtain financial assistance from the participant States to implement various projects in this connection.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the following proposals made by the Hon. President Maithripala Sirisena as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment to announce the continued willingness being shown by Sri Lanka to protect the earth in order to empower the 2nd bonded period of the Kiyoko Alliance.
03. Project for establishing Epileptic Hospital and Health Centers
In the year 2008, with the assistance of the Saudi Arabian Fund for Development, Sri Lanka took the initiative of establishing an Epileptic Hospital with all facilities and modern equipment to treat epileptic patients in the country. There was a certain delay in implementing this project due to various reasons and at present 90.5% of the project has been completed. It is expected to open the hospital for clinical activities by the end of this year. In the implementation of the project it is essential to provide modern facilities to afford better treatment to the people. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake to obtain an additional amount of US$ 12 Million from the Saudi Arabian Fund for Development for this purpose.
04. Revision of Act No. 19 of 2010 relating to registration of deaths (temporary regulations)
By the regulations of Act No. 17 of 1951 covering the registration of Births and Deaths, the Registrar General’s Department has been empowered with the task of registering deaths.
However this does not cover the registration of deaths relating to non-natural causes such as terrorism activities, people’s commotions, natural disasters and deaths that have been caused by non-natural causes and in the event of inability to find the dead bodies. Since regulations related to registration of deaths under such conditions do not cover in the said Act, the Act No. 19 of 2010 relating to registration of deaths (temporary regulations) was introduced as a solution for this impediment. Nonetheless, if a missing person is not acceptable to his relatives as a person who has died, in such occasions under the clauses of this Act it is not possible to register such a person as a person who has died. It has been observed that in such an event the relatives of such a person could not obtain the rights and dues entitled for them. Accordingly in compliance with revising the Act No. 19 of 2010 relating to registration of deaths (temporary regulations) to facilitate this procedure of the internationally recognized mechanisms, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs Vajira Abeywardene to register such a missing person as a person who cannot be found and issue a “Certificate of Absentee” and to revise Act No. 19 of 2010 relating to registration of deaths (temporary regulations).
05. Procurement of Fertilizer – 2015
The Ministry of Agriculture is implementing the fertilizer subsidy programme of providing fertilizer at a concessionary price to the farmers through state owned Lanka Pohora Company Ltd and Colombo Commercial Fertilizer Company Ltd. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Agriculture Duminda Dissanayake to procure the quantity of fertilizer required for distribution to the farmers in the month of November 2015 in accordance with the recommendations made by the cabinet approved special sub committee for procurement.
06. ‘Wana Ropa’ National Tree Planting Programme
Declining of the forest cover is a major issue faced by Sri Lanka. It is intended to increase the current forest cover of 29% from further 6000 hectares to 32% through a three year national programme during 2016-2018. Moreover, the tree planting programmes conducted by government and non-government partners with the above purpose will also be coordinated fruitfully.
A national tree planting programme will be implemented in the month of October 2015 which is planned to implement various activities such as increase of forest cover, increasing the quality of the forest cover, conserving the Sri Lankan biodiversity and natural echo system, utilization of waste lands for tree planting, promotion and management of commercial forest cultivation, as per the below mentioned schedule.
* First week
Conservation of peculiar echo systems, promotion, maintenance and protection of their nearby forest covers under the theme “Ensure Forest Conservation”
* Second week
Increasing the greenery and granting its benefits to the public through tree plantation in populated areas under the theme “Enhance greenery in human settlement”
* Third week
Making the non-government organizations and the public sector, active partners of tree planting process under the theme “Promote Partnership with the non-stake holders”
* Fourth week
Directing of various groups of the society in creative and sustainable tree planting activities under the theme “Encourage various segments of the society to take part in creative forestation initiatives”
This programme will be implemented in October 2015 in district and divisional secretariat division levels within the island and it is proposed to implement awareness programmes on environmental conservation, soil conservation projects, and various activities in provincial level in the month of October in each year. The proposal made by President Maithripala Sirisena as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to implement this programme in all public institutions and with the contribution of private and non-government organizations, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
07. Amending the Assistance Agreements on Strengthened Partnership for Social Integration and Increased and Equitable Economic Growth with United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Sri Lanka has entered in to two agreements in 2011 with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for obtaining grants to implement above programmes. The proposal made by Hon.Ravi Karunanayake, the Minister of Finance, to enter into agreements, considering the current social, economic and political background to amend the name of the programme “Strengthening Partnership for Social Integration” as “Strengthening Partnership for Democratic Reform and Social Integration” and to obtain US$ 10.73 million by increasing the grant from US$ 3.49 million and to amend the name of “Increased Equitable Economic Growth” which is implemented in provinces such as North, North Central, Eastern and Uva, as “Increased Equitable Economic Growth and Public Financial Management” and to obtain US$ 14.71 million by increasing the USAID grant from US$ 3 million, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
08. Management of the paddy harvest in the Yala season 2015
The Cabinet of Ministers have approved to implement the following recommendations made by the Cabinet Sub-committee chaired by the Minister of Finance appointed for making recommendations on planning the paddy purchasing programme with the intention of supervising of the paddy purchasing programme in 2015 Yala season and increasing the efficiency of relieving farmers as decided in the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on 09-09-2015.
* Increase the initial purchasing expectation of 120,000 MT of paddy by 40,000 MT to 160,000 MT in the paddy purchasing programme.
* Allocation of required Rs. 1,906 million of additional allocations.
* Provision of adequate storing facilities for the Maha season 2015/2016 by disposal of excess paddy stocks maintaining the buffer stock according to the government’s procurement procedure.
* Minimizing of irregularities in the process so as to allow purchase paddy from more farmers.
* Strengthening of small and medium scale paddy millers to broaden the contribution of the private sector while implementing the government’s paddy purchasing programme.
* Encouraging private sector investments in utilizing the excess paddy stock in production of biofuel.
* Encouraging industries engaged in producing value added productions with rice flour.
* Introduction of new varieties of paddy which are suitable for the export market as a long term measure.
* Introducing a crop diversification programme by introducing cash crops for a season.
09. Hemmathagama Water Supply Project
Approval of the Cabinet Subcommittee on Economic Affairs have been granted for the above project implemented with Government funds of Rs. 3,303.26 million and with foreign funds of 81.96 million Euros. The project benefits people in Mawanella, Aranayake, and Rambukkana divisional secretariat divisions. The proposal made by Hon. Rauff Hakeem, the Minister of Town Planning and Water Resources, to proceed with the above project, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
10. Extension of the agreement for the Colombo Port City Development Project for a period of 06 months
The agreement period of the agreement signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the relevant project company on 16-09-2014 expired on 15-09-2015. The proposal made by Hon. Arjuna Ranatunge, the Minister of Ports and Shipping, to extend the above agreement for further 06 months from 15-09-2015, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
11. Appointment of Advisors to Hon. Ministers
The Cabinet of Ministers took into consideration the necessity of taking a policy with regard to appointment of Advisors to the Cabinet of Ministers and payment of allowances to the Advisors who will be appointed accordingly and decided to make these appointments under the following basis:-
That consideration should only be given to appoint eminent persons with wide knowledge on the subject matters pertaining to the relevant Ministry whom the relevant Minister considers that advisory services can be provided and which cannot be anticipated from the Senior Officials of the Ministry
Only one advisor should be appointed to each Minister with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers. However, a maximum of only two (02) advisors with experience / capability can be appointed with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to a Ministry who is entrusted with two or more portfolios and
In making payment to the advisory services, the relevant advisors should have fulfilled a maximum level of educational or professional qualification to the subject matter of the relevant Ministry or Ministries, have completed a prominent service in the form of programmes relating to innovations of the subject matter / matters concerning to the relevant Ministry, Ministries, be a person / persons who held senior positions in the private sector prior to being appointed as an advisor / advisors, and those who have held senior most positions in the public service.
