01. Amendment of the Firearms Ordinance (Document No – 06)
It has been identified that the Firearms Ordinance No. 33 of 1916 should be amended to suit the present needs including use of firearms in assuring law and order, issuing them for protecting agricultural cultivations and other properties and prohibition of using firearms in public places. Accordingly, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Defence, to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft legislations to amend the above ordinance as recommended by the Committee of Officials appointed in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
02. Implementation of an integrated urban solid waste management project for Kandy District (Document No – 07)
It has become a timely need to prepare an integrated waste management method for disposal of solid waste of about 250 MT gathered in municipal and other areas in the Kandy District. Accordingly, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to implement such an integrated programme through a joint company established by the Kandy Municipal Council and a private investor selected through calling open proposals, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
03. Taking over the land in Iranawila which is under the American Embassy (Document No – 09)
A land of about 166.038 hectares in Iranawila area in Puttalam has been leased to the American Embassy in 1991 to establish a Voice of America transmission station in Sri Lanka. The American Embassy has informed that they wish to hand over the said land and other assets in that land to Sri Lankan Government before the expiration of lease agreement. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to take over the said land and assets by terminating the agreement, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
04. Improvement of quality in Three-wheeler passenger services and school services (Document No – 12)
Budget 2017 has proposed to establish a regulating authority to regulate above transport services. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, to appoint a Committee of Officials comprised of Secretaries to Ministries to report the cabinet on implementing this proposal, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
05. Implementation of National Human Resources and Employment policy (Document No – 14)
The proposal made by Hon. W.D.J. Seneviratne, Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations, to implement the National Human Resources and Employment Policy which is updated with the comments made by all the relevant parties with the aim of widening the contribution of the private sector in gaining a high economic growth in Sri Lanka, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
06. Management of water supply facilities in dry spell (Document No – 15)
The prevailing dry spell in the country has severely affected small community water supply systems in rural areas and the demand for water is expected to be increased. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply, to broaden water supply through water bowsers by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, construct 400 tube wells, renovate 1000 hand pumped deep wells in rural areas, and to construct 200 such wells, and to educate public on frugal use of water, and to coordinate with relevant authorities for taking necessary steps in interruption to supply, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
07. Obtaining the consent of drivers to donate organs and tissues for transplantation (Document No – 17)
With the development of science and technology organ and tissue transplantation gives many benefits to patients. Living humans as well as brain dead or dead via circulatory death may donate organs if their willingness is declared earlier. Meanwhile many drivers experience accidents that cause such brain or circulatory deaths. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senarathne, Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to amend forms of obtaining and renewing driving licences by including a declaration to declare the will of drivers to donate their organs and to indicate that will on the driving licence card, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
08. Construction of quarters/housing facilities for medical officers and other staff members in government hospitals (Document No – 18)
Budget 2017 has proposed to provide residential facilities to medical officers and other staff members who serve in hospitals in remote rural areas through projects implemented under public-private partnership. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senarathne, Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to provide residential facilities to staff members serving in hospitals under central government and provincial councils, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
09. Empowering women economically through small garment factories (Document No – 21)
The Cabinet has already approved the establishment of 150 small garment factories after training women in rural areas including Eastern and Uva Provinces, giving priority to women in displaced families and women who became widows due to war. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce, to increase the number of direct beneficiaries from 15 to 20 from a factory and to install additional 05 sewing machines and to grant the ownership of these machines to Cooperative Societies which are engaged in training programmes, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
10. Prohibition of trawl fishing operation using mechanized boats within Sri Lankan waters (Document No – 24)
The proposal made by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, to present the bill in the parliament for approval which was drafted to amend the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act No. 2 of 1996 on the above purpose, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
11. Providing reliefs to people affected by land acquisition for Yanoya Reservoir project (Document No – 26)
About 85% work has been completed in the above project and 242 families are still to be removed for its further activities. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management, to complete its rest work as scheduled by removing these families by granting a financial assistance to build new complete houses, paying a compensation for persons who are illegally enjoying developed state lands and to pay a financial compensation for the loss incurred in cultivations due to the project, deviating from prevailing provisions, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
12. Regulations made under the merchant shipping act no. 52 of 1971 to regulate small commercial vessels (Document No – 29)
There is a trend in using small vessels in shipping activities with the promotion in tourism industry. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Arjuna Ranatunga, Minister of Ports and Shipping, to impose above regulations for regularising the registration and regulation of these small vessels, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
13. MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING to be signed by SRI LANKA with Ukraine AND Denmark ON RECOGNITION OF CERTIFICATES ISSUED TO SEAFARERS (Document No – 30 & 31)
A Seafarer who possesses a competency certificate should obtain a certificate of recognition, to serve in a ship that flies a flag of a foreign country, which is issued by the country where the ship is registered. A convention or a MoU should be signed with relevant states to issue such a certificate. Sri Lanka has already entered into such agreements with 30 countries. Governments of Ukraine and Denmark have agreed to enter into such agreements and it will help in providing the opportunity for Sri Lankan seafarers to serve in their ships. The proposal made by Hon. Arjuna Ranatunga, Minister of Ports and Shipping, to enter into MoUs with Ukraine and Denmark for the issue of certificates of recognition, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
14. Award of contracts to construct buildings in University of the visual and performing arts and Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education (Document No – 37)
The proposal made by Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Minister of Higher Education and Highways, to award the contracts for constructing a building and landscaping at the faculty of visual arts at the University of the Visual and Performing Arts and for constructing academic and administrative buildings in Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education in Galle, Gampaha, Kandy, Kurunegala, and Sammanthurai, as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
15. Construction of a pre-fabricated structured building for storing medical supplies for medical supplies division at Welisara Hospital Premises (Document No – 40)
As storing capacity of the Ministry of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine is limited for medical supplies storing facilities have to be obtained from private sector on lease basis at a high cost. Hence, the above building is to be constructed for storing purposes. The proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senarathne, Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to award the relevant contract as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
16. Design and building of St. Sebastian North Lock Gates and Pumping Station (Document No – 41)
The above project is implemented under World Bank loan assistance for controlling floods in Colombo City. The proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to award the contract as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
17. National Human Rights Action Plan 2017-2021 (Document No – 45)
The Cabinet has approved the appointment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee co-chaired by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Skills Development and Vocational Training, Justice, and Development Strategies and International Trade to look into the preparation of National Human Rights Action Plan 2017-2021. Accordingly, the said drafted action plan presented by Hon. Harsha de Silva, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
18. Hosting international Forum of Independent Audit Regulators workshop in Sri Lanka (Document No – 48)
The above forum was established to exchange experiences of deficiencies caused by independent audit regulators. Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board has obtained its membership since 2007. The forum holds an annual workshop and the proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to host the annual workshop 2018 in February 2018 at Colombo, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
