02. Financial City (Document No – 09)
The key objective of the proposed financial city is to become the prominent financial hub in the region and it has concerned to attract foreign investments from Indian, South Asian, and Middle East region as well as from European countries including England. Making this city the financial hub of the region will increase the flow of foreign capital into the country. It will also provide broad opportunities of employment for Sri Lankans. The proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to implement the this project under the supervision of the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to draft legislations for establishment of the Financial City and to obtain required legal services in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
03. Programme for development of Religious Centres with the view of building a moral society (Document No – 14)
Religious values should be promoted to build a moral society in the country and the government has paid its attention to develop selected religious centres in various provinces of the country for making a religious awakening in the country. This intends to use a religious approach for building a civilized society with the influence of religious practice by preventing the spiritual decline. The proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to implement this programme with special attention on active religious centres and to appoint a Committee with Secretary to the President, Secretary to the Prime Minister and Secretary to the Ministry of Buddha Sasana to coordinate this programme, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
04. The Project for improving Japanese television programmes in Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (Document No – 15)
The government of Japan has agreed to provide a grant of Japanese Yen 52.6 million (approximately Rs. 73 million) for providing 449 educational documentary programmes to the SLRC. It will also cover the costs for dubbing, subtitling, and production to be telecasted in Sri Lanka. This will increase the global awareness of Sri Lankan spectators. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to sign exchange notes, and to enter into a grant agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
05. Guidelines on Swiss challenge procedure (Document No – 16)
The government emphasizes the following of competitive bidding to affirm the transparency and value for money in implementing development projects and also discourages unsolicited proposals. However, many countries follow the Swiss Challenge Procedure on such unsolicited proposals considering their positive aspects such as reveal of potentialities that have not been concerned. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, to include the Guidelines on Swiss Challenge Procedure prepared by the Ministry of Finance in the Government Procurement Guidelines to be followed on unsolicited proposals, was approved as a principle by the Cabinet of Ministers.
06. Strengthening of Dengue prevention and controlling activities in Sri Lanka (Document No – 26)
The Dengue disease has been a major health issue in the recent past and the Ministry of Health has taken many steps to fight this challenge. However it has been observed that such activities should be continued as dengue breeding places are situated in household and institutional premises. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senarathne, Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to assign a permanent and committed staff to implement a dengue prevention programme, and to provide necessary physical resources and to implement the programme with the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
07. Publishing of healthcare information, news and advertisement through TV screens for patients and visitors in government hospitals (Document No – 27)
The proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senarathne, Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to implement a project for instalment of LED TV screens in suitable places in clinics, wards, OPDs and entrances, for publishing above material in a novel way for patients and visitors, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
08. Establishment of the Financial Assets Management Agency (Document No – 31)
It has been proposed in the budget 2016 to establish an agency for restructuring of financial assets for supporting the recapitalization and restructuring of failing finance companies. Accordingly, the Financial Assets Management Agency is to be setup. The proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to proceed with the above activities including preparing the legal framework in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
09. Establishment of the Performance and Efficiency Management Unit (Document No – 32)
Performance Management is very important for sustainable and fixed public finance management and for utilization of taxes charged from the people in efficient and fruitful manner. However, it was a weakness that an agency to study whether the government funds have been invested productively and have they been achieved the expected goals. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to establish the PEM unit under the General Treasury to review the efficiency and productivity of fund utilization of Ministries, Departments and Public Enterprises, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
10. Paddy Purchasing Programme in Yala Season 2016 (Document No – 35)
The harvesting of Yala season 2016 will be commencing recently and the Paddy Purchasing Board has planned to purchase 120,000 MT of paddy covering 19 districts under the Paddy Purchasing Programme. Hence, it is expected to purchase paddy directly from registered farmers engaged in cultivation under the coordination of District Secretaries, Divisional Secretaries and Officers in the rural level. The proposal made by Hon. P. Harrison, Minister of Rural Economic Affairs, to purchase a kilogram of Keeri Samba paddy for Rs. 50/-, a kilogram of Samba paddy for Rs. 41/- and a kilogram of Nadu paddy for Rs. 38 in Yala Season 2016, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
11. Special Deposit Account Act (Document No – 37)
It has been proposed by the budget 2016 to grant residency visa to foreign individuals who bring a large amount of foreign exchange into the country and it is essential to introduce the Special Deposits Account Act to implement that proposal. Under the proposed act individual who remits US$ 300,000 will be granted 10 years residency visa and a minimum balance of US$ 300,000 should be maintained throughout the 10 years. Expenses of such persons would create a demand for our products and services such as hotels, recreation and transport and encouraging them to start ventures in these countries will provide employment opportunities as well as business partners for Sri Lankans. These visa holders will not be entitled to be employed in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to direct the Legal Draftsman to draft the proposed Special Deposit Account Act, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
12. Exportation of unique and exclusive antiquities in Sri Lanka for foreign exhibitions (Document No – 39)
Requests have been made by foreign countries and their Missions in Sri Lanka regarding the above matter. Considering the value and safety of those antiquities the proposal made by Hon. S.B. Navinna, Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs, to prepare replica of selected collection of antiquities to be provided for exhibition in foreign countries only with the bilateral agreement between leaders of two countries, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
13. Establishment of the Centre of Excellence in Robotic Application (Document No – 41)
It is expected that the Global Robotic Technology Market will reach US$ 82.7 billion in 2020. Though Sri Lanka is in a primary level in robotic technology, it has been observed that a peculiar support could be obtained in increasing the productivity and competition in Sri Lankan industries. It will help in automation of tasks, increase productivity and quality and to minimize human mistakes. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce, to establish a Centre of Excellence in Robotic Application with a public – private partnership, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
14. Development of Smart Cities under the Western Megapolis (Document No – 44)
It has been identified as an essential task to develop infrastructure in Smart Cities in the Western Megapolis. Information and Communication Technology is utilized in Smart Cities for expanding quality, performance and interaction in urban services, minimizing of cost and resource consumption, and improving the relationship between the citizens and the government. According to the recommendations of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management, the proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the internationally recognized Siemens Limited for obtaining ICT assistance in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
15. Obtaining the cooperation of the International Enterprise Singapore to implement Western Region Megapolis Development Activities (Document No – 45)
The Western Region Megapolis has been identified as the key development strategy and a number of projects are to be implemented under that project. Some of the projects among them are complex and technically sophisticated projects and require the support of international experts. Therefore, considering the importance of exchanging the experiences of Singapore, the proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to sign a MoU with the International Enterprise Singapore, which is under the Ministry of Trade and Industries of Singapore, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
16. Allocation of a land at Dambulla to the Ministry of Rural Economic Affairs to setup a cold store (Document No – 46)
The proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to allocate a land of 188 perches to the Ministry of Rural Economic Affairs to the assessed value of the Chief Assessor to set up a cold store under the implementation of the second stage of the Dambulla Special Economic Centre, benefiting local vegetable and fruit producers, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
17. Establishment of a High tech agriculture Training Centre at Walpita Farm owned by the Department of Agriculture with the Objective of having access to the advance agricultural knowhow in Japan (Document No – 50)
It is important to train a group of persons that can productively use the technical knowledge and to attract young entrepreneurs for increasing the productivity in agricultural field. The Japan Lanka Agriculture Industrial Research and Training Centre (Pvt) Ltd registered in Sri Lanka expects to establish a Research and Training Centre in Sri Lanka and a land of 06 acres in Walpita Farm is expected to be utilized in this regard. The proposal made by Hon. Duminda Dissanayake, Minister of Agriculture, to sign a MoU with the relevant company in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
18. Strengthening of the National Equipment and Machinery Organization (Document No – 54)
The National Equipment and Machinery Organization was established in 1992 for provision of required equipment and machinery to public institutions and Local Government Institutions and currently it is operated as an independent institution under the State Engineering Corporation. The proposal made by Hon. Sajith Premadasa, Minister of Housing and Construction, to obtain the further service of the National Equipment and Machinery Organization for obtaining machinery and vehicles for construction projects of government institutions and to award contracts for selected works, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
19. Procurement of locally manufactured surgical rubber gloves for government hospitals (Document No – 64)
Rubber gloves used in surgeries in government hospitals are being purchased from local manufacturers and the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senarathne, Minister of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to award the above tender as recommended by the Cabinet Appointed Standing Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
20. Construction of the proposed Divisional Secretariat in Wattala (Document No – 65)
The current building which the Wattala Divisional Secretariat is being situated will be removed for the construction of the Outer Circular Highway. The proposal made by Hon. Vajira Abeywardana, Minister of Home Affairs, to construct a new five storied building for the said Divisional Secretariat at an estimated cost of Rs. 198.8 million, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
21. Construction of a new two storied building for the Divisional Secretariat, Mahiyanganaya (Document No – 66)
The Mahiyanganaya Divisional Secretary Division is comprised of 35 Grama Niladhari Divisions and a population of 84,000 persons. The space of allocated for the office is inadequate compared to the service rendered by it. Therefore, the proposal made by Hon. Vajira Abeywardana, Minister of Home Affairs, to construct a new two storied building for the Mahiyanganaya Divisional Secretariat at a cost of Rs. 221 million, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
22. Construction of a new three storied building for the District Secretariat, Kilinochchi (Document No – 67)
The Kilinochchi District is comprised of 04 Divisional Secretariats and 95 Grama Niladhari Divisions with population of 138,792 of 41,792 families. The first phase of constructing a new building for the District Secretariat completed in 2014 and in the completed first floor about 250 employees are engaged in services facing many difficulties. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Vajira Abeywardana, Minister of Home Affairs, to complete the second phase of the above project at a cost of Rs. 565.5 million, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
23. Setting up of Immigration and Emigration Law Enforcement Centre (Document No – 68)
The Cabinet of Ministers have already approved the establishment of a detention centre for foreigners to be detained until they are deported who have retained in the country after the expiry of visa and who use Sri Lanka as a migration centre for illegally migrating to other countries. It has been observed that it should be facilitated near the Bandaranaike International Airport. Hence, the proposal made by Hon. S.B. Navinna, Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs, to set up the said Immigration and Emigration Law Enforcement Centre in the land of Kaludiyawalawatta, of Katana Divisional Secretary Division in Gampaha District at a cost of Rs. 327 million, according to the plan prepared by the Department of Buildings, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
24. Construction of Buildings to provide Hostel Facilities at District Level for Public Officers (Document No – 70)
Public servants face many difficulties in finding accommodation when they are attached to and transferred to service stations out of their districts. Female officers should be provided safe accommodation facilities and married officers should be provided accommodation facilities to reside with their families. As a solution to this issue, the proposal made by Hon. Ranjith Maddumabandara, Minister of Public Administration and Management, to implement housing schemes separately for unmarried and married officers within 05 years in five stages, covering five districts in each stage, with paying prior attention to districts which finding accommodation is very difficult, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
25. Purchase of new multirole fighter and associated weapons (Document No – 80)
The fighter aircrafts of the Sri Lanka Air Force have been aging and it is required to maintain them updated due to the importance of maintaining the oceanic security and being prepared for any unexpected threat. Hence, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Defense, to obtain expressions of interest from interested aircraft manufacturers, assistant manufacturers, and authorised government agents on the government to government basis purchasing, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
26. Appointment of a Committee to report on coastal erosion affecting oluvil and ninthavur areas in the Ampara District and the payment of compensation to the affected (Document No – 82)
The above disaster have affected mainly on farmers and fisheries communities and their livelihoods. The proposal made by Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply, to appoint a Committee of Senior Officials to review the situation and to assess the damage caused, to identify the exact amount farmers and fisheries families affected, and to make recommendations on compensations to be granted to them, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
