02. Introduction of a new act to prevent the access of dangerous invasive species of plants and animals into the country (Document No – 12)
Sri Lanka is a major country which has a rich biodiversity. Hence it is essential to conserve inherited species of plants and animals. It has been observed that prevailing laws are insufficient in controlling the threat faced in this regard from invasive species. Accordingly, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft new legislation enabling the prevention of bringing such invasive species into the country and destroying such prevailing species, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
03. Construction of tunnel of the Upper Elahera Canal Project implemented under the Mahaweli Water Security Investment Programme (Document No – 13)
Objective of the first phase of the above programme is to provide Mahaweli water for cultivation, drinking water and commercial needs in North-central and North-western Provinces. It has been planned to construct a canal from Moragahakanda reservoir to Hurulu wewa with a length of 65.5 km that can take 974 million cubic metres per year. As a section of about 26 km of this canal is to be built across Girithale and Minneriya sanctuaries, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to constrict the canal as a tunnel to minimize its affect to the environment, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
04. Directions for regulating Sea Turtle Conservation Studies Centres (Document No – 14)
All sea turtles in Sri Lanka have been declared as strictly protected reptiles and keeping such a turtle is a punishable offence. Private turtle conservation centres that breed eggs in artificial nests and release them back to the sea were operated specially in Southern Coast since 1980s. About 15 such centres are currently operated. The proposal made by Hon. Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, to publish the directions made under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance in the gazette making provisions for regulating such centres by registering them in the Department of Wildlife Conservation and obtaining an annual license, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
05. Purchase of a land to construct a hostel for students of Institute of Indigenous medicine (Document No – 17)
The government's policy is to provide hostel facilities to all eligible students at 2018. All students in Institute of Indigenous Medicine in Rajagiriya, which is under the University of Colombo, have been provided hostels but in rented houses with low facilities. Hence, it has identified that constructing a hotel in a purchased land is more suitable. The proposal made by Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Minister of Higher Education and Highways, to purchase a land of 62 perches within the Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte urban council area at a cost of Rs. 99.5 million, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
06. North-western five year Corporate plan (Document No – 18)
The responsibility of coordinating, policy making and implementation of economic and infrastructure development projects in North-western Province is vested with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs. Accordingly, the five year corporate plan – 2017-2021 prepared with the participation of all parties covering the fields of agriculture and irrigation, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, human resources development, investment promotion and industrial development, and rural infrastructure development, was presented to the Cabinet of Ministers by Hon. S.B. Navinna, Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs.
07. Making relief to aged and ailing artistes (Document No – 19)
The Department of Cultural Affairs implemented an aiding programme for aged and ailing low income artistes who have sacrificed their lives in arts field and currently 1,019 artistes are being paid an annual aid of Rs. 5,000/-. Considering the present economic status, the proposal made by Hon. S.B. Navinna, Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs, to increase the amount of the aid to Rs. 10,000/- from year 2017 and to increase the number of beneficiaries to 5,000, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
08. Establishment of the Multimodal Transport hub in Battaramulla (Document No – 20)
The traffic congestion in Battaramulla area with relocating all administrative bodies in the area should be reduced. It has been proposed to establish multimodal transport facilities such as bus, light rail transits, elevated highways, and internal water transportation to cater the increasing demand. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to implement mixed development project adjacent to 'Suhurupaya' with public private partnership including multimodal transport hub, office spaces of 113,000 square feet, residential flats of 33,000 square feet, commercial spaces of 60,000 square feet, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
09. Relocation of Manning Market Pettah in Peliyagoda area (Document No – 21)
The Manning Market is to be relocated in Peliyagoda area and use the space vacated for building the main building of Multi Mode Transport Hub proposed to be established under the Western Megapolis Plan. The required constructions to relocate about 1,200 traders in the market are in progress in a land owned by the State Engineering Corporation. However, the construction of Multi Mode Transport Hub should be commenced without a delay and it is required to relocate traders as soon as possible. Accordingly, the joint proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development and Sajith Premadasa, Minister of Housing and Construction, to obtain an adjacent land owned by the State Engineering Corporation of about 06 acres in Peliyagoda area on 03 years lease basis, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
10. Promotion of Aquaculture in commercial level (Document No – 25)
The government expects to develop aquaculture and gain an income of USD 425 million at 2020. Hence National Aquaculture Development Authority plans to attract investors who are engaged in commercial level aquaculture with modern technology. The proposal made by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, to identify suitable water sources in freshwater and seawater and to provide them to investors as recommended by the Cabinet Subcommittee appointed in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
11. Reconstruction of Madulla, Bingoda, Kollewatta reservoir (Document No – 31)
The above reservoir is used by aborigines for cultivations and they had requested for a long time to reconstruct this reservoir. It has been planned to uplift the living status of the residents by reconstruction of the tank and through a sustainable irrigation management. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management, to implement the proposed project for construction of a reservoir across Kollewatta Aru a branch of Unnachchi Aru at an estimated cost of Rs. 320 million, after an environmental impact study, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
12. Provision of land ownership and proper housing for plantation community (Document No – 36)
There are 256,533 families in estates of Regional Plantation Companies and 9025 families in state owned estates and only 33000 houses have been constructed for them and others live in line rooms and small temporary houses. On the government's policy of providing ownership to public the joint proposal made by Hon. U. Palani Thigambaram, Minister of Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure and Community Development, Hon. Navin Dissanayake, Minister of Plantation Industries, and Hon. John Amaratunge, Minister of Land, to provide freehold and bankable lands of 7 perches each for legal residents and to release identified lands from plantation companies and other public institutions, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
13. Prevention of harassment against women in workplace and empowerment of women (Document No – 37)
Sri Lanka is bound to take actions to eliminate violence against the women in workplaces according to the international conventions it has entered. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Chandrani Bandara, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, to appoint committees of senior officials in each ministry to eliminate gender based violence in all workplaces, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
14. Improvement of Police Information and Communication System (Document No – 40)
Although the implementation of the PICS was approved by the Cabinet in 2013 its scope should be amended due to recent technological developments. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Sagala Ratnayake, Minister of Law and Order and Southern Development, to appoint a steering committee with the agreement of the Ministry of Finance and to reserve a permanent range of frequency to use digital equipments instead of analogue equipment from the Telecommunications Regulation Commission, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
15. Award of Contracts for construction of buildings in Universities of Jaffna and Wayamba (Document No – 47)
The proposal made by Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Minister of Higher Education and Highways, to award contracts for construction of gymnasium of the University of Jaffna and buildings for a laboratory and for Faculty of Agriculture and Cultivation Management as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
16. Deduru Oya Water Supply Project, award of plant and design – build contract (Document No – 48)
The above project expects to provide safe drinking water for residents in 97 Grama Niladhari Divisions in Maho and Polpithigama Divisional Secretary's Divisions in Kurunegala Districts. It will provide pipe water connections to 18150 houses and will benefit 90800 persons. The proposal made by Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply, to award the above project as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
17. Establishment of small scale solar power plants under the 2nd stage of Soorya Bala Sangramaya (Document No – 51)
There has been a great demand by investors to construct solar power plants but it had been estimated that only 60 Mw could be added to the national grid in this year. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, to implement a new project as Soorya Bala Sangramaya – stage 2 for providing investors to construct solar power plants of 01 Mw each in a transparent manner, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
18. Construction of Nuwara Eliya High Altitude Sports Complex (Document No – 53)
Practicing in a high altitude sport complex will provide a good tolerance to athletes and it has been proposed to construct such a sports complex in a location situated 1895m high above sea level for providing such facilities to local athletes as well as to earn foreign exchange by providing such facilities to athletes in neighbouring countries. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Minister of Sports, to enter into an agreement with the selected France Company to construct the above sports complex, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
19. Signing of bilateral Memorandums of Understanding during the upcoming Malaysian official visit of the President (Document No – 63)
The proposal made by Hon. Harsha de Silva, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, to sign the following MoUs with the Government of Malaysia during the President Maithripala Sirisena's official visit scheduled on 15-17 December 2016, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
MoU on cooperation in tourism
MoU on cooperation in the field of trainings, researches, and public administration
MoU between Sri Lanka Agricultural Research Policy Council and Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute
MoU between the Ministry of Plantation Industries in Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities in Malaysia
MoU on cooperation in the field of cultural, arts and heritage
MoU on cooperation in the field of youth development
20. Appointment of a ministerial subcommittee to inspect on implementation of Gin-Nilwala Diversion Project (Document No – 65)
Above project has been commenced as per the Cabinet approval granted in 2014. Accordingly the contract was awarded to Chinese Company at a cost of USD 696 million. However, the project has not been implemented as the activities of the loan agreement with China EXIM Bank have not been finalized. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to appoint a Cabinet Subcommittee to investigate the following matters and to appoint a Committee of Officials to assist the process, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Whether the contract agreement can be implemented without any additional cost to the government
Assess the negative impact and costs if one party wants to terminate the agreement, unilaterally
Whether those officials involved have violated any financial regulations, government procedures and circular instructions
How to recover the advance payment without any adverse implications
21. Joint Cabinet Memorandum of Ministerial Committee on Development of Hambantota Prot (Document No – 67)
The joint proposal made by Hon. Malik Samarawickrama, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, and Hon. Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Special Assignment, to develop Hambantota Port with a public private partnership with the China Merchants Port Holdings, and to enter into a framework agreement with the said investor, based upon the final decision made at the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
22. Achievement of National Sustainable development vision 2030 in Sri Lanka (Document No – 68)
Achievement of sustainable development always depends on multilateral sector aims, and follow-up and evaluation is important in this regard. Accordingly, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, to appoint a Cabinet Subcommittee comprised of 05 Cabinet Ministers and a Panel of Intellectuals to assist the activities of preparing the National Sustainable development vision 2030 on the influence of 17 fields of UN sustainable development goals, identification of achievable development level at 2030, preparation of a timeframe, identification of roles of public, private and civil organizations in this regard, progress review, and review and update of sustainable development goals and strategies etc., was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
