02. Amendment to Regulations on payment to arbitrators and members of the Industrial Court appointed under the Industrial Dispute Act

The proposal made by Hon. W.D.J. Seneviratne, Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations, to amend the regulations published in the Gazette Extra Ordinary no. 1542/35 of 28th March 2008 considering the requirement of amending fees paid to arbitrators and members of the Industrial Court to suit their calibre of professionalism, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

03. Implementation of the E-Education project

Computer literacy is a most important factor on the development of a country and Sri Lanka has implemented several programmes aiming the Computer Literacy. Computer Literacy would be an essential qualification in approach to the job market. The UNIS institute of Tsinghua University, China has proposed to implement an E-Education Project in Sri Lanka that would benefit students who failed in university entrance, unemployed youth and employed youth who do not possess the computer literacy. It is proposed to establish E-Education Centres in nine provinces having its main centre in Colombo. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. SusilPremajayantha, Minister of Science, Technology and Research, to implement the above project with the cooperation of relevant ministries, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

04. Introduction of transportation along the Colombo Canal Network as a Tourism Promotion Service

Colombo Canal Network of 43km long is maintained by the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation. It has been identified that utilizing this canal network which has not been used for many years for transportation of passengers and goods, would result in minimizing the traffic congestion and promotion of tourism industry. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. PataliChampikaRanawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to implement a project for introduction of transportation scheme over canals, and water based recreational activities using boats, and introduction of commercial activities such as floating markets along canals by the SLLR&DC, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

05. State Wesak Festival - 2016 

The proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, Minister of Buddhasasana, to hold the state wesak festival 2016 at the premises of NaigalaRajamhaViharaya, which has a historical and archaeological importance and situated in the Weeraketiya Divisional Secretary Division in Hambantota District in the Southern Province, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

06. Transfer of Store Complex of Marandagahamula to the Paddy Marketing Board

Above Store Complex of about 61000 sqft and 110 shopping rooms built by the State Engineering Corporation at a cost of Rs. 372 million in the Divulapitiya Divisional Secretary Division according to a decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2014 has not been formally transferred under a certain authority, and is not being properly managed. The proposal made by Hon. P. Harrison, Minister of Rural Economic Affairs, to transfer this store complex to the Paddy Marketing Board with the view of facilitating the government’s paddy purchasing programme, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

07. Transfer of a portion of land from the Siringapatha Farm belonging to the National Livestock Development Board to Milco (Pvt) Ltd

The Milco Private Ltd is the only institution manufacturing milk-based products holding shares totally owned by the General Treasury. A project to establish a new factory with modern technology in Badalgama area instead of the Old Narahenpita Factory is underway. The proposal made by Hon. P. Harrison, Minister of Rural Economic Affairs, to transfer a portion of land of 35 acres from the Siringipatha farm which is under the administration if NLDB to the Milco Private Ltd, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

08. Colombo Port Expansion Project – Development and Operational options to the East Container Terminal

The second deep-water terminal in the Colombo Port Expansion Project is the East Container terminal. It has been planned to commence terminal operations as joint venture arrangement with a shipping line or a private terminal operator with 51% of Equity owned by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. The proposal made by Hon. ArjunaRanatunge, Minister of Ports and Shipping, to appoint the Asian Development Bank as the project’s Transaction Advisor and to invite Expressions of Interest and Business Proposals from interested parties, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

09. Gampaha, Attanagalle and Minuwangoda Integrated Water Supply Scheme

This project aims to provide safe drinking water covering above Divisional Secretary Divisions and a part of the Mirigama Divisional Secretary Division. This would provide about 300,000 new connections and uplift the service of current consumers of about 100,000. The proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to obtain 85% of the cost of this project from the China Development Bank and to enter into relevant agreements, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

10. Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the German Association for Small and Medium scale enterprises of the Federal Republic of Germany for the Cooperation in the field of SME sector development

The government has identified the SME sector as an important aspect to be developed due to its contribution in economic development of the country, employment generation and reducing the poverty. Government’s policy is to facilitate them in entering the export market. Therefore a MoU has been prepared to be signed between entrepreneurs of the two countries of the SME sector. The proposal made by Hon. RishadBathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce, to sign the above MoU during the forthcoming German visit of H.E. the President, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

11. Memoranda of understanding between Government of Sri Lanka and South Asia Institute affiliated to the Heidelberg University of the Federal Republic of Germany and German Academic Exchange Service

It has been proposed to establish a Sri Lankan Studies section in the South Asia Institute affiliated to the Heidelberg University and to appoint Sri Lankan academics as its staff. Exchange of Sri Lankan and German University Lecturers for research purposes have also been proposed. Accordingly the proposal made by Hon. LakshmanKiriella, Minister of Higher Education and Highways, to sign two memoranda of understanding with South Asia Institute affiliated to the Heidelberg University of the Federal Republic of Germany and German Academic Exchange Service during the forthcoming visit of H.E. the President in Germany, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

12. Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Germany for the development of sports

The proposal made by Hon. DayasiriJayasekera, Minister of Sports, to sign a MoU between Sri Lanka and Germany providing the framework for the bilateral cooperation in the fields of sports, sports administration, research in sports, sports development and excellence in sports, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

13. Revision of Custom Import Duty on Imported Rice

With the view of protecting local farmers, who cultivate paddy and are assured a reasonable market price for paddy harvested in the coming Maha season 2015/2016, the government has increased the import duty on rice from Rs. 35/- to Rs. 50/- per kg effective from February 01, 2016. The proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to submit the Gazette Notification No. 1952/10 dated 01.02.2016 issued under the “Revenue Protection Act” to the parliament for approval, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.