Decisions taken by the Cabinet at its Meeting held on 2014

November 22, 2024

Cabinet Decisions

Decisions taken by the Cabinet at its Meeting held on 2014 - 03- 20

March 27, 2014

1. Investigations into Complaints received from the General Public in Discharging Duties of the Ministry of Health - with the view to providing an efficient and effective health care service to the public and to take action on complaints made by the public in instances where they are inconveniencedand dissatisfied with the services provided by the Ministry of Health and theinstitutions under its purview, the proposal made by Hon. MaithripalaSirisena, Minister of Health, to establish a pool of officers consisting of serving or retired Specialist Medical Officers, Senior Medical Administrative Officers and Senior Officers of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, so that Investigating Committees could be appointed in such instances from the said pool of officers, was approved by the Cabinet.

2. 'Kithulaka Varuna' Exhibition and Trade Fair: Declaration of the Week commencing from 1st to 6th April 2014 as Kithul Promotion and Consumption Week - 'KithulakaVarona' Exhibition and Trade Fair is held every year before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year to popularize and promote Kithul products. The National Kithul Development Programme is a major development initiative undertaken by the Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development to strengthen, support, upgrade and harness the foreign exchange earning potential of the Kithul Sector. The activities under this programme have helped to increase kithul treacle and jaggery exports earnings from Rs.26 million in 2011 to Rs.58 million in 2012 and to Rs.68 million in 2013. The proposal made by Hon. Douglas Devananda, Minister of Traditional, Industries and Small Enterprise Development, to declare the first week from 1stto 6th April 2014 as the Kithul Promotion and Consumption Week and to implement the relevant programmes drawn up for the purpose, was approved by the Cabinet.

3. State Visit by His Excellency the President MahindaRajapaksa to the State of Palestine. 6th to 7th January, 2014 Conclusion of Agreement - at the invitation of His Excellency the President of the State of Palestine. His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka undertook a two day State Visit to the State of Palestine from 06th to 07th January, 2014. Reflecting Sri Lanka's commitment to support capacity building of Palestinian youth, H.E. the President of Sri Lanka announced the establishing of a Vocational Training Centre in Ramallah City, which will contribute to skills development,through training in tourism, nursing and other vocations. The two leaders acknowledged the necessity to establish a solid framework to facilitate seamless engagement between the two governments and accordingly an Agreement was signed between the two countries, for the establishment of the Sri Lanka - Palestine Joint Commission. The proposal made by Hon. NeomalPerera, Acting Minister of External Affairs, seeking covering approval for the concluded Agreement, was approved by the Cabinet.

4. Implementation of Supplementary Food Crop Production Programme- it has been observed that Sri Lanka has achieved self-sufficiency in rice under the local food production drive 'ApiWawamu - Rata Nagamu' and the annual paddy production is expected to exceed. 04 million metric tons which is higher than the country’s annual rice requirement. With the view' to achieving self- sufficiency supplementary food crops and saving foreign exchange spent on imports, the proposal made by Hon. MahindaYapaAbeywardena, Minister of Agriculture, to utilize 35% of paddy land during the 2014 Yala Season for the cultivation of supplementary food crops such as big onions, red onions, potatoes, chilies, maize, green gram, soya bean, cowpea etc. and to encourage farmers in that regard by the provision of infrastructure facilities such as fertilizer subsidy, loans at concessional interest rates and introduction of high yielding varieties etc., was approved by the Cabinet.

5. Construction of a New Building for Attorney General's Department -the Attorney General's Department is presently housed in a building which is about 80 years old and it is intended to construct a new building for the Department with the view to providing more accommodation and better facilities. The proposal made by H.E. the President, to construct a new building for the Department at a cost of Rs.1182 million, for the project to be completed within a period of two years and to proceed with the related activities, was approved by the Cabinet.

6. Construction of Building Complex for Faculty of Graduate Studies for General Sir John KotelawalaDefence University (KDU) - the project consists of construction of a six-story building which includes an Auditorium, ~ Library, Lecture Rooms and an Administrative area. The proposal made by H.E. the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Defence and Urban Development, to award the above contract to the lowest evaluated substantially responsive bidder, the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB), as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee (SCAPC), was approved by the Cabinet.

7. Outer Circular Highway Project - Selection of a Consultancy Firm for Providing Consultancy Services for Construction Supervision of Civil Works for the Northern Section II from Kerawalaplnya to Kadawatha - the Outer Circular Highway starts from Kottawa and traverses through Kaduwela, Kadawatha and ends up at Kerawalapitiya. It links with the Southern Expressway, Colombo - Katunayake Expressway, the proposed Northern Expressway and other major National Highways. The proposal made by H.E. the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Highways, Ports and Shipping, to award the above contract as recommended by the Cabinet Appointed Consultancy Procurement Committee (CACPC), was approved by the Cabinet.

8. The Hatton - NuwaraEliya Road Improvement Project Funded by the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of Korea - Variation to the Civil Works Contract- the Government of Sri Lanka has received a loan of US Dollars 40 million from Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of Korea towards the cost of improvements to Hatton - NuwaraEliya section (46.75 km) of the Avissawella - Hatton - NuwaraEliya Road (A7). Among the changes to be made to the original project proposal, is the inclusion of the construction of an underpass at NanuOyaRailway crossing and a tunnel at Kotagala. The proposal made by H.E. the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Highways, Ports and Shipping, to revise the original contract sum and to extend the date of completion of works from 2014-06-01 to 20 15~03-02. as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee (SCAPe), was approved by the Cabinet.

9. Polgahawela - Pothuhera - Alawwa Integrated Water Supply Project - the proposal made by Hon, DmeshGunawardena, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage, to award the design and building contract for the Polgahawela-Pothuhera-Alawwa Integrated Water Supply Project, as recommended by the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee (SCAPC), was approvedby the Cabinet.

10. Purchase of 2200 New Buses for the Sri Lanka Transport Board - with theview to providing a better transport service to the commuters, the proposal made by Hon. Kumara Welgama, Minister of Transport. to award the contractfor the supply' of 2200 new buses, made up of 800 two door 42 seater buses at the unit price of US $31,100 and 1400 semi luxury 54 seater buses at the unit price of US $34,100, to Ashok Leyland Ltd. India. as recommended by the Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee (CANe), was approved by the Cabinet.

11. The Agreement between the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Government of the Republic of Singapore for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes OD Income - the proposal made ?y H.E. the President, inhis capacity as the Minister of Finance and Planning, to sign the above Agreement at Government level and to present it in Parliament for approval in terms of the provisions of the Inland Revenue Act, No.10 of 2006, was approved by the Cabinet.

12. Sri Lanka Water Week from 16tll to 22nd March 2014 - the proposal made by Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage, to declare the period from 161h to 22nd March 2014 as the Sri Lanka Water Week, in keeping with the decision taken by the United Nations to declare 22nd of March each year as the World Water Day, and to implement the programmes drawn up for the purpose, was approved by the Cabinet.

13. Address by Ananthi, the wife of former LTTE activist Elilan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) - Hon. Douglas Devananda, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development brought to the notice of the Cabinet through a Note submitted by him, of the malicious statements made by AnanthiSasistharan who is believed to have been actively involved in the proscription of child soldiers for the LITE, at the UNHRC leveling false accusations against the Government and depicting a totally distorted picture of the true situation prevailing in the Northern Province, utilizing the time allocated to two INGOs, with the view to tarnishing the image of the Government and drawing the sympathy of the International Community at the present Geneva Sessions. Cabinet of Ministers expressed their displeasure on the above and decided to request the Minister of External Affairs, to take immediate steps to make the International Community aware of the true situation prevailing in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, through the Diplomatic Missions both in Sri Lanka and abroad.