01. Acceptance of Medical Degrees awarded by internationally recognized universities as
recognized medical degrees in Sri Lanka.
The Cabinet has given its approval in the Cabinet meeting held on 02.05.2023 to appoint a committee
headed by the Secretary to the Prime Minister to prepare a national policy that includes the standards
and criteria to be based on the recognition of medical degree courses offered by internationally
recognized universities and to make appropriate recommendations to amend the provisions of the
Medical Ordinance to suit the current needs. Based on the report containing the recommendations of
the said committee, Hon. President and the Minister of Health presented a combined proposal to take
the necessary steps to enact necessary legal provisions so that the medical degrees awarded by foreign
universities within No. 1 to 1000 international rankings, can be accepted in Sri Lanka. The proposal
was granted the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers.
02. Sale of housing units in Lake Crest Residences housing project in Mandavila, Angoda on
freehold basis.
The Lake Crest Residences housing project in Mandavila, Angoda implemented by the Urban
Development Authority and consisting of 500 housing units, has been handed over to the beneficiaries
in the year 2018. Accordingly the cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister
of Urban Development to give freehold deeds according to the Condomium Law to the residents those
who have settled all the payments related to the said house units and in the case of the residents who
have not done so, to give freehold deeds after they have completed the relevant payments.
03. Development of the land called Hathbodhiyawatta in Narahenpita by providing houses under
the Urban Revitalization Project to the residents of the low-facility settlement located there.
There is a low-facility settlement on the government owned land of 1 acre and 03 rood 10 perches
called Hathbodhiyawatta in Narahenpita Kirula Grama Niladhari Division. The houses in this
settlement are constantly exposed to disasters during the rainy season. It has been proposed to provide
alternative housing for the families of the settlement from the housing schemes constructed under the
Urban Revitalization Project by the Urban Development Authority. Accordingly the Cabinet of
Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Urban Development to provide houses
from the housing schemes built in Colombo city under the urban development project to the residents
of the said land and then, to transfer the said land to the Urban Development Authority under Section
6(1) of the State Land Ordinance for the implementation of a mixed development project.
04. Compensation for crop damage in Yala season
About 58,770 acres of paddy and other crops have been damaged in the 2023 Yala season as a result
of the inability to provide sufficient water due to bad weather conditions. Around 53,965 farmers have
been affected due to that reason and the Cabinet of Ministers took into consideration a proposal made
by the Minister of Agriculture regarding compensation to the affected farmers. Despite the difficult
financial situation faced by the government, the Cabinet decided to allocate the necessary provisions
to compensate the affected farmers under the current crop insurance scheme.
05. Conducting perimeter surveying of plantation lands managed by local plantation companies,
State Plantation Corporation of Sri Lanka and Janatha Estate Development Board and
preparing demarcation maps
The project of surveying the plantation lands which are administrated by the local plantation
companies, State Plantation Corporation of Sri Lanka and Janatha Estate Development Board and
preparing boundary maps has been started in 2018. By now, the survey work has been completed
covering a significant number of lands above. Accordingly the Cabinet of Ministers approved the
proposal presented by the Minister of Plantations to extend the project till the year 2027 so as to be
able to carry out survey work to cover the remaining lands as well.
06. En-Route Navigation Facility Charges Regulations No 01 of 2023
En-Route Navigation Facility Charges regulations have been imposed in the year 1981 for aircraft
flying through the Colombo Flight Information Region. These regulations have not been revised in
the past period. Therefore, taking into account the policies of the International Civil Aviation
Organization and the current global trends, the En-Route Navigation Facility Charges Regulations
have been revised and published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2319/64, dated 16.02.2023 as EnRoute Navigation Facility Charges Regulations No 01 of 2023. As such the Cabinet of Ministers
approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation to submit these
regulations in the parliament for approval.
07. Preparation of the National Land Commission Act
In the 13th Constitutional Amendment, Schedule 9, List 1, Appendix II, provides for the establishment
of a Land Commission. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers Approved the proposal presented by
the Minister of Tourism and Lands to advise the Legal Draftsman to prepare a bill based on the
preliminary draft prepared for that purpose.
08. Empowering the Micro - Finance and Loan Regulation Authority Act.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted at their meeting held on 23.03.2021 to empower
the Micro – Finance and Loan Regulation Authority Act by repealing the Micro – Finance Act No. 6
of 2016. The clearance of the Attorney General has been granted for the relevant draft bill prepared
by the Legal Draftsman as well. Therefore, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted
for the resolution furnished by the Hon. President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic
Stabilization and National Policies to publish the aforementioned draft bill in the government gazette
notification and thereby table the same in the Parliament for its concurrence.
09. Draft bill named ‘Surakshithalath Ganudenu’ (‘Secured Transactions’)
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 28.05.2019 to introduce a
new act imposing provisions to establish the Secured Transactions Registration Authority by repealing
the Secured Transactions Act No. 49 of 2009 and to amend the following acts parallel to it.
• Prescription (Amended) Bill
• Trust Receipts (Amended) Bill
• Mortgage (Amended) Bill
• Lease Financing (Amended) Bill
• Inland Trust Receipts (Amended) Bill
• Companies (Amended) Bill
• Document Registration (Amended) Bill
Accordingly, directions have been given to the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Economic
Stabilization and National Policies at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 03.05.2021 to
further study the draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman with the relevant authorities. The relevant
draft bills have been updated by the Legal Draftsman and has obtained the clearance of the Attorney
General as well. Therefore, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted for the resolution
furnished by the Hon. President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and
National Policies to publish the aforementioned draft bills in the government gazette notification and
thereby table the same in the Parliament for its concurrence.
10. Draft Bill of National Hydrology
Directions have been given at the meeting of the cabinet of ministers held on 08.05.2023 to instruct
the Legal Draftsman to draft a bill in order to impose regulations required for the development of the
oceanic hydrology sector with the objective of upgrading Sri Lanka as the oceanic center in the South
Asian region. Accordingly, the clearance of the Attorney General has been granted to the draft bill
prepared by the Legal Draftsman. Therefore, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted
for the joint resolution furnished by the Hon. President in his capacity as the Minister of Defence
joined with the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms to publish the draft bill
in the government gazette notification and thereby table the same in the Parliament for its concurrence.
11. Entering into a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Investment Promotion
and the National Development and Reformation Commission of the Republic of China.
Concurrence between the parties has been given to enter into a memorandum of understanding to
promote production capacity and investment cooperation between the National Development and
Reformation Commission of the Republic of China and the Ministry of Investment Promotion of Sri
Lanka. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for the resolution furnished by the
Hon. President in his capacity as the Minister of Investment Promotion to sign the aforementioned
memorandum of understanding.
12. Extension of the agreement period of marketing and investment framework between Sri Lanka
and Australia.
Australia is one of the important direct overseas investment stakeholders of Sri Lanka while being the
05th source of tourist destinations. A marketing and investment framework agreement has been signed
between Sri Lanka and Australia on 02.11.2017 with the vision of promoting bi – lateral marketing
and investment between the two countries. The Cabinet of Ministers has agreed to the proposal
submitted by the Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security to extend the said agreement for
another five (05) years from 10.10.2023 so that the marketing and investment cooperation can be
continued uninterrupted as mentioned in the said agreement.
In the event of any inconsistency between the English translations of this document, the Sinhala
text shall prevail.
