Summary of the Cabinet decisions

Declaration of National Eye Donation Day

Cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to declare an eye donation day to encourage the achievement of future ambitions of the society which has rendered a very valuable service to the society and to promote awareness among the public about the Eye Donation Society and December 18 the date of birth of late Deshabandu Dr. Hudson Silva, the founder member of the society as the Eye Donation Day as a mark of gratitude to him for this service.

Special advance

The payment of a special advance to public officers of Jaffna District who were affected by heavy rains and cyclones that occurred in November, 2008, was approved.

Cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by the Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama to an amount of a special loan should be equivalent to one-month's consolidated salary, excluding allowances, of the officer and should be recovered in ten equal monthly instalments and to this loan to exempted from the total monthly limits deductibles from the salary mentioned in the Establishment Code.

To an estimate of the damage caused to the house and belongings should be attached to the loan application and to these payments should be made in keeping within the maximum expenditure limits of the Public Officers' advance account provided in the estimate of 2009.

Southern Transport Development Project

Cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by Highways and Road Development Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to the restructured contract for Southern Transport Development Project (STDP), construction of Four Lane Expressway for the section from Kottawa to Dodangoda, to the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (Group) (CHEC) at the negotiated prices of Rs. 20 billion including price escalation, physical contingencies and 15 percent of VAT.

Belgium-Lanka MoU

Cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by the Ports and Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa to sign a Memorandum of Understanding concerning recognition of certificates issued to seafarers between Sri Lanka and the Kingdom of Belgium and to empower the Director General of Merchant Shipping, Ports and Aviation Ministry to sign MoU concerning the recognition of certificates issued to seafarers.

Regional industrial estates

Cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by the Industrial Development Minister Kumara Welgama to allocate land blocks from the relevant industrial estates in extent as given into each investor/company on a '50 year Term Lease' and to allow these investors to access respective lands to commence construction of their factories pending the signing of Lease Agreement and to withdraw the block of land so allocated and cancel the Lease Agreement if no meaningful action is taken by respective allottee to set up industry within the stipulated period of six months from the date of such allocation.

Industrial Estates (IEs) have been established in Kurunegala, Puttalam, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Trincomalee, Matale, Kandy, Ratnapura, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Colombo and Gampaha Districts.