In extraordinary Gazette Notification:

President assigns subjects, functions of Ministers

Chaminda PERERA

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in an extraordinary Gazette Notification on Monday night assigned subjects and functions of Cabinet Ministers.

The powers, duties and the function of institutions coming under each Ministry has also been outlined in the Gazette.

The Urban Development Authority which was functioning under the Urban and Sacred Area Development Ministry has been brought under the Defence Ministry while the Foreign Employment Bureau and Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency which were under a separate Ministry in the last Cabinet has been attached to the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Sri Lanka Land Reclamation Board and National Dangerous Drugs Control Board are among the institutions coming under the purview of the Defence Ministry which is held by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The functions and duties of Vocational and Technical Training and the Youth Affairs Ministries of the previous Cabinet have been amalgamated and they have been brought under the Ministry of Youth Affairs. The Department of Technical Education and Training, NAITA, Ocean University are among the institutions that come under the Youth Affairs Ministry.

The Economic Development Ministry will play a major role in the country’s development as key institutions related to investment and tourism are functioning under it. In addition, all regional development programs including District Development programs are implemented under the direct supervision of this Ministry. The Board of Investment which was under the Enterprise and Investment Promotion Ministry in the last Cabinet has been placed under the Economic Development Ministry while the institutions which were functioning under the Nation Building and the Tourism Ministries have been brought under this Ministry which is held by Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa.

This Ministry has been assigned in reforming all systems and procedures related to the economic development to ensure that the modern management system has effectively been made use of.

Formulation of policies to alleviate poverty, tourism and investment in conformity with the Mahinda Chinthanaya is among the key function of this Ministry.

The Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau, Irrigation Department, Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka are among the key institutions that come under the purview of Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management which is held by former Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

The Ministry of Public Management and Reform which is held by former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka has been entrusted with the formulation of policies and programs to modernize the public management machinery and ensure that the development projects has been properly implemented.

The National Administration and Reform Council comes under this Ministry.

The Mahinda Rajapaksa National Telecinema Park (Ranmihitenna) has been newly added as an institution to the Media Ministry.