For revested ventures:
Cabinet approval for appointment of CAs
Nadira GUNATILLEKE
Cabinet approval has been granted to a proposal made by President
Mahinda Rajapaksa to appoint Competent Authorities (CA’s) for
enterprises listed in the schedule for the Revival of Under Performing
Enterprises and Under Utilized Assets Act number 43 of 2011, Cabinet
Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.
He was addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government
Information Department Auditorium yesterday.
Minister Rambukwella said that the objective of the government is to
provide for the effective management, administration and revival of
these enterprises in the national interest, having vested them in the
state.
It has been observed that most of the enterprises related to the
above have obtained many BOI concessions and had not fulfilled the
assurance given to the BOI, such as, further investments, ensuring
exports etc.
Appointment of a three member separate Compensation Tribunal under
the Chairmanship of the Chief Government Valuer was also approved by the
Cabinet.
Minister Rambukwella pointed out that the Ministerial Sub Committee
will look into sensitive matters and clarify if there are any matters.
The government did not take over any company. It was only regularizing
irregularities. The properties were not private properties and all of
them were leased out public properties. The Supreme Court gave a
judgment stating that the act was within the Constitution. Once the Bill
is passed in Parliament and becomes an Act, it becomes a part of the
constitution and the country’s law. If anybody thinks that the law is
not relevant to them, they can go to court. Some leading investors have
already expressed their satisfaction on regularizing irregularities and
stated that the justice has been done.
Accordingly, the Cabinet has approved the appointment of the
following as Competent Authorities. They are Kalinga Indatissa,
Attorney-at-law for Lanka Tractors Limited (properties situated at
Pettah and Narahenpita), Charmers Granaries (properties situated at
Pettah), Ceylinco Leisure Properties Ltd (properties situated at
Colpetty, Colombo 3) and Intertrade Lanka (private) Limited (properties
situated at Fort, Colombo), Senaka Welgama, Attorney-at-law for Hotel
Developers Lanka plc (HDL), District Secretary, Hambantota for Pelwatta
Sugar Industries Ltd, District Secretary, Monaragala for Sevanagala
Sugar Industries Ltd, District Secretary, Badulla for Colombo Commercial
Company Limited (Badulla property) and Tuly Cooray for all the remainder
of Under Utilized Assets (being closed BOI factories), the Minister
Rambukwella said.
The Cabinet also decided to appoint the following Ministerial Sub
Committee and an Officials’ Committee consisting of six officials to
assist this committee to ensure the overall monitoring of the related
aspects in a timely manner. The Chairman of the Ministerial Sub
Committee is Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa.
The members of it are Foreign Employment and Welfare Minister Dilan
Perera, Minor Export Crop Promotion Minister Reginald Cooray,
Productivity Promotion Minister Lakshman Seneviratne and Finance and
Planning Deputy Minister Geethanjana Gunawardena, Minister Rambukwella
added. |