Cabinet Decisions

Allocation of Land at Vauxhall Street to Lanka Mahila Samithi

The proposal made by the President, in his capacity as the Defence and Urban Development Minister to allocate a land at Vauxhall Street, Colombo 02, to the Lanka Mahila Samithi on a 30-year lease basis, for the construction of its office and sales outlet, was approved by the Cabinet.

Land allocation to displaced persons due to the Baseline Road widening

The Road Development Authority (RDA) has utilized a land of about 3 acres belonging to the Urban Development Authority (UDA), to re-locate the families who were displaced due to the Baseline Road Widening Project. The proposal made by the President, in his capacity as the Defence and Urban Development Minister, to allocate the said land to the RDA, to enable it to execute the transfer of deeds in favour of the allottees who were displaced due to the Baseline Road Widening Project, was approved by the Cabinet.

Social Integration Week

The proposal made by National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara to declare July 15 - 21 as the "Social Integration Week", was approved by the Cabinet. Many activities and programmes have been identified for the purpose, to be carried out to promote social integration in the country.

Hosting of CHOGM

This would be the largest international event to be hosted by Sri Lanka since 1976 when Sri Lanka hosted the 5th Non-Aligned Movement Summit. Extensive preparatory arrangements are underway to host this event and the proposal made by External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris for the appointment of the following Committees for policy decision making at ministerial level, was approved by the Cabinet:

Committee on the Commonwealth Business Forum, under the Chairmanship of International Monetary Co-operation Senior Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama.

Committee on the Commonwealth Youth Forum, under the Chairmanship of Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dallas Alahapperuma.

Committee on Media and Public Relations, under the Chairmanship of Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rarnbukwella.

MoU between Sri Lanka and Thailand

An MoU recognizing the importance of science and technology in the development of the respective national economies and the value of cooperation between Sri Lanka and Thailand to serve common interests in contributing to the enhancement of science and technology was approval by the Cabinet. The proposal was made by Technology, Research and Atomic Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

Amendments to Employees' Provident Fund

Consequent to the amendments introduced to the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme recently by the government by Act, No.2 of 2012, introduction of new amendments to the relevant Regulations are to be made to grant benefits to the workers. The Commissioner General of Labour will introduce the National Identity Card Number in lieu of the existing employer centric number and every employee under the new regulations is required to register his or her finger print marks of the left thumb and the right thumb in the form of electronic record with the Labour Department. The proposal made by Labour and Labour Relations Minister Gamini Lokuge to submit the Gazette Notification No.1810/20 dated 2013-05-13 to Parliament for approval, was approved by the Cabinet.

New subject stream of technology for the GCE (A-L)

Arrangements are underway to introduce a new subject stream of technology for the GCE (A-L) in 200 selected secondary schools equipped with Mahindodaya Technological Laboratories, with the consent of the relevant Institutions such as the National Education Commission. The Higher Education Ministry, the Youth Affairs and Skills Development Ministry and the University Grants Commission. The schools have been selected so as to have at least one such school for each electorate. The joint proposal made by Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena and Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dallas Alahapperuma to proceed with the relevant activities, was approved by the Cabinet.

Commonwealth Youth Forum

Arrangements have been made to conduct the Commonwealth Youth Forum from November lO-14 at the Hambantota International Conference Hall to coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled to be held in Colombo from November 15 to 17. 54 Commonwealth Member Countries are scheduled to participate in this Forum and around 500 local and foreign representatives will also participate in the inaugural ceremony. The proposal made by Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, to proceed with the programme, was approved by the Cabinet.

Memorandum of Understanding

Cabinet approval was granted to the proposal made by Culture and the Arts Minister T. B. Ekanayake to enter into the a Memorandum of Understanding between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. This MoU will further promote the friendly relations existing between the two countries and re-affirm the need for cultivating and developing closer and stronger cultural relations between the two countries.

Proposed Teaching Hospital for General Sir John KDU

Kotalawala Defence University University has commenced a Degree Programme in Medical Science to address the shortage of trained medical officers in military hospitals, and the construction works of the proposed Teaching Hospital has to be expedited to provide facilities for the Medical Students who are supposed to obtain Clinical Appointments by August 2013. The proposal made by the President, in his capacity as the Defence and Urban Development Minister to obtain a loan of US $201,629,000 (approximately Rs.26 billion) from a State Bank for the purpose, was approved by the Cabinet.

Encouraging the domestic industries

The need for identification of priority areas for which foreign direct investment should be mobilized while protecting the interest of the local investors was considered by the Cabinet. It was decided that processing and value addition of spices, animal husbandry and poultry farming are the sectors for which foreign investments need to be mobilized, with the intention of import substitution. Foreign investment on assembling of vehicles, refining of petroleum products, manufacturing of boats for export market should be encouraged. It was decided that foreign investment should not be encouraged in small scale agricultural industries, retail trade, manufacturing of steel and cement and beauty care related products to protect the local investors. A ministerial committee under the Chairmanship of International Monetary Co-operation Senior Minister and consisting of other ministers, was appointed to revise the current regulations and to make proposals to the Cabinet.

Export of Cinnamon

Sri Lanka exports about 13,000 MT of cinnamon per year. With the view to preventing the export of low quality cinnamon and enhancing the production of cinnamon in the country and sustaining the livelihood of more than 350,000 families engaged in this industry, the proposal made by International Monetary Co-operation Senior Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama, to make it mandatory to adhere to the specifications for Sri Lanka standard for exporting of cinnamon and to submit the Gazette Extraordinary No.1813/15 dated 2013-06-05 to Parliament for approval, was approved by the Cabinet.