Decisions taken at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on the 10.10.2022


01. Allocation of plots of lands for the establishment of industries from regional industrial zones
where that infrastructure facilities have been developed.


The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal furnished by the Minister of Industries to allocate
16 plots of land under long – term lease basis for 35 years for 16 investors recognized under the
regional industrial zone development programme as recommended by the project evaluation
committee in operation under the Regional Industrial Services Committees that has been established
as per the provisions of the Industries Promotion Act No. 46 of 1990 and the Ministry of Industries.


02. Making of one - time Payment for the welfare of the families of missing persons


Based on the certificate of missing issued by the Registrar General for the families of the missing
persons, it was decided at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 14.03.2022 to pay a sum
of rupees 100,000/- to the closest relative of the missing person. However, due to taking a long time
to obtain the certificate of missing, as well as the amount of rupees 100,000/- not being sufficient,
the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution submitted by the Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs
and Constitutional Reforms to ignore the requirement of obtaining the certificate of missing if the
compensation secretariat has confirmed that the relevant person is missing and to pay an increased
amount of rupees 200,000/- as compensation.


03. Provision of a plot of land belonging to the Urban Development Authority on long – term lease
in order to implement a rest house development project.


A proposal has been submitted to provide the land at No. 09, Kareithivu Road, Jaffna which belongs
to the Urban Development Authority to Grand Mountain Hotel Co. on a lease for 30 years with a
view to implement a rest house development project. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved
the proposal submitted by the Minister of Urban Development and Housing for providing the said
land to Grand Mountain Hotel Pvt. Ltd. on a lease for 30 years with a view to implement a rest house
development project subject to relevant conditions.


04. Submission of regulations issued under the Import and Export (Control) Act No. 1 of 1969 for
the approval of the Parliament.


Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 15 of 2002 relevant to the import of goods under open
accounting system as well as the Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 16 of 2002 with a
view to encouraging financial remittances performed by Sri Lankans serving overseas countries have
been imposed. Accordingly, the import export regulations No. 15 of 2002 imposed for empowering
imports under the payment systems of open accounts / payment of money after sale of goods basis
in relation to import of essential fool items including milk powder and red legumes / dhal and poultry
food products has been published in the Extraordinary Gazette notification No. 2297 / 79 dated
16.09.2022. Further to that, the import export regulations No. 16 of 2022 imposed for enabling the
Sri Lankans employed overseas to import totaly electric vehicles as a method of encouraging them
has been published in the Extraordinary Gazette notification No. 2298/55 of 23.09.2022.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Hon.
President as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to submit the
aforementioned import and export regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.


05. Amendments to Civil Procedure Code (Statute 101) (Section 205)


Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 18.01.2022 for drafting a
bill to amend the Civil Procedure Code (Statute 101) (Section 205) which is applicable to provision
of certified copies of decree nisi or decree absolute to the parties of a court case. Accordingly,
clearance of the Attorney General has been granted for the draft bill which has been prepared by the
Legal Draftsman. Therefore, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted to the proposal of
the Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms to publish the said draft bill in
the government gazette notification and thereby to table it in the Parliament.


06. Introducing a new Legal Deposit Act in place of former Legal Deposit Law.


The National Archives Department is responsible for the systematic management and preservation
of evidentiary documents and private documents of public authorities that reflect the written history
and cultural identity of Sri Lanka. The department implements 3 Acts namely Newspaper Ordinance
No. 5 of 1839, Printers and Publishers Ordinance No. 1 of 1885 and Press Ordinance No. 16 of 1902
in relation to the legal deposit of such printed publications. Accordingly, the legal copies of the
relevant documents are kept in the custody of the National Archives Department. Accordingly, the
legal copies of the relevant documents are in the custody of the department of national archives. Out
of 131 countries in the world, the law in effect in Sri Lanka is the oldest deposit law. The need to
amend the said law to suit the current needs has been recognized. A committee of relevant subject
experts has prepared a preliminary draft for this purpose based on the opinions of the relevant parties
from the year 2018. Accordingly the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the
minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to advise the legal draftsman to prepare
bill to introduce a new Legal Deposit Act to Sri Lanka based on the said preliminary draft.


07. Purchase of 80 Ton Bollard Pull Twin Azimuth Stern Drive Harbour Tug Vessel for Port
Authority


Currently, there are 7 tugboats that are functioning well in the port of Colombo. It has been identified
that one more tug vessel of 80 ton capacity should be procured for future operations. The Cabinet of
Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation to take
necessary steps for procurement of tug vessel following international competitive bidding process.


08. Awarding the Contract for Automated Crew Scheduling and Resource Management System
for Sri Lankan Airlines.


Commercial airlines around the world operate Automated Crew Scheduling and Resource
Management Systems. The contract period of the current system of SriLankan Airlines will end on
31.10.2022. Therefore, the international competitive bidding system is being adopted to procure a
suitable service provider. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by
the Minister of Ports Shipping and Aviation to award the relevant procurement to CAE Flight
Services USA, Inc. company for a period of 5 years as recommended by the Cabinet appointed
Standing Procurement committee.


09. Awarding the construction contract of National College of Education of Technology to be built
in Narangalla, Kuliyapitiya with Korean aid and local funds


The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval on 18.01.2017 for the construction of a National
College of Education of Technology in Narangalla, Kuliyapitiya with the aid of Korean government
and the local funds. Until the end of November 2021, it has not been possible to commence the
construction work assigned to the Korean International Cooperation Agency due to various
reasons. Korean International Cooperation Agency has agreed to assign these construction works
to Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau as a direct contract. The Cabinet of Ministers approved
the proposal presented by the Minister of Education to assign this contract to the Central
Engineering Consultancy Bureau accordingly


10. Road Reconstruction Project, Suriyakanda- Rakwana (A017) section of Deniyaya-Madampe
road in Galle


A loan agreement has been entered into with the OPEC Fund for International Development for the
reconstruction of the road section Suriyakanda- Rakwana (A017) of Deniyaya-Madampe road in
Galle. The renovation work of that road section is planned to be done under 3 contract packages
and out of these 2 packages are under the authority of the Ministry Procurement Committee. The
other package is under the authority of the Cabinet of Ministers. Accordingly the cabinet of ministers
approved the proposal presented by the minister of Transport and Highways to award the contract
package under the cabinet authority to K.D.A.Weerasinghe & Pvt. Ltd. upon the recommendation
of cabinet appointed standing procurement committee.


11. Enhancement of substitution allowance paid on maternity leave for female sub postmasters.


According to the Sri Lanka Sub-Postmaster Service Constitution, a Sub-Postmaster is entitled to
maternity leave subject to employing a substitute at her own expense. It seems that many maternity
Sub-Postmasters limit their maternity leave to only 30 days as they have to hire a substitute at their
own expense for this period. Medical recommendation is that a child should be breastfed for at least
6 months. The recommendation of the World Health Organization is the same. Accordingly the
Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the minister of mass media to pay an
allowance of 84 days instead of the present allowance of 30 days to female Post Masters.