The Cabinet approved Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s proposal to implement a working capital loan scheme under concessionary conditions to re-energize public ventures, Co-Cabinet Spokesman Plantations Minister Dr.Ramesh Pathirana said.

He was speaking at a media conference held yesterday at the Government Information Department to inform the decisions taken at this week’s Cabinet meeting. The Government implemented a concessionary loan scheme named “Saubhagya COVID-19 Rehabilitation Facility” by 2020 end, with the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, under the supervision of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to accomplish working capital requirements for minor and medium scale (SME) sectors.

The Government yesterday assured that a curfew will be enforced only as the final attempt to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

Addressing the media at the Government Information Department yesterday, Co-Cabinet spokesman Mass Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that mass vaccination is the only long-term solution to the current COVID-19 crisis.

The employees of government and private sectors should carry their office identity cards when using the public transport. The process is implemented effective from today. The police and health authorities will randomly check the public transport in this regard. Meanwhile , the public is requested not to travel outside without any important reason.

It is stressed that public transport will be used for essential services. State Minister Dilum Amunugama said that office identity cards are mandatory to travel in public transport. They will checked arbitrarily by traffic police.Those who violate these regulations will be dealt with.

The government has successfully implemented the housing project amidst corona pandemic. State minister Indika Anurudda says construction work of 6000 houses has commenced so far under the theme ” House for you, a future for the country”. Out of which the construction work has been completed for 4000 houses.

According to the information revealed, the majority of the children employed as child labourers are from the estate sector. The President pointed out that the necessary authority should be exercised at the Grama Niladhari Division level to prevent this plight. Grama Niladhari officers possess the information on families in the estate sector. The President added that immediate action is imperative when a child is missing from a household in order to put a stop to child labour.

The President made these remarks at a discussion held with the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) and line institutes at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (05).

Special attention has been paid to empowering children and women in the national policy framework “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour”. A separate state ministry has been established to accomplish this.

While commending the State Ministry's efforts to prevent violence against children and women, the President highlighted the importance of studying the research conducted on child development in other countries and the possibility of implementing those mechanisms in urban and rural areas.

The President stated that the main responsibility of the Child Protection Authority is to direct all children to undergo mandatory pre-school, school and Dhamma school education and to find out the reasons for children failing to attend schools and provide solutions. The President pointed out that the relationship between the children and parents could be strengthened through the cultivation of spiritual virtues by encouraging the children belonging to all religions to attend religious schools.

President Rajapaksa stressed the need to safeguard the children from drug addiction and at the same time to study and address the factors that motivated them to use these drugs.

The President pointed out the need to raise awareness on violence against women in the workplace, to pay special attention to the children whose mothers are living abroad, and to identify the children who maybe at the risk of being harassed.

Piyal Nishantha, State Minister of Women and Child Development, Preschools & Primary Education, School Infrastructure & Education Services, said that all the necessary steps are being taken to launch the National Child Protection Policy in line with the “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour.”

State Minister Nishantha said that steps have been taken to construct a house for the girl who died of burn injuries sustained at the house of MP Rishad Bathiudeen, to uplift the economy of the victim's family and to create self-employment opportunities for the victim's two sisters.

The State Minister also pointed out the measures that have been taken to prevent incidents of child and women abuse and to expedite court proceedings related to these incidents.

The President was briefed on the performance of the NCPA and line institutions.

Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera, Secretary to the Ministry of State K.M.S.D. Jayasekara, NCPA Chairman Prof. Muditha Vidanapathirana and the directors and other officials of the relevant institutions were present at the meeting.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived in Parliament this morning to attend the sitting of the House.

The number of Mahapola scholarships is being increased by 3,000 annually.

The government says that there is no change in the policy decision of the president to use only organic fertilizer for local agricultural activities. It will not be changed in future. Permission has not been given to import chemical fertilizer for local agriculture. The cabinet has given approval to import plant nutrients prepared using natural minerals and natural plant nutrients. Only organic fertilizer with international organic fertilizer standards has been approved for agriculture. The Presidents media division said that permission has been given under the special permits system to import special fertilizer only through agriculture department and other relevant institutions. The government has to ensure the right of people to food without toxins to create a healthy and a productive citizen. The President’s media division has pointed out the accelerating production of organic fertilizer for Sri Lanka’s agriculture completely in next decade, is a pledge given in the vistas of prosperity manifesto.

 

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a joint proposal made by Mass Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris to establish a National Radio Channel for Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Higher Education.

Speaking at the Weekly Cabinet Media Briefing held yesterday at the Government Information Department, Co-Cabinet Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Mass Media and Information have planned to establish an islandwide radio education channel to address the educational disparities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution submitted by the Minister of Education and Minister of Mass Media to use a Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) channel to broadcast educational programmes among the existing channels that possible to expedite the establishment of a radio channel dedicated to education as it will take some time to fulfill the necessary infrastructure.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made an observational visit to the vaccination centre established at the Vihara Maha Devi Open Air Theatre in Colombo, on Monday night with Chief of Defence Staff, Army Commander and Head, National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) General Shavendra Silva. Picture by Upul Nilanga - President’s Media Division 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made an observational visit to the Vaccination Centre established at the Vihara Maha Devi Open Air Theatre in Colombo, on Monday night. The Centre, which is being operated by the Army, is open 24 hours a day. A large number of people visited the vaccination centre yesterday to receive the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The President engaged in cordial discussions with the people at the venue.

A total of 244,251 people have received the second dose of AstraZeneca in two days and the first dose was given to the people in the Kegalle District, on Monday. President Rajapaksa thanked all members of the health and Security Services, who are committed to making the vaccination programme a success. Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Major General Dr Sanjeewa Munasinghe and Chief of Defence Staff, Army Commander and Head, National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) General Shavendra Silva were also present.

The Government is confident that the country will be able to meet the ambitious target of administering two doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 13.5 million citizens above 30 years by September or October this year, Co-Cabinet Spokesman Mass Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

He was addressing a media conference held yesterday at the Government Information Department to inform the decisions taken at this week’s meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.

The Minister said that the Government has given priority to implement all anti-pandemic measures and at the same time, the Government has to mitigate the economic and social fallout of the pandemic.

“Vaccination has been identified as the best way to control the pandemic and we are doing it in quite an effective and efficient manner. One of the most efficient vaccination drives in the world is taking place in Sri Lanka,” said the Minister.

As per the statistics of the Health Ministry around 89.66 per cent of the target population has been given at least one dose of the vaccine and around 21.31 per cent of the target population has received the second dose of vaccine. Accordingly, a total number of 12,758,216 doses have already been administered in Sri Lanka. A total of 244,251-second doses of AstraZeneca vaccines have been administered since Monday (1). The first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine was administered to 22,981 individuals on Monday.

Also, 203,515 doses of Sinopharm vaccines had been administered as the first dose while a total of 18,483-second doses of Sinopharm vaccines were given on Monday.

Around 2,490 doses of the Moderna vaccine had been administered as the first dose on the same day.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the officials to conduct a survey covering the island on those who have not yet taken any COVID-19 vaccine.

Based on studies conducted into the details of COVID infected patients and the deaths resulting from the virus, it has been revealed that close to 95% of them had not taken the vaccine. The President pointed out the need to look into those who have not taken the vaccine though vaccines were made available, and to encourage them to get vaccinated.

The President instructed the officials to conduct an immediate survey on this at Divisional Secretariat level and obtain a report within a few days on those who have not taken the vaccine.

The President made these remarks at a meeting held with the Special Committee on Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak regarding the vaccination drive and future plans, at the Presidential Secretariat today (30).

The government has fulfilled its responsibility of bringing down the vaccine. The President said that it is the duty of the people to follow the health guidelines in order to prevent the spread of the virus and to obtain the vaccine expeditiously. The Covid Committee also paid attention to making it mandatory for the people visiting government institutions and public places in the future to have the card certifying that they have been vaccinated.

Ministers Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Gamini Lokuge, Johnston Fernando, Keheliya Rambukwella, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Ramesh Pathirana, Namal Rajapaksa, State Ministers Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Sisira Jayakody, Channa Jayasumana, MPs Madhura Withanage, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Health Secretary Major General Dr Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Director General of Health Dr Asela Gunawardana, Commanders of the Triforces, Inspector General of Police, the Heads of Health and Security Sectors were present at the discussion.