President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (10) responded to comments by the Opposition and its allies on the 20^thAmendment to the Constitution and the court ruling on Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Ratnapura District Parliamentarian Premalal Gunasekara.

Referring to the allegations by the Opposition during today’s meeting with State Ministers held at the Presidential Secretariat President Rajapaksa said the objective of the 20^th Amendment to the Constitution is to remove the obstacles imposed by the 19^th Amendment and move forward.

“Everything cannot be changed overnight. It takes a long time. Various views have been expressed. We want to retain some of the features of the 19^th Amendment. The primary objective is to keep the tenure of the President unchanged and to move forward,” President explained.

Responding to the accusations made by the opposition regarding the member of Parliament Premalal Jayasekera, President Rajapaksa emphasized that neither he nor the Prime Minister did intervene in the procedures of the court.

“If the intention was to influence in this regard it should have been done at the High Court stage. Something of this nature never occurred. The verdict was given by the judge who was appointed by the Constitutional Council. Members of the Constitutional Council included personnel from Opposition such as Karu Jayasuriya, Sajith Premadasa and Thalatha Athukorala. One decision is acceptable for the opposition while the other is not”. President said.

President observed that Judge of the Court of Appeal was also appointed by the Constitutional Council itself and added that the Opposition is running a false propaganda campaign in this regard.

President directs relevant officials to remove the15% import tax and 14% income tax on gold for the Gem & Jewellery industry, stated the President’s Media division.

One of the important lessons emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance of maintaining a centralized healthcare system President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said.

Although the administration of most of Sri Lanka’s state-run hospitals are vested with the Provincial Councils, fortunately there were enough hospitals nationwide under the management of the Health Ministry that could be utilized without difficulty during the height of the pandemic.

Had we been in a situation where healthcare was a subject completely devolved to the Provincial Councils, the efficacy of Sri Lanka’s response to the pandemic may have been quite different President pointed out.

“Our recent experience reinforces the importance of maintaining responsibility for certain functions with the central Government. Education is another vital area of public life that can be similarly described”.

President Rajapaksa made these remarks delivering the keynote address at the launch of “Good Intern Programme 2020” two-day workshop at Manelwatta Nagananda International Buddhist Studies Institute in Bollagala Kelaniya today (5).

The workshop organized by Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) will be attended by 680 medical graduates awaiting internship. Today’s workshop is the 8^th in the series. More than 100 Professors and Medical Consultants will share their thoughts during the workshop.

Commencing the address President said Sri Lanka was successful in containing COVID -19 pandemic primarily to due decisive, early action taken by multiple arms of the Government, and the truly outstanding efforts of our health personnel.

“The outstanding success Sri Lanka achieved in this endeavour came at a time when even some of the most developed countries in the world were unable to respond adequately to the pandemic. Due to a variety of factors, ranging from a delayed response by their Governments, to the lack of universal health insurance, the unpreparedness of their healthcare institutions, the lack of sufficient testing, to the inadequacy of their management systems, the spread of the virus could not be contained in several developed nations”.

President said he commends, pay tribute to, and express his sincere gratitude to all healthcare professionals and others who contributed to Sri Lanka’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 “Sri Lanka’s success in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic has been justly commended by international institutions including the World Health Organization and UNICEF, as well as many foreign nations, international commentators and individuals” President pointed out.

One of the core pillars of development is the maintenance of a healthy population. Achieving certain public health goals remains a core responsibility of the Government. I am determined to work towards creating a healthy nation during my tenure as President of this country.

While there is certainly a need to further strengthen the state healthcare system, I believe it is time that we encourage greater use of the facilities we have within this system said the President adding that some innovative thinking towards absorbing state generated funds into the public healthcare system will ultimately benefit the citizens.

“The mandate given to the Government by the people at the Parliamentary Elections just a month ago makes it very clear that the Sri Lankan public is hungry for development and tired of excuses” President added.

Secretary to the Ministry of Health Major General (Retd.) Sanjeewa Munasinghe, medial officers, President of the GMOA Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya and its members and delegated of Society for Health Research and Innovation attended the inaugural session.

Later, President called on the Chief Executive of Manelwatta Nagananda International Buddhist Studies Institute and Chief Incumbent of Kelaniya Manelwatta Vihara Ven. Dr. Bodagama Chandima Thero.

The Thero gifted the President a replica of Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi.

President posed for a group photo with Bhikkunis of Buddha Shravika Educational Center in Manelwatta Vihara and children of Dharmachakra Lama Padanama.

Following is the full text of the speech by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the launch of the “Good Intern Programme 2020” – September 5, 2020

Dr. Upul Galappaththi , Member of Parliament,

Health Secretary,

Director General of Health Services,

President GMOA / Founder SHRI,

Executive Committee GMOA,

Executive Committee SHRI,

Chairpersons and speakers of the Good Intern Programme,

Invitees,

Doctors awaiting their internship,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to address you today at the workshop “Good Intern Programme 2020” launched by the Society for Health Research and Innovation in collaboration with the Government Medical Officers’ Association and the Ministry of Health.

The critical importance of the medical profession and healthcare personnel in our society has been dramatically underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic that is currently raging across the world.

That Sri Lanka has been largely spared in this pandemic is due primarily to decisive, early action taken by multiple arms of the Government, and the truly outstanding efforts of our health personnel. Doctors, Nurses, Public Health Inspectors, Technicians and numerous other staff in our hospitals, laboratories, quarantine centres, and at the community level ably supported by our Armed Forces dedicated themselves to stop the spread of this disease.

At the outset of my address, I take this opportunity to commend, pay tribute to, and express my sincere gratitude to all healthcare professionals and others who contributed to Sri Lanka’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The outstanding success Sri Lanka achieved in this endeavour came at a time when even some of the most developed countries in the world were unable to respond adequately to the pandemic. Due to a variety of factors, ranging from a delayed response by their Governments, to the lack of universal health insurance, the unpreparedness of their healthcare institutions, the lack of sufficient testing, to the inadequacy of their management systems, the spread of the virus could not be contained in several developed nations.

In many countries, patients who were infected with this virus were turned away from hospitals and left to fend for themselves or were not treated with adequate care. This resulted in community transmission of the disease, ultimately resulting in soaring rates of infection and death in these countries.

In this context, while I express my profound sympathy for the plight of those nations that have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am also proud to say that Sri Lanka, despite still being a developing country, managed to face this situation very successfully because of our free healthcare system. Not even a single patient suspected of being infected with COVID-19 was turned away from our healthcare system.

Each and every patient was treated at our Government hospitals, at Government’s expense, and 2888 out of 3110 confirmed cases have been successfully cured to date, with only 12 fatalities thus far.

The robust testing mechanisms we were able to set up in a short time supported these efforts by identifying asymptomatic patients and ensuring their isolation and proper care. We have also repatriated thousands of our citizens from countries where the virus is spreading rapidly.

Returnees have been housed at quarantine centres around the island, where they are looked after to a very high standard by our Armed Forces personnel. Most of these centres are managed entirely at the expense of the Government. These are all remarkable achievements by any yardstick.

These achievements are why Sri Lanka’s success in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic has been justly commended by international institutions including the World Health Organization and UNICEF, as well as many foreign nations, international commentators and individuals.

The effectiveness of Sri Lanka’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic signifies the strength of our public healthcare system. In this context, I must confess that I find it puzzling as to why so many of our citizens seek healthcare externally. On many occasions, even grants provided through the President’s Fund and other welfare schemes in the Government are used to cover hospitalization in private hospitals.

While there is certainly a need to further strengthen the state healthcare system, I believe it is time that we encourage greater use of the facilities we have within this system. Some innovative thinking towards absorbing these state generated funds into the public healthcare system will ultimately benefit the citizens.

Another important lesson emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic has been the importance of maintaining a centralized healthcare system. Although the administration of most of Sri Lanka’s state-run hospitals are vested with the Provincial Councils, fortunately there were enough hospitals nationwide under the management of the Health Ministry that could be utilized without difficulty during the height of the pandemic. Had we been in a situation where healthcare was a subject completely devolved to the Provincial Councils, the efficacy of Sri Lanka’s response to the pandemic may have been quite different.

Our recent experience reinforces the importance of maintaining responsibility for certain functions with the central Government. Education is another vital area of public life that can be similarly described.

Moving forward, it is important for us as a nation to truly understand the challenges and opportunities that face us, and to design our response to them appropriately. The mandate given to the Government by the people at the Parliamentary Elections just a month ago makes it very clear that the Sri Lankan public is hungry for development and tired of excuses.

One of the core pillars of development is the maintenance of a healthy population. Achieving certain public health goals remains a core responsibility of the Government. I am determined to work towards creating a healthy nation during my tenure as President of this country.

My recent visits to every corner of Sri Lanka, exposed me in-depth to many real issues that our fellow citizens face. These grassroots level issues are wide ranging, from lack of drinking water to lack of education to lack of proper healthcare facilities.

There are many rural areas of the country where people have to travel long distances in order to consult with doctors for their various ailments. Unfortunately, the population density in these areas could be too low to justify the building of hospitals or other healthcare infrastructure that can adequately cater to the needs of these people, particularly considering Sri Lanka’s present economic position. However, there may be simpler solutions to these problems that can be adopted with a more proactive, practical mindset.

One of the more successful healthcare initiatives in the history of Sri Lanka—and another that has been commended internationally—is the Public Health Midwife programme. These hard-working healthcare service providers have delivered community level maternal and child healthcare throughout Sri Lanka for decades.

They have been the front-line health workers delivering care and advice to women and children at the household level in many rural communities.

Similarly, it may now be opportune for us to introduce a new concept, that of the Public Health Nurse who could provide basic healthcare services to those in very rural communities that lack access to other healthcare infrastructure. Adequately trained and qualified nurses may be able to help diagnose and treat simple ailments, and give individuals requiring higher level care, the advice required to seek medical attention.

They could perhaps even refer patients to doctors in the region as and when required. This sort of initiative may contribute significantly to improving access to healthcare within rural communities, and thereby contribute towards better healthcare in the nation at large.

Parallel to this initiative, we could also revive the many rural dispensaries and through them provide basic and simple solutions to citizens’ health issues. This community level health infrastructure would immensely contribute towards creating a healthy nation.

At this point, I would, in particular, like to address those of you who are young doctors who have recently graduated from our universities and have qualified as Medical Interns and are taking part in the Good Intern Programme.

The medical profession is one of the noblest callings that one can aspire to. Even as young doctors, you are responsible for the lives of other people. Sometimes, your diagnosis of a patient’s illness could be the decisive factor in his or her life. The decisions you make could be the difference between one’s life and death. This is certainly not a responsibility that can be taken lightly.

If anything, the difficulties associated with reaching your status—from the outstanding exam results you must produce to the many years of education and training that you must undergo before qualifying for your MBBS—signal how serious your role is, in society, and what a tremendous honour it is to be a provider of healthcare.

In this context, I wish to congratulate all of you on your having been included for the Good Intern Programme, which aims to improve the service provision of the health sector by increasing the understanding young doctors have of good medical practice and the grave responsibility towards their fellow beings.

In the words of the Buddha: “Arōgyā paramā lābhā”—health is the ultimate profit. By dedicating yourself to the highest standards of healthcare provision that can be achieved, you will be in a position to contribute immensely to the well-being of your fellow men and women.

In closing, I take this opportunity to wish each one of you every success for the future, and hope that you will contribute your utmost to Sri Lanka as outstanding young healthcare professionals.

Thank you.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reviews future stages of the programme to provide clean drinking water to all households for all 24-hours of the day, before the end of 2025.

President Rajapaksa points out the need to expedite the programme while paying special attention to the cleaning and conservation of rivers, streams and catchment areas.

The President made these remarks at a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (03) on the future activities of the State Ministry of Rural and Regional Drinking Water Supply Projects Development.

‎”Water for All” is a flagship pledge made to the people by the National Policy Framework’ Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’.

The government expects to provide drinking water facility to 4.7 million families in the next four years. The project is being implemented with local and foreign funds and will require the laying of 40,000 km of new water supply pipes. The project is to be completed at half of the cost spent so far on water supply. Water generation and conservation and water source identification are some of the features of the programme. Tree planting is also planned to ensure the conservation of water sources.

In the Colombo district alone, 45% of the total water supply was wasted due to water leaks. Laying of new water supply pipes in the past few months has resulted in reducing it to 15%. In order to preserve water new pipes are now being laid to replace old ones that cause water leaking, officials said.

During the meeting, the President also focused attention on resolving the issues of the employees of the community water projects. It was also agreed that the Road Development Authority and the Water Supply Board must jointly implement development plans with the aim of preventing wastage of national wealth in the process of laying of water pipes damaging the roads. It was highlighted that it could help saving about 30% of the total cost of meeting the country’s drinking water needs.

It was discussed in detail regarding the rainwater harvesting and the expansion of capacity of tanks and reservoirs in the island and construction of a new tank and reservoir network. The new plan also includes the introduction of projects with new canals and pipelines to carry water to water-deficient areas.

Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Minister of State Sanath Nishantha, Head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival Basil Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera, Secretaries to Cabinet and State Ministries, officials of line institutions and representatives of community water projects were present at the discussion.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasized that cultivators of minor crops including turmeric and pepper should be protected by ensuring stable prices for them.

The importation of turmeric and pepper was completely suspended in order to protect local producers of these crops. President highlighted the importance of creating an environment to earn the highest possible income by harnessing more international markets.

President Rajapaksa made these remarks during a meeting to discuss future activities of the State Ministry of Development of Sugarcane, Maize, Cashew, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Betel Production and Promotion of Allied Products and Export held at the Presidential Secretariat today (3).

Possibility of meeting demand for turmeric and pepper locally, exporting minor crops as value added products and formulating proper planning were discussed in length.

The annual demand for maize in the country is 500,000 metric tons. The area to be cultivated to yield this harvest is one hundred and ten thousand hectares. At present 80,000 hectares of land is cultivated with maize and the government aims to increase it to 110,000 hectares of land by the end of next year.

Plans are underway to cultivate turmeric and ginger in 100 villages and it is planned to establish an Export Zone in the Kurundugaha hatapma area. The President pointed out the importance of popularizing consumption of pepper among the people instead of chilli consumption.

Pakistan is the major importer of Sri Lankan betel. Exports declined owing to flight restrictions during coronavirus outbreak. President Rajapaksa instructed the officials to discuss with the airlines and find a solution to this issue.

The President also emphasized the need of universities to expand research works on value added products related to minor export crops.

During this meeting it was discussed in detail regarding the promotion of sugarcane industry and cashew cultivation.

Minister Ramesh Pathirana, State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura, Head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival Basil Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera, Secretaries to Cabinet and State Ministries, officials of line institutions and representatives of cultivation associations were also present at the discussion.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa hands over letters of appointment to a selected group of graduates symbolizing the recruitment of 60,000 graduates to the public service in order to create a culture of ‘Rata Wenuwen Weda’ (Work for the country) as envisaged in the “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” policy statement.

The simple ceremony that lasted just for 25 minutes was held at the Presidential Secretariat, today (02).

Even though applications were initially called to recruit 50,000 graduates, the government decided to recruit 60,000 on the instructions of the President.

Today the number of graduates joining the public service is 50,177. Out of this, 38,760 are women. The number of employed art graduates is 31,172. According to the graduate classification, 29,156 internal graduates and 20,322 external graduates have been recruited. Appointments were also given to 1000 monks.

Among other graduates 1839 are from Commerce stream, 7278 from Management, 4494 from Science, 143 from Indigenous Medicine and 161 from Allied Health Science, 989 from Computer Technology, 233 from Engineering and Law and 1906 from Diploma in Accounting.

Job recipients will be directed to a leadership, skills and attitude development training programme.

At the end of the one year training period appointees will be employed in institutions directly related to the rural sector such as Rural and Estate Schools, Department of Agrarian Services, Regional Irrigation Offices, Department of Wildlife, government Ayurvedic hospitals, Rural Hospitals, Dispensary and Department of Minor Export Crops.

President requested the appointees to actively contribute to the development process.

He emphasized that newly appointed employees should do justice to the salaries they earn and avoid being a burden to those who are engaged in agriculture and fisheries sectors who earn money to pay salaries of the public sector.

President highlighted that the responsibility lies with the newly recruited to enhance their knowledge in the selected field and to pursue post-graduate studies and computer training for the furtherance of their careers.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa,Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, G.L. Peiris, Bandula Gunawardene, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Keheliya Rambukwella, Dullas Alahapperuma and Namal Rajapaksa, head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival Basil Rajapaksa , several State Ministers and Ministry Secretaries were present on the occasion.

Pressure is being mounted against certain appointments recently made by the President and the Government. All these appointments were made with the utmost consideration of our country’s sovereignty, national security and implementation of “Saubhagyaye Dekma” policy statement. Also, President emphasizes such appointments have been made after careful scrutiny of loyalty to the nation, qualifications and background of these individuals so that policies of the Government can move forward in a successful manner.

President stresses that he has no intention of changing such appointments made after deep thinking or to replace them with different persons in the face of pressure.

As such, President politely requests everyone not to pressure him or the Government to change these appointments.

President is of the view that expressing opinions against these appointments will not only make the appointees unable to carry out their duties and responsibilities properly, but also will weaken the Government’s process by underestimating them in the society.

• Job recipients  giving cash or any kind of bribe to any party will be a disqualification

 The Programme of providing 100,000 employment opportunities aimed at eradicating poverty will commence on September 02.

The objective of the Programme is to empower those who live in absolute poverty with no formal education and skills through the Multi-Purpose Development Task Force established by the government.

• Job recipients are selected on the basis of the following criteria  

• Unskilled workers who have no formal education or with education lower G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination.
• Must be not less than 18 years of age and not more than 45 years of age on the closing date for applications.

Being unemployed member of a family eligible to receive Samurdhi benefits but does not receive it, or being a member of a family receiving Samurdhi benefits but unemployed.

• Being an unemployed member of a family with elderly, sick parents or disabled members.
• Be a permanent resident of the area of application.

Selection for training programme

• One individual with above qualifications from one family will be considered.

• Based upon available job opportunities in proximity to the applicant’s residence and his choice of field for training, his/her vocational program will be decided.

• Training program will be conducted at the Training Centers in the same area of the applicant’s residence or at the nearby Training Centers

• Following a successful training, the applicants will be employed in his/her area of residence or in nearby areas

Salary and Allowances

• During 6-month continuous training programme a monthly allowance of Rs 22,500 will be paid. Following successful completion of the training program trainees will have the opportunity to be appointed to an accepted permanent government position in his own residence area with a non-primary skilled salary of Rs. 35,000 and allowances. After a satisfactory and uninterrupted career record of 10 years he/she will be eligible for pension.

Employments will ONLY be awarded based on above criteria and any form of bribery will result in immediate rejection of the job opportunity.

• Rehabilitation of Neluwa – Lankagama road to be completed within 90 days
• No harm should be caused to forest reserve and ecosystem
• Permanent bridge replacing hanging bridge
• 2100 plants to be added to the reserve

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reiterates his intention to fulfill the needs of the people without causing harm to the environment.

During the last few days, electronic, print and social media reported that rehabilitation work of Neluwa – Lankagama road is causing damage to Sinharaja Forest Reserve and the surrounding ecosystem. President Rajapaksa visited Neluwa Lankagama today (29) to get firsthand information of the situation and to obtain views of the experts and the residents in the area.

After inspecting suspended development work President pointed out that the long-felt need of the rehabilitation of the road should be carried out while protecting the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and nearby vicinities.

The history of Lankagama area dates back to King Walagamba period. Tea plantation is the main livelihood of the people living there. For over a period of 100 years villagers transport their tea leaves to Deniyaya and Neluwa through the road close to Sinharaja Forest.

The unsatisfactory condition of the road hinders transportation of patients to Neluwa, Udugama and Karapitiya hospitals. It also causes many hardships to the children pursuing their education as well as to the day-to-day activities of the villagers. Rehabilitating “Neluwa- Lankagama- Pitadeniya” road was commenced as a measure to address these difficulties.

Simultaneously, 120 feet long and 6 feet wide bridge will be constructed to replace the existing hanging bridge over Ginganga in Lankagama. This will facilitate children in Wathugala, Lankagama, Nilwella, Kolonthotuwa and Pitadeniya to reach their schools.

President directed the officials to distribute 3 plants to each of 700 families in Lankagama and to get the families to nurture the total of 2100 plants and add them to the forest reserve.

People in the area said that they protected Sinharaja Forest and its eco system from generation to generation and strongly objected to the moves by certain environmentalists who act without proper knowledge for obstructing one of their basic needs being met. A father who was carrying his toddler on his shoulder requested the President “please do not let our children to suffer the way we did”.

Maha Sangha blessed the President for taking the decision to rehabilitate the road for the benefit of the residents in the area who suffer due to lack of basic facilities.

Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando, Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation C.B. Ratnayake, Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Plantation Ramesh Pathirana, State Minister Mohan P. de Silva, Members of Parliament Sampath Athukorala, Nipuna Ranawaka, Chandima Weerakkodi, Weerasumana Weerasinha, Governor Willie Gamage and officials of several Ministries were present on the occasion.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa directed officials to devise a sustainable solution to the human-elephant conflict within 2 years’ time.

The problem of intrusion of elephants into human settlements in several districts has been discussed for nearly 40 years. Although various solutions have been implemented, the problem remains unresolved. President emphasized that finding a quick and durable solution to protect both humans and elephants is a priority.

President made these remarks during a meeting to discuss future activities of the State Ministry of   Wildlife Conservation Protection Programmes including Electric Fence and Ditch Construction and Re-Forestation and Wildlife Resources Development held at the Presidential Secretariat today (27).

In 2019 122 human lives were lost and 407 elephants were killed due to the intrusion of elephants into villages. That figure for the past 8 months of this year stands at 62 and 200 respectively.  In this context, the threat posed to the cultivation, day-to-day lives of the people as well as to the elephant population is immense, President said.

The Department of Wildlife has 1.2million hectares under its purview.  President pointed out that the responsibility of feeding wild animals also lies with the Department.

The President expressed surprise at the fact of incapability of officials in the relevant fields to find a permanent solution to manage or to formulate strategies to the long-standing problem.

A committee has been appointed to find a stable solution to protect cultivation lands and agricultural based livelihoods from threats posed by wild elephants encroaching villages.

The Head of the Presidential Task Force in charge of Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication, Basil Rajapaksa pointed out the importance of rehabilitation of tanks and reservoirs in sanctuaries as well as the significance of growing grass adjacent to sanctuaries.

It was discussed in detail regarding the need for expansion and conservation of mangrove ecosystems. President Rajapaksa said that regulations should be relaxed enabling the mangrove cultivators to receive more benefits.

The officials pointed out the potential for shrimp farming close to mangrove forests.

In particular attention was drawn to grant permission for river sand mining under strict control to the people living in those particular areas.

President Rajapaksa said that officials should ensure continuous implementation of the projects that are formulated on the basis of public enthusiasm even when they are out of the public attention.

Minister C.B. Ratnayake, Minister of State Wimalaweera Dissanayake, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera and Secretaries and officials representing the Cabinet and State Ministries were also present at the discussion