01. Establishment of an Emergency Ambulance Health Protection Service
The health safety received within the first 30 minutes is very important in order to save the life of persons who meet with accidents, a disaster or an emergency, to prevent sustaining further injuries, and to provide expeditious cure. At present such an Emergency Ambulance Health Protection Service is successfully being carried out in India. By further enhancing the relationship between Sri Lanka and India, the Indian Prime Minister during his recent visit to Sri Lanka agreed to provide such an Emergency Ambulance Health Protection Service to Sri Lanka as well. Accordingly it has been proposed to establish a non profitable Emergency Ambulance Health Protection Service to improve the quality health service of Sri Lanka covering the rural areas of the country with 297 Ambulances, and 2,000 trained work force under 4 stages. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe as the Minister of Policy Planning, Economic Affairs, Child, Youth and Cultural Affairs to implement under the first stage of this programme an Emergency Ambulance Health Protection Service to cover Western and Southern provinces with 88 Ambulances and obtain from the Indian Government a grant of 8 Million U.S.Dollars required as expenditure for this purpose.
02. Limit the summoning of District Secretaries/Government Agents to Colombo
Carrying out of government activities within the Districts have become obstructed due to continuous summoning of District Secretaries/Government Agents to Colombo by various Ministries to attend seminars and discussions. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs Michael Joseph Perera to hold a two days conference in Colombo each month and to discuss all matters pertaining to various Ministries at this Conference and thereby limit the summoning of District Secretaries/Government Agents to Colombo.
03.Introduction of a new mechanism to implement the guaranteed price scheme for the natural raw rubber being produced by the Rubber Small Holders
The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Plantation Industry Lakshman Kiriella by taking into consideration the shortages and delays being experienced in the implementation of the guaranteed price scheme for the natural raw rubber being produced by the Rubber Small Holders to implement the payment by the registered Rubber Traders at the time of selling the rubber and to obtain a sum of Rs. 2,063 Million from the Treasury to implement the programme until the end of September this year.
04.Implementation of a capital loan scheme for the tea industry
The tea industrialists are facing financial problems due to fall of tea prices in the world market as a result of the crisis situation prevailing in the World Market. Therefore it has been planned to implement a capital loan scheme to assist the tea industrialists to continue with their industrial activities. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Plantation Industry Lakshman Kiriella to implement this loan scheme for all owners of tea industries through all State and Commercial Banks and to provide from the Treasury an interest concession of 2% for such loans for a period of two (2) years for the relevant financial institutions.
05.Ease of Doing Business Forum (Document No. 16)
The objective of holding this Forum is to minimize the gap existing between the public sector and the business community of Sri Lanka and to provide necessary facilities to maintain a better relationship between public and private sectors. This Forum will provide the opportunity for the business community to present and discuss face to face their problems directly with the higher management of the government institutions in the public sector. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake to hold the Forum at least once a month as per the requirements.
06.Acquisition of the government land for Moragahahema Town Developmenmt activities
The Urban Development Authority has commenced a programme of developing small and medium scale towns to suit the future town development activities. Under this scheme it is envisaged to develop Moragahahena in the Horana Divisional Secretariat Division as a vibrant commercial sub-town. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and Urban Development Rauf Hakeem in order to expeditiously develop the bus stand, the market, the shopping complex, the weekly fair and the public ground under a streamlined plan in collaboration with other state institutions, and to get vested in the Urban Development Authority as a free grant. a portion of government owned land to the extent of 1.354 hectares.
07.Payment of compensation to lands acquired under the Strategic Town Development
Under the Strategic Town Development Programme, it has been identified to develop the main towns such as Kandy, Galle, Trincomalee, and Anuradhapura. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and Urban Development Rauf Hakeem to make use of the payment of compensation systems of Land Acquisition and Reclamation Committee (LARC) and Super Land Acquisition and Reclamation Committee (Super LARC) which are more advantageous for the people whose lands are being acquired in order to the projects in these towns. Under this method court action by land owners will be discouraged.
08.Vesting of house ownership for the house recepients of the Mahawela Lane in Dematagoda
The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal made by the Hon. Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and Urban Development Rauf Hakeem to issue deeds to 21 house recipients who have paid the actual value of the houses of the above referenced housing complex.
09. Memorandum of Understanding between the National Water Supply and Drainage Board and the Research Centre for Eco-environment Science
The proposal made by Rauff Hakeem, Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage, to sign the above MoU to investigate on the causes for the Unidentified Chronic Kidney Disease, and to recognize long-lasting water purification technologies for the affected areas, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
10. Renovation of the seven storied building in the Negombo District General Hospital (Document No - 27)
District General Hospital in Negombo is administrated under the Ministry of Health of the Western Provincial Council. It provides services to approximately 360,000 out patients and about 100,000 inpatients per annum. The proposal made by Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, the Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, to proceed with the renovations of the seven storied building of this hospital as recommended by the University of Moratuwa and the Atomic Energy Authority, and to provide necessary facilities to maintain hospital services in other suitable buildings in Negombo and in temporary buildings in the hospital premises, and to assign the relevant renovations to the State Development Corporation a cost of Rs. 500 million, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
11. Implementation of a Health Insurance scheme for Justices of Courts
The proposal made by Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, the Minister of Justice, to provide an insurance cover of Rs. 500,000.00 subject to external treatments of Rs. 35,000.00 for all the judges of courts, and to bear 75% of the subscription by the government in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
12. Construction of houses for the resettlement of families displaced by the land slide occurred in Meeriyabedda, Koslanda on 29-10-2014
Thirty-four people have been killed and about 330 persons in 57 families have been affected in Meeriyabedda, Koslanda area by the above disaster. Hon. A.H.M. Fowzie, Minister of Disaster Management has informed the Cabinet of Ministers that according to the instructions made by the President to accelerate the construction of houses for displaced persons, the constructions are scheduled to be finalized by 15 October 2015.
13. Kattankudy waste water disposal project
The proposal made by Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage, to obtain funds from local and foreign sources to proceed with the activities related to the implementation of the above project, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
14. Planning and construction contract for Kelani Right Bank - Phase II (KRB II)
The above water treatment plant with a capacity of 180,000 cubic metres per day intends to supply water for the areas not yet covered in Kelaniya, Kadawatha, Wattala, Peliyagoda, Mahara, Ragama, Biyagama, Welisara, Kandana, Ja-Ela, and Ekala areas. The proposal made by Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage, to award the contract for the implementation of the above project as recommended by the Cabinet Appointed Standing Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
15. Implementation of Visal Matale water supply project and Kandy North Pathadumbara water supply project
The proposal made by Rauff Hakeem, Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage, to proceed with activities related to the implementation of above two projects with the view of improving the drinking water supply in Matale, Kandy and suburbs, construction of new water treatment plants, and to improve other necessary infrastructure, and to take necessary action in obtaining funds by discussing with the relevant banks, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
16. Annual Report of the Ministry of Finance – 2014
The proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance to submit the Report which should be issued at the end of the financial year evaluating the updated information on public finance process in financial year 2014 and process of the public finance strategy, whichh conform to the provisions stipulated in the article 13 of the Fiscal Management (Responsibility) Act No 3 of 2003, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
17. Submission of the gazette notification issued for prohibiting the importation and use of Glyphosate herbicide to the parliament
As per the decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers in its meeting held on 27-05-2015, the Department of Import and Export Control has issued the Extraordinary (Gazette Number – 1918/22) Gazette notification dated 11 June 2015 banning the importation of the Glyphosate herbicide. The proposal made by Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to submit the said gazette notification to the parliament, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
