A national programme for environmental conservation has been prepared with the view of creating a sustainable environment in Sri Lanka, with the contribution of all the relevant parties and it is expected to provide solutions for the following major environmental issues within a period of three years.

(i). Control the environmental pollution

• Establishment of a proper waste management at year 2018 through “Nikasala Lanka” national programme.
• Waste management in urban council and pradeshiya sabha areas under the “Nikasala Purawara” programme.
• Establishment of a tree planting to 15km from the coast through “Haritha Werala” programme.
• Making the sea around Sri Lanka a pollution free area at year 2018 under the “Sunila Sayura” programme.
• Prevention of air pollution in Sri Lankan cities and villages under the “Pirisidu Vayu – Digayu” programme.
• Providing clean water for everyone through the programme “Janadivi rakina – Jala rekavarana”.

(ii). Forest Conservation and Development

•  Increasing the forest cover from 6000 hectares under the “Wana Ropa” national programme.
•  Surveying and conservation of 6000km/25,000 hectares of forest under “Wana Arana Rekavarana” programme’
•  Development of the Environmental Tourism through “Wana Sarana” programme.

(iii). Sustainable Land Management

• Prevention of soil erosion and land erosion in Sri Lanka through the programme “Haayana – Saayana”.
• Conservation of water resources through “Kshema Bhumi” water resources conservation programme.
• Establishment of 05 climate friendly cities under the “Saara Nagara” programme.
• Establishment of fifty (50) climate adoptive villages overall Sri Lanka that can face the climate changes.

(iv). Conflict between wild animals and humans

• Implementation of “Janawarana Rekawarana” programme for the creation of coexistence zones without elephant-human conflicts.

(v). Conservation of Bio Resources

• Control of bio resources smuggling through “Jaiwa Sampath harana – varana” programme.
• Protection of five (05) wildlife species that are in a threat under the “Vanajeewi Punarjanana” programme.

(vi). Promotion and restructuring of institutions related to environmental conservation

• Establishment of “Environmental Forces” covering all Districts/ Divisional Secretariat Divisions/ villages in Sri Lanka.
• Enforcement of “Environmental Police”, Establishment of the National Council on Environmental Conservation.
• Implementation of “Jana Andaheraya” programme with the view of informing the public on environmental issues and to obtain their contribution in searching solutions for those issues.

It is being estimated that this three year programme will cost Rs. 22,547 million. The Proposal made by HE the President Maithripala Sirisena, to implement the said programme with effect from the month of October 2015, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

02. National Programme on Food Production 2016 - 2018

Sri Lanka is currently spending Rs. 200 billion annually for importing major foodstuff. However, such foods can be locally produced in a good quality that are free of contaminants. Animal products and fisheries products can also be increased. Therefore, it has become a current requirement for minimizing the expenditure on imports by producing the utmost amount of food in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the National Programme on Food Production is being planned to be implemented with the contribution of all the ministries and institutions with an estimated cost of Rs. 15,595 million. The programme intends to fulfil the following objectives.

• To insure balanced development in the country by introduction and launch of a crop production programme, based on Agro-Environmental Zones.
• To attain self-sufficiency in the country in food items that could be locally produced thereby saving the huge amount of foreign exchange spent on food import.
• To make available plentiful supplies of food in good quality by adoption of Eco-friendly method thereby minimizing the use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides in food production.
• To contribute to promotion of food security and level of nutrition in ythe country through upgrading the quality of fish-based products, according to the acceptable hygienic standards.
• To ensure food security by efficient transportation, distribution and effective management of buffer stocks of food.
• To optimize productivity and minimize cost of production by use of quality inputs and adoption of appropriate technological and mechanical methods in production.
• To keep a good rapport with all institutions involved in the local food production process and link this programme with Civil Organizations like school community and Farmers’ Organizations making it part of the day to day life of the people.

The proposal made by HE the President Maithripala Sirisena, to commence the programme from the Maha season of 2015 and to implement within the period of 2016-2018, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

03. Offering license for permanent lands to displaced 134 families settled in Victoria line houses in the period of 1983 riots

134 families which were previously resided in Digana, Rajawella have been settled in the Ambakote estate by NGOs after being displaced by communal violence in 1983. These residents who have been living in these houses for more than 30 years under minimum facilities have not been awarded any legal ownership for their properties thus they face difficulties in obtaining facilities such as water and electricity. 146 families of the second generation of these families have been settled in lands belong to the Mahaweli Authority. The proposal made by HE the President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to assign the settlement of above 134 families in the same land, to the Ministry of Upcountry new villages, Estate Infrastructure and Community Development, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

04. Child Activity Survey – 2015/16

Child Activities Surveys have been conducted in 1999 and 2008/2009 to collect information on child activities and child labour in Sri Lanka. The Child Activities Survey 2015/2016 intends to collect information on demographic, educational, economic activities, day to day household activities, health and security as well as the attitude of parents towards the child labour. In addition the survey expects to search on activities of children with special needs, children in orphanages and on children of foreign employed parents. The estimated cost of Rs. 26,123,469 is agreed to be provided as a grant by the International Labour Organization. The proposal made by Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of National Policy and Economic Affairs, to conduct this survey through the Department of Census and Statistics, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

05. Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Custom Matters between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates

The improvement of cooperation among administrators in custom affairs in countries will increase the efficiency and productivity in such activities. The proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Finance, to enter into an agreement with the United Arab Emirates for prevention of prevention of custom laws violations, investigations, trainings and provision of information on the request of the other party, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

06. Repayment of Security Deposit Holders of the Golden Key Credit Card Company Limited (GKCCCL)

The repayment schedule prepared by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) for resolving the difficulties confronted by the deposit holders of the GKCCCL has already been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. As its first step the General Treasury has granted an advance of Rs. 544.3 million for the repayment to deposit holders who have deposits worth less than Rs. 2 million. The proposal made by Hon. Ravi Karunanyake, Minister of Finance, to release an advance of Rs. 3,945.6 million from the General Treasury to the CBSL for the repayment of the second stage for depositors holding deposits from Rs. 2 – 10 million and to reimburse the said amount to the General Treasury by liquidation of assets of the GKCCCL, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

07. Amendment to the Registration of Persons Act No 32 of 1968 to make provisions for the purpose of establishing a database of biometric information of persons and of issuing an e-National Identity Card

The proposal made by Hon. S.B. Navinna, Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs, to present the draft bill for the amendment of the Registration of Persons Act No 32 of 1968 for issuance of a secured electronic national identity card using the latest technology utilized in other countries instead of the current method and technology, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

08. Rehabilitation of Dambana Indigenous Folk Heritage Centre for the development of Indigenous people and Monthly Grant for its maintenance

It is being accepted as a policy that the government’s patronage is required for the sustainable existence of indigenous people. The proposal made by Hon. S.B. Navinna, Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs, to increase the monthly donation to the Indigenous Folk Heritage Centre from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 125,000 for the promotion of cultural sources affecting their general livelihood, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

09. Payment of salaries for the staff of Lanka Salusala Ltd, National Paper Company Ltd, Sri Lanka Cement Corporation and Lanka Cement Ltd

The information presented by Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce, on the situation occurred in above institutions with their financial failure and the inability of paying the salaries to their staff, has been considered by the Cabinet of Ministers. The Cabinet of Ministers have approved the provision of funds for the payment of salaries up to December of this year from the General Treasury to these institutions subject to an immediate preparation of a suitable programme to restructure these institutions by the Ministry of Public Enterprise Development.

10. Establishment of the “Engineering Council” to regulate the professional practice of engineering in Sri Lanka – by registering engineering practitioners

The proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, to present the drafted bill to the parliament for the establishment of an Engineering Council for registration of qualified engineers, maintaining a database of engineer’s registry and to publish it from time to time, regulating other matters relevant to the profession and for enactment of related standards, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

11. Proposal to increase penalties for violation of international fisheries laws to establish responsible fishing industry

The European Union (EU) has imposed a ban on Sri Lankan fisheries products from January 2015 as the Sri Lankan fishermen were violating the international fisheries laws. An action plan to remove the ban has been prepared and is being implemented. The proposal made by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, to amend the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act No 02 of 1996 for amend the penalties for the offences done in the international sea with conform to international standards, to determine the penalties regarding the quantity of fishes and the size of the vessel at the time of the offence, to increase the penalty for offences regarding importation and exportation as five times of the quantity of fishes, to introduce the method of administrative penalty which is absent in the current act, and to create a sustainable and responsible fisheries culture in Sri Lanka, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

12. Disposal of defective transformers, steel and other scrap metal discarded by Ceylon Electricity Board and Lanka Electricity Company

The Cabinet of Ministers have decided that all defective transformers, steel and other scrap iron should be given to the Ceylon Industrial Development Board for providing them to small and medium scale industrialists as raw material. However, about more 3000 transformers remain in stores and they cause many issues such as lack of storage, decrease of value due to decaying, and addition of polluting agents to the environment. Therefore, the proposal made by Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Minister of Power and Energy, to authorize the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Lanka Electricity Company (Pvt) Ltd for the urgent disposal of the additional defective transformers and other scrap metal through local competitive bidding according to the Government’s Procurement Guidelines, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

13. Asian Development Bank funded Integrated Road Investment Programme –Approval to award contracts for nine (09) civil works contract packages in Central Province

Plans have been prepared for the rehabilitation of roads in the Central Province under the above programme. The proposal made by Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Minister of University Education and Highways, to award the contracts for rehabilitation of 222km of rural roads in Kandy District, 181km of rural roads in Nuwara Eliya District, and 195km of rural roads in Matale District as recommended by the Cabinet Appointed Standing Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

14. Changes in scope of works for phase III of the Outer Circular Highway (OCH) from Kerawalapitiya to Kadawatha (9.32km)

The Cabinet of Ministers have approved the award of the above contract to the Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd. (MCC) at a cost of Rs. 66.69 billion in 2013. Considering the high cost in the project and the recommendations made by professionals the scope of works was decided to change in the following manner with a reduction of cost from 35.9% i.e. Rs. 23.93 billion.

(i). Construct the expressway section with four lanes.
(ii). Reduce the length of viaducts.
(iii). Reduce the height of viaducts.

However, as the contractor disagreed on above amendments the construction of the expressway section has been delayed. A report on possible changes of scope of works without compromising safety aspects have been obtained from the Construction Supervision Consultant and accordingly the following two major changes have been proposed.

• Removal of the interchange proposed to be constructed in Peliyagoda – Puttalam road as an interchange is constructed in Kerawalapitiya.
• As phase I and II of the expressway is constructed with four lanes to construct this section also with for lanes.

The proposal made by Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Minister of University Education and Highways, to implement the project with these changes that save 14.84% i.e. Rs. 9.9 billion, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

15. Asian Development Bank funded Integrated Road Investment Programme –Approval to award contracts for providing consultancy services for project implementation in Central Province, Sabaragamuwa Province and Kaluthara District

The proposal made by Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Minister of University Education and Highways, to award the above contract as per the recommendations made by the Cabinet Appointed Standing Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

16. Asian Development Bank funded Integrated Road Investment Programme –Approval to award contracts for providing consultancy services for project implementation in North Central and North Western Province

The proposal made by Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Minister of University Education and Highways, to award the above contract as per the recommendations made by the Cabinet Appointed Standing Procurement Committee, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

17. Parliamentary Programme for the Budget 2016

The proposed parliamentary programme for the Budget 2016 submitted by Hon. Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Acting Minister of Finance, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Accordingly, the programme is as follows.

(i). Presentation of the Appropriation Bill (First Reading) – 23-10-2015
(ii). Budget Speech (Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill) – 20-11-2015
(iii). Second Reading debate (Fourteen allotted days)
(iv). Second Reading Division – 08-12-2015
(v). Committee Stage Debate (Twelve allotted days)
(vi). Third Reading Division – 22-12-2015