President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasized that it is an imperative of the era to establish a sports culture in order to form a healthy, disciplined and an athletic society in the country.

Sport is the youth’s language. President noted that directing a child simultaneously towards both education and sports will raise a balanced individual for society.

President stated that Ministries of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports have a massive responsibility to bear in this regard.

President Rajapaksa made these comments during a discussion to review the future activities of the State Ministry of Rural and School Sports Infrastructure Promotion at the Presidential Secretariat today(September 16).

President stressed the requirement of a program to hone the skills of the students who show talents in sports across the island by providing them proper nutritious food and access to international level training from a young age.

President highlighted that despite the construction of school playgrounds following requests by the people, it was evident on multiple occasions that they had not been maintained accordingly. President added that simple maintenance tasks such as cutting grass are cheap and bearable.

President advised the officials to establish a separate unit to maintain school playgrounds at district level.

Provincial Government bodies have the capability to maintain school playgrounds. Head of the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival, Mr. Basil Rajapaksa requested to make school playgrounds cleaned within 3 months.

Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs, Namal Rajapaksa noted that plans have been devised to attach the National Institute of Sports Science at Torrington Avenue with the Diyagama Sports Complex to establish a globally recognized Sports University.

Minister Namal Rajapaksa added that in order to create a sports culture it is necessary to look for locations young are attracted to play and construct playgrounds accordingly.

Minister further added that during the past month they have focused on tasks such as taking all the major playgrounds under the purview of one institute, maintaining 25 fully accommodated playgrounds, new proposals for the sports ordinance and formulation of a brand new sports act and attracting sponsorships from the private sector to promote sports.

State Minister Thenuka Vidanagamage showed the importance of developing sports at divisional level.

President stated that it was necessary to identify popular sports in remote areas and train sportsmen and sportswomen under training programs immediately.

Member of the Sports Council Kumar Sangakkara highlighted the importance of ranking each sport and training sportspersons targeting international games.

In addition, Mr Sangakkara also shared a suggestion to promote providing marks for sports talents in university entrance to popularize sports as well as to breed national level sportspersons within university network.

It was also discussed during the meeting to make a full scale restructure of Sugathadasa National Sports Complex Authority.

Moreover, mastering sports such as archery and the shooting which have a chance at winning Olympic medals, from the school level were discussed.

Cabinet and State Ministers requested the Sri Lankan sportspersons around the globe to gather under the national flag to bring glory to the motherland.

Minister of Education, Prof. G.L. Peiris, Head of the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President, P.B. Jayasundera, Secretaries to the Cabinet and State Ministries, officials of the Line Institutes, representatives from Sports associations and veteran sports personnel were present at the discussion.

• No vehicle parking on pedestrian walkways of main roads
• New bridges to replace hanging bridges, wooden plank bridges, and small bridges
• Steps to plant 2 million plants along roads

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa assigned the officials to complete the project for the construction of 100,000km of rural roads and connect them with the main road network by 2024.

It’s a right of the citizenry to have their transportation requirement satisfied speedily with convenience, and security. Considering the unsuitability and fractured inter-connection in the existing road system, establishment of an efficient and advanced road system was promised in the national policy framework “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour”.

President emphasized that the project to construct 100,00km of rural roads needs to adhere to environmental guidelines.

President made these comments during the discussion to review future activities of the State Ministry of Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure Facilities at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday(September 15).

The President stated that new bridges will be built replacing hanging, wooden plank and small bridges. The construction of 8000km of roads has commenced and 400km of it has already been completed in the last few months.

President Rajapaksa noted that the District Secretaries are tasked with ensuring the supply of required soil, stones and sand for the constructions. President emphasized that prior approval should be granted to those who seek necessary resources from the authorities such as Wildlife Conservation and Archaeological Departments at district level meetings.

It was also decided during the discussion to plant 2 million trees along the main roads to shelter the pedestrians.

President highlighted that no room should be left for interruptions and delays in the construction process.  “The supervision of the constructions should be carried out by both government representatives and contractors and no subcontracts are allowed”. President added.

President advised to strictly prohibit vehicle parking on the pedestrian walkways along the main roads. President further added that it should be made mandatory to allocate parking spaces when residential flats and shopping complexes are constructed.

Minster Johnston Fernando, State Minister Nimal Lansa, Head of the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival, Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President, P.B. Jayasundera, Cabinet and State Ministry secretaries, officials of the Line Departments and representatives of the contract companies were present at the discussion.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa handed over letters of appointment to 12 new High Court judges at the Presidential Secretariat today (14).

Name of the Judge                                                   Position previously held

1. Mr. W. A. Perera                                                District Judge

2.  Ms. C. Meegoda                                               District Judge

3.Miss. A. I. K. Ranaweera                                    District Judge

4.Miss. K. S. L. Jayaratne                                     Chief Magistrate

5.Mr. R. S. A. Dissanayake                                   Magistrate

6.Mr. W. M. M. Thalgodapitiya                             District Judge

7.Miss. T. W. W. M. R. C.P. Kumari Dela             District Judge

8.Mr. H. S. Ponnamperuma                                 District Judge

9.Miss. S. I. Kalingawansa                                   Additional District Judge

10.Mr. D. A. R. Pathirana                                      Magistrate

11.Ms. N. T. Wickremasekara                              Senior State Counsel

12.Ms. A. G. U. S. N. K. Seneviratne                   Senior State Counsel

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed officials to implement a short-term and long-term plan in collaboration with the public, private sectors and small-scale farmers to meet the local demand for liquid milk.

The President stressed the need to improve grass cultivation, dairy cow breeding and research institute services in order to achieve the set targets expeditiously.

President Rajapaksa made these remarks during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat today (14) on the future activities of the State Ministry of Livestock Farm Promotion and Dairy and Egg Related Industries.

Less than 40% of the country’s annual liquid milk requirement is produced locally. As a result, people are deprived of the opportunity to consume nutritious fresh liquid milk. The President has pledged to increase liquid milk production in the next decade in his National Policy Framework ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’.

The Government intends to expand the research activities that would help in introducing new breeds of dairy cattle suitable for different geographical areas of the country.

During this meeting the cultivation of high quality grasses and cattle feed production to increase the production of milk, was discussed at length.

Small scale dairy farmers provide 85% of the total liquid milk production. ‘They should be strengthened and steps should be taken to increase the percentage’, said Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, the Head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival. Farmers are discouraged due to the rising cost of production per liter of milk. Mr. Basil Rajapaksa pointed out the need to provide dairy farmers cattle feed including grasses under concessionary rates. It was pointed out that farmers should be encouraged at the institutional level to produce animal feed needed for both the public and private sector.

While highlighting the importance of involvement of the Central Environmental Authority in resolving issues related to animal husbandries, the President said that these measures should not be a burden on the farmer.

Mr. Basil Rajapaksa said animal farms run traditionally should not be closed down based on complaints by the public without conducting an investigation.

Measures have been taken to rear 15,000 milking cows with the assistance of 15 estate companies with the aim of increasing the dairy production, Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage said.

Expanding the production of chicken and eggs and diverting large scale producers to the export market was also discussed during the meeting. Investors of the private sector said they anticipate foreign exchange earnings of USD 16 million in 2020 by exporting eggs, chicken and related products.

Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera, Secretaries to Cabinet and State Ministries, heads of line institutes and several private-sector investors were also present during the meeting.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasized that the tea industry which has suffered a severe setback should be revived based on a holistic approach.

Experts in the field pointed out that long, medium and short –term plans should be implemented after scrutinizing loss making estates in order to increase tea exportation and its revenue. President said the the objective should be to reclaim the status enjoyed by Ceylon Tea in the global market in the past while identifying the factors contributed to the downfall of the industry.

President made these remarks during a meeting to discuss future activities of the State Ministry of Company Establishment Reforms, Tea Estate Crops, Tea Factory Modernization and Tea Export Diversification held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (7).

10 out of the 20 major plantation companies are inoperative. It was revealed that the production capacity of plantation companies has been declining rapidly in an environment where the small tea estates achieve higher production. The President instructed the officials to identify causes for losses and inactivity of these companies within a short period of time and to provide permanent solutions for these issues. It was decided to hand over loss-making plantations companies to the tea smallholders as a pilot project.

‘Losses at plantation companies should be thoroughly investigated in a context of where the infrastructure facilities including roads, hospitals, schools and sanitation have been provided by the government’, said the Head of the  Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival, Basil Rajapaksa. During this meeting the need to rehabilitate tea estates and regularize cultivation to produce higher yields was discussed detail.

Mr. Basil Rajapaksa pointed out the need to provide reliefs to tea growers to engage in self-employment or other livelihoods until the tea plants reach the yielding stage.

Experts believe that the setback in the tea industry is caused due to ignorance of the findings made by researches in the field. They highlighted the requirement of prioritizing research developments and pursuing new markets for the product. Attention was also paid to the possibility of expanding the Bio tea industry and securing a better profit from its high demand in the world market. President Rajapaksa emphasized the importance of strengthening the plantation management and supervision.

Representatives from the small tea estate sector commended the President for his wise decisions taken during the curfew period under COVID 19 pandemic which protected nearly 421,000 small tea estate owners across the country.

Minister Ramesh Pathirana, State Minister Kanaka Herath, Head of the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival, Basil Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President, P.B. Jayasundera, Secretaries of the Cabinets and State Ministries, Officials of the Line institutes, representatives from the tea estate owners and planters were present at the discussion.

Several decisions pertaining to the welfare of the public and the progress of the society were taken during the meeting between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and all State Ministers held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (10).

Increasing the number of National Schools to 1,000 in the country is one such decision. Some of the existing National Schools are there only for the name. There are no adequate facilities available. These schools will also be developed expeditiously.

President and the State Ministers decided to appoint District Educational Committees for the development of school network. It was also decided to strengthen the liaison between zonal offices and divisional offices. The opportunity to contribute to any activity that will ensure the progress of the school system except transfer of teachers and admission of students is available for politicians. However, the President pointed out, it is only for the benefit of society and not for political interference.

Attention was drawn during the meeting to appoint Acting Principals to fill existing vacancies in Principal Grades. Teaching exams should be held once a year according to the Teacher Service regulations. The main reason for vacancies in Principal posts is due to the failure to conduct these examinations in a methodical manner. It was also decided to explore the possibility of appointing competent and experienced teachers in schools as Acting Principals.

Flooding in urban areas during the rainy season was another topic taken up for discussion. Even a minor rain would inundate the City of Colombo. “We introduced a permanent solution for this problem. It was not operative during the last 5 years and the issue remains. The responsibilities have been assigned to multiple institutes and it is one of the reasons for this failure.” President emphasized the significance of avoiding such weaknesses and resolving these issues immediately.

President and State Ministers, while taking the issues related to medical field into consideration, discussed the need for the amendment of the medical ordinance. Implementation of a proper procedure in importing medicine and amendments in regulations for importation practices were agreed during the discussion.

“We are capable of not only meeting the local medical requirements but also can claim a share in the global supply.  We have investors stand by, if we can accomplish this it will be a historical victory for Sri Lanka” Head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival Basil Rajapaksa noted.

It was discussed in detail the need to implement more effective measures aimed at controlling illicit drug trade while establishing Civil Defence Committees to assist the exercise of eradicating the drug menace.

The President also pointed out the importance of public service that can actively contribute to the development process of the country while improving the efficiency of their service. Some officials are afraid to take decisions. This situation must be changed. President Rajapaksa emphasized the need for politicians and government officials to work together to make the public service more efficient and streamlined.

Secretary to President, P.B. Jayasundera also participated in the discussion.

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.