News
China signs agreement with SL to grant 600 million RMB yuan to be utilised in high priority areas here
China has signed an agreement with Sri Lanka to grant LKR 16.5 billion (600 million RMB yuan) to be utilised in high priority areas here such as medical care, education and water supply in rural areas of Sri Lanka, to ensure the well-being of her people in a post-COVID era.
The Chinese Embassy, in Colomb, yesterday said in a media statement that the agreement had been signed by S.R. Attygalle, Treasury Secretary of the Ministry of Finance of Sri Lanka and Wang Xiaotao, Chairman of China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) on the sidelines of member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC,)Yang Jiechi’s visit to Sri Lanka.
The embassy said that both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa appreciated the gesture on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government and people.
Jiechi, and Mahinda Rajapaksa went through other Chinese grant projects such as the National Nephrology (Kidney Disease) Hospital in Polonnaruwa and the new Out-Patient Department (OPD) of National Hospital in Colombo etc. and expressed their satisfaction on the good progress despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
News
Amendment of the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted at their meeting held on 19.05.2025 in order to introduce amendments to the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017 including the proposed tax revisions to enhance the tax structure paving way for state financial integrity based on revenue.
Accordingly, the revised draft bill has been prepared by the legal draftsman and clearance of the Attorney General has been received.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for
the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Policy Planning and Economic Development to publish the aforementioned draft bill in the government gazette notification and subsequently, forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
News
Cabinet nod for “National Mineral Policy” – 2026
The National Mineral Policy was prepared for the first time in the year 1999, and the aforementioned policy has been amended in 2023 to cover matters such as preparing an updated data system related to mineral resources, adding value to the export of minerals, encouraging mineral-related industrialists, extracting mineral resources and managing the environment sustainably, and resolving the issues related to the ownership of the land arising in extracting mineral resources.
The revised National Mineral Policy has been reupdated in line with the manifesto “A Sustainable Resource Utilization – Generation of the Highest Benefit” under the policy statement of the current government” A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life.”
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution presented by the Minister of Industries and
Entrepreneurship to implement the so-formulated “National Mineral Policy—2026.”
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