News
EU provides emergency assistance to flood victims
The European Union has allocated €100,000 (over 34.5 mn Sri Lankan rupees) to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to families affected by the floods that recently struck large parts of Sri Lanka, the EU mission in Colombo said yesterday (31).
The EU statement: “The aid will benefit close to 15,000 people in the worst-hit localities in Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Western provinces.
This EU funding supports the Sri Lankan Red Cross Society (SLRCS) in delivering emergency relief items, including drinking water, clothes, bed sheets and mosquito nets. In addition, affected families will receive cash grants to enable them to meet their basic needs. The assistance will also focus on cleaning up flooded areas and wells while delivering hygiene promotion campaigns. Medical camps will be set up to assist those injured in the wake of the floods.
The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The southern part of the island nation started experiencing a series of strong monsoon rains in early October, causing floods and landslides that affected more than 75,000 people in 13 districts. As a result of the continued downpours and strong winds, a number of houses, agricultural lands and crops in low-lying areas were damaged. Major traffic arteries to several districts were cut off by fallen trees. The floods left many drinking water resources contaminated. The worst affected areas were the coastal districts of Galle, Gampaha and Matara, with most parts flooded for more than a week.”
Approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 22.07.2024 to publish the draft bill of State Assets Management Act in the government gazette notification and thereby present it to the Parliament for its concurrence.
However, the draft bill couldn’t be passed in Parliament as a result of the Parliament being dissolved in the month of October 2024.
Thereafter, the draft bill was subject to further inspection by a
committee appointed which comprised of officials and authorities on the subject.
The said Committee has recognized the amendments to be made and a fundamental draft has been prepared including the proposed amendments.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to suspend further activities regarding the draft bill of State Assets Management Act published in the extraordinary gazette of 02.08.2024, and to direct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill based on the fundamental draft prepared by the subject specialists’ committee.
Considering the compliance of the Cooperative Societies’ operations with the concurrent socio – economic circumstances as well as the changes in the common law, the requirement of amending the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 of 1972 has been recognized.
A fundamental draft including proposed amendments based on the experience gained by that Commission as well as the opinions and proposals of Cooperative societies, their director board members, cooperative employees and other interested parties has been prepared.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative development to provide instructions to the Legal draftsman to prepare a draft bill to amend the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 0f 1972, based on the said fundamental draft.
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