News
COPE wants National Environmental Act amended to meet today’s requirements
Chairman of the COPE, Prof. Charitha Herath MP has instructed Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Anil Jasinghe to amend the National Environmental Act to meet the needs of the time.
The COPE Chairman said that there had been attempts to amend the National Environmental Act for two decades.
Prof. Herath said that there had been lengthy discussions about the weaknesses and loopholes of the Act, however nothing had been done to address those issues. Some institutions were opposed to amending the Act and instructed the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to hold discussions and iron out the issues, he said.
The National Environmental Act was also discussed when the COPE took into consideration an environmental audit on the import, use and post use management of plastics. Between 2012 and 2018, Sri Lanka had imported 3.35 billion kilos of plastic spending Rs. 184.3 billion.
It was also revealed that there had been a drastic, year on year, increase in plastic imports between 2012 and 2017. Since Sri Lanka did not have an optimal waste management system, the plastic imports were causing great environmental damage, the COPE Chairman said.
The COPE was of the view that the Ministry of Provincial Councils as well as local authorities themselves should play a bigger role in collecting and disposing of plastic waste. Laws regulating the use of plastic should also be strengthened, he said.
The COPE also noted that there were neither quality standards nor price controls set for biodegradable food containers and that those had to be addressed soon. Although the manufacturers claimed that those items were biodegradable; there had been no study on how they degrade when they interact with the soil, water, marine environment or at garbage disposal sites.
The CEA was also instructed to discourage the import of plastic, offer environmental friendly solutions to consumers and promote them. The Secretary of the Ministry of Environment was used to inform COPE on the progress of the National Initiative to manage Post Use Plastic Waste.
The Cabinet of Ministers had approved the National Policy on Waste management on October 10, 2019; however it had not been implemented, COPE commented.
In terms of the provisions of the Establishments Code on payment of festival advance to government officers, there’s a possibility of obtaining rupees 10,000/- as an advance for celebrating festivals of Theipongal, Ramazan, Sinhala and Hindu New Year, Wesak, Deepavali, and Christmas as well as for pilgrimages (Sri Paada pilgrimage and Hajj pilgrimage).
Provisions have been given to recover the said advance in 08 installments or if required earlier without interest. It has been proposed by the Budget 2026 to increase the said festival advance up to rupees 15,000/-.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal submitted by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local governments to revise the relevant provisions so that the festival advance can be increased up to rupees 15,000/- .
As per the approval given by the cabinet meeting held on 02-06-2025, action is being taken at present to offer the underutilized lands/properties of the Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation, the Janatha Etate Development Board, and the Elkaduwa Plantation Company which are under the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure which have been identified under stage one to suitable investors.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Plantations and Community Infrastructure to provide following lands/properties on a lease basis to the suitable investors for optimal utilization following the prescribed procurement procedure.
• underutilized lands/properties identified under stage two owned by the Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation, the Janatha Estate Development Board, and the Elkaduwa Plantation
Company,
• The Mawarala watte land and the Tea factory 40.48 hectares in extent, located in Matara District belonging to the Tea Shakthi Fund.
• The underutilized land of 1,541 hectares in extent of Kondachchi Estate is enjoyed by the Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation.
The drafting of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy has commenced with the objective of equitable distribution of the benefits of the fisheries industry and the sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture. This policy has been updated from time to time according to current requirements. However, steps have not been taken to obtain the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers for that purpose.
According to the policy declaration of the present government, ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor’ the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy has been redrafted, updating the aforementioned policy in line with the economic and development objectives of the government.
The recommendations of the Department of National Planning have been received for the drafted policy.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Marine
Resources to implement the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, integrating it with other relevant policies.
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Festival advance for government officers to be increased
Providing underutilized lands/properties to suitable investors for optimal utilization.
Implementation of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy
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