Blog

Dr. Subramanian Swamy, a senior politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a member of the Rajya Sabha in India, engaged in a cordial meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (13).

Dr. Swamy, who has held several ministerial portfolios, advocated for a strong friendly relationship between Sri Lanka and India and held the strong view that India should assist in defeating terrorism in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Swamy, who is an economist and statistician, was also a speaker at the conferences organised by the President during his tenure as the Defence Secretary.

The President expressed his pleasure to meet Dr. Swamy during his visit to Sri Lanka.

A new Circular will be issued to give effect to the process of issuance of permits for mining, transportation and trade of metals, sand, soil, gravel and clay.

The President appointed a Presidential Task Force to study the exploitation of Geological resources for development, priorities and self-employment and to meet micro level economic livelihood needs of those engaged in traditional vocations and the sources and methodologies of extraction of such resources.

The Task Force is entrusted with the tasks of introducing a system to issue permits while giving priority to the environmental conservation in order to avoid difficulties faced by the public, private institutions as well as statutory government agencies in the process of excavation, transportation and trade of geological resources.

Cabinet approval has been granted to the “Code of Mining Minerals, Transportation and Trade for the Construction Industry” which contain instructions on new methods prepared by the Presidential Task Force. Accordingly, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera has directed through the new Circular that all the relevant Heads of Institutions should take immediate steps to regulate the mining, transportation and trade of metals, sand, soil, gravel and clay.

The Presidential Task Force on geological resources has suggested that tasks such as early identification of geological resources, excavation sites, mapping them, identification of the institutions that own those geological resources and obtaining the necessary clearance certificates should be implemented within a single agency structure. All relevant statutory government agencies should create or reform the administrative structure required operating within a single system instead of the methods previously implemented in isolation.

The circular stated that the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) should take necessary steps to completely reorganize the programme that has been implemented so far with regard to the issuance of permits as instructed in the chapters of the Code.

The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau should take steps to prevent clients from obtaining clearances from several institutions unnecessarily. The circular also states that steps should be taken to delegate the necessary powers to the District Secretaries, Divisional Secretaries, Grama Niladharis and other officials and to provide them with the necessary legal documents as proposed.

Steps should be taken to issue the relevant clearances or environment related certificates within the time period recommended by the Presidential Task Force. There is a possibility that existing regulations, gazette notifications and circulars could be amended.

Since the necessary approval has been granted by the Cabinet, the heads of relevant statutory bodies should take action to complete amendments, if there are any, without delay.

Prior to the issuance of a mining permit, the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau collects the fees on behalf of all the relevant government agencies and the money should be credited to an income resource under the Ministry of Environment. The circular further states that no fees other than those stipulated by the Manual for Minerals, Transport and Trade used in the construction industry should be imposed or revised without the consent of the Finance Ministry Secretary.

The Presidential Task Force has observed the environmental issues occurring during the extraction of geological resources, the public protests that are taking place over them, as well as the lack of coordination between the agencies in providing solutions to these issues. All institutions should make a concerted effort to implement the recommendations and to properly address the opposition made by the public, and the District and National Monitoring Committees should meet immediately to take necessary decisions.

The Ministry of Environment should implement the necessary programme and monitor implementation in order to obtain maximum support from all statutory bodies for the methods approved by the Cabinet. Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera has further informed through the circular to provide him with a comprehensive report if a statutory body fails to provide the necessary support in this regard.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s goal is to utilize the telecommunication development fees to develop the communication infrastructure in remote areas, says the Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, Oshada Senanayake.

He also said that as the communication is a strong factor in the national economy, steps have been taken according to the advice of the President to implement a programme aiming the national economy through the communication sector, not limiting to dividends.

The Director General made these remarks addressing the media briefing organized by the Presidential Media Centre through video technology, today (14) under the theme ‘Communication to the Village’.

The Director General said that plans are afoot to commence the works to complete 100% broadband coverage in 10 districts before the end of this year under the ‘Communication to the Village’ National Programme and to provide broadband coverage island wide covering the remaining districts before the end of 2022.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka has taken steps to provide all necessary facilities to the communication service providers and the Telecommunication Fund will bear 50% of the cost of the towers to be constructed under the ‘Communication to the Village’ Programme, he further said.

The Director General pointed out that even though the communication towers were constructed previously with material imported from foreign countries, now the towers are being produced locally empowering a new economic sector.

Although the technical equipment installed in the coverage areas are currently used for 4G technology, they are designed to be compatible with 5G technology with the upcoming technological revolution.

Online employment is a trend in developed countries. It was revealed that in the future it will also apply to Sri Lanka and with the COVID-19 pandemic the demand for internet communication services has increased by 40%.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) pointed out that the time has come to attract foreign investors by empowering communication infrastructure, which will help boost the current USD 1.5 million foreign earnings in the information and computer services sector to USD 1.8 million this year. It was also revealed that this amount could be increased to USD 3 million by 2024.

The government’s target is to enable online education in all schools in the country through a fiber-optic internet facility in the near future. It was mentioned that the concept of smart classrooms will help to overcome the shortage of teachers for subjects such as English, Science, Mathematics and Computer Technology and it is currently being tested as a pilot project in collaboration with the Education Ministry and has shown progress.
Responding to the questions from the journalists, the Director General said that the government took steps to reduce all communication fees in order to achieve the objectives of the ‘Communication to the Village’ project. Cabinet approval has been granted to amend the Telecommunication Act. He pointed out that this would be a decisive factor in resolving existing issues.

Mr. Senanayake said that the country needs plans for better use of technology and that the preliminary work required to establish a Cyber Protection Agency and a Data Security Regulatory Body through new amendments has already begun.

Mr. Senanayake said it was the policy of the government to protect the consumer when empowering the telecommunications sector. He said the approval has been granted to the necessary legal process to streamline the operating framework by setting up a central clearance agency and systems through all telephone operators as the next step in implementing the Number Portability service for all telephone subscribers.

‘Communication to the Village’ Project Director Sriyani Mawellage and Director (Competition) Indrajith Handapangoda also participated in the media briefing.

 

 

(2021-10-10 Anuradhapura, Saliyapura, Gajaba Regiment)

It was a great pleasure to participate in today’s parade and other ceremonies, which were held to mark the 72nd Army Day. As a young person, I started my life serving in the military. I served in the Army for 20 years. Subsequently, I served as the Secretary of Defence for 10 years. I began my military career in the Signal Corps.  Next I served in the Sinha Regiment. After that a new regiment called ‘Rajarata Rifles’ was established at this place when General Denis Perera was the Army Commander. I came to that regiment as a Founding Officer. I also chose this premise for the headquarters.

Today, I can see that some buildings have changed a lot. After sometime it became the Gajaba Regiment. As a young officer, I spent most of my time serving the Gajaba Regiment. Coming to this place makes me feel like I came home. Particularly, when we served in the Gajaba Regiment, under the leadership of General Vijaya Wimalaratne, who led the Regiment, I, the Defence Secretary, the Commander of the Army and other Senior Officers, learned what do we mean by Army? What is leadership? How to fight without fear? How to train an army? How to lead an army for the country?

I am very proud of this place. For the first time in the history of our country, I am proud to say that I was able to become the Commander-in-Chief and the President of the country without being a politician. I was able to do that, because as an army officer I fulfilled my respective duties towards the country. As the Secretary of Defence, I rendered my service to the country. That is why the people trusted me and elected me as the President of this country. I believe that all of you too can be proud of that.

Especially today we have to thank the Tri- forces in recognition of their service rendered to the country over the past two years. The commitment you showed to control the COVID-19 pandemic we faced. The service you rendered in collaboration with the health sector and others, especially in the quarantine process and vaccination drive, is excellent.

It is because of your service that we have been able to become one of the top countries in the world in vaccination to control the COVID-19 pandemic. I will be grateful to everyone for that.

Also, when I came to power I said that I would give priority to the national security of this country. I have taken the necessary steps to ensure national security, taking it as a matter of policy. I have also taken steps to appoint most suitable officers for their respective appropriate places as the Secretary of Defence or as the Commanders of the Armed Forces or as Intelligence Officers. Also, I have elevated the mentality of the Tri-forces and the intelligence services. Levelling allegations against military personnel and intelligence officers have been stopped and they have been given the necessary powers to carry out their duties.  It is our paramount responsibility to ensure that there is no room for recurrence of terrorism in this country. We defeated the separatist terrorism. Now we need to stabilize the security thus achieved.

We need to address the issues that caused terrorism. We should develop those provinces. It is necessary to raise the living standards of the people in those areas.

Next one, the extremist religious terrorism, is a global phenomenon. We have to face it.  We have to act in a way which will obstruct any room for such a thing in this country, it is not an attack on any religion, and it is a situation that we all and the entire world know today. We have to face it. We need to protect our country. I have promised it to the people. I am committed to fulfilling that promise.

The people elected me as the President of this country with high hopes. From the day I was elected, during the last two years we had to face such a situation that the world has never seen before in its history. We have been fighting for the last two years to control the COVID-19 pandemic. We were compelled to take various measures such as lockdowns and implementations of various restrictions to control the spread of this disease, these measures had a huge impact on our economy.  But, I do not make any excuses.

However, we have done a lot of work for the people under these circumstances. The people may have a sense of displeasure towards me and the government for not delivering as they expected. I accept that. Not only me but all ministers and MPs should accept it. However, I promise on behalf of the people that we will move the country forward with new vigor by controlling the COVID pandemic and by opening up the country under new normalcy. Everyone needs to work together for this purpose.

Especially the bringing in of a new Constitution, as I promised then, will be delivered within the next year. In particular, I will also establish the new electoral system that the people have been expecting.

As I was ascending the steps to worship the Ruwanwelisaya, a young monk told me that; “the President said ‘one country one law’ will be introduced and that we were waiting for it”. I will fulfill that promise within this year.

Establishing green agriculture in this country was something I promised. It’s a difficult change. I know that many of you have come from the villages. I know that parents and relatives are engaged in agriculture. I was influenced to create a green agriculture using organic fertilizer because it was a promise that I made and also because that’s the right thing to do. That is what we must do for the people and for the future generation. It’s difficult. I always work with dedication towards the farming community, as about 75% of the population lives in rural areas. The livelihood of most of them is agriculture. Who has kidney disease? Who has various other diseases?

Especially in the areas where these farmers live, we need to move away from chemical fertilizers and embrace green agriculture on behalf of our future generation.

I was the one who made available free fertilizer to the farmer. I was the one who increased the guaranteed price of paddy to Rs.50. I want to increase the income of this majority of the people engaged in agriculture, the farming community, and provide them with better living standards. Place your trust in me. Let us fulfill this task together.

I also promised that we would take the country forward in terms of renewable energy. We do not possess oil, gas, or coal. We have water, solar power and wind. We need to enhance our energy through these sources.

If someone says a new coal power plant should be built, it’s hilarious. I’m not ready for that. Today, the entire world is moving away from that. We have to commit to it.

To uplift the living standards of the people; especially the tourism industry that has been collapsed. Large numbers of people depend on the industry. We do receive large foreign exchange revenue. We need to control COVID-19 for this. Gradually foreigners have begun to arrive. We will work with commitment over the next few years to uplift our economy.

The people expected me to end corruption. It was with that hope that I appointed military officers to senior positions in various departments. It’s a big challenge but we have to do it. At all levels, whether ministers, MPs or officials, we must eradicate corruption for the sake of the country. I have set an example. I am not engaged in any corruption and will not engage in such activities in any way in the future as well. As the President, I have reduced expenditures as much as possible. I have set an example. I requested the Cabinet to set the same example. I urge the people to help prevent this corruption. I urge the officials to work efficiently in the public service on behalf of the people. We look forward to the support of everyone in moving this country towards prosperity in the next few years.

A good parade was held today. It deserves my praise. As an Army, it’s about services as well as the training. All the armies in the world today are engaged not only in combat but also in nation building. You fulfill many tasks towards that and I hope you will continue to do so in the future as well.

Especially, you have established a new regiment dedicated to agriculture. I thank you for these endeavors and I extend wishes to you for a prosperous future!

 

 

No excuses. Extend support to move forward the country accurately, under the notion of one country and one law without corruption..

President says.

No need to give excuses. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa urged all Sri Lankans to extend their support to move forward the country accurately, under the notion of one country and one law without corruption.

The economy had fallen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, a large number of works have been done for the benefit of the people during that period.

The armed forces in the world are committed not only to war but also to nation building. Our Tri-forces extended their support to the health sector in carrying out the vaccination drive and quarantine process in order to control the spread of COVID-19. President Rajapaksa expressed gratitude to everyone for their commitment in this regard.

The President made these remarks at a ceremony held at the Gajaba Regiment Headquarters, Saliyapura, Anuradhapura, today (10) to mark the 72nd Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Army.

The Sri Lanka Army was established under the Army Act No. 17 of 1949. The Sri Lanka Army consists of 25 infantry, support and service regiments which have played a major role to ensure the security of the country.

The ceremony was organized adhering to health guidelines.  President Rajapaksa inaugurated the newly constructed drill ground at the Gajaba Regiment Camp at Saliyapura and handed it over to the war heroes.

Later, the President observed the parade.

Over the past two years, national security has been given the priority by uplifting the self-esteem of the three Armed Forces and the Intelligence Services, by properly delegating their respective duties. The President emphasized that he was committed to protecting the country from any recurrence of acts of terrorism or religious extremism.

The President assured that steps would be taken to introduce a new constitution and a new electoral system as promised to the people.

President Rajapaksa said that corruption and fraud would not be tolerated and that all officials should work for the people by making a commitment in this regard.

After addressing the gathering, the President paid tribute to the statue of Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne at the Gajaba Regiment Headquarters and paid a courtesy call on the Regiment Headquarters.

President Rajapaksa inaugurated the new administrative building and stadium of the Gajaba Regiment Headquarters and laid the foundation stone for the pavilion. The President inspected the quarters of junior and senior rank officers and the military vehicles that had been repaired and put into operation by the Engineering Corps of the Gajaba Regiment.

Army Commander General Shavendra Silva presented a memento to the President marking his visit to the Gajaba Regiment Headquarters.

President Rajapaksa placed a note on the book for the special guests and planted a sapling marking his visit to the Gajaba Regiment Headquarters.

Defence Secretary General (Retired) Kamal Gunaratne, Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander General Shavendra Silva and Army Chiefs were also present on the occasion.

The speech delivered by His Excellency the President at the 72nd Army Day Celebration

(2021-10-10 Anuradhapura, Saliyapura, Gajaba Regiment)

It was a great pleasure to participate in today’s parade and other ceremonies, which were held to mark the 72nd Army Day. As a young person, I started my life serving in the military. I served in the Army for 20 years. Subsequently, I served as the Secretary of Defence for 10 years. I began my military career in the Signal Corps.  Next I served in the Sinha Regiment. After that a new regiment called ‘Rajarata Rifles’ was established at this place when General Denis Perera was the Army Commander. I came to that regiment as a Founding Officer. I also chose this premise for the headquarters.

Today, I can see that some buildings have changed a lot. After sometime it became the Gajaba Regiment. As a young officer, I spent most of my time serving the Gajaba Regiment. Coming to this place makes me feel like I came home. Particularly, when we served in the Gajaba Regiment, under the leadership of General Vijaya Wimalaratne, who led the Regiment, I, the Defence Secretary, the Commander of the Army and other Senior Officers, learned what do we mean by Army? What is leadership? How to fight without fear? How to train an army? How to lead an army for the country?

I am very proud of this place. For the first time in the history of our country, I am proud to say that I was able to become the Commander-in-Chief and the President of the country without being a politician. I was able to do that, because as an army officer I fulfilled my respective duties towards the country. As the Secretary of Defence, I rendered my service to the country. That is why the people trusted me and elected me as the President of this country. I believe that all of you too can be proud of that.

Especially today we have to thank the Tri- forces in recognition of their service rendered to the country over the past two years. The commitment you showed to control the COVID-19 pandemic we faced. The service you rendered in collaboration with the health sector and others, especially in the quarantine process and vaccination drive, is excellent.

It is because of your service that we have been able to become one of the top countries in the world in vaccination to control the COVID-19 pandemic. I will be grateful to everyone for that.

Also, when I came to power I said that I would give priority to the national security of this country. I have taken the necessary steps to ensure national security, taking it as a matter of policy. I have also taken steps to appoint most suitable officers for their respective appropriate places as the Secretary of Defence or as the Commanders of the Armed Forces or as Intelligence Officers. Also, I have elevated the mentality of the Tri-forces and the intelligence services. Levelling allegations against military personnel and intelligence officers have been stopped and they have been given the necessary powers to carry out their duties.  It is our paramount responsibility to ensure that there is no room for recurrence of terrorism in this country. We defeated the separatist terrorism. Now we need to stabilize the security thus achieved.

We need to address the issues that caused terrorism. We should develop those provinces. It is necessary to raise the living standards of the people in those areas.

Next one, the extremist religious terrorism, is a global phenomenon. We have to face it.  We have to act in a way which will obstruct any room for such a thing in this country, it is not an attack on any religion, and it is a situation that we all and the entire world know today. We have to face it. We need to protect our country. I have promised it to the people. I am committed to fulfilling that promise.

The people elected me as the President of this country with high hopes. From the day I was elected, during the last two years we had to face such a situation that the world has never seen before in its history. We have been fighting for the last two years to control the COVID-19 pandemic. We were compelled to take various measures such as lockdowns and implementations of various restrictions to control the spread of this disease, these measures had a huge impact on our economy.  But, I do not make any excuses.

However, we have done a lot of work for the people under these circumstances. The people may have a sense of displeasure towards me and the government for not delivering as they expected. I accept that. Not only me but all ministers and MPs should accept it. However, I promise on behalf of the people that we will move the country forward with new vigor by controlling the COVID pandemic and by opening up the country under new normalcy. Everyone needs to work together for this purpose.

Especially the bringing in of a new Constitution, as I promised then, will be delivered within the next year. In particular, I will also establish the new electoral system that the people have been expecting.

As I was ascending the steps to worship the Ruwanwelisaya, a young monk told me that; “the President said ‘one country one law’ will be introduced and that we were waiting for it”. I will fulfill that promise within this year.

Establishing green agriculture in this country was something I promised. It’s a difficult change. I know that many of you have come from the villages. I know that parents and relatives are engaged in agriculture. I was influenced to create a green agriculture using organic fertilizer because it was a promise that I made and also because that’s the right thing to do. That is what we must do for the people and for the future generation. It’s difficult. I always work with dedication towards the farming community, as about 75% of the population lives in rural areas. The livelihood of most of them is agriculture. Who has kidney disease? Who has various other diseases?

Especially in the areas where these farmers live, we need to move away from chemical fertilizers and embrace green agriculture on behalf of our future generation.

I was the one who made available free fertilizer to the farmer. I was the one who increased the guaranteed price of paddy to Rs.50. I want to increase the income of this majority of the people engaged in agriculture, the farming community, and provide them with better living standards. Place your trust in me. Let us fulfill this task together.

I also promised that we would take the country forward in terms of renewable energy. We do not possess oil, gas, or coal. We have water, solar power and wind. We need to enhance our energy through these sources.

If someone says a new coal power plant should be built, it’s hilarious. I’m not ready for that. Today, the entire world is moving away from that. We have to commit to it.

To uplift the living standards of the people; especially the tourism industry that has been collapsed. Large numbers of people depend on the industry. We do receive large foreign exchange revenue. We need to control COVID-19 for this. Gradually foreigners have begun to arrive. We will work with commitment over the next few years to uplift our economy.

The people expected me to end corruption. It was with that hope that I appointed military officers to senior positions in various departments. It’s a big challenge but we have to do it. At all levels, whether ministers, MPs or officials, we must eradicate corruption for the sake of the country. I have set an example. I am not engaged in any corruption and will not engage in such activities in any way in the future as well. As the President, I have reduced expenditures as much as possible. I have set an example. I requested the Cabinet to set the same example. I urge the people to help prevent this corruption. I urge the officials to work efficiently in the public service on behalf of the people. We look forward to the support of everyone in moving this country towards prosperity in the next few years.

A good parade was held today. It deserves my praise. As an Army, it’s about services as well as the training. All the armies in the world today are engaged not only in combat but also in nation building. You fulfill many tasks towards that and I hope you will continue to do so in the future as well.

Especially, you have established a new regiment dedicated to agriculture. I thank you for these endeavors and I extend wishes to you for a prosperous future!

 

 

 

 

• Vaccines to be administered at the relevant school

 

It was decided to vaccinate the school children in the age group of 18-19 years from 21st Thursday. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed the health and education sector authorities to provide all children with the opportunity to be vaccinated at the school where they are studying.

The President made these remarks during the meeting of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Control held through video conference this morning (08).

The President emphasized that vaccination programme in each school should be done under the supervision of a doctor. The children in that age group who have left the schools would be vaccinated by the medical officers attached to the Health Office in the area. It was revealed that 100% of the population over the age of 60 and 98% of the population over the age of 30 has been vaccinated. The President also instructed the relevant officials to take steps immediately to vaccinate those who are in the age group of 20-30.

More than 10,000 children with congenital diseases between the ages of 12 and 19 have been vaccinated so far. The Provincial Directors of Health Services stated that vaccination of these children will be carried out continuously in all hospital clinics in the country.

The COVID-19 Control Committee decided that the existing inter-provincial travel restriction should remain in place until the 21st of October. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa extended his thanks to all parties, including the health and security sectors, who contributed to the success of the vaccination drive.

President orders Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.

 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has ordered the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to launch an immediate investigation into the Sri Lankans and the related transactions revealed in the Pandora Papers and submit a report in a month.

It was published in the media that according to the papers, information has come to light that a Sri Lankan citizen or citizens in relation to maintaining large cash deposits.

The President has instructed to submit a report on this information within a month from today (06).

Director General of Legal Affairs of the Presidential Secretariat, Attorney-at-Law Harigupta Rohanadeera has informed the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in this regard, in writing as per the order of the President.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) Director General for South Asia Department Kenichi Yokoyama has assured President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that the ADB will support the promotion of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided a $ 750 million concessional loan last year for projects in Sri Lanka. Mr. Yokoyama said that the ADB will take steps to increase that amount to $ 1 billion next year.

The Director General made these remarks when he met with President Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat, today (05).

Mr. Yokoyama further noted that the success of the COVID-19 vaccination drive demonstrates Sri Lanka’s ability to overcome challenges.

The President pointed out that the entire public service and the health and security sectors had worked together to make the vaccination programme and the COVID eradication process a success.

The government’s objective is to reduce the use of fossil fuels and move towards the use of renewable energy sources. A number of solar and wind power generation projects have been planned for this purpose. The government has also taken a policy decision to use organic fertilizer. The President also requested for Mr. Yokoyama’s intervention to provide technical assistance for the production of organic fertilizer and nitrogen extraction.

The Government’s aim is to uplift the income and living standards of those who make up 90% of the rural population that are engaged in agriculture. The President also pointed out the need to increase the forest cover through economically viable cultivations and sought the assistance of the Asian Development Bank.

Asian Development Bank Country Director Chen Chen, Deputy Director Utsav Kumar, Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera and Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga were also present.

 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says that as the oldest democratic country in the region, which has never been under a dictatorship or an authoritarian regime in any period of its history, Sri Lanka will provide solutions for issues through a democratic system.

The President made these remarks during a discussion with a delegation from the European Union (EU) at his private residence in Mirihana, today (04).

The delegation is expected to review Sri Lanka’s compliance with the agreements which Sri Lanka has already committed to adhere to under the EU GSP+ regime, its co-operation with Sri Lanka and the European Parliament’s views on Sri Lanka.

The representatives of the European Union, who paid special attention to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), pointed out the need of a timeline based solution. The delegation said that a formal report based on the findings of the visit would be submitted to the European Commission and the European Parliament.

The President said that the necessary Committees have been appointed and the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General have been instructed according to the reports of the Committees and immediate steps will be taken to amend the necessary provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. President Rajapaksa also stated that the country would abide by the agreements on human rights in the world today.

The President also pointed out the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and the obstacles that the government faced in fulfilling its expected comprehensive strategies. The President explained the steps taken by the government despite this situation to address many of the problems caused by the prolonged war and to establish democracy as well as to carry out development in the North and East. During the discussion, it was also pointed out the steps that have been taken to provide relief to the families of the missing persons and to pay compensation to the families of victims.

The President also stated that even at the UN General Assembly, he stressed the need for the Tamil political parties, members of the Tamil Diaspora and all expatriates to work together to resolve the country’s internal problems and take the country forward.

The President said that he is working with civil society organizations with a mutual understanding and that their support would be sought for the reconciliation process and development in the country.

It was pointed out that instructions have been given not to use batons, water cannons or tear gas to control any of the protests during the last two years and that a separate area has been allocated for protests in front of the Presidential Secretariat.

Though the government acted in a democratic manner, the President said that the attention has not been paid to them and it was unfortunate that various parties spread misconceptions based on a minor incident.

The President pointed out that steps are being taken to ensure that the public and private sectors are working together, to enhance the private sector in order to contribute better to the development of the country and to adopt the technological strategies of developed countries for a quality public service.

The President explained the potential to achieve economic development of the country by obtaining technical and training assistance for the development of agriculture, the country’s main livelihood.

The delegation thanked and commended the President for his in-depth explanation of the Government’s plan to take the country forward.

Nikolaos Zaimis- Senior Adviser, Trade and Sustainable Development, GSP and EAPs Directorate General for Trade at the European Commission, Ionnnis Giogkarakis Argyropoulos- Head of Division South Asia at European External Action Service, Denis Chaibi- Ambassador of the European Union Delegation in Colombo, Guido Dolara – Coordinator GSP Trade Preferences, Lluis Prats – Head of Unit, Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Labour Mobility & International Issues, Monika Bylaite – Policy Officer for Sri Lanka and Maldives and Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage were present at the meeting.