Parliamentary Election Promises

The ban was lifted in June 2016 after the necessary steps were taken to reform the fisheries governance system. New regulations and a national plan to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing were introduced. The manifesto promise also ties the GSP+ tax concessions (though largely unrelated) to the fishing ban. This too was recovered after negotiations and progress on fulfilling the GSP+ conditions led to a vote in the EU parliament restoring the tax concessions for Sri Lanka.

The bill was gazetted in November 2016 and sent to Provincial Councils for their comments; there has been no follow-up since.

No progress reported.

No progress reported

No progress reported.

The Hambantota Fisheries Development Mega Zone is under construction and the land identification process has been completed in Mannar.

A proposal was included in the 2016 Budget for Rs. 1000 million to construct three warehouses with state-of-the-art technology to address the issue of post-harvest losses (Budget 2016, 132); this also appeared in the 2016 budget estimates. In February 2017, the Prime Minister restated the government's intention to set up the authority.

No progress reported.

According to the 2016 Annual Report of the Ministry of Finance, the government has provided Rs. 484.03 million as subsidy for re-planting tea.

The intention to open this board has been expressed by the Colombo Stock Exchange several times since this promise, however no progress has been made after the 2016 budget raised the annual registration fees for publically listed companies.

No progress reported.

According to the 2016 Annual Report of the Ministry of Finance Rs. 840 million has been provisioned for this purpose to the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs and 65% of the provisioned fund has been spent by the ministry.

No progress reported.

The proposal to grant Agrahara insurance benefits to pensioners up to 70 years old received cabinet approval on March 30, 2016. The Department of Pensions has since issued a circular to government institutions. A proposal was included in the 2017 budget to offer lifetime benefits of Agrahara insurance scheme to retired civil servants.

No progress reported.

According to the '2015 Performance Report' issued by the Office of Prime Minister, a draft concept note was prepared for the establishment of a new Pensions Office and a Pension Advisory Committee.

'National Minimum Wage of Workers' bill received Cabinet approval on 03 December 2015 and tabled in Parliament on 10 February 2016. The bill was passed in Parliament 11 March 2016 and subsequently the 'National Minimum Wage of Workers Act, No. 3 of 2016 was endorsed by the Speaker on 23 March 2016.

2016 Budget proposal proposes an Employment Council to be established in order to ensure a minimum wage for the working population.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

The 2017 budget proposals stated that Cabinet has approved the establishment of an Independent Debt Office [364]

3 independent commissioners were appointed based on nominations provided by the constitutional council and assumed duties on October 22nd 2015

The Prime Minister announced that the RTI Billl was approved by Cabinet on 3 Dec 2015. It was tabled in Parliament on the 24 March 2016 and the Bill was passed on the 24 June 2016. The Speaker then endorsed the Bill on the 4 August 2016.

Eventhough the Audit Bill was presented to Cabinet on several occasions, it was subsequently withdrawn.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

The interim report of the steering committee of the constitutional assembly has now been made public.

No progress has been made beyond deliberations in the constitutional assembly.

A resolution was passed in Parliament on 19 December 2015 to introduce a new system of Sectoral Oversight Committees which was approved with the intention of establishing 16 oversight committees.

No progress reported.

The establishment of a Constitutional Court through the new Constitution has been proposed in a report submitted by the Sub Committee based on the Judiciary of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly.

Enacted as per the 19th Amendment, the Constitutional Counci consists of 10 members (7 parliamentarians and 3 civil society representatives).

Awaiting Parliamentary approval of the final draft of the Code of Confuct and the revised Standing Orders which have been tabled in Parliament.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

A Cabinet Ministry for Christian Affairs was established after the General Elections in 2015.

No progress reported.

The 2017 budget allocated Rs. 50 million for the establishment of a National Film Academy.

The 2017 budget includes a proposal for a Human Performance Laboratory at the Institute of Sports Medicine ( Rs. 100 Million) as well as a proposal for a National Sports Academy (Rs.100 Million). Both proposals have been included in the Budget estimates for 2017 under the Department of National Budget.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

This Bill was approved by Cabinet on the 18 November 2015. The amended Local Authorities Elections Bill was tabled in Parliament on the 12 January 2016, which was passed on the 9 February 2016. The Act was then endorsed by the Speaker on the 17 February 2016.

The Cabinet approved the bill on the 12 July 2016. Sri Lanka Sustainable Development Bill was tabled in Parliament on the 9 January 2017 and passed in parliament on 21 September 2017.

The construction of the Housing Apartments for middle-income wage earners in both urban and suburb areas was approved by the Cabinet under a 5 year plan on 23 March 2016. This project was referred to in the Budget Speech 2017, under the notion of inviting the Private Sector to participate in constructing 100,000 housing units at Rs. 5 million per unit for the middle income category and a further 250,000 housing units at Rs.1 million per unit for the low income category within the next three years ( 2017-2019).

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

Cabinet approved of a toll free number for an emergency response center for the emergency pre-hospital care ambulance services on the 28 June 2016. The emergency ambulance service was then launched on the 28 July 2016.

The Budget 2016 proposed a Rs. 2500 million allocations to improve the Nursing School at Sri Jayawardanapura Hospital with the anticipation of graduating qualified nurses to cater to the existing national and international demand. This has now been enacted with as the Government Nursing Officers Association President Saman Ratnapriya noting that a batch of hundred students is to be admitted to the first ever Nursing Faculty at the Sri Jayawardanapura Univerity for the 2017 academic intake.

The Budget 2016 proposed Rs.6500 million to establish 1000 Kidney dialysis centers in areas which have a prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease. The Budget 2016 estimates also allocates th exact amount under the Department of National Budget. According to 2016 Annual Report of the Ministry o Finance, Rs. 364,653,104 has been provisioned for Health Ministry and the Health Ministry has spent 100% of the provisioned fund.

The International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the United Nations in 2006 according to the universal declaration of Human Rights and international conventions on human rights. Sri Lanka has signed the convention in 2007 and the proposal made by S.B. Dissanayake, Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare, to ratify the convention for the benefit of Sri Lankan disabled persons, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.The legal paper for drafting the bill has been submitted to Cabinet although it has yet to be approved.

No progress reported.

The proposal made by Minister Rajitha Senaratne to establish a postgraduate institute of Indigenous medicine was aproved by Cabinet on the 24 May 2016. The Budget 2017 proposed Rs.250 million to strengthen the Post Graduate Institute of Ayurvedic Medcine focusing on the research and development aspect in Ayurvdeic Medicine. It was also accordingly allocated in the 2017 Budget.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne made a proposal to draft a legislation to plan cosmetic regulation which was approved by Cabinet but there has been no Bill presented thus far.

According to the ministry of education, it has decided to give an opportunity to students who have failed the Ordinary Level examination to sit for the Advanced Level examination based on four factors and the pilot project has started in 42 schools.

The pilot program for the implementation of mandatory education for 13 years is scheduled to commence in September 2017. The mapping, identifying school centers has been completed, and 42 National Schools selected, and 4,419 students identified as new admissions for the Grade 12 professional subjects for 2017.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

The Prime Minsiter has stated the Governmet intends on creating this University however there has been no progress since the initial announcement.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

The total jobs added to the economy since September 2015 as per the labour force survey data is approximately 400, 000 which puts this core promise 'on track' for fulfillment by 2020. However, seasonal variances in key sectors such as agriculture have shown these increases to be unstable and the gains tend to fluctuate.

No progress recorded.

The Audit Bill was tabled in cabinet and subsequently withdrawn several times and but there is no cabinet approved bill yet.

The Prime Minister informed parliament on Dec 3 2015 that Cabinet has approved the RTI Bill. It was tabled in Parliament March 24, 2016 and passed in Parliament 24 June 2016. The Speaker endorsed the bill on 4th of August 2016, approximately 12 months after the formation of the National Unity Government.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

The proposal made by the Prime Minister on the Sustainable Development Bill received cabinet approval on 12 July 2016. It was tabled in parliament on 9 Jan 2017 and the 3rd reading was held on September 21 2017 but has not yet been certified by the speaker.

The joint proposal made by Hon. John Amaratunge, Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs and Hon. S.B. Navinna, Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs, to sign a cooperate agreement between the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for implementation of a proposed intellectual property project related to travel and culture of the WIPO with the view of improving awareness on use of intellectual property in promoting tourism industry and cultural heritage and achieving development objectives related to tourism industry, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

No progress reported.

No action beyond the deliberations of the constitutional assembly formed in 2015

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

According to the 2016 Ministry of Finance Annual Report, in the year 2016, a total number of 219 capital loans were granted to tea factory owners and the total amount of those loans is around Rs. 6,959 million. In terms of the number of loans granted, it is indicated that there was a 217 percent significant increase from 69 loans in 2015 to 219 loans in 2016.

No progress reported

No progress reported.

Cabinet of Ministers on July 11 2017 decided to appoint a Cabinet Subcommittee to oversee the drafting of legislation to establish the Independent Council for News Media Standards. The Committee led by Minister of Media Mangala Samaraweera and comprising Ministers Sarath Amunugama, Rajitha Senaratne and Gayantha Karunathilake is to present a new Draft Bill to the Cabinet within two months.

The government has prepared a national program for environmental conservation to create a sustainable environment in Sri Lanka. The "Punarudaya" national program for environmental conservation (2016 - 2018), which has been created with the contribution of all the relevant parties, is expected to provide solutions for the major environmental issues within a period of three years. The project will cost an estimated Rs. 22547 million over the next three years.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

Cabinet approval to setup the National Economic Council on August 9 2017 and the National Economic Council was appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena. It was convened for the first time at the Presidential Secretariat on Sep 12 2017.

The Constitutional Council met for the first time on September 10 2015 after the inauguration of the new parliament.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

2016 Budget proposed Rs. 500 million to allocate to introduce a land bank and 2016 Budget allocated Rs. 500 million for this purpose under the department of national budget. According to the 2016 Annual Report of the Ministry of Finance 195 million has been provisioned for this task and only 56% of that provision has been utilised by the ministry of lands.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

Rs. 2000 million allocated in the 2016 Budget Estimates under the Ministry of Education and according to the 2016 Annual Report of the Ministry of Finance Rs. 27 million has been spent on this purpose.

No progress reported.

According to the ministry of education, it has decided to give an opportunity to students who have failed the Ordinary Level examination to sit for the Advanced Level examination based on four factors and the pilot project has started in 42 schools.

The “Development Policy for Sugar Industry” was published in 2016 which included seven policy pillars. The pillars were, Institutional Policy, Investment Policy, Production and Land Policy, Pricing Policy, Import Policy, Water Resources and Infrastructure Development Policy and Manpower Development Policy. As per the targets set in the policy, through modernizing and expanding the existing sugar mills, establishing sugarcane cultivation and new processing complexes in rural areas which have suitable climate and weather conditions, a selfsufficiency level of 50 percent is expected to be achieved from local sugar consumption by the year 2020.

2017 Budgtet proposes to introduce a Contributory Pension Scheme for overseas employees. As such, the government, through the Kuwait Fund, will match the contribution made by the employee. The Pension would be drawn at the age of 60 years by the beneficiary. No further information on progress is yet available.

2017 Budget proposed Rs. 1000 million in order to encourage the private sector to partner with the government in creating private free trade zones along the expressway corridors. The Government is to provide land for this purpose and will also provide electricity and water up to such zones.2017 Budget allocated Rs. 1000 million under the department of national budget.

Government increased the Mahapola scholarship payment to Rs. 5,000 with effect from May 2015 before the General Election held in August

No progress reported.

On October 18 2016 tea plantation firms and estate worker unions agreed to an increase in daily wages. Regional plantation companies (RPCs), the owners of the majority of tea estates in Sri Lanka, agreed on an increase to the minimum daily wage of tea pluckers to SLRs730 (US$5), from SLRs620 previously, through a new collective agreement.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

The 2016 Budget allocated Rs. 300 million for providing Wi-Fi Facilities at Universities and support for purchase of laptops for university students

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

According to the 2016 Annual Report of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine has been allocated Rs. 500 million and the ministry has spent 29% of the allocated funds.

According to the 2016 Annual Report of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine has been allocated Rs. 500 million for this purpose and the ministry has spent 39% of the allocated funds.

The upper limit to pay 15% special interest on fixed deposits maintained by senior citizens in the licensed commercial banks and the licensed Specialized Banks has been increased up to Rs.1.5 million from the current limit of Rs.1 million with effect from 1st March 2016.

No progress reported

No progress reported.

No progress reported.

NHDA on 28.01.2016 at “Viharamahadevi” Open Air Theater by conferring 2500 Transfer Deeds, Deeds of Lease, Contracts of Sale and Unauthorized Deeds of Lease to the residents in state-owned and NHDA-owned property in Colombo District for more than 10 years.

No progress reported.

Currently the National Housing Development Authority has two housing loan programmes called "Samata Sevana" and "Scattered Housing Loan" programmes amounting to Rs. 100,000 and Rs. 250,000 respectively

No progress reported.

எவ்வித முன்னேற்றமும் பதிவாகவில்லை.

No progress reported

No progress reported.

Matara - Kataragama railway extension nears completion.

A joint proposal made by Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development and Sajith Premadasa, Minister of Housing and Construction, to obtain an adjacent land owned by the State Engineering Corporation of about 06 acres in Peliyagoda area on a 03 years lease basis to relocate the Manning Market Pettah, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers held on 06-12-2016.According to 2016 Ministry of Finance Annual Report, the Ministry of Megapolice and Western Development has spent Rs. 303 million for the land development work for relocation of Manning Market to Peliyagoda

No progress reported.

In 2017 the Budget proposed Rs. 500 million to provide the necessary infrastructure and entrepreneur training in the handloom industry through the Industrial Development Board and the same amount allocated under the department of national budget

No progress reported.

In 2017 Budget proposal Rs. 100 million proposed to construct a “Unique Craft Marketing Center” in Colombo on PPP basis, which will provide space for small and medium scale entrepreneurs to engage in wholesale trade, especially those in the handicraft, clothing and footwear industries and 2017 Budget allocated the said amount.

No progress reported.

As of 2014, Sri Lanka recorded approximately 1.5 million tourist arrivals per year. This number has seen annual growth of approximately 15-20% but needs to grow at over 30% a year to meet the target of 4 million arrivals per year by 2020. In 2017 the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has recorded only a 2.9% overall increase in comparison to the period January-September 2016.

The total jobs added to the economy since September 2015 as per the labour force survey data is approximately 400, 000 which puts this core promise 'on track' for fulfillment by 2020. However, seasonal variances in key sectors such as agriculture have shown these increases to be unstable and the gains tend to fluctuate.

President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a presidential commission of inquiry to investigate and report on the Central Bank bond issue comprising Supreme court judges, KT Chithrasiri and PS Jayawardena, as well as retired Deputy auditor general K.Velupillai in January 27 2017.