President appoints 18-member Task Force to study exploitation of geological resources for development

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa 

• Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry Secy. J.J. Ratnasiri will chair TF
• TF will assess quantities of raw materials needed on an annual basis, demarcate areas of resources available
• Will review existing legislation on issuing of licenses for mining transportation of such materials
• TF tasked with recommending a simple, efficient methodology to facilitate approvals through a single institutional structure to avoid unnecessary delays
• TF is required to report to the Secretary to the President within 45 days in relation to the places, methodologies  

By Chandani Kirinde

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a Task Force to study the exploitation of geological resources for prioritised development activities and to meet needs of those who depend on such resources for small scale livelihood activities and traditional vocations.

Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ministry Secretary J.J. Rathnasiri will chair the 18-member Task Force.

The Task force will separately identify development priorities utilising geological resources like metals, sand and earth as main raw materials and assess the quantities of supply required on a yearly basis and demarcate areas throughout the island where such resources are available. This will be done while paying attention to environmental conservation in these areas.

The Task Force will also identify scientific and simple methodologies in carrying out mining in such places, while obtaining the views and suggestions of the persons traditionally resident in the neighbourhood of the localities where geological resources such as metal, sand and earth are available as well as producers exploiting such resources and those engaged in the construction industry.

The Task Force will also review the existing legal provisions on mining and transportation of raw materials needed for basic construction such as metal, sand and earth and the existing methodology of issuing of licenses for exploitation of such resources.

The members of the Task Force have been instructed to “revisit the outdated rules and regulations, institutional and administrative structures in place and make proposals for reforms in order to update them as well as proposals to appropriately update complex administrative systems and circulars now in force.”

The Task Force has to recommend a simple and efficient methodology integrating changes and state levies in force so as to facilitate the grant of all approvals through a single institutional structure in order to avoid unnecessary delays, as is the experience in obtaining approvals required for construction work at present.

Senior Assistant Secretary to the President K.R. Gangadhara is the Secretary of the Task Force.

The Task Force is required to report to the Secretary to the President within 45 days in relation to the places and methodologies that could be prioritized in the accomplishment of this task.

Its other members include secretaries to several ministries as well as the Director General Department of Agrarian Development, Land Commissioner General, Conservator General of Forests, Director General Department of Land Use Policy Planning, Director General Central Environmental Authority, Deputy Inspector General of Police Environmental Division, Chairman Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, Chairman Urban Development Authority, Additional Director General Department of National Planning and Acting Director General National Physical Planning Department.