President outlines responsibilities for Ministers, State Ministers ahead of swearing-in

Tuesday, 11 August 2020 00:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President to appoint 28 to Cabinet and 40 State Ministers tomorrow
President and PM will also hold portfolios among these
All appointees detailed to work towards fulfilling pledges in President’s election manifesto ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’
All Cabinet Ministers given common responsibilities to fulfil
Seven ITC related State institutes will guide, coordinate with ministries
All ministries to coordinate with NOCPCO Task Force

By Chandani Kirinde

Ahead of the appointment of Ministers and State Ministers tomorrow, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday issued a 67-page Gazette notification detailing the duties for each Ministry with the objective of fulfilling the pledges in his election manifesto ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’.

The President will swear-in a 28-member Cabinet and 40 State Ministers tomorrow at the historic Magul Maduwa (audience hall) in Kandy.

The Cabinet portfolios have been allocated for the subjects of Defence, Finance, Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Urban Development and Housing, Justice, Foreign Affairs, Public Administration, Provincial Council and Local Government, Education, Health, Labour, Environment, Wildlife and Wildlife Conservation, Agriculture, Irrigation, Lands, Fisheries, Plantation, Water Resources, Power, Energy, Ports and Shipping, Highways, Transport, Youth Affairs and Sports, Tourism, Trade, Industries and Media.

These Ministries include those that will come under the purview of the President as well as Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

All Cabinet Ministers have been given common responsibilities to fulfil including coordination with the relevant State Ministers, and adhering to collective Cabinet responsibility, keeping expenditure within the allocated amounts in the Budget and ensuring all departments, corporations etc. that come under the purview of each Ministry also are held accountable.

The Gazette said both Cabinet and State Ministers are also responsible to Parliament in keeping with the provisions of the Constitution. Funds will be allocated separately to Cabinet Ministers and State Ministers.

With the emphasis of the President’s manifesto on developing information technology and connectivity, seven State institutes have been designated for guiding and coordinating the work of all ministries.

These include the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT), Board of Investment (BOI), Colombo Port City Project, and Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT).

All ministries are also required to coordinate with the Task Force of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) as well as six Task Forces that were appointed by the President since taking office.