Cabinet clears submission of Premises Given on Lease (Special Provisions) Bill to Parliament

The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday cleared a proposal to submit the draft Bill on Premises Given on Lease (Special Provisions) to the Parliament, following the Attorney General’s clearance.

 “The Attorney General’s clearance has been received for the draft Bill prepared accordingly by the Legal Draftsman,” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena said at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.

 Accordingly, the Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Minister will publish the Bill in the Government Gazette which will then be submitted to Parliament for approval.

 The proposal to this effect submitted by the former Justice Minister and present Foreign Minister Ali Sabry was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday.

“Over the years, the rent laws have caused severe inconvenience and injustice to the owners of properties as the law, and the procedure was abused by tenants seeking to gain an unfair advantage over property owners. 

“The changes that are being introduced via the Bill will now strike a balance between protecting a tenant and giving property owners an efficient and speedy mechanism to recover possession of their premises when a tenant seeks to wrongfully hold on to possession in circumstances where they are not legally entitled to do so,” Gunawardena explained.

 He also said the move would help to boost investments into new streams through the amendment of this law. 

 “It is a progressive and a timely decision,” he added.

 On 27 September, the Cabinet of Ministers approved to prepare a preliminary Draft Bill to enact a new law in place of Recovery of Possession of the Premises Given on Lease (Special Provisions).