Long-term plan vital for country to have Olympic victories – Minister Namal
It is vital to have a long-term plan, if athletes are to aim for Olympic victories, Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa said.
The Minister was responding to MP Chaminda Wijesiri and Hesha Withanage during the Question Round for Oral Answers.
Minister Namal Rajapaksa said that already a 10-15 year plan has been put in place and selected athletes have already been sent overseas for training.
Minister Rajapaksa said that sports such as Rifle Shooting, Archery and Weightlifting have been identified and five athletes have already been sent overseas for training for the 2024 and 2028 Olympics.
The Sports Minister said that only three of Sri Lanka’s athletes had qualified to represent the country at the Olympics. He added that the rest had participated on a Wild Card. He said that Sri Lankan athletes are still not in a state of mind to win internationally.
“In fact, some athletes had even forgotten to take their pair of shoes and had gone to Japan to participate in the Olympics leaving their pair of shoes in Sri Lanka. This is a clear indication that they are not aiming at competing for the country, it is a mere tour for them,” the Minister said.
The Sports Minister said that athletes who had met the qualifying requirements had been allocated Rs. 3 million while Rs. 2 million had been allocated for others. This, he said, is an amount surpassing anything that was allocated for them in the past. All coaches were allocated Rs. 1 million, the Minister said.
Minister Rajapaksa said that all the Sri Lankan athletes in the Olympics were given $40 per day. He said that it was the Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, which made the final decision on their attire. Minister Rajapaksa said that he has informed the National Olympic Committee to explain why Sri Lanka did not receive a uniform with the National Symbol, like other nations’.
The Minister was responding to allegations by Parliamentarian Hesha Withanage over social media claims that Sri Lanka was not clad in a uniform with the National Flag during events. The Minister said that in the future an Act will be brought in to regulate all sports bodies where they would not be able to act according to their whims and fancies.
He said that he had travelled to Japan at his own expense. He added that only he and his Deputy Minister had travelled to Japan and they were under the Olympic bubble during their stay in Japan. He was only allowed to visit the Prime Minister’s Office, Sri Lankan Embassy in Japan and the Office of the Sports Minister in Japan, the Minister said.
Pharmaceutical Zone – Milestone in country’s investment horizon – State Minister Cabraal
The establishment of a new Pharmaceutical Zone is a milestone in the investment horizon of our country, Money and Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal yesterday said.
He was participating in the Second Reading Debate on Orders under the Strategic Development Projects Act moved by Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID Prevention State Minister Sudarshani Fernandopulle.
He said that these projects under the Strategic Development Projects indicate the Government’s interest in the additional investments and is a forerunner for other investments as well. He added that these types of investments bring prosperity to the nation.
He added that the Pharmaceutical Industry has been identified as one of the most potential industries that could bring Sri Lanka enormous benefits. He added that it could attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), it could earn Foreign Exchange through exports and save Foreign Exchange by way of imports substitution as well. Medical and pharmaceutical expenditure of the country in 2020 was recorded as USD 599 million. By 2022, the market is expected to have increased to USD 750 million. Therefore, this seems to be an industrial revolution for Sri Lanka, he said.
He added that the Government has consciously decided to encourage more and more foreign investments which would provide the impetus for future developments, which is a challenge. He added that to achieve this end, we have to compete with the world, make the country efficient and effective. We have to assure that people will choose Sri Lanka as a preferred destination over other destinations when it comes to investment.
He added that it is not easy. We have to concentrate on doing Business Indicators as well as on the other socio economic factors. We have to see that there are good health services, good educational services and good leisure services for the local and foreign investors to find it a preferred destination for their investments, the State Minister said.
Many programmes set up for elderly, disabled – State Minister Dr. Sudarshini
Many programmes have been implemented targeting disabled and visually impaired children and many Social Welfare Programmes for the elderly, State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said presenting the Ministry’s Supplementary Estimates to Parliament yesterday.
The State Minister said that it was not possible to present a budget for this newly formed State Ministry under a separate Expenditure Head and that it was planned to present a new supplementary estimate in consultation with the Ministry officials.
She said that the country has eight Vocational Training Institutes under the primary services and a number of programmes are being implemented to provide vocational training to disabled children and rehabilitate them including those suffering from dementia and drug addiction.
The State Minister said that the State Ministry has rendered a great service to the rural people and that the supplementary estimate was submitted to ensure that these activities could be carried out without any hindrance.
There are 416,667 senior citizens who receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 2,000, she said. At the request of the National Association of Elderly Organizations, it was decided at that time to retain Rs. 100 to upgrade Elders’ Homes.
She said that the Government provides a Rs. 5,000 allowance to senior citizens over 100 years. She added that there are around 500 of them. She said that there are 30 others on the waiting list and that they will be given the same allowance in the future.
The State Minister said that her Ministry was constantly working to improve the facilities for the elderly and to improve the quality of Nursing Homes.
She added that the 1990 Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service had rendered an immense service to the people, including the rural population, in the face of the COVID pandemic. She said that 297 Suwa Seriya ambulances are operating. She added that another 212 ambulances are required.
State Minister Fernandopulle said that approval had been obtained to buy 60 ambulances with money from the COVID Fund.
Opposition should support Government in COVID battle – Minister Amaraweera
The Opposition too should join the Government’s endeavour to combat the COVID 19 pandemic, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera yesterday said.
He said that Sri Lanka is becoming the best country in the vaccination programme against COVID 19.
He added that it is achieved by engaging in vaccination round the clock.
The Government is taking a great effort in this attempt and even the public has a responsibility to control the situation, the Minister said.
He was participating in the Second Reading Debate on Orders under the Strategic Development Projects Act moved by Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID Prevention State Minister Sudarshani Fernandopulle.
The Minister said that everyone knows that although the vaccination is completed, they could contract the virus.
He said that the Opposition has not understood their responsibility and they are not assisting the Government’s programme. He added that the Opposition did not contribute the former Mahinda Rajapaksa Government’s endeavour to combat Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorism and they were rejected by the people. He added that the Opposition at least at this juncture have to correct themselves not to repeat the same mistake.
He said that the Private Sector charges a high amount for the Antigen Test and PCR Test.
He added that the Government is taking measures to control this injustice.
He said that a control price should be introduced to control this situation.
Delay in taking timely action led to present predicament – UNP leader
United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday that the Government’s delay in taking timely action to prevent the spread of COVID has led to the present predicament.
He said that the Delta virus variant is rapidly spreading across the world and steps must be taken to contain the virus.
UNP leader Wickremesinghe said that Israel and the United Kingdom had conducted a survey which found that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine provides 60 per cent protection from the Delta variant. “Pfizer is even lower. Now the vaccine drive has only just begun and we don’t know how this spreads. The number of cases is increasing everywhere and we are unable to control this,” he added.
However, he said, that the country as a whole can face the present situation successfully with necessary steps. Therefore, he urged the Government to refrain from going through procurement methods to obtain vaccines and oxygen. He added that the Government can take emergency action, as done previously on numerous occasions. He said that the House approval could be obtained later.
UNP leader Wickremesinghe said that images of patients lying in hospital gardens is a sorry state of affairs. He urged the Prime Minister to issue directives to set up Army Field Hospitals for patients. He added that such facilities can be set up by Army Engineering Corps within a short time if orders are issued.
He said that this can be done within hospital premises and not in separate locations to accommodate the influx of patents.
He called on the Cabinet to take responsibility as the present situation is a national issue and not related to politics.
DMZ set up by previous Government houses present EPZ – SJB MP Nalin Bandara
The Drug Manufacturing Zone (DMZ) is set up by the Government in the Export Processing Zone (EPZ), which was commenced by the Good Governance Government in Hambantota, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Nalin Bandara Jayamaha yesterday said.
He was participating in the Second Reading Debate on orders under the Strategic Development Projects Act moved by Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID Prevention State Minister Sudarshani Fernandopulle.
The relief are given by this Government to those industries in the same Zone through the Strategic Development Projects, the MP said. He added that so far, the Hotel Sector and an iron factory were given reliefs through these Strategic Development Projects and now measures are taken to give relief to the Drug Manufacturing Industry. He added that it was a commendable move by the Government.
He said that some drug manufacturing factories function already in Sri Lanka and queried if this relief that are to be given to those factories in the Hambantota Zone would be given to them, too. He suggested that it was advisable to grant this relief individually considering their objectives rather than granting them to the entire zone.
Number of MPs should be counted before vote is taken – MP Sagara Kariyawasam
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary and Parliamentarian Sagara Kariyawasam referring to the two committees appointed to investigate allegations that votes were not properly counted during the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill vote in Parliament, yesterday told Parliament that Article 72 (1) of the Constitution says any question proposed for decision by Parliament shall be decided by the majority of votes of the Members present and voting.
Kariyawasam said that the counting of Members present in the House should take place before the vote is taken. “It can be done through a computer generated system or any other method. Whatever the method, the number of the MPs present in Parliament should be counted before the vote is taken,” he said
He said that the number of MPs voted for and against and those who abstained can be declared for any Motion if this method is properly followed. The Parliamentarian said that the number of voters and absentees should be commensurate with the number of MPs present at the time of voting.
Parliamentarian Kariyawasam asked why the officials in Parliament discharge their duties without responsibility. He also thanked the Speaker for appointing two committees to inquire into the allegations on his request. MP Kariyawasam said that no one can speculate that senior MP Jayaratne Herath and Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC, abstained from voting. They have a proper understanding of the Electronic Voting System of Parliament, he added.
by Daily News Sri Lanka
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