Sri Lanka aims to become first to fully vaccinate entire country against COVID-19

Establishment of National Coordinating Sub Committees to materialise the goals of development programs ‘Conversation with the Village’ and ‘Back to the Village with Work’ and the 2021 budget proposals was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa this week at Temple Trees.

These National Coordinating Sub-Committees, which are implemented on a concept of Presidential Task Force on Economic Recovery and Poverty Alleviation Chairman Basil Rajapaksa, include all Cabinet and State Ministers.

Five National Coordinating Sub-Committees have been established as Agriculture Sub Committee for a new approach to regional development, Livelihood Sub Committee, Infrastructure Sub Committee, Social Infrastructure Subcommittee and the Social Security and Social Development Subcommittee.

It is noteworthy that Cabinet and State Ministers relevant to the subjects have been appointed to each of these committees.

Basil Rajapaksa pointed out to the Cabinet and State Ministers who were present at the event that the National Coordinating Committee, the District Coordinating Committee, the Regional Development Committee and the Rural Committee are designed to flow decisions from top to bottom and ideas and proposals flow from bottom to top.

Expressing his views Basil Rajapaksa said the ‘Conversation with the Village’ program has been active since they were in the Opposition.

“At that time, we identified the shortcomings in the villages but we couldn’t get the participation of the Government mechanism. However, this program is now being implemented throughout the country under the leadership of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa,” he said.

“You are aware that there are 14,000 Grama Niladhari Divisions in this country. There are 36,000 villages. We must work through the Regional Coordinating Committees to take that work forward. Due to the delay in appointing people’s representatives to the Divisional Coordinating Committees, this process was often done by the Divisional Secretaries or officials. Therefore, like the backbenchers, you too did not have a system to get involved in the affairs of the village and the electorate. As a result, regional development projects sometimes lacked political leadership,” he told the ministers.

District and Regional Coordinating Committees have been appointed in all parts of the country except the north and east. According to the ruling party decision their chairmanships have been given only to Members of Parliament. Therefore, in future, when implementing regional development activities through the ministries, it is imperative that they be implemented through the Regional Coordinating Committee, the Chairman of the Task Force emphasised.

“To this end, the leadership and advice of these National Coordinating Sub-Committees to be established today must be active,” he said.

Rajapaksa requested that future requests at the ministry level or circular be forwarded directly to the Chairman of the Regional Coordinating Committee.

Attention was also drawn to the control of rising commodity prices. Accordingly, Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardena pointed out that an agreement has been reached with manufacturers and direct importers for 28 items including dhal, flour, sugar, big onions and potatoes for the months of February, March and April at prices lower than the current prices. He said that from the second week of February, the goods will be distributed throughout the country through Sathosa and cooperatives.

Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera pointed out that due to poverty, there are a limited number of people who are unable to get electricity or water even if they have access to it.

Minister Duminda Dissanayake said that although initially only 35,000 houses without electricity were identified, it is estimated to be around 125,000.

All Cabinet and State Ministers agreed to Basil Rajapaksa’s proposal to provide electricity to all households without electricity and water supply before the forthcoming Sinhala Hindu New Year.

Rajapaksa said that it was the responsibility of the Coordinating Committee Chairman to identify houses without electricity and water facilities and provide solutions before the Sinhala New Year. He also pointed out that Government allocations including Samurdhi funds could be used for this purpose.

Ministers also directed the attention of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to the public and private health professionals as well as the general public being interested in obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine.

State Minister Sudarshini Fernandopulle expressed confidence that the general public would be able to get the vaccine by mid-February.

Rajapaksa stressed that Sri Lanka should move towards a goal of becoming the first country to completely vaccinate the entire population by intensifying the COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Cabinet Ministers, State Ministers, Prime Minister’s Secretary Gamini Senarath and many other Government officials were present on the occasion.