18-member Presidential Task Force empowered to implement “Clean Sri Lanka” program

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed an 18-member Presidential Task Force to plan and implement the “Clean Sri Lanka” program.

The initiative was first announced by Dissanayake in his inaugural address to Parliament. The Task Force members and its objective was made official via an Extraordinary Gazette Number 2415/59 dated 19 December 2024.

The members of the Task Force are Secretary to President Dr. N.S. Kumanayake (Chairman), Commander of the Army, Commander of the Navy, Commander of the Air Force, Acting IGP W.L.A. Saman Priyantha, Urban Development Authority Chairman Eng. Kumudu Lal De Silva, I.S. Jayaratna, Gihan De Silva, Sandya Salgado, Dr. Gamini Batuwitage, Dr. Anuruddha Gamage, Dilruk Wanasinghe, Deepal Sooriyaarachchi, Sisira Amarabandu, Krishantha Cooray, Jayathu Perera, Ruwan Weerasooriya, and Dayan Karunarathna. Senior Additional Secretary to the President G.M.R.D. Aponsu is the Convener/Secretary of the Task Force.

Tasks assigned include plan, guide, implement, review the progress, and complete the “Clean Sri Lanka” program within a given time frame aiming to achieve the objectives of elevating society to a more advanced status through a social, environmental and ethical awakening and Create an organisational structure to facilitate the implementation of this programme from the national level to rural level.

The Task Force will be required to obtain the subject knowledge and contribution of scholars, professionals, experts and representatives of institutions relating to the subject areas covered by the “Clean Sri Lanka” program and prepare a structure to engage stakeholders such as Government and semi Government sectors, private sector, research institutions, civil society organisations, non-Governmental organisations, international organisations and development practitioners, consultancy and professional organisations, community and citizen organisations, mass media and communication institutions, financial institutions, religious organisations, technology providers and inventors, Sri Lankan diaspora in this program.

It will be responsible to raise funds for the “Clean Sri Lanka” fund and provide the necessary instructions and guidance to manage the “Clean Sri Lanka” fund as required.

It will also identify programs implemented in concurrence with this program by various stakeholders such as Government institutions, private sector, international organisations and institutions, non-Governmental organisations and align them with the “Clean Sri Lanka” program.

The Task Force is also mandated to identify and formulate legal provisions required to ensure the sustainability of the outcomes of this program and establish an institutional framework to which the responsibility for enforcing such laws and rules in the long term is conferred upon.

It will also leverage digitalisation to plan, guide, implement, review the progress and sustainably continue this program and develop and implement a multi-mode communication strategy to positively influence and engage all stakeholders.

The Task Force is authorised to make inquiries and issue instructions as required for the purpose of executing the tasks so entrusted, and also to obtain the assistance of the public officers from whom such assistance is intended by the Presidential Task Force.

The rational for the Task Force and the “Clean Sri Lanka” program, as per the Gazette is that the people of Sri Lanka have become victims in the context of Sri Lanka lagging behind not only economically but also politically, socially, culturally and ethically, the people’s aspirations to take the country towards a new renaissance by changing the situation that they have experienced thus far has been clearly reflected in the recent election results.

An approach to make behavioural changes in society can be achieved by role modelling, influencing,

providing guidance, and strongly emphasising the need for change, the Government has recognised the need to implement a systematic program to steer the society towards progress and the Government believes that such changes make a decisive impact on the economic development of the country as well. Additional the Government recognises that it is essential to launch a national operation targeting a social, environmental and ethical awakening in the country, as well as fulfilling a transformative initiative ensuring the wellbeing, harmony and progress of the people of this country in line with the vision of “A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life.”

The Government believes that a transformative initiative is required to be launched to strengthen the environmental, economic and social sustainability and the state machinery, and the present Government has been entrusted with an unavoidable responsibility to act accordingly.

Given these factors, the necessity to establish a Presidential Task Force to implement the “Clean Sri Lanka” program, was recognised at the Meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 2 December 2024.