ASHRAFF A SAMAD
COLOMBO: Environment Minister Naseer Ahmed made a clarion call to all religious parties to join hands with President Ranil Wickremesinge to stabilize the forward march to resolve economic crises of Sri Lanka.
The minister disclosed this while commenting at a special press conference held at his ministry in Colombo on Wednesday, August 1
The minister said participation will boost the activities of the government at a crucial time.
He said that the organizations that are involved in making the activities of the ministries should work under the same ministry for at least ten years for improved efficiency.
Commenting here, the Minister said,
Most of the Ministries depend on the help of the Treasury. It is necessary to change these conditions and create conditions for self-employment. For this, there should be portfolios under one ministry for at least ten years. Thus permanently no portfolios are under a single ministry. When the ministries are changed, so are the institutions there. Some, for their own needs, demand that such institutions be brought under their ministry.
The same situation occurs even when ministries are increased. In order to be given some portfolio (company), thus what is here is brought there and the company in that ministry is brought here.
When former President Maithripala Sirisena had the Ministry of Environment, there were twenty portfolios. Now, only two companies are under my Ministry. A Ministry should be given only those institutions which are relevant or relevant to the Ministry.
The Ministry of Environment has identified all the mineral-rich areas of the country. Necessary investors will be given permission to invest there. 64 investors have got permission to engage in land excavation. But, among them, 47 people are using the permits in other ways without engaging in any activities. Their permit will be revoked.
By 2023, we expect one billion dollars to be invested in the activities of the institutions under our ministry. With this in mind, Minister Naseer Ahmed said that monthly meetings will be held with the officials of the departments under the Ministry.
