New laws to be introduced regarding powers of Provincial Councils – President
Posted on February 8th, 2023
Courtesy Ceylon Today
President Ranil Wickremesinghe said new laws will be introduced for the implementation of powers of the Provincial Councils in the fields of education and health.
It is alleged that due to certain practices of the Central Government, the powers of the Provincial Councils have been reduced in the fields of education and health. Therefore, we envision bringing new laws regarding the implementation of powers of the Provincial Councils in these fields.”
President Ranil Wickremesinghe ceremonially commenced the Fourth Session of Ninth Parliament this morning.
Delivering the Government’s Policy Statement, the President said the Kankasanthurai Port is being modernized and expanded.
He said Trincomalee is being developed as a modern international city and a special development plan is also being launched for the Eastern and North-Central provinces that have suffered economic and social setbacks during the conflict. He also said that special attention is being paid to the Upcountry Tamil community, who were first brought to Sri Lanka 200 years ago, to develop the plantation industry in Sri Lanka.
Change should begin from within ourselves. We all should change and that too should be for the betterment. As politicians we should change for the better. Political parties, the Parliament, the executive, the judiciary and the public service should change for the better.”
The President also said there is a question whether the role of the media has been properly fulfilled. Therefore, he said media reforms are needed & a national policy on mass media needs to be considered. He said that it is important for the government and the media industry to take care of a collective self-regulation system.
All are bound to protect the State of Sri Lanka. Any citizen has the opportunity to democratically change Governments through the elections, but no one has the right to create anarchy in Sri Lanka. Not any political party. Not any group. The country cannot be allowed to become an economic or social colony. Anarchy cannot be allowed,” he stressed.