Presidential task force on economic revival and poverty eradication established

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a Presidential Task Force in charge of Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication.

The task force has been established under the powers vested in the President by the Constitution.

It will be responsible for reviving the economy and eradication of poverty while paying special attention to the challenges posed and opportunities emerged in Sri Lanka in the wake of COVID ? 19 outbreak.

Based on the vision of the ?Saubhagyaye Dekma?, policy statement, the task force should steer the relevant institutes to create a production economy through the formulation of a unique economic structure based on novel initiatives.

Implementation of joint operations to establish a people-centric economy which will promote domestic industrialists and entrepreneurs is another objective of the Task Force.

It has also been tasked with the responsibility of taking measures to distribute products in liaising with all the institutes while paying attention to the activities undertaken by the health and education task forces to maintain normalcy in the civilian life.

The task force is required to? inform the President of all instances where any public official, Ministry, State Department, State Corporation or any other similar institute which delays or fails to? perform duties and responsibilities assigned by it.

Relevant provisions relating to the task force appointed on January 24, 2020 and March 24 on Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood Development and the Presidential Task Force appointed on March 23, 2020 on administration of essential services to continue civilian life which have been identified as high risk zones in the face of COVID- 19 spread will be abolished with the establishment of the new task force.

The scope and the responsibilities of the task force in charge of economic revival and poverty eradication will be announced in a gazette notification to be published soon.

Special Representative of the President Basil Rajapaksa will chair the task force while Additional Secretaries to the Office of the Prime Minister Anton Perera and D. S. Jayaweera will function as Co- Secretaries.

Following is the complete list of members of the Task Force:

Basil Rajapaksa, Special Representative of the President
Nandalal Weerasinghe, Senior Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Chief of the Defence Staff/ Commander of the Army
C. D. Wickremarathne, Acting Inspector General of Police
Major General (Retired) Shantha Dissanayake, Chairman, Consumer Affairs Authority
J. A. Nushad M. Perera, Chairman, Lanka Sathosa
Susantha Rathnayake, Chairman, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka
Jayantha de Silva, Chairman, Information and Communication Technology Agency
Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority
Jayampathi Molligoda, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tea Board
Prabath Subasinghe, Chairman, Exports Development Board
A.Wimalaweera, Commissioner General of Labour
S. Singappuli, Commissioner of Cooperative Development
Rear Admiral (Retired) Ananda Peiris, Director General, Department of Civil Defence
Major General (Retired) Vijitha Ravipriya, Director General, Sri Lanka Customs
Bandula Thilakasiri, Director General, Department of Samurdhi Development
Sanjaya Mohottala, Director General, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka
Major General (Retired) Sudantha Ranasinghe, Director General, Disaster Management Center
Mahesh Gammampila, Director, Fertilizer Secretariat
Buddhika Madihahewa, General Manager, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation
Rohan Seneviratne, Additional General Manager, Ceylon Electricity Board
Mano Sekaram, Director Board Member, Information and Communication Technology Agency
Major General (Retired) Sumedha Perera
Sanjeewa Gunawardene, Executive Officer, E. B. Creasy & Co.
Samantha Kumarasinghe, Owner, Natures Secret
Mahesh Amalean Chairman, MAS Holdings
Ravi Liyanage, Chairman and CEO, The Kingdom of Raigam
Padmalal Withanage, Managing Director, Sanmik Group Of Companies
S.B.Divarathna, Retired Deputy Secretary to the Treasury
Secretary to the Prime Minister and Secretaries to Ministries of Finance, Economic and Policy Development, Roads & Highways,Public Administration, Home Affairs,?Provincial Councils and Local Government,?Plantation Industries and Export Agriculture,?Industries & Supply Chain Management,?Power and Energy,?Women & Child Affairs and Social Security,?Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation & Rural Development,?Water Supply & Housing Facilities,?Defence, Internal Trade, Food Security and Consumer Welfare.