Presidential Task Force to push Sri Lanka towards green socio-economy

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

• Presidential Task Force on Creating a Green Sri Lanka with Sustainable Solutions to Climate Change established 
• Chaired by Basil Rajapaksa, it includes 46 members including ministers, professionals and businessmen 
• Given responsibility to prepare roadmap to ensure SL’s transition to organic farming from chemical farming

Sri Lanka yesterday saw the establishment of a Presidential Task Force to help the country transition to a green socio-economy with sustainable solutions to climate change.

Appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and chaired by Basil Rajapaksa, the ‘Presidential Task Force on Creating a Green Sri Lanka with Sustainable Solutions to Climate Change’ consists of 46 members including five Cabinet Ministers, a Governor, 14 State Ministers, a female Member of Parliament and leading professionals and businessmen. 

The Task Force is appointed with the objective of achieving a number of eco-friendly objectives including saving foreign exchange outflows within the country, enabling the country to achieve a high advantage in the emerging global economic pattern, and preparing the people for an eco-friendly socio-economic model.

The Task Force, formed after the Cabinet of Ministers approved the overall policy framework and proposals contained in the Cabinet Memorandum submitted by President Rajapaksa on April 27, is also given the responsibility of paying attention to 24 other issues in relation to the environmental protection.

A statement from the President’s Media Division (PMD) yesterday highlighted that one such responsibility of the newly appointed Task Force is to prepare a roadmap for the complete transition from chemical farming to organic farming using organic fertilizer products instead of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. 

Furthermore, the President has directed the newly appointed Task Force to coordinate with the Task Force on Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication, and the Presidential Task Force for ‘Gama Samaga Pilisandarak’ (Dialogue with the Village) 
Rural Development.

According to PMD, the members of the Task Force are: Ministers R.M.C.B. Ratnayake, Chamal Rajapaksa, Mahinda Amaraweera, Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Ramesh Pathirana, Governor Anuradha Yahampath, State Ministers Duminda Dissanayake, Arundika Fernando, Roshan Ranasinghe, Kanaka Herath, Janaka Wakkumbura, Mohan de Silva, Wimalaweera Dissanayake, Kanchana Wijesekara, S. Viyalanderan, D. B. Herath, Shasheendra Rajapaksa, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Seetha Arambepola and Channa Jayasumana, MP Manjula Dissanayake, Dr. M.W.N. Dharmawardena, Jayampathy Molligoda, Jayantha Wickramasinghe, Prof. Sudheera Ranwala, Dr. G.A.S. Premakumara, Specialist Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya, Dr. D.M.J.B. Senanayake, Prof. S. Ananda Kulasuriya, Dr. T. L. Gunaruwan, Prof. P.I. Yapa, Dr. H.M.G.S.B. Hitinayake, Dr. Azeez Mubarak, Dr. Yasantha Mapatuna, Dr. Krish Dharmakeerthi, Sachithra Yapa, Wicky Wickramatunga, Herman Gunaratne, Dhammika Kobbekaduwa, Devaka Wickramasuriya, Jeevaka Atapattu, Dilshan Fernando, Mohamed Anees Junaid, Dilith Jayaweera and Vijith Welikala.