August 9, 2020 August 12, 2020 August 20, 2020
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AUGUST 9, 2020 OCTOBER 22, 2020 DECEMBER 10, 2020 FEBRUARY 1, 2021 MARCH 10, 2021 MAY 5, 2021 JULY 12, 2021 The Budget 2021 was passed with a two thirds majority in The 20th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in Par- Parliament. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena appointed a 14-Member liament with a two thirds majority. Parliamentary Select Committee headed by Minister Dinesh Guna- The Government gazetted Rs. 1,000 daily wage for plantation wardena to identify appropriate reforms of the election laws and the Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as the Prime Minister after DECEMBER 19, 2020 workers. electoral system and to recommend necessary amendments. the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) achieved a landslide OCTOBER 27, 2020 victory at the General Election 2020 securing 145 seats in Parlia- ment. MARCH 31, 2021 MAY 7, 2021 AUGUST 12, 2020 The final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the Easter Sunday attacks was handed over to The Cabinet approved a proposal to pay an incentive of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Rs.12,500 per hectare, not exceeding two hectares (five acres), to encourage the farmers who produce and use organic fertilizer FEBRUARY 2, 2021 for cultivation. JULY 20, 2021 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Cabinet Ministers U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Sri Lanka. He and State Ministers following the establishment of a new SLPP- met with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Construction work for Sri Lanka’s 7th Expressway, the Ruwan- led Government. They took oaths before President Rajapaksa at Dinesh Gunawardena. pura Expressway was remotely launched by Prime Minister a ceremony at the historic Magul Maduwa of the Sri Dalada Mahinda Rajapaksa. The total length of the Ruwanpura Express- Maligawa in Kandy. way is 73.9 km. The first phase was launched from Kahathuduwa NOVEMBER 17, 2020 The Cabinet unanimously agreed to run the East Container to Ingiriya. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the construc- Terminal (ECT) as a fully-owned operation of the State-Run Sri AUGUST 20, 2020 tion work of the third stage of the Central Expressway from Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). Pothuhera to Galagedara under the Central Expressway Accel- MAY 20, 2021 eration Project. FEBRUARY 11, 2021 Sri Lanka prohibited the use of sachets containing 20ml or 20g and below (except for packing food and medicines); inflata- JANUARY 5-7, 2021 ble toys (except balloons, balls, water floating/pool toys and water sports gear) and cotton buds with plastic stems (except those used for medical/clinical treatment). The No-Confidence Motion brought in by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya against Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila was APRIL 22, 2021 defeated in Parliament. At the end of a two-day debate, the Motion received 61 votes in favour and 152 against. Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa AUGUST 1, 2021 presented the Budget for the Year 2021 to Parliament. The first sitting of the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka com- A programme to digitalize the entire justice system was com- menced. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made the Government’s NOVEMBER 20, 2020 menced jointly by the Justice Ministry, Judicial Service Commis- Policy Statement at the inaugural session. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Sri sion, Technology Ministry and the Information and Communica- Lanka. He held bilateral talks with President Gotabaya Raja- tion Technology Agency (ICTA). Under the initiative, all case paksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. files will be computerized and online payment of fines will be SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 possible. JANUARY 8, 2021 FEBRUARY 23, 2021 The Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill was passed with a two thirds majority in Parliament. JUNE 1, 2021 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced plans to completely stop the importation of chemical fertilizers. APRIL 27-29, 2021 The Environment Ministry started implementing the ban on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ‘Gama Samaga Pilisandara’ The Environment Ministry launched a national tree planting the production, sale and use of non-perishable “lunch sheets” (Discussion with the Village) programme was launched with the programme under the title Husma Dena Thuru (Trees Giving made of polythene. objective of meeting the people of remote villages that have not Life) with the objective of increasing the country’s forest cover A new medical insurance scheme for Buddhist Monks and been given due attention, inquiring into the plights of the resi- to 30 percent. their family members, to provide hospitalization and diagnostic dents and finding solutions after bringing them to the attention cover, was introduced in the presence of Prime Minister Mahin- AUGUST 2, 2021 of the officials at the location. Its first programme was held in da Rajapaksa. Haldummulla in the Badulla District. DECEMBER 1, 2020 JANUARY 28, 2021 The final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry OCTOBER 9, 2020 (PCoI) on the Easter Sunday attacks was submitted to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Parliament. FEBRUARY 23, 2021 China’s Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe visited Sri President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed the members to the Lanka. He called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Colombo Port City Economic Commission. Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. JULY 8, 2021 Marking a new milestone in the judicial system of the country, APRIL 27, 2021 21 new Judges to Superior Courts were sworn in before Presi- dent Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Six new Judges to the Supreme Court and 14 new Judges to the Court of Appeal took oaths before the President. Sri Lanka received 500,000 doses of COVISHIELD vaccine DECEMBER 8, 2020 under the Indian Government’s “Vaccine Maitri” (Vaccine Friendship) initiative. This was the first consignment of COVID- 19 vaccines received by Sri Lanka. JANUARY 29, 2021 Cabinet approved a proposal to increase the compensation paid for deaths, complete or partial disabilities or property dam- age caused by the attacks of protected animals including ele- Senior Chinese Diplomat Yang Jiechi met with President The final report prepared by the Presidential Commission of phants, leopards, bears, wild buffaloes and crocodiles. Accord- Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in Inquiry appointed to probe incidents of Political Victimization Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Sri Lanka on The Cabinet approved the proposal to implement the proposed Basil Rajapaksa took oaths as the new Finance Minister and as ingly, the compensation paid for the loss of life or complete dis- Colombo. was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka began its mass vaccination drive against Covid-19. a two-day visit. ban on the import of chemical fertilizer, pesticides and weedicides. a National List MP of the SLPP. ability will be doubled from Rs. 500,000 to Rs 1 million. .