The Cabinet has approved the amendment to the National Environment Act No. 47 of 1980, the main legal framework for protecting and managing the environment in Sri Lanka.
This decision has been taken after the government recognized that the provisions of the existing Act are inadequate in addressing the complex legal and institutional issues that have arisen in relation to the environment today.
Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has now prepared the “National Environment (Amendment) Bill”.
The proposal submitted by the Minister of Environment to publish the Bill in the Government Gazette and subsequently submit it to Parliament for approval has been approved by the Cabinet.