Development (Special Provisions) draft bill expected in February

The Development (Special Provisions) draft bill is expected to be presented to the Parliament in February 2017, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama said today.

He said that the bill will help expedite the approval process of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) into the country without any administrative delays.

The Bill, published in the gazette on the orders of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also the Minister for National Policies and Economic Affairs, has come in for criticism from the Opposition for seeking to create an all too powerful ministry, amidst fear it would supersede the powers of the provincial authorities.

The Joint Opposition claims that the government is attempting to create a “super minister” through the Development (Special Provisions) Bill.