Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2021-05-03

Entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland of the United Kingdom on Microplastics related Researches

- Since the adverse effects of the use of microplastics extend to a number of fields including Health, Agriculture and Tourism, Sri Lanka has initiated many programmes on management of the said waste. Great Britain and Northern Ireland of the United Kingdom have expressed their willingness to cooperate in the related research activities and thus assistance will be provided to increase the local research capacity on microplastics. It has been proposed to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purpose to be effective for two years and the concurrence of the relevant Ministries and the Attorney General's Department has been received for the draft MoU. As such, the proposal made by the Minister of Environment to enter into the said MoU and to appoint an Inter-Institutional Committee comprising the representatives of the Ministries relating to the subject and the institutes falling under the purview of the said Ministries, aiming at management of plastics including the increasing of research capacity of Sri Lanka, was approved by the Cabinet.