Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-01-27

The Re-organization of the National Equipment & Machinery Organization

- The National Equipment & Machinery Organization was established in the year 1991, with a view to providing appropriate equipment and machinery to implement the construction industry islandwide on an economically stable basis. There was a high demand from the District Secretaries/Government Agents, Divisional Secretaries, Local Authorities, Gramodaya Centres, Community Development Councils and even small scale private contractors, who were carrying out the regional and village level infrastructure development work at that time, to obtain the equipment and machinery provided by this organization and as such, arrangements were made to supply them through 54 machinery and equipment depots. Thereafter, in 2011, this organization was brought under the the State Engineering Corporation and since the objectives of the two institutions did not complement each other, the NEMO went into a decline. Therefore, the proposal made by Hon. Sajith Premadasa, the Minister of Housing and Construction, to re-organize the National Equipment & Machinery Organization as an institution administered by a separate management committee, as done during its commencement in 1992, was approved by the Cabinet.