Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-03-06

Construction of public institutions utilizing the cost effective NERD technology

- The National Engineering Research and Development Centre of Sri Lanka (NERDC) is carrying out research activities pertaining to cost effective technologies of construction of buildings and also take measures to spread the outcome of such research among the public. Presently, school buildings, laboratories for hospitals, buildings or clinics and stores residential buildings for the forces and various types of houses have been constructed in various parts of the Island utilizing these cost effective technologies. If this method is adopted from the planning stage, at least a minimum of 20%- 25% of a financial saving could be had from the total cost of construction and also there is the possibility of minimizing the use of timber, sand and metal. The use of this technology for the construction of buildings has also been recommended by the Construction Industries Development Authority.

Taking into consideration, the above and making provision for the use of the cost effective method for the construction of buildings required for public institutions, the proposal made by Hon. Susil Premajayantha, the Minister of Science, Technology and Research, to award the consultancy services, designing and construction of such buildings directly to the National Engineering Research and Development Centre of Sri Lanka (NERDC), subject to a maximum of Rs.50 million, deviating from the procurement procedure, was approved by the Cabinet.