Act of Parliament · As enacted
Strategic Development Projects Act 2008
Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.
Official translationFrom Department of Government Printing, unchanged
s 1Short title
This Act may be cited as the Strategic Development
Projects Act, No. 14 of 2008.
s 2Objective of the Act
From and after the date of the coming into operation of this Act, there shall be certain projects identified in accordance with the following provisions contained herein, as Strategic
Development Projects for the purposes of this Act, to which exemptions from the applicability of the provisions of the enactments specified in the Schedule to this Act, may from time to time be granted :
Provided that the period of any exemption granted in terms of this section shall in no event exceed a period of twenty-five years.
The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka established by the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Law, No. 4 of 1978, shall identify in consultation with the relevant line Ministries, any proposed project as a Strategic Development Project.
On a project being identified in terms of subsection (1)
as a Strategic Development Project, the Minister in charge of the subject of Investment shall by Notification published in the Gazette publish the relevant information relating to each proposed project and the exemptions to be granted in respect of the same.
On the expiration of a period of thirty days from the date of the Notification published under subsection (2), the Minister in charge of the subject of Investment, shall in consultation with the Minister in charge of the subject of Finance take such steps as are necessary to inform the Cabinet of Ministers of—
the rationale for considering such project as a
Strategic Development Project ; and
the period of exemption proposed to be granted, and obtain the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers for the identification of the project as a Strategic Development Project and for the granting of exemptions to such Project in terms of section 2.
If the Cabinet of Ministers grants approval for such
Project to be considered as a Strategic Development Project and for the aforesaid exemptions to be granted to such Project in terms of section 2, the Minister in charge of the subject of
Investment shall, within six weeks from the date on which the approval of the Cabinet is granted, by Order published in the
Gazette, specify the name of the Strategic Development
Project, the date of commencement of such Project and the date on which the exemptions from the enactments specified in the Schedule hereto, granted in terms of section 2 will become operative and the date from which the same shall cease to be operative.
Every Order made in terms of subsection (4) shall be placed before the Parliament within three months from the date of publication of the Order in the Gazette.
s 4Procedure for operation of order
Every Order made under subsection (4) of section 3
shall,—
become operative immediately upon approval by
Resolution of Parliament ; and
if not approved by Parliament, be deemed to be rescinded with effect from the date of such
Resolution, without prejudice to anything previously done thereunder.
s 5Sinhala text to prevail in case of inconsistency
In the event of any inconsistency between the Sinhala and the Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall prevail.
s 6Interpretation
Unless the context otherwise requires, “Strategic
Development Project” means a project which is in the national interest and which is likely to bring economic and social benefit to the country and which is also likely to change the landscape of the country, primarily through—
the strategic importance attached to the proposed provision of goods and services, which will be of benefit to the public ;
the substantial inflow of foreign exchange to the country ;
the substantial employment which will be generated and the enhancement of the income earning opportunities ; and
the envisaged transformation in terms of technology.