'We are in the golden age of construction industry of Sri Lanka'
Housing, Engineering Services and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa said in Parliament today that the country was passing the golden-age of construction industry.
Minister Weerawansa moving the House for second reading stage debate on Construction Industry Development Bill said: “We are in the golden-age of construction industry in this country and we bring in new laws to facilitate that development drive. The Bill we are debating in this House today delayed for 18 years. The contribution from the construction industry to the GDP was around 5 percent in the past, but it had been increased upto 8.6 percent in 2013. This would further increase as the first quarter of 2014 recorded a 9.7 percent growth.”
The Bill will provide for the "development of the construction industry in Sri Lanka; to regulate, register, formalize and standardize the activities of the construction industry; to provide for the establishment of the National Advisory Council on Construction, the establishment of the Construction Industry Development Authority; and the establishment of the construction industry development fund and the fund for the construction industry development authority, to provide for the measures for the improvement of well being of the industry related professionals, manufacturers, suppliers, contractors and craftsmen and for the settlement of disputes related to construction activities and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto."
The Weerawansa said that the Construction Industry Development Authority has been empowered, among other things, to register and renew registrations of stakeholders of the construction industry; to formulate, in consultation with other relevant authorities, the standards in construction industry and categorize such standards as compulsory and voluntary standards, and to implement the Code of conduct, practices, procedures, procedures and documentations relating to the construction industry, to recommend to any relevant authority to formulate national procurement guidelines related to procurement of work, goods and services in relation to the construction industry, to provide for the registration and grading of construction contractors, property developers, persons competent to function as adjudicators on contractual disputes, to acquire in any manner and hold, take or give on lease or hire, mortgage, pledge, sell or otherwise dispose of any moveable and immovable property.
The Bill will provide for the abolition of the Institute of Construction Training and Development (ICTAD) and the absorption of its human and physical resources into the Construction Industry Development Authority. (Special Reporter/HC)
