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President Kumaratunga holding a two-hour Planning Evaluation Meeting at the President's House yesterday set specific development targets and gave directions to achieve them without excuses. She was addressing a meeting attended by Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, ministry secretaries and senior Government officials. She also said that every Ministry should set a vision and clear targets on development projects. "You will have to develop qualities such as dedication, honesty and efficiency to achieve our goals. For this, you don't have to go to the University but, could learn things by reading and experimenting." The Government has identified 12 Ministries to prepare an Annual Action Plan in order to launch its development drive. The projects will be implemented in collaboration with the Finance and Plan Implementation Ministry. The Ministries include Agriculture, Plantation Industries, Forestry and Environment, Estate Infrastructure, Land and Minor Export Agriculture, Food and Marketing, Co-operative, Internal and International Trade, Irrigation, Fisheries and Mahaweli. Since some of the Ministries had not finalised their project reports, the President asked them to complete the reports within 10-days from yesterday and meet Finance Ministry officials to discuss on money allocation for projects. The President also suggested several projects such as a research unit for the Trade Ministry, canned fish factories for small and medium sector entrepreneurs in the fishing community, irrigation development, a human resource development project for the CWE and the Cooperative Department, a training institute for environmental studies targeted at school children and a cane growing project to be implemented by the respective Ministries. "These projects will help generate employment opportunities for rural youth," she said. As for the Ministry of Agriculture, she emphasised on launching programs including paddy, maize, chilli, chilli seeds and onion production to support farmers. "We should work on a planned program during the newt six-years. We should also expedite the development program without waiting till the last moment to 'give excuses'." The President said that much time couldn't be spent on reviewing project proposals in 1999/2000 as more time was spent for elections. "Before we came into power many Ministries did not have a comprehensive project plans except for industries. But, we have prepared such plans in the areas such as education, agriculture, health, fisheries and port," she said. This was the first of a series of such meetings. Reconstruction of tanks in the dry zone, marketing agricultural products, consumer protection, management of forest reserves, training workers of commercial establishments, cultivation of uncultivated lands, increasing fish production by use of private fishing craft and developing fresh water fish industry would also be given priority, she said.
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