In terms of the Coconut Development
Authority Act No 46 of 1971, subsequent amendment Act No 40 of 1987
and the extraordinary gazette notification No. 69/4 of 31/12/1978,
the CDA has been vested with powers and functions in the industry
to be it's apex body which will provide governance, guidelines,
technology, approval for projects & programmes and fund management
of the CDA as well as for the other affiliated co-groups in the
industry.
It
also has powers for direct operational functions and responsibilities
of supervision, development and facilitation of the industrial processing
and that involves small, medium and large scale of industries. In
addition to that, the marketing role of the CDA is more significant
and it activates both local and international markets. In this mandate,
CDA assists to manufacture and to provide market opportunities for
coconut products. To achieve this objective, the CDA coordinates
its stakeholders including government institutions, private sector
organisations, growers, industrialists, banks, general public, etc.
The functions of the Authority as provided in the
Coconut Development Act are broadly as follows:
- To assist the Minister in the formulation of policy and in the
determination of development priorities in respect of the coconut
industry and economic utilisation in and for coconut plantations.
- To formulate or assist in the formulation of projects and schemes
in accordance with the development priorities so determined.
- To implement or assist in the implementation of the projects
and schemes so formulated.
- To coordinate the activities of the Board established by the
Minister under the Coconut Development Act.
The
goals of the CDA as defined in section 20 of the Coconut Development
Act, have been assigned to the Authority, by order published in
the Gazette, vesting responsibility for supervision and development
of all activities connected with industrial processing, domestic
and export marketing of coconut and coconut products.
- The manufacture and assistance in and promotion and regulation
of the manufacture of coconut products
- The promotion of new techniques in the processing of coconut
products
- The promotion and direction of the modernisation and assistance
in increasing the efficiency of establishments which engage in
manufacturing coconut products.
- The prescription and maintenance of standards of quality of
coconut products manufactures in or exported from Sri Lanka.
- The purchase and sale and the regulation of the purchase and
sale of coconut products and the formulation or implementation
of minimum and maximum price schemes and price stabilization schemes
for coconut products in general and for small holders of coconut
products, in general.
- The export and import and the regulation of the export and import
and of the export price and import price of coconut products.
- The maintenance, promotion, and creation of demand for coconut
products, both within and outside Sri Lanka, by advertising, initiating,
financing, supporting, and supervising, promotional work, by establishing,
managing, supervising, and supporting sales rooms and agencies,
by organising, assisting, and participating in exhibitions and
fairs an by other means necessary for this purpose.
- The conducting of market research into all aspects of the transport
and marketing of coconut products within and outside of Sri Lanka
- The promotion of cooperation and collective forms of management
and ownership of coconut plantations and establishments manufacturing
or trading in coconut products.
Since the liberalization of the Coconut trade in late 1980s the
main activities of the Authority are focused on the formulation
and implementation of policies and programmes for the promotion
and development of processing and marketing sectors, with special
emphasis on the export sector.
The CDA is intimately linked in assisting the Ministry
of Coconut Development to resolve the policy matters that are relating
to the development of coconut industry such as:
