Volume VI

National Innovation Agency Act

Arrangement of Sections

1. Short title and the date of operation.

PART I
National Innovation Agency

2. Establishment of the National Innovation Agency.

3. Objects of the Agency.

4. Powers, functions and duties of the Agency.

PART II
Administration and Management of the Agency

5. Administration of the Agency.

6. Constitution of the Council.

7. Disqualification for being a member of the Council.

8. Term of office of the appointed members.

9. Removal, resignation etc. of appointed members.

10. Meetings of the Council.

11. Council to invite experts to meetings.

12. Remuneration for attending meetings of the Council.

13. The seal of the Agency.

PART III
The Chief Innovation Officer of the Agency

14. The Chief Innovation Officer of the Agency.

15. Appointment of the staff of the Agency.

16. Appointment of Public Officers to the staff of the Agency.

17. Appointment of officers from Higher Educational Institutions to the staff of the Agency.

PART IV
Finance

18. Fund of the Agency.

19. Financial year and audit of accounts of the Agency.

PART V
General

20. Annual reports.

21. Declaration of secrecy.

22. Directions of the President.

23. Officers and employees of the Agency deemed to be public servants.

24. Agency deemed to be a scheduled institution.

25. Rules.

26. Regulations.

27. Interpretation.

28. Sinhala text to prevail in case of inconsistency.

22 of 2019.

An Act to provide for the establishment of the National Innovation Agency and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

[Date of Commencement: Not yet in force]

1. Short title and the date of operation.

This Act may be cited as the National Innovation Agency Act, and shall come into operation on such date as the President may appoint (hereinafter referred to as “the appointed date”) by Order published in the Gazette.

PART I
National Innovation Agency

2. Establishment of the National Innovation Agency.

(1) There shall be established an Agency called and known as the “National Innovation Agency” (hereinafter referred to as the “Agency”).

(2) The Agency shall, by the name assigned to it by subsection (1), be a body corporate and shall have perpetual succession and a common seal and may sue and be sued in that name.

3. Objects of the Agency.

The objects of the Agency shall be to—

(a) promote better understanding on social innovation, science and technology innovation, defence innovation, eco innovation and service innovation, and their impact on the economy;

(b) make recommendations to the Government in order to formulate national policies in respect of innovation;

(c) ensure that national research is aligned with and contributes to the economy and national economic goals;

(d) coordinate innovators and initiatives to foster impact;

(e) identify any obstacles in the public and private sector that hamper innovation;

(f) support and facilitate innovation in private sector to establish a vibrant national innovation eco system.

4. Powers, functions and duties of the Agency.

The powers, functions and duties of the Agency shall be to—

(a) liaise with the public and private sector institutions relevant to important aspects of the objects of the Agency;

(b) make recommendations to the government to initiate and fund National Innovation Programmes in order to support a creative economy;

(c) to develop and sustain a national innovation eco system in keeping with the Sri Lanka Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy as approved by the Cabinet of Ministers;

(d) support the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy objectives through the facilitation of hi-tech enterprises stemming from research and technology transfer;

(e) monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of investment, policies and strategies on innovation and entrepreneurship;

(f) coordinate and harmonise international activities in innovation with the relevant Ministries, Departments and other innovation institutions in Sri Lanka and with international institutions to encourage commercialisation of the outputs of innovation activities;

(g) drive the progress of Sri Lanka upward through the ranking of global innovation indices to ensure a resilient economic standing, subject to the Sri Lanka Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy as approved by the Cabinet of Ministers;

(h) receive, collate, evaluate and publish the Sri Lankan Annual Innovation and entrepreneurship reports covering the eco system taking into consideration the international linkage and presence;

(i) to purchase any movable or immovable property which may be required for the Agency, hold, take or give on lease or hire, mortgage, pledge or sell or otherwise dispose of, any movable or immovable property belonging to the Agency as may be deemed expedient with a view to promote the objects of the Agency;

(j) subject to any applicable written law, to open and maintain current, savings or other deposit accounts in any State bank or banks and to close such accounts;

(k) subject to any applicable written law, to accept and receive, gifts, grants, loans, donations and bequests both movable and immovable, from sources in or outside Sri Lanka for the use of the Agency:

Provided that, the Agency shall obtain prior written approval of the Ministry of Finance in respect of all foreign grants, donations or bequests made to the Agency;

(l) deposit in any bank account or accounts of the Agency, the funds of the Agency which are not required immediately for the purposes of the Agency;

(m) make rules in respect of matters pertaining to the administration of affairs of the Agency;

(n) outsource for appropriate payments in compliance with the relevant financial regulations, research, data collating or any other activities necessary for the smooth and efficient discharge of the duties and functions of the Agency. The Agency shall have the ownership of all research, any material or data collected by any person for the purposes of this Act, and be responsible for the protection of such research, material or data;

(o) with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to enter into agreements, with any local or foreign persons or institutions in respect of the objects of the Agency;

(p) coordinate and facilitate joint ventures with the private sector with the approval of the Minister in order to achieve the objects of the Agency; and

(q) generally do such acts and things for the achievement of the objects of the Agency.

PART II
Administration and Management of
the Agency

5. Administration of the Agency.

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