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Home » NewsSwindling of state revenue: Customs raids curbed
Customs officers have been curtailed from carrying out lightning raids on those swindling state revenue. Customs Director General Jagath P. Wijeweera has said in a Department Order that “whenever a necessity arises to conduct a raid, a written submission must be made elaborating the need.” He has said that a “Writ of Assistance” must be obtained [...]
Lanka, US in diplomatic row over Iran oil
Govt. denies charges by Washington, says no crude from that country Sri Lanka and the United States are embroiled in a diplomatic row after Washington accused Colombo of violating US sanctions on Iran. The issue was raised at last Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. He said the US had communicated it to [...]
1000 cc ‘big bikes’ on public roads despite police warning
High-powered motorcycles with engine capacity as high as 1000 cc will soon be allowed on roads under normal laws despite a warning by the Police Traffic Chief that there could be more road deaths and criminal activity. A senior Transport Ministry official said a gazette notification would be issued soon for such motorcycles to run [...]
Govt. slashing CHOGM cost, limousines to be hired
The Government may rent luxury cars from foreign companies and import them to Sri Lanka on a carnet or temporary permit scheme for re-export after use during the Commonwealth summit to be held here in November. It will also get vehicles from ministries, departments and corporations on similar basis. While the Government has said there are [...]
Japan to build coal-power plant in south
Sri Lanka’s latest coal power plant will be set up in the Southern Province with Japanese assistance, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman W.P. Ganegala said. He said the plant, expected to generate 500Mw of power, would cost US$ 500 million (Rs. 63.5 billion). The CEB chairman said a location had not yet been selected and surveys [...]
Monk dies after self-immolation
The Buddhist monk who set himself on fire outside the Dalada Maligawa succumbed to his injuries at the Colombo National Hospital last night, Hospital Director Dr. Anil Jasinghe said. Thirty-two-year-old Ven Bowatte Indrasara, a Sinhala Ravaya activist, was campaigning for a ban on the slaughter of cattle and against unethical conversions.
Concessions for vehicle imports to boost business
The Government has granted concessions to vehicle importers in a bid to boost the vehicle import business, which has been affected by the increase in taxes imposed last year. The concessions have been granted by the Customs, following discussions held with the Vehicle Importers’ Association of Lanka (VIAL). Director General of Customs Jagath P. Jayaweera told [...]
Unions vow to prevent fee-paying medical students squeezing out others
Student unions attached to medical faculties country-wide vow to intensify protests against the University Grants Commission’s decision to open undergraduate medical courses to fee-paying Lankan students with foreign qualifications. “There have been previous enrolments of children of Sri Lankan diplomatic personnel and foreign diplomatic personnel here as well as students from SAARC countries – we [...]
President’s Fund disbursements in 2011: 60 per cent for heart surgeries
More than Rs. 500 million from the Rs. 815 million that was given as medical aid by the President’s Fund in 2011 was spent on heart surgeries, according to the Auditor General’s Report on the Fund submitted to Parliament last Tuesday. The money was given for 4,310 surgeries done in 2011, as opposed to money given [...]
Nalanda principal under investigation for alleged misuse of College funds, taxing parents
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has opened an investigation into allegations of corruption against Colombo Nalanda College Principal Wasantha Ranjith Jayasundare. Initially, an investigation was launched by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), following a complaint by a group of old boys of the college, that the principal had utilised college funds for [...]
Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra coming here for Siam Upasampada ceremonies
Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra will be here on a two-day official visit as part of the celebrations held in connection with the culmination of Siam Upasampada ceremonies which will take place in Kandy on June 1. During her stay, Prime Minister Shinawatra is scheduled to address Parliament, hold bilateral discussions with President Mahinda Rajapaksa [...]
Mystery behind gutted vehicle of lawyer
The vehicle of a leading lawyer in Anuradhapura was destroyed in a fire on Friday, Police said. They said an investigation has been launched to ascertain whether the vehicle was deliberately set on fire. The owner, Nimal Marasinghe and family had been away from the house when the incident took place. Mr Marasinghe told the Sunday Times [...]
Bribery Com. Chairman rules out early ruling on CJ 43’s objections
A ruling on the objections raised by Chief Justice 43 Shirani Bandaranayake against the chairman of the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption and another commissioner will be given only after the investigations are completed, the Sunday Times learns. Commission Chairman Jagath Balapatabendi said investigations by the Commission’s director into the allegations that Dr. Bandaranayake [...]
CID called in to investigate fire at Port warehouse
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was yesterday summoned to conduct inquiries into Friday’s fire at a warehouse at the Colombo Port, as officials put the estimated damages at Rs 40 million. Ports Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena said that the CID had been directed to ascertain whether the fire was an accident or arson. He said a [...]
Hitting the Expressway?
Stick to rules and stay alive Eighteen months after Sri Lanka’s first highway came into operation in the South, motorist are yet to come to grips on how to ply it– officials Failure to wear seat belts, speeding and lack of lane discipline among main reasons for accident Forty-three-year old businessman Shanaka Akmeemana from Maharagma [...]
Imported white sugar quality not monitored by SLSI
Loophole opens for substandard imports of other items Imported white sugar is not among the numerous food items which undergo stringent inspection by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI), allowing a loophole for substandard products to be brought into the country. While imported brown sugar is among the 33 food items the SLSI is mandated [...]
Hi-fi con-woman dupes millions from gullible victims
Police are investigating the activities of a suspected female confidence trickster, who is alleged to have duped several unsuspecting victims into parting with millions of rupees for lucrative interests for their deposits. According to complaints received at the Mirihana and Kohuwela Police, the suspect, who maintains a plush lifestyle, is alleged to have befriended the [...]
Thera succumbs to injuries at National Hospital
A Buddhist monk, who set himself on fire on Vesak Day opposite the Dalada Maligawa, protesting against cattle slaughter succumbed to his injuries at the Colombo National Hospital last night. With severe burn injuries, Ven. Bowatte Indrasara Thera (45) was flown in a helicopter to the National Hospital in Colombo from the General Hospital in Kandy. [...]
Energy drink for performance enhancement in sports a health threat, warns top physician
Energy drinks are dangerous and an emerging public health threat among schoolchildren taking part in competitive sports, warned a doctor, cautioning parents and coaches against encouraging their consumption for performance improvement. Strongly urging school authorities to discourage children from taking energy drinks, Consultant Physician Dr. Waruna Gunathilake, Head of Department, Toxicology and National Poisons Information Centre [...]
Consumers pull the plug on consumption as electricity bills become livewires
Overflowing reservoirs are seasonal, hence rate hike remains says CEB while waste, corruption, mismanagement are never out of season As the electricity bills with the new tariff started coming in this week, middle income earners are preparing for the additional expenditure, adjusting their lifestyles and introducing measures to reduce consumption. The Public Utilities Commission of Sri [...]
Strike? What strike? Unions call for electricity hike protest a fizzer
By guile and intimidation, Govt. coerces employees to report for work Last Tuesday’s strike over soaring electricity prices by some opposition trade unions ended in a flop, failing to cripple any key sectors including transport, health, ports or education. In fact, the government beefed up arrangements to enhance the function of these sectors. Union leaders [...]
Electricity tariff hike: CEB, PUC violated 2008 Supreme Court formula, says lawyer
The recent electricity tariff hike was a violation of a Supreme Court directive given in 2008, a senior lawyer appearing in support of a public interest petition filed in the apex court has claimed. Senior Counsel K. Thiranagama appearing for petitioner P. K. Rathna Dayangani, a human rights lawyer, claimed that the electricity tariff increase for [...]
Tourist arrivals a numbers game with a 50% discount
Charters are back-to-back business that buttered SL Tourism’s bread, but it has priced itself out of this market. Official statistics tell a rosy tale: One million tourists flocked to Sri Lanka last year alone. Numbers recorded in the first quarter of 2013 show a spike in arrivals, when compared with the corresponding period last year. [...]
Colours of Vesak light up the city
Rain was not a spoiler as Vesak celebrations unfolded in Colombo city and the suburbs with Buddhist flags, colourful lanterns and kudus fluttering in the breeze and pandals lighting up the night sky. Apart from the usual food and beverage dansals there were a couple of unusual ones, a spectacle dansala and dry rations dansala that [...]
Unauthorised building caused fatal floods that submerged Hatton-Dickoya
Family swept to their deaths, graveyard corpses exposed by seven-foot torrent Seven-year-old Amritha had returned from school and was having her lunch when floodwaters suddenly broke through her home in Hatton-Dickoya, sweeping the little girl to her death – a fatality blamed by the authorities this week on uncontrolled development in the area. The tragedy [...]
Death traps in the city
Exposed high voltage wires which pose a danger to the public are a common sight in and around Colombo In some cases electricity wires lie exposed and could be accidently touched by members of the public. In other cases these wires can be seen strung across balconies of houses. In most areas the wires lie [...]
Thoughts on Sri Lanka’s future on another Vesak Day
The Vesak Poya day has come and gone several times since May 2009 when the prolonged war with the LTTE ended. And we Sri Lankans are yet trapped in post-war rhetoric and caught up in punches and counter-punches arising from different visions of what post-war Sri Lanka ought to be. Some think that we should [...]
