Columns
Home » ColumnsCafé exposure: Minister stops colossal allowances paid to NLB directors and staff
Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has ordered an immediate halt to exorbitant allowances claimed by National Lotteries Board directors and senior staff for taking part in “lottery draws.” This follows exclusive revelations in the Sunday Times (Café Spectator) last week. Our report bared details of how “about Rs 8.1 million (or exactly Rs 8,1456,750) has been [...]
Local government polls policed by greens
My dear Long John, I thought I must write to you because you are in the news these days, simply because you told a green election rally that they need not worry about the local government elections as ‘the police now belonged to the Greens’. Honestly, John, I can’t understand what this fuss is all [...]
Improving balance of payments imperative to meet debt repayments
The balance of payments must be strengthened to cope with the impending high debt repayments in 2019 and beyond. Building up foreign exchange reserves to meet the large debt repayments with earned foreign exchange is imperative. To the extent that reserves are built up with earned foreign exchange, the country would need to borrow less [...]
That merry-go-round of denying legal counsel to suspects
Amidst the routine ‘celebrating’ of annual International Human Rights Day, a Bill to amend Sri Lanka’s Code of Criminal Procedure Act (CPC) on the vexed question of giving suspects in police custody the right of prompt access to legal counsel gazetted in mid-November, quietly escaped scrutiny. A sorry trajectory of bad amendments Ironically, if these [...]
Media battered with Ranil’s big stick
How times have changed! Three years ago in December the Common Candidate contesting the presidential election and political leaders of various hues who had gathered round him were making myriad promises which would turn our nation into a paradise flowing with milk and money. One such promise was to restore media freedom. Those determined to [...]
Why Santa comes every month to the vacant Agriculture Ministry
For many, Christmas comes but once a year. But for some, Santa Claus makes a regular house call every month with a bag full of the Yala Maha harvest. The monthly bumper crop, valued at over Rs 20 million, is sent courtesy of the Agricultural Ministry. And paid for, without a murmur, by the Lankan [...]
Sirisena declares war on SLPP, disciplinary action threatened against party dissidents
President to give top priority to polls campaign and address meetings in all districts Rajapaksa hits out at Sirisena accusing him of helping the UNP win the last parliamentary election Malaysian PM coming today, but three major foreign investment projects withdrawn by Sri Lanka at the last moment Personal initiatives by President Maithripala Sirisena to [...]
Read More