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Home » NewsAdding ire to fire over fuel price confusion
With confusion over Friday’s fuel price hike and its suspension by the President, this LIOC filling station was closed, while angry motorists were fuming. Later in the day, an attendant is seen adjusting the meter after the LIOC said it would go ahead with the increased price, though the CPC filling stations decided to wait [...]
New polls register in October, but PC elections unlikely this year
National Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said yesterday that a new polls register would be certified on October 5 to enable the conduct of Provincial Council elections. This register, he told the Sunday Times, would see an increase of 200,000 voters countrywide and would be devoid of repetitions. “We have taken measures to exclude voters [...]
Mahendran, Aloysius made hundreds of calls to top Central Bank officials
Call records of the Central Bank’s former Governor, Arjuna Mahendran, and Perpetual Treasuries Ltd’s former Director Arjun Aloysius — made publicly available this week — have disclosed details of people with whom they maintained contact over two years. The call records are a part of the Commission report which probed the Central Bank Bond issue. [...]
CEB losses increase by 240 percent but Cabinet approves expensive private power deals
The Cabinet has approved the extension of expensive power purchase agreements (PPAs) with three independent power producers (IPPs) amidst reports that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has recorded a 240 percent increase in losses last year when compared with 2016. Electricity from IPPs is typically expensive. While it should be relied upon only in emergencies, [...]
Finance Ministry proposes weekly fuel price review
The Finance Ministry will recommend to the Cabinet a weekly review of fuel prices in keeping with price adjustments of oil in the international market, a senior Ministry official said. The move follows the confusion on Friday after a fuel hike announced by the Ministry was overturned within 12 hours on a directive by President [...]
Diplomatic privileges for US Peace Corps volunteers
United States Peace Corps members will be among those entitled to benefits in terms of new directives issued by Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana. This is in keeping with the agreement signed between the Sri Lankan Government and the US government in February this year concerning the programme of the Peace Corps in Sri Lanka. [...]
Dispute with state banks: CPC wants to buy dollars from commercial banks
The Petroleum Resources Development Ministry will submit a Cabinet paper seeking permission to buy dollars required for fuel transactions from any bank so that it need not pay additional commissions to state banks. Ministry Secretary Upali Marasinghe confirmed that approval would be sought to call for bids from any commercial banks for dollar purchases. The [...]
Mixed response to ADB proposals for EPF investments in stock market
Asian Development Bank’s proposals for the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to resume investments in Colombo’s once-tainted stock market have met with a mixed response, officials said yesterday. At a recent Labour Ministry meeting between three ADB consultants and National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) members, a white paper on a legal and operational framework for the [...]
KDU (Special Provisions) Act effective July 6
The General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University [(KDU) Special Provisions] Act took effect from July 6, with Minister of Higher Education Wijedasa Rajapaksha declaring it the date on which the clauses of the Bill become operational. The KDU Act lays down National policy relating to the absorption of students registered with the South Asian Institute [...]
Wigneswaran petitions SC to quash CoA interim order
Northern Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a ruling that a Court of Appeal order offering interim relief to a sacked provincial minister be declared null and void. Last week the Court of Appeal granted an interim relief to Northern Province Fisheries, Transport, Trade and Rural Development [...]
Uninterrupted fuel supply for SriLankan, assures payments in instalments
SriLankan Airlines has agreed to pay Rs 800 million to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), while also agreeing to pay the rest of money in instalments. According to CPC Managing Director Neil Jayasekara, agreement was reached at a meeting between Public Enterprise Development Ministry Secretary Ravindra Hewawitharana, CPC Chairman Dhammika Ranatunga and SriLankan Airlines Chairman [...]
NYT report: Ramanayake says FCID begins probe on his complaint
The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) has informed Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake that it has begun an inquiry into the complaint lodged by him regarding a New York Times (NYT) report that alleged former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had received funds from China for his January 2015 presidential election campaign. Mr. Ramanayake told the Sunday Times [...]
India seeks release of trawlers as Lanka enforces tough new laws to curb poaching
The Indian government is seeking the immediate release of all 184 Indian trawlers seized by the Sri Lanka Navy for engaging in poaching activities in Sri Lankan territorial waters since 2015, a senior Sri Lankan official said. Fisheries Director General Prasanna Ginige told the Sunday Times that the Fisheries Ministry had to take the final [...]
Act fast to avert diabetes catastrophe: Lankan doctor issues clarion call to UN
An urgent call to halt the diabetes epidemic before there are “catastrophic” consequences goes out from Dr. Chamari Warnapura, who was accorded the singular honour of opening a United Nations interactive hearing on the prevention and control of diabetes. Dr. Warnapura, the Deputy Medical Director of the National Diabetes Centre (NDC) of the Diabetes Association [...]
Search intensifies for 7 fishermen missing off Galle coast
The search for seven missing fishermen intensified yesterday with an Indian naval helicopter also joining efforts to locate the missing multi-day fishing trawler. Director General of Fisheries Prasanna Ginige told the Sunday Times that the helicopter had been deployed in response to an appeal made by Sri Lankan authorities through the Indian High Commission in [...]
Customs’ Unions against proposed reward scheme for detections
All 3 Unions representing Customs officers namely, the Customs Staff Officers’ Union, the Customs Superintendents’ Union and the Customs Officers’ Union have requested a meeting with Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera to express their displeasure over a proposal to amend the scheme rewarding Customs officers for detections. The Finance Minister is proposing to distribute 50% of [...]
PM to Singapore to address World Cities Summit
Prime Minister (PM) Ranil Wickremesinghe will deliver the keynote address at the opening of the World Cities Summit (WCS), Singapore International Water Week and Clean Environment Summit Singapore 2018, to be held tomorrow (9). The Premier’s visit to Singapore to deliver the keynote address at the summit follows an invitation extended by Singapore PM Lee [...]
Act fast to avert diabetes catastrophe: Lankan doctor issues clarion call to UN
An urgent call to halt the diabetes epidemic before there are “catastrophic” consequences goes out from Dr. Chamari Warnapura, who was accorded the singular honour of opening a United Nations interactive hearing on the prevention and control of diabetes. Dr. Warnapura, the Deputy Medical Director of the National Diabetes Centre (NDC) of the Diabetes Association [...]
Veggie surpluses and wild price fluctuations – the cycle continues
By the first week of June, prices of vegetables had increased substantially in the off season. Prices began to rise by early May as the harvest season was ending. Earlier, there was a collapse in prices in the wake of massive surpluses. Farmers and vendors were seen dumping vegetables on garbage heaps and even handing [...]
MPs given a dose of health inequities in Sri Lanka
Lively and interactive was the session, with the role usually played by politicians being reversed on Wednesday. Usually, while the representatives of the people take to the podium and everyone else listens, that day parliamentarians gave ear intently as a group of eminent professionals, through persuasive arguments supported by solid facts and figures, showed them [...]
Plans to catch our runaway rainfall
Despite the torrential rains that beat the country for weeks last month, triggering floods and landslides and driving thousands of people from their homes, many areas of the Northern Province and the dry zone are in the grip of a severe drought. Up to 300,000 families are suffering hardship from drought in the districts of [...]
Foreign cocaine peddlers sniff for tourists in Lanka
Two Brazilian nationals arrested while trying to smuggle in cocaine to the country were planning to sell the drug to foreign tourists in Sri Lanka, preliminary police investigations have revealed. The suspects, aged 30 and 24 years, were taken into custody by officers from the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) at the Bandaranaike International Airport. The [...]
Bank’s security inadequate, police warnings went unheeded
Lapses in security arrangements at a State bank in Thalawa are being probed, as the search for the robbers who got away with Rs 160 million in cash and jewellery, continues. Initial investigations revealed the gang had broken into the bank from the rear, close to a scrub jungle. A senior Police officer in the [...]
Minister vows to stand firm over political promotions
Controversy simmers over 1,018 teachers, principals and education administrators being promoted to higher grades on grounds of political victimisation. Trade unions say there is nothing wrong with providing compensation for the victims but they are against promoting the victims to high posts without assessment. The government refutes the unions’ claims saying that they are only [...]
Cherry blossoms bloom in Nuwara Eliya
Cherry Blossoms, or ‘Sakura’ flowers are in bloom in Nuwara Eliya these days. The flowers, which bloom once a year, can be seen on trees scattered around town. The Sakura flowers can be seen along the road leading to the Grand Hotel, at the park near General’s House, next to other main hotels in Nuwara [...]
Seasonal Thinnoru mining underway
Thinnoru mining for the annual Kataragama Esala festival has started at Hunuketawala, also called Thinnorumale and Vibuthi Kanda. Thinnoru is a substance applied on the foreheads of devotees at Kataragama Maha Devalaya to obtain the blessings of God Kataragama. Thinnoru is found underground in Hunuketawala, and is mined during May-June. Miners extract the white substance [...]
Sri Lanka gears for huge wildlife powwow
No paper, no plastic and no polythene – this is why the “biggest-ever” international conference to be held in Sri Lanka next year will be doubly unusual and unique. The nearly two-week conference from May 23-June 3 which hopes to attract high-level delegations from 183 countries including Sri Lanka is CITES-CoP18. This Conference of Parties [...]
Cash crop or villain? Palm oil expansion debate rages
“The establishment of new oil palm plantations, expansion and re-plantation should be discontinued in Sri Lanka,” the Central Environment Authority (CEA) has recommended, asking for time to study claimed critical side-effects such as high water usage, soil erosion, high agro-chemical usage and potential destruction of biodiversity. Palm oil, locally known as katupol (“katu” meaning thorny [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Amila Gamage, Indika Handuwala, Priyantha Wickramarachchi, Shelton Hettiarachchi, Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk, Reka Tharangani.
Wading through rubbish on the beach – this must stop
As ugly and destructive garbage multiplies on Sri Lanka’s once-pristine beaches the authorities have vowed to improve rubbish collection and disposal systems while hope lies in innovative education schemes. Coast Conservation Department Director-General Prabath Chandrakeerthi said his department carried out beach clean-ups with the aid of volunteers, local authorities and the Marine Environment Pollution Authority [...]
Three-wheeler drivers a law unto themselves
Three-wheelers or auto rickshaws as they are called continue to be a useful vehicle for getting around in traffic. Unfortunately, the sheer numbers of these vehicles on the roads today often make them a nuisance. Due to the small size of the vehicle, three-wheeler drivers are beginning to believe they have a right to park [...]
Three arrested for destroying mangroves
Police on Friday arrested three persons who were using a backhoe to clear mangroves in a two-and-a-half acre stretch of land at Shoththuwadiya in Kalpitiya . The Kalpitiya police took the driver of the backhoe, his two assistants and the vehicle into custody. Sarath Jayanath, attached to the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency [...]
Invasive plant posing threat to inland fisheries
The inland fisheries sector is being threatened by a fast spread of pond moss and a type of thorny weed which is fast spreading into tanks (reservoirs) The thorny branches of these weeds damage fishing nets and pose a major problem to families involved in inland fishing. The weed which grows to around a metre [...]