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Home » NewsTipsy-turvy turnout after sudden opening of liquor shops
On Friday, large crowds gathered outside liquor shops after they were suddenly opened despite the country-wide lockdown. The decision to open liquor shops was taken by the Finance Ministry. This was the scene outside a liquor outlet in Pelawatte. Pic by Indika Handuwela
2022 Budget: Import restrictions, local production by private sector
Import restrictions will continue for next year with the aim of improving local production with priority for private sector projects being among the highlights in the proposed 2022 budget, senior Finance Ministry officials said. With “production economy” as the theme of the November budget now being prepared, the main focus is on agricultural, road development, [...]
Legal sources question Monetary Board’s approval of pension for Governors
The Monetary Board of Sri Lanka (MBSL) has approved a pension scheme for Governors of the Central Bank (CB) despite not having the authority to do so under the Monetary Law Act (MLA), legal sources pointed out this week. The general powers of the MBSL are contained in Section 10 of the MLA which provides [...]
Mannar Basin resources: Energy Minister in Dubai for talks with global oil giants
Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila left for Dubai this week for meetings with officials of Exxon Mobil, one of the world’s largest publicly traded oil and gas companies, and two other international oil and gas firms. The minister is actively promoting the exploitation of resources in the Mannar Basin which he claims will help Sri Lanka [...]
Another mega project gets extension till Dec. next year
Yet another long overdue multimillion-dollar mixed development project, John Keells’ Waterfront Properties (Pvt) Ltd, has been given an extension to start commercial operations. It is the second postponement granted to the venture, with the first one having been in August 2018. The fresh extension of 14-months-and-20-days will start from October 12 this year. Therefore, the [...]
CID probes Ratwatte’s prison escapade
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has recorded a statement from State Minister Lohan Ratwatte over incidents involving him at the Welikada and Anurdhapura prisons, Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara said yesterday. He said the CID was collecting evidence, including CCTV footage and statements from prisons officials and inmates who witnessed the incidents. “We will ensure [...]
Controversy and confusion over sudden opening of liquor shops
The liquor shops were open for the public on Friday without the approval of the Health Authorities, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella complained yesterday . He said this was discussed at the COVID-19 Committee Meeting presided over by the President and opening of the liquor shops came as a proposal from Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, but [...]
Seized drug vessel brought to Colombo
A foreign fishing vessel with seven persons on board carrying more than 170kg of heroin was intercepted by the Sri Lanka Navy in international waters, south of Sri Lanka on Friday. It was brought to the Colombo Port yesterday. The heroin was estimated to have a street value of more than Rs. 1,575 million. Pic [...]
Harmful microorganisms detected in fertiliser imported from China: Analyst
Sri Lankan authorities have ordered a stock of fertiliser for distribution among farmers but, according to an independent and internationally accredited analyst, there is a possibility of the presence of microorganisms in it. Some agricultural experts point out that the stock of fertiliser ordered for distribution among farmers has now been detected as harmful for [...]
Lankadeepa senior journalist no more
Veteran journalist and former Lankadeepa staffer W.G. Gunaratne passed away on Friday after a battle with COVID-19. He was 84 years at the time of his death. A senior journalist for more than 50 years, Mr Gunaratne began his journalism career in 1962 as the Kamburupitiya Correspondent of Lake House. Being proficient in both Sinhala [...]
CAA Executive Director Thushan Gunawardena to step down
Joins a host of senior government officials and heads of institutions who have resigned recently Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Executive Director Thushan Gunawardena is planning to resign from his post soon citing ‘unavoidable circumstances’ and ‘personal reasons’, informed sources said. He would be joining, in recent months, several senior government officials and heads of institutions [...]
Online sales to avert mass gathering at liquor outlets
Online sales of liquor will be permitted by the Excise Department during the COVID-19 lockdown as the Government cannot afford to lose tax revenue running into billions of rupees. Excise Department Commissioner General M.J. Gunasiri in a circular noted that an online system would be introduced to sell during the COVID-19 lockdown. The announcement came [...]
Vote-buying and freebies lead to SLPP member losing seat in landmark ruling
Any member who is found guilty of having engaged in bribery to win votes is liable to be disqualified from holding his seat under provisions of the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, the Monaragala High Court ruled this week in a landmark case involving bribes being offered to win votes. High Court Judge Ranga Dissanayake gave [...]
Puttalam’s betel cultivation severely affected by black fungul disease
As a leaf disease spreads rapidly in the North Western province, betel farmers in Puttalam lament that their production dropped this year. Acres of betel cultivations belonging to small-scale farmers have been hit by black fungal leaf disease and betel farmers have been forced to shift to alternative crops after their crops failed. More than [...]
Positive COVID test reports turn negative after Nayake thera complains to PHI
Ven. Urulewatte Dharmaakitta Nayake Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the Mahiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya, has called on the authorities to launch a probe on irregularities surrounding the PCR tests carried out on him and those who were engaged in organising the temple’s recent perahera. The Nayake thera, who is also a senior member of the [...]
CID continuing probe on Epic Lanka CEO and engineers
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is conducting a probe to arrest an engineer from Epic Lanka Technologies over the disappearance of a massive dump of classified pharmaceutical information from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) database. Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Department told court this week that the deletion of data could be part of a [...]
TRC issues guidelines to protect consumers from mobile operator malpractices
The telecommunications regulator has issued strong guidelines to curb malpractices in how value-added services are sold by licensed mobile operators. The framework envisages, among other things, a practical mechanism for unsubscribing from value-added services. It also introduces a billing and dispute management process for consumer complaints. Importantly, “No VAS [value added service] may be promoted [...]
Pick of the Pix
Shutterbugs out there, we would once again appreciate your contributions to this picture corner. Please send your captioned photograph along with your name, and the location of the photograph, to: pictures@sundaytimes.wnl.lk We would also appreciate if you mention the camera or cellphone that was used.
Falling by the wayside
The Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a tremendous blow to many people’s livelihoods. Some are trying to exploit this situation to earn money, while some are being severely impacted by it. With a raging number of positive cases, and several restrictions implemented to contain the spread of the coronavirus, a family of three who manufacture bamboo [...]
Homemakers ask where’s veggie deliveries; Dambulla farmers desperate
Vegetable growers who bring their stock to the distribution centre in Dambulla appear desperate during the coronavirus lockdown, while an official says the producers are being impatient. Homemakers, in the meantime, say the government must mobilise and deliver vegetables to the doorstep, especially for the frail and infirm Sri Lankans. Farmers also complain of middlemen [...]
Several essential services hindered as public transport still at a halt
Even though the Government has planned to carry out essential services without disruption, the COVID lockdown has caused transportation issues for certain service providers. Senior state sector officials said the main issue they face is a lack of staff due to the disruption of public transportation. Even though the President has instructed them to carry [...]
Upfront import bills will cripple us, say appliance retailers
The Government’s clampdown on imports in demanding a 100 percent cash deposit when opening letters of credit (LC) will result in the collapse of the electrical and electronic appliances import industry, stakeholders claimed. The Sri Lanka Retailers Association (SLRA) has asked the Government to remove the new requirement, saying if the policy remained for long [...]
Herbal drink to build immunity, not coronavirus medicine
A sachet of herbal concoctions, containing ginger and coriander among other things, is being distributed to households to help boost immunity, amid the coronavirus disease that continues to sicken thousands and kill hundreds. The Department of Ayurveda cautions that the herbal preparation is not a cure for the coronavirus disease. No specific clinical studies have [...]
Govt. confident of reopening schools in two weeks; teachers divided over decision
Despite protests by teacher and principal unions over salary anomalies, the Government is confident that the reopening of more than 5,000 schools in two weeks will go ahead as planned with the implementation of strict health protocols such as masks, social distancing, and hand washing. Education Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera said that with the [...]
Laugfs will thrive and Litro will shrink due to ‘re-structuring’ fears LSJE
The Litro Surakime Jathika Ekamuthuwa (LSJE) has sounded alarm over what it claims are attempts to sabotage Litro Gas in favour of its sole competitor Laugfs. Issuing a statement the LSJE, which comprises a collective of employees and members of civil society, notes that by keeping the price of a domestic LPG cylinder at a [...]
To beat the pandemic – need to do it all, says WHO Rep
The critical need in the face of the pandemic is behaviour change to keep safe, reiterated a top World Health Organization (WHO) official in Sri Lanka this week. The WHO Representative to Sri Lanka, Dr. Alaka Singh, who took up this post in May, said that compliance with public health and social measures is the [...]
Even an ‘imperfect’ lockdown has helped to bring down infections: Experts
Even an ‘imperfect’ lockdown has been useful in bringing down COVID-19 infections and the hospitals being flooded with patients, is the view of numerous experts. The authorities on Friday (September 17) further extended the lockdown till October 1, as the country recorded a total number of 500,772 infections from the beginning of the pandemic last [...]
All people eligible for vaccination should take any vaccine being offered reiterates Prof. Malavige
With vaccines being uppermost in the minds of many people, we asked Prof. Neelika Malavige, Head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, for her expert views on this subject. Clearly she reiterates that vaccination and preventive measures (wearing face masks, hand hygiene, keeping a distance of more than 1.5 [...]
Protecting Pinnawela’s rare twins should be priority, says captive elephant expert
Vasantha Nugegoda concerned that movement of elephants out of Pinnawela following a court order could traumatise the newly-born baby jumbos Says not too late to implement project he had mooted several years ago to have separate group of elephants for pageants instead of taking them from herds living in captivity It is a first and Sri [...]
Northern fishermen in sea of misery, as Indian raiders’ plunder continues in Lankan waters
Vogarasa Rajkumar, 27, is the sole breadwinner of his young family of three. Though originally from Myliddy, Kankesanthurai, another fisheries village some 10 kilometres away, he settled down in Velvettithurai with his extended family following multiple displacements in the past. Even after the war ended 12 years ago, ensuring a decent livelihood to support his [...]
Grey areas in SL law hamper implementation of marine pollution convention: NAO report
Despite several major naval accidents that have caused severe marine environmental pollution in the country’s territorial waters, Sri Lanka has still not taken steps to introduce legislation required to fully implement a key international marine pollution prevention convention it signed more than two decades ago, a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) shows. The [...]