News

The heavy taxes imposed on TV channels and advertising firms would be revised from Monday, granting concessions to stations largely airing English programmes as well as to advertising firms, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told representatives of these organizations last evening.

However, the Rs. 90,000 levy per half hour episode of dubbed foreign teledramas would stay, the President said.

Representatives of the state and private media as well as advertising firms met the President at Temple Trees.

The President said the tax would have to continue even at reduced rates, its aim being to galvanize the local sector to a goal of at least 80 percent production of local TV programmes.

However the President was visibly upset by the onslaught against the government by some private TV stations and the advertising sector since the tax imposition last Monday.

“You are not giving us a chance to breathe. The LTTE is on one side, the workers are on the other. From day one I am under attack,” the President said.

The need for a National Media Policy too came up for discussion, with President Rajapaksa lamenting that even though all television stations should be guided by the Rupavahini Code of Ethics, this had been forgotten by everyone.

“I will appoint a commission to formulate a policy. Till then the Media Minister will coordinate on this matter,” he said.

Mr. Rajapaksa also promised to streamline the system adopted since the tax imposition began, such as making available the DVDs of programmes to government authorities prior to airing them.

The Sri Lanka Electricity Act (CEB Reforms Bill) is scheduled to be presented to Parliament next month, with the Government adamant to pass the Bill despite the JVP opposing several clauses in the Bill. The Government which put off presenting it to Parliament several times after failing to get a majority, is likely to seek UNP support with the JVP standing its ground in opposing the Bill.

Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne told The Sunday Times that the Government was marking time and studying the political situation. “There are some things you can’t rush. We are watching the situation which at present is not very good. If things go as planned we should be able to present the Bill next month,” he said.

The Government on Wednesday presented a Bill to Parliament to rename the Sri Lanka Institute of Strategic Studies as the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies.

Along with the name change of the Institute, several other amendments have been made to the original Bill broadening its sphere of activities making it a multi-disciplinary research institute dedicated to the study of strategic interests of Sri Lanka, including in particular, defence, national security, law, economics, cultural relations, agriculture and environment as well as the study of the country’s international relations. The functions of the Institute also include promoting peace and addressing post-conflict issues.The Board of Management of the Institute will include a family member of Mr. Kadirgamar who will serve as a life member on the Board.

With the new Bill becoming law, the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute will be vested in the new Institute and will function as the unit responsible for conducting training programmes and other courses of study.