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Presidential Secretariat Officials have been stumped by a “ghost vehicle” that is supposed to have been imported for their use.

The vehicle – a hybrid Toyota Prius — was imported in 2013. Customs records show that the Presidential Secretariat had been listed as the consignee of the vehicle and had paid more than Rs. 1.8 million as customs duty to obtain the vehicle’s release.

The President’s office, however, has no files or documents to show that such a vehicle was ever imported for its use. There is no reference to it on any official document and there are no records of the vehicle ever being in the Presidential Secretariat’s motor pool. It is simply “a ghost,” officials say.

In another twist to the mystery, there is also no record of the Secretariat ever launching an internal inquiry to find whether such a vehicle was indeed imported for office use, or if it had been handed over to a third party after being imported.

The Presidential Secretariat has now requested the Attorney General’s Department to take action over the matter.

G20 struggles to reach consensus; Western officials call on China to take “haircuts” on loans to debt-stricken nations such as Sri Lanka, Zambia

BENGALURU, Feb 25, (AFP) – G20 finance ministers struggled Saturday to agree on a joint statement on the global economy at talks in India, with China seeking to water down any reference to the Ukraine war, officials said.

Spain’s representative Nadia Calvino said that because of “less constructive” approaches by some unspecified countries at talks among the world’s top 20 economies in Bengaluru, agreeing on a statement was proving “difficult”.

China wanted to water down the language of a G20 leaders’ statement from November that had said that “most members strongly condemned the war” in Ukraine, officials told AFP.

One delegate said on condition of anonymity that China wanted to remove the word “war”. Others said a joint statement was now unlikely, as has happened in several other such gatherings since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

Representatives were negotiating until 2:00 am Saturday, another delegate said.

China and current G20 president India have refused to condemn Russia, which is New Delhi’s biggest arms supplier and a major source of oil for India since the invasion.

But Western countries — including Germany and France — insisted that the language cannot be weaker than the communique issued by G20 leaders in Indonesia in November.

The two-day event — also involving G20 central bank chiefs at a luxury hotel — also focused on debt relief for poorer countries hit by rocketing inflation because of the war.

The International Monetary Fund said ahead of the meeting that around 15 percent of low-income countries were in debt distress and an additional 45 percent were at high risk.

Western officials including US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called on China to take “haircuts” on its loans to debt-stricken nations such as Zambia and Sri Lanka.

China wants multilateral lenders including the World Bank — which Beijing sees as Western-controlled — also to restructure their loans, but the United States and others oppose this.

A video grab of the slipper-throwing incident

Prompt police action can save tourism from miscreants

Though the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority is stepping up its efforts to boost tourism and attract higher numbers, certain events happening on the ground have been far from encouraging tourism.

Earlier, there were several videos that went viral on social media about foreign tourists being placed in difficult situations. At least two videos have surfaced recently of foreign tourists being harassed by three-wheeler drivers. There was also a recent video showing two police officers allegedly demanding a bribe from two tourists.

A video accidentally captured by a train passenger of a youth standing by the side of a rail track and throwing a slipper at a foreign tourist has drawn the attention of many, including Tourism Minister Harin Fernando.

The video also drew the attention of the Bandarawela Police after they identified that the incident has taken place in the area under their purview.

They went on to locate the culprit on Friday, arrested him and produced him in court.

The 28-year-old suspect was remanded till March 8.

The suspect had told police he had thrown the slipper for “fun.”

But it was not ‘fun’ for the slippered tourist, or the tens of thousands of locals who depend on the industry for their livelihood.

The police action is expected to serve as a deterrent for those who ill-treat tourists, whether they are foreigners or locals.

Veluppillai Kana Kananathan

SL high commissioner selected to be an observer in Nigerian election

Veluppillai Kana Kananathan, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Kenya, has been selected to monitor and observe yesterday’s Nigerian Presidential and Parliamentary election.

He will be part of the Observers of the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria.

The election has kicked up a lot of dust already with aggressive campaigning by the contesting parties, which have included shootings and assassinations of rivals.

Last year, Mr. Kananathan was part of the Kenya Election Monitoring and Observers working with a team of high profile observers. i.e. former Presidents of Tanzania, Burundi, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Jamaica among others.

This time, he will join Kenya’s former President Uhuru Kenyatta, South Africa’s former President Thabo Mbeki, former Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma, and members from the African Union and the Commonwealth Observer Group.

The elections have attracted 18 contestants with the main contenders being Peter Obi (Labour Party), Atiku Abubakar (People’s Democratic Party) and Bola Ahmed Tinubu (All Progressive Congress). Currently, Peter Obi is ahead in the polls and being supported by a large following of young people, according to pollsters.

Recent changes in the voting system include biometric data to ensure voters’ identities’ and sending results electronically rather than manually to prevent tampering and vote rigging activities which has been a major concern during past elections. For the first time in decades, Nigeria’s three main ethnic groups (Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa-Fulani) take centre-stage.

Nigeria, an oil rich nation, has a total of 93.46 million registered voters.

SJB MP Rohini alleges minister used vulgar term against her

Samagi Jana Balwegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Rohini Kumari Wijerathna has complained to the Speaker over an incident in Parliament where she alleges that House Leader and Education Minister Susil Premajayantha used a ‘vulgar term’ at her.

The incident occurred on Friday (24) during a heated exchange of words between government and opposition MPs regarding the protest that occurred inside the Education Ministry the previous day. A group of university students, mainly comprising student monks of the Buddhist and Pali University, stormed the Ministry premises. Ms Wijerathna was referring to the police arrest of two representatives of teacher unions during the protest. The teachers had been attending a meeting of the Education Ministry’s Transfer Board when the students stormed the premises.

The MP alleged that the two, who had no connection with the protest, had been beaten and dragged away by several police officers who she alleged had been under the influence of liquor. She asked what action the government would take against the officers involved.

Education Minister Premajayantha appeared to become increasingly irritated in the face of questioning by Ms Wijerathna, who herself is a teacher. Ms. Wijerathna has now written to the Speaker complaining about Mr. Premajayantha’s behaviour and claiming that her privileges as an MP had been violated as a result of his comment. She has requested the Speaker to refer the matter to the Parliament Privileges Committee.

Big Expo show in Japan; Lanka sitting on it for two years

Here is another example of lethargy of officialdom.

Sri Lanka is yet to submit its application to participate in the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.

The Japanese Government is providing funds for Sri Lanka’s participation. The then Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena submitted a cabinet paper, and cabinet approval was given for Sri Lanka’s participation way back in 2021. However, up to date, nobody in Colombo has taken up the offer. And here’s a country trying its darnest to showcase the country for tourism and promote its products for export to earn valuable foreign exchange.

The deadline to apply is next week, i.e. February 28 and failure to submit a formal request for participation means Sri Lanka will be out of the exhibition as it does not have the wherewithal to fund its own participation.

Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardene has sent a letter to her counterpart in the Tourism Ministry to take the lead role in coordinating Sri Lanka’s participation, but nothing seems to move at the Tourism Ministry. The Tourism Authority is blowing its toot on massive promotions in many parts of the world spending money in gay abandon, but a significant world event offered on a platter by the generous Japanese Government, sympathetic to Sri Lanka’s economic woes, is in the Tourism Ministry’s drawers.

Illegal sand miners threaten official

An alleged attempt by a group of illegal sand miners to grievously hurt a senior government official in Vadamarachchi, Jaffna, failed on Friday.

The official had attempted to prevent the sand miners from illegally transporting sand from Vadamarachchi.

The illegal sand miners had attempted to ram their vehicle into the vehicle driven by the government official. The official, however, had guessed the intention of the sand miners and warned his driver in time for him to take evasive action and prevent a collision.

The suspects escaped and a police
complaint has been made.

Illegal sand mining by well-organised gangs continues to be a major problem
in the north.