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Home » ColumnsTussle over post of Police Chief; so the present IGP continues
Police Inspector General Chandana Wickramaratne’s term was extended by a further three months from yesterday by President Ranil Wickremesinghe amid a heated debate over who should succeed him to be the nation’s top Police officer. The decision to extend the IGP’s term was taken during a meeting attended by President Wickremesinghe, Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake, [...]
IMF’s USD 3bn prop: President’s unity call not gaining currency among SJB, NPP
By Sandun Jayawardana Whilst informing Parliament on Wednesday that Sri Lanka had secured an agreement for an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of USD 3 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), President Ranil Wickremesinghe appealed to all parliamentarians to support the agreement. The subsequent three-day debate held on his statement made clear that there would [...]
The Midas touch
My dear Uncle Ranil, I thought of writing to you this week because the entire country is talking about getting that loan from the IMF and praising you. The way people are celebrating, it is as if all our economic problems are over and we are a land of prosperity – and some are saying [...]
IMF Programme includes governance diagnostic exercise
The much talked about and much awaited International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Board approval for the US$ 2.9 billion bail out package for Sri Lanka has finally seen the light of day. Some details and conditions were spelt out by IMF officials at a media briefing last week. Among the officials present were Ting Yan from [...]
Are we at a turning point towards economic recovery?
The long-awaited assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), often described as a “bailout”, was announced last Monday in Washington D.C. The announcement that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had approved an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of US$ 3 billion and that the first tranche of US$ 333 million would be released soon ended a [...]
On ‘best laws’ and the promises of the president
When President Ranil Wickremesinghe, fresh from the ‘glory’ of securing the first tranche of the anxiously awaited International Monetary Fund’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) promises that Sri Lanka will soon enact the best Anti-Corruption law in South Asia, jaundiced citizens may be forgiven for their shrill mockery. Pointless boasts without good practice Perhaps the President [...]
For he’ll be a jolly good fellow, once Lanka clears the woods!
As IMF gives the green light, the President warns of tough road ahead Despite the weird thousand nightmares that may have inveigled his Sunday night’s sleep — as conjectured by Sunday Punch last week — as he awaited the bailout loan verdict on Monday, the IMF Board’s positive response to bankrupt Lanka’s plea for help, [...]
Ranil confident yet there is many a slip between cup and lip
It seemed like a day for true confessions. Briefing the media after last week’s cabinet meeting spokesman and minister Bandula Gunawardena admitted that Sri Lanka has been cheating the IMF over the years. Not twice, not five times, not even ten times. It was sixteen times. “We have cheated the IMF 16 times before this [...]
IMF bailout will shape not only economic but political affairs also
Triumph for President, but bumpy road ahead in programmes to be implemented, mainly battle against corruption Will Ranil be candidate for presidential poll next year, as SLPP split over Namal’s candidature? Local council elections not likely to be held this year; but campaign continues at village level By Our Political Editor Clinching the International [...]
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