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On the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, President Ranil Wickremesinghe participated in the Global Leaders’ Summit for a New Global Financing Pact on June 22 and 23. The Sri Lankan president is seen here in a conversation with Mr. Macron. At the summit and during meetings with world leaders attending the summit, Mr. Wickremesinghe [...]
Tax net widens to rope in professionals
The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has released details of professional bodies of doctors, accountants, engineers, bankers and others and instructed them to open tax files if they do not already have files, following a gazette notification that came into effect this month. These are members the IRD has classified as “resident individuals”. Professional practitioners registered [...]
Amid serious shortage of drugs, Health Ministry fails to clear WHO donation
A World Health Organisation (WHO) donation of meningococcal vaccine that arrived in Sri Lanka early last month is still stuck with Customs after the relevant Health Ministry authorities failed to get it cleared on time, authoritative sources said. The Sunday Times reported last week that hundreds of Sri Lankan Muslims departing for Hajj this year [...]
Domestic debt restructuring: Key decision next week
Government plans to go ahead with Domestic Debt Restructuring (DDR) and a final decision on how to proceed with it will be taken next week. A senior Treasury official told the Sunday Times that the country would have to conclude the process prior to restructuring its international debt, given the seriousness of the situation and [...]
Five-day bank holiday to cushion DDR announcement
The Government has declared Friday, June 30, a special bank holiday which makes for a five-day bank holiday from June 29 to July 3 for the first time. The decision to include June 30 as a statutory holiday was seen by analysts that the government, planning to announce a Domestic Debt Restructuring (DDR) on Wednesday, [...]
Rice crisis at boiling point; PMB is denied Treasury funds
The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) now has no buffer stocks of rice–which it typically releases to the market to control prices when they skyrocket–after the Treasury rejected an Agriculture Ministry request for Rs. 2bn for the fifth time. The Ministry asked for Rs. 2bn immediately for the PMB to buy a buffer stock but needed [...]
Before next IMF tranche, roadmap needs to be mapped out: President in Paris
From the time Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy, there had been a delay in bureaucracy on both sides – the country, and the IMF – and if funding could have been secured by May 2022, the upheavals of July that year could have been avoided, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Paris this week. He also revealed [...]
Small claims courts: 25 planned but only one is operational
Just one out of the Justice Ministry’s promised 25 small claims courts that were due to have been operational by January 1 this year has been opened. The process has been hampered by a dire shortage of physical and human resources. The courts were meant to start hearing smaller-scale disputes and giving determinations within a [...]
Two nominees for Court of Appeal vacancy
Two names have been forwarded to President Ranil Wickremesinghe to fill the existing vacancy in the Court of Appeal (CA). The vacancy has been created following the recent retirement of Justice Dr. Ruwan Fernando. To fill the vacancy created by Dr. Fernando’s retirement, Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya has recommended Justice Chamath Morais, who is the [...]
To cut costs, defence function moved to venues run by security forces
The Galle Dialogue, a popular event attended by security forces and defence personnel from other countries, has so far been held at hotels in Galle or Colombo. However, considering the high cost and the expenses this time there is likely to be a change in the venue with the available facilities of the Armed Forces. [...]
Special Bodhi Pooja to mark former President’s 74th birthday
A special Bodhi Pooja was held at Gauthama Viharaya in Narahenpita on Tuesday, June 20 to mark the 74th birthday of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The main anusasana was delivered by the Asgiriya Chapter Anunayaka the Most Ven. Wedaruwe Upali Thera. Former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and several Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna parliamentarians were present on [...]
Enhanced cash rewards for info on illegal firearms
Police Chief C.D. Wickramaratne yesterday announced significant increases in monetary rewards given to police officers and informants who help track down and seize illegal firearms and grenades. Initially, the new reward scheme will apply to illegal firearms and grenades seized from June 25 to July 31. As per the new reward scheme, a police officer [...]
Consumers yet to receive benefits from price drop of bakery items
While it was announced that prices of bread and other bakery products will be reduced, customers complain the benefits are yet to reach them. They also point to a large disparity between prices and quality. Trade Minister Nalin Fernando requested that the prices of bakery products be slashed by Rs. 10. Consequently, the All Ceylon [...]
Enhanced cash rewards for info on illegal firearms
Police Chief C.D. Wickramaratne yesterday announced significant increases in monetary rewards given to police officers and informants who help track down and seize illegal firearms and grenades. Initially, the new reward scheme will apply to illegal firearms and grenades seized from June 25 to July 31. As per the new reward scheme, a police officer [...]
Narcotics and arms: Deadly combination to revive LTTE
Indian detectives expose fresh attempts to resuscitate the terror group Lanka defeated 14 years ago 13 suspects, including ten Sri Lankans, arrested by India’s National Investigation Agency; Pakistan-based Haji Salim identified as key source of drugs By S. Rubathesen and Sandun Jayawardana An attempt to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in India and [...]
2,000 drivers face police test for dangerous drugs
By Nadia Fazlulhaq About 2,000 drivers will undergo random narcotic detection tests from July 1 in another leading province, after police found an alarming number of drivers using drugs while on the road in the Western Province. Police tested 1,781 drivers in Western Province as a pilot project last week and found that about 100 [...]
Dedicated clinics needed at state hospitals to treat dementia in seniors
Families now rely on social media to search for their elderly parents or grandparents who have wandered far from home. The family of Karunawathie Sandanayake are desperately searching for their 84-year-old loved one who has been missing for over a month. They reported to police, checked CCTV footage to find her whereabouts, put up posters [...]
Samurdhi beneficiaries left out of Aswesuma scheme say selection criteria unjust
Protests have erupted over the selection of names for the Aswesuma welfare benefit scheme which is scheduled to be implemented from July 1. Claiming that the surveys carried out to identify the worst affected people were based on inaccurate information, groups who had previously enjoyed welfare benefits and found their names missing in new lists [...]
Not much visibility yet on climate financing
By Tharushi Weerasinghe The Bonn Climate Change Conference 2023 which initially dragged its feet on decisions due to stalemates on logistics like timing sprinted to a close at 11:40 pm on Thursday night with many questions left disappointingly unanswered. The subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meet twice a year [...]
Hardware and home appliances still carry high price tags
By Kasun Warakapitiya Though the Government relaxed import restrictions on 243 items including construction items, ceramic and bathroom items, materials used in carpentry, plastic furniture as well as electro-mechanical domestic appliances, consumers are yet to reap the expected benefits. People complain that prices of switchboards, electrical wire as well as other electrical items remain high, [...]
Farmers’ lack of know-how and off season for ginger send prices soaring
Impact of ginger imports ban also responsible for status quo, says expert By Senuka Jayakody Ginger prices are peaking as a consequence of farmers lacking knowledge on how to meet demand as well as the rhizome now being off-season. The high prices are due to high demand but low production, said Additional Director General (Research) [...]
For SriLankan, it was just a flight cancellation, but for 52 Korean job seekers, it was crash-landing
By Ryan Casiechetty The hopes of 52 youths heading to South Korea to take up jobs in the fisheries industry were dashed after their flight was abruptly cancelled shortly before they were to take off. One of them was Thilan Madhushanka, a 26-year-old from Kamburupitiya. “Airport officials told us to go home because the flight [...]
Littering mars once-scenic Pelawatte story and Pix by Indika Handuwala
The scenic and ecologically-sensitive area around the Pelawatte Lake in Pelawatte, Battaramulla, overlooking the tri-forces headquarters as well as numerous supermarkets and offices is fast becoming a dumping ground for garbage and a gathering place for miscreants. Polythene, plastic and glass bottles, leftover food packets, beer cans are among the litter left in piles by [...]
Chief monk claims he did ‘everything’ to heal ‘abused’ tusker
By Kasun Warakapitiya Aluthgama Kande Viharaya Chief Incumbent, Ven KokkavitaWipulasara Nayaka Thera, who is the custodian of Sak Surin (named Muthu Raja after it was gifted to Sri Lanka) due to be airlifted to Thailand for treatment, expects the return of the animal after it is cured. He said that an agreement has been signed [...]
No proper mechanism to tackle plastic waste
By Ryan Casiechetty The absence of an effective recycling and waste management system is causing tons of plastic waste to be left behind in garbage dumps. With the state sector playing a minor role in recycling, the issue has been aggravated with no proper plan to collect plastic items including empty bottles. Meanwhile, out of [...]
New surface treatment plant opened at SLAF Station in Palavi
The new surface treatment plant at the Sri Lanka Air Force Station in Palavi was declared opened by Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana this week. The establishment of the Aircraft Overhaul Wing at SLAF Base Katunayake in 2015 was undertaken to provide a timely solution to the comprehensive overhaul of Chinese origin aircraft. [...]
Student-teacher relationships strained after clashes reported across the island
Astring of incidents has been reported around the country on conflicts between teachers and students affecting the teacher-student relationship and education outcomes. This week, a parent was produced in court by the Ambalangoda Police over an alleged assault on the Principal of Ambalangoda Sri DevanandaVidyalaya, and was remanded until June 30. The assault took place [...]