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Visually handicapped voters will be provided special facilities to cast their vote at the September 21 presidential election. To try out the facilities a mock vote was held in Colombo. The Election Commission with the help of the International Foundation for Electoral System conducted the programme. Some of the visually handicapped people are seen [...]
Finance Ministry rejects EC’s tax exemption call
A request from the Election Commission seeking an exemption from the deduction of the Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT) from the allowances and other payments made to public sector officials who are recruited for election duty has been rejected by the Ministry of Finance. Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake had written to the Finance [...]
Govt. proposes slashing of personal income tax
IMF response in two weeks; major salary increases also planned for public servants from next year By Damith Wickremasekara A proposed personal income tax reduction plan, costing the government more than Rs 25 billion a year, has been taken up with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a senior Treasury official said. The proposed tax reduction [...]
Petrol price drops by Rs. 12, diesel by Rs. 10
Fuel prices have been reduced with effect from midnight yesterday, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) announced. The price of a litre of Octane 92 Petrol was reduced by Rs. 12, and accordingly, the new price is Rs 332 a litre. Octane 95 Petrol has been reduced by Rs. 2, and the new price is Rs. [...]
Poser and angry response over issue of shotguns to MPs
By Anthony David The Defence Ministry’s move to issue two repeater shotguns to every parliamentarian for use even after they quit their positions has set a poser. The conditions governing the issue stipulate that these weapons can neither be transferred nor used by any other person. Therefore, the question being raised is what purpose the [...]
President proposes four names to fill CA vacancies
By Ranjith Padmasiri President Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed to the Constitutional Council four names to fill the vacancies in the Court of Appeal. Among them are the three most senior High Court judges—Gihan Kulatunga, Damitha Thotawatta, and Amal Ranaraja. They were recommended by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya. The fourth nominee is Senior Solicitor General Mahen [...]
Identity numbers essential for accessing public service
To enhance the efficiency and quality of the public sector, state institutions have been informed of the mandatory inclusion of any of the three key identification numbers—the National Identity Card number, the passport number, or the company registration number—when people access state services. The directive has been given through a circular issued by Finance Ministry [...]
SLAF Heavy Transport squadron marks 67 years
To mark the 67th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), No 2. Heavy Transport Squadron which falls today, September 1, the media were invited aboard an Antonov 32 (AN-32B) aircraft. The squadron, which operates under the command of Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, specialises in providing humanitarian assistance and transporting Lankans affected by disasters, [...]
Main contenders’ manifestos released with pledges to fight corruption and provide relief
By Chandani Kirinde The three main contenders in the upcoming presidential election, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, and NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, released their election manifestos this week with promises of relief for the poor, lower taxes, higher wages, more employment, and a clampdown on corruption. The SJB and the NPP also [...]
EU team to monitor presidential poll before, during and after
By Ishu Bandara The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has deployed 26 long-term observers across Sri Lanka by Thursday and will be further increasing their presence closer to the elections. Thirty-two short-term observers will be recruited from the EU diplomatic community and other partner countries. These short-term observers will monitor key activities such [...]
Presidential candidate ousted from Provincial PSC
By L.B.Senaratne Central Province Governor Lalith U.Gamage has removed a member of the Provincial Public Service Commission (PPSC) because he is a presidential candidate. Issuing a statement, the governor said he took the decision after the Election Commission, through a letter, brought to his attention that PPSC member Keerthi Wickremaratne was contesting the September 21 [...]
BASL President says no official resignation request made
President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Kaushalya Nawaratna PC says he has had no official communication from the Bar Council requesting him to resign from his post, and would decide how and when to respond once he receives such a request. His comments came after the Bar Council, the apex body of [...]
As polls day nears, promises galore to woo voters
By Kasun Warakapitiya The main presidential candidates continued their campaigns yesterday, explaining their manifestos to the people, with 20 days left for the polls. Candidates and party leaders have been crisscrossing the country to address political rallies, in addition to conducting a range of meetings with various groups. Independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe, Samagi Jana [...]
Voter numbers vary across provinces, Western highest
With a close contest among candidates running for the presidential election, the focus is turning to electorates with high voter percentages across the provinces, districts, and electorates. According to the electoral register due to be used, the Western Province, consisting of the Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara districts, accounts for 2,789,595 votes of the total of [...]
Election Commission flags political content tripwires on social media platforms
By Kevin De Alwis The Election Commission is asking Sri Lankans to be mindful of information on social media and to try to verify the truth of what is being posted. The EC is monitoring social media platforms for possible violations of the law related to misinformation, hate speech, and unethical social media activities. So [...]
New National Artificial Intelligence Strategy aligns with national and international best practices
By Tharushi Weerasinghe The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy was launched earlier this week led by the Presidential Secretariat and supported by the Ministry of Technology. The strategy, that has received a Rs 1 bn budget allocation for 2024, is being funded collaboratively by the Treasury and the United Nations Development Programme. According to Presidential Secretariat [...]
Concerns over Cabinet paper regarding Govt. to Govt. agreement with India to procure medications
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Serious concerns are being raised over two Cabinet papers submitted by the Health Ministry with regard to the procurement of medications for Sri Lanka’s state sector. Both Cabinet papers have been signed by Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana. The first dated July 23 deals with a proposed Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement with India [...]
Concerns over lack of the voice of women in political arena
By Minaza Hassan Sri Lankan women make up over 51% of the population as well as the number of registered voters; they contribute immensely to state revenue through tea and garment trades and inward foreign remittances; manage family budgets; and run homes, but in the political arena they remain but a footnote. “The men in [...]
As cyber crimes targeting children rise, authorities seek to raise awareness
By Dilushi Wijesinghe Recent statistics from the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) reveal an increase in cyber crimes targeting children. SLCERT’s Senior Information Security Engineer Charuka Damunupola told the Sunday Timesthat ‘sextortion’ was on the rise. “Last year we received around 270 cases related to children on the cyber space. Currently, up to [...]
University of Peradeniya concludes international research symposium
By L. B. Senaratne The University of Peradeniya was presented with a Rs 5 million research grant by Professor Lakshman Samaranayake, at the two-day International Research Symposium and Exposition (iPurse 2024) held at the Faculty of Agriculture and Animal Science auditorium on August 29 and 30. The theme of the symposium was ‘A resilient and [...]
‘Sri Lanka today is unable to provide passports to its citizens—and nobody has been held accountable’
By Namini Wijedasa The Public Security Ministry’s bungled ePassports tender has thrown thousands of Sri Lankans into despair. Among them are heavily indebted prospective migrant workers and students with missed university entrance dates. The issuance of travel documents is now down to a bare minimum and the first stock of empty books—not ePassports but regular [...]
Passport to hell
By Kasun Warakapitiya Thirty-year-old Kithasamy Indrani, a resident of Imaduwa, Galle had been waiting in a queue outside the Department of Immigration and Emigration for two days, hoping to get a passport so she could fly to Kuwait for employment as a domestic houseworker. Indrani, a widow and mother of two young children, sees no [...]
Some candidates shed protection, but security shield in operation
By Nathara Abeywickrema Stringent security measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of all 38 presidential election candidates. The Police Media Spokesman, DIG Nihal Thalduwa, has announced the formation of a high-level security committee led by General Shavendra Silva, and secretary of the Ministry of Public Security. The committee also includes Senior Deputy Inspector [...]
Constitutional recognition close at hand for indigenous inhabitants
By Ishu Bandara A decades-long fight for constitutional recognition of rights of Sri Lanka’s indigenous peoples is nearing its goal. After 26 years of campaigning by various stakeholders, including the small community of Adivasi people, the Center of Policy Alternatives, and the involvement of several government departments, civil society, the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest [...]
Adivasi pleas and UN prompting set rights work in motion
Indigenous people of Sri Lanka have lived like outcasts without rights and their leaders have said they have been cheated by every government. They have not had constitutional or legislative recognition. Much destruction was caused to them under the Mahaweli development scheme, a project they say was the main cause of their problems. But, in [...]
Vast crowds take the joy out of elephant attraction
By Malaka Rodrigo The Elephant Transit Home (ETH) in Udawalawe is a big attraction but during long weekends and special holidays, the experience can be daunting because of overcrowding. A few weeks ago, there was severe congestion when students from several schools visited simultaneously on the last day of the second term. Tour guides reported [...]
Link between climate and health
CCPSL Orator Prof. Buddhi Marambe calls for the adoption of “no-regret” options through a systematic approach by Sri Lanka By Kumudini Hettiarachchi It was an inauguration with a difference, when without concentrating on health alone, the spotlight was focused on the inextricably-linked climate and health. ‘Global Warming to Global Boiling?’ was the catchy start of [...]