An announcement has been issued regarding the performance of duties of all public service employees in connection with the long holiday from the 11th to the 14th for the Sinhala Tamil New Year.
It was issued by the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government.
This announcement has been issued to all district secretaries, divisional secretaries and all officials working in the local government.
The announcement is given below.
The Excise Department has notified all liquor stores across the country to close for 6 days on 2 occasions for the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year and Vesak week.
Accordingly, all liquor stores across the island will be closed on April 13th and 14th for the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
It has also been decided to close liquor stores on April 23, the full moon poya day.
Also, the period from 21st to 27th of May has been declared as Vesak week.
Therefore, measures will be taken to close liquor stores for three days during that period.
Accordingly, the pubs will be closed on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of May.
President Ranil Wickramasinghe said that the new law to restructure the economy will be brought in next May.
He mentioned that the agreement with the International Monetary Fund will be legalized and the concession will be given to the country.
Also, the President says that he is negotiating to extend the period of payment of Sri Lanka’s foreign debt until 2042 and to withdraw part of those debts.
He said that the government has now embarked on the journey of building a prosperous Sri Lanka by 2048 with transformative change.
The President also emphasized that the program for the future of the country should not be forgotten by drowning in slogans and arguments.
President Ranil Wickramasinghe said this while attending the “Magen Patan Gamu” Anuradhapura District Youth Conference yesterday (06) afternoon.
The youth of Anuradhapura district participated in this conference held at the Koombichchankulama lake, and they presented many of their problems to the President.
The President worked to provide solutions to many of those problems on the spot and instructed the officers to take steps to solve other problems.
Answering a question that was raised here, the President mentioned that he will not allow life to fail just because of the certificate of the examination department.
He said that in the developing Sri Lanka, many job opportunities are expected to be opened up for the youth in the future.
The President also said that in the future, thirteen years of education will not be stopped in the middle.
The President informed the youth about the reform program to strengthen the country’s economy.
The President also pointed out that the government has the program to empower the youth of the country with modern technology and contribute directly to the country’s economy.
Fuel consumption in Sri Lanka has been reduced by approximately 50% according to the Petroleum Dealers Association.
Mr. Shelton Fernando, the president of the association, points out that fuel consumption has been a significant factor in the decline in the country’s current economic situation.
However, Mr. Fernando assured the people that there is currently no shortage of all types of fuel in the country.
Previously, only Ceylon IOC and the government-owned Ceypetco company existed for the sale of fuel in the country.
However, as a solution to the economic crisis, the government has given the opportunity to several private companies including Sinopec and Shell for the import, distribution and sale of fuel in addition to the above two companies to carry out operations in the country.
Currently, Sinopec and Shell companies have started importing and selling fuel in Sri Lanka.
The Ministry of Transport says that the newly started Dunhinda Odyssey new tourist train will run from Colombo to Badulla 3 days a week.
Accordingly, the train will run to Badulla on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
It is planned to start the journey from Colombo Fort railway station at 6.30 am on the relevant dates.
The train will start traveling from Badulla to Colombo at 8 am on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays.
The ‘Dunhinda Odyssey’ train will stop briefly at 10 scenic spots for local and foreign tourists to view and take photos.
1st class ticket of this train is 8,000 rupees.
The ticket for the second class will be Rs 6,000 and the ticket for the third class will be Rs 5,000.
A single ticket for both departure and arrival is priced at Rs.12,000.
On the occasion of 100 years since the British started the train journey from Badulla to Colombo, this Dunhinda Odyssey new tour has been added to the train service.
Meanwhile, steps have also been taken to run a luxury short-distance tourist train called ‘Calypso’ from Bandarawela to Demodara, consisting of three carriages with wooden viewing compartments and roofless train carriages.
The Ministry of Transport said that there will be a charge of Rs 6,000 for the two journeys.
According to the Union of Railway Trade Unions, there are about 20-30 train cancellations per day.
They point out that train delays are happening daily and derailments are also reported.
The union says that these situations arise because of the lack of trained workers and spare parts required for the maintenance of locomotives.
There should be 20,222 employees in the Railway Department.
But currently, only about 14,000 are working.
The association also stated that there are nearly 6,000 vacancies for trained employees in the railways.
The Election Commission has issued the gazette yesterday (05) appointing Mr. MG Weerasena to the vacant position of Member of Parliament of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.
This appointment is being made for the vacant post of Member of Parliament of Anuradhapura District Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Mr. KH Nandasena who passed away recently.
Mr. MG Weerasena is next in the district preference list after obtaining 38241 preferential votes from Anuradhapura district in the last general election.
Sri Lanka’s official foreign reserves have increased by 9.5% in February, says Minister of State for Finance Shehan Semasinghe.
It was 4.52 billion dollars in the previous month and it has increased to 4.95 billion dollars in February this year.
The state minister says that it reflects the positive momentum of the country’s economic development.
He said this shows that the economic reform process has begun to translate into results by creating financial stability, resilience and greater confidence in the economy.
Today, the Samagi Jana Sandhana led by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya signed a memorandum of understanding with 6 MPs of the Nidahas Janatha Sabha, with the aim of building a populist government and driving the common enemy of the country, Ranil, who is oppressing the people of the country with high taxes, cost of living and bribery, (5) This was held at the Bandaranaike Conference Hall.
The agreement was signed by the opposition leader Mr. Sajith Premadasa representing the Samagi Jana Balawega, and Professor GL Peiris, Dylan Perera, Wasantha Yapa Bandara, Dr. Nalaka Godaheva, Upul Galappatti and KPS Kumarasiri, representing the Nidahas Janatha Sabha.
Mr. Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the opposition, said that this can be called as another important opportunity to start the journey to save our country from economic and social tragedy by implementing a strong forward movement through a new revival.
He stated that the core principle of the Samagi Jana Balawega initiative is “Country before self,” and that those elected to government on a public mandate do not receive personal benefits.
The leader of the opposition said that Samagi Jana Balawega will set aside all the usual privileges of the country in the government to protect the rights of the people.
He said the program aims to create a people-centered government to bring Sri Lanka to the first place in the world.
The leader of the opposition said that the way forward will be through a middle path that combines the positive qualities of each theory.
He says this is unacceptable because the rich 20% enjoy 52% of the country’s national income and the poor 20% enjoy only 4.5% of the national income.
Mr. Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the opposition, said that prosperity should be shared equally by all and that economic growth should be one in which everyone is a shareholder.
Opposition leader Mr. Sajith Premadasa said here that in the near future, many more populist and philanthropic alliances will be formed and behind these alliances there is no granting of privileges.
The event is shown in the video below.
It has been calculated that Indian fishermen harvest fish worth 2000 million dollars per year by engaging in fishing activities within the territorial waters belonging to our country.
This has been revealed in the Sectoral Monitoring Committee on Alleviating the Economic Crisis.
Mr. Gamini Waleboda, Chairman of the Sectoral Monitoring Committee said that it was revealed that the The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) has not conducted a proper survey of the seas in the northern and eastern areas in 30 years.
All officials including the Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries were called before this committee.
Members of several other institutions including Nara Institute, Fisheries Corporation, and Fisheries Legal Corporation have been invited.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that there is strong expectation that Sri Lanka will enter into agreements with commercial creditors on the existing terms after completing the second review of the extended credit facility approved for the country.
Director of the International Monetary Fund’s Communications Department, Julie Kozack, said that Sri Lanka’s macroeconomic policy reforms have begun to bear fruit.
Below is the conversation between him and a reporter.
QUESTIONER: Thanks a lot. I wanted to ask about Sri Lanka and also El Salvador. In Sri Lanka, there’s some reporting that’s kind of linking the election to the program. I wanted to ask if you can sort of clarify that, and also if you have any update on the debt restructuring, including with China state creditors. And on El Salvador, same confusion to some degree. Some of us are saying that a program there is in some way linked to possibly removing bitcoin as legal tender status. I don’t know if that’s the case. And just generally, what can you say about El Salvador’s progress and possible program? Thanks a lot.
MS. KOZACK: Okay, let me start with Sri Lanka. Just stepping back to give you the lay of the land. On December 12, 2023, the IMF’s Executive Board approved the first review of Sri Lanka’s program with the IMF. It enabled a disbursement of US$337 million. And on March 21, the IMF Staff and the Sri Lankan authorities reached a Staff-Level Agreement on economic policies to conclude the second review, as well as the 2024 Article IV Consultation. Completion of the review by the Executive Board requires, first, the implementation of the prior actions that have been agreed and second, completion of what we call financing assurances review. That review would need to confirm that multilateral partners are continuing their financing contributions to Sri Lanka, and it will also assess progress with debt restructuring, and it will need to conclude that adequate progress is being made.
I would also add that macroeconomic policy reforms in Sri Lanka are starting to bear fruit. Commendable outcomes include rapid disinflation, robust reserve accumulation, and initial signs of economic growth, while preserving stability of the financial system. Public finances have strengthened following substantial fiscal reforms, and it is critical that this reform momentum be continued.
The next steps on the debt restructuring are to conclude the negotiations with external commercial creditors and to implement agreements in principle with official creditors. The domestic debt operations, you know, part of the debt restructuring, are largely completed, and there is a strong expectation that agreements with commercial creditors consistent with program parameters will be reached by completion of the second review.
The 15th contingent of the Sri Lanka Force Protection Company (SLFPC) in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) left for Lebanon on 03 April 2024 amidst greetings and best wishes.
The 15th SLFPC contingent consists of 125 Army personnel, including 11 Officers and 114 Other Ranks representing the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR) and several other Regiments of the Sri Lanka Army. The contingent commanded by Lieutenant Colonel D.K.D Vithanage RSP of the VIR.
Major General Rohitha Aluvihare, the Commander of Security Forces – Central and the Colonel Commandant of the VIR, Major General Nalin Bandaranayake, the General Officer Commanding of the 14 Infantry Division and Major General Anil Perera, the Director, Directorate of Movement, along with several other Senior Officers and relatives were at the airport to extend best wishes on behalf of the Commander of the Army and to see them off to Lebanon.
Over 20,000 dengue cases have been reported in the last three months of this year.
The National Dengue Control Program indicates that because of the hot weather these days, the transmission of dengue mosquito larvae has decreased and the reported cases have also decreased by 22.8%.
Colombo Municipal Council area, Kasbewa, Kaduwela, Maharagama, Biyagama, Gampaha, Wattala, Kurunegala, and Chavakachcheri areas have been designated as Dengue high-risk areas.
8 dengue deaths have been reported in these three months.
10,417 infected people were reported in January, 6007 in February, and 3615 in March.
Out of the total number of infected persons, the highest number of infected persons i.e. 7211 infected persons with a percentage of 35.7% are reported from the Western Province, 4215 infected persons with a percentage of 20.9% from the Eastern Province, and 1585 infected persons with a percentage of 7.9% from the Central Province.
The National Dengue Control Program emphasizes that the public should pay attention to cleaning to make their living environment free of dengue mosquito breeding places.
The Committee on Ways and Means recommends to the Department of Inland Revenue to devise a mechanism with the assistance of village officials to find out the actual income earned by all private schools and large-scale private tuition classes of more than 100 students.
Apart from that, the committee recommended that this mechanism be implemented for health service centers, private hospitals, surveyors, engineers, law firms and television as well as radio services.
It is mentioned in the report submitted to the Parliament on April 1st that the committee can obtain the correct information about the real income earned by these institutions through a questionnaire with the help of the village officials.
The recommendation also states that a mobile application can be used for that purpose.
This report has been submitted by the Chairman of the Committee, Member of Parliament Patali Champika Ranawaka.
The Colombo High Court has issued an interim restraining order temporarily preventing former President Maithripala Sirisena from holding the post of Sri Lanka Freedom Party chairman.
It was considering a writ petition submitted to the court by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was the leader of the Sri Lankan National Party from 1994 to 2005.
The 14th contingent of the Sri Lanka Force Protection Company (SLFPC) in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) returned to the island on 02 March 2024, after completing their service in UNIFIL. The contingent, commanded by Colonel D.P.I.T Kaluaggala, consisted of 10 Officers and 115 Other Ranks. They departed for Lebanon on 02 March 2023.
Upon their arrival, they were welcomed at the airport by Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA), Major General B.K.G.M.L. Rodrigo, Centre Commandant of SLA, Brigadier K.A.D.N.R. Kannangara, Colonel P.P.C. Perera, Colonel Overseas Operations of the Directorate of Overseas Operations, along with several Officers and relatives.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Services says that it has invited interest from local and foreign investors to lease the renovated Jaffna International Airport to the private sector.
Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva mentioned that after selecting a suitable investor, the next steps will be taken.
Meanwhile, the Minister also said that the proposal to transfer the operations of Mattala Airport to two Indian and Russian companies has been forwarded to the Finance Ministry.
After submitting the related proposal to the Cabinet.
Mr. Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the opposition and the leader of the Samagi Janabalawega, says that he is ready for any debate and he is also ready to challenge any party to come and serve the country in the competition with him, and bring development to the country.
He also says that at this moment there is a talk in the society that there is a need for a debate about the issues of the country and that holding debates is a high quality of a democratic society.
He mentioned that he is ready to debate on any topic in any field such as economic, social, political, international, etc. and that through debating, value should be added to the country and the people.
Mr. Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the opposition, said that the time spent in the opposition should not be limited to debates and should serve the people.
Opposition leader Mr. Sajith Premadasa said this under the 140th phase of the Sakwala Smart Classrooms program today at Muththuiyankaddu Left Bank GTM School, Oddusudan, Mulathivu joining the occasion of providing a smart classroom worth 10 lakh rupees to the school. On this occasion, he also donated an amount of one lakh rupees to get the necessary books for the school.
The Leader of the Opposition further said:
The Minister of State for Women and Children’s Affairs Mrs. Geetha Kumarasinghe says that a new bill to prevent domestic violence will be brought to Parliament.
Many provisions have been introduced in this bill for women who are victims of domestic violence, such as having the opportunity to participate for a person close to the victim to file a case.
She also stated that there are 11 temporary detention centers for abused women centered in Gampaha, Ratnapura, Colombo, Matara, Batticaloa, Anuradhapura, Monaragala and Nuwara Eliya districts.
The National Election Commission says that the presidential election will definitely be held between September 17 and October 17.
Its chairman Mr. RMAL Ratnayake said that the upcoming presidential election will be officially announced at the end of July or the first few days of August.
Meanwhile, the Deputy and Assistant Election Commissioners have been called to Colombo today (03).
Mr. RMAL Ratnayake, Chairman of the Election Commission, mentioned that they were called to Colombo for a three-day workshop.
Its purpose is to create awareness for the implementation of the Election Expenses Regulation Act in the upcoming elections.
He also mentioned that for this purpose, the assistance of an expert with international experience in the regulation of election expenses will be sought.
Lanka Sathosa says that an imported egg can be obtained at all Sathosa branches on the island for Rs. 36 from today (02).
In addition to imported eggs, the prices of several essential items such as big onions, red onions, peas, potatoes, LSL milk powder, wheat flour, white raw rice, and soy meat have also been reduced.
With the aim of providing relief to consumers during the coming Sinhala Tamil New Year, the opportunity has been given to buy a bag of items containing 11 food items worth Rs 4,500 at a retail price of Rs. 3,420.
The announcement is given below.
The government has taken steps to allow the import of 1000 vans and buses to be used for transporting tourists.
Accordingly, 750 6-15 seater vans (including electric and hybrid) and 250 16-30 seater minibuses and 30-45 seater buses will be allowed to be imported.
The government says that the need to import essential vehicles for the growth of the tourism industry has been identified.
However, it has not been revealed who is authorized to import these vehicles.
It is generally accepted practice in the tourism industry that the age of vehicles used for transporting tourists does not exceed 06 years.
However, due to the restriction on the import of vehicles and essential spare parts, the condition of the vehicles used for transportation in the tourism sector has been found to be unsatisfactory and inadequate.
Also, the government says that it has been found that the use of outdated vehicles is causing some damage to Sri Lanka’s reputation as a leading tourist destination.
Therefore, the government informs that this decision has been taken considering the contribution of the tourism industry in the economic revival process of Sri Lanka.
The proposal presented by the Minister of Tourism and Lands was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The government has taken steps to implement the annual free sanitary napkin program from April 2024.
It has been calculated that the total student population of Sri Lanka is about 04 million, of which there are about 1.2 million adult female students.
Among those students, this facility is provided to 800,000 students studying in schools in very difficult and difficult areas, isolated schools, estate schools, and urban schools with poor students.
The proposal presented by the Minister of Education was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Mrs. Thilaka Jayasundara has been appointed as the new Education Secretary and she started her work in the Ministry of Education this morning.
Mrs. Thilaka Jayasundara, a special grade officer in the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, is a 2021 recipient of the Commonwealth Excellence Award for State Performance and Management. Earlier, she was working as the Secretary of the Ministry of Industries, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of State for Minor Export Crops Development and Export Promotion, and as the Director General of the Public Enterprises Department of the Ministry of Finance and at the same time she also served as the first woman chairman in Independent Television Network (ITN). She has also worked as an additional secretary in the development and planning department of the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media.
Also, Mrs. Jayasundara worked as a former industry director of Asian Productivity Organization in Tokyo, Japan, and she has also worked as the head of the Asian Productivity Organization in Sri Lanka for more than 10 years. She was also the only female officer in the organization’s 56-year history.
Ms. Thilaka Jayasundara, who holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) and a Master of Business Administration (MPA) from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura and a Post Graduate Diploma in Information Technology PGDIT (SLIIT) from the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), has experience in the field of productivity promotion as well as project management, public policy, administration, human resources. She is an experienced officer in various fields including resource management, planning and monitoring, strategic management, leadership, knowledge management, green productivity, innovation and human-centered productivity.
Government decides to acquire four (04) wide body aircraft under operating lease for SriLankan Airlines Limited.
Accordingly, approval has been given in the Cabinet meeting held on 03-18-2024 to award contracts to acquire two (02) aircraft under operational lease out of the requirement of five (05) wide-body aircraft.
The move is based on the recommendations of the Technical Appraisal Committee and the Standing Procurement Committee appointed by the Cabinet.
Accordingly, the Council of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation to award contracts for the acquisition of four (04) wide-body aircraft under operational lease with an additional aircraft.
Contracts relating to the acquisition of 02 aircraft from ORIX Aviation for a period of 06 years at a lease rent of US$ 360,000 per month.
Contracts relating to the acquisition of 02 aircraft from Aergo Capital Limited for a lease term of 08 years at a lease rent of US$ 365,000 per month.
According to the University Grants Commission, permission has been given to recruit new lecturers for all universities.
Professor Sampath Amaratunga, Chairman of the University Grants Commission, stated that many lecturers have left the country and gone to foreign countries.
As a result, there are many vacancies in all universities, the chairman said.
The professor mentioned that the opportunity was given to recruit new professors after considering those facts.
Meanwhile, the Federation of University Teachers’ Unions stated that there were about 6200 lecturers in all universities.
The federation says that many of them left the country last year.
According to the Department of Posts, there are vacancies for nearly 2000 postal employees including postmen.
Postmaster General P Satkumar says that due to this, the delivery of letters has been hampered in some parts of the island.
Due to the shortage of postmen, the delivery of letters in some provinces is delayed by one day.
For that reason, the Postmaster General also said that letter distribution is being done by dividing it into regions.
Due to the retirement of many officers and non-recruitment, the postal service has been hampered in maintaining certain services.
Reverend Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thero, who has been sentenced to four years imprisonment with hard labor, and requested to be released on bail has been rejected by the Colombo High Court.
Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabandige, who sentenced Gnanasara Thero, made that order.
Defendant Gnanasara Thero’s lawyers had submitted this bail request to the court, requesting that he be released on bail as he has filed an appeal against the current four-year prison sentence.
In a significant development addressing public concerns and parliamentary deliberations, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies, has taken decisive steps concerning the recent increase in staff remuneration at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).
The Independent Remuneration Committee members include Mr Dinesh Stephen Weerakkody, Mr Arjuna Herath, Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Mrs Sudharma Karunarathne, Mr Anthony Nihal Fonseka, Mr Anushka S Wijesinha and Mr Duminda Hulangamuwa.
Responding to mounting pressures from Members of Parliament and the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), President Wickremesinghe has established an independent remuneration committee. This committee will review the contentious salary hike based on the recommendations delineated in the CoPF report on CBSL salary revision.
The CoPF report, as presented to Parliament by Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva, Chair of the Committee, underscores the paramount importance of transparency and accountability in the actions of the CBSL. It emphasizes that while CBSL retains autonomy, it is imperative for it to be answerable to Parliament, particularly amidst prevailing economic challenges confronting the nation.
The committee’s remit encompasses assessing the reasonableness of the across-the-board salary increase and proposing adjustments that are in consonance with CBSL’s mandate and economic exigencies. It will comprise members from both within and outside the CBSL, ensuring a diverse spectrum of perspectives in the decision-making process.
Furthermore, the committee is tasked with formulating a transparent formula for future revisions to CBSL staff remuneration, thereby fostering equity and transparency in the salary framework.
President Wickremesinghe’s expeditious action underscores his unwavering commitment to upholding accountability and ensuring prudent financial management within Sri Lanka. The nation anticipates the findings of the independent remuneration committee, poised to herald a new era of fiscal prudence and transparency within the CBSL.
CoPF also recommended that a report on the same be submitted within 4 weeks and that CBSL defer the salary increase until a mutually acceptable solution is arrived at, based on the findings of the report.
The Colombo Municipal Council requests the people to look carefully when buying sweets and food items during the festive season.
People are also advised to check the manufacturing date, expiry date and official seal of the municipality, especially when buying sweets sold at food stalls and pavements in Pettah food stalls.
Its chief medical officer, Geethika Ratnawardena, requests the public to be careful if the price of sweets sold during this period is significantly lower.
She also requests that sweets, including ‘Kavum’, be checked carefully if they are kept for sale in the evening.
She further commented that steps have been taken to raid all the food that is produced in an unclean and unsanitary manner.
Accordingly, all hotels and restaurants will be inspected continuously until the 11th.
Latest Local and Foreign News Updates and Investigative articles on Local, FOreign, Business, Politics, Environment, Technology and many more.
© 2021 All Right Reserved.
Designed and Developed by Dr. Media.