Aug 1 (Island) Parliament has not been able to install Sectoral Oversight Committee at Govijana Seva Mandiraya (GSM), Battaramulla over two years after the Agriculture Ministry based at the GSM rented building at a cost of nearly Rs. 1 bn at No 288, Rajagiriya-Kotte, J'pura road for its use. Officials said that they had not been able to move the Sectoral Oversight Committees to Govijana Seva Mandiraya yet though the Agriculture more..

Aug 1 (ST) The collection of glass bottles for re-use or recycling has come to a standstill. Uncollected bottles are now piling up on roadsides or in the backyards of houses, pubs, bars and clubs. Bottle & paper collectors say they have stopped collecting glass bottles as there was no recycling demand for them. Liquor shop owners said 180 ml bottles which are not even collected by distillery companies are also found thrown about. more..

Aug 1 (CT) The threat of a brain drain among medical doctors looms large once again. It was pointed out that 20 doctors had already left the shores for greener pastures even before being awarded their post intern appointments to Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Meanwhile, the GMOA cautioned the country of a possible brain drain among the medical fraternity, if urgent steps were not taken to reconstruct an environment more..

Aug 1 (AD) Another 180 development projects which have been completed under the Pibidemu Polonnaruwa (Awakening of Polonnaruwa) District Development Programme will be vested in the public in Polonnaruwa on 01st, 02nd and 03rd August with the participation of the President, the PM, Ministers, intellectuals and artists. After Maithripala Sirisena assuming duties as the sixth Executive President of the country, more..

Aug 1 (Island) The govt had announced opening of 150 power sector tenders but the power Maifa at the CEB had prevented the commissioning of even a single project since the present regime came to power, Executive Director of the CaFFE, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said. He said that if the CEB decided to purchase electricity at a high price from the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant operated by West Coast Power Pvt. Ltd, it would incur more..

Aug 1 (DM) Deputy Minister Buddhika Pathirana said that the Ambassador to Qatar A.S.P. Liyanage is running the Sri Lankan school in Qatar for money instead of executing the diplomatic duties. He said the President, PM and the Foreign Ministry should take action against the ambassador who is attempting to snatch about Rs. 450 million (QR 9mn) worth of funds of the Sri Lankan school. Addressing a press briefing which was arranged to reveal more..

Aug 1 (AD) The excise duty on cigarettes has been increased by Rs 3.80 per stick with effect from midnight yesterday. The relevant govt notification said that the excise duty on cigarettes, each exceeding 72mm but not exceeding 84mm in length, has been increased to Rs 33,550 per 1000 cigarettes. Meanwhile the excise duty on cigarettes exceeding 84mm in length has been increased to Rs 37,675 per 1000 cigarettes. more..

Aug 1 (EN) Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera Wednesday raised taxes on the hugely popular small Japanese hybrid cars that have become affordable after his November budget rationalised import duties. With his policy reversal, Samaraweera slapped a minimum duty of 1.25 million rupees on any hybrid car with an engine capacity of less than 1,000 cubic centimetres. The measure means the previous duty of more..

Aug 1 (CT) IMF publication has said that the total debt of over 200 State-owned enterprises (SOEs) as at last year stood at Rs 1.4 trillion, equivalent to 10.8% of gross domestic product (GDP). Of this number, a mere four SOEs were responsible for debts equivalent to 9.2% of GDP, or 85.19% of all SOE debt amounting to Rs 11,321 billion. That liability was led by Ceylon Petroleum Corporation whose debt was equivalent to 2.9% of GDP or Rs 385 billion, followed closely by SriLankan more..

Aug 1 (FT) The political-signal-sending-savvy President’s outspoken call to execute drug dealers has been debated to the death – very nearly literally – most of the past fortnight or so. While prelates and clerics may have had their two cents’ worth to add (or subtract) from the vexed issue of capital punishment being implemented in our righteous society, virtual silence has prevailed in all quarters on the larger perhaps more pressing problem. That of the new socio-political culture of drugs: more..

Aug 1 (EN) Sri Lanka’s govt is to set up a temperature controlled storage facility at Dambulla, a key farming centre in the north-central region, to store farm produce and reduce post-harvest losses. The cold storage unit is to be set up with Indian support, according to a joint proposal by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs and Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Megapolis and Western Development. more..

Aug 1 (LBO) Chairman of the Ceylon Tobacco Company, Susantha Ratnayake has retired from the company with effect from yesterday after the completion of his term of five years as the Chairman and six years as a Non-Executive Independent Director. “During his tenure as a Director and Chairman of the Board, the Company as well as the Board immensely benefitted from Mr. Ratnayake’s vast experience as one of the most respected business leaders in the country,” more..

Aug 1 (CT) Ceylon Civil Service, later transformed into Sri Lanka Administrative Service, has been a dignified public service. ‘It functioned as part of the executive administration of the country to various degrees until Ceylon gained self-rule in 1948. Until it was abolished on 1 May 1963 it functioned as the permanent bureaucracy or secretariat of Crown employees that supported the Govt of Ceylon’ (Source: Wikipedia). more..

Aug 1 (DM) A leading drug smuggler was injured and another suspect was arrested when the Police opened fire at a car during a raid at Charlemont Road in Wellawatte last night, police said. Police said a Police constable was also injured during the raid. At the time of the incident, there were two women inside the car. They said the main suspect was undergoing treatment at the Colombo National Hospital under police security. The raid has been carried out after information that more..

Aug 1 (Island) Focusing on four key areas which include product and IT development, the expansion of branch network and ensuring a progressive team Sri Lanka Insurance is always at hand to enable customers with convenience and reliability Sri Lanka Insurance today announced the changing of its corporate identity to coincide with the organization’s three-year plan to improve processes and introduce products and features that address the needs of the modern consumer. more..

Aug 1 (AD) SL will call for fresh bids from expert int'l petroleum companies for petroleum exploration, development and production activities in the Kaweri Basin in Mannar. “Cabinet approved the proposal presented by Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, to call for bids from international Petroleum Companies to explore, Develop and Production of Petroleum in areas where petroleum is expected in Mannar and Kaweri Area” more..

Aug 1 (DM) The term of the Presidential Commission appointed to investigate financial irregularities which had taken place at SriLankan airlines, SriLankan Catering Limited and Mihin Lanka Airlines, has been extended by five months by Prez Maithripala Sirisena. Gazette Extraordinary issued by the Presidential Secretariat stated that the six month term of the commission which was established on Jan 31, 2018 had ended on July 31 and it had been extended till Dec 31, 2018. more..

Aug 1 (AD) The Grade 5 scholarship is set to be held on the 5th August this year, at 3050 examination halls, states the Department of Examination. Commissioner General of Examinations Sanath Pujitha stated that 355,326 candidates are facing the Grade 5 scholarship exam this year. The exam paper consists of two parts and the 1st paper will be held for 45 minutes from 9.45 am and the 2nd paper will be held at 10.45 am and last for 1 hour and 15 minutes. more..

Aug 1 (NR) Minister Kabir Hashim says shortcomings in the tax policy introduced by the govt are currently being amended. He said the tax policy will be amended in a manner that individuals are not unfairly affected. Minister questioend as to who was protected during former Prez Rajapaksa's term the poor or millionaires. He added the former Prez's friends were granted tax exemptions, imported luxury food was more..

Aug 1 (Island) Commuters feared for their lives when they travelled in private buses due to drivers gross disregard for road rules and human life, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said. Private bus drivers were like wild beasts and commuters thought twice before boarding a private bus, Silva said. "SLTB buses are involved in only a handful of accidents and thus people who care for their safety travel in the state owned buses. Recently, two private buses, carrying 70 passengers each, more..

Aug 1 (IFP) Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his SL counterpart have conferred on expansion of bilateral ties between the two countries in various fields, especially in energy. During the Wednesday meeting in Colombo, the two sides discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation and explore further areas of mutual relations. Oil, energy, petrochemicals, construction, banking, and agriculture were among the topics discussed by the two foreign ministers. more..

Aug 1 (EN) Security officers of SriLankan Airlines given duty leave around the time of the last presidential election were not released for political work, the current acting head of security of SriLankan Airlines, said. PCoI is probing alleged irregularities at the airline from 2006 to Jan 2018. Titus Kannangara, acting head of security at SriLankan Airlines said no vehicles or staff of the security department were used for election more..

Aug 1 (AD) Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam says that he has no responsibility with regard to the reinsurance of the Suraksha health insurance scheme to an Indian company. He stated this, responding to a question raised by a media person following an event held at Vivekananda College, Colombo. He further commented that SL Insurance Corporation should be questioned with regard to this issue and that nearly 4.5 million school children are benefitted from this insurance scheme. more..

Aug 1 (AD) The Agrahara medical insurance for retired govt employees is currently only valid for govt employees who had retired after 2016. However, Minister of Youth Affairs, Project Management and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayaka is working on to provide the insurance for state employees who retired even before 2016. For the implementation of this project, an amount of Rs 50 million has been allocated by the 2018 budget proposal. more..

Aug 1 (AD) Three youths including a teenage girl have been arrested for extorting money and other property in Athurugiriya area by threatening people with weapons. The arrest was made yesterday while a machete and the extorted items were also taken into custody. Police had received a complaint regarding the extortion of two Pakistani individuals, who had been terrorized and assaulted in their rented apartment located at more..

Aug 1 (MFA) The 8th Bi-Annual Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association was held in Durban, South Africa on 30-31 July 2018. Speaking at the inaugural session, Sri Lanka’s head of delegation Saroja Sirisena, Director General/Economic Affairs (Multilateral) of the Foreign Ministry, emphasised that the time is ripe for IORA, which is the premier organisation of the Indian Ocean Region to transform itself from a catalyst to an engine of growth. more..

Aug 1 (CT) Sinharaja has become a paradise for the timber mafia, illegal gem mining, and bio piracy. UNESCO world heritage rainforest site is under risk, environmentalist, and Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental and Nature Studies (CENS), Dr. Ravindra Kariyawasam claimed. He further alleged that both the Pothupitiya and Rakwana Police stations which are located near the Sinhraja forest area as well as certain Wildlife Conservation Dept officers and more..

Aug 1 (DM) Four Prison superintendents, five assistant superintendents and three jailers in prisons across the country, have been transferred with immediate effect by the Ministry of Justice and Prison Reforms. The transfers made on the instructions of Minister Thalatha Athukorala were based on the performance of prison officials. Prison Superintendents; T.I Uduwara was transferred to the Welikada Prison from Mahara Prison, more..

Aug 1 (Island) General Secretary of the LSSP and former minister, Prof. Tissa Vitharana told a recent meeting in Kandy that people could not be hoodwinked by change of heads as they wanted an election to oust the govt. He said there was mounting displeasure against the yahapalana govt and that it was evident from the results of the local elections of February 10. Prof. Vitharana was speaking at a meeting organised by the Pathadumbara organisation of the SLPP at more..

Aug 1 (NR) Former Minister GL Peiris claims the announcement made by President Maithripala Sirisena to re-introduce the capital punishment was only an attempt to deviate the attention from issues faced by the general public. Chairman of the SLPP Professor GL Peiris said the present govt will never implement the death penalty. He added the President claimed that irrespective of who opposes the move, even if the country losses the GSP, he will implement the death penalty. more..

Aug 1 (DM) Summons had been issued on former President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and three other accused to appear in the Special Trial At Bar High Court on August 24 to face the trial for allegedly misappropriating Rs. 500 million belonging to Litro Gas. The accused Gamini Senarath, Piyadasa Kudabalage, Neel Kapuhinna and Lasantha Bandara were noticed to appear before the Court on August 24. more..

Aug 2 (CT) If procrastination and inaction are the defining characteristics of the Yahapalanaya regime then the saga of the Marsoof report on Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) says it all. This Act of 1951, whose genesis actually goes back to 18th century Dutch ruled Batavia, was borrowed and adapted by our British colonial masters to suit conditions prevailing in the Ceylon of 1806. What was a convenient and quick solution to an issue of Muslim social and religious management by more..

Aug 2 (CT) The political landscape of SL since the end of the war shows that, irrespective of who is in power or who is vying for power, there has been one consistent policy that has been prioritized by everyone that is - progressive and unhindered socio-economic development. For this, inclusion and non-discrimination matters, because a country cannot truly develop if only one group, community, or social class is benefitting from it. To put it simply, there is no development without progress for all. more..

Aug 2 (SO) There exists large differences in health indicators between estate populations and national figures, giving rise to public health concerns, states a recent Policy Review of Status of Health in the Plantation Sector. According to the Review, these poor indicators are determined mainly by factors such as poverty and daily wage system, line rooms, lack of access to safe water and sanitary facilities, low level of more..

Aug 2 (CT) Military personnel stationed in the North are often perplexed when told that their continued presence is objectionable to the local population. Their experience is different. When they ask the people about their presence, the answer they say they receive is a positive one whether in term of preserving law and order or in terms of providing material assistance. The sceptic would point out no civilian population in a post-war setting would be willing to tell uniformed military personnel that more..

Aug 2 (DN) A confrontation over appointments of Principals and other Grade appointments have become a subject of contention between the Teachers’ Unions and the Ministry of Education. Fortunately, a strike was averted by the intervention of President Sirisena, which however is a temporary stop-gap solution. This is not the only issue in education management. There are many more and even far more basic problems such as school admissions, shortage of physical & social more..

Aug 2 (CT) Leader of the NFF, UPFA MP, Wimal Weerawansa says that the Special High Court was established to jail leaders of the JO. Q: President quoting Police Reports said that, in comparison to the period 2008-2015, murders and underworld activities had decreased. According to those reports it was said that there were not as many underworld activities today, in contrast to those that took place during Rajapaksa administration? more..

Aug 2 (DN) A group of politicians overthrown by the voters with their cohorts seem to scramble through the present political arena of the country crafting their strategies to grab the power in the forthcoming elections, be it the presidential elections or elections for the provincial councils. We the general public have got to be politically conscious of their manoeuvres, for their detrimental nature can drag the country into the abysmal depths of chauvinism and anarchy. more..

Aug 2 (Island) Grama Niladharis (GNs) in the Kopai area are reportedly refusing to work from their offices due to attacks on four houses recently. The Ava group has been blamed for the violence. The GNs are reported to be operating from the Nallur DS instead, according to media reports. The office of one of the GNs has been also smashed up, we are told. When the issue of violence perpetrated by the Ava group was raised in Parliament about a fortnight ago, the govt, true to form, sought more..