Dec 9 (DM) The sugar scam amounting up to 16 billion rupees has again become a hot topic for discussion. Those involved in this scam were accused of evading paying govt tax. Businessmen with close links to the govt were accused of stealing public money. After the Covid, price of sugar in the market increased several times. Against such a backdrop, the former govt suddenly took steps to reduce the levy imposed on more..

Dec 9 (DM) The independent Police Commission’s recent verdict exonerating a senior police officer from charges of inappropriately pushing two female officers, though shocking, failed to generate public anger to elicit from the commission a plausible explanation on the legal basis of the ruling. In video footage that went viral on social media, a Chief Inspector was seen grabbing the female police officers by the scruff of their necks during a protest in Panadura on November 12. more..

Dec 9 (Island) The government is preening itself on the passage of Budget 2023 with a majority of 43 votes. That the ayes would have it was a foregone conclusion. The SLPP-UNP combine has got engineering crossovers down to a fine art. There are many MPs of easy virtue, as it were, and they are ready to provide their services to the powers that be, provided they are adequately rewarded. However, it is one thing to have a budget ratified; it is quite another to realise the goals stated therein. more..

Dec 9 (TM) “It is becoming more and more difficult to manage the economic hardships. The salary I am receiving is barely enough to cover transport and food costs. I am working double shifts now. If the situation gets any worse, I will have no option but to make money even through illegal means in order to make ends meet.” This post published on a Facebook group a few weeks ago is indicative of a situation many are more..

Dec 9 (GV) As Lankans continue to suffer the effects of the economic crisis and varied human rights abuses, Prez has made clear his willingness to use force against people who protest without state permission. “Military will be deployed. Emergency Law will be enforced. Another Aragalaya will not be allowed,” he declared on Nov 23, claiming that the public no longer supports such protests. Dissidents continue to be detained and he has indicated that there is no prospect of an election soon. more..

Dec 9 (TM) The 74th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) will be celebrated on 10 Dec 2022. Already, preparations are also being made by the UN, Member States, NGOs, educational institutions, and others for the celebration of its 75th anniversary next year. Historians and scholars have revealed that the concept of human rights was not born in the West. Although its origins have been traced to ancient Greece and Rome, Cyrus Charter of more..

Dec 9 (CT) Imagine the scenario 1. The police arrest a drug king pin. All the evidence is in hand to prosecute. The word goes to a big politico about this. The politico has a vested interest. He calls the IGP or DIG and instruct not to proceed. The word goes down the chain of command and the drug lord walks away. Imagine the scenario 2. A politico is caught red handed taking a bribe off a govt contract. Evidence is all over. Police kicks the case up to AG. AG indicts. more..

Dec 9 (Island) On Sept 1, 2022, debt-trapped SL reached a preliminary agreement with the IMF for a 48-month Extended Fund Facility of $2.9 billion, which hardly covers the country’s outstanding debt, nor its immediate survival needs. Nevertheless, IMF structural adjustment requires the country to meet its familiar debt restructuring conditions: privatisation of state-owned enterprises, cutbacks of social safety nets and alignment of local economic policy with US and other Western interests. more..

Dec 9 (ST) The price of coconut will likely soar further next year unless a national programme to eliminate whitefly pest and fertiliser are not made available at reasonable prices for growers, the industry warns. A coconut now sells for up to Rs 100. “We may need to import coconuts next year to bring down soaring prices, which could cost additional US$ 2 billion,” said Coconut Growers Association Prez, Jayantha Samarakoon. more..

Dec 9 (CT) Niroshan Dickwella’s half century set up Colombo Stars 9 run win over Dambulla Aura in the 5th match of the ongoing Lanka Premier League 2022 worked off in Hambanthota yesterday. Electing to bat, Colombo Stars posted a competitive total of 165-9 thanks to Niroshan Dickwella’s lone knock, and in reply Dambulla Aura were restricted to 156-7 courtesy another middle order collapse. Skipper Angelo Mathews opened the batting with Niroshan Dickwella for Colombo, who were off to more..

Dec 9 (FT) PM Dinesh Gunawardena met with the Ambassadors of member countries of the European Union at the Temple Trees on Wednesday. During the discussions, PM briefed them on the steps taken by the Government with regard to establishing economic, social and political stability and the results thereof. The envoys who took part in the discussion included European Union Ambassador Denis Chaibi, Ambassador of Germany Holger Seubert, Ambassador of the Netherlands more..

Dec 9 (FT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa called on the Govt to halt all its attempts to increase the electricity tariff. “The Cabinet has informed the country that the electricity tariff will be increased on two occasions. This will severely affect the examinations of school children,” he said. “The people are now unable to cope with life. A number of stressful and pressurising situations have been created. Though the leaders are unaware the people are suffering. They are in hunger,” he added. more..

Dec 9 (FT) Alliance Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of AIAHL is all set to resume its services connecting Chennai and Jaffna from Monday, after a nearly three-year pandemic-caused break. The airline is all set to expand globally and commence commercial flight operations from Jaffna Int'l Airport to Chennai Int'l Airport with direct flight operations on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. “This direct flight will operate four days a week. With the vision to connect to our neighbouring countries, more..

Dec 9 (FT) World Bank Vice President for South Asia Martin Raiser this week underscored the need for urgent action to reverse the deep crisis through long overdue reforms. He prioritised debt relief, reform actions based on consensus and well-targeted measures to protect the poor. During a three-day visit to SL, Raiser met with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, PM Dinesh Gunawardena and other senior officials to discuss more..

Dec 9 (FT) Committee on Public Finance (COPF) has approved the clauses under the Casino Business (Regulation) Act, its Chairman and MP Dr. Harsha de Silva told the Parliament. Prez Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Minister, authorised the Casino Business (Regulation) Act No. 17 of 2010 recently. These regulations were cited as the Casino Business Licensing Regulation No. 1 of 2022. more..

Dec 9 (NR) Singer Nuwan Gunawardana has passed away at the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital. His family stated that Gunawardana was being treated for an illness while he passed away. Gunawardena, who was also one of the leading playback singers in Sri Lankan Sinhala cinema, was known for his popular hits such as Pawee Giyawe, La Sanda Eliye, Sanda Men Bala. The final rites of Nuwan Gunawardana are expected to be made known later. more..

Dec 9 (TM) Association for Relatives of Enforced Disappearances in the North and the East (N-E) will hold an awareness protest on the 75th anniversary of the International Human Rights (HR) Day, falling on 10 December. Association Secretary Leeladevi Anandanadarajah said that her organisation wants to bring the issue to the attention of the international community on Int'l Human Rights Day, in order to make them realise the plight more..

Dec 9 (Island) The Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in SL (AHK SL) in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in SL recently held The Sustainability Awards 2022 initiative at Jetwing Colombo 7. The two German organizations recognized six SL companies that had made considerable progress in sustainability in supply chains and due diligence in business as part of their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals. more..

Dec 9 (ST) Court of Appeal on Friday, issued summons for Tourism and Lands Minister Harin Fernando, UDA Director General, and Colombo District Secretary to appear in Court on January 10. The decision was reached by the Appeal Court after considering the petition filed by three private firms opposing the tender offer for the Bloemendhal Garbage Dump Land, which was given by the UDA to use for commercial purposes. The petition was filed by three private companies including more..

Dec 9 (FT) “A rise one more in the exclusive business barometer raises hope of better times,” said business magazine LMD, in its latest edition. LMD continued: “The implications of Budget 2023 will occupy the minds of corporates as the new tax rates and policies kick in. But there’s been a sense of optimism in recent times, even as people acknowledge and realise that difficult times lie ahead for everyone, if the national economy is to recover and stabilise.” more..

Dec 9 (AD) The Ministry of Education has declared Friday (Dec 09) a holiday for all govt and govt-approved private schools, taking the prevailing adverse weather condition into account. The Education Ministry arrived at this decision following the inquiries made from the Department of Meteorology and the Disaster Management Centre. In view of the government’s decision, the Bishop’s House in Colombo also declared a special holiday tomorrow for Catholic schools island-wide. more..

Dec 9 (EN) The powers to change the electricity tariff in SL is vested with the Minister of Power and not the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL), Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe told the Parliament. Minister Kanchana Wijesekara has requested an upward price revision to be implemented in two phases both in January and July next year, saying the recent tariff hike was not enough for the state-run utility provider CEB more..

Dec 9 (FT) SL recently signed the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime on Enhanced Cooperation and Disclosure of Electronic Evidence of the Council of Europe. The signing was at a ceremony held at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, in the presence of Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjorn Berge, Head of Protocol, Head of Treaty Office and delegates to the 27th Plenary Meeting of the T-CY. SL's signatory was Ambassador Grace Asirwatham more..

Dec 9 (FT) UN Conference On Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its new Review of Maritime Transport 2022 has revealed that the Port of Colombo is the highest-performing port in South Asia. The Review of Maritime Transport is a recurrent publication prepared by the UNCTAD secretariat since 1968 with the aim of fostering the transparency of maritime markets and analysing relevant developments. The data in the report suggested that despite the challenges of more..

Dec 9 (TM) MP Champika Ranawaka asserted that the public should not allow the privatisation of the Kelani or Mahaweli Rivers, claiming it could deprive the Western Province of drinking water. “People of the Colombo and Gampaha Districts are supplied water from the Kelani River. Mahaweli River supplies the Mahaweli region farmers with water. After selling these to companies, if they say that they cannot supply water to Colombo or any of these places, what will happen?” more..

Dec 9 (TM) Three-wheeler owners’ complaints about the registration fee are not due to any economic hardships, but due to their unwillingness to submit to any form of industry regulation, claimed All-Island Three-Wheeler Drivers’ Union Chairman Lalith Dharmasekara, speaking on how several professional three-wheeler associations, specifically in the Western Province (WP), have complained of the Rs. 3,000 fee for the online registration of three-wheeler taxis being unfair. more..

Dec 9 (Island) SJB MP Champika Ranawaka told Parliament yesterday that the govt’s plans to restructure the CEB would certainly lead to disaster. “These privatisation plans, if permitted, would have the same consequences as the economic reforms in Russia under Mikhail Gorbachev,” Ranawaka said. Ranawaka, an electrical engineer, said that as per a recent Cabinet decision the CEB would be divided into more..

Dec 9 (Island) A closer look and comparison between foreign employment figures in Sri Lanka’s External Sector Performance show that in the months of August, Sept and Oct 2022, a total of 87,629 Lankans migrated for overseas jobs, out of which 20,368 were domestic aides. Hence Sri Lanka has exported a three-month average of 23.2% of its migrant work force or more than one fifth of its labour resource (mostly poor women) as domestic aides. more..

Dec 9 (EN) President Ranil Wickremesinghe bemoaned over successive govts’ liquefied natural gas (LNG) deal that has brought in all the world powers into the discussion. Wickremesinghe’s center-right UNP had discussions with India and Japan between 2002-2004 for an LNG project. “Following dialogues with India and Japan, UNP govt could come to agreements to get two LNG power plants. After we were defeated the successor govt, without cancelling those agreements granted more..

Dec 9 (DM) Sensitive people have been urged to remain indoors following the air pollution caused by the northeast Monsoon winds blowing from the Indian sub continent. Environment Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe said that such people should wear masks when they venture out. said that the current air pollution in the country was not an indigenous issue and it was not a problem that Sri Lanka could address. more..

Dec 10 (CT) In the midst of a raging electricity crisis in the country, the conflict of interest, of the Chairman of the country’s utility regulator, Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL), recently stirred controversy in Parliament when the Prez in a rather stern manner called for an investigation into his conduct. As reported in Ceylon Today, Chief of the country’s utility regulator, Janaka Ratnayake is likely to end up in hot water with Prez Wickremesinghe calling for an investigation more..

Dec 10 (FT) Successive SL govts have attempted to villainise the non-profit and civil society sector as agents of foreign interference. During the past 12 months alone, the NGO Secretariat has been moved between three ministries, from Defence, Foreign Affairs, to Public Security. Although treating the sector as a national security threat may be politically expedient, the consequent restrictions come at the cost of the public being deprived of invaluable services during a time of crisis. more..

Dec 10 (CT) A group UNP affiliated lawyers came together to organise a special celebration to mark President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s 50 long years in the legal profession. The Function was attended by over 1,000 legal professionals of Sri Lanka was held last Saturday (3) at the Colombo Shangri-La Hotel. President Ranil Wickremesinghe and First Lady Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe were received on this occasion by more..

Dec 10 (FT) Corruption in SL is considered a national malady, which has been the root cause for high inequality and disparity in income, increased poverty and low growth rate. Though successive govts have pledged to eradicate this menace, it has been an impossible task to arrest malady due to the prevalence of the corruption culture backed by powerful politicians, bureaucrats and business tycoons. Could you just imagine that the two former Presidents, Mahinda Rajapaksa & Maithripala more..

Dec 10 (GV) Today is Int'l Anti Corruption Day. When I joined the public service 50 years ago, we spoke of governance. When I left the service, the talk was of good governance. That was what SL achieved during the 75 years after independence. ADB defines corruption as the abuse of public or private office for personal gain. This means any behavior in which people in the public or private sectors improperly and unlawfully enrich themselves or those close to them, or induce others to do so more..

Dec 10 (CT) The proposal by the State Minister of Tourism to legalise cannabis cultivation for export purposes, emphasising that such a State-sponsored venture would assist the recovery of SL’s economy from the present crisis and settle foreign debt to a certain extent, has drawn the attention of many. Following the State Minister’s proposal, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed a Parliamentary Committee to explore more..