Sep 6 (FT) The motor vehicle regulator has suffered a setback in its revenue collections following the adverse impacts of the COVID pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis. As a top agency that generates revenue for the Govt, Dept of Motor Traffic’s monthly contribution to the Treasury has dropped from around Rs. 1 bil to Rs. 700 mil at present given the multiple challenges. “Following the adverse impacts of the pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis, Dept’s average daily income more..

Sep 6 (ST) The govt’s interim budget has created more apprehension among the people already facing effects of the country’s worst economic crisis, of another wave of price increases, while it has also drawn criticism and praise from different sectors. Raising the VAT from 12% to 15% would result in a hike in the cost of living and the relief measures introduced in Tuesday’s budget would not be enough to cushion the effect, more..

Sep 6 (Island) PM and Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Govt, Dinesh Gunawardena, has reportedly undertaken to ensure that the local govt institutions will be given more powers, and take action to expedite electoral reforms—a mixed representation system. There is much more to be done. Will the govt care to rid the local councils of bribery and corruption and make them people-friendly? more..

Sep 6 (CI) Can Sri Lanka beat India on Tuesday night? History says it's going to be tough. Since 2018, Sri Lanka have lost seven, and won only three T20Is against India, and even that is if you count the two matches, they won in Colombo last year when half of an India second-string squad were decked by Covid-19. But we live in a universe where this Sri Lanka team does strange things. These are three of their best shots at pulling off an upset. There are no stars in this Sri Lanka batting order. more..

Sep 6 (CI) One bad result is all it takes to leave a team staring at possible elimination from the Asia Cup. Pakistan faced - and overcame - that challenge after losing to India in the group stages. And now it's India who are in a precarious position after losing to Pakistan in the Super 4 round. Rohit Sharma's team cannot afford to lose to SL in Dubai on Tuesday. If they do so, the defending champions will have to rely on other results going their way to have a chance of making the final. more..

Sep 6 (ST) Little over a week ahead of the UNHRC sessions in Geneva, a group of Tamil MPs and civil society representatives have written to Foreign Ministers of the UN Core Group on SL urging them to present a fresh UN Resolution on SL. This they say is to achieve accountability for alleged crimes committed by referring SL to the International Criminal Court (ICC) as recommended by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in her last report submitted to the Council in March last year. more..

Sep 6 (FT) Tourist arrivals to SL have exceeded the half-a-million mark, with 4,020 travellers arriving in the country during the first four days of the month. A total of 500,472 visitors arrived so far. During the first four days of September, India topped the tourist inflow with 844, followed by the UK with 490, Australia with 320, Germany with 278 & Canada with 230 travellers. In addition, travellers from Russia, Maldives, France, Spain, more..

Sep 6 (FT) Nawa Lanka Nidahas Pakshaya (New Lanka Freedom Party) Leader Kumara Welgama says former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa is unsuitable for politics and therefore should not re-enter active politics once more. “We wish him well. But we say do not return to politics. He is unsuitable. There are rumours he may be appointed as PM. However, it is better for him to stay home rather than be entrapped by others,” he said. Welgama made these comments while addressing those gathered more..

Sep 6 (FT) CIC Holdings PLC has acquired Asiavet Lifesence Ltd., a company engaged in the business of importing veterinary products. The acquisition will further strengthen CIC’s position as a premier specialist for the supply of internationally acclaimed vet care products for the poultry industry as well as a line of pet care products. The CIC Veterinary Care operation in FY22 delivered a satisfactory performance with both key verticals of poultry care and pet care products performing well. more..

Sep 6 (FT) SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna said his party will request Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to set up a Parliamentary Select Committee to probe and identify those responsible for the current economic crisis. “We must find out who destroyed this country’s economy within the span of two years. Is it former Prez Rajapaksa? Or Mahinda Rajapaksa who functioned as both PM & Min. of Fin.? more..

Sep 6 (Island) A blueprint of opportunities, challenges and the road ahead for the loss-making Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) was unveiled by JAAR Corporate Solutions at Taj Samudra Colombo last week. Furthermore, JAAR offered potential public-private partnership (PPP) models for the financially-battered CPC to make a turnaround. The participating policymakers, professionals, investors, economists and other individuals well-aware of the key reforms necessary for more..

Sep 6 (FT) In a bid, to choose from a wider pool of potential partners to redevelop prime real estate in Nuwara Eliya Town, the Govt has extended the closing date for Request for Proposals (RFPs) to 12 Sept. The 5 Sept deadline for the proposals was extended by a week to accommodate several more investors that have shown interest in the redevelopment of the property. In July, Urban Development and Housing Ministry’s Standing Cabinet-Appointed Negotiating Committee more..

Sep 6 (DM) The heavy showers have lashed most parts of the country and water levels were rising at several gauging stations of the Kelani river, Kalu river, Nilwala river, Maha Oya and Attanagalu Oya may cause minor floods, DMC warned. As a result, the water levels at the Kelani River gauge stations (Nagalagam street, Hanwella, and Glencourse) are rising and changing in minor levels. The water levels at the gauging stations at Kalu Ganga (Magura, Millakanda) are increasing and a minor flood more..

Sep 6 (EN) SL stocks edged up on Monday (5) for the fifth session mainly pushed by LOLC shares following a merger speculation, brokers said. The market saw a net foreign inflow was 647 million rupees on Monday. The bourse has seen a net foreign inflow of 1.85 billion rupees so far this year after 3.24 billion rupees of net inflow in the last 15 straight sessions amid positive sentiment over an IMF deal. The main ASPI gained 0.54% or 49.94 points to 9,366.39, its highest since Mar 29. more..

Sep 6 (Island) Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera, former MP of the JHU, has filed a fundamental rights case in the Supreme Court, challenging the controversial coal deal and the process of awarding it. Lanka Coal Company awarded the tender for the supply of 4.5 million metric tons of high calorific coal to Black Sand Commodities of Dubai. Back Sand Commodities was the only responsive bidder. Subsequently, Lanka Coal Company (LCC) more..

Sep 6 (FT) Transparency International SL (TISL) in a statement unequivocally condemned the arrests and oppression of citizens who raised their voices in peaceful protests to challenge those responsible for the country’s governance. TISL also denounced the destruction of public property that belongs to all citizens, under any circumstance. TISL observed with concern that the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and provisions of other laws are being misused arbitrarily and more..

Sep 6 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe wished to resolve the Chinese Bio fertilizer shipment dispute without causing any harm to the friendly relations between China and Sri Lanka, a senior minister said. Responding to queries, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the position of the President on the issue was to resolve it in a way that did not damage the friendly relations between the two nations. The minister added: “We will continue to make our best efforts to sort it out.” more..

Sep 6 (CP) Sri Lanka is said to be burdened by an unsustainable debt to China. The Chinese are blamed for trapping Sri Lanka in debt which could lead to servitude. While this may not be an entirely accurate and unbiased assessment, it is true that Chinese loans have tended to be unproductive and a drain on Sri Lanka’s slender financial resources. However, it will be unfair to blame only China for this state of affairs. Sri Lanka’s regulatory framework is also to be blamed. more..

Sep 6 (HT) Kerala police on Monday arrested 11 Sri Lankans from a hotel in Kollam in south Kerala after a tip off from Tamil Nadu police that they were planning to sail to Canada in a fishing boat. Police said two Sri Lankan nationals, who reached Tamil Nadu on tourist visa last week, were found to be missing and Q Branch (a CID wing) followed their phone signals and located them in Kollam and alerted its counterparts. After search police nabbed 11, including two missing from Tamil Nadu. more..

Sep 6 (EN) Sri Lanka had no practice of revealing IMF programs to parliament early and tax changes can only be revealed to the parliament at the time of implementation, Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. Sri Lanka has had 16 IMF programs in the past after balance of payments trouble was triggered by SL’s intermediate regime central bank which prints money to suppress market interest rates leading to forex shortages. more..

Sep 6 (AD) A fourteen-year-old student has reportedly died after falling into an unprotected storm drain filled with rainwater, following heavy rainfall, in the Vehera area in Kurunegala. The deceased has been identified as Sajith Gunaratne, 14, a Grade 09 student of Maliyadewa Model School. Following a nearly four-hour operation carried out jointly by residents in the area and army personnel, the child stuck in the drain was rescued & admitted to Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. more..

Sep 6 (TM) Leader of the 43rd Brigade and MP Champika Ranawaka, who attended the event to open the headquarters of the New Lanka Freedom Party (NLFP) led by SJB MP Kumara Welgama, said that the creation of a middle path, through the unison of the independent forces in Parliament without succumbing to the slogans of the extreme Left- and extreme Right-wing political parties, has become the need of the hour. Speaking at the event held in Battaramulla yesterday more..

Sep 6 (TM) Govt led by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced its rejection of the past two UNHRC Resolutions as being anti-Constitutional, specifically citing the proposed external mechanism and system – which had previously been accepted by the Govt of SL in the UNHRC Resolution co-sponsored by Sri Lanka when Wickremesinghe was the PM of UNF-led good governance Govt in 2015. more..

Sep 6 (FT) In a few days, the first UN human rights assessment of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure so far as head of state, will be unveiled in Geneva, contained among other things in the Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. What is clear is that Wickremesinghe is a lot less concerned with human rights now that he is President, than he appeared to be when he was Opposition leader or even Prime Minister. This will undoubtedly be reflected in the High Commissioner’s report. more..

Sep 6 (FT) I wish to dedicate this article to the courageous members, activists and media personnel of Aragalaya making significant impact, resistance to aberrant practices hitherto followed, and triggering a pathway for transformation. Despite the expected outcomes yet to be achieved, this blueprint, is a product of several months of continuous, unwavering determination of all contributors. The current Govt with the participation of the Opposition hopefully and more..

Sep 6 (MFA) The Ambassador of Egypt in Sri Lanka Maged Mosleh called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry on 31 August, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Minister Sabry and Ambassador Mosleh held wide-ranging discussions related to the multi-faceted bilateral cooperation. Minister Sabry briefed Ambassador Mosleh on current developments, the challenges faced by the country and measures taken by the Government to overcome these challenges. more..

Sep 6 (EN) SL donated two metric tons of Ceylon Tea as a gesture of solidarity and goodwill to the flood victims of Pakistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry handed over the donation to the Pakistan High Commissioner Umar Farooq Burki at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday Sept 5, the ministry said in a tweet that evening. A ministry official told EconomyNext that the donation consists of around two tons of Ceylon Tea and will be sent to Karachi, more..

Sep 6 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's IMF bailout plan could be a turning point in its worst economic crisis, but far-from-stable politics and a need to get debt relief from competing powers China, India and Japan means some of the hardest work is still to come. President Ranil Wickremesinghe knows a lot of circles will need to be squared for IMF's $2.9 billion lifeline to become a reality. Spending cuts, tax hikes and debt write-downs are a common more..

Sep 6 (DM) Former Prez Chandrika Kumaratunga slammed the Rajapaksas saying that the actions taken by the Rajapaksa regimes had led to the serious crisis situation in the country. "Not only the Rajapaksas, but the govt representatives around them, their friends, and associates are also to be blamed for the prevailing crisis," she said during the opening of the new office of the Nawa Lanka Freedom Party in Battaramulla. The party is led by former minister and MP Kumara Welgama. more..

Sep 6 (EN) SL has appointed a committee to oversee the disposal of scrap materials in state-run offices to clear out space and earn revenue before the end of the year, the prez’s office said. “It has been noted that due to the non-disposal of scrap material on time, the govt is losing a considerable amount of revenue,” a statement from the PMD said. “Spaces in office premises/govt buildings are also unnecessarily obstructed and occupied due to the filling up of such materials.” more..

Sep 6 (EN) SL’s ruling party has denied opposition allegations of a conspiracy to remove Central Bank chief Nandalal Weerasinghe. Chief Govt Whip Prasanna Ranatunga told parliament that the govt has no intention whatsoever to remove Weerasinghe from the position of Governor of CB. Ranatunga was responding to allegations by MPs from the SJB who has been insinuating since late August a conspiracy is underfoot to more..

Sep 6 (DM) SL Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya today filed a Special Determination petition in Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Petroleum Products (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, which was placed on the order paper of Parliament on last Wednesday. Through this petition SL Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya is seeking a declaration that the bill requires the approval by the people at a Referendum in addition to the 2/3 approval of the Parliament. more..

Sep 6 (Island) SLPP MP Prof. G.L. Peiris says the govt is planning to go ahead with the appointment of a jumbo Cabinet while millions of people are skipping meals. Former Foreign Minister questioned the rationale behind appointing 30 Cabinet and 40 non-Cabinet ministers amidst the worst-ever economic crisis the country was facing. Commenting on the govt issuing triumphant statements in the wake of reaching a staff-level agreement with the IMF, Prof. Peiris said that the undeniable truth more..

Sep 6 (FT) Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) introduced card payments to boost revenue collection and enhance efficiencies. It said that all payments related to the Dept could be made via debit or credit cards at its head office in Narahenpita and branch office in Werahera. “Modern youth often make payments using a credit or debit card as they have embraced new technologies faster and to avoid the disadvantage of carrying cash. Initially, the card payments will only be accepted at more..

Sep 6 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has congratulated Liz Truss on her election as Leader of the Conservative Party and on her imminent appointment as PM of the UK. Wickremesinghe also mentioned that he is confident that bilateral and the cultural relations between SL and the UK will continue to grow, as the two nations strengthen their partnership through UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme. “I congratulate Liz Truss on being elected the leader of the Conservative Party more..