Dec 9 (TM) No relief appears to be in sight for the escalating coconut prices as industry experts caution that significant reductions could take at least six months, even if immediate measures are implemented. Experts estimate it would take another two-and-a-half years to fully stabilise the market. As a short-term solution to ease the burden on consumers, they suggest importing coconuts, particularly from countries like India or more..

Dec 9 (ST) Is the much-hyped crackdown of the NPP Govt against political scoundrels of past regimes confined to arresting a few politicians here for possession of illegally assembled vehicles, (which are a dime a dozen in SL) and a few politicians there for posting news on social media alleged to ‘excite disaffection’ under the penal law and anti-terrorism laws? That is a fair question to ask, two and a half months into Prez Anura Kumar Dissanayake’s election victory at prez polls. more..

Dec 9 (SO) Sri Lanka is known as a country that provides labour. It’s our most enduring national export. But we are also known as the nation that encourages any type of foreign remittances. A massive number of Sri Lankans — perhaps a majority — would give anything to settle down abroad with family in a Western country, or in South Korea perhaps. We in SL have taken these proclivities for granted. We have encouraged them. Reason being that these nations have more..

Dec 9 (TM) Despite govt’s measures to import 70,000 MT of rice to address ongoing shortages in the local market, mill owners allege that the expected quantity would need to be doubled to adequately meet demand, arguing that the country is unlikely to achieve the anticipated harvest during the Maha season in January next year. As a result, mill owners have urged the Govt to either import at least 200,000 MT of rice or compel more..

Dec 9 (TM) Despite rice remaining a staple food in SL for centuries, we are still struggling to establish a proper mechanism that ensures the adequate and effective production, storage and supply of rice. Although some measures have been taken by successive govts to remedy these frequent shortages of rice, the country has again found itself struggling to deal with the shortage. This time, however, the public seem to expect concrete and sustainable solutions for long standing issues more..

Dec 9 (CT) These are unprecedented times in Sri Lankan Political history. A hopeful, and idealistic left wing party has captured not only the presidency, but a solid two-thirds majority in parliament. For the first time, Sri Lanka will get to see what a left wing party does with the power to completely remake the political landscape. But one does not have to speculate as to what the policy direction of the country will be. The NPP presidential manifesto is publicly available. more..

Dec 9 (Island) Millers’ Mafia has won another battle, a very decisive one at that. It has been able to coerce the mighty NPP govt into increasing the maximum retail prices (MRPs) of all varieties of rice except keeri samba by Rs. 10. By opting for an upward price revision, the govt has unwittingly justified the millers’ unlawful practice of selling rice at prices above the MRPs previously. What it has chosen to do is like hurling a chunk of umbalakada (Maldives fish) at a cat more..

Dec 9 (FT) CMA Sri Lanka, the national professional management accounting body, in collaboration with the CSE hosted 10th anniversary awards celebrations of the CMA Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards 2024 at the Taj Samudra Hotel. The Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards was held to promote SL companies both unlisted, and state-owned institutions/companies, to undertake integrated reporting which will be beneficial to investors and stakeholders. more..

Dec 9 (CI) South Africa took major strides towards wrapping up a series whitewash on day four in Gqeberha, dismissing SL's top five after setting a mammoth 348 to win. An unbroken 83-run stand between Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis has given SL mild hope going into the final day. But they are still 143 runs shy, and are the last batters are shielding a particularly inept tail - Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, and Asitha Fernando more..

Dec 9 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake leading the NPP to a landslide victory at the General Elections in November with a two-thirds majority in Parliament sends many signals. The NPP – which sported Sinhala nationalism as its Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – won 159 seats, as well as the most number of seats in 21 of the 22 electoral districts, with Batticaloa being the exception. This clearly indicated that people all over the country, regardless of their ethnicity or religion, more..

Dec 9 (DM) Sri Lanka has secured a place among the top ten countries demonstrating the most progress in combating money laundering and terrorist financing, as highlighted by the 13th Basel AML Index 2024. The country recorded an impressive 27 percent improvement in combating money laundering and terrorist financing between its mutual evaluation report (MER) and the latest follow-up report. This achievement has placed SL among the leaders in AML/CFT reforms globally. more..

Dec 9 (ST) Court of Appeal’s recent intervention has decisively addressed the legal entanglement between the seven provincial unions affiliated with Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) as petitioners, and two former sports ministers, Director General of Sports (DG), and the immediate past President of the local rugby body. The majority of stakeholders view this move as a long-overdue step in the right direction. The ruling by the Court of Appeal forced the DG to abandon his previous insistence on amending more..

Dec 9 (FT) PickMe will expand its technology to facilitate the delivery of spirits and soft liquor, integrating yet another key component of the economy on its platform. The company, which is set to launch the service during the holiday season, has in place a robust technological solution that will ensure secure and efficient merchant-to-customer transactions. The solution is backed by established standard operating procedures that will ensure compliance and accountability throughout more..

Dec 9 (Island) Pasindu Umayanga Mihiran, a first-year undergraduate at Uni of Sri J'pura etched his name in SL’s boxing history as he won a bronze medal in the men’s flyweight (51kg) category at the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand. His achievement marks the first medal for Sri Lanka in men’s boxing at this level since P.L.J. Ratnasuriya’s bronze in 1987 in Kuwait, ending a 37-year wait. more..

Dec 9 (ST) Hatton National Bank (HNB) is ready to stamp its brand regionally and make a global play while reengineering banking for Sri Lankans. To position HNB Bank as an innovative financial solutions provider with aspirations for regional expansion and global outreach, the bank is set to implement a comprehensive strategy that enhances customer experience, aligns with purpose-driven goals, and to leverage technology across diverse sectors, HNB CEO Damith Pallewatte said. more..

Dec 9 (DM) Sri Lanka’s young innovators achieved a remarkable milestone at the prestigious Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Awards (APICTA) 2024, held in Brunei from December 4 to 7. Competing against representatives from 17 Asia-Pacific countries, three Sri Lankan students stood out for their exceptional creativity and technological ingenuity, securing significant accolades and bringing pride to the nation. Dasindu Sithmira Mahabodhi of Sivali Central College, Rathnapura, won second place more..

Dec 9 (ST) SL authorities are working with the coconut manufacturers on the possibility of importing whole coconuts and coconut milk for the export industry aimed at reducing the burden on the existing shortage in the SL market. Ceylon Desiccated Coconut Manufacturers Association Secretary Jason Samaranayake said that they are currently working with the Coconut Research Institute (CRI) more..

Dec 9 (DN) Killer Whale Aquatics (KWA) claimed both the Men’s and Women’s Senior National titles at the National and Junior National Short Course Swimming Championships, which wrapped up at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool in Colombo last evening. In the men’s competition, Men’s Senior National Champion MF Muhammad of Zahira College earned five gold medals, while Minagi Rupesinghe of KWA excelled in the women’s event with five gold medals and three new more..

Dec 9 (EN) Sri Lanka’s excess reserves deposited in the central bank above required reserves under a statutory ratio has reached 230 billion rupees, close levels that existed before a currency crises gathered pace in 2021, official data show. On Thursday excess reserves topped 246 billon rupees, about 20 billion rupees shy of the peak reached under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, when private credit started to recover as the country emerged from a Coronavirus crisis. more..

Dec 9 (AD) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath says that for the first time, SL has combined the subjects of foreign affairs and tourism under a single ministry, given the interconnected nature of these two fields. The Foreign Minister expressed this while joining the Int'l Bazaar and Cultural Extravaganza 2024, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism in collaboration with the SL Foreign Service Association more..

Dec 9 (DM) As a government, it is unacceptable to leave the control of animals that damage crops entirely in the hands of the people without taking appropriate action, Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) legal advisor Ravindranath Dabare said. He made this comment in response to a statement by Agriculture Minister K.D. Lal Kantha in Parliament on Dec 5. The Minister asserted that farmers face no legal restrictions in deciding how to deal with animals that damage their crops. more..

Dec 9 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has demonstrated remarkable performance, raking in over $ 2.8 billion in revenue during the first 11 months of 2024, marking a staggering 56% surge compared to the same period last year. The performance not only underscores a robust recovery, but also signals the industry’s potential as a key driver of SLs economic revival. Tourism earnings in Nov amounted to $ 272.9 m. more..

Dec 9 (AD) Dept of Census and Statistics has assured the public that there is no cause for concern in providing information to enumerators conducting the ongoing Population and Housing Census 2024. Director General of the department Anoja Seneviratne emphasized the importance of full public cooperation for the success of this national exercise. Mrs. Seneviratne acknowledged reports of some households refusing to share information. She reassured citizens that the data collected more..

Dec 9 (DM) The low pressure area formed over south-east Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify further and move west-north-westwards during the next 24 hours and is likely to reach over south-west Bay of Bengal off SL-TN coasts around Dec 11. Under its influence, showery conditions are expected to enhance in the Northern and Eastern Provinces from Dec 10. The North-east monsoon condition is also expected to establish gradually over the island along with these conditions. more..

Dec 9 (AD) Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Cooperative Development states that the ministry will look into a reported decline in salt production within the country. A spokesperson confirmed that salt production companies had submitted reports indicating a 40% drop in output over the past two years, citing adverse weather conditions as the primary cause. In response to the alarming figures, the ministry assured that immediate steps would be taken to investigate more..

Dec 9 (NW) A SL man identified as Prasanna Nallalingam, believed to be the leader of the outlaw motorcycle gang AVA, is facing extradition to France on charges of murder and attempted murder, Canadian media reported. Nallalingam was arrested in Toronto, Canada, earlier this year after being on the run from both SL and French authorities. French authorities allege that Nallalingam, who also uses the alias Ajanthan Subramaniyam, orchestrated and participated in a violent attack in Sept 2022 more..

Dec 9 (DM) Despite request by the ruling party - affiliated Ceylon Electricity Employees' Union, the director board of the CEB has not approved bonus for its workers this year. Union's General Secretary Ranjan Jayalal requested for bonus this year. Earlier, he said that he leads the trade union affiliated to the govt and therefore there was no need of street battle to get bonus payment for employees this year. more..

Dec 9 (CT) Essential Food Commodities Importers’ and Traders’ Association has announced that the first shipment of imported rice is likely to arrive in the country next week. A spokesperson for the association confirmed that several importers have already placed orders for rice stocks in line with the Govt’s directive to import rice. These stocks have been ordered from India and Pakistan and are expected to arrive within the next week. On 3 Dec, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal more..

Dec 9 (TM) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has deployed compliance officers to monitor the production and distribution of rice at large-scale rice mills following a meeting held last week between Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Trade Ministry officials, and rice mill owners. During the meeting, Prez directed rice traders to sell Nadu rice at a wholesale price of Rs. 225 per kg and a retail price of Rs. 230 per kg. He further instructed the CAA to monitor the situation for the next 10 day more..

Dec 9 (DN) National Audit Office has recommended placing private health medical institutions under the coordination of an officer working in the regional offices of the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) to regulate private health medical institutions at the local level. In a report titled Evaluation of the Performance of the Private Health Service Regulatory Process in SL issued by the Auditor General in 2024 the department states that more..

Dec 9 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his address to Parliament on 21 Nov 2024, announced two strategies to make SL a thriving nation and a beautiful country under the rule of his political alliance. One is immediate, picking the low hanging fruits in common parlance, and the other is medium to long-term that will create a turning point in the economy. This requires investment of funds for providing working capital to maintain the existing level of output, known commonly as GDP, more..

Dec 9 (DM) Minister of Agriculture K.D. Lal Kantha should walk the talk and introduce new laws to enable landowners and farmers to take action against animals that destroy crops, SJB MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha said today. “Legal provisions should be provided to allow shooting at various animals that destroy crops, but only to chase them away without killing them,” MP Jayamaha said. “I was ridiculed when I proposed that guns should be given to farmers and landowners to chase more..

Dec 9 (AD) Former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte, who was arrested and remanded for causing a road accident while driving under the influence of alcohol, has been granted bail. He was ordered to be released on bail after being produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today. Ratwatte was arrested on Dec 6 for causing a road accident while driving under the influence of alcohol and threatening the aggrieved party. Subsequently, he was remanded until Dec 9 after being more..

Dec 9 (FT) I read a long rant about the online submission of taxes posted on X, formerly Twitter, on the last day for submitting income-tax returns. This was by Nisansa de Silva, a friend who teaches computer science. It was a long thread and included words such as rage and many other words in capitals. But the most important sentences were: “Now I understand that this is the first time they are doing this online and it is bound to be bumpy. Woe be it if they go back to paper.” more..

Dec 9 (TM) It is unfair that while the ruling NPP govt still has time till the 12th of the month to negotiate the principles listed in the agreement for debt servicing in the next six months, it acts as if the deal is through with, opposition MP Harsha de Silva said. “The vote on account was taken with the impression that there had been almost full consensus to the debt servicing agreement among the ISB bondholders, and that it was more..