Jun 13 (CT) Sri Lanka has always struggled with identifying its priorities. Despite high levels of corruption, monetary allocations for crucial sectors such as health, education and the judiciary remain low. Successive govts have failed to address this issue over the decades. As a result, the public struggles to access the fundamental needs they are entitled to. Timely access to justice is one such fundamental necessity. While the Court system strives to operate in the public interest, more..

Jun 13 (Island) It appears that President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa and JVP/NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake are taking part in a promise-making competition, as it were, in the North and the East in a desperate bid to secure the support of the TNA and other Tamil political parties for their presidential election campaigns. They have been stumping those parts of the country aggressively during the past few weeks. more..

Jun 13 (ST) Last month entrepreneur Dr. Nayana Dehigama and I conducted a seminar on Economic Security and Global Compulsions organised by the National Defence College in Colombo. The participants, who were following the Master’s programme of the College, were from the tri-forces and the Police, including a few from other South Asian countries. At the question and answer session, one of the participants had an interesting question: “During the Independence Day celebrations, more..

Jun 13 (FT) SJB yesterday termed any measures by the Govt to hurriedly legislate any agreement between the Prez and the IMF as undemocratic, and said the terms must be discussed with broader stakeholders. Dr. Harsha De Silva said whilst India, China and the Paris Club have reportedly arrived at an agreement, he fears the Govt may agree to any terms presented by International Sovereign Bond (ISB) holders more..

Jun 13 (DM) The National Policy for Child Day Care Centres will soon be received by the Cabinet. The policy is guided by the vision of providing high-quality, affordable and accessible day care services that protect the rights and well-being of all children and enable parents (particularly mothers) to take up or return to employment due to the availability of day care services. This vision represents a welcome shift in the policy discourse, which has for too long identified, both explicitly & implicitly, more..

Jun 13 (FT) A public teach-out on SL’s women’s movements will be held on Saturday 15 June from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Colombo Public Library Auditorium. Initiated by Everystory SL, a young feminist organisation using storytelling and knowledge sharing for advocacy, the event will feature trilingual interactive discussions, delving into the rich history of women’s movements in SL. Additionally, participants are encouraged to experience the unique human library, more..

Jun 13 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe will launch a digital education platform titled publiclearn.lk today at the Presidential Secretariat, making it easier for Sri Lankans to find free courses and achieve their education and professional goals via digital means. Public Learn is a one-stop shop signposting users to free courses from some of the world’s leading universities. The platform has been put together by Regent Global. Regent Global’s joint CEOs Tharshiny Pankaj and more..

Jun 13 (TM) Ministry of Agriculture has announced that the assessment work required for compensating paddy fields affected by the heavy rains will commence soon. It was recently reported by the media that more than 15,000 acres of paddy fields have been damaged due to heavy rains that prevailed during the past few weeks. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has already informed Prez and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Cabinet of Ministers about the necessity to more..

Jun 13 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that the upcoming presidential election will not be about his personal victory or defeat, but that of the country’s success or failure. Prez noted that if the people are satisfied with the govt’s program, they can support it. Otherwise, they will face the consequences of living in a country with a collapsed economy, struggling to supply essential items like medicines and fertilizer, and more..

Jun 13 (FT) NSBM Green University Vice Chancellor Prof. E.A. Weerasinghe has been bestowed with the prestigious Most Outstanding Citizen 2024 (MOC Awards) by Lions International, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to society. The award was presented amidst the grandeur of the 19th Annual District Convention of Lions International District 306 A1 - SL, held on 9 June at Hotel Galadari in Colombo. Most Outstanding Citizen 2024 (MOC Awards) of Lions International District 306 A1 more..

Jun 13 (Island) Sprinter Aruna Dharshana will seek to achieve Olympic qualifying standards when he competes in a World Athletics Silver lable meet conducted by North American and Caribbean Athletics Association in the Bahamas on June 16. Asian Games medallist is the sole SL competitor taking part in the ‘B’ grade competition. He was set to leave for Bahamas yesterday. SL could not take part in the World Relays in Bahamas due to the delay in obtaining visas for their transit in US. more..

Jun 13 (Island) Parliament says it cannot confirm Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s claim that a day’s proceedings cost the taxpayer as much as Rs 15 mn. Parliament emphasised that as in the case of other govt corporations and departments, a day’s expenditure couldn’t be calculated. House said so in response to The Island query pertaining to a statement made by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena in Parliament more..

Jun 13 (DN) The Sri Lanka women’s squash team made a strong start at the 22nd Asian Squash Team Championship, which began in Dalian, China, yesterday. They defeated China in their first match and then triumphed over Iran in their second match of the day. Sri Lanka beat China 2-0. Team captain Chanithma Sinaly won her match 3-0 against Liu ZiYi. Dewmini Gallage secured the team’s victory by winning a tough five-set game 3-2 against Lu Chun Jing. In their next match, more..

Jun 13 (DM) Sri Lanka will be able to further strengthen its ties with Malaysia, with the Cabinet this week giving the nod to commence the negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries. The proposal for the FTA was presented to the Cabinet by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. The approval was granted with the Cabinet recognising the importance of export-oriented foreign direct investments, diversification of exports and expansion of market access for more..

Jun 13 (DN) Airport and Aviation Services (SL) Ltd (AASL) a fully govt-owned company released its annual report for the year 2023 on May 31, 2024 posting a all time record operational profit of Rs. 19,315 million and profit after tax of Rs 28,122 million for the financial year 2023. The company recorded total revenue of Rs. Rs 38,376 million and a net profit after tax of Rs. 28,122 million. In addition, the company contributed Rs. 12,218 million to the govt of SL in the financial year 2023. more..

Jun 13 (CT) Protests were held in several areas, yesterday, with the participation of teachers’ trade unions, citing several demands. The protests, which included the participation of many associations such as the Teachers’ and Principals’ Trade Union Alliance (TPTUA), were organised to demand solutions for the salary disparities. They demanded the provision of the remaining two-thirds of the salary increment promised to school principals and teachers. The protests took place in many areas, more..

Jun 13 (FT) Effective from 3 June, all Money or Value Transfer Service providers (MVTS) are required to be registered with the Central Bank of SL. CBSL will also enable unregistered or unlicensed MVTS providers the opportunity to formalise their operations and engage in the money transfer business through formal channels. Currently, institutions providing money transfer services in SL such as banks and non-bank financial more..

Jun 13 (FT) Power of Play Ltd, a company utilising performing arts for advocacy - is partnering with Advocata Institute and Sahana Social Development Alliance to provide SL youth in Galle and Matara with an innovative opportunity to increase their economic literacy and communication skills, via the performing arts of theatre and puppetry. Mahadanamuththa and his modern golayas live in a fictional land called Sasiribara Deshaya. This land which was once flourished is now facing economic peril more..

Jun 13 (EN) 19th Amendment created a conflict in SL’s constitution, but it remained unresolved because the then govt was determined to avoid a referendum. The deficiency in the constitution was highlighted in a report by EconomyNext and later taken up during a govt meeting at the highest levels, sources familiar with the issue said. The constitutional error, which has persisted since April 2015, could allow an incumbent president to extend his term by less than a year without facing more..

Jun 13 (FT) The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to issue a new rule under clause 22(1) of the Foreign Exchange Act No. 12 of 2017. This rule aims to implement recommendations for ensuring financial stability within Sri Lanka by temporarily suspending and limiting certain capital transaction remittances by residents. In response to the declining foreign exchange reserves in the country, a rule under section 22 of the Foreign Exchange Act was first empowered on 2 April 2020. more..

Jun 13 (FT) Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa has warned that attempting to postpone upcoming elections would only spell the end of the UNP. Responding to questions posed by the media in Badulla on Tuesday, SLPP leader said elections cannot be postponed according to the constitution. “Any attempt to delay polls will mark the end of the UNP,” he said. Rajapaksa also asserted that the country’s people remain hopeful about the SLPP and that defections have not weakened the party. more..

Jun 13 (TM) Lawyers for Truth and Justice (LTJ), a group of legal professionals, stated that they are currently discussing the institution of legal measures concerning the proposed extension of service for the incumbent Attorney General (AG), President's Counsel (PC) Sanjay Rajaratnam. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe had recently recommended to the Constitutional Council (CC) to grant a six-months service extension more..

Jun 13 (FT) In a significant move to enhance health infrastructure, Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala announced plans to invest Rs. 70 billion over the next five years to strengthen primary healthcare and establish five cardiac catheterisation units across the country. This initiative aims to enhance medical facilities and services, particularly in managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Speaking at the Suwa Vishishthatha award ceremony at Rikilagaskada Base Hospital, more..

Jun 13 (FT) Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) confirmed that it has no option but to continue to oppose the sudden Wages Board decree to increase the fixed wage of tea and rubber sector workers by an unprecedented 70% on account of a lack of due process and unaffordability, with the matter being taken up for consideration before the Appeal Court and Supreme Court. PA emphasised that wages must be intrinsically linked to productivity to ensure the sustainability of businesses and more..

Jun 13 (EN) IMF has approved SL’s program review allowing the disbursement of US$ 330 million, while calling for monetary policy to be used only for stability. “Monetary policy should continue prioritizing price stability, supported by a sustained commitment to refrain from monetary financing and safeguard central bank independence,” Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair said. more..

Jun 13 (FT) Is There Another Way? Debt Restructuring, the IMF and the Future of SL, was the title and topic of the most educative, enlightening public policy event of this year. Organised by Yukthi a newish civic association spearheaded by Ahilan Kadirgamar, Ermiza Tegal and Melanie Gunatilleke, it featured three top-notch international economists, Prof. Jayati Ghosh, Prof. Martin Guzman --former Economics Minister of Argentina-- and Charles Abugre. Watching the video, my wife Sanja more..

Jun 13 (FT) Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s (AKD) speech as the Leader of the NPP at the National Convention organised by the Retired Police Officers Collective on 9 June is quite promising in terms of establishing or reestablishing rule of law in the country, if they get the opportunity to govern the nation. They have been talking about a system change now for some time, and various independent critics and observers were asking the details of this promise, without merely depending on more..

Jun 13 (AD) Former IGP, Chandra Fernando says that it cannot be expected that the political groups who have engaged in violent political activities in the past will not resume such activities in the future. He stated this while speaking during a press conference, with the participation of other retired high-ranking police officers including former IGPs and DIGs. Fernando further stated that although the govt carried out rehabilitation programmes to a large extent after the 1971 insurrection more..

Jun 13 (EN) Sri Lanka’s first harvest from a pilot project to cultivate pomegranate in Chenkaladi, in the eastern coastal city of Batticaloa, has been successful, the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries has said. “The sea breeze is favorable for pomegranate cultivation in Batticaloa,” the Ministry’s Agriculture Sector Modernization Project (ASMP) said in a statement. The variety grown in this region is the drought-tolerant Bhagawa pomegranate. Sri Lanka has been promoting more..

Jun 13 (DM) In the wake of recent sentiments expressed by the GMOA, Health Ministry and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) are keen to address concerns over the influx of substandard beauty products and cosmetics that lack proper regulation. The GMOA recently called on the Health Ministry and NMRA to gather all relevant stakeholders to discuss enhancing the legal framework and regulatory standards. more..

Jun 13 (AD) Sri Lanka High Commissioner to India Kshenuka Senewiratne called on Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday (12) in New Delhi. Upon meeting Sitharaman, SL High Commissioner also extended felicitations on her reappointment as India’s Finance Minister. “SL High Commissioner Kshenuka Senewiratne together w/DHC Priyanga Wickramasinghe called on Hon @nsitharamanoffc today to extend felicitations on her reappointment as India’s FM,” more..

Jun 13 (DM) SL cricket team, which is currently taking part in the T20 World Cup in the USA, has been stranded in Florida due to the life-threatening flash floods in the city. A state of emergency has been declared in Fort Lauderdale due to the life-threatening flash floods in Florida. Hundreds of flights bound to and from South Florida airports have been grounded by the local authorities. Fort Lauderdale is one of the three venues in USA scheduled to host T20 World Cup matches. more..

Jun 13 (FT) In a significant development the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Kaushalya Nawaratna, has temporarily stepped down from his position pending the conclusion of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities within the BASL. This decision comes in response to growing pressure and concerns regarding the alleged misappropriation of funds earmarked for an anti-corruption initiative funded by the JICA. more..

Jun 13 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that all governors should actively ensure the efficient implementation of the govt’s welfare programs and promptly deliver their benefits to the people. Prez made these remarks during a discussion held with the Provincial Governors at the Prez Secretariat yesterday. The meeting also included an extensive discussion on addressing the shortage of teachers at the provincial level and improving the efficiency of the Urumaya more..

Jun 13 (EN) The ruling SLPP will contest the upcoming elections, whether prez or parliamentary, as part of an alliance, MP Shantha Bandara said. He said the SLPP holds the biggest vote base in the country. “The SLPP has a bigger base compared to other parties. We will contest upcoming elections as part of an alliance. That alliance will be the biggest alliance there is. We have no apprehensions about winning the next election whether it’s a prez election or a parliamentary election,” more..