Jan 1 (GV) In 2024 SL elected its first leftist head of state and govt, giving rise to hope that the system change desired by its citizens would become a reality in the future. The new leaders promised to wipe out corruption and put the bankrupt country onto a stable path. Groundviews carried extensive analysis in the run up to the elections and afterwards and conducted two discussion forums on the prez and parliamentary elections with a focus on the abolition of the executive presidency and more..

Jan 1 (CT) The Committee of Public Accounts (COPA) and Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) are parliamentary oversight bodies that determine whether current laws and appropriations are achieving intended results. Therefore, they have been vital and popular subjects of public concern and attention. Revelations of performances by COPA and COPE over the past governments, particularly the previous govt, were not pleasant at all because (i) massive mismanagement, (ii) utter misuse, more..

Jan 1 (TM) SL’s Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) continues to escalate due to habitat loss and unregulated land use by humans, while the primary response by the Govt – elephant drives – has drawn criticism from environmentalists and advocacy groups, who argue that such measures are unsystematic and lack scientific grounding. Environmentalists in particular have opposed the operation to drive wild elephants harming more..

Jan 1 (DM) Sri Lanka enters 2025 on a much better footing than it was a year ago. The country may not be out of the woods yet. Still, the economy has made a tremendous comeback, and the country has finally gained political stability through presidential and general elections. However, if history is any guide, every time Sri Lanka recorded a modest success, dark clouds of complacency set in and reversed the economic gains, leading to another period of economic stagnation. more..

Jan 1 (DM) In the run-up to its election victories at the prez and parliamentary elections, JVP/NPP combine promised to bring down the cost of living. Today, while a majority of ordinary workers earn between Rs. 40,000/- to Rs. 60,000/- per month, the cost of providing a family of four, three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), costs over Rs. 100,000/- per month! To make matters worse, bad weather intervened and over 300,000 acres of paddy and vegetable cultivation during more..

Jan 1 (CT) “If my family had known what was coming, they could have at least run to safety. My son was a fast runner. At least he would still be alive,” says Thyagaraj (52), a resident of Pottuvil, who lost both his parents, wife, and three children in the early hours of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004. Thyagaraj, who was employed as a school bus driver in Qatar at the time, returned to Pottuvil a week after the disaster, only to find parts of more..

Jan 1 (FT) Corruption is recognised worldwide as a cancerous force that erodes good governance and hinders national development. For decades, the people of this country have dreamed of a govt dedicated to eradicating corruption. This dream has come true in the form of the new NPP Govt, whose primary focus is to combat corruption that is rampant in both the political and bureaucratic spheres. The overwhelming and unprecedented support for the NPP Govt comes with high expectations. more..

Jan 1 (TM) As Sri Lankans step into another rotation around the Sun, we do so with high hopes for our little nation. We have been through gauntlets and immersed, battered, bruised but still fighting. And we have made monumental changes to our political order and clearly and loudly expressed ‘We want change’! Our message has been heard near and far. Many Sri Lankans used their franchise to vote in a new political party, new faces, fresh blood and hopefully, a fresh political culture more..

Jan 1 (CT) People in two Divisional Secretariats in Anuradhapura recently protested urging the government to provide a viable solution for impediments caused by wild elephants to them and their crops. They blocked the road from Anuradhapura to Thanthirimale at Oyamaduwa seeking the government’s intervention to prevent the wild elephants from entering their villages, while the protesters surrounded the NPP Public Coordination Office at Mihintale Electorate. more..

Jan 1 (AD) It has been decided at the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business held in Parliament today (31) under the patronage of the Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne that the debate on the Appropriation Bill for the year 2025 (Budget Debate) will be held from Feb 18 to March 21, 2025. This was communicated by the Secretary General of Parliament. Meanwhile, it has also been decided to present the Appropriation Bill for the year 2025 to Parliament for the first reading on 9 Jan 2025. more..

Jan 1 (ST) The soaring prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among police personnel has prompted a circular from Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya directing all personnel to compulsorily engage in physical training exercises every Saturday morning. Circular has also instructed the 9,000-strong police service to carry out team sports like volleyball in the evenings. The directive, a version of which was issued last year, more..

Jan 1 (Island) Senior lecturer in economics and head of the IT Dept at the Uni of Colombo, Professor Priyanga Dunusinghe, recently declared that the new NPP administration had neither a clear economic policy nor a tangible action plan to address the plethora of serious issues facing the nation. Prof. Dunusinghe warned of dire consequences unless the govt took meaningful measures to overcome the challenges. The outspoken academic claimed that more..

Jan 1 (Island) The Supreme Court (SC) has delivered its much-awaited verdict in a fundamental rights case pertaining to the leak of three questions in the first paper of the 2024 Grade Five Scholarship Examination (GFSE); the award of free marks has led to a violation of fundamental rights, the apex court has ruled, ordering that a solution be adopted in keeping with the recommendations of an expert committee appointed to study the issue, which triggered a public outcry. more..

Jan 1 (DN) The Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year sees SL’s Chamari Athapaththu and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt nominated in their third category, after both captains were honoured on the ODI and T20I shortlists last Sunday, with New Zealand star Amelia Kerr and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland. Athapaththu the left hand opener was an inspirational leader for Sri Lanka, hitting over 1,100 runs during the year across formats, taking 30 wickets and more..

Jan 1 (AD) The Judicial Services Commission has transferred Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage to Moratuwa District and Magistrate’s Court. Meanwhile, it was reported that Colombo Fort Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali has been appointed as the Colombo Chief Magistrate by the Judicial Services Commission. However on Monday (30), Magistrate Thilina Gamage had requested the Judicial Services Commission to transfer to another court the hearings of the case filed by more..

Jan 1 (EN) Sri Lanka’s new govt has decided to establish investigation units in each ministry to hold public officials accountable amid large number of complaints against those officials and criticism of trade unions dictating terms in ministries. Prez Anura Kumara-led ruling NPP has promised an overhaul in the governance to ensure accountability and transparency while eliminating corruption. Tens of thousands of Sri Lankans demanded more..

Jan 1 (AD) The year 2024 has set a historic record for the highest number of Sri Lankans migrating for work, with 312,836 individuals leaving the country for employment opportunities overseas. This surpasses the previous record set in 2022 and highlights a significant trend of labor migration in recent years. Over the past six years (2019–2024), 1.3 million Lankans have pursued employment abroad. Of those who departed this year, 185,162 were male workers, and 127,674 were female workers. more..

Jan 1 (DM) SL welcomed 233,087 tourists as of 29 Dec, bringing the cumulative tourist arrivals for the year to 2.04 million. The daily average of tourist arrivals for the first 29 days of December improved significantly to 8,037 tourists per day, compared to the daily average of 6,138 tourists in Nov 2024 and 6,786 tourists per day in December 2023. Tourist arrivals are on track to surpass the SL Tourism Development Authority’s conservative forecast of 236,485 arrivals for December. more..

Jan 1 (FT) CSE Colombo stock market yesterday ended 2024 recording its highest ever value of Rs. 5.69 trillion whilst providing 50% return to long-term investors. Value of the market finished 2024 at a record Rs. 5.69 trillion, up by 34% from last year. Over Rs. 1.5 trillion was added in market capitalisation in the last quarter. The previous highest market capitalisation was Rs. 5.48 trillion in 2021. Ending a bullish month and more..

Jan 1 (ST) The Dept of Forest Conservation (DFC) and the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), the two premier agencies tasked with protecting the country’s natural habitat, are facing severe impediments owing to a deficit of human resources. The 2023 performance reports of the two agencies, which were recently tabled in Parliament, indicate that both departments are facing enormous challenges due to inadequate numbers of personnel. According to the DFC’s performance report, more..

Jan 1 (FT) Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasuriya has issued a circular prohibiting the tradition of presenting hampers to senior officers of the Sri Lanka Police during special occasions such as the New Year and the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. The circular, addressed to senior officers above the rank of Officer-in-Charge (OIC) and Civil Administration Officers, highlighted that some senior officers have developed a habit of accepting such gifts. more..

Jan 1 (EN) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s proposal to appoint a committee to look for amendments in the island nation’s Anti-Corruption Act passed in 2023 by the previous govt over legal ad technical loopholes when carrying out investigations. The Anti-Corruption Act, which was passed in mid 2023, was expected to help SL rank higher in global transparency and ease-of-doing business indices. However, the new govt has found some loopholes which have been delaying more..

Jan 1 (EN) SL’s Consumer Prices fell 1.7% in the year to Dec 2024, the fifth straight month where 12-month deflation was recorded, data from the state statistics office showed. In December food prices surged 3.9%. Central Bank has operated broadly deflationary policy since Sept 2022 allowing it to collect foreign reserves and also appreciate the exchange rate. Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe is credited with preventing possible hyperinflation and laying stable monetary foundation for growth. more..

Jan 1 (TM) SL’s new govt is allowing the loss-making state owned enterprises (SOEs) to operate in a manner that will contribute to the development of the economy in the future, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. He said that the former govt proposed restructuring of SOEs to sell them to private investors. “They (the former govt) were making decisions on how to separate these SOEs from the state sector and sell them, more..

Jan 1 (Island) In line with the NPP govt’s policy in respect of provision of security to those who faced threats, only the Prez and PK will be given STF security, authoritative sources say. Over the years successive govts assigned the STF for the protection of various political leaders. Sources said that having considered threat assessments, a decision had been made to cease deployment of armed forces for the protection of politicians, regardless of their status. more..

Jan 1 (AD) CPC has announced a revision of Kerosene price effective from midnight today (31). Accordingly, the price of Kerosene has been reduced by Rs. 05 to Rs. 183 per litre. However, the prices of Petrol 92 Octane, Petrol 95 Octane, Auto Diesel and Lanka Super Diesel will remain unchanged, according to Ceypetco. Meanwhile, LIOC and Sinopec too have decided to follow the same fuel price revisions as the CEYPETCO, to match the state-owned oil company’s prices. more..

Jan 1 (PMD) As Sri Lankans, we step into 2025 with the dawn of a new era, a time when the dreams of prosperity that our nation and its people have long cherished begin to materialize. The parliamentary elections of 2024 enabled us to establish a govt with a strong majority, earning the trust of people across the North, East, West, and South. With this mandate, we have initiated a transformative political shift, fulfilling our democratic responsibilities to build the good governance our citizens aspire to. more..

Jan 1 (AD) Commissioner General of Examinations, Amith Jayasundara says that a final decision regarding the 2024 Grade 05 Scholarship Examination issue will be made immediately following a study into the Supreme Court verdict which was issued today (31) pertaining to the matter. Jayasundara acknowledged that there are over 3,000 primary schools in SL and that the academic year 2025 is slated to begin on Jan 27, 2025, emphasizing that an immediate decision more..

Jan 1 (AD) Supreme Court has declared that the fundamental human rights have been violated through the govt’s decision to award free marks to all students for the three questions of the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Exam which are alleged to have been leaked. The court also ordered the Commissioner General of Examinations to immediately implement a suitable recommendation out of the three recommendations made by more..

Jan 1 (NW) A complaint has been filed at the CID against misinformation being spread on NPP MP Nilanthi Kottahachchi on social media. Attorney-at-Law Namal Rajapakshe, who filed the complaint on behalf of MP Kottahachchi, told the media that it had been found that a SLPP activist was behind the slander. Upon being inquired by the media, lawyer Rajapakshe said the SLPP activist was spreading false information targetting the reputation of the female MP, making false claims that more..

Jan 1 (TM) Amid growing concerns regarding issues in the drug procurement process and shortages, Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa alleged that the lack of capacity of certain suppliers has been a significant contributor to the crisis in the pharmaceutical sector. Dr. Jayatissa noted that practices associated with certain suppliers had caused delays in receiving specific drugs in the recent past. When questioned as to whether the Govt was planning to amend NMRA Act more..

Jan 1 (AD) The former Army Commander and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Shavendra Silva, has officially retired from the service today (31), concluding a remarkable 41-year career dedicated to safeguarding SL’s security and sovereignty. A formal ceremony marking his retirement was held this afternoon (31) at the BMICH. In a detailed statement issued ahead of his retirement, General Silva reflected on more..

Jan 2 (CT) In a country where education is seen as the key to unlocking a brighter future, the alarming figures revealed by the recent Household Survey on the Impact of the Economic Crisis – 2023 should serve as a wake-up call for us all. A staggering 55% of school students, especially those in rural and estate areas, are unable to afford basic school stationery as 2025 academic year approaches. This stark reality paints a picture of children, eager to learn, yet constrained by economic hardship. more..

Jan 2 (TM) SL has entered 2025 with a sigh of relief and with a mind to make this year, a one of recovery and improvement. Last month, SL authorities celebrated the arrival of two million tourists to the island nation. Many have today forgotten the Oct 2023 security scare over Arugam Bay and the realities of the need for persistence vigilance. Persistence, vigilance and security is a modern price we as an island nation, like many others around the world, has to pay to ensure our freedoms and more..

Jan 2 (TM) The Rohingya asylum seekers who arrived in Sri Lanka on 19 Dec will not have the privilege of naturalising as Sri Lankans, according to Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala. “SL is not a party to the international Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees nor its Protocol, and therefore Sri Lanka shall have no responsibility to accommodate the refugees who have arrived,” he said. more..

Jan 2 (DM) On the first working day of the New Year, the govt launched its Clean Sri Lanka programme, aimed at rebuilding a fractured nation as described President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. An 18-member Task Force was appointed by the President himself in order to plan and implement the programme. The appointment of this Task Force and its objectives were made official via an Extraordinary Gazette Number 2415/59 dated 19 Dec 2024. In his New Year message, more..