Dec 12 (TM) SL will amend the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax in two stages in 2025 as the govt is focused on achieving the IMF tax revenue target of 15% of GDP, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. He said that the proposed relief to the PAYE tax might come in two stages in a short time period within the next year. He said the minimum threshold will be increased in the PAYE tax structure while changes will be made within the tax slabs. more..

Dec 12 (DN) “We all aimed for victory, but in the end, we didn’t achieve the expected result,” said SL Test cricket skipper Dhananjaya de Silva after the two-match Test series against South Africa. SL team returned home yesterday and has a busy schedule ahead, participating in the inaugural Lanka T-10 Super League tournament, followed by a tour to NZ for T20 and ODI series. Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva further stated that playing until the fifth day of a Test match in SA is not an easy task. more..

Dec 12 (DN) St Joseph’s College, Colombo, has once again proven its supremacy in junior swimming by clinching the Junior National Swimming Championship for the sixth consecutive year at the National and Junior National Short Course Swimming Championship, organised by the SL Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU), took place at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo. Head Coach Ruwan Manawadu, who has dedicated 35 years to coaching at more..

Dec 12 (DM) Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) has set an extraordinary benchmark at its Ambewela Farms, achieving a record-breaking daily milk production of 62,000 litres from a single source. This represents a truly massive growth from the 3,000 litres to 60,000 litres per day recorded. When the company took over the facility from the state sector in 2001, it started with less than 3000 litres daily production. Now it contributes 20 million litres of milk annually to Sri Lanka’s national supply. more..

Dec 12 (FT) Colombo stock market remained positive for the 12th consecutive day yesterday whilst turnover topped Rs. 6 billion mark. ASPI gained by 0.8% thereby crossing the 30% year to date return and the active S&P SL20 gained by 0.7% topping the 35% mark of year to date return. Turnover was boosted by trading of 249.6 million shares. Turnover was dominated by JKH (Rs. 1 b), LOLC (Rs. 400.7 m), Digital Mobility Solutions (Rs. 292.4 m), Dialog (Rs. 256 m) and more..

Dec 12 (FT) SL Customs is on the brink of a record-breaking achievement, with the Dept expected to surpass Rs. 1.5 trillion in revenue for the first time in its history. Director General Sarath Nonis expressed confidence in meeting the ambitious target set for 2024, noting that over Rs. 1.4 trillion has already been collected as of yesterday. “This year’s revenue target is Rs. 1.53 trillion with 20 days remaining; we are up for more..

Dec 12 (CT) How can one effect a system change without discarding the old system? That is the question the answer to which many a student of politics would wish to know. Is it really possible that a system change could be brought about without disposing of the old system? If it is so, can that be called a system change? Is the NPP led by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake attempting to do precisely that: accomplish the impossible! A system change is usually effected after a violent more..

Dec 12 (ST) Resolution on the Vote On Account (VOA), which covers funding for the first four months of 2025, was passed in Parliament on Friday (6). Though the VOA was passed without a vote, there were intense disagreements over the allocation of funding. The opposition insisted that the ruling NPP is essentially going down the same path as the previous Wickremesinghe govt despite pre-election rhetoric of bringing about a system change. The govt meanwhile, hit back that it more..

Dec 12 (Island) Washington has given the JVP-led NPP govt a much-needed leg-up while the latter’s political opponents are on the offensive, protesting against a host of unsolved issues that are likely to take their toll on the new administration’s approval rating. Public resentment is welling up, and the Opposition, which suffered a crushing defeat last month, is all out to recover lost ground and make an early comeback. US Assistant Secretary of State for South & Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu said more..

Dec 12 (GV) Compared to the excesses of the good governance regime and the Gotabaya Rajapaksa raj that followed it, the omissions of this govt seem trivial and innocent. NPP is now two months in office and whether we like it or not, the excitement of those early days is fading away. One can almost see the end of the honeymoon around the corner. The cynics are, of course, growing louder. They are all speaking with one voice and in one tongue and they are all saying that the govt is doing precious little. more..

Dec 12 (CT) Russian Ambassador to SL, Levan Dzhagaryan, welcomed the new Govt, saying he had conveyed a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to President Dissanayake, inviting him for an official visit to Russia. He stated that the ties between Sri Lanka and Russia are primarily humanitarian thus far, but there is potential for much more collaboration. “Russia is ready for cooperation. The ball is in the Sri Lankan court,” more..

Dec 12 (DM) Out of multiple strategies implemented by JVP/NPP leadership in order to secure victory at the last Prez and General elections, hatred politics and gamut of crucial pledges given to the people have played a predominant role to change the mindset of the mass scale of people in favour of JVP/NPP. In a nutshell, hatred politics means rousing of antipathy and antagonistic feelings among the masses by one fraction of politicians against another faction of politicians or more..

Dec 12 (DM) When Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake took oaths as the 43rd Chief Justice of SL in May 2011, there were many who were unhappy about this appointment. Even though her appointment to the Supreme Court in 1996 was challenged, her subsequent ascension to the leadership of the Apex court in the country could not be challenged given her seniority. Months before her appointment, the then govt rushed the passage of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution to further more..

Dec 12 (SO) Sri Lanka is home to the world’s first female PM, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, yet it remains a country with one of the lowest levels of female representation in Parliament globally. Despite this, there has been little progress in increasing female representation in leadership positions within the legislative and executive branches of Govt since the country gained independence. more..

Dec 12 (CT) PM Harini Amarasuriya emphasised the commitment of the Govt to reshaping the country’s trajectory, noting that research and science-based thinking will be a critical element of the new Govt’s development agenda. She pointed out that the decisions made at the highest levels to this date were done with little consideration towards any scientific evidence or data, and that this will change. She made these remarks while seemingly sharing an interest in involving the research and more..

Dec 12 (TM) With rice shortages continuing to impact SL’s populous, and the tug-of-war between industry and State continuing, the absence of some types of rice in the market, and the high price for the staple food highlights the island nation's failure to address a key national issue. Political parties, farmers and industry often trout SL’s historic achievements of once being termed the granary of Asia. However, little concrete action has been taken to address the food security issue, more..

Dec 11 (AD) CID has reported to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that a total of 2,017 complaints have been filed by depositors who claim to have been cheated out of their money after investing in Onmax DT, a private firm alleged to have been operating a pyramid scheme. According to the CID, the total estimated financial losses incurred by the complainants amounts to around Rs. 2.96 billion. During a hearing before Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage today, more..

Dec 11 (DM) Over 900 candidates who contested the General Elections have failed to submit their income and expenditure reports to the Election Commission, with the deadline ended on Dec 6. According to the Commission, 949 of the 8,361 candidates have not submitted their expense reports. Of the 527 members on the national list, only 434 have submitted expense reports. Commenting on the situation, Commission's Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake told Daily Mirror that the failure to meet more..

Dec 11 (AD) Another dispute has emerged within the NDF concerning the nomination of Faiszer Musthapha for a National List MP position with the coalition partners alleging that this decision has been made without consulting them. Former MP Ramesh Pathirana stated that there was unanimous agreement to appoint former Minister Kanchana Wijesekera to the remaining National List MP position. However, SLFP, a key partner in the NDF, had proposed Faiszer Musthapha’s name for the position. more..

Dec 11 (FT) The Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday approved amending protocol to the 2013 Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Tax Evasion between SL and India. The updated protocol has received clearance from the Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry as well as the Attorney General, incorporates necessary changes to comply with these changes. The revision aligns with the countries’ commitments under the Inclusive Framework of more..

Dec 11 (FT) Creative Software, a leading software solutions provider, celebrates 25 years of delivering innovative IT services and shaping SL’s tech landscape. With a strong presence in Scandinavia and clients across four continents – South Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia, the company has built a reputation as a trusted partner for businesses worldwide. To mark this remarkable milestone, Creative Software hosted a grand celebration themed Mystic Masks, a black-tie masquerade gala more..

Dec 11 (DM) The sudden fever currently spreading in the Jaffna district has not yet been identified, nor has it been confirmed as rat fever (leptospirosis), Consultant Community Physician of the Health Ministry’s Epidemiology Unit Dr. Kumudu Weerakoon said. She said that samples from fever patients had been sent for testing to determine whether the spreading fever is linked to leptospirosis. "Patients with the unidentified fever were found to have respiratory difficulties. more..

Dec 11 (TM) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) called on public and private sector institutions to make recruitment policies more accessible to people with disabilities, highlighting that applying for jobs and the recruitment process must be fair and accommodating to ensure equal opportunities. Speaking at an event held yesterday to mark the International Human Rights Day, HRCSL Commissioner Nimal Punchihewa highlighted the importance of allocating 3% of job vacancies to people with disabilities. more..

Dec 11 (FT) LIRNEasia hosted a forum on 7 Dec titled Unlocking Data for Artificial Intelligence in SL at the ITC Ratnadipa Hotel, Colombo. The event brought together AI experts, data scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore practical ways to leverage data and artificial intelligence for informed decision-making and meaningful societal and organisational impact. The session featured several examples of successful and unsuccessful data projects from around the world, more..

Dec 11 (TM) Probes into high profile killings of journalists have been hindered by the absence of key evidentiary documents, it is learnt. The cases, including that of editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, are stalled due to absence of key documents and the non-involvement of key initial investigators in ongoing probes due to retirement or fleeing overseas due to actual or perceived persecution, Govt said yesterday. “We are continuing the investigations; however, several of these cases have missing documents,” more..

Dec 11 (NW) Colombo Additional Magistrate Bandara Ilangasinghe on Tuesday ordered the directors of the Randenigala Distilleries Lanka (Pvt) Ltd to appear before court on the 17th of December. The order was issued against directors Sarath Wijewikrama, Buddhika Wijewikrama, and another director of the company over allegations of evading taxes amounting to Rs. 1.35 billion. The case, filed by the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue, alleges that the company evaded Rs. 1,358,773,144 more..

Dec 11 (DM) International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) has submitted more than 60 sanctions and visa ban requests against SL public and security officials to date for human rights and economic crimes in SL and multiple universal jurisdiction cases. These have been sent to the Govts of US, UK, Australia, Canada and EU as well as the UN. The submissions cover gross violations of human rights and significant corruption in respect of the SL army, navy, air force, more..

Dec 11 (AD) The Election Commission of SL has issued a Gazette notification confirming that Faiszer Musthapha has been elected as a Member of Parliament through the National List of the New Democratic Front (NDF), which contested the 2024 General Election under the Gas Cylinder symbol. On Tuesday (10), it was reported that the New Democratic Front (NDF) has nominated Musthapha for the remaining National List seat out of the two won by the party in Parliament. more..

Dec 11 (EN) Sri Lanka is likely to miss its 2023 target of 2.3 million tourist arrivals despite a pick up in the numbers in the current tourism season, with the island nation likely to reach over $3 billion earnings from tourism, official data showed. The island nation has received 1.85 million tourists up to Dec 8 this year, compared to 1.49 million last year. Industry stakeholders said Sri Lanka will not be able to attract another 450,000 tourists in the last 23 days of the month. more..

Dec 11 (AD) The Technical Engineers and Supervisors Association of the CEB allege that the state-owned electricity provider has procured electricity from private thermal power plants, even as reservoir levels associated with hydro-power plants are at their maximum as a result of recent heavy rainfall. The association’s Vice President, Nandana Udayakumara, called for an investigation into the decision, questioning whose interests are being served by such actions. more..

Dec 11 (FT) NDB Investment Bank (NDBIB) has once again been recognised as the Best Investment Bank in SL by Euromoney Magazine at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2024. This milestone marks the 13th consecutive year NDBIB has been honoured with this prestigious award, reaffirming the company’s sustained excellence and undisputed leadership in SL’s investment banking landscape. NDBIB remains the only investment bank in SL to have secured this award despite an increasingly competitive environment. more..

Dec 11 (AD) The Attorney General (AG) today (11) informed the Supreme Court that the Cabinet of Ministers has instructed the legal draftsman to amend the Local Govt Elections (Special Provisions) Bill in order to make necessary provisions for holding the Local Govt (LG) Elections using the 2024 voters’ list, in order to ensure the right to vote of the young voters. Appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, Deputy Solicitor General Nirmalan Vigneswaran informed this to the court, more..