Jun 28 (TM) Despite Minister Kanchana Wijesekera announcing that a token system to distribute fuel would be introduced from yesterday, Minister Bandula Gunawardena said last night that the remaining fuel stocks in the country will be dispensed only to vehicles attached to essential services with effect from today (28) onwards until 10 July. He revealed this at a special media briefing held to announce the decisions taken at more..

Jun 28 (TM) Uber Eats stated it has no plans to leave SL, even as the country is battling a fuel crisis that has left most of its riders unable to perform their services. In response to reports that Uber Eats is planning to leave SL due to a fuel crisis and an increase in food prices that has led to low business numbers, Uber Eats SL said we do not have an idea of such when asked about whether it plans to leave SL at the moment. In May, despite the fuel shortage, Uber Eats SL announced initiatives more..

Jun 28 (AD) The Cabinet of Ministers have approved the proposal to gazette the 22nd Amendment and to present it to the Parliament, Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. The amendment, which had been referred to as the 21st Amendment so far, will in fact be the 22nd Amendment, as another draft 21st Amendment has already been gazetted. Last week, the draft constitutional amendment was tabled and passed during the Cabinet meeting following extensive discussions. more..

Jun 28 (EN) SL will order exporters, embassies, non-resident visa holders, hotels and will be ordered to settle their electricity bills in US dollars, the regulator has said as the island is in the grip of the worst currency crisis in the history of its soft-pegged central bank. The customers will be invoiced in SL rupees but they will have to settle the bills in US dollars. Money will be used to import coal, spare parts & foreign currency more..

Jun 28 (Island) Free Media Movement (FMM) called on the govt to immediately stop what it called the suppression of journalists using the CID. In a statement FMM said: Tharindu Uduwaragedara, a journalist, media activist and human rights activist, has been summoned to appear before the CID on 28 June 2022. The FMM, considers this as an extension of the ongoing anti-democratic movement implemented through the CID to crack down on media activists and free-thinking activists, more..

Jun 28 (EN) Sri Lankan are asked to stay at home from midnight on June 27 until July 10 Minister Bandula Gunewardena said as SL ran out of fuel in worst currency crisis in history of its soft-pegged central bank. Cabinet had decided that fuel will only be issued to essential services like the port, health, food distribution, agricultural transport services from midnight June 27. “All other sectors are requested to stay at home and provide services online and help in this difficult time,” minister said. more..

Jun 28 (DN) With the current economic crisis driving thousands in Sri Lanka to the brink of starvation, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’s Diwiyata Diriyak social initiative provided emergency relief in the form of 1,0000 essential dry ration packs to vulnerable families in the Kegalle and Colombo districts. Mobilising the Chamber’s Membership to assist low-income families that are struggling to survive the current crisis, the initial distribution which took place at the Kegalle District Secretariat, more..

Jun 28 (CT) Solar Industry Association (SIA) President Kushan Jayasuriya stated that despite having Ministers for Renewable Energy (RE) in the past, renewable energy projects didn’t get off ground, causing Sri Lanka to spend more money on importing fossil fuels. “We are optimistic that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera would look at our industry in an aggressive and expeditious manner.” With regard to the recent amendment to CEB Act, Jayasuriya said, “For the past several years, more..

Jun 28 (TM) It is not only the excess State sector employees but all public sector workers that should be allowed to work in the private sector, in order to understand and overcome the bottlenecks in both private and State sectors, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Admin, Home Affairs, PCs, and LG M.M.P.K. Mayadunne said. Ministry has appointed a committee to provide recommendations on allowing the excess employees of State sector to work more..

Jun 28 (ST) SL hotels are facing a critical stage as time is running out on the June 30 deadline for moratoriums. If an extension is not granted they will face an imminent collapse with layoffs and complete shutdown of the industry. The hotel industry has been meeting PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on several occasions with the latest being on Thursday and even with the banks and the Central Bank in a bid to ensure that an extension of their moratoriums will be granted for another six months as more..

Jun 28 (Island) Central Bank had blocked a proposal to sell fuel at selected gas stations for foreign currency, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said Sunday. Minister said that there was a proposal that a few gas stations be allowed to sell fuel for US dollars. However, CB Governor told the Ministry that according to Lankan regulations, dollars could not be used for internal retail transactions. Bank was also fearful that it would further encourage the underground money transfer system, more..

Jun 28 (Island) Paddy Marketing Board (PMD) Rice outlets and Milco NLDB product outlets were opened yesterday at the Ministry of Agriculture premises. A Milco product outlet and a mobile outlet of the National Livestock Development Board’s coconut, coconut oil and milk products outlets had also been opened there. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera attended the opening ceremony. PMB Chairman Neil de Alwis said that they were marketing their rice to stabilise market prices and make available more..

Jun 28 (FT) SL’s High Commissioner in New Delhi Milinda Moragoda met with Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs of India Hardeep Singh Puri, to discuss urgent matters pertaining to bilateral energy cooperation. At the outset, High Commissioner Moragoda briefed Minister Puri on the acute challenges that SL is currently facing with regard to the supply and distribution of petroleum products and the severe hardships that the people are undergoing. more..

Jun 28 (EN) SL’s intermediate regime central bank which is in the midst of the worst currency crisis in its history will give a payment plan to settle arrears to oil suppliers, statement issued after a meeting with Prez Rajapaksa said. “Governor of the SB has agreed to pay the outstanding payments due to the relevant companies for the fuel supply with a plan,” statement said. “Prez instructed the officials to take immediate action to import more..

Jun 28 (DN) SLC will pay tribute to the late spin legend Shane Warne when the first Test between SL and Australia begins at the Galle International Cricket Stadium tomorrow. The spin legend Warne died on March 4, 2022, during a holiday in Thailand nearly four months ago. Late spin legend from Australia Shane Warne was not a popular figure among Sri Lankans in the 1990s but his contributions towards the country’s most disadvantaged kids after Boxing Day tsunami more..

Jun 28 (FT) Premier Ceylon Energy Ltd., has researched and developed yet another innovative new concept and specialised electricity generating engineering finding in producing free electricity specialised for domestic use and for industries as well. This innovative research development and finding is a turning point in energy generation in a specialised engineering mechanism which the Engine is self-energising the electricity generating process and therefore, more..

Jun 28 (CI) On paper it's been six years since the Australia men's side were last in Sri Lanka for a Test tour, but somehow that 2016 tour seems a lifetime ago. Graham Ford was Sri Lanka's coach then; Angelo Mathews still the captain. For Australia, it was pre-Sandpapergate. Adam Voges was a part of the middle order. If you're a Sri Lankan fan, there was magic in the air. That was not a SL side that should have won. more..

Jun 28 (Island) Nimesh Ranchagoda of SL Navy won his maiden men’s singles title while Bimandee Bandara of Hillwood College Kandy won the women’s singles title at the 75th National Table Tennis Championship conducted by the Table Tennis Association of SL at the S Thomas’ Indoor Stadium Mount Lavinia over the weekend. The two champions were also adjudged the Most Outstanding players of their respective categories. The sailor beat Hiruna Warusavithana of more..

Jun 28 (CT) Sri Lankans have had an outsized influence on Nathan Lyon’s career, but there is one nugget of wisdom he has received on the island, delivered six years ago from the mouth of Rangana Herath, that sticks with him above all else. “I had a conversation with him after the Test series,” Lyon said of the wily spinner who masterminded the 3-0 victory over the Aussies when they last toured SL in 2016. “I said, ‘What do you do that I don’t do?’ And he said, ‘I know that if I put the ball in more..

Jun 28 (CI) Stick to your plans. That will be the message to Australia's batters as they head to SL for their biggest batting examination in three years of Test cricket. Pakistan did not quite throw up the batting challenges against spin that were anticipated in March, particularly in the first two Tests, where Australia secured a 1-0 win led with the bat by the prolific Usman Khawaja. However, not every Australian batter prospered, with some losing the patience battle in conditions more..

Jun 28 (ST) Late spin legend Shane Warne was not a popular figure among Sri Lankans in the 1990s but his contributions towards the country’s most disadvantaged kids after the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 helped change that feeling. Warne died on March 4, 2022, during a holiday in Thailand and nearly four months into his shocking demise, SLC will pay tribute to the legend when the first Test between SL and Australia begins at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. more..

Jun 28 (FT) The export sector remains the silver lining amidst the multiple challenges, as it maintained the growth momentum year-to-date (YTD) up 9.7% to $ 5.1 billion in the first five months of this year. The surpassing of $ 5 billion mark was possible with May merchandised exports amounting $ 980.2 million, up 10% year on year (YoY) and higher than $ 915.3 million in April. However the $ 1 billion mark remains elusive for the second more..

Jun 28 (FT) Hayleys Solar, the renewable energy arm of Hayleys Fentons, recently launched Energynet, an off grid/hybrid solar PV system with battery backup, to effectively combat the prevailing power outages experienced in Sri Lanka. With over a decade of market excellence, Hayleys Solar has successfully completed over 75MW of solar installations island wide making it the undisputed leader in Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) company in Sri Lanka. more..

Jun 28 (GV) The arrest of several protestors calling for SL’s president and his associates to step down amid the ongoing economic crisis, has drawn attention to the grave human rights situation which persists despite a ministerial reshuffle. Hopes that the regime had learnt its lesson, of a shift towards restoring democracy and responsible partnership with others to improve the situation of ordinary people, have not been fulfilled. As the GotaGoGama protest at Galle Face Green intensified more..

Jun 28 (Island) The Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe govt has proved that it is incapable of controlling the runaway economic crisis, which has taken a turn for the worse with pumps running dry at most filling stations. Neither Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa nor Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe nor Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera knows when or whether the next fuel shipment will arrive. The country is grinding to a halt for want of fuel. Schools have been closed, and many other more..

Jun 28 (TM) Prevailing crises have led the people to take every imaginable measure to survive, just to ensure that their daily needs are met the next day, and some of these measures are unacceptable socially and legally, even though they are understandable given the prevailing dire economic situation. Black markets for fuel, and also hoarding fuel for personal consumption, are some such unethical measures that are becoming exceedingly common. However, their social, economic, more..

Jun 28 (TM) Somapala, a father of three and a paddy farmer in District of Hambantota, is eagerly awaiting the delivery of fertiliser, as he had commenced cultivating his paddy land this Yala season despite warnings given by his fellow farmers. Like many others, Somapala is pinning his hopes on the arrival of fertiliser from India under the ILOC facility which was offered to SL. Somapala, desperately in need of the necessary fertiliser more..

Jun 28 (CT) On 10 June 2022, the UN had warned that the extreme economic situation in SL could develop into a full-blown humanitarian emergency. Due to several policy disasters of Gota-led govt, the nation has been sadly going through a slow motion implosion, Lebanon style with its economic fundamentals being off the charts in the wrong direction. As SL, once one of South Asia’s most progressive countries is witnessing widespread food & fuel shortages, square peg in a round hole more..

Jun 28 (DM) There is a great deal of ruin in a nation, Adam Smith once said - meaning that the modern states are innately strong enough to withstand a good deal of external and internal pressure. It takes serious and serial bungling by the policymakers to break a nation. Gotabaya Rajapaksa has shown how a country could be ruined on a fast track. Consider these numbers. SL’s nominal GDP per capita in 2020 was around US$ 3600, about US$ 200 down from the previous year. more..

Jun 28 (TM) Relief for consumers of domestic cooking gas remains out of reach as Litro Gas Lanka Ltd. last week said the next shipments of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) were only expected to arrive within the first two weeks of July. While consumers struggle to find alternative means to light their fires while awaiting gas supply, controversy has surrounded the new shipments ordered from a former supplier, allegedly at a higher rate more..

Jun 28 (DM) It’s been about six weeks since a new govt was formed by the President after inviting all the parties to come forward. Fundamentally, all the parliamentarians should support the present PM to steer this country out of this crisis. Without a new strategy, approach and support, we might not be able to bring some significant improvements to this ailing situation. I must lodge my disappointment however when the PM stated that the economy has collapsed. more..

Jun 28 (DM) Following are three paragraphs from an article written by Professor Amal Kumarage of the Department of Transport and Logistics Management, Uni of Moratuwa and published in the Daily FT. These three paragraphs throw light about a large part of SL’s fuel crisis and thereby point to part of the solution to it. “Around 76% of our fuel consumption is used for public transportation purposes. 51% of that is used by cars, pick-ups, and SUVs, while 31% is by motorcycles and three-wheelers. more..