Dec 20 (TM) Election Commission (EC) stated that candidates who failed to submit expenditure reports for the Prez and Parliamentary Elections on time will still be allowed to contest upcoming elections until the relevant court proceedings conclude. It was recently reported that politicians who failed to submit their campaign expenditure-related reports to the EC following the Prez and Parliamentary Elections would have to face barriers in competing for upcoming elections such as LG & PC polls. more..

Dec 20 (Island) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s statement in parliament on increasing withholding tax on conservative investments, such as fixed deposits and savings, from 5% to 10%, positively impacted the stock market and attracted more local and foreign investors, market analysts said. This new withholdings tax increase by the govt does not apply to stock market transactions. Amid those developments mixed reactions were noted in both indices yesterday. more..

Dec 20 (FT) The Govt is set to revive the Export Development Council of Ministers (EDCM), a high-powered body designed to oversee and guide the country’s export sector. Export Development Board Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe confirmed that discussions with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and other Ministers have been positive and efforts are underway to reconvene the Council soon. more..

Dec 20 (FT) Comfort Mattress Lanka, has become the first investor to seize the opportunity to set up operations in the Hambantota International Port’s (HIP) industrial park. With an investment of $ 25 million, the project targets key export markets, including the USA, Europe, and Canada. The move follows Hambantota Port Group’s recent investment in upgrading crane facilities to expand container operations. Under a 30-year renewable long-lease agreement with HIPG, more..

Dec 20 (DM) The confectionery industry expressed serious concerns over a new set of rules, introduced for labelling and advertising packaged food in the country, which is set to take effect from Jan 2025. Lanka Confectionery Manufacturers Association (LCMA) said those involved in manufacturing packaged ready-to-eat foods across the country are in a dilemma over complying with the new regulations which were introduced by the Ministry of Health in 2022 and announced by the govt more..

Dec 20 (TM) Govt announced that a decision will be made regarding the extension of the deadline for importing rice into the country without obtaining import control permits, which expires from today onwards, after observing whether the available rice stocks are sufficient to meet the market demand. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that 22,000 metric tonnes (MTs) of imported rice had arrived in SL by Wednesday, and that another stock of 10,000 MTs was expected to arrive yesterday. more..

Dec 20 (DM) The govt has decided to further ease certain restrictions imposed on outward remittances for a six month-period until June next year based on recommendation of the Central Bank (CB). “The Central Bank of SL has proposed that it is suitable to issue new directives that will be effective until June 2025 by further amending certain suspensions/restrictions imposed under the presently implemented directives,” the Govt Information Department noted. more..

Dec 20 (Island) In recent years, SLC has wielded the axe on senior players with an almost clinical ruthlessness, but the tide seems to be turning. Current Chairman of Selectors, Upul Tharanga, has hinted at a more measured and amicable approach, emphasizing dialogue and mutual understanding with the seasoned campaigners before making any decisive moves. Last month, Sri Lanka embarked on a tour of South Africa more..

Dec 20 (FT) Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Govt-to-Govt transaction to procure high-quality cattle and bovine genetic material to boost the country’s dairy production capabilities. This initiative follows challenges in executing procurement procedures despite a Budget allocation of Rs. 100 million for the years 2023 and 2024. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the Pakistan Trade Development Authority has agreed to supply Sri Lanka with seven fertile male bulls, more..

Dec 20 (ST) The new management of the SL Export Credit Insurance Corporation (SLECIC), while celebrating its 46th anniversary, has an onerous task ahead of reforming an institution that has been marred by corruption and malpractice for the past 12 years. A forensic audit, initiated at the instance of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) in the previous Parliament is afoot to investigate the alleged financial mismanagement of the state-run corporation. more..

Dec 20 (DN) Hambantota Bangla Tigers emerged as champions of the inaugural Lanka T-10 Super League cricket tournament when they defeated Jaffna Titans by 26 runs in the final game played at Pallekele yesterday. Skipper Dasun Shanaka, who showed fine leadership to the champion Hambantota team, fought back strongly to win this championship and built good team spirit. They lost to Jaffna Titans in Qualifier 1 game more..

Dec 20 (DM) Port of Colombo achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in container throughput by the end of Nov 2024, marking its highest performance since 2021. This achievement positions the port to close the year with its highest-ever container throughput. As of November, the cumulative container throughput reached 7.1 million TEUs, reflecting a 12.6% year-on-year (YoY) increase. Port first crossed the 7 million TEU more..

Dec 20 (TM) Refuting the allegations levelled against pharmaceutical companies by Minister of Health Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa at the Parliament recently, pharma company, Divesa Pharma Limited, stated that it was issued a licence “to sell medicine by wholesale by the NMRA on 18 Aug 2018, which has been continuously renewed to date.” Divasa Pharma Ltd, providing factual clarity on the recent allegations stated that it has been a local authorised distributor of George Steuart Health more..

Dec 20 (DN) Moratuwa Uni Faculty of Information Technology (FIT) highlighted that SL is expected to earn USD 5 million from the country’s Information Technology (IT) sector during the next few years. Moratuwa University, FIT, Prof. Thanuja Sandanayake said that the current statistics reveal that due to the brain drain in the country there has been a severe shortage of IT professionals. “The brain drain or the migration of professionals for overseas employment has become a threat to more..

Dec 20 (TM) New mechanisms should be introduced to enhance adult education in Sri Lanka by moving away from the traditional knowledge-based system to those that evolve with advancing technology, according to human resource academic Prof. Sagara Chandrasekara. Speaking at a forum organised by The Coalition for Educational Development, Prof. Chandrasekara highlighted the challenges surrounding adult learning in the country. He noted that certain stigmas prevent more..

Dec 20 (ST) Sri Lanka’s public health sector is grappling with a shortage of essential medicines, attributed to both local and global factors, with concerns about potential future shortages. While authorities have acknowledged some improvements, critical gaps in supply persist. Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, president of the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association, highlights some critical issues. more..

Dec 20 (Island) UNHRC at its 57th session adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Project on SL Accountability by one year. Babu Ram Pant, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, has commented extensively on this resolution. The source of these allegations of human rights violations against Sri Lanka is the controversial report called the Dharusman (UNPOE or United Nations Panel of Experts.) report, more..

Dec 20 (Island) The JVP-led NPP’s ascent to power rekindled the hopes of good governance activists for a radical break from the past and a new political culture. The incumbent govt came under pressure to ensure the independence and integrity of the parliamentary Financial Committees by allowing them to be headed by Opposition MPs. But the efforts of the campaigners for good governance have been only partially successful. SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva has been appointed the Chairman more..

Dec 20 (CT) It is due to the misconceptions against the NPP and its leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake that were spread among the public by their political opponents that investors at Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) took precautionary measures by sidelining from their usual investment decisions. Those misconceptions ranged from acquiring private businesses to fixed deposits. That is why, even though interest rate was on the decline, people hesitated to invest in the CSE, more..

Dec 20 (ST) Things are getting curiouser and curiouser as Alice, during a round trip in Wonderland, might have said. Here is a party (or is it an alliance?) that came to power promising—or was it threatening?—to change the system. It sure has—at least one system—though I cannot remember it being listed in its political cornucopia. Well, never mind; even a hustling, bustling bunch of sahodarayas cannot engage all gears and release all brakes at the same time, although more..

Dec 20 (TM) As part of a broader effort to tackle financial crimes and improve the country’s legal framework, the Govt is set to introduce significant reforms, particularly in the areas of illicit asset recovery and insolvency. Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara recently announced in Parliament that three bills were to be presented in Parliament, namely the Proceeds of Crime Bill, amendments to the insolvency law, and more..

Dec 20 (DM) Local Govt (LG) election has come to the fore again. The people and the sovereign voters expect the appointment of independent philanthropic representatives who can impartially educate and assist the people in the locality to overcome unfair practices and delays in regard to usage of public goods such as Free Education, Police actions, Judiciary services, sanitary services and garbage collection etc. This is in addition to the standard govt and non-govt services involving more..

Dec 20 (CT) Across the rural heartlands of SL, generations of farmers have worked tirelessly, contending not just with drought or disease but with an increasingly persistent challenge: wild animals. Elephants flatten paddy fields, monkeys swipe fruit with audacious ease, and birds decimate crops that took months to nurture. For farmers, the consequences are not just financial but deeply personal. It is a bitter blow to their livelihoods and a mounting sense of helplessness that more..

Dec 20 (TM) Corruption in SL, for the most part, has been seen as a public sector problem. Amidst large-scale corruption scandals in the public sector, the role that the private sector plays in facilitating corruption has often been ignored. Research however indicates that the private sector often functions as the supply side of corruption, according to a recent research report which sought to map the corruption-related risks that exist more..

Dec 20 (TM) A list of beneficiaries of the President’s Fund is going viral on social media platforms, sparking controversy in the general society as most of these beneficiaries are politicians and well-connected figures and not ordinary citizens. According to the list that is being circulated, several beneficiaries, who are well-known politicians, have received several millions of rupees from the Fund. In some cases, some politicians have allegedly used this money to obtain medical treatments more..

Dec 20 (DM) As Sri Lanka gets ready for Christmas in December, there will be some aged govt workers who will be getting ready for retirement. That sounds painful, especially for specialist doctors who have to retire at age 60 by Dec 31 this year. However, there can be some good news for them given that the Ministry of Public Administration takes steps to gazette a ruling by the Court of Appeal to extend the retirement age of specialist doctors serving at govt hospitals to age 63. more..

Dec 19 (AD) The Govt of India has agreed to provide financial assistance amounting to SL Rs. 300 million to address vehicle requirements for the SL Police, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced during the Cabinet press briefing held today. The grant will be utilized to supply vehicle to meet the operational needs of police stations in the Northern Province. Accordingly, the Cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal submitted by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs more..

Dec 19 (CT) If former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe had elevated the country to a commendable position, he would have been able to continue as Prez. However, he was rejected by the people, who recognised how those around him had contributed to pushing the country towards bankruptcy, NPP Kalutara District MP Nilanthi Kottahachchi stated. Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, Kottahachchi remarked that several destructive economic policies implemented by successive govts more..

Dec 19 (DM) Ministry of Defence said that it has decided to issue only one firearm per civilian for personal protection and it will be issued after considering intelligence reports. Ministry of Defence through electronic and print media announced that all firearms and ammunition issued to civilians for personal protection must be returned to the govt by 21 Nov 2024 for a quantitative review. In response to the notice, about 85% of the licensees have more..

Dec 19 (NW) Cabinet approval has been granted for the renovation of the Sugathadasa National Sports Complex according to international standards. The Sugathadasa National Sports Complex is an internationally recognized sports complex that provides class 1 sports facilities. It is the only sports complex in Sri Lanka consisting of 400-meter, 200-meter, and 80-meter artificial tracks with all the facilities according to international standards. The artificial track was resurfaced in 2018, more..

Dec 19 (EN) SL’s statistics office said its representatives are visiting homes from Dec 19 to 23 to conduct a population census of the country, after completing a count of homeless people on Dec 18. Dept of Census and Statistics said it expected public support to complete the census. “They will collect data on population size, geographic distribution, education levels, language skills, computer literacy, reading and writing skills, job descriptions, physical and mental disabilities, more..