Jul 19 (TM) Parliament stated that the majority of MPs has submitted their assets-and-liabilities declarations, and that the relevant lists have been referred to the CIABOC. It was recently reported by the media that the CIABOC had written to Parliamentary Secretary General Kushani Rohanadheera and Prez's Secretary Saman Ekanayake, instructing the duo to submit a list of names of MPs, including Cabinet and State Ministers, who have submitted their more..

Jul 19 (TM) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) hosted an issuer forum titled Towards a Greener Horizon: Unlocking Opportunities through Sustainability Bonds recently in Colombo. The forum was aimed at enhancing awareness and building capacity among stakeholders including representatives from Government Authorities, State-owned enterprises, potential issuers, more..

Jul 19 (FT) Visa, the global leader in digital payments yesterday announced the re-launch of its flagship product, Visa Infinite Cards, targeting affluent and high net worth customers in Sri Lanka. The announcing the re-launch translates to the value proposition associated with the Visa’s Infinite Card. The cards are designed for individuals with assets ranging from $ 0.5 to $ 1 million and offer curated services and preferential benefits. more..

Jul 19 (NW) Leader of the NPP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake left for a visit to Japan on Thursday, it was reported. MP Dissanayake is travelling to Japan to attend a public meeting with Sri Lankans residing in Japan, which has been organized by the NPP’s foreign affairs committee. NPP Leader is scheduled to address the public meeting with Sri Lankans in Japan at the Yatabe Citizen Hall in Tsukuba at 2.00 pm on Sunday (21). MP will thereafter, engage with business community in Japan on Monday. more..

Jul 19 (Island) Former Australian PM Scott Morrison visited Colombo’s Gangaramaya Temple yesterday with his family. During their visit, they met Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thera and received blessings. Joining the group were Ven. Dr. Pallegama Rathanasara Thera, Susantha Katugampala, and Vinod Arosha. Morrison, who served as the 30th PM of Australia from 2018 to 2022 and led the Liberal Party of Australia, will be among the high-profile speakers addressing SL Human Capital Summit 2024. more..

Jul 19 (AD) Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has officially inaugurated the runway development project at the Hingurakgoda Airport today, which is set to become SL’s sixth international airport. “This ambitious project, the largest ever undertaken by the SL Air Force, demonstrates exceptional civil engineering capabilities and dedication to advancing the SL Aviation Sector” SL Air Force said. According to a govt decision, construction work to more..

Jul 19 (CT) State Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, who attended the first National Cadet Corps National Youth Heroes Award ceremony as the chief guest, at the NCC Headquarters in Pamankada, Colombo, on Wednesday, commended the two award winners for their remarkable acts of heroism. He noted that the NCC’s decision to present this award for the first time is particularly fitting. Tennakoon highlighted the NCC’s role in training and inspiring young school students more..

Jul 19 (Adda) The annual Kataragama Esala festival is being celebrated in Sri Lanka. Devotees who started their Pada Yatra in May have reached Kataragama completing a journey of over 500 km across difficult terrain on foot from as far afield as Jaffna in SL’s northern peninsula. The festival which is celebrated across faiths is known to have deep bonds bridging India and Sri Lanka. Katharagama’s main temple of the Maha Devala is dedicated to the Hindu God of War, Skanda. more..

Jul 19 (ANI) Fisherfolk along with many leaders, staged a protest at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Friday to demand the immediate release of 74 fishermen who were apprehended by the SL Navy this year. Protesters also demanded the release of 170 steamboats and country boats seized by the SL Navy. They also appealed for the immediate release of the six fishermen who were arrested by SL Navy and had already been sentenced to 1 year, 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment in the SL jail. more..

Jul 19 (FT) Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has emphasised the duty of all stakeholders, including the Election Commission of SL (ECSL), the Govt led by the President, SL Police, and the entire Govt mechanism, in ensuring a free and fair Prez election without any violence, corruption, or acts of hate between communities. Former Speaker recalled that the 17th Amendment, championed by the country’s civil society, sought to establish a fair election culture in Sri Lanka. more..

Jul 19 (Island) Tirantha Walaliyadda, PC, has urged the govt to implement the death penalty without further delay in line with a fresh overall strategy to tackle organised crime. Walaliyadda, who had appeared for some of the notorious members of the netherworld said that the organised crime couldn’t be dealt with successfully unless the govt resumed judicial executions. Walaliyadda said that those engaged in narcotics trade and more..

Jul 19 (AD) The Dept of Immigration and Emigration says that prior online registration is now required when applying for a Sri Lankan passport and the new methodology has commenced with effect from today (19). The department further stated that it is no longer possible to obtain a passport by visiting the department without first being assigned a date and time through the online registration system. Accordingly, an applicant must reserve a date and time through more..

Jul 19 (CT) Academic activities at Telijjawila Central College, where a devastating landslide struck in the early hours of 4 Oct 2023, have been severely hampered due to the authorities’ failure to reconstruct the affected classrooms. Landslide demolished three ground-floor classrooms behind the main building, which houses 5 classrooms, the library and two computer rooms. Plans to reconstruct the building with a Rs 12 million budget have stalled, leaving hundreds of students displaced from more..

Jul 19 (EN) SL’s govt will be compelled to bring back price controls on some essential commodities as most traders have failed to slash their prices in line with the govt’s cost reduction of fuel, energy, gas, and transport, Trade Minister Nalin Fernando said. The plan is now considered days after the island nation slashed the electricity cost by an average of 22.5% while gradually reducing the prices of cooking gas and fuel in more..

Jul 19 (CT) Chairman of the Committee for Protecting Prisoners’ Rights (CPPR), Sudesh Silva, has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, urging the Electiaon Commission (EC) to issue necessary guidelines enabling voting for prisoners in remand. The petition specifically requests guidelines for participation in all elections, including prez and parliamentary. The petitioner, is a former prisoner who himself was unable to vote due to the absence of voting procedures for inmates. more..

Jul 19 (CI) England completed a comprehensive win on the final day of the second Youth Men's Test at Cheltenham, beating SL by an innings and 53 runs. Resuming their second innings on 246 for 7 and facing an impossible task in terms of saving the game, the tourists required a further 78 runs just to make their opponents bat again. Needing to take a further 3 wickets to wrap up victory in the match and the series, the Young Lions needed only 10.5 overs to finish the job at the College Ground. more..

Jun 19 (APP) SL High Commissioner Admiral (Retd) Ravindra Chandra Srivijay Gunaratne on Friday met Minister of Interior and Narcotics Control, Mohsin Naqvi and discussed issues of mutual interest including the release of Pakistani nationals imprisoned in SL. Both sides agreed to expedite the necessary steps for the release of Pakistani nationals imprisoned in SL jails within 7 days. SL’s High Commissioner, Ravindra Wijegunaratne assured all possible support in this regard. more..

Jun 19 (EN) SriLankan Airlines said its internet booking system is back to normal after being hit by a global technology outage. “SriLankan Airlines would like to inform passengers that its internet booking services have been fully restored as of 08:30 GMT (14:00 local time), following a global outage of third-party service providers that affected the airline’s online booking services,” the airline said. “We understand that this may have impacted the experience of some of our passengers, and more..

Jun 19 (AD) SL has scrapped plans to sell off its indebted national airline despite shortlisting three potential buyers, the govt’s privatisation agency said. Colombo called for bids in September to sell SriLankan Airlines, a key IMF demand when granting a bailout loan to the country last year. Six firms had initially expressed interest in taking a stake in the airline, which owed more than $2.0 billion at the end of 2022/2023 financial year. more..

Jun 19 (Island) Dr. IZUMI Hiroto, the head of the Japanese delegation visiting SL, lauded the successful completion of the country’s debt restructuring process, noting that it has paved the way for the resumption of Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects. These projects, which include several initiatives that were suspended last period, are now poised to restart, signaling a renewed phase of cooperation and development. Dr. Hiroto highlighted that more..

Jun 19 (DM) The NPP today alleged that state funds, vehicles and resources are being used to boost the image of the President ahead of the Presidential election and urged the Elections Commission to look into the matter. NPP politburo member Sunil Hadunnetti said that the misuse of state funds for election campaigns have been taking place over the years and that the Aragalaya emerged against such practices. He said Community Police Committees are being used for political campaigns, more..

Jun 19 (DM) The bill titled the Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution was published in a gazette notification, as ordered by the Prez. The relevant gazette notification was issued on July 18, 2024 to amend Article 83 (b) of the Constitution. According to Clause 2 of the Bill, Article 83 (b) of the Constitution is amended by the substitution for the words to over six years, to the words to over five years. more..

Jun 19 (CT) The Special Investigation Unit of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) yesterday (18) arrested an individual in connection with a foreign employment scam. The suspect allegedly defrauded millions of rupees by promising employment opportunities in the United Kingdom (UK). Investigations revealed that the institution operating in Colombo 02 was an unlicensed foreign employment agency, lacking the necessary authorisation from the SLBFE. more..

Jun 19 (AD) Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake says that there are no impediments to declaring the Prez Election by the gazetting of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. Furthermore, the Elections Commissioner General stated that the commission has the power to fairly hold the upcoming elections despite any incoming influence. Earlier today, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was published in the Govt Gazette by order of Prez more..

Jun 19 (FT) A taxpayer is required to file, a return of income, VAT return or SSCL return as the case may be on or before the due date. If the Inland Revenue officers are not in agreement with the return filed, they have a statutory right to raise an appropriate assessment on or before the expiry of the relevant time bar provided in the relevant statute. Generally, within a 30-day period a taxpayer of receipt of assessment has to appeal/request for administrative review against such to CGIR, more..

Jun 19 (FT) Everybody is enthusiastic about the forthcoming elections in Sri Lanka, almost forgetting the priorities of the ongoing economic crisis, sustainability of businesses and livelihood of people. However, generally, people think that electing a new govt may resolve all problems in order to achieve their aspirations. This article attempts to evaluate the risks in the contexts of holding elections, continuing the present govt at least for a brief period – allowing the economy to stabilise more..

Jul 19 (Island) Former SLPP Chairman Prof. G. L. Peiris has urged his former party not to back what he called a constitutional misadventure hugely detrimental to the electoral process. Top Opposition Spokesman Prof. Peiris emphasised that the ruling party with the largest single group of MPs could quite easily thwart Prez Wickremesinghe contentious move to amend Article 83(b) with an ulterior bid to pave the way more..

Jul 19 (TM) Senior DIG and former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Chief Nilantha Jayawardena has been sent on compulsory leave with immediate effect. This is, until such time that the disciplinary investigation against him pertaining to the Easter Sunday terror attacks is concluded, the National Police Commission (NPC) said. The NPC had observed that given Jayawardena’s role as the incumbent SDIG in charge of Administration of the Police Dept, there might be a risk of him influencing more..

Jun 19 (DM) Sri Lanka’s economy outperformed expectations in the first quarter, but the outlook for the rest of the year and beyond remains uncertain, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Despite surpassing the April forecast, the ADB cautioned that projections for 2024 and 2025 are clouded by the upcoming election cycle. Economists and analysts have raised policy reforms and continuity as some of the key concerns as the island nation gears up for elections this year. more..

Jul 19 (FT) Public Security Minister Tiran Alles accused the legal counsels representing organised crime bosses Najim Mohamed Imran, known as Kanjipani Imran, and Sanjeewa Kumara, also known as Ganemulla Sanjeewa, of aiding their escape from Sri Lanka. Minister revealed the police have obtained statements from the accused counsels admitting that they did help the underworld figures to flee the country. more..

Jul 19 (FT) Over 500 micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs will meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe today at 4 p.m. at the BMICH under an initiative by the Ceylon Federation of MSMEs. This historical meeting’s purpose is to prepare the necessary background for these entrepreneurs to present the current problems directly to the President and the relevant Govt officials and get solutions to them. The Ceylon Federation of MSMEs President Sashika De Silva said: more..

Jul 19 (FT) Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has instructed the Justice Ministry secretary to withhold the publication of the gazette notification on the 22nd Amendment until after the Prez Election is conducted. Justice Minister has justified this decision by stating that it aims to remove uncertainty surrounding the timing of the Prez election. Constitutional experts have pointed out that if this amendment is passed in Parliament, it will potentially enable Prez to propose calling a referendum. more..