News

Sri Lanka’s Strategic Enterprises Management Agency (SEMA) set up to carry of public enterprise reforms in 2004 is to be closed down on a directive issued by President Maithripala Sirisena. 

This agency was almost defunct and it was not in the public domain during the past few years, official sources revealed adding that it had been operating under the Presidential secretariat to formulate strategic plans for the strategic sectors of the government. 

Ina letter sent to the Chairman of SEMA under the signature of the Additional Secretary to the President A.Muthumala Last Friday 14,  he requested him to close down all operations of the Agency with immediate effect. Mr Muthumala has also brought to the notice of SEMA Chairman / CEO Asoka Abeygunawardana that the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to close down the agency at their meeting held on 03-07-2018 and all financial transactions of the institution should be concluded forthwith.   

SEMA has been mandated to assist the state owned strategic enterprises to devise policy frame works for the long term sustainability of those state enterprises. The aim was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the economy by upgrading these enterprises on par with their private sector counterparts while retaining state ownership.  SEMA has been entrusted with the task of improving thirteen key state enterprises under its purview to drill in reform and turn them into commercially viable entities.    

The State owned enterprises under SEMA supervision include State Banks, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC), Central Transport Board (CTB,) Ports Authority, Railways and plantation companies.

The Joint Opposition alleges that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) is clearly not in a good mental health condition according to medical observations.

A group of Joint Opposition Parliamentarians stated this today (20), joining a press conference held in Colombo.

The IGP could be seen laughing and crying at times, then he assaults the employees on other occasions and these are symptoms of two mental disorders, the Joint Opposition claimed.

They further stated that, even if the IGP is removed from his post, it is assured that he would receive an Ambassador position at a Sri Lankan mission abroad.

The whole of the police department is contaminated with this mental illness, the JO members pointed out.

UPFA MPs Ramesh Pathirana, Tharaka Balasuriya and Thenuka Vidanagama participated in the press briefing. (Derana)

The Colombo Magistrate's Court has issued an order temporarily suspending investigations on former Minister Ravi Karunanayake on allegations that he had provided false evidence to the Bond Commission. 

The Court had earlier ordered the CID to conduct investigations into the matter. The Magistrate said that an order in this regard would be given on September 28.

The Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $10 million technical assistance loan to finance the establishment of a facility that will help improve the design and implementation of urban projects in Sri Lanka, particularly with climate resilient and inclusive features to make cities more livable.

“Urban projects are complex and require meticulous and significant preparation time to ensure they deliver their intended development impacts,” said ADB Senior Urban Development Specialist Mr. Ron Slangen. “The ADB-supported facility will ensure urban projects rolled out in the country are impactful, sustainable, and beneficial to the people of Sri Lanka.”

There is a need for better and more timely delivery of urban infrastructure services in Sri Lanka, with more than 20% of the country’s population living in cities that contribute about 40% of gross domestic product. However, based on ADB’s experience in Sri Lanka, there is a need to strengthen long-term strategic investment planning and engineering capacity in urban departments to meet the increasing challenges of urbanization.

These factors have posed issues to Sri Lanka’s development as they limit the number of readily available investment-grade projects, result in implementation delays, and ultimately affect the timely delivery of benefits to the people.

The facility, financed by ADB’s ordinary capital resources, will strengthen project readiness and institutional capacity in Sri Lanka’s urban sector through advanced feasibility studies and detailed designs that incorporate climate and disaster resilience as well as gender-friendly features in up to 29 cities. It will also provide advanced implementation support through the preparation of bidding documents for advanced contracting and safeguard documents for ensuing pipeline projects.

A $1 million technical assistance for Capacity Building for Secondary Towns and Strategic Cities attached to the facility, meanwhile, will strengthen the institutional capacity of project agencies to design and manage urban infrastructure projects, as well as urban governance improvement programs applying best practices.

The Colombo Magistrate's Court today ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to take steps to expedite the investigations into the killing of national rugby player Wasim Thajudeen.

When the case was called before the courts yesterday, the Deputy Solicitor General Dilan Ratnayake who appeared on behalf of the CID informed the court that the investigation is a complicated procedure and therefore, needs more time to finish it.
 
In response, Colombo Additional Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara pointed out that it appears to him that there is a delay in the investigations.
 
The magistrate, pointing out that the investigations into the killing of Thajudeen commenced in 2012, said such a delay in the investigations would lead to a severe injustice against the aggrieved party as well as the defendants.
 
The Magistrate, noting that investigations have been carried out through various directions, said regardless of the direction, the investigations should be finished to enforce the law against the suspects in the crime. Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered the CID to submit a summary of evidence to the court on the next trial date.
 
The Magistrate also ordered the CID to present submissions on the charges to be filed against the suspects on the next trial date and fixed the case to be called again on the 29th of November.
 
Apprising the court of the progress of the investigations, Deputy Solicitor General Dilan Ratnayake told the Court that reliable information had been received about the use of a Defender vehicle that had been donated to the Siriliya Project to abduct Thajudeen.
 
Thajudeen died on May 17, 2012 in Kirulapone when his car crashed into a wall and caught fire. Earlier it was ruled as an accidental death but the investigations by the CID had found that the player was killed before the accident and the accident was staged.
 
Former Officer-In-Charge of Narahenpita Police Sumith Champika Perera, former Western Province Senior DIG Anura Senanayake and former Colombo Judicial medical officer Prof. Ananda Samarasekara have been arrested in connection with the cover-up after the murder. However, no suspect has been arrested yet for killing the rugby player. (Colombo Page)

The current Inspector General of Police (IGP) is behaving in a manner that is bringing disrepute the whole of Sri Lanka Police and its history, says JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
 
According to him there are serious doubts regarding the investigations conducted under him. “IGP is behaving like a child and it therefore has aroused suspicions on the trustworthiness of these investigations” he said. 
 
He expressed these view following his visit to Anunayake Thero of Malwathu Chapter at Kandy, today (19).Dissanayake further said that the IGP seems to have already come to conclusions of his own regarding the phone recordings on the alleged conspiracy to assassinate the President, prior to any investigations are conducted. (Derana)

A 21-year-old Army Soldier has been found stabbed to death at the Ambepussa Army Camp. According to Police sources, he was found killed in the guard room while on duty. 

The incident is said to have occurred around 4.40 am today. Camp sources say the soldier was on duty at the post between 2.00 am - 4.00am. Police are yet to identify any suspects in connection to the killing. Mirigama Police have commenced investigations into the incident.

The Sri Lankan government has spent more than Rs. 13.5 billion to provide relief to drought-stricken people, Minister of Disaster Management Duminda Dissanayake said.
 
Speaking at a media briefing, the Minister said that the present government has allocated the highest amount for the drought relief efforts.
 
Over 900,000 people from 260,000 families in 18 districts are severely affected by the dry weather.
 
The most affected districts by the drought are Anuradhapura, Kalutara, Moneragala, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, Puttalam, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Kegalle, Jaffna, Ampara, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Matale, Mannar and Hambantota.
 
The government has taken measures to meet the needs of affected people, including drinking water, the Minister said.
 
The government has spent more than Rs. 64 million from January this year alone to supply drinking water to 97 Divisional Secretariat Divisions affected by the drought.
 
Over 11,000 water tanks have been distributed and the cost incurred by the government was 91 million rupees.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga became the first Sri Lankan to be awarded the Prestigious Medal of Commander in the National Order of the Legion of Honour, the highest rank of the National Order of France.

His Excellency Jean-Marin Schuh, Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, presented the Medal of “Commandeur de la Légion D'Honneur” on behalf of His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, at a special function held at the Residence of the Ambassador of France.

President Kumaratunga served as the 4th Executive President of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2005. Prior to that, she has held the elected positions of Western Province Chief Minister and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

At present President Kumaratunga holds numerous Honorary positions including being a Member of Club de Madrid (the premier global forum of former democratic Presidents and Prime Ministers), a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation (led by former President of South Africa F. W. de Klerk), was an Advisor and Member of the Clinton Global Initiative, and is the Chairperson of the South Asian Policy and Research Institute and the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

She holds a Degree in Political Science from the prestigious Political Science Institute (Science Po) of the University of Paris and entered a Ph.D. Program in Development Economics at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, University of Paris, where she studied from 1970-1973
The event was attended by Diplomats, Ministers, Academics and Well-wishers.

Sri Lanka’s central expressway project is stuck midway owing to the delay in Phase 1 and 3 of the project, Minister of Public Enterprise & Kandy City Development Lakshman Kiriella claimed.
 
According to the Minister however arrangements have been made to open phase two of the central expressway by August 2019.
 
The second phase of Sri Lanka's central expressway from Colombo to Kandy is built by 16 local contractors is already 25 percent complete and is on track to be finished by December 2019, 
 
The other two sections of the expressway are being delayed due to construction and funding issues.
 
The Road Development Authority (RDA) has sought government intervention to expedite a Chinese loan to get going with a multi billion rupee expressway project delayed for more than two and half years.
 
The loan amounting to US$ 1.1 billion (Rs 160 billion) approved by the Exim Bank of China has been delayed for unknown reasons, thereby preventing the RDA from carrying on with the construction of the first phase  of the Central Expressway project from Kadawatha to Mirigama – a stretch of 37.09 km.
 
Although the Exim bank of China had approved the loan, the bank needed approval from the Government to release the funds.Awarding the Phase 3 construction contract to Taisei Japanese Company has also  raised several issues.
 
The process followed in granting this contract as well as the previous track record of the company including being the cause behind a giant sinkhole in Fukuoka, Japan has become stumbling block for the project.It was also reported recently that Taisei had requested payment of 4 Billion Rupees for a 190-day delay in taking over the Colombo Outer Circular Expressway project.Tasiei had warned if an immediate decision is not made with regard to the amount in question, that there would be an impact on the construction of phase three of the Central Expressway.

A delegation from the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), led by Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Nash, visited Sri Lanka this week to continue progress on the proposed MCC compact – a large-scale five-year grant program.  MCC is developing the compact in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka to promote inclusive economic growth that will benefit Sri Lankans.

During the visit, COO Nash met with senior government officials, including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera, State Minister of Finance Eran Wickramaratne, and Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam. 

“We are pleased that progress continues on the proposed MCC compact,” said MCC COO Nash. “Developed in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka, the proposed MCC Sri Lanka Compact is designed to spur economic growth and investment by the private sector to reduce poverty and increase economic opportunities for the people of Sri Lanka,” 

Based on an analysis of Sri Lanka’s economy and the constraints that are holding back private investment and growth, MCC expects to invest in projects proposed by the Government of Sri Lanka in the transport and land sectors.

The proposed compact would improve road networks and the bus system in the Colombo Metropolitan Region, and improve road connectivity between the central region and ports and markets in the Western Province. The compact would upgrade more than 300 kilometers of urban and interprovincial roads. In addition, the compact would improve land administration, and strengthen land rights and tenure security.

Sri Lanka motor traders are to be greatly affected by the Central Bank’s recent directive of imposing upfront payment for letters of credit (LCs) in the wake of depreciation of the rupee, vehicle importers complained.
 
They said that motor dealers will have to close down their business as they are not in a position to pay cash up front for opening LCs to bring down vehicles.
   
The Monetary Board of the Central Bank imposed a 100 per cent margin deposit requirement against Letters of Credit opened with the commercial banks for the import of motor vehicles, which are generally used for non-commercial purposes, with immediate effect.
 
Accordingly, Letters of Credit for the importation of these vehicle categories could be done only with a minimum cash margin of 100 per cent.
 
The decision to impose the margin deposit requirement is based on recent developments which, if not addressed, could threaten macroeconomic stability, the Central Bank said. 
 
The imposition of the margin deposit requirement, together with the measures already taken by the government with regard to taxes applicable on motor vehicle imports, is expected to curb non-essential imports of motor vehicles, and ease undue pressure on the current account of the balance of payments (BOP) and the exchange rate, the CB said.