News

The Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Sri Lanka, Carmen Moreno, has paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, at the Prime Minister’s Office in Colombo.

The meeting was an opportunity to reaffirm the strong and enduring relationship between the European Union and Sri Lanka, which is built on mutual respect and cooperation, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Prime Minister Dr. Amarasuriya highlighted the importance of the EU’s continued support for the GSP+ trade scheme, which has been instrumental in boosting Sri Lankan exports and also outlined her government’s vision to attract more foreign investment by eliminating corruption and strengthening institutions such as the Board of Investment (BoI).

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Takafumi Kadono, has also met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday (18) for a discussion.

The Prime Minister expressed her gratitude for the support provided by the Asian Development Bank for various development projects in Sri Lanka.

She conveyed her hopes for continued support from the Bank to help achieve Sri Lanka’s future development goals, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

The meeting was attended by Cholpon Mambetova, Head of Sri Lanka Operations for the Asian Development Bank; Herathbanda Jayasundara, Senior Social Development Officer; Udeni Udugahapattua, Director of the Asian Development Bank Division; and Pradeep Saputantri, Prime Minister’s Secretary.

The Government yesterday (15) reaffirmed its commitment to investigate all past crimes and prosecute those responsible, whilst clarifying the decision to select seven high-profile cases that have been prioritised for expedited review.

Addressing the media at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting briefing, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Vijitha Herath assured that the Government would not limit its inquiries to these cases alone, but would pursue justice for all reported, yet stalled crimes, including economic offences, murders and disappearances.

The seven cases prioritised include the Central Bank Bond scam, the Easter Sunday terror attacks, the kidnapping and murder of journalist D.P. Sivaram, the disappearance of Lalith Kumar and Kugan Muruganadan, Vice Chancellor Sivasubramaniam Raveendranath, the murder of businessman Dinesh Schaffter and the shooting outside the W15 hotel in Weligama.

In addition, he said investigations into prominent incidents such as the deaths of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen, journalist Lasantha Wickremetunge and the disappearance of cartoonist Pradeep Ekneligoda.

Herath explained that these cases were selected because the investigations are nearly complete or require minimal additional work.

“This does not mean that the Government exclude other cases,” he stated, promising investigations into all big and small accumulated cases that got delayed due to various reasons.

He also reassured the public that systematic investigations are already underway into the Easter Sunday attacks and Central Bank Bond scam adding the Government will ensure accountability without safeguarding any individual involved.

(ft.lk)

The Government Information Department clarified that none of the official privileges provided to former Presidents have been withdrawn.

In a statement, the department confirmed that perks and vehicles have been provided to former Presidents in accordance with the provisions of the Presidents’ Entitlements Act No. 4 of 1986.

It further clarified that a request had been made to both Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe to return additional vehicles. As a result, former President Rajapaksa has returned 8 out of 16 vehicles, while Wickremesinghe currently has 11 vehicles for his use.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has rejected an appeal for bail made by the Director of W.M. Mendis Distilleries Arjun Aloysius and two others, who were sentenced to prison on Monday (14) over VAT evasion.

Appearing for the defendants, President’s Counsel Razik Zarook requested the court to release the three defendants on bail since the trial against them has now become a criminal case.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Bandara Ilangasinghe, who stated that the relevant case has been filed based on a certification given by the Inland Revenue Department, rejected the appeal for bail, mentioning that the prison sentence is only an alternative punishment imposed on the accused and that therefore the case has not become a criminal trial.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court sentenced the Director of W.M. Mendis Distilleries, Arjun Aloysius and two others to 06 months in prison for defaulting the payment of Rs. 3.5 billion in Value Added Tax (VAT) by the company.

The relevant case was filed against the company by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) for defaulting the payment of Rs. 3.5 billion in taxes owed to the government during the period from 2016 to 2019.

The Ministry of Finance has issued a clarification stating that reports of increased taxes on several imported goods, are inaccurate.

The clarification comes after it was reported that taxes on certain imported goods were increased effective from October 14 to December 31, 2024.

The Finance Ministry said that the previous gazette on the special commodity levy expired on October 13, prompting a renewal of the gazette on October 14, 2024.

Accordingly, The Ministry reaffirmed that the concessionary tax on imported lentils, set at 25 cents, remains unchanged, along with the rates for the other four products.

This extension is designed to support local industries, such as fishing and fruit cultivation, while also considering foreign exchange concerns.

Sri Lanka’s new government has abandoned plans to sell the debt-ridden national airline SriLankan Airlines, but will restructure it for a more profitable future.

“President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed that the airline should be an institution that all Sri Lankans are proud of, and should be owned by Sri Lankans,” the airline’s new chairman Sarath Ganegoda told TTG Asia.

The previous government had invited bids to part-sell and manage the airline that as been suffering accumulated losses over the years.

While the airline has reported an operating profit for the period April 2022 to end March 2023, its accumulated debt is US$1.2 billion. Under the earlier plan, the government was to retain 51 per cent control of the airline while selling off the remaining 49 per cent to investors. Six parties, some who had no experience in running an airline, responded with an initial call for interest but none was pre-qualified for the next step of the process.

Left-leaning politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake from the National People’ Party won last month’s presidential election. He had vowed to stop the sale of state assets which the former regime was pursuing. Dissanayake swiftly dismantled a government unit tasked with the sale of loss-making state agencies including SriLankan Airlines.

Ganegoda said the airline is an important pillar of tourism and responsible for 50 per cent of the tourist traffic into the country. Sri Lanka aims to reach 2.3 million arrivals this year with a target of three million tourists next year and five million by 2030.

He said while the sale of the airline has been stopped, there are plans to restructure the airline under a viable business model. “Some structuring of our operations is needed to strengthen the balance sheet,” he added. (TTG Asia)

Senior Professor Kapila Seneviratne has been appointed as the new Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Professor Seneviratne, a distinguished scholar in the field of chemistry, is an alumnus of the University of Kelaniya.

He earned his Ph.D. from Wayne State University in the United States in 1997.

Throughout his career, he has led numerous research projects focusing on the chemical and nutritional properties of edible oils, establishing himself as a leading academic in this area.

Prior to his new appointment, Senior Professor Seneviratne served as the Dean of the Postgraduate Institute at the University of Kelaniya.

Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday (15) confirmed the Government’s stance in favour of vehicle importation but stressed that it would not jeopardise the country’s foreign reserves or trigger another financial crisis.

“There is a significant demand for vehicles, and we acknowledge that. However, any import process will be considered only under a controlled and well-regulated procedure to avoid further pressure on foreign reserves,” he said in response to a question raised during the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing.

Herath clarified that since taking office, the Government has neither imported vehicles nor allowed any with tariff concessions, despite prior Cabinet decisions allowing importation.

“We are of the view that vehicle imports should be allowed, but strictly under a streamlined and a controlled procedure,” he reiterated.

The import ban on vehicles, introduced in March 2020, was aimed at curbing the outflow of foreign exchange amidst the country’s deepening economic troubles.

In September, the previous regime announced that it has decided to lift the temporary suspension on motor vehicle imports, effective 1 October 2024. In a statement issued by the then Government, it noted that Sri Lanka will begin importing motor vehicles again, starting in stages, as part of a broader economic recovery strategy tied to the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Program of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“Having considered the current economic and environmental factors, the Government has decided to make the following proposals for the consideration of the Cabinet of Ministers: 1. The removal of the temporary suspension on the importation of motor vehicles and non-motorised goods, classified under a total of 304 HS Codes, will be done in three stages: Stage 1: The importation of public passenger transport vehicles, special purpose vehicles, and other non-motorised goods will be allowed starting 1 October 2024, Stage 2: The temporary suspension on the importation of commercial or goods transportation vehicles will be lifted on 1 December 2024, Stage 3: The importation of personal usage motor vehicles (including cars, vans, sports utility vehicles, pickups, etc.) will be permitted starting 1 February 2025.”

According to the then Cabinet Memorandum, the phased lifting of restrictions is anticipated to inject much-needed energy into the auto industry and the broader economy, addressing challenges like an aging vehicle population, declining fuel efficiency, and rising maintenance costs.

The prolonged import restrictions had left Sri Lanka with an aging fleet of vehicles, characterised by declining roadworthiness and environmental concerns due to poor fuel efficiency.

“Importation of new vehicles is expected to stimulate economic activity by increasing Government revenue, particularly from vehicle imports, which have historically been a significant revenue stream for the country. However, while the reintroduction of imports will put pressure on foreign exchange reserves, measures have been implemented to balance this, including additional duties on motor vehicle imports,” the statement issued by the PMD under the previous administration noted.

(ft.lk)

Ranil Wickremesinghe, the former President and Leader of the United National Party said today (17) that the new government will face the challenge of increasing the state revenue to fifteen per cent of the Gross Domestic Product by 2027 when Sri Lanka will start repaying its foreign debt. Mr Wickremesinghe said that an increase of one per cent in economic growth is required every year in order to reach that goal and emphasized that the next parliament needs an experienced team that will not shirk from their responsibilities.

The former President said that the group that worked with him to ensure the recovery of the country in the face of the economic crisis will run for the general election under the symbol of the gas cylinder. He added that in order for the parliament, which holds the financial power, to be strong, the Cylinder should win.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who made a special statement at the New Democratic Front office in Colombo, said: I took over the country as President when we were unable to pay our debts and had declared bankruptcy. My primary goal at that time was to restore debt sustainability and to take Sri Lanka out of the state of bankruptcy. In those two years, I reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, the eighteen countries that had given us loans, and the private bondholders.

Accordingly, we reached an agreement that would ensure we became debt-sustainable and then removed our country from the state of bankruptcy. All these procedures were completed, and the approval of the private bondholders was received in the first week of September of this year. Due to the measures we have taken, we can now engage with foreign banks. Foreign aid is also available. We are no longer bankrupt due to our debt sustainability.

I worked with the last parliament to rescue the country from bankruptcy. I would like to express my thanks to all the members of that parliament. I also express my thanks to the officials who worked with that parliament.

Now, we have to implement that sustainability agreement. It has been reported that the current President will submit amendments in this regard. If so, the parliament has the fiscal power to implement the revised agreement. It is the responsibility of the new parliament to implement it. We have several goals that must be implemented to achieve sustainability.

First of all, we have to begin repaying our debt from the year 2028. By the year 2027, our government revenue should be 15 per cent of the gross domestic product. Currently, that figure is 12 per cent. To reach this goal, one per cent growth should be achieved every year.

By the end of this year, we can regain the levels of gross domestic product that were achieved in 2019. At the same time, we have to increase our foreign exchange reserves. Our foreign exchange reserve should be in the range of 10-14 billion dollars. After meeting these goals, we have to pay off the debt. We have to achieve the above goals within this period. For that, we need to ensure rapid economic development. Another important aspect of this program is the implementation of a number of anti-corruption measures. Parliament is responsible for all these matters. According to the Presidential election results, no party will get a majority in the parliament. Somehow, in order to fulfil the responsibilities of the new parliament, the negative experiences of the previous parliament cannot be repeated. During the last parliament, no one came forward to accept their responsibilities. I came forward and gathered members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, United National Party and the Pohottuwa and worked to form a Government.

Such incidents should not be repeated in the next parliament. There are three main groups in this parliament. Among those three groups, I want to mention one group here.

I ran for the presidential election under the symbol of the gas cylinder. The Pohottuwa, United National Party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party, New Alliance and all other groups came together and supported me. These people have worked under my leadership. Now, all of them have come together once again.

A part of those MPs, as well as a part of the officials of the United National Party who worked with me, are coming together again in this election. They are running under the New Democratic Party. They are going to contest this election under my leadership. All these people have the necessary experience. They have carried out the required work properly in the past.

Those who have worked with me for the past two years have the experience to face economic crises, so they must be in the parliament. Whether you are in the opposition or the government, you cannot run the parliament without this experience; if you try, you will fail to achieve the goals.

Therefore, those who worked in the United National Party, those who supported us in Pohottuwa and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party as well as the new alliance, request their members to support our candidates. Also, a request was made to those who had not voted earlier. In order to solve the country’s economic problem and move forward, these experienced people should be in the parliament.

Your future will be decided by the new parliament. If we do this work successfully, we can recover as a country. Therefore, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that everyone is requested to give their valuable vote to the gas cylinder.

The Leader of the United National Party (UNP), former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced that he will make a special statement to the public on Thursday (17).

This will be the first time that Wickremesinghe makes a public statement following the 2024 Presidential Election.

It is reported that the former President will reveal ‘the political behavior of the country’ and his future plans in this special statement.

Immediately after the General Election was announced, Wickremesinghe declared that he will neither contest the election, nor expect to enter Parliament through the National List.

However, all political parties that supported former President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the recent Presidential Election are to contest the upcoming General Election under the New Democratic Front (NDF), with the ‘Gas Cylinder’ as their symbol.

Former President Wickremesinghe had also contested the presidential election under the symbol of the ‘Gas Cylinder’, albeit as an independent candidate.

(adaderana.lk)

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized the need for a long-term, unified national plan to organize Sri Lanka’s currently disordered agriculture sector.

He made this statement during a progress review meeting of the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources held today (16) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting included extensive discussions on the ongoing projects under the Ministry.

The President reviewed the rural development initiatives completed so far and noted that, despite their success, questions remain about the extent to which these projects have reduced rural poverty.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized that the primary objective of rural development projects should be to eradicate rural poverty.

He further pointed out the need for a comprehensive new plan to eliminate poverty nationwide.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also highlighted that poverty extends beyond mere financial hardship; it also involves the marginalization of certain groups within society, constituting a serious social crisis. He underscored the necessity for a targeted program to effectively eradicate rural poverty.

Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, and Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources M. P. N. M. Wickramasinghe, along with Senior Officials of the Ministry, Project Directors and other Officials of the Ministry participated in this discussion.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that he has a responsibility to uphold the aspirations of the people.

Speaking at a progress review meeting of the Ministry of Power and Energy, the President stated that he expects the support of officials to fulfill these public expectations.

“Our country has a perception that more money leads to more corruption. However, we must all understand the significance of the mandate given by the people in the recent presidential election. The citizens have chosen a new team, and this decision is a determined one, not a routine political power shift. It reflects a significant and deliberate choice by the people to entrust power to a new group. Therefore, we have a responsibility to uphold and protect the aspirations embedded in this mandate,” stated President Dissanayake.

He emphasized that the public’s decision was influenced by various factors, primarily their dissatisfaction with state services. “We have a duty to create a state service that efficiently meets the needs of the citizens. This sector frequently interacts with the public, making it crucial for you to establish an environment that allows you to perform your duties effectively and without causing difficulties for the people,” he said.

President Dissanayake also stressed the importance of prudent financial management. “We must treat every cent of public money with the same care as we would sacred property. We have no right to waste or misuse public funds. This principle is part of our mandate. All of us, including myself, are accountable to the people. Therefore, I urge you to set aside past actions and accusations. We will address those separately. From now on, I need your support to fulfill this mandate,” he added.

He called for a new political culture that holds politicians accountable to the people and aligns with the promises made during elections. “The era of deceiving the public during elections and then reverting to old political practices must end. We need to establish a political culture that holds us accountable to the people,” he asserted.

The President stressed on the significant responsibility placed on public officials to uphold the integrity of the mandate and meet the expectations of the people. “We seek your support in this endeavor. We will stand by you in all your rightful actions within your official duties. However, if any misconduct occurs, we will not hesitate to take necessary actions,” he warned.