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Sri Lanka last week made two significant decisions impacting on its emerging tourism market, appointing a new head to its state tourism promotion agency and removing the CEO of its loss-making national carrier.

Both institutions are key to the country’s tourism promotion with 2.5 million arrivals targeted this year.

Dehan Seneviratne, a veteran marketing and management consultant, has been appointed as chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) on June 4. He replaces Udaya Nanayakkara, who was forced to quit in January 2018 after just six months in the job, due to disagreements over the long-delayed destination marketing campaign with tourism minister John Amaratunga.


Dehan Seneviratne with the Minister of Tourism and Christian Religious Affairs John Amaratunga and the Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism Esala Weerakoon.

Seneviratne’s appointment comes at a critical time as Sri Lanka’s tourism promotion campaigns finally got underway earlier this month starting with a promotion blitz through CNN.

SriLankan Airlines chairman Ranjit Fernando confirmed to TTG Asia that CEO Suren Ratwatte, who has been criticised in the past for extravagant spending, is stepping down in August. “We are interviewing a couple of local and foreign candidates for the post,” Fernando said.
Fernando stated that the 2017/2018 financial year ending March saw a loss of US$105 million but that a restructuring plan submitted by Nyras, an aviation consultancy, is underway. There are plans to turn around the loss-making airline in two to three years with “some hard decisions”.

In a circular to staff last week, Fernando said the board of directors has decided to make changes to the structure of the top management team.

“There will be a new chief for the commercial division. Our fully owned subsidiary, the catering company, is led by a part-time CEO. We have already engaged a new CFO, who will assume office shortly. There will also be some minor reallocation of responsibilities in the organisational structure,” he said.

Feizal Samath/TTG Asia

Daughter of Shan Wickramasinghe and Director of the TNL broadcasting corporation, Ishini Wickramasinghe is to be appointed as a private secretary to Minister of Finance and Media, Mangala Samaraweera from July 1.

The Minister made this announcement in parliament while presenting facts on the closure of the TNL Polgahawela transmission centre.

Expressing his concerns on the closure, the Minister also affirmed that the government is dedicated to ensuring free and responsible media in the country.           

He also noted that majority of the media are giving more airtime to the opposition but however the government continues to be cooperative with all media institutions.  

Ishini Wickramasinghe has also served as Media advisor to the Minister during his tenure as Minister of Posts and Media.

It is reported that a special meeting between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s dissident Group of 16 and former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will be held at the latter’s residence in Mirihana on Tuesday (12).

Speaking to media, Parliamentarian Chandima Weerakkody said that the meeting will focus on the future political plans of the group as well as on ways and means of building public opinion against the government.

Weerakkody further said that the group also plans to hold discussions with the leader of the Joint Opposition Dinesh Gunewardena, the National Freedom Front, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, the Democratic Left Front and the JVP.

The G-16 earlier held discussions with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Opposotion Leader R. Sampanthan.

In a recent statement, MP Prasanna Ranatunga has revealed the reason he did not support MP Sudarshini Fernandopulle during the vote held in parliament to choose a deputy speaker. According to him the decision to not support her was based on the fact that her faction had helped the United National Party (UNP) to gain power of the Seeduwa Municipal Council.  

He also says the group of 16 that left the government must choose if it will join former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the SLPP or remain with President Maithripala Sirisena and the SLFP. 

However, it is a popular fact that Fernandopulle had come forward to contest in the vote to be appointed as deputy speaker with the acknowledgement of Rajapaksa as confirmed by Wimal Weerawansa, Gammanpila and Vasudeva. 

Sources say Weerawansa, Gammanpila and Vasudeva had even stayed away from a joint opposition meeting in protest of Ranatunga not supporting Fernandopulle.

While a constant tussle between the two groups since the no confidence motion has been on going sources say the real cause for the issue is a rift of the JO due to the power struggle between Basil and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Despite claims by Northern Politicians such as Chief Minister C.V Wigneswaran that the population in the North wants the Sri Lanka Army to leave the province, scenes today at Kilinochchi told a different story when rehabilitated former militants and villagers were seen bidding an emotional farewell to Commander of the Civil Security Department in Mullaitivu, Colonel Rathnapriya Bandu. 

Colonel Rathnapriya was recently transferred from the Vishwamadu Command Headquarters where he had been heading the rehabilitation program for former militants and working towards integrating them into society by recruiting them to the Civil Security Department. 

People bidding farewell to the Army officer were seen shedding tears while others seem to be overcome with grief at having to part with the much loved commanding officer. 

A function had been organized at the Co-operative building in Kilinochchi to honour him.

PM Ranil Wickramasinghe has challenged Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to reveal how he would reduce the country’s debt by 20 per cent if he comes back to power as claimed by him. According to the PM after having set a world record for obtaining loans during his tenure, Rajapaksa should now show how he intends to reduce the debt as claimed. 

The PM made this public challenge while attending the opening of the Ranwala Aswatta bridge recently. 

According to the PM during his tenure Rajapaksa increased the country’s debt by Rs. 7391 Billion thereby increasing the country’s total debt by three-fold and setting a record for loan taking. The PM also noted that the burden to repay these loans have now fallen on the public. 

Wickramasinghe also pointed out that when his government took over in 2015 the coffers were empty with no funds left for development. “We have now begun developing the country while repaying the loans taken by him,” he said adding that the newly opened bridge is proof of that development. 

He also noted that taxes had to be increased in order to pay off the loans taken by the Rajapaksa regime. “Some may scold us over taxes but we must repay these loans by 2023” he clarified adding that if not the future of the country’s young generation will be extremely bleak.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have arrived in Singapore for their historic summit.

Trump flew in aboard Air Force One, a few hours after Kim touched down with his entourage.

Their meeting - the first between a leader from the North and a sitting US president - will take place on Tuesday on the resort island of Sentosa.

Trump described it as a "one-time shot" at peace and said the two were in "unknown territory". The US hopes the summit will kick-start a process that eventually sees Kim give up nuclear weapons.

The two leaders have had an extraordinary up-and-down relationship over the past 18 months, trading insults and threatening war before abruptly changing tack and moving towards a face-to-face meeting.

Kim met Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after he arrived. Trump is also due to meet Prime Minister Lee before the summit begins.

Source : BBC

A 19 –year-old worker fell to his death from the 13th floor of the Lotus Tower this afternoon. According to sources he had fallen down the lift shaft of the building. 

According to Police, the victim Koneswaran Nidharshan from Kilinochchi, had died in the accident which had occurred at the tower which is currently under construction. The youth is said to have fallen from a height of some 145 meters while reports say that the elevator he had fallen from was also under construction at the time. Police are carrying out further investigations into the incident.

Price of kerosene is set to be reduced from tomorrow. According to State Minister of Fisheries and Rural Economy Dilip Wedaarachchi, the prices will be lowered from between Rs.25 and Rs. 30. 

He says the decision was taken after considering the inconvenience faced by the fishing community and families of low-income earners due to the recent price increase.

Following the reduction, a litre of kerosene will be available for the price between Rs.70 and Rs. Rs. 80 from Monday.

Mohamed Ismail was sworn in as a Member of Parliament today evening before Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. He is the replacement for Mohamed Haniffa Mohamed Navavi of the All Ceylon People’s Congress who was elected to parliament through the United National Party.

The MP had recently resigned thereby creating a vacancy for a parliamentarian. According to sources, Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam had propose the name of Mhamed Ismail for the position.

Issuing a condolence message on the death of veteran writer, journalist, scriptwriter Somaweera Senanayake, Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe said Somaweera Senanayake was a senior literati who had left permanent memories in the field of literary arts.
 
“While writing cartoon stories for Sathuta, he gave a facelift to the traditional art. His first teledrama script which was based on his own novel, Yashorawaya, can be considered the first instance where the tele adaptation of a novel was successful,” he said.
 
Senior Journalist, author and teledrama and film scriptwriter Somaweera Senanayake passed away at a private hospital in Colombo, yesterday. He was 74.
Senanayake was the scriptwriter of over 30 teledramas, including popular teledramas Doo Daruwo, Asalvesiyo, Palingu Menike, Sitha Niwana Katha, Yashorawaya and Charitha Thunak. He was also the scriptwriter of the movies Ammawarune and Mihidum Sihina.
 
Yashorawaya was one of the many books authored by Senanayake. Other notable works of fiction by him include Mawakage Geethaya, Baladevage Lokaya, Irahanda Payana Loke and Ambu Samiyo. Senanayake was the first ever Sri Lankan to be awarded a Master of Arts for a novel.
 
Born in Udugama, Gampaha in 1944, Senanayake obtained an Arts degree from Vidyodaya University. Senanayake then began his career as a journalist at Lake House and contributed to its many publications, including Silumina and Sarasaviya.
 
He had also written cartoon stories to Sathuta, the first cartoon paper in the country. He succeeded Edwin Ariyadasa as the editor of the periodical, Navayugaya and held the position until his retirement.
 
The remains of Somaweera Senanayake lie at No. 43, Ambillawatta Road, Boralesgamuwa. The funeral will be held at 6.00 p.m. on June 11, at the Godigamuwa Cemetery, Maharagama.
Source : Sunday Observer

Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera challenged Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa yet again to a public debate on the country’s current national debt stock and economic situation.

He made this challenge while commencing the debate on the five notifications under the Excise Ordinance in Parliament yesterday (07).
Samaraweera said that Mahinda Rajapaksa was following Goebbels' theory to discredit the government while propagating misinformation with the help of lackeys.

“Goebbels once said that if you repeat a lie continuously, it will ultimately become the truth. Rajapaksa is following the same theory to discredit and tarnish the government. It was his government that employed fascist ideologies. He claims that the cost of living has increased.

It is good. At least now he is taking note of the cost of living since during his presidency, he ate off of the people’s money. His lackeys, too, are spreading the same lie. However, he is yet to respond to my challenge to a public debate the country’s national debt stock during now and the at the time he was President”, Samaraweera added.

Reducing taxes by 20%

Referring to Rajapaksa’s statement where he said he will reduce taxes by 20% if he attains power, Minister Samaraweera charged that such claims are unrealistic.

“Though he is promising to reduce taxes by 20%, during the Rajapaksa regime, the public was burdened with over 80% of the indirect taxes placed on them.  Furthermore, he has not even presented a mechanism to reduce taxes. Rajapaksa should know that prices of many food items are still lower than it was during his time”, Samaraweera said.

Finance Minister stated that the current government wishes to reduce VAT by 2.5% before 2020.