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The Scotland Police have defended a contract it has with the Sri Lankan Police despite concerns raised by human rights groups.

A reply to a freedom of information request by Police Scotland noted that its international contracts in 2017 included a training programme in Sri Lanka, a state accused of gross human rights abuses including Police torture.

Scots officers were sent to Jamaica and Sri Lanka to train their respective police forces, two projects criticised by human groups.

In reply, however, Superintendent Shaun McKillop of Police Scotland, said he fully acknowledged such concerns but added that not to engage with these nations would mean having no influence over improving the situation in the future.

“Sri Lanka remains one of the key places for the UK government, so we continue to work for them through the conflict, stability and security fund,” McKillop said. “We’ve done some work for the UK government in Pakistan, looking at crime investigation in the Punjab. We’ve also worked for the Scottish Government in Malawi and Zambia.”

When asked why state torture remains a problem in Sri Lanka nearly a decade after Police Scotland began its work there, McKillop said it was important to keep engaging with the country.

He said: “The British High Commission review our training on a regular basis, as well as our own monitoring. We are continuing to work with them and to press them.

The World Bank projecting an economic growth of 4.8 percent for Sri Lanka this year warns that while the economic outlook remains favorable, challenging political environment impeding reforms is a key risk for the medium-term growth as political uncertainties slowed the implementation of reforms.

"The outlook remains favorable, provided the government is committed to the reform agenda of improving competitiveness, governance and public financial management," the global lender said in its latest report "South Asia Economic Focus Spring 2018".

Together with the IMF program, these reforms will add to confidence and support fiscal consolidation efforts.

The report projects the growth to rebound in 2018 from a low base and continue to be around 4.5 percent in the medium term, driven by private consumption and investment.

Inflation will stabilize at the mid-single digit level as the impact of natural disasters wears off, although the upward trend in oil prices may exert some upward pressure.

The external sector will continue to benefit from the GSP+ preferential access to the European Union and tourism receipts, despite the deceleration of remittances.

External buffers are expected to improve, with emphasis on purchasing foreign exchange, maintaining a more market-determined exchange rate, and increased FDI.

The overall fiscal deficit is projected to fall in the medium term, supported by the ongoing implementation of revenue measures.

 Growth should continue to translate into poverty reduction and improvement in living standards.

However, a further slowdown in reform implementation, in a challenging political environment, remains the key risk to the baseline and the impending election cycle elevates this risk, the Bank warns.

The World Bank cautions that Sri Lanka faces several challenges that increasingly put its future economic growth and stability at risk, which must be addressed through macro and structural reforms and it suggests to:

(1) stay on the fiscal consolidation path by broadening and simplifying the tax base and aligning spending with priorities. This is important given high public debt, SOE debt and guarantees and large gross financing requirements;

(2) shift towards a private investment-tradable sector-led growth model by improving trade, investment, innovation and the business environment;

(3) improve governance and accountability by implementing the Right to Information Act for citizens' engagement and improve SOE performance and service delivery; and (4) reduce vulnerability and risks in the economy by enhancing disaster preparedness and mitigating the impact of reforms on the poor and vulnerable with well-targeted spending;

(4) reduce vulnerability and risks in the economy by enhancing disaster preparedness and mitigating the impact of reforms on the poor and vulnerable with well-targeted spending.

Source : Colombo Page

In order to help Small States get access to global markets, Sri Lanka pledged financial contribution to setup the Small States Trade Financial Facility yesterday (17), on the margins of the ongoing Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the United Kingdom. Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Finance & Mass Media signed this agreement on behalf of Sri Lanka.

Initiated at the CHOGM 2013 Summit in Colombo, the Commonwealth recognised the importance of trade finance for the development of Small States and introduced this innovative blended finance support totalling USD 5 million. It is expected that commonwealth Small States will have access to USD 300 million of incremental trade finance over a three-year period from this programme. As an anchor investor, Sri Lanka has donated USD 1.5 million towards this fund since 2015.

Minister Samaraweera stated that Sri Lanka’s pledge towards this scheme reflects our commitment towards espousing the values and the spirit of this organization in assisting the more vulnerable members in the Commonwealth to develop their economies whose populations productive capacity and domestic markets are limited.

The other countries supporting this endeavour by pledging financial commitment towards this initiative are India, Mauritius and Malta.

China's economy grew at an annual pace of 6.8% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, according to official data, beating forecasts for the period.

The growth figures for January to March were also above Beijing's 2018 annual growth target of "around 6.5%".

The data shows resilience in the world's second-largest economy, helped by strong consumer demand.

But concerns about China's economy - including rising debt levels - remain.

The government has been fighting to contain ballooning debt and a housing bubble without hurting growth.

Amy Zhuang, China economist at Nordea Bank in Singapore described the first quarter growth figures as "solid" but also said there are signs that the positive momentum is weakening, likely due to the cooling housing market.

 Source : BBC

A soldier of the 3 Sri Lanka National Guard (SLNG) of the Kawantissapura camp at Kataragama managed to save the lives of four three-wheeler passengers, trapped in a raging inferno in the recent accident where a three-wheeler had a head-on-collision with a bus near the 'Aluth Para' junction on Colombo - Kataragama main road, close to Ambalantota on Monday (16). The soldier had fought the blazing fire at the risk of his own life to save the accident victims.

According to sources four members of one family, including one toddler and a child in the three-wheeler has been returning from Kataragama when a speeding passenger bus from the opposite direction collided with it head on, igniting a blazing fire in the three-wheeler while all the passengers remained trapped under the bus.

Lance Corporal M.G Chandana of 3 SLNG had been on board the Kataragama-bound bus had acted immediately to save the victims. Accusations were rife after the accident that many witnesses to the accident had been reluctant to help and was seen instead taking photographs at the accident spot.

The lives of all four victims are said to be now out of danger and the Police are conducting investigations.Meanwhile, Ambalantota Police station, as well as the SLNG, are planning to felicitate the heroic soldier for his timely intervention and the rescue of four live while risking his own life.

A bill approved by the US Congress and signed off by US President Donald Trump includes conditions on the funding available to Sri Lanka for the rest of the financial year 2018, including establishing a justice mechanism, addressing the plight of the disappeared, de-militarisation of the North-East and addressing the impunity of Sri Lankan peacekeepers involved in sexual abuse, the Tamil Guardian reported.

A total of $35mn have been made available to Sri Lanka’s democracy programmes, particularly in the regions riven by ethnic and religious conflict. The funds will be made available “for programs to assist in the identification and resolution of cases of missing persons”.

The bill stipulates that in order for Sri Lanka to receive the funds appropriated, the US Secretary of State should certify and report to the Committees on Appropriations that Sri Lanka supports a credible justice mechanism as per the Human Rights Council resolution 30/1, investigates allegations of torture and returns land occupied by the military. The act further requires the establishment of the Office of Missing Persons, the publication of a list of those who surrendered at the end of the armed conflict and reducing the presence of the military in the North-East, while restructuring and downsizing the armed forces.

Assistance for the security forces is limited to $500,000 and restricted to humanitarian and disaster response training and maritime security. Any peacekeeping funds “may only be made available for training and equipment related to international peacekeeping operations, and only if the Government of Sri Lanka is taking effective steps to bring to justice Sri Lankan peacekeeping troops who have engaged in sexual exploitation and abuse.”

An explanatory note of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill outlines further funding for Sri Lanka as one of the recipients of $8mn for forensic anthropology assistance related to the exhumation and identification of victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, alongside Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iraq and Syria.

The act also provides funding for Sri Lanka as part of a $25mn package for supporting religious freedom programmes for efforts to assist in addressing crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes, alongside Iraq, Syria and Burma.

Source : Colombo Gazette

‘Water Creatures Beach Guest Restaurant & Surf Bar’ in Mirissa, where a group of Dutch tourists were brutally assaulted, has been shut down following an order from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) today.

Six suspects were earlier arrested by Weligama Police in connection with the incident and remanded until April 19.

According to the SLTDA the establishment was not registered with the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB), as stipulated by the Tourism Act No. 38 of 2005, a spokesman for the SLTB said.

According to the spokesman, the SLTB is set to take legal action against the establishment through its newly formed enforcement unit if they continue to operate without a valid licence. Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that the establishment had obtained a liquor licence despite being an unregistered tourist establishment.

While Police investigations into the incident have been expedited at the request of the Ministry of Law and Order as well as the Inspector General of Police, the SLTB has offered to sponsor the complainants to revisit Sri Lanka to assist the Police in the investigations.

“If they can identify the suspects we will sponsor them to return to the country” the spokesman confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Police claim following this incident, they have received a complaint from an Australian tourist of a similar incident at the same establishment.

According to sources from the Police tourist division, the tourist claimed females were harassed at a beach party held previously at the same establishment which goes by the name of Water Creatures Restaurant. While the restaurant claims the alleged incident on April 7, had occurred on the beach and not within the restaurant, Police say eye witnesses who have come forward refute this.

According to the complainants, the females in the group were sexually harassed by a group of local men and they were later assaulted for speaking out against the harassment.

Canadian police have identified the remains of a Sri Lankan man they believe is a possible victim of suspected serial killer Bruce McArthur.

McArthur, 66, was charged on Monday with an eighth count of first-degree murder in the death of Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, 37.

Police believe Kanagaratnam was killed sometime between 3 September and 14 December 2015.

He arrived in Canada in 2010 and lived in the Toronto area.

In March, police released the photograph of an unidentified deceased man as part of the investigation into the accused killer in the hopes a member of the public could help in his identification.

Police said they received hundreds of tips, and announced late last week they had made a successful identification.

Toronto police detective Hank Idsinga said on Monday that Kanagaratnam's direct family, who live in Sri Lanka, were informed over the weekend of his death.

The detective did not reveal Kanagaratnam's immigration status and said he had never been reported missing in Canada.

His remains were identified as one of at least seven dismembered bodies found in plant pots on a midtown Toronto property linked to McArthur.

Source : BBC

Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure appointed Professor Rohan Samarajiva as Chairman of Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), the Ministry said in a statement today.

The new appointment came after the Board of Directors of the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), the apex ICT organization under the Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure has been reconstituted.

IProfessor Rohan Samarajiva, former Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission contributed to the design of the e-Sri Lanka initiative that the ICTA implemented from 2003. He served on the ICTA Board during the organization’s formative period.

Source : Sunday Times Online

University non academic staff who were on a continuous strike over several demands will get back to work today. The group have been striking for 48 days after several discussions with the Ministry of Higher Education regarding their demands failed.

Normal academic work of all universities across the island are expected to return to normal today as a result. The strike was called off prior to the Avurudu holiday after the government agreed to the demands being made by the employees, in particular about their salaries.

Sri Lanka has long identified the risk of financial crime as a priority area, given the country’s history in battling a sophisticated terror organization. A number of measures were taken over the years and the government is currently working on bringing on necessary amendments to some of the existing regulations with the objective of preventing financial crimes.

Minister of Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera made these remarks at a roundtable discussion on ‘Financial Regulation: Working Together to Address De-Risking,’ held on the sidelines of the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), at the Mansion House in London, today (17).

The Minister stated that the sophistication of financial crimes has increased exponentially in recent years and is a threat to all nations which has resulted in a number of negative fallouts for international finance.

"One such negative fall-out is “de-risking”, the scenario of global banks selectively withdrawing from the business of correspondent banking. This can have highly detrimental implications for banks in developing countries in particular as it can shut them out of the global financial architecture," the Minister added.

Minister Samaraweera also stated that the challenge for countries like Sri Lanka is how to ensure continued progress of financial inclusion in this context.

"At a more micro-level, one of the major objectives of our government, embodied in the 2018 Budget themed Enterprise Sri Lanka, is to empower entrepreneurs by providing access to finance. In order to ensure access to finance at grass roots level, it is important for the Sri Lankan financial system to have robust access and engagement with the global financial architecture", Samaraweera said.

Opposition leader R. Sampanthan says he too is ready to face any no confidence motion brought against him by any party.

According to him whomever so wishes can do so and it is their right.

The joint opposition has been claiming it will bring a NCM against the opposition leader in order to gain the leadership of the opposition in parliament.