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Sri Lanka’s state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corp (CPC) is under pressure to raise fuel prices as the refiner incurred huge losses this year, cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said on Wednesday.

The CPC incurred a loss of 9.9 billion rupees ($63.5 million) in the first two months of the year, a government document showed.

“It (CPC) is under pressure to raise prices because of such losses,” Senaratne told Reuters after the weekly cabinet press briefing, adding it is not a “good time” to raise fuel rates ahead of the traditional Sinhala-Tamil New Year, which is celebrated by 90 percent of the 21-million population.

Lanka IOC Plc, the only other local fuel retailer and a subsidiary of Indian Oil Corp, had raised retail prices for gasoline and diesel on March 24, after the government failed to implement a pricing formula.

This has put the government under scrutiny to raise prices at fuel stations, which are normally decided during talks between the government and retailers. Lanka IOC, however, is allowed to set fuel prices at its own will.

The fuel pricing formula is under consideration and a final decision is yet to be taken, Senaratne added.

Despite several measures to reduce rates of essential goods, the public is still wary of higher food prices amid new income tax slabs.

The new taxes will hardly affect the lower-income group, President Maithripala Sirisena’s coalition government said.

A price hike could make the coalition government more unpopular among the voters ahead of the potential provincial council elections this year, analysts said.

Under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to boost the island nation’s revenue, the government had increased the excise duty on diesel to 13 rupees per litre in August last year, but had asked fuel retailers to retain the old rates.

A new Cabinet of Ministers will be sworn in within the next two days after the Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) informs its decision today, says Co-cabinet spokesman Dr Rajitha Senaratne.

Responding to question at the weekly cabinet press briefing in Colombo today (11), he stated that it will not be a Cabinet reshuffle, and that a new Cabinet will be sworn in before April 14.

He also stated that there will be no change in the number of members in the Cabinet and that it will remain as 45.

He stated that although it is a new Cabinet, not all ministerial portfolios will be changed. The subjects have been prepared scientifically and most ministers have already been placed in them, but it will be sworn in as a new Cabinet.

He clarified that although the there will be no change to the subjects, they will be sworn in once again.

Responding to another question, he said that the President had initially stated that a group will be leaving and that those vacant positions will be filled while creating a new Cabinet.

“Our stance is that those who went against the Prime Minister cannot stay in this Cabinet,” Senaratne said.

He stated that the Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is expected to deliver its decision today.

The Health Minister said that after the said group of ministers leave, the six vacant positions in the Cabinet will also be filled from the remaining members of the SLFP.

The Central Committee of the SLFP is scheduled to meet later today to decide on its future with the national government as well as the ministers who voted in favour of the no-confidence motion against the PM.

Source : Ada Derana

The Government has cancelled the Public and Bank Holiday falling on May 1, 2018. This has been done due to the Vesak Week being held from April 26 to May 2.

The relevant Gazette notification has been issued by Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena by virtue of the power vested in him under the Holidays Act, No. 29 of 1971.

The government has declared Monday, May 7 as a Public and Bank Holiday to celebrate International Labour Day.

Source : Daily News

UNP MP Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne says that two main political parties of the country should continue to run the government together.

 Despite the numerous obstacles faced, continuing the National Government would be better for the country, he pointed out at a press conference of the United Left Front.

The Director-General of World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Sri Lanka's health service is one of the best not only in Asia, but in the world.

Ghebreyesus made these remarks when he visited Sri Lanka to celebrate the World Health Day on April 7. He further said that the reason Sri Lanka had such a high-quality health service was due to its free availability as well as the country's political leadership which provided clear guidance to the health service.

Sri Lanka, which was earlier ranked as a low-income country, had now emerged as a middle-income nation and under this situation, the island's health sector was excellent, Tedros said.

Sri Lanka’s Anusha Dilrukshi Koddithuwakku claimed the bronze medal after losing to India’s M C Mary Kom in the semi-finals of the women’s 48 kg boxing event in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast today.

Mary Kom, also a sitting MP in India, prevailed 5-0 in a contest where clean punches were few and far.

Despite the height advantage Koddithuwakku struggled to connect for most part.

She picked up pace in the final three minutes but Mary Kom drew from her own well of experience to thwart her.

The five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist Indian is competing in her maiden CWG and assured herself of at least a silver medal.

Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, Dr Rajitha Senaratne says that by 2020, the e-Healthcare Card will be given to all Sri Lankans.

He was speaking at the 'Nelum Pokuna Theater' at the World Health Day which was held on the 7th of this month when the announcement was made.

All person's health records will be included in this e-health card the Minister said.

It will also include other details such as the patient's blood type. “This would facilitate faster ICU services” he added.

The Ministry has appointed Dilruwan Rajapakse as the acting Basnayake Nilame of the Ruhunu Kataragama Devalaya.

The appointment comes after the Buddha Sasana Ministry temporarily suspended D. P. Kumarage from the post claiming it has received a large number of complaints against him. However Basnayake Nilame D.P. Kumarage said he had not received any written intimation to the effect that he has been removed from the post.

He said he was legally elected to the post through a formal election process and he has two more years to complete his official term. He said will not relinquish his post until then without any allegations against him.

Kumarage said the Buddhist Affairs Commissioner had suspended the Devalaya’s Bank transactions and he was unable to pay worker salaries during the New Year season.

However he had paid their salaries with personal funds and he planned to institute legal action against the order.

In August, a crisis situation emerged among the Basnayake Nilame and the officiating priests over the Devalaya keys. Minister Gamini Jayawickreme appointed a retired Judge to probe this issue.

The official term of a Basnayake Nilame is five years and 17 people cast votes to elect the Basnayake Nilame.

New ambassadors and high commissioners representing Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Poland, Austria, and Tanzania presented their credentials to President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat, yesterday (11).

The newly appointed envoys are as follows.

1.​ Mr. Mohamed Maliki – Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco

2.​ Mrs. Brigitte Oppinger Walchshofer – Ambassador of the Republic of Austria

3. ​Mr. Sheikh Ahmed Hamad Al Mualla – Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates

4.​ Mr. Adam Burakowski – Ambassador of the Republic of Poland

5.​ Mr. Baraka Haran Luvanda – High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania.

The Commissioner General of Motor Traffic A.H.K. Jagath Chandrasiri said that the Sri Lankan Motor Traffic Department is planning to introduce an E-motoring system for the registration of vehicles through an online system by 2020.

He said the project would be introduced to save the time of people who seek registration of their vehicles. Chandrasiri said the project would include the introduction of the Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) for motor vehicles.

According to the Department, Sri Lanka introduced two new classes of vehicles -- quadricycles and motor-homes -- in recent times for registration. Sri Lanka's registered vehicle population stands at 7,376,268.

The High Commission of India, Colombo announces the offer for the following ICCR scholarship for 2018-19 academic sessions:

Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme: Five (05) slots for PhD Degrees in all subjects except Medicine/Paramedical (Nursing/Physiotherapy/anesthesia etc.) fashion courses.

The Government of India selects meritorious Sri Lankan nationals for award of this Scholarship. Selection of candidates is done in consultation with the Ministry of Higher Education & Highways, Government of Sri Lanka, to pursue PhD Degrees in some of the topmost universities in India.

All scholarships cover full tuition fees for the entire duration of the course, monthly sustenance allowance and annual grant for books, stationary. The Selected Candidates would also be provided hostel facility inside the campus. Besides, all ICCR scholars in India are provided full healthcare facilities, air fare to the nearest destination in India and an annual grant for educational tours to various parts of the country, apart from several other auxiliary benefits.

The eligible candidates can download the application forms from the website of Ministry of Higher Education & highways at www.mohe.gov.lk the last date for submission of duly filled up application forms for PhD courses at Ministry of Higher Education & Highways, Government of Sri Lanka is April 23, 2018.

Prospective students are advised to approach the Ministry of Higher Education to learn more about the eligibility criteria and selection procedure. Interested candidates can also direct their queries to High Commission of India or visit our website for further details on the scholarships.

Sri Lanka received 707,924 tourists in the first three months of this year, an increase of 17.1 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year, a minister said on Monday.

Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga told Xinhua news agency that the country could have attracted more tourists in March if not for the outbreak of communal violence in Galle and the subsequent declaration of the state of Emergency.

India, China, Germany, France and the UK are the biggest tourist markets for Sri Lanka.

Quoting the latest statistics released by the Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority, he said the country received 233,382 tourist arrivals in March.