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Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe told a forum in Colombo that the country's economic model would be built on competitiveness, digital transition, energy transition and the transformation to a green economy.

Speaking at the first International Climate Change Forum at Temple Trees on Friday (3), Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka is making notable strides towards combating climate change and transitioning into a green economy.

He pointed out that the country’s small size could be advantageous, given its potential for excess green energy, including solar, wind power and hydrogen.

The President also said that in order to address the lack of expertise to formulate detailed plans for this transition, Sri Lanka is reaching out to multilateral development banks and bilateral partners to obtain the necessary knowledge and support.

He also noted that Sri Lanka would be presenting a Climate Prosperity Plan at COP28, with goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2040.

"This ambitious endeavour, while necessary for the planet’s well-being, comes with a substantial cost of over $100 billion USD over 20 years," the President said, as quoted by the President's Media Division.

"To meet these financial challenges, Sri Lanka is committed to raising a significant portion of the required funds through commercial means," said the President.

President Wickremesinghe revealed plans to establish the International Climate Change University (ICCU), emphasizing that it should be an international stakeholder university rather than a solely Sri Lankan institution.

The government has already allocated 600 acres overlooking the Kothmale reservoir for this purpose.

The Colombo High Court today (02) acquitted all accused, including Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Namal Rajapaksa, from the money laundering case involving Gowers Corporate Services (Pvt) Limited.

The relevant order was issued by Colombo High Court Judge Navaratne Marasinghe this morning, without calling for any evidence for the defence in relation to the allegations of money laundering.

During a previous hearing of evidence pertaining to the case, the High Court judge deemed the evidence unsubstantial and untrue, adding that the defendants had been accused of the relevant charges as a result of a personal grudge the claimants had.

In 2022, the Attorney General had filed indictments against six accused including SLPP parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa over alleged involvement in the misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs. 30 million, said to have earned illegally while working as a Member of Parliament through Gowers Corporate Services (Pvt) Limited, which is allegedly owned by him.

(Ada Derana)

The Government of India provided a grant of USD 15 million to Sri Lanka to bolster the longstanding Buddhist connections between the two countries.

The exchange of bilateral documents in this regard took place in Colombo on Thursday (2) in the presence of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

President Wickremesinghe and Hon Finance Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman engaged in lengthy bilateral discussions during this event, said the President's Media Division.

The grant could be allocated towards various initiatives, including the construction and renovation of Buddhist monasteries, capacity development, cultural exchange, archaeological cooperation, reciprocal exhibition of relics and other areas of mutual interest.

In recognition of the evolving economic landscape in Sri Lanka, both countries have agreed to recalibrate the grant amount from Sri Lankan Rupees to Indian Rupees, aligning it with the prevailing market conditions.

This adjustment is being formalized through diplomatic Letters of Exchange and Acceptance, signifying a shared commitment to further enhancing these ties.

High Commissioner of India, Gopal Baglay and Secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Somaratne Vidanapathirana, exchanged these documents.

The first project to be initiated under the USD 15 million grant is the solar electrification of religious sites across Sri Lanka, with an allocation of USD 10 million.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for this significant project was jointly finalized by the governments of India and Sri Lanka.

The Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) has launched a project to issue driving licences that replace the existing semiconductor chips with QR codes, it was reported.

According to media reports, DMT Commissioner General Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe said the project to introduce digital or smart driving licences was launched after receiving Cabinet approval in October.

Providing further details, Weerasinghe said the printing process commenced on October 16 after the Sri Lanka Army handed over the printing and issuing of driving licences back to the DMT.

A decision was taken to replace the semiconductor chips with a QR code due to difficulties in importing chip reading units as a result of the economic crisis. A separate mobile application has been introduced for the QR codes which will be operated only by the DMT office and the Police Department, he said.

Weerasinghe added that the demerit points system for traffic offences has also been included in the smart driving licences.

NewsWire

Litro Gas has decided to increase the prices of its products from Saturday (4) midnight.

The price of a 12.5 kg cooking gas cylinder can increase by Rs. 75/- to Rs. 90/-, said the Litro Chairman.

The current prices of Litro Products:

12.5 kg : Rs. 3,470/-

5 kg : Rs. 1,393/-

2.3 : Rs. 650/-

The previous price hike took place on the 4th of October, 2023.

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in Sri Lanka this morning (Nov. 01) for a three-day official visit.

Accompanied by a delegation of 6 senior officials of the Indian finance ministry, Sitharaman reached the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake at around 8:30 a.m. today.

Upon her arrival, Minister Sitharaman was accorded a warm welcome by Gopal Baglay, the Indian High Commission to Sri Lanka; Jeevan Thondaman, the Minister of Water Supply & Estate Infrastructure Development; Senthil Thondaman, the Eastern Province Governor; Tharaka Balasuriya, the State Minister of Foreign Affairs; and MP Maruthapandi Rameshwaran.

During the visit, Minister Sitharaman will deliver the keynote address as the guest of honor of the ‘NAAM 200’ organized by the Sri Lankan government to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of India-origin Tamils (IOTs) to Sri Lanka, on November 02 at Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo.

The Indian finance minister will also give the keynote address at the India Sri Lanka Business Summit themed ‘Enhancing Connectivity: Partnering for Prosperity’. It is jointly organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, on November 02, at Hotel Taj Samudra in Colombo.

As part of the official visit, Minister Sitharaman will engage in bilateral discussions with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

She will witness the exchange of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Solar Electrification of Religious Places in Sri Lanka wherein India will allocate INR 82.40 crores out of the Indian government grant assistance of INR 107.47 crores earmarked for the promotion of Buddhist ties.

Minister Sitharaman will also inaugurate SBI Branches at Trincomalee and Jaffna on November 02 and 03, respectively.

Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has stated that the Sri Lanka Cricket executive committee and Selection Committee should bear responsibility for the recent defeats of the Sri Lanka Cricket team.

In his statement, the Minister emphasizes that the accountability for these losses lies with the officials rather than the players.

The Minister has insisted that both the Sri Lanka Cricket executive committee and the Cricket selection committee should step down from their positions before he initiates stringent actions against them.

Professor M. Sunil Shantha of the Department of Economics & Statistics of the Sabaragamuwa University has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the university.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the appointment was made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The PMD further said Professor M. Sunil Shantha has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor for a period of three (03) years, with effect from November 02, 2023.

The licenses of five liquor manufacturing companies have been suspended, due to failure to pay taxes in time, sources said on Thursday (02 Nov.).

Accordingly, the distillery licenses of Synergy Distilleries (Pvt) Ltd, Finnland Distilleries Corporation (Pvt) Ltd, Wayamba Distilleries, W M Mendis & Co Ltd and the Randenigala Distilleries Lanka (Pvt) Ltd were suspended, the source said

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today ruled that the death of the late businessman Dinesh Schaffter was a crime.

The court informed that the 5-member Expert Panel appointed to investigate the death concluded that Schaffter’s death was caused by pressure applied to the areas of the neck and face.

Based on the facts presented by the Expert Panel and other investigation reports, Colombo Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya ruled that Schaffter’s death was a crime.

The Magistrate also ordered the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to immediately arrest all suspects involved in the incident.

The 52-year-old Dinesh Schaffter was found tied up in the driving seat of his car at the Borella Cemetery on December 15, 2022, and died the following day due to a cardiac arrest while receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital.

The Homicide and Organised Crimes Division of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) launched investigations in collaboration with the Borella police into Schaffter’s death.

The Special Commodity Levy imposed on imported sugar was increased by order of the Finance Minister with effect from Thursday (2).

Accordingly, the Special Commodity Levy of 25 cents imposed per kilogram of imported sugar, was increased to Rs. 50/-.

The decennial population and housing census commenced at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesdya (01).

The Presidential Secretariat assumed the distinction of being the first edifice catalogued in this census, said the President's Media Division.

"What sets this year’s census apart is its fusion of modern technology with conventional paper documents for data collection. The deployment of tablet computers, Internet connectivity and geo-spatial technologies is a standout feature. This method, known as Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), is being employed for the first time," it said in a statement.

Sri Lanka’s Population and Housing Census is conducted every ten years and is overseen by the Department of Census and Statistics. The previous census took place in 2012.

Interestingly, the inaugural legally mandated census in Sri Lanka transpired on March 27, 1871, marking a pioneering scientific endeavour among South Asian nations.

The Population and Housing Census is a vital source of data for shaping national policies, public administration and understanding demographics, ethnic distribution and other social characteristics.

The census encompasses housing information at the village official division level. This comprehensive undertaking includes assigning a unique number to every building and obtaining GPS coordinates for each structure. Additionally, it results in digitized maps at the village official division level.

Source: PMD