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The government has issued a gazette notification relaxing the import restrictions imposed on more than 300 items including electronic equipment, sanitaryware and food items.

The relaxation of import restrictions came into effect on June 09, 2023.

The communiqué was issued by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization & National Policies, pursuant to the powers vested in him under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act No. 01 of 1969.

This gazette notification, published on the Treasury website, further amends the regulations published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2312/78 dated January 01, 2023.

The Secretary of the Sooriyawewa Pradheshiya Sabha (PS), who was arrested for soliciting a bribe of Rs. 50,000, has been remanded until 20 June.

He was ordered to be held in remand custody by the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court.

The suspect was arrested by officers of Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) while accepting a bribe of Rs. 50,000.

The Bribery Commission says that after acquiring the Sooriyawewa fair ground for the year 2020/2021 on a lease basis under his brother’s name, the complainant had made a request to grant relief for the amount deposited by him for the period when the fair could not be maintained due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country.

Based on that request, the complainant was to be returned a portion of his deposit and in order to issue this the Secretary of the Sooriyawewa Pradeshiya Sabha had demanded a bribe of Rs. 100,000, which he had later agreed to reduce to Rs. 50,000.

The suspect was remanded after he was produced before the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court today, Police said.

Seven Policemen who were arrested over the custodial death of a Vocational Training Officer in January have been remanded until 23 June by the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court.

Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa stated that among those arrested are a Police Sub-Inspector, a Sargent and five constables attached to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB).

The Assistant Manager at the Vocational Training Authority in Narahenpita had been taken away by a group of Police officers while returning to work from a restaurant at lunchtime on 10th January 2023.

At the time, it was revealed that he had been taken away by PNB officials with regard to an investigation into a drug-related case.

The victim was reported dead with the authorities claiming that he had attempted to attack a Police officer with a broken glass bottle during interrogation.

However, the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (6) ruled that the cause of death of the victim was Blunt Force Trauma.

While delivering the order on the postmortem, the Maligakanda Magistrate ordered the immediate arrest of those responsible for the death.

Following the court verdict, the seven PNB officers involved in the incident were apprehended today.

Parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam from the Tamil National People's Front who was arrested earlier in the day, was released on bail after he was produced to the Killinochchi Magistrate's Court.

He was arrested on Wednesday (7) morning for allegedly obstructing the duties of police officers in Jaffna, recently.

Parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam from the Tamil National People's Front was arrested at his Colpetty residence on Wednesday (7) morning.

A special police team from Killinochchi has reached Colombo to make the arrest.

The Parliamentarian was first taken to the Colpetty Police, and thereafter was taken to Killinochchi to be produced in court.

The government is unlikely to accept a recommendation by the sectoral oversight committee on national security against privatizing Sri Lanka Telecom.

A further privatization of SLT could threaten national security, said its chairman Sarath Weerasekara tabling a report in the House today (09).

A senior minister said the government has already taken a policy decision to privatize SLT.

A copy of the sectoral oversight committee titled ‘The effects of the privatization of Sri Lanka Telecom on National Security’ has already been sent to president Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The report said SLT is already partially privatized with international companies holding 44.98% of the stake and the government holding 49.5%.

Hence, further privatization would expose the country's critical communication infrastructure/sensitive information to private entities whose profit-oriented interests can compromise national security, said the report.

The report also said that anyone or organization who had been blacklisted, helped terrorists, extremists in any form should not be allowed to buy any share and have any control over the country's national assets.

It proposed that the state can buy back the other large shareholder of Telecom as provided for in the agreement, divide the segments into sensitive & vulnerable, excess lands & buildings, critical infrastructure and the business.

"Whilst retaining the first segments effecting National Security, the state can divest the others holding a major share through Private Public Partnership ensuring critical infrastructure is protected and all government regulations are adhered to. This way the government can exit from doing business whilst making profit and ensuring National Security, the report recommended.

Pointing out that SLT fixed connections are provided to diplomatic missions, high-level public sector cooperates, businesses, defence services, and the police, it noted that there is a high risk of information of ‘important subscribers’ getting leaked out, if the company is privatized.

“Voice and data could be passed to a third party both locally and overseas.”

If the privatization move goes ahead, the report said the government would lose control and will be impossible to understand which subscribers are tapped and monitored and the call detail records of VVIPs and security agencies can be easily extracted from billing systems/network elements and passed to wrong hands.

It noted that in the mobile network, without the knowledge of the user, the private operator can also do geo fencing (allow or disallow certain areas), know the location of SIM card user, track the path, get browsing data, switch off a mobile device remotely using MDM software.

The report stressed that the government must ensure that non-state actors do not have easy access to vital information that can be detrimental to national security.

“National Security is not only the protection against military attack, but it involves non-military dimensions such as economic security, energy security, food security, etc. and most importantly cyber security.”

Further, a successful cyber-attack on telecommunications could disrupt service for thousands of phone subscribers, deny internet to millions of customers, cripple business, shut down government operations gravely affecting the national security.

Private companies may not commit funds to ensure adequate counter measures cyber-attacks (such as firewalls, electronic surveillance and access control devices) as national security is not their priority. “Private companies have a legal obligation to maximize profits for their shareholders and as such will not operate in the public interest.”

Opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva has been appointed chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF).

The President's Media Division said that the SJB MP was appointed on the recommendation of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

"Standing orders should be followed when appointing chairmen of committees and advisory bodies. According to the existing standards, the chairmanship of the Committee on Public Finance Committee should be offered to members of the opposition. Harsha de Silva’s name and the names of several other members were proposed for this purpose. MP Mayantha Dissanayake has resigned as chairman. If the opposition suggests it, MP Harsha de Silva should be appointed head of the Committee on Public Finance. The IMF agreement was approved by Parliament. The newly appointed chairman should conduct himself appropriately," President Wickremesinghe said.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved the eligibility of Sri Lanka to access concessional financing.

The availability of concessional assistance, offered at low interest rates, broadens Sri Lanka’s options to bridge its urgent development financing needs to restore economic stability and deliver essential services, particularly to the poor and vulnerable.

Eligibility for concessional resources among the developing member countries of ADB is based on gross national income per capita and creditworthiness.

ADB’s decision was considered based on a request from the Government of Sri Lanka in view of the severe and unprecedented economic crisis that has reversed hard-won development gains.

“ADB is committed to further enhancing its support for the people of Sri Lanka as the country responds to this deep crisis that has severely undermined their livelihoods and well-being,” said ADB Director General for South Asia Kenichi Yokoyama.

“The availability of concessional assistance will help Sri Lanka to lay the foundation for economic recovery and sustained, inclusive growth” added Kenichi Yokoyama.

Sri Lanka is now eligible for ADB support including concessional and market-based financing, technical assistance, policy advice, and knowledge solutions that together comprise a comprehensive suite of options to address the crisis. Access to concessional financing will also ease debt servicing pressures through more favorable lending terms.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members 49 from the region.

An overseas travel ban has been imposed on the Chairman of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam.

The Police Spokesman stated that the travel ban was issued by the Kilinochchi Magistrate’s Court today.

Commenting on the matter, MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam stated that the Colpetty Police visited his house in Colombo today to serve written information to him in Sinhala.

“I refused to accept it as I can’t read or write Sinhala. They subsequently read it to me in Sinhala saying that all they needed to do was to inform me,” he said in a Twitter message.

The MP further stated that the Police had informed him that he is expected to produce himself at the Maruthenkerni Police station at 10.00 am on Thursday, 08th June 2023.

“The police have made an application to the Kilinochchi Magistrate to ban my foreign travel until I produce myself to the Maruthenkerni Police,” MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said.

The MP added that the Magistrate has prohibited his foreign travel until a statement is made to the said Police station.

The prices of 10 essential food items will be slashed with effect from Friday (June 09), Lanka Sathosa.

The revised prices are as follows:

• Mung beans – Rs. 1,225 per kilogram (reduced by Rs. 325)

• Dried chillies – Rs. 1,290 per kilogram (reduced by Rs. 60)

• Red lentils – Rs. 299 per kilogram (reduced by Rs. 15)

• Red Nadu rice – Rs. 200 per kilogram (reduced by Rs. 15)

• Thai sprats – Rs. 1,140 per kilogram (reduced by Rs. 10)

• Wheat flour – Rs. 200 per kilogram (reduced by Rs. 10)

• Soya meat – Rs. 650 per kilogram (reduced by Rs. 10

) • Red rice – Rs. 139 per kilogram (reduced by Rs. 6)

• Chickpeas – Rs. 540 per kilogram (reduced by Rs. 5)

• White sugar – Rs. 225 per kilogram (reduced by Rs. 4)

The Court of Appeal has postponed to July 25 the delivering of its ruling in a writ petition filed against state minister of tourism Diana Gamage over her citizenship.

Filed by social activist Oshala Herath, the petition seeks an order declaring Gamage not qualified to be a member of parliament since she is a British citizen.

The judgment was due to be delivered today (6), but judges Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and M.A.R. Marikkar announced the ruling would be delivered on July 25.

The Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province, Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, has resigned from his post with effect from 10 June, 2023.

Accodingly, it is confirmed that Kobbekaduwa has already submitted his letter of resignation to President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Kobbekaduwa was sworn in as the Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province in November 2019, before former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Only half of the up to 950 tons of plastic and polythene waste disposed each day in Sri Lanka gets collected, out of which just 10 to 15 per cent are recycled, said chairman of the Central Environment Authority Supun S. Pathirage.

Recycling plants are in short-supply of adequate material due to the absence of a proper mechanism to collect polythene and plastic waste, he has told BBC Sinhala Service.

His remarks come in connection with World Environment Day that falls today (05).

The theme for the 50th World Environment Day is under the campaign of beating plastic pollution and ecosystem restoration.

The CEA is holding a series of events, with the main function taking place in Colombo Pettah this morning.