News

A project called ‘Lanka Dollar’ was launched yesterday (23) to mark the commencement of a digital platform that enables Sri Lankans to earn foreign exchange from home.

‘Youth to Globe’ digital platform especially caters to youths to work for foreign employers without leaving the country. President Ranil Wickremesinghe was the chief guest at the launch that was held at the BMICH in Colombo at the invitation of former minister Ravi Karunanayake as the chairman of the Lalith Athulathmudali Memorial Foundation.

Delivering a lecture on the occasion to commemorate the late politician, the president said the project would give a great boost to build a digital economy and for youth development.

Karunanayake said in his speech that ‘Youth to Globe’ would be a turning point in the revolutionary journey brought about in higher education by the late Lalith Athulathmudali through his Mahapola scholarships. The project aims to improve language, technical knowhow and other skills and to provide consultancy and coordination services for work-from-home international jobs.

Networking and promoting the field’s professionals and to act as an influencer in related decision-making are its other purposes.

The core objective is to retain the country’s human resources and to be a key source of foreign exchange earnings with the minimum use of resources.

This project by the Ceylon Global Trust will be assisted by the local branch of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) with consultancy services offered by local and foreign experts.

The gazette notification pertaining to the lifting of the ban imposed on the import of the herbicide Glyphosate has been sent to the Government Printer, says the Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Gunadasa Samarasinghe.

The Minister of Agriculture had decided to lift the ban on Glyphosate following inquiries made from various sectors including the representatives from farmers, agricultural experts, and agronomists as to whether the ban should be continued further or not, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Further continuation of the Glyphosate ban had become futile as some people had illegally imported substanded Glyphosate via sea routes and were sold across the country at exorbitant prices, the Ministry said.

Accordingly, steps were taken to lift the Glyphosate ban that had been in place for 07 years since 2015, since there was no alternative method for weed control in the agricultural sector, that situation also led to a decrease in harvests, the secretary of the Ministry emphasized.

He said the gazette has been signed by the Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera and sent to the Government Printer to be published.

In September, the Cabinet of Ministers had approved a proposal to import Glyphosate for a period of 06 months for all agricultural activities during the 2022/23 Maha Season.

The government had said the decision to ban/restrict the importation of Glyphosate has affected all types of agricultural activities, leading to a decrease in agricultural production and a surge in prices of essential food items.

Taking into this account, permission is granted to import Glyphosate for a period of six months to allow farmers to carry out their agricultural activities more productively during 2022/23 Maha Season.

The relevant proposal had been tabled by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena, in 2015, banned the importation of Glyphosate as some studies had linked the use of the agrochemical to the chronic kidney disease affecting Sri Lankan farmers. The imports and use of the herbicide was accordingly prohibited under the Import and Export (Control) Act, No. 01 of 1969.

The ban was imposed without introducing any alternative for the purpose of weed control.

However, in 2018, the import ban was temporarily lifted for tea and rubber sectors for a period of 36 months, and the move was subsequently green-lighted by the then-Cabinet of Ministers.

In November 2021, an Extraordinary Gazette was published by then-Registrar of Pesticides Dr. J. A. Sumith, revoking the gazette notification issued in 2014 prohibiting the use and sale of five agrochemicals including Glyphosate. Mr. Sumith was later removed from the post pending a disciplinary inquiry into the rescinding of the said gazette notification and it was announced that the ban on five agrochemicals was still in effect.

The following month, the then-government decided to allow the imports of organic and inorganic compounds, and phosphorous derivatives of fertilizers, however, the ban on importing Glyphosate remained effective.

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Thursday (24) issued notice on Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to make submissions with regard to the Presidential Pardon he gave to Ex-Parliamentarian Duminda Silva.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa is expected to make submissions before the 16th of December 2022.

Notice was issued on the Former President by the Surepme Court following the consideration of Fundamental Rights Applications filed against the Presidential Pardon by Hirunika Premachandra, her mother Sumana Premachandra, and Former Human Rights Commissioner Ghazali Hussain, PC.

The applications were called up in the presence of Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, and Murdhu Fernando, and further consideration of the applications will take place on the 16th of December.

On the 31st of May 2022, the Sri Lankan Supreme Court issued an interim order suspending the Presidential Pardon given to Ex-MP Duminda Silva, who was on death row for the murder of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

The Supreme Court had also imposed an overseas travel ban on Duminda Silva as well.

The former parliamentarian and ex-provincial councillor had been convicted on a charge of murder and sentenced to death.

After being pardoned in June 2021, Duminda Silva was appointed in July as Chairman of the National Housing Development Authority by then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Earlier during the time of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Duminda Silva served as Monitoring MP of the Defence Ministry while Gotabaya was the Defence Ministry Secretary.

Duminda Silva was involved in a shooting incident on 8 October 2011, during Local Authority Elections, where former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra known as “Lucky Aiya” and three of his bodyguards were killed.

The High Court of Sri Lanka convicted Duminda Silva and four of his associates for murder and imposed the death sentence on them on 16 September 2016.

Subsequently the sentence was appealed but a five-Judge bench of the Supreme Court upheld the murder conviction of Silva in a unanimous 51-page verdict issued on 16 October 2018.

Despite the High Court conviction of 2016 being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018, Duminda Silva was a free man in June 2021.

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The Department of Railways has decided to revise train schedules and impose speed limits on trains.

The decision was reached during a discussion with State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna in light of the complaints received regarding train derailment.

As a result, it has been decided to impose speed limits in order to operate trains at a slower speed along dilapidated sections of the railway tracks.

Lanka Sathosa Limited on Wednesday (23) announced the price reduction of several more products.

The prices of the following products will be reduced with effect from the 24th of November.

1. White Sugar (1 kg) will be reduced by Rs. 9/- to Rs. 229/-.

2. Bread Flour (1 kg) will be reduced by Rs. 14/- to Rs. 265/-.

3. Garlic (1 kg) will be reduced by Rs. 30/- to Rs. 495/-.

4. B Onions (1 kg) will be reduced by Rs. 43/- to Rs. 255/-

The President assured immediate solutions to land, housing, health, irrigation, and agriculture-related issues in the Northern Province.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that eight (8) committees would be appointed at the provincial level to resolve the land issues.

He also pointed out that all the land-related issues in the North and South of the country would be resolved accordingly. President Wickremesinghe made these observations while participating in the District Development Committee meeting held at the Vavuniya District Secretariat this morning (19).

The development committee meeting was called covering Vavuniya, Mannar, and Mullaitivu districts in the Northern Province.

The issues related to the lands, housing, health, irrigation, and agriculture in the province and solutions for them were discussed at length during the meeting.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe assured that all measures would be taken to improve the living conditions of the people by providing prompt solutions to the problems arising in various fields in the Northern Province and said that he expected the supportive hands of the parliamentarians of the Northern Province in this endeavor.

Pointing out that there are many unsolved problems in the North, the President further assured that he would resolve those issues by way of discussions with all parties.

Parliamentarian Charles Nirmalanathan drew the attention of the President to the fact that the Tamil people who settled in the Settikulam area in 1994 have still not been provided with land.

The President instructed the Vavuniya District Secretary to intervene to resolve the land issue in Settikulam within 03 months and added that he would inquire about the matter from the Ministry of Justice as well as the Ministry of Lands.

At the meeting, attention was also drawn to the problems arising due to the acquisition of certain farmlands in the Mullaitivu district by the Department of Archaeology.

Special attention was focused on the housing problem of the people in the Northern Province and the officials pointed out that the housing projects initiated to address the issue in the three districts have reached different stages of construction and an additional sum of Rs. 3000 million is required for its completion.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that many housing projects have commenced across the island and he expected to provide quick solutions to the housing problem of the people in the North.

Parliamentarian Selvam Adekkalanathan highlighted the plight and the needs of the people living in the vicinity of Vavuniya Lake and Thirikkulam Lake and drew the attention of the President at the meeting.

The renovation of the tanks in the districts, solving the fertilizer problem, and streamlining the distribution activities also was the focal point at the meeting.

The President instructed the officials to take measures to provide the necessary solutions to the health sector-related problems and the shortage of doctors in the Northern Province paying special attention to them when the issues were raised during the meeting.

Parliamentarian Rishad Bathuideen explained various irregularities that the fishermen in the Mannar district have to face in the supply of kerosene oil and the President instructed the officials to initiate an urgent inquiry into the matter. Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda, Urban Development, and Housing State Minister Tenuka Vidanagamage, State Minister for Rural Development Kader Mastan, Northern Province Governor Jeevan Thiagarajah, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake and public officials including district secretaries were present on the occasion. (PMD)

The government has not made any decision or sought the postponement of the local government elections, Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakse said today (22).

Addressing the weekly Cabinet media briefing, he said the government is only attempting to make the necessary amendments or adjustments before the due date and then head in for the election.

“The adjustments are expected to be completed before February 2023 to hold the polls as scheduled,” he assured.

Stating that the number of local government members needs to reduce to at least 5,100 from the current 8,700, Minister Rajapakshe pointed out that the number has more than doubled from the time it was introduced in 1987.

He further said that this reduction is expected to be done before the next local government polls.

“The Prime Minister has appointed a delimitation commission. All those matters can be considered by the proposed select committee which will be represented by all the political parties in the parliament. I think they have to pick the best way possible,” the Justice Minister explained.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government has been urged to hold both the local government and parliament polls in the first quarter of 2023.

The local government elections were postponed by one year in February last year and they should be held by February 20, 2023.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has the discretion to dissolve the parliament anytime after February next year as per powers vested in him.

General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Sagara Kariyawasam says that the party’s leader Mahinda Rajapaksa has advised to take legal action against those slinging mud at the party in social media.

He further said that several individuals have already been identified and have been reported to the party’s lawyers to take further legal actions.

The SLPP General Secretary went on to add that there are organized groups engaged in mud slinging against the leadership of SLPP, with the motive of tarnishing the party’s reputation among the general public, targeting upcoming elections.

The second reading of the Appropriation Bill for the year 2023 was passed with a majority of 37 votes in Parliament today.

A total of 121 MPs voted in favour and 84 MPs voted against, while 01 MP abstained from voting.

MPs Duminda Dissanayake, Jeevan Thondaman, and Priyankara Jayaratne were among the MPs who voted in favour of the Budget 2023.

Members of the opposition, including Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa and MPs Rishad Bathiudeen, Kumara Welgama, Mano Ganesan, and Mathirpla Sirisena voted against it.

Meanwhile, Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan (TMTK) Leader CV Wigneswaran abstained from voting.

The earthquake that was reported off the coast of Indonesia on Friday (18) poses NO Tsunami threat to Sri Lanka, confirmed the Met Department of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan authorities said that there is no threat to the people living in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka.

A 6.9 Magnitude Earthquake reported 212 km close to Bengkulu, Indonesia, confirmed the United States Geological Survey.

Transfers have been ordered for the OICs who have been serving the same police station for more than three years, said public security minister Tiran Alles.

He also said that out of 1,300 applicants for OIC postings, 1,090 have been selected at interviews.

They will soon be appointed, said Alles, stressing that appointments due to political pressure or otherwise would not be allowed.

Appointments will be made appropriately, but especially not to the area of residence of the appointee or the hometown of the spouse, he also said.

Attorney Nuwan Bopage who was named as a suspect for illegally entering the President's Office appeared in court on Thursday (17), and was released on bail.

Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered to release the suspects on a personal bail of Rs. 500,000/-.

He was named as the 59th suspects in the case filed for illegally entering the President's Office on the 9th of June 2022.

He was named as a suspect in the case several days ago, and appeared in court on Thursday (17) as per instructions from fellow counsel.