News

The six-member Committee appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to study the Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into Easter Sunday attacks has been entrusted with a wide ranging mandate, the Presidential Secretariat announced.

National carrier Sri Lankan Airlines will be recording a recovery to pre-pandemic revenue levels by the end of this year as the government is expected to relax air travel restrictions, chairman of the airline, Ashok Pathirage revealed.

The state-owned airline's revenue would recover to 75-80 per cent of pre-crisis levels by end 2021 as the island plans to reopen its international airports fully for travellers soon.

The national carrier plans to return to profitability by 2022 with the gradual improvement in aviation, travel and tourism," he said.

Sri Lanka's government has pledged USD 500 million in financial aid, of which USD 150m was disbursed this month to help its flag carrier weather the crisis, Pathirage said, adding that the rest of the funds will be disbursed over two years.

SriLankan Airlines, which recorded about USD 70m a month in revenue pre-crisis, is currently making about 30% - 35% of that, the chairman said.

He expects a recovery to 40% of pre-Covid revenue levels soon on higher demand for repatriation flights and air cargo.

SriLankan Airlines is currently operating a limited number of passenger flights using 70% of its all-Airbus fleet of A330s, A320s and A321s, while the remaining 30% of aircrafts are still grounded.

To preserve cash and control costs, the airline re-negotiated its aircraft leasing contracts, leading to savings of about USD 150m over the next five years, the chairman said.

The carrier offered 500 employees a voluntary retirement scheme a week ago, after ending the use of outsourced and contract workers, he said. This will reduce the workforce to 5,000 from 7,000.

"After Covid, SriLankan Airlines will be in much better shape to return to profitability," he said, adding that "Our plan is to make money by 2022."

The operator is planning new routes next year to Sydney, Seoul, Kathmandu and European cities, the chairman said. It is seeking to resume flights into India, one of its key markets, and increase frequencies to Dhaka.

In terms of cargo, the airline is seeking to triple or quadruple its freight volumes over the next two years to reduce reliance on passenger operations, Pathirage said.

To drive its cargo expansion, the airline is preparing a request for proposals (RFP) to procure its first two freighters, he added.

The first draft (zero draft) of the resolution on Sri Lanka to be tabled at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva calls on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to enhance its monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.

The Women Parliamentarians Caucus has decided to request the Speaker to establish a Parliamentary Committee to inquire into the injustice and malpractices taking place against women in Sri Lanka. This was revealed by the chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians Caucus, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID-19 Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, in Parliament on Thursday (18).

With the approval of the Speaker, the establishment of this Committee is expected to be announced on March 09 in line with the International Women's Day, the chairperson said.

The Chairperson pointed out the need for a Parliamentary Committee with full powers to investigate various forms of violence, discrimination against women, as well as the impediments pertaining to the women in their profession.

Although it is said that women are treated equally, the MPs pointed out that being a woman is discriminated against in various spheres of society and this committee will be able to overcome the obstacles of progress on the basis of women's skills, abilities and qualifications. The specialty of this committee is that it consists of both female and male members.

Minister (Dr.) Sudarshani Fernandopulle, State Minister (Dr.) Seetha Arambepola, MPs Rohini Wijeratne, (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya and a number of female Members of Parliament as well as the Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff of the Parliament Kushani Rohanadheera were also present at the meeting.

The United States is ready to expand the trade and investment potential with Sri Lanka agreeing to explore modalities in increasing in products that could benefit from GSP facility .

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has declined the invitation to receive the Covid-19 vaccine that was extended to all parliamentarians. JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath addressing an event in Kurunegala said that their MPs will get the vaccines only after the entire public has been completely vaccinated.

"We are not prepared to come only when the vaccine is given to the 225 parliamentarians. First ensure that the public is vaccinated. We can come after that, " Herath said.

The JVP also questioned the preferential treatment meted out to parliamentarians over groups that come into constant contact with the public such as health workers, security forces and teachers who face a bigger threat of contracting Covid-19 than any parliamentarian.

With mouniting criticism from both the opposition and civil society alike, one of the members of the three-member Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa recently to deal with charges of political victimisation by those in the previous regime has resigned.

Sri Lanka’s government representatives are to face and defend allegations on human rights violations and past grave abuses at the upcoming 4hth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, beginning Monday (February 22), official sources said.

A Sri Lankan newspaper said that the move may also have been an effort to ensure Imran Khan isn't granted parity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had addressed the country's Parliament in 2015.

Khan, who will be the first head of state to visit the country since the Covid-19 pandemic, is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on February 23.

 Last week, he welcomed Sri Lanka’s assurance on the burial of Muslim Coronavirus victims.

Despite the pledge, the government has continued to forcibly cremate Muslims and is backtracking by claiming the policy can only be changed following deliberations by an expert committee.

Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila told reporters that Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa had only stated his personal view in Parliament last week and any policy decision could only be made by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS).

Despite disappointments in mega project deals including the rejection of the Light Railway Transit (LRT) project, Japan continues its assistance to Sri Lanka.

The most recent Japanese gesture was the donation of anti-terrorism surveillance and investigation vehicles to the island nation.

Japanese Ambassador Sugiyama Akira presented anti-terrorism surveillance and investigation vehicles to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat Office recently.

These vehicles are the first batch of equipment donated by the Government of Japan to the Sri Lanka Police for the country’s counter-terrorism efforts in the wake of the Easter Sunday terror attacks in 2019.

In addition to the vehicles donated, under this grant aid worth JPY 1 billion (LKR 1.7 billion), a wide range of essential equipment for enhancing counterterrorism and public security capabilities is to be donated to law enforcement institutions.

Among them were the Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka (AASL), including mobile X-ray scanners, walk through safety inspection gates, vehicle chassis safety inspection systems, and patrol crafts.

Defense Secretary General (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne has accepted that the country is in the midst of an environmental crisis.