News

Plans have already been formulated and the necessary foundation laid to transform Sri Lanka into a fully developed country by 2050, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

“Undoubtedly this is a challenging task which ought to be carried forward with patience and prudence by working with a group of people with divergent views,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister expressed these sentiments participating in a Question and Answer session of the Sri Lanka-Singapore Business Conference organised by the Trade and Industry Ministry of Singapore in association with the Singapore Business Forum on July 10. The large number of Sri Lankan and Singaporean Businessmen and Entrepreneurs attended the conference held at the Jan Tanglin Hotel in Singapore.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that since Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean has been clearly understood the longtime target is to develop the country into an Economic, Financial and Social Centre. “Sri Lanka is taking dedicated efforts to create a society based on the export economy by inheriting new technology. Pointing out that friendship and co-operation with all countries in the world is the avowed policy of Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister added that it would strive to further strengthen friendship and co-operation with Asian counties such as India, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and China.

Explaining the Economic, Industrial and Tourist Zones to be set up locally in future, he pointed out the investment opportunities available to target 9 million people living around the Expressway network linking Colombo-Kandy and Hambantota.

Singapore’s Trade and Industries Minister S. Iswaran also spoke on this occasion.

Here are some of the questions asked the answers given by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during the occasion.

QUESTION:- What are the plans available in Sri Lanka for entrepreneurship development?

ANSWER: At the outset an entrepreneurship culture should be promoted in the country. Traditionally we have been a trading nation and that tradition is still existent in the country. There is a large group of youth entrepreneurs in the country but their main problem is finding financial basis. The country’s banking institutions are still operating with caution and traditional basis. However much the government assisted small and medium scale ventures the assistance received from Banks is inadequate. As such the government has introduced relief measures to support entrepreneurs who have launched business ventures.

Loan facilities for medium scale business ventures should be expedited. Banks in Sri Lanka should become project based institutions. The export culture should be introduced to small and medium scale business ventures.

QUESTION: What is the impact of the Colombo Port City Project on the Economy of Sri Lanka?

ANSWER: The Colombo Port City Project was started for property trade development. But under our government it has been planned to transform it into a financial city. Land filling in it will be completed by next year and thereafter building construction would begin. Already several financial cities have been set up in the Indian Ocean area. As such we should think of new services to be set up there. This is a project with a 10 year plan.
The Prime Minister said during his visit to England a few weeks ago, he discussed possibilities of implementing the English laws in the financial city. Authorities in England agreed to discuss about the implementation of English laws and lend all possible support in this direction. Already plans are underway to introduce several new legislations relating to the financial city in Sri Lanka.

The first step is to institute a Financial Commission. After discussing the matter and attendant problems and issues with the Attorney General a Cabinet paper would be submitted for setting up the financial commission of the Port Financial City within the next two months.

QUESTION: How will the data collection and analysis process take place correspondent to the future vision?

ANSWER: Data collection work is already in progress. An analysis in made on the impact made on the country’s economy.

Data collection and analysis will be undertaken in cooperation with other countries in the future. This will be the final step towards making Sri Lanka the economic hub of the Indian ocean the Prime Minister said. Development strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama who delivered the inaugural lecture at the session said the Sri Lanka-Singapore FTA will provide a positive message about Sri Lanka’s development goals to the whole world. The government is committed to make Sri Lanka an economic hub in the Indian Ocean. The necessary internal reforms are now underway to make this possible laying emphasis on the Asian supply network and the environment would be created to link with it through export industries. For this Free Trade Agreements would be signed with several other countries.

Deputy Minister Anoma Gamage, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Singapore, Nimal Weeraratne and Colombo’s Mayor Rosy Senanayake were also present on the occasion.

Source : Daily News

A Policeman has been killed by a Buddhist monk today at a temple in the Ratnapura Weralupe Galande area. According to sources the Policeman, a sergeant attached to the Ratnapura Police had visited the temple around 9.30am today to execute a warrant regarding a case being heard against the monk when he was fatally attacked.

A resident in the area had called 119 to inform of the incident. However responding officers were also attacked by the monk who had tried to hurl a hand grenade at them. The Police were able to prevent the attack, going on to arrest the monk instead. 

The killed Policeman has been identified as Police Seargent 44101 Samarawickrama attached to the MO Branch of the Ratnapura Police. He was a resident of Embilipitiya and father of two.

Army Commander Major General Lieutenant Mahesh Senanayake's term was extended by one year by President Maithripala Sirisena today. The extension will be in effect from August 19, this year the Army Spokesman said.

Lieutenant General N U M M W Senanayake RWP RSP VSV USP USACGSC was appointed as the 22nd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, effective from 27 June 2017 by the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces after he was elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General with effect from the same date.

Courts ordered Former Army Intelligence Chief Rtd. Major General Amal Karunasekara to be remanded once again till July 24. He is currently under arrest regarding the abduction of Journalist Keith Noyahr. 

While the case was called today, Prison officials informed the courts that the suspect cannot attend as he has been hospitalized.
As a result, the court ordered for him to be remanded once again.

The Sri Lankan government has decided to reinstate the death penalty for drug traffickers including those who have already been sentenced to death, Minister of Buddha Sasana, Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said yesterday.President Maithripala Sirisena too had recently stated that he was under pressure to reintroduce capital punishment as a deterrent to serious crimes, the Minister said adding that it received approval from the Cabinet as well.

"The Cabinet in unison agreed to it. We cannot allow inmates in prison to destroy the country by directing crimes and engaging in the drug trade while still in prison", Perera said. 

As most of the people approve President Sirisena’s move to reactivate capital punishment, civil society and anti-drug addiction groups say death penalty alone is insufficient to deter crimes or curb the smuggling of drugs into the country.

While many argued that punitive punishment would act as a caution to would-be offenders, others said it would only net small-scale drug dealers while major dealers would escape with the help of powerful politicians.

Executive Director of the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre, Pubudu Sumanasekera said there was no scientifically-based evidence that capital punishment acted as a deterrent to crime. 

“This is not an option. We believe in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation,” he said.

Although capital punishment is in the statute, Sri Lanka had stopped hangings since 1976. Death row prisoners spend life terms in jail.

Executions have not been carried out as successive presidents in office since 1978 have refused to issue death warrants.

Deputy Minister J. C Alawathuwala and State Minister Lucky Jayawardena were sworn in as State Ministers before President Maithripala Sirisena today (10), the President's Media Division said.

Alawathuwala who was acting as the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs was appointed as the State Minister of Home Affairs.

Lucky Jayawardena was appointed as the State Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply. Prior to his new appointment, Jayawardena served as the State Minister of Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure and Community Development.

The Attorney General has instructed the Inspector General of Police to conduct investigations into the statement made by former State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran regarding the LTTE.

Speaking during a state event held in Jaffna on July 2, she had said that the LTTE should be reformed for the freedom of the Tamil people.
 
The AG has also requested the IGP to soon submit a report following the investigations. The Speaker had informed the Attorney General to investigate whether MP Vijayakala Maheswaran’s controversial statement has violated the Constitution or any laws and to take necessary legal action.

A survey carried out by Dr. Nimali Wijewardena have revealed that one third of prison officials suffer burnout, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said.

The survey also revealed that 38.8 percent of prison officials also suffer from a lack of self esteem. The percentage of prison officials who showed mental fatigue is 26.9. 

1803 prison and rehabilitation officials were surveyed.

The spokesperson however stated that mainly jailers had taken part in the survey, while officials from prison institutions including those at Welikada, Mahara, Dumbara, Galle, Boosa, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Wariyapola, Kuruvita, Kalutara, Negombo, Kegalle, Kandewaththya, Weeravila, Kegalle, and Ambepussa had also taken part.


Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne handing over the survey report to Justice and Prison Reforms Minister Thalatha Athukorale. 


Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, speaking on the results of the survey, stated that it seems that prison officials are also imprisoned. 
Taking the survey as an example, he said decisions regarding any matter should be based on scientific findings. 
In this instance, remedies should be proposed for countering the burnout that prison officials experienced, as evidenced by the survey.​

The trial against MP Namal Rajapaksa and six others over the alleged purchase of stocks using misappropriated money has been postponed until July 31, on the orders of the Colombo High Court.

The case was slated to be taken up before the Colombo High Court Judge Sampath Abeykoon, yesterday. As the prosecution informed the court of the absentia of a witness due to health reasons, the case was postponed to July 31, and the Magistrate Abeykoon ordered the prosecution’s witness to appear at the next hearing.

The case was filed by the Attorney General under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act over the alleged invest of Rs. 30 million in the stocks of Gowers Corporate (Pvt) Limited, supposedly misappropriated by MP Namal Rajapaksa while working as a Member of the Parliament.

The second defendant of the case, Indika Prabath Karunajeewa, has fled the country and is currently absconding the court. The High Court has ordered to proceed with the trial in his absentia.

Source: Ada Derana

The Ministry of Finance says that the Cabinet will take a decision regarding the fuel price revision, today (10). Fuel prices were increased with effect from midnight on July 05th, with regard to the new fuel price formula introduced by the Finance Ministry. 
 
However, the government later decided to halt the fuel price hike. Finance Ministry points out that, the new fuel price formula requires fuel prices to be revised every two months, in accordance with the prices of the world market.
 
As the fuel price formula introduced by the Finance Ministry has received the Cabinet approval, the implementation of the formula will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting today. Accordingly, a final decision regarding fuel price revision will be taken today, said government sources.

A decision was made to increase the fuel prices of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation following a meeting with the President yesterday according to Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Rajitha Senaratne.

The price hike will go into effect from midnight today.

Accordingly, the new fuel price revision has increased Petrol 92 Octane by Rs 8, Petrol 95 Octane by Rs 7, Diesel by Rs 9 and Super Diesel by Rs 10.

If he is appointed as the SLFP General Secretary, MP Dayasiri Jayasekara claims he will work towards uplifting the party by going all over the island and conducting organizing activities. 

He made this statement in a live political show on television recently. According to him sitting in the opposition is not an obstacle to work towards the betterment of the party. 

He also went on to say he has not worked in order to get positions but if he is presented with one he will work accordingly. 

Accusations against those of the 16 who went to Pohottuwa 

He also slammed some of the 16 who joined the SLPP claiming they have lost their political identity. According to him, the intention of the 16 was to act with a particular political identity and form a united and powerful front. 

According to him, this chance was lost due to the actions of certain people.  He also affirmed that he is not willing to leave the party.