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A temporary batch of office bearers was appointed at the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Central Committee meeting which was held today (03).
 
Accordingly, the temporarily appointed SLFP office bearers are : 
 
SLFP General Secretary - Professor Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa 

SLFP National Organizer - Irrigation and Water Resources & Disaster Management Minister Duminda Dissanayake 

SLFP Treasurer - Parliamentarian S. B. Dissanayake 

SLFP Senior Deputy Chairmen - Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Parliamentarian  Susil Premajayantha, WDJ Seneviratne, Anura Pridarshana Yapa 

SLFP Advisory Board - Former Presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mahinda Rajapaksa & former Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne 
 
The meeting was chaired by the SLFP Chairman, President Maithripala Sirisena. The Central Committee of the SLFP, which met on May 17 to carry out party reorganization, has decided to appoint a new board of office bearers. In addition to the Central Committee, the All Island Committee and Executive Committee will also convene today.

Minister of Finance and Media, Mangala Samaraweera said that the government is ready to make Sri Lanka into an entrepreneur’s paradise,  as envisioned in the V2025 document, in order to create a new entrepreneur class.

The Minister made these remarks at a business forum featuring Sri Lanka’s top industry leaders to introduce ENTERPRISE SRI LANKA credit schemes and the rapid rural infrastructure investment scheme known as GAMPERALIYA, held at the Hilton, Colombo yesterday (30).

“In the Budget speech last November, I presented the “Enterprise Sri Lanka” scheme based on the government’s 2025 vision document, to create a new entrepreneur class, recalling our history as a trading and a commercial hub in the ancient times.

Today, the Finance Ministry is ready to make this vision into a reality and our invitation to you this evening is to brief you on the launching of this initiative and to seek your support and partnership in making Sri Lanka into an entrepreneur’s paradise”, the Minister said.

Shouldering the heavy burden of waste and mismanagement of the earlier regime

Samaraweera stated that during the last decade, Sri Lanka’s economic growth was dominated by the domestic sector where exports were reduced to 12% of GDP in 2014. This economic model resulted in the creation of growing external liabilities whilst external assets and inflows were dwindling. Government revenue was falling for decades to reach one of the lowest in the world. Debt servicing exceeded the total government revenue.

“The effects of previous borrowing will be felt more severely in the time to come. More than 75% of government debt servicing during 2019-2022 will be due to maturing or bunching of debt obtained prior to 2015”, he added.

Series of reforms to stabilise the Sri Lankan economy as per the Vision 2025 Strategy

Whilst fiscal stability is a major macroeconomic gain, other aspects of the economy have also seen major improvements. Sri Lanka’s official reserves have reached comfortable levels of US$ 9.9 billion by end April. Much of this reserve growth has been through more sustainable earned reserves as opposed to borrowed reserves.

“Inflation has declined significantly to just 1.6% in April 2018. Unemployment in the final quarter of 2017 was down to 4%. The Primary Account is in surplus for the first time since the 1950’s. Thus, stability has been achieved in external markets, labour market, and in prices.”

Record levels of exports and FDIs in 2017

The Minister pointed out that the benefits of this stabilisation of the economy have been materialized in the external sector as both exports and FDI reached record levels in 2017.

“FDI of USD 1.9 billion and strong growth in project approvals in Q1 2018 augur well for the continued improvement in non-debt creating capital inflows. Export growth in 2017 benefitted from GSP + and the government’s strategy of negotiating FTAs with other key markets including India and China, in addition to the recently signed Singapore FTA, will enable Sri Lankan exports to plug into regional and global value chains. It is clear that the strategy of re-orienting Sri Lanka’s economy to an export and FDI based model, as articulated in the Vision 2025 Strategy, is already showing results", he said.

ENTERPRISE SRI LANKA to stimulate domestic private investment

Samaraweera said that in order to avoid short term consumption booms through artificial fiscal and monetary stimulus, the Enterprise Sri Lanka loan schemes will focus on targeting credit on concessionary terms to drive investment domestically, which will generate growth today and in the future.

These schemes will target the most productive investment sectors. It is private enterprise that is created and expanded through these programmes which will drive Sri Lanka’s future growth.

“The scheme offers attractive concessionary financing to stimulate investment and expansion by entrepreneurs, SMEs, and even large business. Stimulating such domestic private investment will create jobs, innovation, and will enable economic expansion across the economy”, he added.

GAMPERALIYA: the rapid rural infrastructure investment scheme

In addition to the revival of private investment driven by Enterprise Sri Lanka, it is necessary for the state to invest directly in the rural economy. Towards this end, the government will also be introducing the rapid rural infrastructure investment scheme, GAMPERALIYA.
“This includes the rehabilitation of over 22,000 rural tanks which will have a major impact on agricultural productivity and agricultural incomes that have suffered during the previous droughts. A “Haritha Udyanaya” or a “Green Park” will bring the ancient Athenian concept of nourishing one’s body, mind and soul to the village.

Wi-Fi enabled Haritha Udyanaya will have a building with a library, gymnasium for the young and old, men, women and a roof-garden for meditation, Yoga and other religious spiritual activities. Places of worship in the village will be repaired and the village schools will get playgrounds.”

The Minister stated that the government will invest upwards of LKR 80 billion to develop rural roads, rural markets, and other public works.
“These measures will collectively inject more cash into the rural economy which will help improve economic activity and kick start broader consumption across the country in a sustainable manner” and added that the Gampereliya scheme will be the primary focus of the government’s economic agenda over the next 24 months.

Gamperaliya exhibition to kick off from Monaragala

The government is planning a series of exhibitions across the country to take the message of Enterprise Sri Lanka and Gampereliya to the people. Whilst Sri Lanka’s pre-colonial past was one of, robust global trade and entrepreneurial engagement, in recent decades we have recently retreated into a protectionist, neo-socialist mind-set.

“The first Gamperaliya exhibition will be organised in Monaragala on 16th August 2018, followed by Anuradhapura and Jaffna”, the Minister said. According to a survey carried out by Department of Census and Statistics in 2007, Monaragala is home to approximately 29.2 percent of poor households in the country.

Sri Lankans still waiting for handouts

Samaraweera said that the people have become accustomed to waiting for government jobs and handouts whilst entrepreneurship has been relegated.

“These proposed exhibitions will create a platform to change this mind-set. Along with introducing the loan schemes and their features, the Enterprise Sri Lanka exhibitions will provide a platform for guidance, training, and mentorship for potential entrepreneurs. It will create opportunity to connect their business ideas with markets and larger companies in the ecosystem.”

Minister Samaraweera reiterated that the government must take the lead in driving this change in mind-set to enable Sri Lankans to take their economic destiny into their own hands.

“We must work together to rekindle the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that thrived in the hearts of our ancient forefathers. The Enterprise Sri Lanka/Gampereliya Exhibitions will lead the way in taking this message to the people.”

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the fourth review under the Extended Fund Facility with Sri Lanka, approving the disbursement of US$ 252 million. 

Issuing a statement, the IMF said that Sri Lanka continues to make important progress under the program and that major achievements include the launch of the new Inland Revenue Act as well as important steps in energy-pricing reforms and towards flexible inflation targeting.
 
On June 1, the IMF Executive Board completed the fourth review of Sri Lanka’s economic performance under the program supported by a three-year Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement. 
 
Completion of this review enables the disbursement of the equivalent of SDR 177.774 million (about US$ 252 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to the equivalent of SDR 715.23 million (about US$ 1,014 million).
 
Sri Lanka’s three-year extended arrangement was approved on June 3, 2016, in the amount of about SDR 1.1 billion (about US$1.5 billion, or 185 per cent of quota in the IMF at that time of approval of the arrangement). 
 
The Executive Board also concluded the 2018 Article IV consultation with Sri Lanka today. 
Following the Executive Board’s discussion of the review, Mr Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Acting Chair and Deputy Managing Director, said:
 
“Sri Lanka has made important progress under its Fund-supported program. The authorities’ efforts to improve the policy mix through fiscal consolidation, prudent monetary policy, and landmark structural reforms are supporting the economic recovery, despite recent shocks. Sustaining the reform momentum is critical to strengthen the country’s resilience to shocks, given the still sizable public debt and low external buffers, and to set the foundation for strong and inclusive growth.
 
“Further progress with revenue-based fiscal consolidation, supported by the new Inland Revenue Act, is needed to help safeguard important social and infrastructure spending, including in response to natural disasters. Going forward, a robust fiscal rule and medium-term debt management strategy will help place debt firmly on a downward path.
 
“The recent approval of an automatic fuel pricing formula is a major achievement towards reducing fiscal risks from state-owned enterprises (SOEs). In this regard, it is essential for the authorities to implement an automatic pricing formula for electricity and a restructuring plan for Sri Lankan Airlines, as well as further strengthening SOE governance and transparency. The impact of the reforms on the vulnerable can be mitigated by ongoing efforts to strengthen social safety nets.
 
“The Central Bank of Sri Lanka should continue to manage monetary policy prudently, in the face of price shocks and market volatility. Efforts to build up international reserves should be sustained, with exchange rate flexibility as the first line of defence in response to volatile global capital flows. Upgrading the central bank law will be instrumental in the new inflation targeting framework. While financial soundness indicators remain stable, continued credit growth in the real estate sector warrants close monitoring.
 
“The authorities should step up implementation of structural reforms, with a focus on fostering gradual trade liberalization and the investment climate, developing a natural disaster risk financing framework, and promoting gender equality in the labour market together with well-targeted social safety nets.”

Legal actions would be institute against 104 Sri Lankan migrant workers overstaying their visas in Israel, Foreign Employment Deputy Minister Manusha Nanayakkara said yesterday.

Deputy Minister Nanayakkara said sixty cases had already been filed in Courts with this regard and added that preparations were ongoing to file another thirty cases against these Sri Lankan illegal migrant workers.

“As an initial step to take legal action, letters of demand have been sent to nine such illegal migrant workers.

“However, five migrant workers have returned to Sri Lanka after the commencement of taking legal actions against them by the Sri Lankan Government,” he said.

“These youths were sent abroad through the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency (SLFEA) for employment in the agricultural sector. They were sent on six months contract,” he added.

He said, however, some of those workers were overstaying their visas in Israel, following the conclusion of their employment contracts.

He also said diplomatic announcement had been made in this regard and added that the Government would take action to deport them from Israel to Sri Lanka.

“Workers, who are returning to Sri Lanka following the six-month period, can again go to Israel for employment,” he said

Source : Daily Mirror

Kollupitiya Police today handed over veteran filmmaker, late Dr. Lester James Peries’ lifetime award, which was stolen and then found in a 177 private bus recently, to his wife Sumitra Peries at her residence in Colombo 05. 

The award was stolen from Lester’s residence during his last rites at the Peiris residence. The award had been presented to the veteran filmmaker by the Indian government.

The general public who were battered by the inclement weather prevailed in the country during the past couple of weeks is faced with a difficult situation as their water resources and wells have been polluted after the flash floods.
 
Responding in this hour of need, the relief teams of the Sri Lanka Navy are undertaking cleaning efforts in the areas of Horana, Kalutara, Agalawatta, Gampaha, Bopitiya, Puttalam and Naththandiya and going by that initiative they have cleaned a total of 254 wells of late.
 
Meanwhile, the Navy had also installed a mobile Reverse Osmosis plant to provide safe drinking water to the community in the locality of Naththandiya.

Source : Navy Media

Eastern Province Governor Rohitha Bogollagama's wife and daughter who evaded courts were ordered to be arrested by the Colombo Chief Magistrate a short while ago.

The duo was alleged to have been involved in a case pertaining to assaulting a woman in Cinnamon Gardens.

In December 2017 the wife of Bogollagama, Deepthi Bogollagama also threatened a group of Tamil devotees while visiting a religious site in Trincomalee.  She was seen on tape walking over ‘Kolam’ drawn at the religious site while wearing shoes and threatening the people present causing widespread outrage.

Court of Appeal on Wednesday suspended elections for the crisis-ridden cricket board, whose president Thilanga Sumathipala is being challenged for the top job.

The Court of Appeal suspended for two weeks a vote due to be held Thursday pending the hearing of a petition by Nishantha Ranatunga, who argued that Sumathipala is unsuitable for re-election.

"The court issued a stay order on the elections till June 14," a court official said.

Sumathipala is pitted against Ranatunga, a younger brother of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, in the election. The Ranatunga brothers accuse Sumathipala of violating International Cricket Council regulations by holding office despite alleged links to gambling.

Sumathipala acknowledges that his family is involved in gambling, but says he has nothing to do with the business and has not violated the ICC code of conduct.

In 2016 Arjuna Ranatunga stood for vice president but lost by 22 votes to businessman Jayantha Dharmadasa, while Nishantha Ranatunga who stood for president lost by 32 votes to Sumathipala.

The latest court intervention in the cricket board came as four Sri Lankans were implicated in an alleged match-fixing scandal exposed in an Al Jazeera documentary broadcast on Sunday.

Arjuna Ranatunga told reporters that cricket corruption in Sri Lanka was far more serious than alleged in the report and blamed the ICC for not acting swiftly.

Sri Lankan police as well as the ICC have begun investigations into the allegations.

Source : Times of India

Sri Lanka Navy apprehended six (06) migrants from India who were reaching the island onboard an Indian trawler yesterday (30th May). These immigrants were taken into naval custody by a troop of naval personnel attached to the North Central Naval Command who were on routine patrol in the seas off Urumalai in Talaimannar.

The apprehended group was consist of three (03) males, one (01) female and two (02) children and Navy provided them with first aids and medical treatment after they were brought to SLNS Tamanna. The group of migrants and the trawler were handed over to Talaimannar Police for further investigations.

Joint Opposition MP Udaya Gammanpila and Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake is set to go head to head in a public debate on June 7 on Hiru TV regarding the 20th amendment to the constitution. 

The debate came about after Dissanayake accepted the challenge for a public debate from JO MP representing the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, Udaya Gammanpila during a press conference held by the latter recently. 

Accordingly, the two will debate on the matter during the Balaya, political program on Hiru TV telecast at 10 pm on the day.

A bipartisan delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives visited Colombo from May 29 to 30 led by Congressman Mac Thornberry (Republican - Texas), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.  The visit highlighted the broad bipartisan support for Sri Lanka in the U.S. Congress.  

“Across the U.S. government, we see value in expanding our security partnership in ways that benefit the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Atul Keshap. “Sri Lanka’s progress as a democracy that will protect the rights of all its citizens and promote their prosperity regardless of ethnicity or religion can create opportunities for our growing military-to-military cooperation.”

During the visit, the delegation met with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Speaker of the Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, Leader of the Opposition and Tamil National Alliance R. Sampanthan, State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardena, Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam, Defense Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne, members of Parliament, and civil society.



 Members of the delegation also included Congressman Henry Cuellar (Democrat - Texas), Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (Republican - Missouri), and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (Democrat – New Hampshire).

Popular soothsayer in the country, P.D. Perera from Natanadiya is said to have committed suicide after jumping in front of a train. 

According to Police, he had been emotionally disturbed after being unable to settle his mounting debts pushing him to end his life. He had committed the act near the Negombo railway station according to the Police. 

Eyewitnesses claim that he was seated near the station and had suddenly jumped before a train plying to Chilaw.