News

If the government is unable to abolish the executive Presidency, a group of Ministers are requesting that Sajith Premadasa is nominated as the next Prime Minister for the upcoming 2020 Presidential election political sources said.

If a Presidential election is to be held in 2020 Wickramasinghe has already claimed to party seniors that he will contest for the Presidency.

He is said to have stressed this when he met some Ministers yesterday when asked as to who the party will field as its 2020 Presidential candidate.

According to sources several Ministers claiming to support the NCM such as Palitha Range Bandara, Wasantha Senanayajke had been in attendance.

When questioned about this claim however a UNP senior leader said it was a merely April fools joke by the PM.

According to the Ministry of Finance a new Inland Revenue Act is scheduled to come into effect today (1st April). Following the new Inland Revenue Act, a number of tax amendments will take place with effect from tomorrow (2nd April).

The Payee Tax is one of the key areas that would be amended following these tax amendments. Accordingly, the employee tax-free status will be revised from annual salary of Rs 750,000 to annual salary of Rs 1.2 Million.

Ivan Dissanayake, the Commissioner General of the Inland Revenue Department says the interest of savings deposits will be increased from 2.5% to 5% as a result of the new amendments. The Sri Lankans who are serving overseas will benefit with additional 5% interest on their funds deposited in local banks.

However, according to the new act, there will be no tax imposed on the money sent by expatriates who are living in Sri Lanka to their families and relatives.

 Source : News First

A team of officials of Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) has arrived at Kandy area to apprehend the suspects involved in Kandy incident.

Several more suspects have are due to be arrested on CCTV footage and other information recovered, said police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara.

Four more suspects including a former army soldier were arrested yesterday (01) in connection with the recent incidents of violence in Kandy. They were arrested on suspicion by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID), he said.

Several suspects including one of the main instigators Amith Jeewan Weerasinghe are currently in remand custody over the attacks.

Meanwhile a recently-elected SLPP member of the Kundasale Pradeshiya Sabha was also arrested by the TID on March 28 for causing damages to businesses and places of religious worship at Digana, Kandy.

Source : Ada Derana

The Government has signed an agreement to set up a Higher Institute of Technology, with the University of California in Berkeley — ranked among the top ten in the world. Dr Nalin Walpita, chairman of the Prime Ministerial Committee on the Centre of Excellence for Higher Education, told a news conference that they had signed an agreement with this prestigious university for the first phase of the partnership to setup an undergraduate business and engineering school in Sri Lanka.

Announcing the entry of the US university to Sri Lanka. Pic by Athula Dewapriya

 Dr. Walpita said 25 percent of the intake would be for Sri Lankan urdergraduate students on scholarships.MBA programmes for those who were working as executives would also available The Higher Institute of Technology would be set up as a no-profit private-public partnership (PPP) and would enable South Asian students to receive world class education, he said.

At a news briefing in Colombo, Adam Berman, who is the Executive Director of the Project for the New Academic Ventures unit at the University of California, said they were excited about the new collaboration to design a 21st century school. He said they were working closely with the leadership of the Higher Institute of Technology and corporate sponsors to develop a world class university that would deliver high quality education at an affordable cost.

Yasoja Gunasekara, Director General of the SAARC Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the new venture could make Sri Lanka an education hub in South Asia. The project, the brainchild of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, was approved by the cabinet on a proposal made by the Ministries of National Policy and Economic Affairs, Higher Education and Science and Technology.

Officials said the Government would allocate land in the Port City area and the new university would lease a land at Keragala in Biyagama to develop a Technology Township, a technology park and innovation hub, housing and common facilities and infrastructure.

(Sunday Times)

Certain members of the Joint Opposition are said to be worried that Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will support Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe in the upcoming no-confidence motion if a secret vote is called in parliament on April 4.

According to sources, the members are of this opinion due to comments being made by Basil’s supporters against the no-confidence motion.

While Dinesh Gunawardena was set to seek for a secret vote in order to get the maximum support from the UNP and SLFP MPs however he is said to have changed his mind due to this reason.

Ranil supporters within the JO?

Several members of the JO are said to be on a mission to save the PM from the no-confidence motion. These members were noticed when they tried to disrupt the handing over of the no-confidence motion to the speaker according to the Lanka C News website managed by MP Wimal Weerawansa.

These members are attempting to disrupt the no-confidence motion due to the unfavourable circumstances being faced by the PM.

"As the leader of the UNP, each time the Prime Minister faced a difficult situation, the former President always supported him”

- Ranjan Ramanayake

 Why did Mahinda not sign the no-confidence motion?

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake has said the Former President did not sign the no-confidence motion “as a result of their friendship”.

"There is a long-lasting friendship between the Prime Minister and the former President and they have helped each other in times of difficulties. The not signing of the no-confidence motion is yet another demonstration of this, the deputy minister said.

"Everybody who understands the politics of Sri Lanka knows that Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe are two good friends.

"As the leader of the UNP, when the Prime Minister was in a difficult situation, President Rajapaksa has therefore taken steps to save him," he added.

Maithri Gunaratne, the General Secretary of the National Freedom Front (NFF) was arrested by the Police today for having two shotguns in his possession. He was arrested by the Kadugannawa Police.

However, he was released on bail later by the Kandy Magistrate, after producing two valid licenses for the two shotguns.

Subjects and institutions coming under the purview of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was removed following his own advice, UNP MP Ajith P Perera said today.

"Subjects and institutions that is coming under the purview of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was removed following his own advice and it is a part of government's plan to go on a new journey," State Minister Perera said at a media briefing this morning

Source : Daily Mirror

The United States’ GSP trade incentive programme for Sri Lanka will become active again on April 22, the US Embassy said on Friday.

“This will open our market up even more to Sri Lankan goods and create jobs,” said James Russo, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Colombo.

The programme had lapsed on December 31, 2017, after Congress failed to reauthorize the law. The GSP scheme for developing countries, which gives preferential duties to certain products, was reinstated in a budget bill on March 23.

Russo said US importers who brought in Sri Lankan exports at the time in between could claim customs duties retroactively.

One hundred and twenty countries, including Sri Lanka and the Maldives, regained GSP support with the March spending bill.

The US is the largest market for Sri Lankan exports, taking in about $3 billion worth of goods last year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. About 75 percent of those exports are clothing items. The re-authorised GSP scheme runs through December 31, 2020.

Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has expressed hope that incumbent Maithripala Sirisena - who was responsible for his ouster in 2015 - will support a no-confidence motion backed by the Joint Opposition against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The motion scheduled for April 4 was handed over to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya by the Joint Opposition last week against Wickremesinghe, accusing him of financial mismanagement and failing to tackle anti-Muslim riots early this month in the central Kandy district.

"It is now up to the President (Sirisena) to ensure the victory of the motion by getting his SLFP members to support it," Rajapaksa told reporters.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) which is part of the unity government with Wickremesinghe is yet to decide on the way they will vote on the motion.

Wickremesinghe, 68, had resisted a call from Sirisena to resign following a crushing defeat to Rajapaksa's new party Sri Lanka People's Front in the February 10 local election.

It is no secret that Sirisena wants Wickremesinghe's ouster so that he could replace him with his own choice.

Wickremesinghe was recently replaced as law and order minister after clashes erupted in the Kandy district. Last week, the president also removed key institutions, including the Central Bank, from the control of Wickremesinghe.

Sirisena in 2015 quit the Rajapaksa government to join hands with Wickremesinghe, the then main opposition leader, to defeat Rajapaksa in the presidential election ending his 10-year rule.

Rajapaksa said if Wickremesinghe were to be defeated in the motion on April 4, the Joint Opposition would press Sirisena to dissolve parliament to hold a fresh election for parliament.

Constitutionally, the current parliament could not be dissolved before February 2020. It requires a motion adopted with 2/3rds in the 225 member assembly to call for snap elections.

Rajapaksa is constitutionally barred from contesting for the presidential election for a third time. However, he can become the prime minister.

The long-awaited Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner which was purchased by public contribution has been installed in Apeksha Hospital and will be vested with the public from April 01, Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Rajitha Senaratne said.

The PET scanner which was purchased by public contribution arrived in the country on December 24, according to Minister Senaratne.

The President of Kadijah Foundation M. S. H. Mohamed along with several media institutions collected donations towards the purpose from the public going on to hand over the proceeds to the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine to purchase the machine.

The High Tech state of the art machine which costs around Rs. 202 million is a “Siemens” branded product from Germany with a capacity of performing over 100 scans per month.

The Government said that they expect to commence the operation of the Colombo Light Rail (CLR) system by the year 2025.

Action is being taken by the Government to implement a project on Light Rail Transit System (LRT) to establish an efficient and effective passenger transport system in the Colombo Megapolis area.

Under this 7 LRT lines have been planned to be constructed and in this respect priority has been given to the LRT line running within Colombo and the LRT line extending towards Malabe from Boralle via Battaramulla.

In accordance with the agreement with the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) which provides funds for the construction of the proposed 2 roads the regulatory frame work relating to the above has to be drawn up before commencing the construction of the said 2 roads.

Accordingly, the proposal made by the Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, Patali Champika Ranawaka, to establish a legal entity for the regulation on management of the proposed LRT, to provide for relevant legal provision and to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare the Sri Lanka Light Rail Transit System Bill, was approved by the Cabinet this week.

A scheme to choose a new Prime Minister is ongoing behind the scenes according to political sources. Several political groups are said to be holding discussions to choose a PM in case the no-confidence motion against Ranil Wickramasinghe becomes successful.

The SLFP ministers have suggested that Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva be appointed to the post of Prime Minister. But if it is not successful several others of the SLFP have also suggested the name of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. The group is said to be also checking the possibility of getting support from several UNP MP’s for this proposal.

The UNP also might suggest the name of Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara sources say.

Majority of the UNP is of the opinion that the party should be reformed. One group of the party wants Minister Rajitha Senaratne to be appointed sources said. The group standing for good governance consists of Tamil and Muslims MPs sources further added.

'Who will replace Ranil?' - Wijedasa asks

''We asked those bringing the NCM who will be brought in next to be the PM. We do not need to exchange a cripple for a blind man”

Wijedasa Rajapaksa

 President's Counsel Wijedasa Rajapakse stated that the two parties have not revealed any permanent program after the defeat or victory at the no confidence motion.

"When making a decision as MPs for the No-Confidence vote, the people's opinion should be taken into consideration. Also, the security of the country should be taken into account he said.

''We asked those bringing the NCM who will be brought in next to be the PM. We do not need to exchange a cripple for a blind man” he said adding that it doesn't matter if the person belongs to the blue, green or red camp but it should be someone who can turn around this dire situation the country is in.

According to him for the people today the party nor colour of the person is not important. They only care about the policies he said adding that he will take a decision based on the unfolding events.