Aug 21 (DM) The govt is attempting to lease out the three expressways to a Chinese Company called Shandong, PHU claimed today. It said a proposal was to be presented to the Cabinet this week to lease out the Southern, Katunayake and Colombo Outer Circular Expressways. “The expressways are among the latest to fall prey to govt moves. Cabinet paper seeks approval to lease out the highways for US$600 million. more..

Aug 22 (CT) There was no governmental celebration of its second year anniversary. Govt leaders scarcely mentioned it. However, civil society leaders who had been in the forefront of the movement for good governance in the run up to the elections of 2015 organised a public meeting in the form of a satyagraha to remind the govt of the promises it had made two years ago. However they also had many positive outcomes to acknowledge. Chief amongst them would be the improvement in relations more..

Aug 22 (CT) Watching the cloud of corruption that seemed to have lifted with the defeat of the Rajapaksa Regime descending again on their successors fills one with not only a sense of disgust but one of dejection. Resorting to the old fall-back of resignation is hardly a response deserving of acceptance given the plight of our nation and what it can and will mean to all of us in our day to day lives. To take a step back and try to put some perspective on our current plight, more..

Aug 22 (CT) Sri Lanka's versatile player in the team, Upul Tharanga, will walk into the middle for the first time as the regular skipper of the team against India, in the first ODI of the five match series to be played at Dambulla today, after several stand in appointments. Whole of Sri Lanka will put their hopes on Tharanga to change the team's losing fate when they walk into the limited over series after heavy defeats in the Test series. more..

Aug 22 (Island) With the fast passage of time and investments gaining momentum, activities have diversified at the Seethawaka Export Processing Zone (SEPZ), and it has become necessary to address the environmental issues forthwith. The issues at SEPZ concerning waste disposal could be considered in two main categories - Hazardous waste and Non Hazardous waste disposal. There are 26 factories operating inside the Zone and the solid waste generated by their manufacturing more..

Aug 22 (ST) The ruling Unity Govt has always paraded the Right to Information (RTI) law as one of the jewels in its crown. Though the crown has been shedding some of its lesser jewels like a shaken tree drops its fruit, the RTI Act was shepherded through parliament and nurtured with care as with a new born baby. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe was one of its early advocates and was trying hard to turn it into law since the turn of this century. I remember when I came to Colombo to help more..

Aug 22 (CT) Governor of Northern Province, Reginold Cooray said that the media has sensationalized the crimes that took place in Jaffna with the intention of increasing their client base. "Crimes of similar magnitude take place in the South as well, but the media highlights the ones that take place in Jaffna," he said. Commenting on the Aava Group that entered the spotlight with its atrocities recently, Cooray stated that more..

Aug 22 (Island) Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama has recently urged the public to vote wisely and elect only educated, competent, honest candidates in the fray. His advice should be heeded and his keenness to cleanse politics appreciated. It is incumbent upon voters to exercise their franchise responsibly. There have been instances where anti-social elements such as drug dealers, cattle rustlers, fraudsters and rapists were elected. A notorious drug baron known as Kudu Lal was once elected to the CMC. more..

Aug 22 (DN) The existing public service pension scheme in Sri Lanka has become a cause of concern to the Govt in view of the large absolute amount of expenditure incurred and the rapid rising trend of such expenditure. The State Minister Ravindra Samaraweera said recently that the present strength of the public service is 1.4 million, whereas ideally, it should be around 800,000. He added, “The pension scheme in the present form is a heavy burden on the people. more..

Aug 22 (ST) There was no surprise in the Central Bank’s expectation that this year’s economic growth would be modest. Although international agencies expect a growth of around 4.5% this year, this may be difficult to achieve due to some proximate adverse conditions, obstructionist political actions and policy uncertainty that is not conducive to investment. Owing to these reasons only a modest growth of 3.5 to 4% is a realistic expectation for this year. What is disconcerting is more..

Aug 22 (IPS) Chandrika has just received her G.C.E. O/L results. To the delight of her family, she has passed with flying colors, obtaining ‘A’ grades for all nine subjects. Chandrika’s success story, along with an enlarged, smiling picture of her, is now visible to anyone passing through her village; several of her tuition masters have taken liberty to promote their tuition classes by drawing attention to Chandrika’s outstanding performance. But, Chandrika’s grandmother is not thrilled about her results. more..

Aug 22 (DM) Most people in Sri Lanka don’t think about global domination, says Sanjiva Weerawarana, the Founder, CEO and Chief Architect of WSO2. WSO2 is described as a software middleware company and its vision is to reinvent the way enterprise middleware is developed, sold, delivered and supported through an open source model. As the speaker for this year’s IESL Ray Wijewardene Memorial Lecture, more..

Aug 22 (CT) Sri Lanka pace spearhead Lasith Malinga has not had a great time since his comeback, as he finished another wicket-less game on Sunday still needing two more to reach 300 ODI wickets. Malinga was in the middle of a controversy when the Sports Minister called SL cricketers' ugly and criticized them as overweight players. SL fans expected Malinga to reply with a good performance with the ball, but instead he chose to do it with words and had to face a SLC disciplinary inquiry. more..

Aug 22 (NS) The polythene ban will come into effective from September 1. While little can be done about the woes of polythene manufacturers and recyclers a new banana leaf bio wrapper introduced by Senior Lecturer of Weligaththa Rural Technical Institute, Hambantota, Dr. Sujatha Weerasinghe may just relieve you of a lot of lunch related troubles. Dr. Sujatha Weerasinghe spoke to the Nation on how to use banana leaves as a potential substitute for lunch sheets. more..

Aug 22 (Roar) Trincomalee oil tanks have been a hotly contested issue in recent days. With the Hambantota port deal completed, and the facility leased out for almost a century, fresh public concern has arisen about losing Sri Lanka’s assets to foreign powers. But the situation might not be as simplistic as the present govt selling out. The tanks are an engineering achievement lost to the jungle. Aerial views will show giant concrete circles rising more..

Aug 22 (Island) HNB announced a timely partnership with Aitken Spence PLC to serve as lead arranger to a syndicated loan facility for the construction of a revolutionary 10 Megawatt (MW) waste-to-energy power plant. The syndicated funding facility arranged by HNB is for a total sum of Rs. 9.0 billion. Bank of Ceylon, People’s Bank and DFCC will join the syndication with HNB. Managed by Western Power Company Pvt. Ltd, a member of Aitken Spence Group, the project represents more..

Aug 22 (FT) Sri Lanka’s banking and finance watchdog, the Central Bank, confirmed it is in the process of linking microfinance companies to the Credit Information Bureau (CRIB) by the end of the year as multiple lending to the same borrowers has raised concerns in the microfinance sector. This was said at a panel discussion organised by K. Seeds Investments.  It was titled Magnifying Microfinance: The Way Forward, CB Senior Assistant Director Ajana Liyanapatabendi said more..

Aug 22 (ST) The govt is currently working out a possible revision of entrance fees to heritage sites in the wake of calls by the industry regarding high rates. Discussions are currently underway with the relevant authorities including a Tourism Task Force established to look into the possible adjustments regarding fees to heritage sites, Tourism and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga told Business Times. more..

Aug 22 (Hindu) The deep sea fishing project, launched by PM Narendra Modi here on July 27 to end bottom trawling in the Palk Bay, has evoked good response with more than 300 fishermen evincing interest in the venture. The ambitious project, implemented jointly by the Central and State govts with 70% subsidy for constructing a vessel at the cost of Rs. 80 lakh, has gained momentum with 337 fishermen applying and the fisheries department issuing work orders for 62 of them, more..

Aug 22 (DN) Colombo District Court issued an enjoining order preventing SL Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) from organising knockout stage matches of the Under-15 in the school cricket tournament. Court made this order pursuant to a lawsuit filed by Ambalangoda Dharmasoka College’s captain (U-15) following their controversial elimination from the tourney. In this lawsuit, the plaintiff had cited SLSCA President Oshadha Panditharatne and 21 others as defendants. more..

Aug 22 (ST) To obtain new electronic National Identity Cards, the declaration of family details will be optional, but those who want to withhold such information will have to provide valid reasons, Minister S.B. Nawinna said. Minister will seek Parliament’s approval for regulations on the introduction of electronic NICs which will include biometrics of the holder. There will also be provision to seek family information of the applicant. more..

Aug 22 (ITN) Former Minister Piyankara Jayaratne and his Private Secretary B. Dayawansa who appeared in Court on charges of causing a loss to the Government, have been released on bail. They are accused of causing a loss to the Govt through the creation of the post of Development Planning Coordinating Officer an appointing his Private Secretary in contravention to the Civil Aviation Services Authority Act. Former Minister and his Private Secretary appeared before more..

Aug 22 (CT) Northern Province Fisheries Minister Balasubramaniam Deniswaran's party membership has been temporarily suspended by the TELO, Party General Secretary N. Srikantha said. Deniswaran has been suspended for a period of six months commencing 20 August. Srikantha said the decision was taken on Sunday at a TELO meeting held in Vavuniya. "Deniswaran violated party discipline by endorsing the No- Confidence motion against the Northern Province CM C.V. Wigneswaran. more..

Aug 22 (FT) Taking a daring step, the tea industry is attempting to finance itself by raising Rs. 8 billion annually, diverging from Government-led policies to establish a revenue model for the sector’s needs from its own stakeholders, a top official said.  The stakeholders of the industry are to meet with Minister Navin Dissanayake to discuss the way forward, SL Tea Board Chairman Rohan Pethiyagoda said. more..

Aug 22 (ST) Four persons were nabbed by the Customs, at the BIA Departure terminal, yesterday morning, attempting to smuggle out several pieces of gold to India. Customs Spokesperson Sunil Jayarathne told Ceylon Today that the suspects had hidden three gold biscuits and six raw gold pieces, weighing 387.81 grams and valued at Rs. 2,132,955, in their rectums. The suspects, one Indian national and three Sri Lankans were aged between 20 and 38, the Customs reported. more..

Aug 22 (CT) Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera is advocating the setting up of a corruption Court to score points with the Prime Minister, said UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa. He added that Perera was well aware of the law and is keen to make the UNP Leader happy. "There is a law in this country and I am sure that Ajith P. Perera knows it much better than most of the MPs in the UNP. But he doesn't want to lose his ministry. He knows that the existing law is what it is. more..

Aug 22 (ST) The long-drawn impasse in the commencement of the third section of the Central Expressway (CE III) has ended with the SL Govt’s decision to allow two Japanese companies to form a consortium to carry out construction work. Considering the recommendation made by the Japanese Government and Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM), the govt has given the green light to Taisei more..

Aug 22 (DN) The FCID has commenced investigations into a transaction which resulted in the ordering of two ships from a Chinese agent in 2013. Initial investigations revealed that the ships had been purchased at over 15 million rupees beyond the estimate. Both ships had cost the Govt 70 million US dollars. Investigations also had revealed that the Chinese agent had conducted transactions worth over 2000 million rupees with Sri Lanka between 2013 and 2015. more..

Aug 22 (CT) The Monetary Board, with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance has promoted Assistant Governor, C.J.P. Siriwardana as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) with effect from 19 August 2017, a Central Bank media release stated. C.J.P. Siriwardana has over 31 years experience in the Central Bank, especially in Economic and Price Stability, Financial System Stability and other Agency Functions carried out by the Central Bank. more..

Aug 22 (CT) Minister Rajitha Senaratne urged PM to reopen the Avant Garde case after re-examining the Attorney General's report, which states that there was no reason to take up the case. Senaratne made this statement at the opening ceremony of a new bus stand at Kirindiwela, in the presence of MP, who declared open the bus stand. "Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe states that he has no lineage to promote. more..

Aug 22 (CT) For the second consecutive year, Sri Lankan students participated in the prestigious summer student programme at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva. The four students who completed the two months programme last week were, Thenmolie Gnanaguru, a graduate of the Department of Physics, University of Jaffna, Nimmitha Karunarathna, a graduate of Department of Physics, University of Colombo, Kalpanie Liyanage, more..

Aug 22 (CT) President of Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) U.R. de Silva says that there is no legal provision to set up Special Courts to hear cases related to acts of fraud and corruption committed by those in the previous regime. Silva said certain Ministers had already expressed views on the need to set up Special Court to hear cases related to wrongdoings of those in the previous govt. But, the BASL head noted that there was no legal provision to set up such a Court. more..

Aug 22 (CT) Sri Lanka has the third highest prevalence of wasting (low weight for height), which is usually the result of acute significant food shortage, Global Nutrition Report 2016 revealed. The only countries ranked below Sri Lanka in this index are Djibouti and South Sudan, countries wracked by conflict and the horrors of global warming. According to the report published by International Food Policy Research Institute more..

Aug 22 (Island) PM and President had an emergency meeting last night following a govt parlimentary group meeting. Some MPs had taken up the issue of Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe vilolating collective Cabinet responsibility by publicly criticising Hambantota Port agreement with China. PM answering queries from the MPs on Wijeyadasa’s conduct, said that though he (Wijeyadasa) had been given time till yesterday to respond to allegations, he had not complied. more..

Aug 22 (Island) British national Charlie Austin has been known as the person who controls Sri Lankan cricket with an iron fist and eventual decision-maker in respect of key issues such as Lasith Malinga’s early retirement from Test cricket, Chaminda Vaas’ stepping down from national team’s Vice-Captaincy and the captaincy switch during the World T-20 match against England at Pallekele in 2012. Several ex-SL skippers including Arjuna Ranatunga and Tillekeratne Dilshan have been critical of more..

Aug 22 (DM) PM yesterday communicated to Prez Sirisena his party’s decision to expel Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe from his post. Mr. Rajapakshe drew criticism from his party over the allegation that he was deliberately delaying the institution of legal action against those accused of corruption & frauds during previous regime. However, he denied it saying he could not interfere with the independent functions of judiciary. more..

Aug 22 (DM) Almost all cricketing nations in the world have had their rough patches. The teams with better infrastructure and funds like Australia, England, India and New Zealand recovered within a couple of months. Some others like Pakistan even without any of these blessings somehow came around by sheer hard work and timely guidance.    On the other hand, the West Indies which once ruled the cricketing world for more than a decade, never recovered fully. more..

Aug 22 (DM) President Maithripala Sirisena has decided to set up a National Economic Council (NEC) which will become the apex body tasked to formulate and implement the govt’s economic and development policy. The new venture is in part an attempt by the President to claw back some control of the economic policy, which was hitherto under the purview of PM and his economic advisers. However, the plus side is that it would inject a degree of certainty to the govt’s policy more..

Aug 22 (DM) Minister Champika Ranawaka stated in April that beggars in Colombo city will be removed within the next three months to facilitate the development of the city. While this decision may have the potential to bring a permanent solution to the beggars’ menace, this can metaphorically mean that Saturn will be landing on the beggar’s bowl. Daily Mirror left no stone unturned in its attempts to obtain the views of more..