Feb 21 (DN) A survey done by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) among its members has revealed a 49% of the firms which are its members had been impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19); however the survey respondents highlighted the need for policymakers to provide conducive environment for export growth as there is an opportunity for countries like Sri Lanka to benefit with trade and supply chain realignment. The survey conducted by Economic Intelligence Unit of more..

Feb 21 (ST) Many new firms – especially start-ups – are opting to register their businesses in Singapore instead of Sri Lanka owing to the stringent laws prevailing here, industry sources say. They said that while registering in Singapore gives companies regional as well as an Asian presence, firms latch onto the open policies in Singapore which makes it easier for businesses to operate. This is true for start-ups which need venture capital funding. “There are no restrictions on the amount of capital more..

Feb 21 (PMD) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa says his aim is to eradicate poverty with the creation of a people-centric economy. Prez made these remarks addressing the 22nd National Conference of All Ceylon Samurdhi Development, Agricultural Research and Production Assistants Union held today (20). Conference was organized under the theme A people’s era where Samurdhi & agricultural rights are guaranteed. more..

Feb 21 (DN) Mahindra India, together with Ideal Motors SL, has assembled and rolled out 40, KUV100 NXT, the first Make in Sri Lanka cars from their assembly facility in Welipenna. Forty more cars are now on sale, signaling a historic land mark in SL’s Automotive Industry. A JV between Mahindra and Ideal Motors along with an initial investment of over USD 20 million to assemble automotive vehicles in Sri Lanka, the first plant spread over 10+ acres of land was inaugurated in August. more..

Feb 21 (DN) Jetstar Asia will become the only low-cost carrier (LCC) to fly direct from Singapore to Colombo, when it launches the new service on July 1, operating four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Colombo becomes Jetstar Asia’s 25th destination from Singapore and the first airline in the Qantas Group to fly to the popular hotspot. The return service will operate four times a week with flights timed to allow more travelers from Europe, Australia and more..

Feb 21 (DN) Sri Lanka ranks 68 in a new global index of 180 countries, comparing performance on child flourishing, estimated using measures including child survival and well-being, such as health, education, nutrition; sustainability, using greenhouse gas emissions as a proxy, and equity indicated by country income gaps. The report finds that no single country is adequately protecting children’s health, their environment, more..

Feb 21 (FT) Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said he was against the inclusion of former President Maithripala Sirisena in the alliance contesting the forthcoming General Election as well as allowing him to contest under the symbol of the flower bud (Pohottuwa). “I cannot agree with the appointment of former Prez Sirisena as the Chairman of the alliance. There is no change in my stand. I still say we could have won by ourselves. Similarly, Sirisena should not have been involved,” more..

Feb 21 (CT) For the first time in Sri Lankan history, a woman Surveyor General has been appointed to the Survey Department of Sri Lanka. Shyamalie Chitraleka Perera (58), has been appointed as the 50th Surveyor General, the first woman appointed in its 220-year history (it was established in 1880). She succeeded S.D.P.K Dampegama and will assume duties today (21). The Surveyor General is the Head of the Department and the head of the surveying and mapping profession and more..

Feb 21 (Island) The COPE yesterday decided to ask the CID to investigate the alleged irregularities in the award of international broadcasting rights by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). COPE Chairman Sunil Handunetti said all information they had about SLCs broadcasting rights would be handed over to CID to help with the investigations. SLC officials who were present at COPE welcomed the move and assured their full cooperation. more..

Feb 21 (PHC) High Commissioner of Pakistan, Maj. Gen. (Retd) Muhammad Saad Khattak hosted members of Pakistani Community at Pakistan House on Feb 19. During Interaction with Community, High Commissioner emphasized on the important role of the Pakistani Community in promoting the interests of Pakistan abroad and contribution towards economic development of the two Countries. High Commissioner while commenting on Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations said that both countries have more..

Feb 21 (FT) LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey reveals that sentiment surrounding the economy declined in January with only 62% of respondents expecting conditions to improve in the next 12 months (versus 74% in the previous month). According to an optimistic survey respondent, “the economic climate in general looks favourable for business at present.” In contrast, 8% of those consulted by Nielsen expect the economy to deteriorate in the coming 12 months while more..

Feb 21 (DM) Work in Chinese funded projects in Sri Lanka has begun to return to normal as workers who were subjected to 14-day isolation amidst fears of the novel coronavirus, have returned back to work this week. Work at projects such as the Port City, Lotus Tower, the construction of the National Nephrology Specialist Hospital in Polonnaruwa and the Moragahakanda Dam, were affected as its senior managers and workers more..

Feb 21 (FT) Govt of Japan will provide a total amount of $ 175,246 (approx. Rs. 30 million) for The Project for Constructing a Causeway in Buttala, Monaragala District and The Project for Constructing a Psychiatry Unit of Divisional Hospital, Nilaveli, Trincomalee District through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). The grant contracts were signed on 19 Feb at the Ambassador’s Residence in Colombo, between Ambassador of Japan Sugiyama Akira, more..

Feb 21 (DN) I join all SL Hindu devotees who are dedicating themselves to celebrate the Maha Sivarathri festival which signifies the dispelling of darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge and understanding, states President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a Maha Sivarathri message. The message: “Hindu devotees believe that various religious rituals performed throughout the day of Maha Sivarathri, which is one of the most important events of the Hindu calendar, will help to more..

Feb 21 (Island) The govt said that it would seek the support of other countries to withdraw from the UNHRC Resolution on SL, which was co-sponsored by the previous Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration. While absolving former Prez and SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena of any blame, Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that the responsibility for Sri Lanka co-sponsoring the March 2019 UNHRC Resolution 40/L.1 more..

Feb 21 (AT) In an audience of approximately thousand attendees on Saturday (15), in the Southern Nevada Community College auditorium to celebrate Sri Lanka’s 72nd Independence organized by the SL America Association of Las Vegas, a name of a SL-born American echoed on several occasions from a top US lawmaker who attended the event as the chief guest from the podium. U.S. Congresswoman Prof. Dina Titus, a Member of U.S. House of Representative’s Sub-Committee more..

Feb 21 (MoD) Defence Ministry will submit a new Cabinet paper to solve existing issues related to pensions and allowances to disabled persons of armed forces and the police, soon. Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne urged Ministry officials to expedite actions to solve discrepancies in the existing pension and allowances of them by preparing a fresh Cabinet paper. “It is our duty and responsibility to clear the existing technical discrepancies with regard more..

Feb 21 (AD) Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security has made suggestions to the Parliament to ban face-covering attire such as the burqa and to suspend the registration of political parties on ethnic and religious basis. These suggestions were made in a special report presented to the Parliament offering solutions to 14 controversial issues in the community following the Easter attacks. more..

Feb 22 (CT) On Feb 10, 2020 the European Commission issued a Joint Report to the European Parliament and the Council on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences covering the period 2018-2019 on Sri Lanka. EU granted GSP+ concession to Sri Lanka on the understanding that SL would honor 27 int'l conventions SL has already signed. However, the EU has withdrawn the GSP + concession in 2010 on the grounds that Sri Lanka has not adhered to 3 conventions out of those 27 conventions, more..

Feb 22 (CT) Prez Election of Nov 2019 was fought entirely on the issue of security. In a sense, Zahran and his suicide mob presented victory to Gotabaya Rajapaksa on a platter. Was that their genuine intention or were they instrumental in fulfilling the wishes of another party, only history would reveal. Although the national economy at that time was reeling under low growth, punishing debt, rising income disparity, falling productivity, chronic unemployment, rising cost of living and more..

Feb 22 (CT) The common attitude in SL society regarding women and children is that they are respected and well-protected within our social boundaries. When speaking about women in SL, most people will eagerly say that the world's first woman PM was a Sri Lankan. Many point out that society gives the highest possible respect for a woman, quoting gedara budun amma (a mother is the Buddha of a home). more..

Feb 22 (CT) DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon said 293,826 boys and 2,046 girls comprising a grand total of 295,872 all under 18 years of age, were arrested for drug -related offences. Those included 25 who were under 14 years of age. He had further alleged that of SL's total population, 5,975,607 used heroin or cannabis or pills (psychedelic in nature) or similar type of drugs or cigarettes. He had also said that in the Colombo suburbs alone there were 1,852,572 illicit drug users. more..

Feb 22 (CT) When an egregiously political dysfunction within a Govt, spurred on collectively by the President and PM, spills over into the realm of defrauding governance of its collective responsibility, leading to the deaths of over 300 innocents, the culprits at the highest levels of that governance need to be called out, stand up in public and state their excuses. Should those excuses point unerringly to callous moral failures, the law needs to be measured against those crimes. more..

Feb 22 (CT) Former Governor of the Central Province, Attorney-at-Law Maithri Gunaratne, says the Rajapaksas, who were ousted in 2015, returned to power, because they carried out their role in the Opposition properly. Q: What is the political Party you represent? A: The Eksath Jathika Nidahas Peramuna, the symbol is the Bunch of Plantains. We registered it in 2018. One and a half months after that, we contested PS Polls. more..

Feb 22 (DM) Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardane will fly to Geneva next week to indicate the Govt’s interest in doing away with the resolution 30/1 adopted by the UNHRC. This is a resolution adopted on Oct 1, 2015 with co-sponsorship of SL under the then regime headed by former Prez Sirisena and former PM Wickremesinghe; committing to probe allegations of rights abuses during the civil war. It says, “UNHRC welcomes the recognition by the Govt of SL that accountability is essential to more..

Feb 22 (Island) Two private buses and a lorry collided in Naula, yesterday, killing two persons and injuring 50 others. Such fatal accidents are not infrequent on SL roads, where about eight persons die at the hands of reckless drivers day in, day out. Private bus drivers have become a law unto themselves, as we keep saying in this space. The same can be said of all heavy vehicle drivers. The police apparently don’t care to rein them in. Traffic cops have got their priorities mixed up; more..

Feb 22 (DM) For Hindus world over Maha Sivarathri is purely a religious ceremony of day time fast and vigilance throughout the night. They observe these special rites on the 14th night of Phalgma (February/March) which is the longest night in the year, according to the Hindu calendar. This year it falls on February 2l. Observances are started in the morning on the festive day and continued throughout the night in a bid to wash away the sins and pave the way for eternal bliss through more..

Feb 22 (Island) The names the Sinhala people bestowed on their villages, mountains and rivers have fascinated me from my very early days as a District Land Officer in the 1950s tramping brambly footpaths, uneven tank bunds and muddy niyaras. I learnt much local lore from the simple peasants and village officials accompanying me on my inspections. I have written briefly in earlier stories, of these experiences and observations on village names. Now reflecting in the tranquility of my 90th yr, more..

Feb 22 (Island) Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena must have been diplomatically polite when he conveyed the SL Govt's displeasure and objections with regard to the travel ban to the US imposed on the SL Army Commander and his family, when he met with the US Ambassador Aliana Teplitz earlier this week. This meeting must have revived Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s memories of his father, the late Philip more..

Feb 22 (EN) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has been financing loss-making SriLankan Airlines to the tune of US$ 8 million a month, newly appointed Chairman Ashok Pathirage has said. SriLankan buys about US$ 14 million of fuel from CPC a month but has been paying only about US$ 6 million a month, he told the parliaments Committee on Public Enterprises. “When I took over two month ago it was 6 (mil dollars,” Pathirage said. “Since then I have requested them to pay 8 (mil dollars).” more..

Feb 22 (SO) The new Director General of the SLBC, Chandrapala Liyanage spoke about his innovate plans to develop the SLBC as SL’s flagship broadcasting entity and to promote a responsible media culture while competing with other private radio channels in the country. “The Govt has taken a policy decision that the SLBC will be an independent institution without political influence. It has the responsibility to preserve its identity and continue as the pioneer radio network in the country,” more..

Feb 22 (CT) UNP Lawmaker Eran Wickremaratne raised serious questions about the silence of professionals as the Govt engaged in witch-hunts against their peers in a hard hitting speech in Parliament about the political transfers of police personnel and the attempts to frame journalists and media professionals for faking the abduction of Swiss Embassy Staffer Garnier Francis. Govt was pushing the line that more..

Feb 22 (CI) On the surface, SL are favourites. They are one spot higher on the rankings (eighth to West Indies' ninth), finished stronger in the World Cup last year - beating WI in a thriller. And they are, of course, at home. But the spirit of resurgence in the WI side is difficult to overlook. Late last year, they pushed India close, in India. More recently, they swept Ireland in a 3-match series at home. And yet, WI being West Indies, they are missing key players for strange reasons. more..

Feb 22 (DN) In a fascinating saga of blessing in disguise, Avishka Tharindu of St. Anthonys College, Wattala, said despite whacking a record-breaking 350 against Lumbini College, Colombo, the disillusionment, anger and appetite for runs has still not died down. This was after the triple centurion failing to make the cut into the Sri Lankan U-19 World Cup (WC) squad and that only prompted and provoked fury in him. The application to earn a recall was mauling a merciless massacre against more..

Feb 22 (CI) On Wednesday, ahead of his first ODI series as Sri LAnkan coach Mickey Arthur spoke about players being handed down well-defined roles within the team. On Friday, on the eve of the first one-dayer against West Indies, he went into a little more detail about what those roles were. Unsurprisingly, the two wristspinners in the squad - legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga and left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan - more..

Feb 22 (Rediff) What cannot be lost sight of is that the public designation of the SL army chief and acting chief of defence staff Lt Gen Shavendra Silva for war crimes by the US state department on Feb 14 actually happened the day after the UN security council held a debate in New York where, inter alia, reconciliation process in Sri Lanka was in focus. The debate itself was initiated by Belgium which currently holds the presidency of the security council, and was patently a Western initiative. more..

Feb 22 (Island) The universities in Sri Lanka have inherited the legacy of ragging from the British. In the early days of university ragging was of a mild nature, and mostly confined to the hostels that existed at that time such as the Brodie Hostel on Bullers Road (now Bauddhaloka Mawatha). Sometimes it was not so pleasant for the freshers as they had to do things that were very unhygienic as they were forced to walk in the dirty drains in their normal attire of long trousers and shoes! more..

Feb 22 (FMT) Attorney-General Tommy Thomas has decided to drop the charges against the 12 individuals accused of having links to the now-defunct group LTTE. Thomas said there was no realistic prospect for the conviction of the 12 under any of the 34 charges brought against them. “Millions of people across the globe admire Lenin, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung or Che Guevara, and the like. Having their photos & other representations more..

Feb 22 (AD) A 12-year-old child and a woman have died while many others were injured in a fatal head-on collision between two private buses on the A-9 road at Nalanda area in Naula, Matale. The accident took place early this morning (21). A bus carrying pilgrims from Dambulla to Sri Pada had collided head on with another bus, that had been en route to Batticaloa from Kandy, while overtaking a lorry, which collided with rear-end of the bus immediately after the crash. more..