Sep 24 (FT) The first meeting of the Export Development Council (EDC) was held yesterday under the patronage of Prez Rajapaksa, focused on resolving issues related to exports in tandem with the National Export Strategy (NES) to be a game-changer in the post-COVID-19 economic transformation of SL. This was the first discussion the EDC held in 28 years, after it was established in 1972. Prez outlined the responsibility of more..

Sep 24 (FF) The SL apparel industry could lose up to 100,000 jobs this year, according to estimates by SL Apparel Exporters Association (SLAEA), whose chairman Rehan Lakhany said that would represent about 30 per cent of the workforce. The association foresees a big issue in the next six months as there is simply no loading for factories. The govt relief package of LKR 50 billion ($250 mil) was quite small compared to the requirements, he told Fibre2Fashion in an interview. more..

Sep 24 (FT) SLPP National List MP Tissa Vitarana, who was named Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) yesterday, said the proceedings of the Committee would be open to the media. Dept of Communications of Parliament said journalists will be allowed to cover COPA proceedings, continuing a practice begun under the previous Govt. However, there was uncertainty if the proceedings of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) would be open to the media, more..

Sep 24 (DM) Cabinet on last Monday gave its deep thought to the sharp rise of the Cost of Living (CoL) and given the nod to a string of remedial measures proposed by Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardana. Accordingly, in a set of recommendations to be put in place to bring down the CoL in the country at a stable rate on all state agencies involved in food production, processing, import and distribution would ensure more..

Sep 24 (Island) An attempt is apparently being made to sweep the issue of land encroachment and forest clearing at Aruwakkalu under the rug. Encroachers cleared a vast extent of land belonging to the SL Cement Corporation, in Aruwakkalu, Puttalam, in a bid to sell it, early this month. The area affected by encroachment is a part of land encompassing about 4,500 acres leased by the state. The original lessee was Thawakkal and the second one Holcim. Responsibility for ensuring the safety of more..

Sep 24 (TM) MarCom Collective, an industry body comprising nine associations linked to the advertising and marketing communications sectors, has proposed that expenditure on promotion and advertising be made fully deductible and an additional deduction of 100% be allowed. The proposal, along with others, was handed over to PM and Minister of Finance Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees recently. The meeting included a high-level delegation from the MarCom Collective more..

Sep 24 (Island) The decision to have deferred telecasts of the proceedings of parliamentary committees including the COPE and the COPA was not aimed at protecting tie-coat thieves of Colombo 07, the Chief Govt Whip Minister Johnston Fernando told Parliament yesterday. He said categorizing the thieves of the former govt (2015-2019) into two groups––the tie-coat and Colombo 07 was a task for the SJB. more..

Sep 24 (AD) Four suspected accomplices of underworld figure Battaramulle Bunty have been arrested by the crime prevention unit of Thalangama Police. They were taken into custody in the area of Akuregoda, Battaramulla last night (22). The suspects, including a 40-year-old woman, had been in possession of 20g of Crystal Methamphetamine also known as Ice and 5g of heroin and 40g of Kerala cannabis. Rs. 150,000 in cash and a mobile phone were also found on the suspects. more..

Sep 24 (Island) For large corporates, understanding the pulse of one’s stakeholders assures longevity and relevance. From serving a few to serving many, Cargills has undergone numerous changes as a corporate entity throughout its rich history of over 175 years. Reflecting on its journey thus far, Cargills transformed from a primarily wholesale and retail business to a pivotal player across multiple sectors within the food and beverage industry in SL. From introducing the first bona fide supermarket, more..

Sep 24 (CT) The sittings of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) would not be open to the Media anymore, Chief Govt Whip, Minister Johnston Fernando said. The decision was taken during the Govt’s party meeting, he said, adding the previous Govt used the live transmissions of COPE and COPA sittings to slander certain persons’ images, specifically the images of more..

Sep 24 (DM) The commitment of all political parties are needed for a quick change over to a mixed electoral system, Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardene told Parliament. He said it was the govt's belief that there should be an electoral system under which a majority of MPs should be elected under the first-past-the-post system and the rest on proportional representation system. "We have already implemented a mix electoral system when it comes to local bodies. more..

Sep 24 (DM) Following the decision of temporarily suspending the importing of vehicles, the increasing prices of the second-hand vehicle market cannot be controlled by the Govt, Transport State Minister Dilum Amunugama said. State Minister said the second-hand vehicle market had unusually increased. "With the current situation, customers should act wisely. This temporary suspension is not permanent. This has to be imposed to stabilize the cash flow to some extend," he said. more..

Sep 24 (Island) General Secretary of Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) Ranjith Madduma Bandara, MP, yesterday filed a petition in the Supreme Court stating that the proposed 20th Amendment (20A) to the Constitution was inconsistent with the Constitution. It requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament and approval by people at a referendum for passage, SJB has argued. The SJB says 20A violates people’s sovereignty more..

Sep 24 (AD) A three-wheeler being pumped fuel at a fuel station on the Ella-Wellawaya main road has spontaneously burst into flames. The three-wheeler had been parked next to fuel pump when the incident occurred. However, a major disaster had been averted as the employees of the fuel station managed to extinguish the fire in time. Reportedly, no person has been injured in the incident. The spontaneous combustion of the three-wheeler and the following events have been recorded in more..

Sep 24 (CBSL) Sri Lanka Socio Economic Data – 2020, the annually published data folder of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, is now available for public information. The current data folder is the 43rd volume of the series. This easy-to-carry booklet contains information categorised under 14 topics, namely, Country Profile; Key Economic Indicators; Country Comparisons; Socio Economic Conditions; Human Resources; National Accounts; Agriculture; Industry; Economic and Social Infrastructure; more..

Sep 24 (EN) The govt is determined to follow procedure and not make any changes to the 20th Amendment before it reaches the Committee stage in Parliament, a highly placed source in PM’s office said. “The legal process is that the proposal is gazetted and once approved by Cabinet it can be tabled before Parliament,” source said. “There is no need for any changes to be made, and legally they cannot be made before Committee stage” more..

Sep 24 (FT) The SL Police will tomorrow make changes to the ongoing traffic plan based on data analysis and the feedback they have got from the public. As such, the Bus Lane (left most lane) which is in use on four routes will not be compulsory for three-wheelers and motorcyclist from tomorrow, Police spokesman SSP Jaliya Senaratne said. However, busses and vans registered as office and school transport services will be allowed to use the ‘Bus Lane’, said SSP Senaratne. more..

Sep 24 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa made a sudden inspection visit to the Narahenpita Office of the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA). Prez visited the office, today (23), following a complaint made by a client of the NHDA. As per the complainer, the officers had failed to perform their respective duties on a number of occasions while saying that the staffs were not adequate. Prez, who observed the office, noted that there were sufficient staff members to fulfill their duties properly. more..

Sep 24 (AD) Investigations have revealed that Save the Pearls organization, belonging to currently detained Hejaz Hizbullah, has received funds from an institute in Qatar suspected to be funding terrorist activities. CID informed the court, that the said institute had deposited an amount of Rs 13 million to the bank account of the Save the Pearls organization. Relevant institute in Qatar has been identified as a banned org more..

Sep 24 (CT) Leader of the SLMC, MP Rauff Hakeem was present in the House during the protest staged by the SJB on 22 Sept, at the time of tabling the draft proposal for the 20th Amendment. Besides Hakeem other SLMC MPs present in the House during the protest were Faizal Cassim, M.S.M. Thowfeeq and H.M.M. Hariz. Hence, the Page 1 article that was carried in Ceylon Today in its issue of 23 Sept, under the caption Several SJB Leaders Absent During 20A Protest which claimed more..

Sep 24 (DM) The House got heated up when the opposition questioned the reduction of police security provided to the MPs. SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana said MSD personnel who had been assigned for the security of the MPs had been reduced and that it was a threat to the security of all 225 MPs. “MSD personnel assigned for the security of the MPs have been reduced. This has been done in a situation where the drug smugglers were threatening to kill even the Prez and more..

Sep 24 (CT) Democratically elected Govts of nations understand the pulse and needs of their people the best. It is the responsibility of the UN to assist and support processes of Govts to bring about sustainable solutions for needs of their people, Prez Rajapaksa said in a pre-recorded address to the General Debate of the 75th UNGA yesterday. Sri Lanka is committed to follow a neutral foreign policy with no affiliations to any more..

Sep 24 (FT) I am proud that the Editors’ Guild of SL, of which my father was the Founder-President, was one of nine media industry bodies/organisations to express deep concern over aspects of the 20th Amendment and their potential to negatively impact SL’s democratic institutions. Mervyn de Silva would have endorsed the statement, had he lived. He founded SL Guardian magazine in May 1978 as a critical civic alternative at the moment of more..

Sep 24 (FT) A diminutive, shy person with head bowed down walked into the room. She walked slowly but with a purposive step. When she began the class her voice was just above a whisper and her words were accompanied by long pauses as we strained to listen. This was 1976 and I was enrolled in the class of Professor Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she began her pioneering course on sex-based discrimination and the law. more..

Sep 24 (Island) The commitment of all political parties was needed for a quick change over to a mixed electoral system, Leader of the House, Dinesh Gunawardena, told Parliament yesterday. Speaking during an adjournment debate in the House, yesterday, Gunawardena said it was the govt’s belief that there should be an electoral system, under which a majority of MPs should be elected under the first-past-the post system and the rest on proportional representation system. more..

Sep 24 (DM) Chief Epidemiologist of the Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera raised concerns regarding the double standards of some media institutions over adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. He said that some media institutions that educated people on the health safety in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, had taken the guidelines for granted when holding their programmes such as reality shows. “If the media institutions stop violating COVID-19 guidelines in this manner, more..

Sep 24 (EN) Lawyers representing the stricken MT New Diamond crude oil tanker have agreed to settle the initial claim made by the govt of SL with regard to the control of the fire onboard the ship, officials said. Officials at the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) confirmed that the claim of Rs 340 million for the initial upfront costs of dousing the fire and handling of the ship and rescue efforts had been agreed upon. more..

Sep 24 (SLN) Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships Kaga and Ikazuchi arrived at the port of Colombo on a two-day goodwill visit today (23). The JMSDF ship Kaga - a multi-purpose operation destroyer, is 248m in length and is manned by 380 crew members. Meanwhile, the JMSDF ship Ikazuchi – a destroyer class ship, is a 151m long platform manned by a crew of 170. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy and Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral more..

Sep 24 (AD) Department of Examinations says that all tuition classes and seminars related to the 2020 G.C.E. A/L exam will be prohibited from midnight on Oct 6 until the examinations are concluded. Meanwhile tuition classes and seminars related to the Grade 05 Scholarship Examination will be prohibited from midnight on October 07 until the exam ends. The 2020 A/L exam is scheduled to be held from October 12 to Nov 6 while the Scholarship Exam is to be held on Oct 11. more..

Sep 24 (USE) U.S. Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Minister of Health, Hon Pavithra Wanniarachchi yesterday as part of the United States’ on-going assistance to SL in its response to COVID-19. The donation includes 23,000 masks, 24,000 nitrile gloves, 600 isolation gowns with hoods, 60 infrared thermometers, 50 portable oxygen concentrators with a large supply of more..

Sep 24 (Island) A group of foreign medical degree holders protested opposite the Prez Secretariat yesterday requesting that tangible measures be taken to conduct the Examination for Registration to Practice Medicine (ERPM) without further delay. They alleged that over 1,500 students had been deprived of the opportunity to sit the examination due to the fault of the Sri Lanka Medical Council, which is now under investigation by a committee, appointed by Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi. more..

Sep 24 (FT) People’s Bank has made history by becoming the first state bank to accept fingerprints of pensioners for verification purposes, in lieu of conventional life certificate. The official launch ceremony was held at the People’s Bank Head Office under the patronage of Chief Guests – Former Auditor General S. Swarnajothi and Veteran Musician Edward Jayakody, Director General of Pensions Jagath Dias, Additional Director General K.A. Pathmapriya, People’s Bank Chair more..

Sep 24 (AD) Former Chairman of the Arachchikattuwa PS, Jagath Samantha, who was arrested and remanded over the clearing of land at the Anawilundawa Wetland Sanctuary, has been granted bail. The former PS chairman, who is the main suspect in the case, was ordered released on bail by the Chilaw Magistrate’s Court when the case was taken up today. Chilaw Magistrate Anura Buddhadasa ordered to release the defendant on more..

Sep 24 (DM) Former Minister Mangala Samaraweera said today that the Opposition in Parliament is now playing the race card like the SLPP did when it was in the Opposition earlier. In a Tweet, he also said that what Sri Lanka needs is an alternative vision and not a duplicate of the present regimes xenophobic and racist/majoritarian policies. Sad that the opposition in Parliament is now playing the ‘race card’ like the SLPP in opposition earlier; what Sri Lanka needs is an alternative vision more..

Sep 24 (AD) Several top figures of the Yahapalana Govt are scheduled to record statements with the PCoI probing the alleged incidents of political victimization today (24). Accordingly, former Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Malik Samarawickrama, Champika Ranawaka, Rauff Hakeem and Sarath Fonseka will give evidence before the panel. In addition, Tamil National Alliance leader, MP R. Sampanthan and JVP leader, MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake will also appear more..

Sep 24 (AD) A Russian national, who recently arrived in the country, has been admitted to the Hambantota Base Hospital after his second PCR test report came out positive for COVID-19. The individual in question, identified as a staff member of a Russian airline, had reached the Mattala International Airport recently along with a group of 13 other Russian nationals. Chief Public Health Inspector of Matara stated more..

Sep 24 (DM) A leading underworld figure Devmuni Rohana de Silva alias ‘Ratmalane Roha’ has been shot dead during a shootout with the police, in the Kochchikade area, Negombo, in the early hours today, police said. They said that the suspect was attempting to flee to India, at the time of the incident. Police had to retaliate when the suspect opened fire at the police team with T-56 weapon. A T-56 weapon and a revolver were taken into the police custody. more..

Sep 24 (Island) Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena told Parliament that 28 companies had imported canned fish unfit for human consumption, under the yahapalana govt. Responding to SJB MP Hesha Withanage, Minister Gunawardena said that the said canned fish stocks had been turned away by the Customs Department. Withanage said that there were claims that during the time the Govt decided to reduce canned fish prices, stocks, which were not suitable for more..

Sep 24 (AD) The panel of scientists appointed by the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) to investigate the marine pollution caused by the crude oil tanker MT New Diamond which was engulfed in fire off SL earlier this month, has submitted its report to Attorney General Dappula de Livera. AG’s Coordinating Officer State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne confirmed that the AG received the report and more..