Oct 6 (TM) A truth-seeking mechanism is expected to be established before March 2023, based on the final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) for the Appraisal of the Findings of Previous Commissions and Committees and the Way Forward chaired by Supreme Court Judge Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz, which was appointed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in January 2021. more..

Oct 6 (FT) The Uni Of Colombo Department Of Economics, Tourism Study Program, and the Alumni Association of Tourism Economics and Hospitality Management (AATEHM), with the strategic partnership of Barberyn Ayurveda Resorts, have organised an industry-interactive event to celebrate the UNWTO World Tourism Day 2022. Themed Rethinking Tourism: Wellness and Sustainability the event will be held tomorrow from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. at Barberyn Beach Ayurveda Resort, more..

Oct 6 (Island) Four leading athletics schools in SL, St. Anthony’s College, Kandy, St. Benedict’s College, St. Joseph’s College and St. Peter’s College are meeting again at the Annual Saints’ Quadrangular Athletic championship on Oct 15-16 at Bambalapitiya. This annual competition is eagerly looked forward to by the present and past athletes of the four schools, as it is not just a sporting event but also an occasion for the four leading Catholic Schools in SL to come together in a spirit of more..

Oct 6 (DN) The SL cricket team has already started their preparation for the T20 World Cup in Melbourne. They reached Australia on October 3 and are training to adjust to their new conditions. "We had a four-day training session at Pallekele before the Australian tour and now we reached Melbourne and had our first training session on last Sunday (4th) at Junction Oval grounds", said SL cricket Manager Mahinda Halangoda in an interview with the Aus-News Lanka more..

Oct 6 (TM) Supreme Court (SC) reserved its judgment with regard to a total of 13 fundamental rights (FR) petitions filed by several parties including the Bar Association of SL (BASL) seeking an order to prosecute those who were directly or indirectly responsible for the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019. When the petitions were taken up before a seven-judges bench presided over by CJ Jayantha Jayasuriya yesterday, arguments made by the petitioners & respondents were concluded, more..

Oct 6 (Island) Royal College hurdler Nadun Bandara and sprinter Jayeshi Uththara of Holy Cross College, Gampaha won the best athlete titles of the boys’ and girls’ categories respectively for their outstanding performances at the Western Province Schools Athletics Championship which concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The four day event, which was criticized by many, including Olympian more..

Oct 6 (FT) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar called on the Govt to take steps to stop large-scale frauds taking place in the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. Speaking in Parliament, Marikkar asked the Govt to reveal the names of those benefitting from the deals relating to the procurement of fuel. “They are stealing in the guise of managing the crisis,” he said. “The supplier called Coral bid claiming it would bring Brent Crude Oil. However, what they have brought in is the type called Siberian – Augustus oil. more..

Oct 6 (EN) India’s Spice Jet will begin flying to Sri Lanka from November 15, boosting arrivals from India while Russia’s Aeroflot will also return from October 9, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said. Sri Lanka has carried out a promotional campaign in India taking 50 travel industry representatives to key cities to talk to Indian travel industry representatives, he said. IndiGo Air is already flying to Sri Lanka, he said. Air India has also doubled frequencies, Fernando said. more..

Oct 6 (DN) With the proposed new taxes Sri Lankans would be heading for a higher tax regime further burdening people. However people are still ready to pay them and the govt on their part should ensure that they are put to right use, said Founder & Chairman of Kapruka Holdings PLC and Chairman Faculty of Taxation, CA SL, Tishan Subasinghe. He was speaking at the Latest Tax Reforms in SL seminar organized by Organisation of Professional Associations of SL (OPA) on Monday. more..

Oct 6 (TM) CEB has sent a letter to SLFP General Secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara informing him of arrears of Rs. 637,448.38 in electricity bill payments owed for the period from 2016 to date excluding the interest accumulated, with which the amount owed totals above Rs. 1 million. The letter stated that in 2016, he owed the CEB Rs. 494,739.69, and that as of Aug 2022, the said amount has increased to Rs. 1,132,188.07. The letter also stated that he has to settle the electricity bill before 15 Oct, more..

Oct 6 (EN) Sri Lanka is planning to provide uninterrupted power supply to the tourism sector in hopes to increase tourist arrivals, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando told the parliament, after the island nation saw the worst monthly arrival in September. “We will be looking at regions across Sri Lanka and will provide them uninterrupted power supply to facilitate tourism,” said Fernando on Wednesday when he addressed Parliament. more..

Oct 6 (DM) Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Director General Dhammika Wijayasinghe yesterday announced that she would be stepping down from her role at the entity. In a letter addressed to the tourism sector stakeholders, Wijayasinghe shared that Oct 5 was the last day of her tenure as DG of the SLTDA. “We have gone through turbulent times within the past two and a half years and survived. The challenges brought us all together,” she said. more..

Oct 6 (EN) SL is maintaining current policy rates with inflation (the rate of increase in prices) expected to ease from the next few months, Central Bank said. According un updated fan chart published by the central bank is projecting with a high probability that inflation to peak around 75% before falling. SL has a policy rate of 15.5% but market rates are closer to 30%, with the CB no longer printing large volumes of money to mis-target rates and trigger very large forex shortages in the past. more..

Oct 6 (TM) Govt of SL (GoSL) is expected to receive between 5 and 10 votes, significantly lower than it has received in the past, at today’s vote on the UNHRC resolution sponsored by the Core Group of Countries on SL at the UNHRC. It is understood that the Govt is resigned to this result, as its attempts to sway votes in its favour have not borne fruit. Permanent Representative of SL to the UN Office in Geneva C.A. Chandraprema more..

Oct 6 (Island) Former Prez Chandrika Kumaratunga can lift the country out of its current predicament, Peshala Jayarathne, former chief minister of north-central province, and member of NLFP said yesterday. He said that there was a need to establish an administration that could stabilise and guide the country out of the current crisis. “We have decided to unify all progressive groups under her leadership. We believe that she has the ability to steer the country in the right direction. more..

Oct 6 (FT) Countries vie for attention on the world stage. We all love our nation to prosper and to be at peace with each other. We do not like to see images of poverty and destitution nor images of torture and violent death. We all agree that corruption erodes society. If one wakes up in the morning without being sure of tomorrow, that is not an experience we want to happen to anyone. Sadly though, these are still realities in a world where some are contemplating taking a trip to Mars and more..

Oct 6 (FT) SL is going through the worst economic crisis in decades. Overcoming it requires genuine sources of foreign exchange, good quality jobs, and sustainable growth based on productivity upgrading. Macro policies conducive to stability and reduced uncertainty will pave the way to the needed productive investments. Yet, to ensure a strong supply response to these macro policies, structural reforms need to follow. Looking outwards through credible and consistent actions to encourage more..

Oct 6 (EN) Sri Lanka will impose deposit rate caps in a bid to bring down interest rates, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said as inflation runs at 70% and price controls on consumer goods were also planned in another regressive move. Sri Lanka had to raise interest rates to stop money printing and a balance of payments crisis was triggered by two years of money printing to miss target interest rates. To stop the crisis, private credit and the economy have to be smashed. more..

Oct 6 (AD) Three persons have been arrested in the Galewela area over the shooting incident in Minuwangoda in which 03 people of the same family were murdered, Police Spokesman says. The victims were shot dead in the area of Gaman Gedara in Minuwangoda at around 7.00 a.m. today. Father and his two sons were killed in this shooting incident. It is reported that the perpetrators have used a T-56 for murder. more..

Oct 6 (EN) SLPP MP Prof Ranjith Bandara was elected chairman of the COPE. Bandara, who analysts say is a close ally of SLPP architect Basil Rajapaksa, received 14 votes from the committee membership, while opposition MP Eran Wickramaratne received seven. SJB MP Harsha de Silva complained that the govt has denied the COPE chair to an opposition MP. The SJB has repeatedly called for the chairmanship of COPE, COPA & COPF be given to opposition, as promised. more..

Oct 6 (TM) Announcing further price reductions on Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) yesterday, Litro Gas Lanka Ltd. Chairman Muditha Peiris claimed that LPG is now cheaper than the alternate methods of cooking (kerosene, firewood, electric stoves) that people were forced to adopt because of the lack of availability and affordability of LPG. “According to our observations, we have noted that following the gas shortage, a small percentage of consumers switched to alternate methods of cooking like more..

Oct 6 (DM) The draft resolution, titled, Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in SL which has been proposed by a group of states comprising Canada, Germany, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, US and UK, has been tabled at the UNHRC in Geneva today. Permanent Representative to the UK in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley introduced the resolution on Sri Lanka. more..

Oct 6 (Island) This month’s edition of Rendez-Vous with Yasmin and Kumar now showing on the YouTube, channel of the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, celebrates the life and world of Sri Lanka’s internationally renowned film-maker Dr. Lester James Peiris. His connection with France has been a karmic tryst ever since he took his first film Rekawa to the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. France has hosted numerous retrospectives of his body of work since then. more..

Oct 6 (CT) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) directed IGP to take steps for the protection and safety of IUSF Convener Wasantha Mudalige, who is currently in detention. HRCSL noted that all persons are entitled to equal protection of the law and that no citizen shall be discriminated on the grounds of political opinion and thereby advised that Police should act with responsibility for the safety of Mudalige. Mudalige was arrested following a protest march organised by more..

Oct 6 (TM) Shanka Abeywardene was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Deputy General Manager of Finance and Planning at SDB Bank, and assumed duties with effect from 5 Sept 2022. Abeywardene brings with him over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry in Sri Lanka and overseas. He has a proven track record of setting up new business lines and effective business partnering, fostering overall organisational growth, and as a member of SDB bank’s more..

Oct 6 (EN) SL has revised tourist arrival expectations for 2022 and also lowered revenue targets for the year, Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando said. Total tourist arrivals for the year so far till end September is roughly 526,000 and generated only around US$ 829 million in revenue. Tourism authorities had anticipated one million arrivals generating a revenue of US$ 1.8 billion. “As per the SLTDB president, we are expecting another 300,000 tourists for the next 3 months,” more..

Oct 6 (EN) SL’s ruling coalition must get its house in order and speak with one voice about the proposed 22nd amendment to the constitution instead of insinuating that the opposition is scuttling its enactment, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said. Speaking in parliament, PM Dinesh Gunawaredena claimed that MP Lakshman Kiriella had told him when he met him earlier that morning that the main opposition the SJB more..

Oct 6 (TM) Although SL tourism is yet to recover from consecutive challenges, global growth trends in tourism have seen Sri Lankan businesses start to gradually revive amidst the eased political unrest and availability of necessities, stated a First Capital Research (FCR) report on tourism forecasts. Inbound tourists in SL went downhill shortly after April, amidst the Russia-Ukraine conflict, SL’s political turmoil, and travel restrictions placed by leading tourist source markets, more..

Oct 6 (PTI) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe announced in Parliament on Thursday that he hopes to visit New Delhi to discuss the island nation’s worst economic crisis. Briefing the House on his recent visits to Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines, Prez said, “We are continuing our talks with India. During my brief meeting with PM Modi in Japan, I conveyed my wish to visit New Delhi to brief them on our situation." The Prez, who took charge after then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled Colombo more..

Oct 6 (PTI) SL’s president said Thursday his govt has started debt restructuring discussions with China, an important step toward finalizing an IMF rescue of the island nation from a severe economic crisis. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Thursday that initial talks will continue after China's Communist Party congress, which begins Oct. 16. Wickremesinghe, who recently returned from a trip to Tokyo, more..

Oct 6 (EN) Sri Lanka has asked the World Bank to make the country eligible for cheaper loans as the country no longer get market rate loans President Ranil Wickremesinghe said. SL defaulted on its debt and no longer qualifies for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) window loans of the World Bank. SL however graduated out of lower income status International Development Association loans several years earlier. “We can no longer get market rate loans,” more..

Oct 6 (Island) The Department of Agrarian Development yesterday said that no cultivator in Sri Lanka had abandoned farming in the past few years. The Department’s senior officials were responding to Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Minister Mahinda Amaraweera when they were instructed to immediately provide a report containing correct information regarding the statements made by certain individuals and groups that farmers are giving up paddy cultivation. more..

Oct 6 (DM) With the introduction of Fuel Pass QR code, it signifies that more digital solutions are available for the country's burning issues, Computer Society of SL (CSSL) President Damith Hettihewa said. Addressing the media, during an event organised in view of the 40th National IT Conference (NICT) which is scheduled to be held on October 12 and 13, he said on the solutions front, we saw how digital platforms can enrich lives with the fuel pass. That is the reason we need to really echo more..

Oct 6 (GDI) The first poppy flower was pinned on Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the occasion of the remembrance of the Poppy Day, which held this afternoon at the Parliament premises. Major General Ruwan Wanigasuriya, President of SL Ex- Servicemen’s Association, pinned the first poppy on the Prez. SL Ex- Servicemen’s Association annually organizes Poppy Day to remember the fallen war heroes of the World Wars and raise funds. The funds will be spent on the welfare of the families more..

Oct 6 (DM) General Secretary of the SLFP, former Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara alleged that a major fraud involving govt politicians has taken in the procurement of crude oil for the CPC running into US$ 100 million from a single shipment recently. Exposing this massive cheating of public money to the media at the party office, Mr. Jayasekara said the schemers of the theft have imported a shipment of crude oil through more..