Jul 24 (CT) Salt manufacturers in Kinniya are voicing their concerns over the lack of a stable price for salt, leading to a decline in the number of people involved in production and leaving them in a helpless situation. They highlight that the price of a hammer of salt, which was previously sold at Rs 2,000-2,500 two to three years ago, has now plummeted to Rs 500-600, with no proper facilities for selling their produce after production. Covering an expansive area of nearly 100 acres more..

Jul 24 (TM) Despite Cabinet approval being granted to increase water and sewerage transport tariffs, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) is yet to be informed of the relevant percentages the tariff is to change by. Cabinet of Ministers last week granted approval to raise water and sewerage transport charges, and the same was announced by minister Bandula Gunawardena. more..

Jul 24 (TM) The Law Students' Union of Sri Lanka (LSUSL) has raised concerns over the recent increases of fees charged by the Sri Lanka Law College (SLLC), requesting authorities to consider a more considerate structure. Speaking to The Daily Morning, LSUSL President Shenal Wijesinghe said that various types of fees including that for the General Entrance Examination charged by SLLC have been raised through an Extraordinary Gazette dated 05 January 2023. more..

Jul 24 (DM) Galle Chief Magistrate Isuru Nettikumara ordered to consult the Attorney General whether indictments could be filed against the IGP and the Director of the SIU over allegations of undue influence on police officers and witnesses over a case of theft of money from foreigners at a tourist hotel in Unawatuna, Galle. A tourist hotel owner at Unawatuna, his son and another individual were arrested by the Galle Division Crime Investigations Unit earlier this year for stealing more..

Jul 25 (CT) There is so much being said about the healthcare system and the Govt’s failure to stop this situation escalating to the point it has, and rightly so. And, hopefully the more we highlight the perils of the crisis; we will get adequate facilities from those paying attention. To add to the weakened medical sector in the country, like a drought in the pool of healthcare professionals who have left for various reasons, we have had to endure critical circumstances after deteriorating stocks more..

Jul 25 (DM) Recent statement by Minister Keheliya Rambukwella that all those who are admitted to hospitals do not return home alive is no doubt outrageous, despite it being indisputable. It is outrageous as it was made following recent controversial deaths that were suspected of being caused due to poor quality medicines which were said to have been withdrawn after the said deaths. Minister while speaking in Parliament had stated that if a hundred thousand patients are admitted more..

Jul 25 (TM) Although SL has led the South Asian region in terms of human development indices, Human Development Index (HDI) growth rate has seen a dip. While the top HDI rankers are Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland, all at the 0.9 point level, SL is in the 73rd place with 0.782 points. We have gone from 76, to 72, to 73 in the HDI ranks, and now we are stalling. Those most impacted by the economic crisis have been children, more..

Jul 25 (DM) Politics make strange bedfellows. In Sri Lanka politics, it is a reality proven with precision. Nothing is impossible in the pursuit of power. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who holds the presidency, was elected to office with the backing of SLPP under surprising circumstances given the history of hostility between the two parties. But in politics, shared interests can create unexpected alliances. Prez was elected to office in the backdrop of political, social, and economic unrest, more..

Jul 25 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced that he will convene a meeting with all political parties to decide on the implementation of the 13th Amendment in full or in part. Shortly after being elected president by parliament he pledged to resolve the ethnic conflict and take the burden off the shoulders of future generations. As part of his solution he referred to the need to fully implement the 13th Amendment, including the devolution of police and land powers that successive govts more..

Jul 25 (GV) Half a century ago, it was higher education, saving universities from Tamil encroachment. Today it is Buddhist heritage, saving archaeological sites in the N&E from Tamil encroachment. Tomorrow another bone of contention would be found from some nook of the country’s distant past or cranny of its troubled present. Kurundi could become a Lankan Ayodhya, the locus of a future where yesterday’s ruins more..

Jul 25 (TM) Let’s work together to get out of this economic crisis, a slogan coined by politicians and policymakers echoed over the last year, rallying Sri Lankan’s to get on with the bitter reforms programme that was needed to convince the IMF led global community that SL was indeed ready to make a turn. While the success of the slogan and the reforms will be measured in how fast and well SL recovers from the economic crisis over the next several years, another series of challenges more..

Jul 25 (Island) There is a widely-held misconception that SL is a land where every prospect pleases, and only politicians are vile. The less said about politicians, the better; suffice it to say politics is a stinking swamp that has to be drained if the country is to achieve any progress, but the fact remains that most others are no better. There has been a considerable drop in the general price level over the past several months, and the production costs of most commodities have decreased as more..

Jul 25 (GV) July 23, 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the July 83 anti-Tamil pogrom, which has left an indelible mark on SL’s history. This dark chapter overshadowed the nation’s post-independence era and played a significant role in the long civil war that followed. The seeds of violence were sown much earlier, with numerous instances of anti-Tamil hostility in the years leading up to 1983 including 1956, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1974, 1977 and 1981. UNP-led govt under Prez J.R. more..

Jul 25 (ST) He is charged with reducing Lanka’s medical sector to a shamble, and leaving in its dust, the ashes of a people’s trust and confidence in govt-run hospitals. It does not matter whether he is personally to be blamed for the collapse of public confidence in the health service. Suffice to say that under the concept of ministerial responsibility a minister is held responsible for the conduct of his department. He takes the kudos for the Ministry’s triumphs. more..

Jul 25 (TM) With regard to the ongoing domestic debt restructuring process, which is also known as domestic debt optimisation, while some express satisfaction with the related Governmental measures and optimism about the impact on the country’s economy, there is also a significant proportion of the respondents who express dissatisfaction, uncertainty, and concerns about various aspects of the process. more..

Jul 25 (FT) Port City Colombo (PCC), SL’s most ambitious integrated development project and the country’s first foreign currency designated Special Economic Zone dedicated to exports of services, has taken a significant step towards fostering stronger ties between the Thai and SL business communities. Accordingly, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed between Port City Colombo and the Thai-SL Chamber of Commerce (TSLCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. more..

Jul 25 (Island) The participation of SL youth team inclusive of Ambagamuwa central medal prospect Ayomal Akalanka at the forthcoming Commonwealth Youth Games is in jeopardy after National Olympic Committee failed to obtain visas for country’s teenagers to transit in Amsterdam en route to the islands of Trinidad and Tobago where the international multi sports event is scheduled to commence on August 4. SL were set to field a contingent of eleven young sports men more..

Jul 25 (Island) SL Cricket Lionesses made headlines and history earlier this month, securing their first-ever bilateral ODI series victory over New Zealand’s Ferns. SL won by a 2-1 margin. This was their first-ever series win against NZ in any format. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu took centre stage as the series’ highest run-scorer, amassing 248 runs. Despite falling short in the subsequent three-match T20 series, Lankan Ladies bounced back to clinch their first-ever T20 victory more..

Jul 25 (Island) It was a maniac day of Test cricket at SSC ground yesterday as SL offered Pakistan the second Test match on a platter with some horror batting and indiscipline bowling and only rain seem to be capable of saving them from losing the game and the series. SSC gives two hoots about the press and has the worst press box in the world. Even unfancied grounds like Rajkot in the far-off Gujarat or Potchefstroom in the remote part of SA have got far better facilities for the press than SSC. more..

Jul 25 (FT) New Chairman Reyaz Mihular, a respected professional, yesterday set the right tone at the top for the employees of SLT-Mobitel on the desired way forward as well as countering some of the misinformation following the removal of his predecessor Rohan Fernando. In a message to the staff of SLT-Mobitel, Mihular, stressed that he is a Non-Executive Chairman and how he plans to function in that role. more..

Jul 25 (CI) That was a good 24 hours for Pakistan cricket. Try and say those words out loud, to a friend, at a dinner party, even to yourself in an empty room. Notice the inflection in your voice as you reach the end of that sentence? It's surprisingly difficult to voice that sentiment without the muscle memory in your vocal chords preparing for the caveat which always qualifies such a sentence, an unfortunate extended phenotype spawned by painstaking years of real-world experience. more..

Jul 25 (FT) Rohan Fernando who was ousted by its Board as Chairman of SLT-Mobitel sent the following statement in response to the Daily FT article titled Rohan out, Reyaz in at SLT helm published on Friday 21 July 2023. It is with great disappointment that I note you have either purposely or have been misinformed of certain facts pertaining to the said boardroom coup. Following points in the FT article have been contested by Fernando and FT publishes its response within brackets. more..

Jul 25 (ST) The upcoming 101st National Athletic Championship, which will be held from July 28 to 30 at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo will generate more interest, with SL’s recent success at the Asian Athletic Championship 2023 held in Bangkok, Thailand. Accordingly over 750 participants, including athletes from India, Maldives and a few other countries from the region have confirmed their participation at the event. more..

Jul 25 (FT) In a major development, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will undertake a 2-day official visit to SL on 27 and 29 July. This marks the first ministerial visit from Tokyo to Colombo since 2019. Harvard-educated senior politician from Japan is expected to engage in detailed discussions on the ongoing debt restructuring process, which is co-chaired by the Japanese govt, and several areas of bilateral cooperation as a follow-up to the visit of more..

Jul 25 (ST) Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has cautioned the Treasury that it will not be able to collect the revised revenue target set at Rs 1,667 billion by the end of the year due to a range of issues faced in the collection of taxes. IRD officials who have met with Treasury officials in the presence of an IMF representative have pointed out a string of difficulties in facing the new revenue target to be achieved in the next five months, a senior IRD official said. more..

Jul 25 (BN) SL rupee has turned into Asia’s worst-performing currency from being the best in the first half of the year, and is poised to extend losses amid headwinds from interest-rate cuts and loosening of import controls. Currency has tumbled more than 6% this month as it fell a 14th day on Monday, on track for its longest daily losing streak in almost 5 years. That’s a stark reversal from its stellar performance in the first six months of this year, when the rupee was Asia’s top performer with a 19% advance. more..

Jul 25 (EN) Sri Lanka’s inflation in June 2023 measured on National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) slowed to 10.8% from the previous month’s 21.6%, data from the state statistics office showed, as the central bank operated deflationary monetary policy. Sri Lanka’s NCPI rose to 203.3 points in June from 203.1 points in May. The year on year (YoY) inflation on the food group eased to 2.5% in June from 15.8% in May, while non-food inflation decreased to 18.3% in June from 27.6%. more..

Jul 25 (FT) SJB MP S.M Marikkar levelled accusations against the Govt, claiming an ambitious 300% increase in expenditure. MP highlighted that despite the Appropriation Bill for 2023 initially granting the Govt a debt limit of Rs. 4979 billion, it was later amended on 20 July this year to significantly increase it to Rs. 13 979 billion. “In other words, they are seeking to secure loans amounting to Rs. 9,000 billion, which is roughly more..

Jul 25 (FT) FPC member MP Prof. Charitha Herath criticised the all-party meeting convened by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe for 26 July, dismissing it as a mere political gimmick in anticipation of the Presidential election. The all-party meeting is scheduled to take place on July 26 at 5.30 pm at the President’s Secretariat. Govt has said its primary objective is to inform party leaders about the National Reconciliation Program, which is to be implemented by the govt. more..

Jul 25 (DM) Sri Lanka will import one million eggs per day from five selected chicken farms in Tamil Nadu, India to be sold through the state–run retail chain called Lanka SATHOSA primarily in the Western Province to address the shortage, an official said. Chairman of State Engineering Corporation Asiri Walisundara said that a team of officials from the Dept of Animal Production and Health visited these farms for quality tests and certified them. more..

Jul 25 (PMC) Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement to mark 40 years since Black July: “Forty years ago, in July 1983, an onslaught of horrific anti-Tamil pogroms were carried out across Sri Lanka. They took the lives of thousands, and many more were injured, displaced, and subjected to sexual violence. The brutality of Black July escalated tensions in what became a decades-long armed conflict that led to the death of tens of thousands of people, and trauma more..

Jul 25 (CT) Supreme Court yesterday concluded its hearings and reserved judgement on the Fundamental Rights Petition, challenging the decision of former Prez Maithripala Sirisena, to grant a Presidential Pardon to Don Shramantha Jude Anthony Jayamaha, who was convicted in the Royal Park murder case. 3-Judge-bench comprising Justices S. Thurairaja, Yasantha Kodagoda, and Janak de Silva, heard the arguments presented by both, the petitioner and Respondent parties. more..

Jul 25 (DM) The EDB said SL’s gem and jewellery sector is under serious threat, due to a surge in foreign traders’ involvement in key gem markets without the required licences, threatening the sector’s integrity and sustainability. An advisory committee of the export promotions agency pointed out that the presence and influence of illegal foreign traders and buyers at the China fort gem market & Ratnapura have become a major challenge more..

Jul 25 (AD) The Gampaha Additional Magistrate has issued an order to the relevant officials to exhume the buried root of the much-disputed Crudia zeylanica tree, which was uprooted to proceed with the construction of the Central Expressway. Gampaha Additional Magistrate Fathima Zahana, who issued this order, has also ordered the case to be recalled on August 24, when the case was taken up for consideration before the courts today (July 24). more..

Jul 25 (FT) AG’s Dept informed the Supreme Court that specific provisions of the Private Member’s Motion submitted by SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda, which aimed to re-convene dissolved Local Govt bodies without holding elections is in violation of the constitution. The bill proposed by the MP aimed to amend the Municipal Ordinances pertaining to urban councils and municipal councils, granting the subject minister the authority to recall LG Institutions for a period of time as deemed necessary. more..