Oct 25 (DN) Experienced Angelo Mathews is likely to get the greenlight from the World Cup Technical Committee to be added to the Sri Lanka cricket squad in place of Matheesha Pathirana yesterday said an official of the SL team during the Team training session held at MA Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium in Bangalore yesterday. “We have two options to make a replacement for Matheesha Pathirana who has a shoulder injury and we have decided to add Mathews as the replacement more..

Oct 25 (FT) Cabinet approved to publishing of the revised Shop and Office Employees bill in the Govt gazette and subsequently submitted it to the Parliament for deliberation for approval. On 8 Aug 2023 Cabinet approved amending the Shop and Office Employees (regulation of employment and remuneration) Act No. 19 of 1954 to enable female employees’ engagement in night shifts in the offices where business activities are carried out based on information technology, more..

Oct 25 (CT) Sri Lanka earned their first win at the Netball Nations Cup when they swept away Cook Islands 63-52 in their third outing worked off at OCBC Arena, Singapore on Tuesday (24). Sri Lanka had a great start to the match as they raced into an early lead with back-to-back goals. The Lionesses were working the ball into the circle with accuracy and their shooters often played the shooter-to-shooter ball to get the ball as close to the post as possible. more..

Oct 25 (DN) On the second day of the All Island Schools Games held at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Tuesday, six new meet records were set in an impressive display of talent. Asian Games gold medalist Tharushi Karunaratne, representing Walala A Ratnayake Central College in the Central Province, competed in the Under-20 400m finals. In her last appearance at the All Island School Games, she achieved a remarkable feat by more..

Oct 25 (EN) SL is to refund advance income tax (AIT) deducted on interest income of senior citizens, Inland Revenue Dept announced. “In an effort to support the financial well-being of our elder community members, we are launching a program that provides a refund of AIT deducted on interest income at 5% by banks or financial institutions,” a govt information department statement read. Senior citizens 60 years or older with an annual income (from April 1 to March 31 the following year) more..

Oct 25 (FT) In an exclusive pre-publication release, the publisher of leading business magazine LMD, Media Services, announced its top 20 line-up in the forthcoming LMD 100 special annual edition. Expolanka takes the top spot in the 30th edition of SL’s pioneering listed company rankings for financial year 2022/23. With a consolidated revenue in excess of Rs. 546 billion, the conglomerate secures the top spot in Sri Lanka’s version of the Fortune 500 for the second time in a row. more..

Oct 25 (TM) Following recent unruly events that unfolded in Parliament, the Govt has decided to establish an independent body to oversee the conduct of MPs. PM Dinesh Gunawardena and Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe have tabled a joint proposal in this regard at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday. Accordingly, the Cabinet gave the nod to obtain the views of the Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana more..

Oct 25 (Island) A special World Bank delegation led by Ms. Cecile Fruman – Director, South Asia Regional Integration and Engagement and Ms. Mandakini Kaul – Regional Coordinator, South Asia Regional Integration and Engagement visited the Port of Colombo recently for a policy dialogue meeting on regional cooperation in South Asia. The World Bank had organised this field visit to showcase the role of Port of Colombo (POC) as a growing maritime hub of South Asia Region. more..

Oct 25 (EN) Sri Lanka is in the process of creating a Revenue Authority and the 2024 budget is likely to announce it to monitor the three key state income collecting bodies due to their poor performance, sources who are aware of the new move said. A Parliament Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Economic and Physical Plans has said the govt’s tax collection is far behind the target due to the lethargic attitude of the three main state revenue collecting institutions: more..

Oct 25 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe held discussions with Sinopec Group Chairman Ma Yongsheng and top executives of Sinopec Group in Beijing last week to discuss their ongoing projects in Sri Lanka. Senior Advisor to Prez Sagala Ratnayake, CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, BOI Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody, Director Presidential Secretariat Theekshana Abeyawardana, SL’s Honorary Consul in Shanghai Anura Fernando participated in the discussions. more..

Oct 25 (FT) SJB MP Gayantha Karunathilaka claimed the current Govt led by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is now in the final phase of its term before being ousted next year. “They are staging their final act. They only have ten months to go,” he said. “Govt’s castle in the sky is on the verge of collapsing as public opposition to the govt continues to escalate daily,” he added. The MP made these comments while addressing a press conference at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo. more..

Oct 25 (FT) IHP’s SL Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) MRP estimates of Prez Election voting intent in Sept 2023 show NPP/JVP leader A.K. Dissanayake with an increasing lead amongst likely voters at 46%, up seven points in a month. SJB leader Sajith Premadasa was second on 29%, and Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe third on 17%. The increase in support for the NPP/JVP leader in the last 3 months, contrasts with small declines more..

Oct 25 (FT) Boat and Marine Show 2023 organised by Chamber of Marine Industries of SL (CMISL) and SL Export Development Board (EDB) in association with Industries Ministry, SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and other relevant stakeholders will be held from 27-29 October 2023 at the Port City Marina, Colombo. The 8th edition of the Boat Show is organised with the objective of enhancing the international profile of SL as a marine tourism destination & a quality boat manufacturing more..

Oct 25 (DN) Sri Lanka will be able to increase their tourist arrival targets by a minimum of 10% with the offering of free visa on arrival for seven countries, said President Hotels Association of SL (THASL) M. Shanthikumar. He said this will definitely have a positive impact for the Indian arrivals as well. “It will also lead to attracting more travelers to Jaffna as well from the flights taking from Chennai. Cabinet on Monday gave approval subsequent to a request made by Minister Harin Fernando more..

Oct 25 (SLN) Based on intelligence information received from the State Intelligence Service, the SL Navy mounted a special operation and intercepted a drug-carrying local multiday fishing trawler on high seas about 292 nautical miles (about 540 km) south of Dondra, by deploying SLNS Vijayabahu. The intercepted local multiday fishing trawler with over 219 kg (including packages) of heroin and 05 suspects aboard were escorted this morning (24) to the port of Colombo. more..

Oct 25 (Island) Urban Development & Housing Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, who is also the Chief Govt Whip, has found fault with a committee appointed by Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies Ministry coming under Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe for recommending the abolition of the Urban Development Settlement Authority (UDSA). SLPP heavyweight has told a meeting chaired by PM Dinesh Gunawardena in Parliament that the abolition of the UDSA is a crime. more..

Oct 25 (TM) Ministry of Agriculture has called for an urgent report from the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) prior to taking further steps, including filing a complaint with the CID, regarding the alleged disappearance of paddy worth nearly Rs. 100 million from five warehouses belonging to the PMB in the Kurunegala District. A group of employees of the PMB had lodged a complaint with Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, more..

Oct 25 (DN) State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that seven vehicles that were suspected to have been imported using electronic vehicle import licenses which were given to encourage migrant workers were taken into custody by the Customs. Investigations have commenced to find the vehicles suspected to have been sold. Number of vehicles that have been imported to SL from the date of the relevant permission till Oct 16 is 119 and 75 of them have been imported by the same company. more..

Oct 25 (DM) Newly appointed Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said he expects to make some crucial and timely changes in terms of policies and individuals in the health sector. He made this remark at a news briefing held at health ministry after he assumed duties as the Health Minister. “As we are aware, the healthcare in SL is confronted with a spate of challenges triggered by the recent economic crisis. Although several issues have been addressed, there is a lot to be fixed. more..

Oct 25 (Island) The govt has removed two persons, including one-time high level LTTE operative Emil Kanthan from the list of proscribed persons and organisations. Govt made the announcement through a special gazette notification, dated Oct 16, published by Defence Secretary, General (retd) Kamal Gunaratne. Emil Kanthan was discharged by Colombo High Court in July 2020 from a high-profile case involving criminal misappropriation more..

Oct 25 (FT) The second tranche of the IMF’s EFF was delayed as the country failed to meet some of the program targets including the Govt revenue target. This prompted the IMF in their latest review to reiterate the need to strengthen tax administration, remove tax exemptions, and actively eliminate tax evasion to ensure revenue is collected as per the program targets. This requires intense efforts by the Govt if the country is to achieve sustainable macroeconomic stability. more..

Oct 25 (FT) As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, the influence of multinational corporations (MNCs) reverberates far beyond the boardrooms and balance sheets. In this era of heightened Corporate Social Investments (CSI) and a comprehensive Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) approach, businesses are not just economic entities but engines for positive change. MNCs have always been significant players in shaping the global business landscape; from a local perspective, more..

Oct 25 (EN) SL’s Labour and Foreign Employment ministry is to establish a migrant worker resource centre in the Eastern Province, with the use of a New Zealand govt grant of 350,000 NZ dollars. “It is planned to establish an immigration resource center in the Eastern Province to provide adequate, timely and reliable information and guidance to reduce the risks and challenges faced by migrants, returning migrants and prospective migrants while traveling and living in foreign countries,” more..

Oct 25 (AD) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa has voiced his displeasure over the recent Cabinet reshuffle that took place, deeming it a mere change of posts, as opposed to an effective solution the issues SL is currently facing. He emphasised that when running a coalition govt such as the incumbent administration, it is the state’s responsibility to ensure that a mechanism in place which would allow for discussions to be held with all political parties involved in the decision-making process. more..

Oct 25 (DM) Cabinet gave its approval for amending the provisions in the Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act, No. 19 of 1954. This amendment aims to empower women by allowing them to work during nighttime hours. The amendment to the Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act, No. 19 of 1954, now opens up more opportunities for women. Specifically, women working in information technology, more..

Oct 25 (DM) In the first 22 days of October, SL welcomed 77,763 tourists, bringing the year-to-date total to 1,094,019, according to provisional data from the SLTDA. During this period, the daily average of tourist arrivals was 3,534, showing an improvement compared to the previous week’s average of 3,359. The weekly average for the third week of October has also seen an increase, reaching 31,265, up from 23,434 in the second week and 23,073 in the first week. more..

Oct 25 (DM) The Court of Appeal yesterday issued a Writ of Certiorari quashing the govt's decision made to send public officers (including four grades of nursing services) on compulsory retirement at age 60. This order will be applicable to the nursing service especially officers in Grade I, Supra Grade, Special Grade and Executive Grade of SL nursing service. Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justice (President) Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and M.A.R. Marikar more..

Oct 25 (AD) The officers of CID told the court today (24) that they have uncovered information about an alleged plot to execute a terrorist-like attack, designed to aid the escape of notorious criminal figure and drug lord Harak Kata who is currently in custody. Accordingly, Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage has ordered the initiation of an investigation into the purported plot and called for a report on the findings. more..

Oct 25 (EN) A lack of clarity in what constitutes a ‘strategic development project’ in the Strategic Development Projects Act and the discretion given to the minister in charge led to tax holidays and incentives granted to projects whose strategic value was questionable, according to free market think tank Advocata. Tax concessions under the Act have also been awarded to projects that are not purely foreign funded, violating one of the core objectives of this Act, more..

Oct 25 (DM) A special programme is underway to provide visas for Sri Lankans staying in Israel without a valid visa or with expired visas, the SL ambassador in Israel said. Ambassador Nimal Bandara stated that the Sri Lankan Embassy in Israel yesterday conducted a programme to gather information of Sri Lankans staying in Israel without a valid visa and it will continue today as well (25). The Director General of Israel Immigration and Emigration Department and more..

Oct 26 (DM) With Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the SLPP Govt reportedly planning to introduce bills to restrict media freedom and impose checks on social media networks, independent analysts are warning of the repercussions because a free media is one of the pillars of democracy as it involves the people’s sovereignty, the right to information and expression. In this context, our political leaders need to contemplate the facts and figures given by the United Nations in a statement to mark more..

Oct 26 (CT) There is a jumbo image that essentially preoccupies the minds of anyone when talking or thinking about the small paradise island in the vast Indian Ocean. That is none other than the image of the largest remaining terrestrial herbivore i.e. the elephant. In fact, from having the picture printed on t-shirts and mugs at souvenir stores to carrying the sacred casket in Dalada Perahera, elephants are connected with many aspets of the SL including culture, religion, economy and even politics more..

Oct 26 (TM) The proposed Online Safety Bill (OSB) poses a great threat to the freedom of expression and will curtail the freedom of expression, particularly the expression of dissent through online platforms. The joint statement issued by women’s rights activists and women’s rights organisations states: “The OSB will embed a culture of the State harassment of online journalists and activists, artists, scholars, writers, more..

Oct 26 (CT) Thank you deputy speaker for the time allocated to speak on this very important issue that is shocking the conscience of the world. Let me at the outset express my solidarity with the people who are suffering as a result of violence, destruction, and wanton killing that’s taking place even as we debate tthis. We have seen footages, we are hearing news of humanitarian crises of enormous proportion. And therefore even as a small country in the world, we cannot remain mute. more..

Oct 26 (DM) Public concerns about the independence of the Judiciary in SL were the focus of a recent conference of the Lawyers Collective. Following certain statements made by the executive and in Parliament the Lawyers Collective asserted that the independence of the Judiciary is at stake and that unless action is taken the sovereignty of the people would be at stake. The sovereignty of the people is explained in Article 4 of the Constitution as being exercised by the different organs more..