Aug 26 (EN) Sri Lanka is likely to miss the 2024 target on the excise tax as production has reduced compared to the last year with the liquor prices having risen amid increase in illicit liquor manufacturing, a top Excise Dept official said. SL govt has set a target of 232 billion rupees for 2024; a 29.6% jump compared to last year’s 179 billion rupees. Excise Dept has already collected 132.7 billion rupees in taxes up to August 22, compared to 106.5 bil rupees in same period last year. more..

Aug 26 (AFP) Sri Lanka's main Marxist leader and a key presidential hopeful in elections next month pledged on Monday to selectively welcome foreign investors, especially in green energy, if he wins. Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, a 55-year-old former agricultural minister and vocal campaigner against graft, is popular with voters fed up with the endemic corruption he blames for the island's 2022 economic meltdown. more..

Aug 26 (AD) Election Commission today handed over to the Postal Dept the reserved packets containing the registered postal ballot papers to be distributed to the postal voters of the 2024 Prez Election. Accordingly, a total of 712,319 registered postal ballots have been handed over to the postal dept by returning officers at 25 centres across the island. Postal ballots will be handed over to the certifying officers tomorrow ahead of the postal voting, which is scheduled to take place on more..

Aug 26 (EN) Out of 58.6 billion rupees of uncollected revenues of SL Customs, 57.7 billion rupees related to state agencies, CFO M A Muthukude said. The arrears came due to various facilities given to state agencies to clear goods at in past year, he told reporters in Colombo. Out of 38 parties that from whom uncollected taxes were due, 37 were state agencies. The state agencies were given various accommodations to release goods and the money was now owned to various ministries. more..

Aug 26 (AD) Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry has met with Nacho Sánchez Amor, Member of the European Parliament and the Chief Observer of the EU Election Observation Mission to Sri Lanka 2024, at the Foreign Ministry premises this afternoon. During the event, the Foreign Minister has assured the support of the Govt of SL to ensure an independent and transparent European Union Election Observation Mission Sri Lanka, throughout the election period. more..

Aug 26 (NW) Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has raised concerns over the govt’s recent statements allegedly criticizing judges. Archbishop of Colombo said that the absolute independence of the judiciary is the cornerstone of the Constitution and is something that must be guaranteed by the state. He further said that therefore, it was the duty of all governmental and other institutions to respect and uphold the independence of the judiciary, ensuring that more..

Aug 26 (NW) SJB Prez candidate Sajith Premadasa says a new national programme will be implemented aimed at eradicating poverty within 24 months by providing a monthly allowance of Rs. 20,000. He said the new national programme will be implemented utilising the strengths of existing initiatives like Janasaviya, Samurdhi, Aswesuma, and Gamidiriya. He further said the new poverty alleviation programme more..

Aug 26 (NW) National Election Commission has officially announced details regarding the election of the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha. As per the schedule, deposits will be accepted from candidates from 26 August to 11 Sept 2024. The Election Commission states election nominations will be called from 09-12 September. The relevant nominations will be accepted at the Galle District Secretariat as published by the Returning Officer-in-charge of Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha. more..

Aug 26 (SM) Veteran film director Sugathapala Senarath Yapa has passed away after an illness. Born on Nov 10, 1935, in Akuressa, Yapa was 89 years old at the time of his death. He renowned for his work as the creative director behind numerous award-winning films, including Hanthane Kathawa, Pembara Madhu, Induta Mal Mitak, and Piya saha daruwo. His short film Minisa saha Kaputa, produced in 1965, earned him the Rajatha Mayura Award at the Int'l Short Film Festival of India. more..

Aug 26 (EN) NPP has proposed that SL’s income tax-free threshold be increased to 2.4 million rupees a year from the current 1.2 million and to equitably amend tax rates and tax brackets. NPP’s election manifesto has also proposed that the tax base be widened according to taxation fundamentals. Increasing the tax-free threshold to include people who earn up to 200,000 rupees a month will likely exclude many people from more..

Aug 26 (DM) Drastic changes have taken place in the health sector after appointing Dr. Maheepala Herath as Health Secretary and the number of patients receiving hospital care has increased, Govt Medical Officers' Forum (GMOF) president, Dr. Rukshan Bellana claimed. He told the Daily Mirror that with his appointment, the existing medical shortage has been restored to some extent, and the quality of the medicine received at government hospitals has increased. more..

Aug 26 (FT) SriLankan Airlines with the support of Airport and Aviation Services (SL), marked a milestone last week by delighting a large group of Buddhist child monks, or “Samaneras”, with a special guided tour of the airport and their first opportunity to board an aircraft. This event coincides with the airline’s 45th anniversary on 1 Sept 2024, adding to its significance in the airline’s history. The group, consisting of monks aged five and older from the Ganewatta Purana Rajamaha Viharaya more..

Aug 27 (DM) The only lifeline for SL for the recovery from the current economic crisis and achieving long-term economic development seems to be the programme sponsored by the IMF initiated by former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa in March 2022. All four main Prez candidates who might put up a significant show in the Prez election have already expressed their commitment to the programme. For Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, UNP leader who contests as an independent candidate for reasons known more..

Aug 27 (DM) Myanmar’s military junta, facing powerful armed insurgencies in the North Eastern part of the country, has decided to use Buddhist symbolism to defeat the enemy. According the Myanmar daily Irrawaddy, the junta is preparing to launch a major offensive code-named Operation Sin Phyu Shin or Operation Lord of the White Elephant – to retake the areas of northern Shan State captured by the Brotherhood Alliance and its allies late last year. more..

Aug 27 (TM) Govt is still deciding whether to introduce a vote on account or a fully-fledged budget, according to State Minister Shehan Semasinghe. With nearly a month remaining before the Prez Election, both options are still under consideration, despite recent indications that a new budget for the fiscal year 2025 is unlikely to be presented, with a vote on account being considered instead to cover expenses in the first few more..

Aug 27 (CT) Following the enactment of the new Anti-Corruption Act, the CIABOC recently published the assets and liability declarations, of all 39 candidates for the upcoming Prez Election, on its website. This marks a significant step towards enhancing transparency and accountability in SL’s governance, as Sri Lankans previously did not have the opportunity to review the asset and liability declarations of their representatives. Under Section 89 of the Anti-Corruption Act, more..

Aug 27 (GV) Last month, I studied over 4,000 tweets linked to the three main presidential candidates – Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW), Sajith Premedasa (SP), and Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) – in order to study how they presented themselves, and how a wider public saw them. I ended by noting, "What’s real and authentic in politics is often manufactured. Today’s election campaigns are highly sophisticated and feature dark arts that instrumentalise our fears, anxieties, more..

Aug 27 (TM) On 21 Sept, SL will hold the Prez Election to select its ninth executive president who will govern for the next 5 years, said to be pivotal years for the country’s recovery from its worst economic crisis. Although past Prez Elections were primarily based on pledges for relief, the upcoming election is centred on the economic policies that will drive the country out of the crisis, since the job is only half complete. more..

Aug 27 (TM) The people expect the upcoming Prez Election to lead to social, economic, and political changes that the country is desperately in need of. The 2024 Prez Election – which comes after a nationwide pandemic that resulted in a plethora of deaths, an economic crisis that reversed the country’s economic stability by years, and also a massive people’s struggle that deposed the former Govt seeking a system change in the political system – is more intense than the past few more..

Aug 27 (Island) Election fever is running high, and campaign rhetoric seems to have distracted everyone from the fragile state of the economy. Presidential candidates are all out to outspend and outpromise one another. They have reduced the economic crisis to a mere political slogan and are making various promises. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has challenged SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa and JVP/NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake to a debate on the agreement more..

Aug 27 (ST) For lifelong self-professed atheist JVP leader Anura Kumara, to whom all modes of religions are nothing but anathema, it has been a metamorphosing week from cocooned irreligious worm to carefree butterfly, flitting from every religious flower to another to suck the divine nectar each possessed. When he suddenly manifested last Friday in the vicinity of Sri Dalada Maligawa, devotees at the temple would have stood amazed to see the self-proclaimed atheist, more..

Aug 27 (Island) The question of the economy, the economic development path to be followed and who is best suited to lead the country at this time are the most discussed issues at the present time. But another important issue that has contributed to the economic and other problems the country faces and which has proved difficult to resolve will soon intrude on the discussion. At the same time as the election campaign is in full swing, sessions of the UNHRC are also going to commence soon. more..

Aug 27 (ST) With the possibility of the preference vote coming into play at the upcoming Prez polls, organisations monitoring elections have emphasised the need to educate voters on marking their second and third preferences. With at least 3 main candidates contesting this presidential election they pointed out that the preference vote may be important in deciding the winner. The preference vote is taken into account in the event more..

Aug 27 (DN) Sri Lanka para athlete Samitha Dulan is determined to get his second medal at the Paris Paralympic which will commence tomorrow in France. Samitha Dulan hails from Deniyaya. He pursued his primary and secondary education at the Deniyaya Central College and Rahula College Matara. Dulan suffered an impairment in his right leg after a tragic motorbike accident and took up para sports in 2017. This was the turning point of his sports career. more..

Aug 27 (DN) Australia’s United Petroleum who will be engaging in the business of petroleum distribution also plans to diversify into many more sectors including food, lubricants and non petroleum items in SL. Dr. Prabath Samarasinghe, CEO of UPL said that they will initially invest around USD 20 to USD 30 million in the first or second quarters of 2025 and introduce many food products under Pie Face brand to SL customers. He also said that UPL would relocate one of its factories in Australia more..

Aug 27 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Hatton National Bank said it was given the go ahead by its board to enter talks to and make a non-binding offer to buy the Bangladesh unit of Bank Alfalah. A further communication will be made once the Board reaches a final decision after due diligence, negotiations and necessary regulatory clearances, HNB said. Bank Alfalah is a multinational bank, which has a presence in UAE, Bahrain, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, the statement said. more..

Aug 27 (FT) National Savings Bank said it has already surpassed the previous year’s profit after Tax (PAT) by the second quarter of this year. Bank registered a PBT of Rs. 15 billion for the six months period of year 2024 whereas the PAT for the year 2023 was Rs. 7.21 billion. NSB Chairman Dr. Harsha Cabral said: “Our strong profitability in the first six months of this year is a testament to the strategic focus of our corporate management, the dedication and hard work of our employees, and more..

Aug 27 (Island) Sri Lanka’s coach Sanath Jayasuriya says the team’s confidence levels are high after the Old Trafford Test match where they tested England before going down by 5 wickets. SL were written off in cold and gloomy conditions in Manchester but the batting recovered as the game progressed. Kamindu Mendis was the standout performer with a hundred while four others chipped in with half-centuries. more..

Aug 27 (ST) Rubber industry wants the govt to assist the smallholders and the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) to obtain the required funding to apply the recent cocktails researched by the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) costing Rs.12, 500 per hectare. Colombo Rubber Traders Association (CRTA) Past President Manoj Udugampola said that the government will have to call for funding to purchase the cocktail that has been developed by the RRI and help more..

Aug 27 (FT) NPP Prez Candidate Anura Kumara through his Prez election manifesto has pledged to reassess the IMF’s income-based expenditure management proposals and introduce new measures for efficient tax administration and Govt expenditure management. The NPP manifesto released yesterday, noted it aims to conduct an alternative debt sustainability analysis and a comprehensive credit audit of Govt loans. To boost economic growth, the NPP under more..

Aug 27 (FT) IMF has insisted meeting the commitments made under the current EFF program with Sri Lanka will require new central Govt taxes. It said under the EFF arrangement, the authorities committed to revamping the property tax system and introducing a wealth transfer tax to support fiscal consolidation. However, in accordance with SL’s constitution, property-related tax revenue, currently amounting to around 0.2% of GDP more..

Aug 27 (Island) Pathum Nissanka’s potential return to Test cricket, especially at Lord’s, is exciting news for SL fans. His impressive form in white-ball cricket this year suggests he’s in good touch, making him a strong contender for the second Test. Given that he hasn’t played a Test match in two years, this opportunity could be pivotal for him. Nishan Madushka might be the one to step aside to accommodate Nissanka, although Kusal Mendis’s position is also under scrutiny. more..

Aug 27 (Island) Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of Int'l Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI), in collaboration with the embassy of Republic of Korea in SL hosted a seminar titled, Economic Security in the Indian Ocean Region; Prospects for Collaboration between SL and Korea on Aug 21. It was attended by ambassadors and diplomats, representatives of international organisations, senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant ministries and agencies, more..

Aug 27 (FT) United Lanka Podujana Party Prez candidate Janaka Ratnayake announced plans to reduce fuel prices if elected. Speaking at a campaign event, he emphasised that the increase in fuel prices as a significant factor contributing to the rising cost of vegetables and other essential goods. “Two years ago, I said at the CoPF that the price of a litre of fuel could be reduced by Rs. 200, but within the last six to seven months, the price of fuel has been reduced by only Rs. 10,” more..

Aug 27 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday asserted his ability to stabilise SL’s economy over the past two years by assembling a team of the most talented individuals from across various political parties. Speaking at a meeting with legal professionals’ at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo the Prez emphasised that no other political group can surpass the economic team he has built, which transcends party lines. During the event, organised under theme Lawyers for economic stability more..