Jan 11 (ST) With the new Value Added Tax (VAT) increase coming into effect on Jan 1, the method of invoicing for goods and services caused much confusion among consumers as revised prices had a chilling effect on the masses. The confusion was mainly due to the method many retail traders used to invoice the goods, where the 18% tax was separately highlighted rather than declaring it as the final VAT-inclusive price alone, a senior Inland Revenue Department official said. more..

Jan 11 (TM) Barely two weeks into an year of austerity and elections, swing vine politics has returned to the spotlight as key political parties have begun horse trading, with multiple MPs breaking ranks and crossing over to other camps. The same old narratives are at play we want to strengthen this person’s hands to make this party secure a victory. The spectacle is gradually beginning to replace the “reform, restructure and rebuild” national narrative which had some cross-party support more..

Jan 11 (CT) In a surprising move, Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has suspended the issuance of season tickets to students for the entire month of January, coinciding with the Education Ministry’s declaration of a holiday month. While this decision may seem procedural, its repercussions on parents and students shed light on the challenging choices families face in a country grappling with economic difficulties. The suspension of season tickets has sparked frustration among more..

Jan 11 (ST) While the agriculture sector in SL is becoming more and more archaic with every passing year, artificial intelligence enabled technologies, sophisticated computerised methods and drone technology are the future of the sector. The time is right for modernising SL’s agriculture sector, says Mr. Vimlendra Sharan, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Representative to SL and Maldives. He stressed that the time is right for modernising SL’s agriculture sector. more..

Jan 11 (ST) On January 1 this year, hotel proprietor Sampath Aththatage was awoken by his security men to the news that a massive contingent of police and demolition equipment was surrounding his hotel. He said at around 9 a.m., four backhoes had come over the railway line, along with many high-ranking police officers. Mr. Aththatage, who had gone to sleep at 5 a.m. that day following the events they had hosted for the 31st night, rushed to more..

Jan 11 (Island) Judging by what is happening at present, it is fair to state that SL is suffering from not only an economic disaster but also from moral bankruptcy, unfortunately. Perhaps, the unpalatable solutions imposed with no care or concern for the most disadvantaged in the society may bring the country out of the economic mess, but will they bring us out of the moral bankruptcy? Very unlikely; in fact, it may produce just the opposite by forcing the poor to resort to unsavoury practices. more..

Jan 11 (FT) Fentons Ltd., a trusted engineering services provider with a legacy spanning over a century, has legally adopted the name and identity of Hayleys, SL’s largest and most diversified conglomerate, as Hayleys Fentons Ltd, marking a historic milestone in its journey. For longer than a century, Hayleys Fentons has been a trusted engineering services provider as well as a household name, sought after for reliability, quality and service excellence. more..

Jan 11 (FT) Link Natural Products Ltd, a subsidiary of CIC Holdings, and a leading manufacturer of herbal products, concludes year 2023 on a high note, securing 3 major prestigious awards of excellence on the national stage, competing against the best of the best across all sectors. Link Natural is a leading R&D based manufacturer and marketer of herbal healthcare and herbal personal care products in addition to Ayurveda pharmaceuticals. Link Natural Products commenced operations more..

Jan 11 (Island) Most countries in the world are pushing the envelope of smart farming, but SL farmers are still struggling to buy agricultural inputs, protect their cultivations against pests and crop-damaging wildlife, and dispose of their produce to recover production costs. Not even locally growable food crops such as onions and finger millet are produced in sufficient amounts here to cater to the domestic demand. The farming community finds itself in a situation where most of its more..

Jan 11 (FT) Central Bank announced yesterday that it plans to consider adopting a single policy rate mechanism in 2024 while maintaining a low interest rate and pushing forward with the IMF program, external debt restructuring and reform agenda. Unveiling the Annual Policy Statement 2024 the CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe detailed a raft of bold, progressive ongoing and planned measures to more..

Jan 11 (FT) MAS Holdings was honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, The Princess Royal on her official visit to the Island, marking 75 years of diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka. The Royal delegation, including Princess Anne’s husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, made the first stop on their visit at an MAS Holdings facility in Katunayake accompanied by British High Commissioner to SL, His Excellency Andrew Patrick. more..

Jan 11 (DN) SL’s top-order batting failure is a headache, and they expected to make a few changes in the third and final ODI against Zimbabwe scheduled to be played today at the Premadasa Stadium, commencing from 2.30 pm. However, the current weather might interrupt the game once again. Opener Avishka Fernando couldn’t make runs during the last two games, and most probably selectors will look for young Shevon Daniel or Nuwanidu Fernando to open the game today. more..

Jan 11 (TM) Medical professionals are expecting Minister of Health, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana to take appropriate action regarding three Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) members who are continuing to function as SLMC members while receiving Govt salaries and pensions in violation of the Medical Ordinance. Section 12(1)(f) of the Medical Ordinance states that of four members nominated by the Minister, at least two, more..

Jan 11 (FT) Central Bank outlined yesterday that the EPF is set to explore methods for diversifying its investment portfolio. The objective is to generate a higher risk-adjusted rate of return while ensuring the overall safety of the overall fund. “As SL’s largest superannuation fund, with the Central Bank as its custodian, EPF showcased resilient financial performance throughout 2023, navigating challenges such as economic uncertainties and the impact of the DDO operation,” more..

Jan 11 (FT) Top professional Shashi Kandambi yesterday assumed office as the first ever female CEO/General Manager of the National Savings Bank which has been in existence for over 50 years. She joined NSB after serving as the Senior Deputy General Manager of Int'l Banking at Sampath Bank, where she had a long-standing and successful career. NSB Chairman Dr. Harsha Cabral PC, Directors and senior management and staff were present at the occasion of assumption of more..

Jan 11 (FT) Kaushalya Nawaratne PC was re-elected as President of the Bar Association of SL (BASL) yesterday, while Attorney-at-Law Chathura Galhena was elected as Secretary for 2024/2025. Nawaratne was first elected as the BASL President unanimously by its membership on 11 Jan 2023. He was inducted as the 27th President of the BASL at the 49th Annual Convocation of the association in March 2023. At the closing of the call for nomination for the prestigious post yesterday, more..

Jan 11 (DM) In the recently published New Year Honours List 2024 by the Dept of the PM and Cabinet in the UK, three outstanding Sri Lankans have been recognized for their remarkable contributions. Dr Anne Doloras Perera, based in St Johns, Auckland, has been acknowledged for her exceptional services to food science, nutrition, and the community. Expressing humility and honor, Dr. Perera, a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, reflects on her 40-plus years of more..

Jan 11 (Island) Cabinet sub committee appointed to look into affairs of SLC and submit recommendations in a report has called for the complete overhaul of the governing body. Committee headed by Minister Ali Sabry comprised Tiran Alles, Kanchana Wijesekara and Manusha Nanayakkara gives thumbs up to constitutional reforms going along with the Chithrasiri Committee report. more..

Jan 11 (TM) The Catholic Church is to hold a peaceful protest tomorrow against what they claimed to be the Police's failure to apprehend the real culprits behind the incident of a hand grenade being found at the All Saints' Church in Colombo 8 in 2022. National Director of Communications of the Catholic Bishops Conference of SL, Jude Chrishantha Fernando said that despite two years having passed since the incident, the Police has failed to apprehend the real culprits and more..

Jan 11 (DM) SL is likely to make several key changes ahead of the final ODI in the three-match series against Zimbabwe to be played at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium on Thursday. Daily Mirror learns that former captain Dasun Shanaka and Avishka Fernando are likely to be excluded from the playing squad for the crucial match. This opens the door for batting all-rounder Nuwanidu Fernando or Shevon Daniel to step in. Shevon Daniel has been included in the ODI squad, replacing more..

Jan 11 (KT) Contrary to recent reports, SL Ambassador to Kuwait Kandeepan Bala refuted any intentions by SL to suspend the dispatching of domestic workers to Kuwait. He emphasized that SL is maintaining its collaboration with Kuwait, citing the legal protection afforded to all workers in the country. The ambassador highlighted the substantial presence of Sri Lankans in Kuwait at around 120,000, explaining that more than 58,000 Sri Lankans were recruited in Kuwait in 2023, more..

Jan 11 (TM) Following concerns being raised by many parties over the alleged delay in addressing the public complaints received by the Consumers Affairs Authority (CAA), CAA is to decentralise the power of hearing complaints to District offices in order to prevent complaints piling up. It was reported that around 2,000 complaints that were lodged by people with the CAA have been piling up due to a lack of a proper system to address the issues raised by the people. It was also reported that more..

Jan 11 (TM) The trade unions affiliated with the Paramedical Services Front (PMSF) have launched a token strike demanding an allowance of Rs. 35,000. The 48-hour strike, joined by the Public Health Inspectors’ Union (PHIU) and several other trade unions, commenced at 8 a.m. yesterday. PMSF’s President Upul Rohana said that they welcome the Cabinet of Ministers decision to increase the doctors’ Disturbance, more..

Jan 11 (CT) Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH), the premier hospital for paediatric care in the country continues sans a much-needed plastic surgeon due to the machinations of two hospital administrations in the Central Province. Deputy Director General (Medical Services -DDG MS-I) had written on 4 Jan 2024 to the Deputy Director General, National Hospital, Kandy and called for arrangements to be made for the Acting Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon attached to more..

Jan 11 (CT) Vice President of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and Head of the Plantation Manpower Institute Bharat Arulsamy, has vehemently opposed the potential privatisation of key SL State-owned plantation entities, namely the SL State Plantation Corporation (SLSPC), Janata Estate Development Board (JEDB) and Elkaduwa Plantations. Govt has already announced that loss-making State-owned enterprises would be privatised and these three entities are on the list. more..

Jan 11 (Island) Former SJB MP Mujibur Rahuman asked whether the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa govt had decided to do away with LG polls. The SJB Mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council at the indefinitely postponed LG polls said that the so-called UNP Management Committee Tuesday evening had declared that prez election would be held in September this year, followed by parliamentary election and more..

Jan 11 (FT) SL is known for its resilience and rapid comebacks, with wars and a tsunami as evidence. This time, not so much. One of the main reasons that SL’s economic recovery is making such heavy weather is that the system is not functioning. The system isn’t functioning because large parts of the framework have been broken and are rusted. Therefore, the entire system is unbalanced, lopsided, bearing far too much weight—of economic contraction and collapsing living standards more..

Jan 11 (FT) Ringing in the new year for Sri Lankans was an increase in the VAT rate to 18% and a withdrawal of tax exemptions on several goods and services. The last day of 2023 witnessed long queues as people rushed to stock up on essentials such as fuel and gas. Although queues are a familiar sight following the onset of the economic crisis, this time around, it was to avoid being hit with the VAT hike. In light of these developments, this blog aims to shed light on VAT, offering more..

Jan 11 (EN) Sri Lanka plans to entice rich Indians to park yachts in marinas in the South Asian island, as part of plans develop marine-linked tourism in 2023, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said. A marina has been built in Colombo Port City and they can also be parked in Galle and Trincomalee. “Rich Indians who have their yatchts in Dubai, where it is very expensive to keep, can park their yatchs in Sri Lanka, in a place like Galle,” Minister Fernando told reporters. more..

Jan 11 (AD) The water tariffs are expected to be slashed in line with the proposed electricity tariff reduction, says Jeevan Thondaman, Minister of Water Supply & Estate Infrastructure Development. Thondaman asserted that the govt is making arrangements to provide the maximum possible concessions to the general public. Furthermore, he also said that a pricing formula would be introduced for water tariffs, to not exert more pressure on people, but to provide relief. more..

Jan 11 (DM) A joy ride for the ruling party MPs had been provided by SLPA in two dredging vessels on Tuesday January 9 at the expense of the taxpayers. More than 25 MPs and their families had joined in this joy ride free of charge which has cost SLPA nearly Rs. 5 million according to Chief Secretary Port Employees Union Niroshan Gorakanage. Although Gorakanage claims so, reliable SLPA sources said total cost for fuel more..

Jan 11 (DM) An immediate investigation should be launched into the Ports Authority Trade Union members who unlawfully video-recorded the inspection visit by a group of MPs to the Colombo Port and they must be taken into CID custody, State Minister Premalal Jayasekera said. He told Parliament that a group of 20 MPs were taken on an inspection tour to the Colombo port following a request by some of the MPs during the budget debate that they needed to visit more..

Jan 11 (DN) According to the Rubber Research Institute, a fungal disease is spreading in the rubber plantation due to the heavy rain and lack of sunlight these days. According to the Rubber Research Institute, this disease, known as Pestilotiopsis Microspora, is caused by a fungus that occurs in the leaves of the rubber tree. These facts were disclosed in a discussion held at the Ministry of Plantation Industry under the participation of the Minister Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera. more..

Jan 11 (Island) Justice Minister Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday told Parliament that the provisions contained in the Anti-Terrorism Bill, presented to the House, were less severe and harsh than those in the counter terrorism laws in Great Britain. Dr. Rajapakshe said so responding to a question raised by SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, who asked the Minister to explain the changes the new Bill envisaging to be introduced to the PTA. more..

Jan 11 (DM) Former captain Dasun Shanaka has once again found himself in the firing line following two failures in the first and second ODIs against Zimbabwe in the ongoing three match series which SL lead 1-0. Shanaka who has been short of runs for nearly a year was stripped of captaincy after the fifty over World Cup in which SL failed to finish in the top eight - missing out on the Champions Trophy 2025. Under the new selection committee led by Upul Tharanga many expected Shanaka to be more..