Sri Lanka News : InfoLanka News Room

Jan 29 (EN) SL has no intention of introducing new indirect taxes or increasing existing indirect taxes, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said, disputing claims that prices are set to increase again. “We do not intend to introduce more indirect taxes going forward. I must be very clear about that. There is no plan to increase percentages of existing indirect taxes either,” he said. Sate minister said the govt is looking to expand the direct tax base so as to increase state revenue and more..

Thai PM to visit Sri Lanka to sign FTA

Jan 29 (MFA) PM of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin will undertake a two-day official visit to SL from 3–4 Feb 2024 at the invitation of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Thai PM will participate in the ceremony to mark the 76th Anniversary of the Independence of SL as Guest of Honour. During the visit, Thai PM is scheduled to have official discussions with Prez Wickremesinghe, and witness the signing of the historic SL – Thailand Free Trade Agreement (SLTFTA), more..

Sri Lanka exports down 9.54% in 2023

Jan 29 (EN) Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports fell 9.54% to US$ 11,856 million in 2023, with December exports falling 11.5%, data showed in a year that the rupee appreciated amid better monetary policy. The rupee appreciated from 363 to the US dollar in Dec 2022 to 323 by Dec 2023. In December, when exports fell 11.25% from a year earlier to US$ 947.5 million, the rupee appreciated from 329 to 323 to the US dollar. more..

Rs. 30 Bn for Greater Kandy Urban Development plan

Jan 29 (DN) Minister Bandula Gunawardhana on Saturday inaugurated the Kandy Multi-modal Transport project to be constructed at a cost of Rs.30 billion. The project is supported by the World Bank. The Minister said the construction work of the project will be completed in two years. He also said that the Prez has given money to operate many related roads under the Greater Kandy Urban Development plan. This development project, which is implemented according to a joint plan more..

Sri Lanka delegation in China discuss investment opportunities, export of water

Jan 29 (EN) A SL delegation in China has met with Chinese businessmen to discuss environmentally friendly investment programs in SL. State Minister Rohana Dissanayake visited China recently for a SL-China trade investment program. Possibilities discussed were “the importation of electric cars, electric motorcycles and three-wheelers, light lorries based on the business environment for the purpose of govt employees, or investments in starting factories for production in Sri Lanka,” more..

ETCA: India, SL hopeful of early conclusion

Jan 29 (TM) India has expressed hopes of the early conclusion of the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), which seeks to add to the existing free trade agreement with SL, which is expected to help boost the island’s export potential. Indian High Commissioner to SL, Santosh Jha said: “We hope to enhance our economic partnership and enhance SL’s export potential through early conclusion more..

British ship HMS Spey arrives in Sri Lanka

Jan 29 (EN) Royal Navy’s HMS Spey, a 90.5m long Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) manned by a crew of 56, arrived at the port of Colombo on a formal visit over the weekend (28). The ship was welcomed by the SL Navy, a statement by the Navy said, adding that “During the ship’s stay in Colombo, its crew members will visit some of the tourist attractions of the country.” Commanding Officer of the ship Paul Caddy will call on the Commander Western Naval Area and the Director General Operations. more..

Ten President’s Counsels take silk

Jan 29 (DM) Ten senior attorneys took their oaths as President’s Counsel (PC) at a ceremonial sitting of the Supreme Court. Chamantha Weerakoon, Dr. Asanga Gunawansa, Mohamed Adamaly, Harsha Fernando, Dr. Sivaji Felix, Faisza Markar, Kaushalya Nawaratne, Upul Kumarapperuma, Viran Corea and Eraj de Silva took their oaths as President's Counsel before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC and the judges of apex courts, Colombo High Courts, Colombo District Courts and more..

මහ මග මිනී මරණ පාතාල ඝාතන...

Video: Will defy all laws and begin another Aragalaya tomorrow: SJB

Jan 29 (DM) The SJB will not take notice of any restrictions but will take to the streets tomorrow and fire the first shot towards overthrowing the present govt, SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said today. “The IGP or anyone else can impose any restriction but we will defy all laws and bring 50,000 people to Colombo tomorrow,” he said. “It was the SJB which pioneered the uprising in 2022 and we intend to do the same this time as well,” Madduma Banadara added. more..

Shanmugam Kugathasan, ITAK’s General Secretary

Jan 29 (DN) Shanmugam Kugathasan of Trincomalee has been elected as the General Secretary of the ITAK at the Central Committee meeting of the party held at Jkap Beach Resort on Saturday. The former President of the ITAK Mavai Senathiraja presided over the meeting where Senior Vice President C.V.K. Sinagananam, Joint Treasurers G. Srinesan and Kanagasabapathy, Deputy Leaders K.V. Thavaraja, Charles Nirmalanathan, K. Kalaiyarasan, more..

Former presidents CBK, Sirisena to back incumbent, claims AKD

Jan 29 (EN) Former presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga and Maithripala Sirisena will express their support for incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe in the coming days, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake claimed. Dissanayake suggested that establishment politicians who are nervous about the NPP’s rising popularity will set aside their perceived differences to defeat what he called the progressive people’s movement more..

Video: Sri Lankan fishing trawler and crew hijacked by pirates rescued

Jan 29 (AD) Three sea pirates have been taken into custody by the Seychelles Navy, according to the spokesman of the SL Navy. Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya further revealed that the rescued SL fishing trawler is currently being escorted to the Victoria Harbour in Seychelles. Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) has rescued the Sri Lanka fishing trawler, and its 6 crew members, which had been hijacked by sea pirates in the Arabian Sea, according to the Director General of more..

Oman Air suspends flights to Colombo

Jan 29 (AD) State-owned Oman Air will cancel flights to some South Asian cities as part of its ongoing transformation programme. The move aims to improve the overall financial performance and strengthen its position in an ever-growing competitive market. Flights to Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan, Colombo in SL and Chittagong in Bangladesh will be cancelled. However, the airline will add a new route to Sialkot in Pakistan and increase capacity to two current destinations more..

Rajitha takes pro-govt stand?

Jan 29 (DM) SJB MP Rajitha Senaratne who seemed to have taken a pro-govt stand said IMF will declare SL as a state which had come out of bankruptcy next month. Speaking during a public meeting, MP said SL is slated to become a nation which had come out of bankruptcy within the shortest time. "People in Greece toppled four govts after it went into bankruptcy. It took ten years to come out of bankruptcy. more..

Former Army Commander Daya Ratnayake joins SJB

Jan 29 (AD) Former Army Commander Gen. (Retd.) Daya Ratnayake has joined the main opposition party, the SJB. The Retired General called on SJB Leader and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on Monday, and was appointed as a Senior Advisor for Public Policy to the political party. Having started his military career as a cadet in 1980, General Ratnayake was appointed as the 20th Commander of the SL Army on 1 August 2013, and has received several accolades throughout his more..

Chamara Weerasinghe discharged from hospital

Jan 29 (DM) Renowned vocalist Chamara Weerasinghe, who was receiving treatment at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital has recovered and been discharged from the hospital. Weerasinghe spent close to 40 days under medical care, initially having been admitted to the Kalubowila Hospital due to respiratory issues last month. Sources from the hospital said that he underwent two surgeries, addressing complications in both the throat and abdomen. Despite his recovery, more..

ජීවිතේ වටිනාකම අවබෝධ කරගත් හසා

Politicians, media heads liable to submit asset declarations

Jan 29 (DM) Bribery or Corruption Allegation Investigation Commission has issued a stern directive, setting a deadline for the submission of asset declarations from various high-profile figures, including the Prez, PM, public servants, and media heads. This move comes in accordance with the recently enacted Bribery or Corruption Allegations Act. Under the provisions of the new legislation, approximately 150,000 individuals, comprising politicians, public servants, more..

Sabaragamuwa Uni students arrested over ragging incident released on bail

Jan 29 (AD) The seven students of the Sabaragamuwa University who were arrested for ragging a female student have been released on bail. As per the order issued by the Balangoda Magistrate’s Court when the case was taken up this morning, the seven suspects were released on personal bails of Rs. 100,000 each. Initially, six male students of the Sabaragamuwa Uni were arrested by the Samanalawewa Police on Sunday evening (28) for ragging a female student, more..

Campaign financing: EC commences discussion with stakeholders

Jan 29 (TM) Election Commission (EC) has held preliminary discussions with ten relevant institutions regarding the implementation of the recently adopted campaign finance laws in the upcoming elections. A 2-day discussion had been held with election monitoring bodies and law enforcement agencies on the new laws. EC also said that a discussion with political party secretaries and heads of media institutions regarding the same more..

Fire ravages Mawanella

Jan 29 (TM) At least 30 shops in Mawanella town have been destroyed in a fire that broke out yesterday night in front of the main bus stand in Mawanella. The police and firefighters from the Mawanella Pradehsiya Sabha fire brigade and residents managed to extinguish the flames. However, several shops selling fruits, textiles and plastic goods have reportedly been destroyed in the fire. The cause of the fire has not been uncovered yet and the Mawanella Police are conducting more..

Video: Lohan Ratwatte gets new portfolio

Jan 29 (DM) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Lohan Ratwatte has been officially sworn in as the new State Minister of Plantation Industries and Mahaweli Development in the presence of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (29) and attended by President’s Secretary Mr. Saman Ekanayake according to the President’s Media Division (PMD). more..

Milco employees file petition against privatisation

Jan 29 (FT) Employees and trade unions of Milco Ltd. have filed a petition before the Court of Appeal against the privatisation of the state-owned enterprise. They are seeking the intervention of the courts concerning the divestiture of the company to an entirely private joint venture comprising Cargills Ceylon, National Dairy Development Board India (NDDB) and Amul - Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation. more..

Man found guilty of brutal murder of wife sentenced to death after 14 years

Jan 29 (AD) A person has been sentenced to death after being found guilty over an incident of causing serious injuries to his wife, a mother-of-two, by assaulting her and setting her on fire after dousing her with kerosene inside a room of their house. This order was issued by the North Central Provincial High Court Judge Manoj Thalgodapitiya. The Attorney General had filed indictments against the accused before Anuradhapura High Court as per Section 296 of the Penal Code, more..

Land price movement at its flattest in many years: RIUNIT

Jan 29 (FT) The Research Intelligence Unit says that during the firm’s extensive 21 years of tracking land prices in SL, the current period stands out as the flattest so far. In the aftermath of the economic crisis, it noted that the anticipated rebound in land prices has proven to be a more sluggish than first expected. The research firm that specialises in the SL real estate market says that the average land prices in Colombo city, denominated in LKR, experienced a marginal increase more..

මිනිහත් මරාගෙන, දරුවනුත් අනාථ,...

Yukthiya cannot succeed without the cooperation of the masses

Jan 30 (DM) No law abiding person who wants a country free of crimes and the drug menace would belittle or discourage a campaign launched by the authorities to accomplish that purpose. In the same breath, on the very ground of being a law-abiding person, he/she would not like to see the campaign tarnished by possible or apparent personal agendas of anyone or any group and the highhanded activities of the personnel on the ground. Despite questions posed by the Opposition group more..

The Contribution of Siam and Burma to Buddhism in Sri Lanka

Jan 30 (DM) It is well known that monks from Siam and Burma (as Thailand and Myanmar were called earlier) helped stem a decline in the practice of Buddhism, and contributed to its democratization in SL during certain periods in the island’s history. The circumstances which necessitated help from Siam and Burma, the process of securing such help, the role of the Dutch in it, and the results of foreign involvement are vividly described by Auckland Uni sociologist Kitsiri Malalgoda in his book more..

'Time for a unified political front'

Jan 30 (SO) Minister Manusha Nanayakkara delves into the intricacies of critical matters shaping the nation’s foreign relations and economic landscape. He provides insights into the surge in remittances, the evolving dynamics of overseas employment, and the challenges faced in maintaining a delicate diplomatic balance, especially in regions marked by conflict. He also shares his perspective on the upcoming prez election more..

Naval diplomacy saves the day

Jan 30 (TM) Over a decade of naval diplomacy, security relations and regional cooperation by SL paid off yesterday as the Seychelles Defence Forces scrambled a Coast Guard Patrol vessel and a team of Special Forces personnel 230 nautical miles off the archipelago’s Mahe Island, to rescue six SL fishermen and retake a deep sea fishing trawler which was hijacked by a group, suspected to be Somali pirates. Seychelles forces personnel were able to rescue the Sri Lankan crew and also more..

Radiation testing: A need should no longer be overlooked

Jan 30 (CT) Although not discussed or much known-about in Sri Lanka, at least at a consumer products level, the Radiation I products is a much talked about topic in other parts of the world. Considering how the threat of radiation is invisible, colourless, odourless, and intangible, perhaps we, as a country, should pay more attention to testing radiation in products. In the worst case scenario, the threat of radiation is enough to kill any human being in a matter of days. more..

MPs make laws to collect taxes but do they pay taxes?

Jan 30 (CT) Personal taxes and registering for a Tax Identification Number, as required by the Govt for everyone above the age of 18 years, seem to be the most discussed topic among Sri Lankans these days. The decision to increase the number of tax payers was another attempt by the Govt to increase State revenue. In this connection, Govt is currently implementing many different projects. more..

Online Safety Bill hacked: Opposition says Committee Stage amendments...

Jan 30 (ST) Amid acrimonious scenes, Parliament passed the Online Safety Bill after a two-day debate on Wednesday evening. Opposition MPs accused the govt of rushing through amendments at the Committee Stage in violation of the Supreme Court’s (SC) determination on the bill. The second reading of the bill had been passed earlier that evening by a majority of 46 votes, with 108 MPs voting in favour and 62 against. As House Leader Susil Premajayantha was introducing amendments more..

Govt misleading the International community Re: Anti-corruption action?

Jan 30 (CT) Daily FT of 23rd Jan published a report regarding a meeting the Minister of Justice had with the German Ambassador. It was titled Legislation to combat bribery and corruption in SL completed – says Justice Minister. This article went on to note quoting the Minister- “He said politicians have been blamed for the bribery and corruption in the country and the people have reached the point where they are rejecting the politicians; as this situation is harmful to the country’s democracy. more..

Dhammika Perera

Editorial: Bribing voters

Jan 30 (Island) The govt has reportedly decided to enhance the fine for the offence of bribing voters. Candidates contesting elections bribe electors in various ways. The election laws governing the local govt, PC, parliamentary and prez elections are very explicit on what election bribes are. Bribing voters is the name of the game in SL electoral politics. Candidates play Santa in the run-up to every election. Truckloads of dry rations and even liquor are generously distributed among the poor. more..

CA 58 – Transformation of a name to a brand

Jan 30 (ST) Chamari Athapaththu, dynamic captain of the SL women’s cricket team, was this week named the ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2023. This prestigious honour follows an exceptional season where the 33-year-old Southpaw exhibited her remarkable batting skills, leading SL to their historic first-ever series win against NZ. Highlight of Athapaththu’s outstanding year was undoubtedly the consecutive centuries (108 and 140) she scored against the formidable NZ side to lead SL more..

Services exports carry SL flag high in 2023

Jan 30 (FT) Services exports flew SL’s flag high globally in 2023 with a strong rebound whilst shipment of goods lagged amidst challenges as per provisional data. As against a 6% decline in 2022, services exports last year shot up by 63% to surpass the $ 3 billion mark. Merchandised exports on the other hand, declined by 9.5% to $ 11.85 billion. Robust performance by the services sector helped SL finish 2023 with $ 14.95 billion more..