Dec 19 (FT) “Did you hear that Adani is refusing to supply Bangladesh with electricity?” a friend asked me recently. I knew it was a loaded question, my friend being a nationalist. “You recall we had no power because we couldn’t pay for shiploads of fuel and coal just a few years back?” I asked back. Instead of buying fuel for power generation Bangladesh is buying 10% of the electricity it needs from a dedicated power plant located at Godda across the border in Indian state of more..

Dec 19 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s rise to the top bears some resemblance to that of PM Narendra Modi. His Indian visit was a triumph for him, and overall, a win for SL. He thanked India fulsomely for its economic support, arrived at convergence on a number of economic initiatives, and tabled some others. Sadly, he couldn’t secure a commitment on the piratical incursions by Indian fishermen. Connectivity of electric grids and building a pipeline are to continue to be considered more..

Dec 19 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake making a special statement in Parliament announced significant relief for professionals through adjustments to the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax structure, as part of broader measures aimed at stabilising the economy. Prez outlined tax reforms, social welfare measures, and strategies to bolster the country’s foreign exchange reserves and economic resilience. more..

Dec 19 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage, yesterday ordered the Central Bank to take measures to prevent pyramid schemes in the country and submit a report in that regard within three months. The Court also observed that a considerable proportion of the population had fallen victim to the financial crime and a large number of related cases were filed in Court, hence it was the responsibility of the Central Bank to end these scams. more..

Dec 19 (FT) Govt yesterday announced that it has received consent from International Sovereign Bond (ISB) holders amounting to 97.86% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of existing debt stock worth $ 12.5 billion. Acceptance is for both proposed modifications and exchanged for new securities or otherwise exchanged for new securities. $ 10.4 billion in Macro-Linked Bonds (MLBs), including $ 1.6 billion in Governance Bonds and Rs. 155.7 billion in Rupee Bonds, on 20 Dec more..

Dec 19 (DN) Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated in Parliament that the Health Ministry is investigating fraud committed in the purchase of rapid antigen test kits during the COVID period. Minister also said that Parliament will be informed about the details of this fraud in the future. He revealed that a company that was not registered with NMRA has spent the largest amount for the purchase of rapid antigen test kits. more..

Dec 19 (DN) Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe told Parliament that not even one grain of rice unfit for human consumption will be allowed to be imported into the country. The Minister said that considering the recent shortage of rice in the market and the increase in rice prices, it was decided to import rice to ensure that it is freely available to consumers. Accordingly, the Minister said that the first batch of rice imported by the Sri Lanka State Trading Corporation (STC) more..

Dec 19 (FT) To be launched on 17 Jan 2025, St. Benedict’s College, Colombo has issued a stakeholder proposal to raise funds for its much anticipated STEM education program – a pioneering initiative designed to shape a generation of forward-thinking innovators and lead STEM education in the country. STEM education is central to 21st century learning as it integrates the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to cultivate key skills, including problem solving, more..

Dec 19 (Island) SL’s former High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda has emphasised the pivotal importance of Colombo and Delhi quickly moving to the implementation phase of the agreement on fostering partnership for a shared future. The former Minister said that the implementation should begin as fast as possible. He said so in response to The Island queries regarding the Indo-Lanka relations in the wake of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s meet with Indian Premier Narendra Modi. more..

Dec 19 (TM) Minister of Plantations Samantha Vidyarathna announced plans to provide fertiliser subsidies to coconut plantation owners as a measure to resolve the prevailing coconut shortage. He revealed that out of the 55,000 metric tonnes (MT) of fertiliser recently imported, a total of 27,500 MT will be allocated for coconut cultivation. “The Ministry’s coconut plantations, spanning tens of thousands of acres, have not been fertilised for five years, resulting in reduced harvests. more..

Dec 19 (DN) Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that the Govt has not held any discussions nor has entered into any agreements with India regarding the proposed Economic & Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) between India and SL. Minister said that the Govt has not entered into any agreements with India other than the discussions held on export of excess electricity generated in the country under the BIMSTEC to countries more..

Dec 19 (DN) SL’s candidate, Dr. B. D. Nandadeva was elected as an expert to the prestigious Evaluation Body of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) at the 19th Session of the ICH Committee Meeting held in Asunción, Paraguay. Dr. Nandadeva, a distinguished scholar with over forty years of experience in cultural heritage, will serve a four year term on the ICH Evaluation Body. He has extensive knowledge and experience in the work of more..

Dec 19 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, briefing the Parliament on the consensuses reached between the Govt and the IMF during the External Fund Facility Third Review, claimed that a JVP-led NPP Govt would still be in power by 2028. He said thus in response to societal views that with Sri Lanka having to repay debt by 2028 following the restructuring of debt amounting to $ 12.55 billion ($ 12,550 million) with $ 1.7 billion ($ 1,700 million) interest to be paid on the said loans more..

Dec 19 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Government for its support during debt restructuring as well as in the face of the economic crisis. He made these remarks during a meeting with National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Vice Chairperson Qin Boyong at the Parliamentary Complex yesterday. He stated that his appreciation extends to China’s assistance in the debt restructuring more..

Dec 19 (DM) The SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), in collaboration with the SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), has invited Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), to visit SL from Dec 19th to 21st. The primary purpose of his visit is to attend the 7th Edition of the SL Tourism Awards 2024 as the Guest of Honour. During his stay, Hamid will engage in discussions with the Chairman of SLTDA and SLTPB, Buddhika Hewawasam, focusing on more..

Dec 19 (TM) Following revelations made regarding overwhelmingly political beneficiaries of the President’s Fund and the massive sums that they have received, the Presidential Secretariat informed that there is no mechanism or process at present to ascertain or monitor whether the funds provided to eligible applicants have been utilised for the stated and intended purpose. This was communicated yesterday by more..

Dec 19 (TM) SL’s poverty alleviation programme, Aswesuma, aimed at the poor and vulnerable, is to continue making cash transfers to families who are no longer eligible from December, for the first quarter of next year, in addition to more families being reinstated within the scheme, Prez Anura Kumar Dissanayake said in parliament yesterday. “When the Aswesuma scheme was introduced it had four categories of beneficiaries, two of those four categories, which each have 400,000 people, more..

Dec 19 (FT) Serendib Flour Mills (SFML), a cornerstone of SL’s food industry, celebrated over 15 years of purposefully nourishing the nation with a gala event held on 5 Dec, at the Taj Samudra Hotel. The evening was a significant corporate milestone in SFML’s journey of transforming SL’s wider food ecosystem since its establishment in 2008. The celebration was graced by BoI Chairman Arjuna Herath and Al Ghurair Foods UAE CEO Turgut Yeğenağa alongside other distinguished more..

Dec 19 (CI) SL have named a largely unchanged 16-man T20I squad to travel to NZ later this month. Only Dunith Wellalage misses out from the squad that faced the same opposition at home last month. The team is expected to leave for NZ on Dec 20. While no reason has been cited for Wellalage's omission, it is likely that his spin-bowling attributes would have been less useful in NZ's more seam-friendly conditions. more..

Dec 19 (FT) Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne assured that the Govt has not decided to move forward with the previous administration’s proposal to lease farms and milk distribution centres owned by the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) and Milco Ltd. to India’s Amul Milk Cooperative. The assurance came in response to a question raised by SJB MP Hesha Withanage. “The previous Govt attempted to hand over all NLDB farms and the Milco company to Amul and more..

Dec 19 (FT) Finance Ministry yesterday said the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) was established and commenced operationalisation on 2 Dec, following the enactment of the Public Debt Management Act No. 33 of 2024 (PDMA) on 18 June 2024, declared effective from 25 Nov 2024. The PDMA provides the legal framework for the establishment of the operationally independent PDMO. It will be operational by Jan 2026. “This strengthens and centralises the management of public debt, more..

Dec 19 (DN) Off-spinner Treveen Mathew once again came to the limelight with his superb bowling figures of 4 for 13, leading Jaffna Titans to the final as they beat Hambantota Bangla Tigers by 39 runs in their Lanka T-10 Super League Qualifier 1 game played at the Pallekele Stadium yesterday. Jaffna Titans dominated the tournament from the beginning. After being invited to bat first, they posted a challenging total of 124 for 4 wickets in 10 overs, with a run rate of 12.4. more..

Dec 19 (DM) SL’s tea exports for Nov 2024 fell to 20.07 million kilogrammes (M/Kgs), a 6.4 percent decline, from 21.46 M/Kgs in Nov 2023. All categories saw contractions, except for tea packets, which saw a slight increase. The average free on board (FOB) value for November stood at Rs.1,718.88 per kilogramme, marking a year-on-year (YoY) drop of Rs.6.89, compared to Rs.1,725.77 in Nov 2023. Despite the monthly decline, the cumulative exports for more..

Dec 19 (ST) The delay in reducing electricity tariffs is being attributed to the compound impact of a growing energy demand and years of underinvestment in low-cost power generation, a senior official said. The additional demand of one billion electricity units projected for 2025, coupled with heavy reliance on expensive energy sources, has created significant financial and operational challenges, the official explained. more..

Dec 19 (Island) We Sri Lankans are facing a spate of karma in climate change, and its consequences are not due to our faults but because of those committed by developed countries. Those developed countries exploit natural resources such as fossil fuels, gases, oil, and coal, in excess. Burning fossil fuels for energy production releases carbon dioxide, methane, fluorinated gases, and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. These major greenhouse gases (GHG) contribute to trapping heat more..

Dec 19 (Island) JVP-led NPP govt is quite upbeat about Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s India visit. However, if the joint statement Dissanayake and PM Narendra Modi issued on Monday is anything to go by, the NPP administration has endorsed what its leaders used to flay Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe for having undertaken to do at the behest of India, much to the interests of SL’s interests. Wickremesinghe has thanked Dissanayake for endorsing Economic & Tech Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) more..

Dec 19 (CT) The havoc wreaked by crop-raiding animals has once again appeared in public conversation, continuing the debate on what would be the appropriate solution to protect farmers’ crops, while respecting and preserving wildlife and ecosystems. Having failed thus far to address these challenges, the Ministry of Agriculture has launched a public consultation programme inviting all citizens, including academics and environmentalists to submit their suggestions. more..

Dec 19 (CT) This may be of some interest to readers for two relevant reasons. One being the drama related to the Speaker, Dr/Mr Ranwala on the issue of what prefix to his name he should use (There being no change to his being The Honorable). This big question has led to great debate in the Press (Mainly in the on-line Colombo Telegraph). The second reason, being the claim that political acts in SL are based on Science. The man who wished to give form to this lofty theory, more..

Dec 19 (TM) CEB has predicted a tariff revision for rooftop solar producers while maintaining that the tariffs of large-scale Renewable Energy (RE) projects will be decided on competitive bidding. This is in the context of Ministry of Power & Energy submitting a report containing nearly 40 RE projects submitted under the previous administration to the Cabinet last week. The proposal has only been submitted for principal approvals, but more..

Dec 19 (DM) In the overall context, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s state visit to India can be viewed as reaffirmation of the already existing blueprint for furtherance of bilateral relations. Once again, the importance of SL’s geostrategic resonates as India reiterates that SL occupies central place in its Neighbourhood First Policy and vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). The joint statement issued in the wake of bilateral discussions between Prez Dissanayake and Indian PM more..

Dec 19 (DM) Politics in South Asia is largely interesting when circumstances break traditional politics and ushers in a new caretaker regime. This writer uses the adjective caretaker because no regime has come to stay forever and must hand over the baton of administration to a new party once its term concludes. This govt has to do the same. But for the record, this NPP led regime is no caretaker govt –akin to the one that was led by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe- and was installed more..