Dec 23 (TM) SJB welcomed the Govt’s decision to increase Withholding Tax while raising concerns over its plans to address the revenue gap caused by the reduction of PAYE Tax. SJB MP Kabir Hashim stated that increasing the Withholding Tax would be a productive measure to fill the revenue gap created by the PAYE Tax revision. However, he emphasised that the Govt must explore other alternatives to ensure revenue stability. more..

Dec 23 (FT) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya yesterday held discussions with Asian Development Bank (ADB) Sri Lanka Resident Mission Country Director Takafumi Kadono at the PM’s Office. The meeting focused on ADB’s role as a key development partner and its ongoing support for Sri Lanka’s national development priorities. During the meeting, the Prime Minister stressed the urgent need to enhance school infrastructure, improve teacher training, and reform assessment mechanisms. more..

Dec 23 (DM) The Education Ministry has instructed all government schools not to organise various programmes on Sundays, as they may disrupt Sunday school activities. A letter issued by the Additional Secretary (School Activities), P.R. Kariyawasam, said that the Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry has requested the Education Ministry to emphasise the importance of allowing school children to participate in Sunday school activities. more..

Dec 23 (FT) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has urged Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to prioritise and enact critical legal reforms to strengthen the rule of law in Sri Lanka. In a written appeal, AHRC Policy and Programs Director Basil Fernando highlighted significant shortcomings in the country’s legal and judicial systems that require immediate attention. The organisation outlined three key areas for reform to ensure justice, transparency, and accountability. more..

Dec 23 (FT) SL’s Parliament is ablaze with a fiery debate over questionable campus qualifications, with the spotlight now on the JVP/NPP. Since voters placed their trust in the party as champions of honesty, integrity, and anti-corruption, the party now finds itself entangled in a web of controversy. Their rise to power on a platform of transparency has hit a stumbling block, as allegations of fabricated academic credentials leave them scrambling for cover, raising eyebrows and more..

Dec 23 (EN) SL’s bank bad loans fell to 12.4% of loans in the third quarter of 2024 from 13.6% a year ago, while capital adequacy has improved steadily. Non-performing loans also fell absolutely to 1,400 billion rupees by end of the third quarter from 1,435 billion rupees a year ago. Provisions for NPLs increased to 735.8 billion rupees from 675 billion rupees. Loans grew 6.9% to 21,204 billion rupees, and investment by 17.8% to 8,145.8 billion more..

Dec 23 (DN) Former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that at no time during his tenure as a Minister has he personally used Air Force aircraft for his personal or official needs. Ranawaka said news stories to the contrary were completely false. He also pointed out that only on three occasions when he participated in certain govt functions attended by former Prez Maithripala Sirisena, former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, he has travelled with them more..

Dec 23 (DM) Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy hospital ship Peace Ark arrived in Colombo on a formal visit yesterday (21). Peace Ark is a 178-meter-long hospital ship, crewed by 310 personnel under the command of Captain Deng Qiang. As part of the official visit, the hospital ship Peace Ark, in collaboration with the Embassy of China in SL, will organize medical treatments and clinics onboard. These will be conducted by the medical staff of Peace Ark and more..

Dec 23 (AD) With just nine days remaining until the start of 2025, Govt Printing Dept has released the official calendar for the upcoming year, which includes 26 public holidays. Among these, April stands out as the month with the highest number of holidays, offering four in total. April’s Festivities: Sinhala and Tamil New Year falls on Monday, April 14, preceded by a preparatory day on Sunday, April 13. more..

Dec 23 (AD) Traders across various regions have urged the government to reconsider the Rs. 65 per kilogram tax imposed on imported rice, advocating for a reduction to alleviate market challenges. Consumer organizations echo these sentiments, emphasizing that a lower import tax could stabilize rice prices and make it more affordable for consumers. The govt has implemented several measures in recent months to address the rice crisis, which has persisted for over two months. more..

Dec 23 (NW) Colombo is set to dazzle residents and visitors alike with a vibrant display of Christmas and New Year decorations. This initiative transforms key landmarks across the city into breathtaking festive spaces, celebrating the holiday spirit. Festivities which started from 19th Dec will go on till the 1st of Jan and multiple attractions will be added on and will feature concerts, stunning illuminations, including rope lights, architectural lighting, video projections, drone shows and fireworks. more..

Dec 23 (AD) The Ministry of Education (MoE) has issued a special announcement regarding the process for filling vacancies in the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service (SLEAS) Grade 1 Principal positions in national schools. Accordingly, applications are being called from Grade 1 officers of the Sri Lanka Educational Service, as per the directives of the Education Service Committee of the Public Services Commission, the Education Ministry said. more..

Dec 23 (FT) It is with great pleasure that I accepted the invitation of Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne whom I always keep in high esteem for his integrity, probity, and civic mindedness to speak on the 68th year anniversary of Sarvodaya Movement. I had another reason to accept this. That is because Sarvodaya, especially its enterprise arm called the Sarvodaya Economic Enterprise Development Society or SEEDS and its training arm, Sarvodaya Management Training Institute or SMTI, more..

Dec 23 (SO) Fitch ratings upgraded Sri Lanka’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘CCC+’ from ‘RD’ (Restricted Default). This followed approval by creditors of the country’s US$ 12.55 billion International Sovereign Bond (ISB) debt earlier last week. This essentially means that SL has emerged from its bankruptcy. Bondholders overwhelmingly signed off on the Govt’s proposal to restructure int'l bonds. more..

Dec 23 (DM) A total of 2,243 people have died in road accidents this year, police said. They reported that 22,967 road accidents, including 2,141 fatal accidents, occurred between Jan 1 and Dec 13, 2024. Police said 6,500 serious accidents and 9,127 minor accidents were reported during this period. Meanwhile, at least 13 people were killed in accidents reported in the past 24 hours across several areas of the country. These accidents were reported yesterday (21) in Hatton, more..

Dec 23 (TM) A mother and her daughter have lost their lives while attempting to take a selfie on the tracks near the Anuradhapura railway station this afternoon (22), reports indicated. The incident occurred as they were struck by an express train travelling from Kankesanthurai to Colombo. The victims, a 38-year-old mother and her 18-year-old daughter, had travelled from Ratnapura to Anuradhapura to attend a Taekwondo tournament at the Anuradhapura Public Stadium. more..

Dec 23 (TM) The Road Development Authority (RDA) is still struggling to mobilise Chinese funding approved and released for the construction of Section I of the Central Expressway Project (CEP). In October, the former Ministry of Transport and Highways put out a Cabinet paper seeking approval for Rs. 7.5 billion to be received for Section I. Nevertheless, RDA is yet to receive the funds to re-commence project. more..

Dec 23 (AD) Three police officers, including a Sub-Inspector, have been temporarily transferred to the Mirihana Police HQ in connection with the investigation into the arrest of writer Kasun Mahendra Heenatigala by the Athurugiriya Police recently. SSP Buddhika Manatunga stated that accordingly, the OIC of the Anti-Corruption Division of Athurugiriya Police and two other police constables have been temporarily transferred related to the investigations into the incident. more..

Dec 23 (DM) Western Province Education Zonal Ministry has issued a circular prohibiting private tutoring classes for students by school teachers. The circular restricts school teachers from conducting private tutoring classes for their students during school hours, after school, on weekends or during govt holidays in exchange for money. It further said that complaints had been received regarding undue pressure exerted on students who do not attend their teachers' private classes. more..

Dec 23 (AD) Police have recovered the CCTV footage alleged to have been deleted from the private bus involved in a tragic accident in the Malliappuwa area on Saturday, which claimed the lives of three people including a school student. The accident occurred at around 10.00 a.m. when a private passenger bus travelling from Hatton to Kandy veered off the road and plunged 20 feet down a concrete embankment. Initial investigations suggest that driver lost control of the vehicle. more..

Dec 23 (AD) In response to the surge in accidents involving passenger transport buses and other vehicles, SL Police has announced that they will implement an island-wide traffic operation starting Dec 23, 2024. The initiative, spearheaded by the Acting Inspector General of Police, will continue throughout the festive season, aiming to enhance road safety and reduce accidents, Police Media Division said. The operation will focus heavily on inspecting public passenger transport buses. more..

Dec 23 (TM) Several high-profile urban development projects have been halted midway due to various challenges despite significant financial investment, an audit report from the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction & Housing has revealed. Report highlighted that the Metro Colombo Urban Development Project, which began on 10 July 2012 and was originally scheduled for completion by 30 June 2017, had faced more..

Dec 23 (DN) Sri Lanka has not paid due attention to the African, Middle East and East Asia markets which have a huge demand for gem and jewellery products, Minister Sunil Handunneththi opined addressing the Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute (GJRTI) diploma awarding ceremony held at the BMICH. “We need to take advantage of the high demand for this sector in those markets, as well as make use of the skilled gem and jewellery technicians of our country more..

Dec 23 (ST) A boat carrying more than one hundred Rohingya refugees and crew members was taken into custody by SL maritime border authorities off the Mullivaikkal coast in the Northeast on Friday after enduring days of hardships at sea, including deaths and illnesses. The hungry and weary men, women, and children described their ordeal to the SL authorities. The group, numbering 103 adults including 45 children, is reported to have fled from the Rakhine region in Myanmar, more..

Dec 23 (DM) As Sri Lanka brought the bond restructuring to a close, the Central Bank issued eight new treasury bonds with maturities running up to 19 years for which valid offers were accepted under the local bonds option by the govt in return for the defaulted sovereign bonds. Each bond has a value of Rs.19,466.1 million, bringing to Rs. 155.73 billion in total and carries a variable coupon linked to the Central Bank’s Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) plus 50 basis points. more..

Dec 23 (DN) 12-year-old Megumi Kularatne of the Ghefari Dulapandan Swimming School delivered a sensational performance at the National and Junior National Swimming Championships 2024, held at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo. Kularatne dominated the butterfly events, clinching three gold medals and setting a new junior national record in the 200 metres Butterfly. Kularatne made history by clocking 2:37.86 in the 200m Butterfly, smashing the five-year-old more..

Dec 23 (TM) SJB and ITAK, have raised concerns over the exclusion of minority community representatives from the newly formed Clean Sri Lanka Presidential Task Force (PTF). They have also questioned the inclusion of the commanders of the armed forces in the same. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently appointed an 18-member PTF to plan and implement the Clean SL programme. SJB MP Mujibur Rahman said that more..

Dec 23 (DN) Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage said that there is no special preference or animosity towards any sports association or officials. Minister stressed that the internal issues within the Netball Association must be resolved by the association itself, and all parties need to work together to move the sport forward. Presently no elected administration body for the Netball Federation while confident of the Authority is Sports Director General Prof Shemal Fernando. more..

Dec 23 (FT) Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) CEO Noor Ahmad last Friday said SL’s tourism sector is charting a path towards prosperity and growth, whilst praising its unique offerings and need for innovation and collaboration. Addressing at the National Tourism Awards 2024 organised by SL Tourism, he described Sri Lanka through the lens of “3 Ls – Land of Legends and Legacy”, highlighting the country’s rich history, cultural heritage, and its potential to captivate global visitors. more..

Dec 23 (ST) Public Security Ministry and the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) could have avoided unnecessary delays and additional costs if they had initiated the procurement of a personalisation system for e-passports in parallel with the tender to procure five million such passports, National Procurement Commission (NPC) has informed the Court of Appeal. The NPC’s observations on the matter were submitted more..

Dec 23 (FT) Central Bank on Friday issued a Circular to Licenced Banks, highlighting relief measures to be provided to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) affected due to the Easter Sunday attack, COVID-19 pandemic, and the extraordinary macroeconomic conditions that prevailed during the recent past. CB said the move is an agreement with the SL Banks’ Association (SLBA) during the meetings of the Working Committee on Recovery of Loans by Banks more..

Dec 23 (DN) The SL cricket team led by Charith Asalanka departed for New Zealand last Friday to compete in a three-match T20 and ODI series. The three-match T20 series will kick off the tour, with matches scheduled for Dec 28 and 30, followed by the final game on Jan 2, 2025. The only practice game will be played today at Lincoln against New Zealand X1. SL captain Charith Asalanka said: My team players are in good spirits. Their performances in the recent T10 series were commendable, more..