CAA Board resignation: Conclusion of term the main reason: Min. Secy
Mar 15 (TM) Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security claimed that the former Board of Directors of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), including its Chairperson, was asked to resign as its term concluded, and there is no other reason behind the subject Minister’s decision. Secretary to the Ministry A.M.P.M.B. Atapattu said that the sole reason for the Minister’s (Nalin Fernando) decision was the conclusion of the term of the previous Board and that otherwise, no personal or professional
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IMF working with a government without a mandate: Handunnetti
Mar 15 (Island) President Ranil Wickremesinghe had told opposition political parties that they would be given an opportunity to meet a high powered IMF delegation last Monday to discuss the IMF programme, but he had not invited representatives of the IMF to the discussion, National People’s Power (NPP) stalwart and former MP, Sunil Handunnetti told journalists in Colombo on Thursday (14) after attending a meeting with the IMF. The two sides met yesterday at a hotel in Colombo.
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Environmentalists protest against Adani wind farm
Mar 15 (Island) SL environmental groups are intensifying their campaign against the proposed Adani wind farm in Mannar. They have accused the SL political parties of having ignored the the disastrous environmental, social and economic implications of the Adani wind farm to be established in Mannar. Prominent among the senior environmentalists and scientists opposing the Adani project are Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda and
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Drought risk looms large
Mar 15 (DM) Amidst growing concerns over an anticipated drought, the Defence Ministry has announced plans to mitigate potential damages, according to an official statement. Forecasts from Met Dept indicate that while there may be sporadic rainfall expected towards the end of March and into April, it is projected to be of diminished volume, exacerbating the looming drought conditions. In response, DMC has proactively devised strategies to confront the impending crisis.
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Ranil is the common candidate, claims UNP
Mar 15 (TM) UNP of the Govt stated that Party Leader and Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest the upcoming Prez Election in the same manner as the former Prez and incumbent Opposition MP Maithripala Sirisena contested in the 2015 Prez Election. With the Prez Election scheduled to be held this year, several leading political parties have revealed their plans for it. UNP General Secretary Palitha Rangebandara said that Wickremesinghe would contest the Prez Election as
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Hiru TV Balaya: නැකතේ බලය
‘Foreign management of Telco’s happen even during war’
Mar 15 (DN) In a comprehensive discussion on the future of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in SL, Suresh Shah, Head of State Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit, addressed the multifaceted challenges of reforming these entities, particularly emphasizing the national security concerns that arise amid divestment debates. As the country embarks on another round of attempts to revamp its SOEs, comparisons with regional peers shed light on a path forward that balances economic
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Trinity – Antonian should be a close tussle
Mar 15 (DN) The clash between two leading schools in Kandy Trinity College and St. Anthony’s College – which is called the Battle of the Blues will take place at the Asgiriya Int'l Cricket Stadium today and tomorrow For these two schools there are no games bigger than this clash. St. Anthony’s College and Trinity College are two of the oldest Colleges in cricket. This is the sixth oldest Big Match in the country and this time both schools are evenly balanced with impressive records for season
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Gevindu files FR in SC against CBSL
Mar 15 (TM) Opposition MP Gevindu Cumaratunga has filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition against the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) before the Supreme Court (SC) based on several grounds including the fact that the interest rate paid for Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) deposits of its employees for several years is significantly higher than the rate that is usually paid for private sector employees.
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Health Ministry tells public hospitals to use huge quantities of drugs about to expire
Mar 15 (ST) Health Ministry’s Medical Supplies Division (MSD) has issued several circulars alerting hospitals to a large number of medications—including donations—that are about to expire, urging that they be used as much as possible prior to expiry to minimise wastage. The Sunday Times has reported that SL, during the economic crisis, received large quantities of medicines and medical devices as donations. They included non-formulary medication, and some had short-expiry dates.
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Brandix first to commit to UN program on Gender-based Violence and...
Mar 15 (FT) Apparel giant Brandix, has become the first private sector entity from SL to commit to the UN program on Gender-based Violence and Women in Leadership and has been recognised as a leading Achiever by the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP) Gender Gap Analysis survey. Brandix said it continues to lead efforts to inspire and empower women across all walks and leads the way by converting policy into practice. At Brandix 80% of the Group’s workforce consists of women,
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Lanka Bell to stop ringing
Mar 15 (ST) Lanka Bell, a fixed wireless operator struggling to find investors for over half a decade, is on the brink of winding up, top officials confirmed. The company’s only asset now is the cable network which cost US$50 billion at the inception when it was formed, they added. The competition has surpassed them, and the company is struggling with its financials, they said. Clients have reported that their requests for service have not been met,
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Malsha and Dinura likely to play key roles
Mar 15 (DN) Two Southern Province leading schools Richmond and Mahinda will meet today and tomorrow (15-16) in their 119th Lovers Quarrel big match which will be played at Galle International Cricket Stadium. The third oldest schools cricket match in the history of the game in SL has good memories while the series began way back in 1905 and Richmond has won 24 of the matches while Mahinda has won 23 and last Richmond big match win was in 2019 under the leadership of
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Ceylon Chamber unhappy with Cabinet move to suspend parate action
Mar 15 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said it was deeply concerned about the decision by the Cabinet to temporarily suspend the parate execution law and called for collaborative solutions on the debt recovery framework. “While we understand that certain businesses essentially in the SME sector need to be supported in the current economic climate, providing that support in the form of curtailing credit recovery measures is not necessarily the best method of supporting
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බැසිල් රාජපක්ෂ සමග - මුහුණට මුහුණ
Home Lands group expands to Australia
Mar 15 (FT) Home Lands Group of Companies announced the opening of Home Lands (Melbourne) PTY Ltd., the group’s latest venture marking an expansion of its real estate operations to Australia. Located in No. 184, Whitehorse Road, Blackburn, VIC 3130, Home Lands (Melbourne) is a full-service real estate company now open and ready to cater to the diverse needs of customers across Australia. Specialising in both apartment and land sales, Home Lands (Melbourne) is committed to
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Second One-dayer a must-win for Sri Lanka
Mar 15 (DN) SL cricket team will meet Bangladesh in their 2nd ODI today at Chattogram, commencing at 2pm and this match going to be a must win game for Sri Lanka to equal the series having lost the first game on Wednesday. Sri Lanka scored 255 runs all out in 48.5 overs and that was not enough to make a good challenge and Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossian Shanto with a captain’s knock of 118 guided them to victory at 44th over and it gave morale boost to them for this second game.
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Software giant IFS to hire 1,000 more in SL
Mar 15 (FT) Leading software company IFS is expanding its operations in SL with the employee base tipped to top the 3,500 mark this year. At present IFS has over 6,000 employees globally of which over 2,500 at present are in SL. Mark Moffat, was promoted to the role of CEO at IFS in early January from Chief Customer Officer and given its importance picked SL as the place to visit as CEO. Moffat’s predecessor Darren Roos
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Editorial: Rhetoric and reality
Mar 15 (Island) The JVP turned down Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s invitation to a meeting with the IMF, but some of its senior members met a visiting IMF delegation yesterday in Colombo perhaps as part of its strategy to gain political mileage. Whoever would have thought, a decade or so ago, that the JVP leaders would glad-hand IMF representatives, whom they used to condemn as agents of neo-imperialism. Their long stay in democratic politics seems to have had a mellowing effect on
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Gender equality, empowerment of women & the JVP
Mar 15 (GV) My previous article about the Int'l Women’s Day emphasised the importance of working towards gender equality, which is essential for the world in its journey towards a reconciled and a fairer place. UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has only six more years to run. This means that in another half a decade every person should have equal access to education, healthcare, decent work, a life free from discrimination and abuse, and representation in political andmore..
ගෝඨාභය පොතේ නොලියු ඇත්ත
Decent robbery
Mar 15 (ST) Quite often I had come across questions related to bond markets – a topic that many are not familiar with. I thought of discussing this topic because it is an integral part of our current debt crisis. What is a bond? How does it work? And how does a country get into trouble with bonds? These are typical questions that many would ask but not get clear answers. Let me deal with some of these questions today and explain the answers in a simple language.
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Batting to the gallery, counter-productive
Mar 15 (TM) The opposition political parties, and some MPs currently in the Govt, have been batting to the battered gallery and making knee-jerk policy statements, aimed at securing votes as the clock ticks on an election season around the bend. The return to popular politics, and that of promising relief as a barter for votes is a concerning trend. Let us be in no illusion that despite what the SL masses think about the austerity measures which have been introduced by the Govt,
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High prices: The fruit and veg dilemma
Mar 15 (TM) It is difficult to find another instance in the history of central banking where the Head of that bank with conscienceless audacity abusing the constitutional independence of that institution to raise unilaterally the wages of his staff to such a height, between 36 and 79%, and made them an un-imitable elite of officers to be envied by the rest of the community of public servants. This is one of many and
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Nandalal Weerasinghe’s wages of sin
Mar 15 (CT) It is difficult to find another instance in the history of central banking where the Head of that bank with conscienceless audacity abusing the constitutional independence of that institution to raise unilaterally the wages of his staff to such a height, between 36 and 79%, and made them an un-imitable elite of officers to be envied by the rest of the community of public servants. This is one of many and multiplying horror stories one hears almost daily from paradise Sri Lanka.
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Better late than never!
Mar 15 (CT) Given the significant demand for English medium education, the Cabinet Sub-Committee on National Education Policy has proposed that the number of schools that offer English medium education should be increased to 1,000. This expansion aims to accommodate at least 200,000 students to be educated in the English medium by 2025. The use of the English Language as a medium of instruction to teach academic subjects in countries where
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Some wounds will never heal
Mar 15 (CT) It was an ordinary Easter Sunday. Like every year, 17-year-old Dinuki Kaushalya accompanied her little brother, Sayuru Sathsara (9), to St. Sebastian Church in Katuwapitiya, Negombo on 21 April 2019. The familiar cadence of the Reverend Father’s prayer enveloped the congregation when suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the serenity. In an instant, the world went silent,
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Economic policies in an election year: Suggested priorities
Mar 15 (DM) Part I of this article, which was published on Feb 29, laid out the grim fiscal and debt sustainability outlook for SL. The key driver of debt dynamics is the gap between real GDP growth and real interest rates on govt debt. Sustained annual growth of 5-6% and low real interest rates through disciplined fiscal policy would significantly improve debt sustainability. With slowing labour force growth due to an ageing population, sustaining high GDP growth requires
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Nation building, Zen and art of Motorcycle maintenance
Mar 15 (DM) These are days when parents have to motivate children with positive thoughts and help them envisage victory after being engaged in a struggle. We are in an era where we have to make a struggle to live, study, find food, retain jobs and stand up for what’s right. For this we must ensure that our loved ones engaged in the struggle to live and prosper emerge as victors. But there can be people out there who dedicate some time from their lives to defeat evil.
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Anura Kumara Dissanayaka
Basil wants general election first for a balanced parliament
Mar 14 (EN) Sri Lanka’s next parliament will be a more balanced one if parliamentary elections are held before a presidential election and won’t result in any one party monopolising political power, SLPP national organiser Basil Rajapaksa said. In an interview given to the privately owned NewsFirst network, Rajapaksa said power should not be concentrated around one party. “The party that wins the prez election may secure unlimited power. I don’t think that’s a good situation.
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107 new bills and amended bills presented to parliament in 2022-2023
Mar 14 (PMD) Anuradha Jayaratne, the State Minister of Justice and Prison Affairs, hinted at the potential submission of 107 newly revised bills to Parliament between 2022 and 2023. Moreover, the Minister pointed out that in 2023, the agriculture and industry sectors together produced earnings worth 116 million rupees, thanks to the labour contributions of inmates. These statements were made by the State Minister during a press briefing held at the Prez Media Centre today (14),
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Expert forecasts lengthy legal battle in Ottawa mass killing
Mar 14 (DM) A criminal law expert has shed light on the potentially lengthy legal journey ahead for the case involving Febrio De-Zoysa, the 19-year-old SL national accused of a brutal attack in Barrhaven, Ottawa. Daphne Gilbert, a professor of criminal law at the Uni of Ottawa, suggests that the legal proceedings could span two to three years as they wind through the complexities of the court system. Gilbert emphasizes
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United Petroleum Australia to commence operations mid-2024 in Sri Lanka
Mar 14 (AD) United Petroleum Australia, who entered into SL’s petroleum retail operations last month, plans to obtain their licence to commence operations mid-2024, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera stated. Minister revealed that the Australian-owned petroleum retailer and importer plans to sign an agreement with the Board of Investment (BOI) and obtain the relevant licence later this year. CFO of the United Petroleum Group, Nigel Simonsz, visited the Ministry on Thursday (14), and
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Prez appoints expert committee to tackle construction sector challenges
Mar 14 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that an expert committee would be appointed to investigate and propose solutions for the prevailing economic challenges, particularly within the construction sector. This declaration was made during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday, attended by industrialists from the construction sector. Prez Wickremesinghe emphasized the inclusion of experts from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Urban Dev,
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