Dec 1 (FT) A webinar held by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) recently discussed digital taxation, its challenges and benefits. An elite panel of industry professionals; Ernst & Young – Singapore Partner – International Tax and Transaction Services Hsin Yee Wong, Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) Chairman Jayantha De Silva, Department of Inland Revenue Commissioner – Large Taxpayer Services Unit and SL Institute of Taxation more..

Dec 1 (FT) The GCE O/L Exam will not be held on the dates scheduled previously, the Minister of Education Prof. G. L. Peiris said. It was previously decided to hold the examination from 18th to 27th of Jan in 2021. The Minister said that the new dates will be announced 06 weeks prior to the date of exam. He pointed out that nearly 50% of the Grade 11 student population is currently unable to carry on with their academic activities more..

Dec 1 (AD) The death toll following the Mahara Prison riot has hiked 11, stated DIG Ajith Rohana. A total of 107 persons injured in the incident are currently receiving treatment at the Ragama Hospital, he added. Unrest at the Mahara Prison broke out on Sunday evening when a group of inmates attempted to escape the facility following a conflict with prison officials. Prison authorities had opened fire to control the situation and a team of STF personnel was deployed to assist more..

Dec 1 (EN) SL is extending an exchange control that barred companies and individuals from investing money for another six months from Jan 2020. The cabinet of ministers had cleared a proposal from the Minister of Finance to extend the controls which are due to expire in January. In 2020 SL suspended a general permission under the country’s exchange control laws that allowed companies to invest in foreign stocks, securities or sovereign bonds as the rupee came under pressure due to more..

Dec 1 (CT) A complaint was lodged at the Human Rights Commission of SL by the Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners over the deadly incident which started on 29 Nov at the Mahara Prison and resulted in the deaths of prisoners, injuries to inmates and officers and destruction to property due to arson. Committee whilst condemning the conduct of the authorities before and after the incident said more..

Dec 1 (Island) Some buildings belonging to the Janata Estate Development Board in Colombo had been rented at Rs.13.7 a square foot during the yahapalana govt, Parliament was told. Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage acknowledged this revelation made by Kandy District SJB MP Velu Kumar, who said that the JEDB had 28,800 square feet space in its buildings in Colombo City and three of them had been rented to public sector institutions while 8 had been rented out to private sector. more..

Dec 1 (FT) Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of SL (FCCISL) hosted an interactive session with Ambassador Designate to China Dr. Palitha Kohona in Colombo recently. The event was organised by FCCISL Board Member Ruwan de Silva. FCCISL Senior Vice President Keerthi Gunawardane welcomed Dr. Palitha Kohona and conducted this event. Dr. Kohona making the keynote address outlined SL’s strategic importance in the Asian region and also from more..

Dec 1 (DM) Director-general of Health Services Dr Asela Gunawardane said active SUB-COVID-19 clusters in the country had been triggered by infected persons, who moved out of the isolated areas to other parts of the country. He said all the cases could be linked somehow or other to the Peliyagoda fish market, which was a super spreader. “The areas with people who got into contact with the fish market were isolated. more..

Dec 1 (Island) The Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) called on the govt to increase funds used for COVID-19 relief and promised that it would not raise other issues to put the government in difficulty as it was fighting against the worst pandemic the human civilization had ever faced. SJB Kalutara District MP Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the govt so far had spent only 16 percent of the COVID-19 fund and requested that at least Rs 20,000 each be given to people who had lost their livelihoods. more..

Dec 1 (CT) A global Multidimensional Poverty Index points out that 4.1% of the population in Sri Lanka live below the national poverty line, with 14.3 per cent vulnerable to multidimensional poverty, projecting rising levels of poverty, besides widening inequalities. The global index, jointly produced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, further identified poverty beyond income deprivations and more..

Dec 1 (Island) Many of the recommendations made by the expert committee appointed by the previous govt to draft a new counter terrorism law had not been included in the draft bill that was prepared, DIG AJith Rohana on Saturday told the PCoI. Rohana, who was also a part of the Committee, said that they had made a number of recommendations on dealing with religious extremists. more..

Dec 1 (AD) Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake stated that it has not been confirmed that any member of the Parliament staff has tested positive for COVID-19 virus. A staff member of the Parliament who was suffering from fever was recently hospitalized. In the Rapid Antigen Test, it was found that the member was not infected with COVID-19 and he had been sent home for 14 days quarantine, the Secretary General said. The place where he worked and more..

Dec 1 (FT) The Colombo stock market closed positive yesterday enabling to end November with a 9% gain. The All Share Price Index rose by 63 points or 1% whilst the S&P SL 20 index inched by over 20 points or 0.8%. Turnover was a healthy Rs. 2.4 billion. NDB Securities said during the month of November, the ASPI and S&P SL20 gained 9.03% and 7.52%, whilst recording an average daily turnover of Rs. 2.54 billion. The November gain was after a 4.3% dip by ASPI in October. more..

Dec 1 (CT) Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said there was no necessity to cripple education by opening and closing schools in an ad hoc manner as it would only result in the future generation suffering a setback. He said the Health Ministry in collaboration with the Family Health Bureau had issued the Education Department with guidelines at the end of the first COVID-19 wave on reopening schools. more..

Dec 1 (AD) The Attorney General has instructed the IGP to take immediate steps due to Covid-19 to develop an action plan and implement directions to release prisoners on bail by Monday, in order to reduce prison overcrowding. AG’s coordinating officer State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne stated that the AG had issued instructions to the IGP on filing cases pertaining to drug-related offences on Nov 9 and 16. As there is an urgent need to reduce the number of prison inmates immediately more..

Dec 1 (DM) Govt has approved the implementation a new service for the fast delivery of vehicle driving licenses, registration certificates and registered number plates for clients through a Speed Post Courier Service. The decision was taken considering the delay occurring when receiving the above documents to clients. Accordingly, the registration certificate, vehicle number plates and a sticker issued when registering or during vehicle ownership transferring process at Motor Traffic Dept more..

Dec 1 (Island) Fresh from their victory in fighting the destruction of Kallaru Reserve Forest in the Court of Appeal, Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Executive Director Hemantha Withanage this week filed a new writ application in the CA through their lawyers, against a govt decision to revive the Other State Forest from the preview of the Forest Department and handover more..

Dec 1 (CT) The number of COVID-19 infected persons in the Colombo Municipal area is increasing on a daily basis but the number of Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) deployed by the Council is inadequate, Deputy President of PHIs Association H.A.V.C. Kulatillaka said adding that work related to identifying infected persons was slowing down. Although the GMOA is pointing fingers at the PHIs, as COVID-19 infected persons are being found from all parts of the country, PHIs’ duties have more..

Dec 1 (ORF) Even as India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met with Sri Lankan Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and PM Mahinda Rajapaksa on the side-lines of the fourth maritime security trilateral, also involving Maldives, there is a new urgency for the two nations to resolve the long-standing fishers’ issue. In the context of the increased internationalisation of the shared waters among the three nations for non-state activities like increased incidence of drug-smuggling and more..

Dec 1 (AD) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed Justice Arjuna Obeysekara as new the President of the Court of Appeal. Marking a new milestone in the judicial system of the country, 21 new Judges to superior courts were sworn in before the President. Six new Judges to the Supreme Court and 14 new Judges to the Court of Appeal took oaths before President Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat today (1). more..

Dec 1 (AD) Attorney General today filed indictment before the Negombo High Court against former Negombo Prison Superintendent Anuruddha Sampayo, four senior prison officials and two inmates. The indictment has been filed on charges of conspiracy, forgery and use of false documents for smuggling prohibited items into prison, the AG’s coordinating officer said. On July 22, following directions of the AG, the CID obtained arrest warrants on Anuruddha Sampayo and more..

Dec 1 (AD) Governor of the Eastern Province Anuradha Yahampath has instructed provincial education officials to close all schools in the province from tomorrow (2) until Friday (4), due to the adverse weather forecast. Dept of Meteorology has issued a <>Red warning stating that the low-pressure area in the south-east Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm and cross Eastern coast of SL. Therefore, Eastern Governor has taken this decision to close more..

Dec 1 (PTI) SL's Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed petitions filed by members of the Muslim community against the govt's regulation that makes cremations mandatory for COVID-related deaths. Some 12 petitioners had challenged the official gazette issued in April, claiming it impinged on the fundamental rights of the island nation's 9% Muslim minority. When the pandemic broke out in the country, Ministry of Health revised more..

Dec 1 (AD) The protesting inmates at the Mahara Prison have broken into the medical section of the facility amidst the riot, says the Department of Prisons. Commissioner of Prisons Administration Chandana Ekanayake said they had consumed several varieties of stored drugs in the medical section. Addressing a press conference today (01), he noted that the inmates had caused massive property damage while raging through the prison premises. more..

Dec 1 (DM) Dharmasiri Perera, the main suspect in the murder of Ranjan de Silva, the father of SL cricketer Dananjaya de Silva, has been arrested in Abu Dhabi. DIG Ajith Rohana said that the suspect was arrested on Nov 29. On May 24, 2018, Ranjan de Silva who was a member of the Dehiwala Mount Lavinia Municipal Council was shot dead. The Spokesman said three suspects have been arrested earlier in connection with the murder. "However, the main suspect fled the country to the UAE. more..

Dec 1 (EN) Sri Lanka will repay all debt falling due but will focus on getting foreign direct investments, while innovating ways to work within a Coronavirus pandemic Prez Rajapaksa told an economic forum in Colombo. “A significant issue in Sri Lanka’s current economic context is the extremely high debt burden we are faced with,” Prez Rajapaksa said delivering the keynote address at the CCC annual economic forum. more..

Dec 2 (CT) It is not fair to blame the govt for the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping across the country. The first wave of the pandemic from mid-March to end-May was handled successfully and it seemed we had put it behind us. Yes, some things could have been done better. Why on earth was the army boss put in charge of the Task Force; the downside is showing now. Didn’t Gota appreciate that you can’t give a virus marching orders and expect it to disappear into the twilight. more..

Dec 2 (DM) Thousands of farmers led by their turban clad Punjabi leaders thronged to the borders of India’s capital during the past few days. They were protesting against the new farm laws of the Modi govt. The tensions have been mounting ever since the govt passed 3 agricultural bills last Sept. They were aimed at breaking agricultural monopolies and especially the age old crop auction system or mandis. Farmers claim that this move to dismantle traditional system will make them vulnerable. more..

Dec 2 (DM) SL’s indigenous Adivasi community—the Vedda people—have historically maintained a diet of kurakkan roti and game meat. They are also known to have various indigenous cures and treatments for their health purposes. In the past, each Adivasi person carried a pouch of indigenous health remedies—or Athbeheth—with them, along with a separate pouch for chewing betel. They lived close to nature and had a strong bond with more..

Dec 2 (CT) Despite its small size Sri Lanka has occasionally been prominent on the world scene for both good reasons and bad. Sri Lanka gained much positive publicity for having the first woman prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1960. This was one of the factors that helped Sri Lanka to host the non-aligned conference in 1976 which was attended by 86 heads of states or their representatives and enabled Sri Lanka to play a lead role on the international scene. more..

Dec 2 (DM) You can’t escape Covid 19. Just when you’re beginning to feel complacent in your thin-walled cocoon (which the virus can penetrate), it builds its own cocoon around you. When things start going wrong, they do relentlessly and at a baffling speed. First, the startling news of the Brandix Cluster in early October (this has now been conveniently changed to the Minuwangoda Cluster). Gampaha district came under curfew, but the incorrigible virus kept attacking elsewhere. more..

Dec 2 (CT) While the coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll on the country unscrupulous elements have begun making hay while the sun shines in the form of illegal sand mining. Sand mining has been taking place unabated in the Chandanamadu Aaru area in Eravur in the Batticaloa District. It has become an open secret that such activities were going on where a cargo train fitted with 19 carriages was seen more..

Dec 2 (CT) There have been several instances where leaders and public officials were punished for acting contrary to the Constitution and other legal provisions in certain countries including SL. Former Pakistani Prez Pervez Musharraf, for example, was sentenced to death for violating the Constitution. Be it in writing or not, all citizens are bound to abide by the Constitution and other legal provisions of the country in a civilised world. As Sri Lankans, we too have a duty to respect and abide by more..

Dec 2 (CT) The newly-appointed Minister of Public Security, Rear Admiral (Retd.) Sarath Weerasekara, recently stated that an application to trace suspects will be installed on mobile phones of Police officers. This new application is capable of comparing fingerprints of suspects with the support of a database based in Colombo, and will identify criminals instantly. With the use of this new application, Police officers will be able to obtain their criminal records immediately. more..

Dec 2 (GV) This proposal for a new Chapter on Fundamental Rights and Freedoms in a future constitution was prepared in response to the public invitation to submit proposals to the Ministry of Justice Experts Committee to Draft a New Constitution for SL. This proposal is made on the following assumptions: 1. That the new constitution will guarantee irreversible, meaningful, and extensive devolution of power within a united state, and, accordingly, all references to the State more..

Dec 2 (ST) The govt’s proposal to amend the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Act to extend the retirement age of private sector employees both men and women up to 60 years has brought several crucial issues into the limelight. PM Mahinda Rajapaska in his 2021 budget speech said the retirement age of private sector employees would be raised to 60 years based on the life expectancy which is 72 years for men and 77 years for women. But it was not clear as to whether more..

Dec 2 (CI) The Dambulla Viiking served up the first real outstanding bowling performance of the LPL, as their army of spinners utterly neutralised the big-hitting Colombo Kings on their way to an impressive 28-run win. Each of the six bowlers used by the Viiking picked up a wicket, though the standouts were undoubtedly the spin contingent of Samit Patel, Malinda Pushpakumara, Sachindu Colombage and Pulina Tharanga, more..

Dec 2 (ST) A video where a 79-year-old veteran engineer addresses a meeting chaired by Prez Rajapaksa, discussing how SL engineers are able to handle development work at much lower the cost charged by foreign contractors, is doing the rounds on social media. Reading from a document, he courageously refers to 11 projects of which five were done by Sri Lankans and the others by foreigners, pointing out that the projects done by foreigners cost four to six times of that executed by locals. more..

Dec 2 (Island) The recent assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Prof. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, has shocked the civilised world and been rightly condemned as a dastardly act of terrorism. His killers left no clues as to their identities. Iran has blamed the US (which it calls Global Arrogance) and Israel. Its indignation is understandable. Those who had Prof. Fakhrizadeh assassinated may have sought to demoralise Iran and scuttle its nuclear programme, but they seem to have only more..