Jun 13 (TM) In a letter addressed to PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, TNA MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam clarified his speech in Parliament last week, stating that he denies and is flabbergasted by the comments made by the PM about his involvement in the massacre of 600 policemen in 1990. The letter was sent to PM today. “I am flabbergasted and shocked by the statement the Hon. PM has made in Parliament, more..

Jun 13 (CI) Welcome back to the five-match ODI series, although, maybe, for the last time? Not since before the 2019 World Cup has there been a bilateral contest of this length in the format. For Sri Lanka and Australia, it's an extended opportunity to work on their games ahead of next year's ODI World Cup, but these matches will have no bearing on qualification as they aren't part of the one-and-done Super League (just nod and accept, it's a cricket thing). more..

Jun 13 (TM) Dhammika Perera is set to implement his Sri Lanka 2030 plan under the new Ministry of Technology and Investment Promotion that is widely speculated to be assigned to him. For a query put forward by The Morning Business inquiring about his plans under the new Ministry, if received, Perera directed towards his plans detailed in his manifesto titled Sri Lanka 2030 – A Developed Nation under the Ministry of Technology and Investment Promotion. more..

Jun 13 (EN) SL legislator Patali Ranawaka, a former Minister of Power has made shocking revelations over a power deal with India’s Adani group as a controversy brews over ending competitive tenders for private power producers. Ranawaka said as far back as Nov 2021, the Chairman of CEB M C Ferdinando had written to the then Treasury Secretary asking for an agreement to be signed with Adani Green more..

Jun 13 (CT) Corrupt officials in the Excise Dept were collaborating with liquor manufacturers to defraud the Govt of Rs 400 million in taxes on a daily basis, Co-organiser of the Sri Lanka Liquor Licensing Association, Dullas Fernando, alleged. He also charged a powerful politician’s son was violating the Excise Act by distributing liquor to 500 Sathosa outlets. He alleged the money has been shared among politicians, excise officials and liquor manufacturers for years. more..

Jun 13 (ICC) The ICC today announced that Sri Lanka’s batting star Angelo Mathews and Pakistan’s debutante spin sensation Tuba Hassan have been voted the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for May 2022. Mathews was voted the recipient of the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for May after piling on the runs over the course of his side’s impressive ICC World Test Championship series victory against Bangladesh. Amassing 344 runs at an average of 172 more..

Jun 14 (DM) Prez Rajapaksa has instructed to conduct a formal study on the public service with the aim of providing quality public service in a short period of time and increasing employee satisfaction. During a special discussion held at the Prez’s House on Friday, on the role of the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Local Govt and the accelerated home gardening programme, he pointed out the need to consolidate state institutions to provide uniform service to all. more..

Jun 14 (GV) Therein lies the rub. At the heart of most of the crises that have beset the nation of SL is a corrupt, inequitable and underdeveloped economic structure of colonial origin. Attention is diverted to various scapegoats; the system’s fundamental flaws are unacknowledged and cultural, linguistic and religious differences take centre stage. This paper does question the importance of these factors but argues forcefully that the emphasis should be on the need for serious and radical institutional more..

Jun 14 (TM) According to experts who have been vocal about the prevailing crises, the current situation is mainly a result of both political and economic mismanagement, and therefore, addressing both these aspects is crucial. While some steps are being taken by the authorities to bring some kind of stability to the economy, the people have been demanding measures to ensure political stability as well. more..

Jun 14 (TM) The Morning yesterday reported that with the demand for foreign employment having risen exponentially due to the economic crisis, foreign employment agencies are overcharging those seeking employment abroad. These amounts are exorbitantly higher than the maximum charges listed on the SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) website, and these job-seekers have raised concerns about this situation. Even though agency rates may have increased due to inflation, more..

Jun 14 (CT) SL elected its sixth Executive President in late 2019, and has since seen a continuous decline in the country’s performance, in all sectors. It is unfortunate, but every decision taken since the president assumed office was to the detriment of the country. None of them were based on any form of theoretical or scientific understanding of managing a state, or even based on the advice of knowledgeable sources. It appears the Prez was experimenting with the economy of the country, more..

Jun 14 (CT) Zoos based in and out of Colombo are in a dilemma. While these facilities are extremely popular and profitable, they are also vulnerable to hazards, including global economic and food crises, import restrictions, and concerns about the value of animals in managed care. Dehiwala Zoo, like other zoos, will open to sponsors who want to help an animal, in the backdrop of the country’s worsening economic crisis. more..

Jun 14 (CT) SJB Opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said that when he spoke to the Japanese Ambassador on emergency aid for SL, he first wanted the island to fulfil two conditions: Have an all party Govt and an agreement between the Govt and the Opposition that they would honour commitments made in a prospective Japanese aid offer. De Silva’s statement is an indictment on the SLPP Govt co-led by Prez SLPP and UNP leader and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, in contrast to the more..

Jun 14 (Island) Chairman of the CEB M.M.C. Ferdinando has resigned over his recent statement, before the COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises), that Indian PM Narendra Modi had pressured Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa to award the Mannar wind power project contract to India’s Adani Group. Ferdinando said President Rajapaksa had, after a meeting, told him that the latter was under pressure from Modi to ensure that Adani clinched the deal. But Prez promptly denied his claim. more..

Jun 14 (ST) Govt on Thursday defied both Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) trade unions and the Opposition to push through the SL Electricity Amendment Bill, which aims to fast track renewable energy projects. The bill will allow any person to apply for a licence to generate electricity. It also removes the restriction imposed on a person to be eligible to apply for the issue of a generation licence to generate electricity over and above the generation capacity of 25 Mega Watts (MW). more..

Jun 14 (Island) One hundred and twenty-five years into its existence, St. Joseph’s College, Colombo remains dignified and spiritually-focused in the SL school system. Its achievements have been numerous and multidimensional over the decades but if one were to sum up the essential identity of the College, then, spiritual development would be the phrase to choose. Fortunately, my association with the College has continued unbroken since the sixties and early seventies when I was a student more..

Jun 14 (CI) Almost two days after he'd played the T20I innings of a lifetime, Dasun Shanaka revealed his thinking going into the last three overs of that chase. Australia having set 177 for a target, SL needed a highly improbable 59 for victory, with the last recognised batting pair at the crease. Shanaka, who had lumbered to 6 off 12 by this stage, suddenly went into supernova mode. He hit two sixes and two fours off the 18th over, more..

Jun 14 (DM) As if SL did not have enough problems, the government last week let another one crop up and then when a full-blown foreign policy crisis was in the making, staggered to extricate itself. The detention of an Aeroflot Airbus 330, the Russian national carrier, by court order on June 2 could have far-reaching consequences; the hurried release of the aircraft by the intervention of the Attorney General might have spared the country from the worst of them, though some damage more..

Jun 14 (Island) Already playing the qualifying round of the ICC T-20 World Cup, SL seem to be heading in the same direction in the 50-over format as well as chances of them automatically qualifying for the sport’s showpiece event are remote. The former World Champions are currently placed ninth with 62 points in the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. SL have finished six series in the league and are left with the away series in New Zealand and home series against Afghanistan, both next year. more..

Jun 14 (ST) China, one of SL’s largest creditors, is putting a different spin on the country’s debt implosion by pinning the blame on monetary and fiscal policies of developed economies, and sanctions. The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s director of Asian affairs, Liu Jinsong, is cited by the SCMP, as saying in a meeting with Palitha Kohona, the envoy in Beijing, the reasons developing countries more..

Jun 14 (DN) Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has struck a deal with the High Commission of Pakistan to run its domestic rugby tournaments. Pakistan threw its weight behind rugby at a time when Sri Lanka rugby needed a sponsor for domestic rugby in SL. Rugby in SL has a rich history of nearly 150 years old, but it doesn’t have to be a loser when it comes to finding a sponsor. Sri Lanka Rugby somehow managed to rope in Pakistan, who has come on board to sponsor SLR Provincial Development Tournament. more..

Jun 14 (DM) SL’s first electric smart bicycle, Rhoda aims to put 100,000 electric smart bicycles on the roads within five years, gradually enhancing its production capacity. Amid an on-going fuel crisis in the country, Rhoda bicycles have emerged as a sustainable, convenient and economical option for mobility for daily commuters as well as some businesses to sustain their operations. “It’s about enabling people to go on with their daily lives without disruptions. We believe that electric mobility more..

Jun 14 (ST) The Govt will soon adapt a short-term foreign finance mobilisation strategy of repurposing financial resources granted by international donors and the undisbursed loan balance of billions of dollars to maintain basic living standards of the people. The total undisbursed loan balance of foreign financing and foreign financial resources available from the already committed loans for development projects that are to be utilised in the next 2-5 years, is estimated at US$ 7.95 b, more..

Jun 14 (SO) A segment of SL’s traditional food, traditional nutrition and indigenous health experts speaking at a forum last week asserted that Sri Lanka needs to ensure that knowledge is shared island wide to educate policy makers and the public on the vast local food and medicinal resources available. This will be vital to combat any looming food and medicinal crisis, they said. Traditional food and health specialists of Sri Lanka called upon the mass media to educate themselves and more..

Jun 14 (EN) Immigration and Emigration Dept has seen in a significant increase in new passports issued, with 31,725 passports issued in the first 10 days of June alone, a threefold increase. Media Spokesperson of the Dept Piyumi Bandara said that, in the 10 days that preceded June 1, only 10,000 new passports had been issued. “Passports are being issued rapidly. Normally under one-day service we only issue 2,500 more..

Jun 14 (EN) Stocks edged down on Monday (13) after rising for three straight sessions as the market settled on the uncertainties in the economy, dealers said. The day’s turnover was 777 million rupees, lowest since April 25, and close to a fifth of this year’s daily average of 3.7 billion rupees. The ASPI closed 0.13% or 10.10 points lower at 7,888.69. “We saw a bit of volatility in the market and it looks like the investors are undecided as to the current situation,” a top market analyst said. more..

Jun 14 (TM) Despite uncertainties and many challenges, People’s Leasing and Finance PLC stated it concluded the financial year (FY) 2021/22 with a record-breaking Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 4.66 billion, the highest profit the company has recorded since its inception in 1996. The PAT has witnessed a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 15.5% while the Profit Before Tax (PBT) is recorded as Rs. 6.65 billion, representing YoY growth of 13.2%. Commenting on the all-time high more..

Jun 14 (IE) On a day when allegations continued to resonate that Colombo had pushed through an Adani Group proposal for a wind energy farm in the north-west of the country at the behest of PM Narendra Modi, the SL cabinet green lighted two long pending connectivity proposals — flights from Jaffna to Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, and a ferry service from Kankesanthurai in Jaffna to Karaikal in Puducherry. more..

Jun 14 (BU) Sri Lanka is nearing the launch of a tender process for its biometrics-backed digital ID system, local tech publication ReadMe reports, but the opportunity to bid will only be extended to Indian suppliers. ICTA of SL plans to re-register and enroll the biometrics of the entire population of the country to back its Unitary Digital Identity, which is modelled after India’s Aadhaar. The govt of India signed a deal to support SL’s govt in the project earlier this year, which includes a 300 million Indian rupee more..

Jun 14 (DN) Amid rising apprehension of a global economic recession and resulting softening of international consumer demand, SL’s Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) reiterated its demand for systemic economic and political reforms to restore stability, and rebuild trust and confidence in the nation – locally and globally. Addressing the impact of the ongoing volatility on the sector, JAAF noted that SL’s apparel sector had continued to display outstanding resilience by continuing to fulfil more..

Jun 14 (Island) If the country’s inflation rises above 50 per cent, it will have to face a hyperinflationary situation. Sri Lanka is currently facing preliminary stages in hyperinflation, similarly to those that obtained in Zimbabwe and Indonesia, Professor of Economics, University of Colombo, Sirimal Abeyratne said. “This type situation is created not only by money printing but also by the global economic situation, exchange rate pressure and supply chain disruptions, Abeyratne said. more..

Jun 14 (CT) Prez Rajapaksa said Poson Poya Day is of highest significance to SL Buddhists, as it marks the historic arrival of Arahath Mahinda Thera to our Motherland with the Buddha’s message, paving the way for a new meaningful identity as well as a cultural renaissance. In his Poson Poya Day massage, he said the culture which existed then was nurtured and made more meaningful with religious values with the introduction of Buddha Dhamma by Arahath Mahinda Thera. more..

Jun 14 (TM) The construction industry has requested the Govt to obtain a credit facility from India or China to cover the sector. Certain construction industry operators have requested that the Govt obtain a credit facility to be utilised entirely by the construction sector to obtain raw materials from India or China. However, Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI) President Ranjith Gunatilleke said that Chamber has requested more..

Jun 14 (DM) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his Poson message said at this moment, the path of Dhamma endorsed by Arahath Mahinda is like a road map for a society that is looking to alleviate the political, socio-economic turmoil that has taken hold of the SL state. His message said, “Poson Poya Day is a traditional day celebrated by SL Buddhists as the inaugural day of the SL national culture. The national culture of the country began to be nurtured through the interpretation of Buddhism with more..

Jun 14 (TM) United Rice Producers’ Association (URPA) has emphasised that the Govt should take steps to set a maximum retail price (MRP) not only for local rice, but also for imported rice. URPA President Kusumitha Perera said: “On several occasions, the Govt has imposed MRPs on locally produced rice, but no such MRPs have been imposed on imported rice. Due to this, if they want, the traders can sell locally produced rice as imported rice at the prices that they like. more..

Jun 14 (TM) Several new public transport services are scheduled to commence tomorrow to help the public face the increasingly heavy burden of fuel costs and shortages in the country, including the Park-and-Ride system, which is aimed at both reducing fuel consumption and traffic congestion. Minister of Transport and Highways and Mass Media Dr. Bandula Gunawardana said that the public transportation system needs to be improved. more..