Apr 24 (FT) SL Agripreneurs’ Forum (SLAF) recently held Agripreneur Conference 2023, themed Empowering Agripreneurs for a World of Abundance at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research & Training Institute (HARTI) in Colombo. This conference aimed to bring all stakeholders of agribusiness into one common platform to foster innovation and drive progressive change. The conference, which was held in collaboration with Hatton National Bank (HNB), MBA Alumni Association more..

Apr 24 (EN) SL has issued a commemorative stamp marking a site in the epic Ramayana in the island’s central highlands, in a ceremony where PM Dinesh Gunawardene and India’s High Commissioner to Colombo. The stamp commemorates the Sita Amman Temple, which is believed to be in the site known as Ashok Vatika in the Ramayana, where Sita was held captive by the island’s native King Ravana. SL has issued a commemorative stamp marking a site in the epic Ramayana in the island’s central highlands, more..

Apr 24 (TM) Tamils in SL have witnessed an escalation in the attack on Hindu temples in recent weeks, a trend that they note is part of the State’s ongoing Sinhalisation project in the island’s north. In recent weeks, Tamil media reported multiple incidents of vandalism at temples, where Hindu deities were found missing or damaged. In Jaffna, some Tamils have sought to counter the trend by placing a Hindu deity in a public space, more..

Apr 25 (DM) Enmity or at least ill feeling seems to be brewing between the current govt and the Catholic Church over the investigations into the attacks carried out by a group of terrorists in the name of Islam on the Easter Sunday in 2019. This is the third govt that is earning the wrath of the Church for alleged lethargy in finding the possible masterminds and the political backers of the attack in which around 270 innocent men, women and children were brutally killed, on a sacred day for them. more..

Apr 25 (Island) A couple of years back, at a workshop on graduate employability (sponsored by WB loans), we were told that producing graduates was like producing cars. The buyers – potential employers – want to know what they are getting. Let’s consider this analogy at face value. We would then remember that the quality of a car depends on not one but multiple things, of which labour is a significant issue, as the Michigan automobile industry realized last year. more..

Apr 25 (TM) It’s important to not lose the ball on getting growth back on a sustainable track and to ensure policy consistency without shifting the goalposts overnight as SL undertakes reforms and sets its sights on recovery, asserted CCC Chief Economist Shiran Fernando. Commenting on the debt restructuring discussions and targets, Fernando opined that SL had started the debt restructuring discussions on more..

Apr 25 (DM) Despite the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, SL economy has beenhit by the economic crisis in 2022. The article discusses the genesis and ramifications of the economic crisis in the short and long terms. The US dollar shortage, caused by current account imbalance and loss of access to international financial markets due to fiscal sustainability concerns, has been disrupting most of the economic activities due to a lack of more..

Apr 25 (CT) The proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) should be considered in the context of SL’s post-independent history that is full of abuse of power in political, legislative and judicial matters. One only needs to recall the terror used against peaceful protesters and dissenters against abuse of power and mismanagement of economy in recent times. Sri Lanka’s track record of fundamental rights violations has been appalling. Many organisations and individuals, both local and international, more..

Apr 25 (TM) The Govt’s recent plans to deal with crops being damaged by crop raiding animals have drawn mixed reactions from experts. Crop raiding by wildlife is when wild animals damage crops by feeding on or trampling on them, which contributes significantly to food insecurity, especially in cash-strapped Sri Lanka. According to a report by the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI), more..

Apr 25 (TM) As has happened on many occasions in SL’s history, in a bid to deal with one issue, the Govt appears to be ready to bring in a bigger issue. That is what many who are concerned about the potential detrimental impacts of the Govt’s ardent plans to enact the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill opine, while many more question the Govt’s motives behind presenting the Bill. The proposed Bill is a crucial one to SL due to many reasons, the main one being the expectation that it would replace more..

Apr 25 (CT) Students of this country have suffered immensely in the last few years for one reason or another. From the aftermath of the Easter attacks to Covid complications and enduring the multi-faceted energy crises, they are now having to deal with teacher tantrums too. Not to disparage the difficulties teachers have dealt with in the past couple of months, because it is important to note that the profession comes with a certain responsibility and it needs to be given due respect. more..

Apr 25 (Island) It is with shock and dismay that the world is watching waves of barbaric violence sweeping across Sudan. The current conflagration has resulted from a bitter dispute over an internationally-backed move to facilitate the formation of a new civilian government four years after the ouster of Prez Omar al-Bashir in a military coup. What is of tragic import is the fact that the secession of South Sudan has not helped resolve Sudan’s crises once and for all. more..

Apr 25 (DM) Listen to any political talk show or a press conference, and you will stumble upon one of the following popular refrains - or all. First is the grievance that the politicians, who have ruled the roost since the independence, have failed the country. It is even richer when this comes from those like Chandrika Kumaratunga, two-time president, whose family ruled for 25 years - who now says that Sri Lanka at 75 is a failed state and that the politicians have looted the country. more..

Apr 25 (ST) Mr Lalith Athulathmudali, lawyer, academic and politician was assassinated 30 years ago on April 23, 1993. He was 57. He was the son of D.D. Athulathmudali, a member of the State Council in pre-independent Sri Lanka. Educated at St. John’s College, Panadura and Royal College, Colombo he excelled in both studies and athletics. He passed out of Law College as a lawyer. Young Lalith’s father passed away when more..

Apr 25 (ST) The Govt is planning to merge State-run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) into one entity as part of efforts to manage a crippling debt burden amounting to more than Rs 1.2 billion. The move comes as the institutions struggle to meet day-to-day expenses. Media Ministry has already submitted a list of recommendations to Prez Wickremesinghe on how it aims to proceed on the matter, Minister Bandula Gunawardane said. more..

Apr 25 (Island) Schools athlete Tharushi Karunaratne who shone brightly at the last meet and the men’s 400 metres specialist Kalinga Kumarage will not be in action but a showdown between current and former national record holders in the men’s 110 metres hurdles namely, Janindu Lakvijaya and Roshan Ranatunga is likely to brighten the day when the selection trial for three major track and field events takes place at Diyagama today. Ratnayake Central, Walala runner Karunaratne more..

Apr 25 (DN) Off Spinner Ramesh Mendis has some technical problem in his bowling while we are working hard to correct that said SL specialist spin coach Piyal Wijetunga after first day’s play at the second Test yesterday. Our bowlers had big challenge on the first day as Galle wicket seemed very good batting track but our bowlers were not up to the standard. As a coach I can give support and bowlers have to work out at the middle said experienced coach Piyal who gave his more..

Apr 25 (FT) Govt of Japan and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) yesterday launched a new initiative to strengthen socio-economic recovery via home-based agriculture and energy security measures. The $ 3.8 million (Rs. 1.17 bil) initiative supports improvement of women’s economic wellbeing for smallholder farmer families in SL. It was launched in the presence of PM Dinesh Gunawardena, Japanese Ambassador Mizukoshi Hideaki, UNDP Resident Representative more..

Apr 25 (TM) Following reports of a 30-hour delay of SriLankan Airlines flight UL 605 in Melbourne, Australia due to a mechanical failure, concerns have been raised over the safety of the debt-ridden National Carrier. The safety concerns come amidst renewed efforts by the Govt to privatise the carrier. The recent mechanical failure has been identified as an isolated incident by the airline, which has been quick to assure passengers of more..

Apr 25 (EN) The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has decided to appoint a disciplinary committee to take action against party members who issue statements that promote the govt or are considered detrimental to the party. SJB Thushara Indunil Amarasena speaking to reporters in Colombo Monday April 24 evening after a party meeting said the SJB’s Working Committee had decided to appoint a disciplinary committee with powers to take action against such members. more..

Apr 25 (Island) Sri Lanka Railways needs to be converted into an Authority for it to become a viable commercial enterprise, Bandula Gunawardena, Minister of Transport, said on Saturday. “The structure of a govt department is good for administrative purposes, but the structure of an authority is more suitable to provide an efficient service to the public and generate enough revenue to keep a public service commercially afloat in a sustainable manner. more..

Apr 25 (FT) Sri Lanka has improved its position to 73 out of 139 countries in the latest global Logistics Performance Index (LPI) compiled by the World Bank, up from 92nd place in the previous assessment made in 2018. SL has an LPI score of 2.8 in the 2023 index released last week whilst in the list the score was 2.65. SL has been ranked at number 73 along with Argentina, Montenegro, Rwanda, Serbia & Solomon Islands. more..

Apr 25 (FT) The outlook for travel to Sri Lanka is promising despite global pressures and the strong tourism rebound is expected to continue well into 2023. Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka have exceeded the 400,000 mark, with 80,350 travellers arriving in the country during the first 23 days of the month. SL will achieve its set monthly target of 86,000 comfortably, as it had already exceeded the arrivals target of 385,582 for the first four months. Against this backdrop, the data suggests that more..

Apr 25 (FT) Court of Appeal issued an interim order preventing the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) from recording a statement from former Attorney General Dappula de Livera. The order also prevents the TID from arresting de Livera. The order was issued based on a writ petition filed by the former Attorney General yesterday against the TID summons issued to him. The Special Police Unit had informed de Livera to present himself before it on the day to provide a statement more..

Apr 25 (FT) Sri Lanka Tourism kicked off a series of roadshows in selected cities of South India yesterday, to attract more visitors from the giant neighbour. The delegation is led by Tourism Minister Harin Fernando and SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu, SL Convention Bureau (SLCB) Chairman Thisum Jayasuriya, SLCB Marketing Manager Malkanthi Welikla, SLTPB Junior Manager Shirani Herath, where the first roadshow was held in Chennai more..

Apr 25 (Forbes) The Web and many software applications as we know them today wouldn’t have existed without the pioneering work done by IBM. Two of the pioneers at IBM who would then go on to found and finance the innovative WSO2 were Sanjiva Weerawarana and James Clark. Weerawarana is the founder and CEO of WSO2 and Clark is the legendary software entrepreneur and investor who helped launch the company with its first funding. WSO2 is an iPaaS company or more..

Apr 25 (Island) SLPP MP G.L. Peiris has found fault with the IMF for not paying sufficient attention to waste, corruption and economic mismanagement under the Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe administration. He emphasised the responsibility on the part of the lending agency to address these issues, particularly against the backdrop of its latest agreement with govt of SL worth USD 2.9 bn. Prof. Peiris said that more..

Apr 25 (FT) Norwegian company Misje Eco Bulk AS collected its second vessel Misje Verde of the series of 5000DWT Eco Bulk Carriers as Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) ceremonially delivered the vessel on 21 April at the Guide Pier of the CDPLC premises. While the first vessel delivered continues to receive many positive remarks from the European clientele, the delivery of the second vessel yet again shows the remarkable resilience of the Colombo Dockyard under severe economic constraints more..

Apr 25 (EN) China, one of Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral lenders, attempted to prove its close cooperation with the island nation after its state-owned China Merchants Group (CMG) signed the first large investment deal since the Indian Ocean nation declared bankruptcy. The Hong Kong-listed company signed a $392 million agreement with govt-owned Sri Lanka Ports Authority on Saturday to jointly build the South Asia Commercial and Logistics Hub. more..

Apr 25 (FT) Minister Prasanna Ranatunga revealed that SLPP will present a common candidate in the upcoming Prez Election. Noting that if the common candidate will be Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ranatunga said he will express full support to him. However, Minister emphasised that Prez Wickremesinghe has neither confirmed nor announced anything about whether he will run for the Prez Election or not. “I am one of the pioneering members of the SLPP and continue to remain more..

Apr 25 (Bernama) Thailand continues to look for ways to bring home Sak Surin, an elephant gifted to Sri Lanka in 2001 for medical treatment, following concerns from animal rights groups about the alleged mistreatment of the animal. Kanchana Patarachoke, the foreign ministry's spokeswoman, said in a statement that the govt has asked Sri Lanka to return Sak Surin to Thailand for treatment, which has been provided since February of this year. “The Natural Resources and Environment more..

Apr 25 (TM) Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya yesterday (24) granted permission to the CID to compare and contrast the other DNA samples taken from the body of the late Director of Janashakthi PLC Dinesh Schaffter, with the DNA samples of ex-cricket commentator Brian Thomas. Taking into account a request made by the CID, the Additional Magistrate issued the following orders. more..

Apr 25 (FT) A hartal protest campaign organised by seven Tamil political parties led by the TNA will be launched in the North and Eastern provinces today. The hartal will demand solutions to several issues faced by the people of the two districts and also protest against the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act. The political parties have announced that the Govt sector will also join in the protest campaign and will therefore likely disrupt public services in the districts. All shops will be closed the entire day more..

Apr 25 (FT) Freedom People’s Congress member Prof. G.L. Peiris says Sri Lanka need not sink millions of dollars to initiate litigation for the X-Press Pearl marine disaster in Singapore. Holding a press conference in Colombo yesterday the MP said the disaster took place not in the high seas but within the territorial waters of this country. “So why was it not considered to institute these proceedings in Sri Lanka?” he asked. “Is that the best course of action for our country? more..

Apr 25 (EN) State-owned ITN is in the process of selecting an external inquiring officer in its probe over resigned news anchor’s allegation of being sexually harassed by a senior official, chairmen chief said. Ishara Dewendra, a senior ITN news presenter, resigned last week over alleged sexual harassment in the workplace. “Despite informing the authorities about the harassment I faced, no action was taken,” Dewendra wrote more..

Apr 25 (FT) Many SOEs were found wanting at recent Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) meetings, mainly because they had no corporate plans. Strategic organisation-wide planning or corporate planning is essential for an organisation to succeed in business or deliver services to the citizens. While some SOEs have good corporate plans and continue to review progress regularly, others have made these plans only because of a Govt requirement. more..