Thursday, October 31, 2024
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Sri Lanka Original Narrative Summary: 23/07

  1. President Ranil Wickremesinghe urges foreign employment agencies to attract tourists from countries employing Sri Lankans, with support from the Ministry of Tourism: praises economic recovery efforts and stresses the need for an export economy and worker training: Minister Manusha Nanayakkara highlights the role of agencies in securing US$ 12 billion in foreign exchange.
  2. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa urges for an urgent national strategy to combat child poverty in Sri Lanka: cites international data showing 25% of children live in poverty, with 42% facing multidimensional poverty: proposes a Presidential Task Force and localised action through District Secretariats, criticising the government’s inaction on this critical issue.
  3. NPP anti-corruption activist Wasantha Samarasinghe claims the government is selling the Hilton Hotel in Colombo for significantly less than its original valuation: Initially valued at $124 million, it is now appraised at $41.5 million: alleges corruption involving senior officials and the President’s office, and questions the drastic price drop despite the Rupee’s appreciation against the Dollar.
  4. The Ministry of Tourism approves a Rs. 1 bn global marketing campaign for tourism, covering digital ads and infrastructure upgrades: Efforts include streamlining visa processes and improving tourist facilities with Rs. 113 million allocated for site improvements: The Ministry will issue permits for upgraded vehicles and introduce paying wards at hospitals: Tourist arrivals from July 1-21 totalled 127,925, with India as the top source market.
  5. Education Minister Susil Premajayantha vows to address teacher-principal union grievances within the week: Several unions began a two-week work-to-rule campaign on the 22nd, protesting salary discrepancies: During this period, teachers and principals will only perform regular duties: assures school activities would remain unaffected, while Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thero criticised unions for pursuing political agendas.
  6. Sri Lanka’s inflation rate rose to 2.4% in June from 1.6% in May, driven by increased costs in transport, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco: Transport inflation increased to 7.5%, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco saw a rise to 27.1%: Food inflation climbed to 1.9%, while non-food inflation grew to 2.7%: However, water, electricity, and gas costs decreased.
  7. Dr. Ranga Jayakody, a marketer and philanthropist, calls for lowering the public sector retirement age to boost efficiency, reduce state costs, and address strike disruptions: argues this change would alleviate youth unemployment, counteract the ‘Brain Drain,’ and improve public service delivery by introducing younger talent: also proposes legal reforms for mandatory retirement at age 50.
  8. The Cabinet approves a programme to assist individuals who have pawned gold jewellery due to the economic crisis: The initiative includes a 10% annual interest subsidy for loans up to Rs. 100,000, taken on or before June 30, 2024: This measure aims to support low-income borrowers amid a significant rise in gold pawning.
  9. The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment discusses a QR code-based system for PET plastic bottle recycling at a recent parliamentary meeting: Despite 450,000 tons of plastic imported annually, only 50,000 tons are recycled: The committee is exploring deposit-return schemes with QR codes and extending the proposal deadline: also recommends making the Extended Producer Responsibility system mandatory.
  10. Sri Lanka and India’s unbeaten starts in the Women’s Asia Cup have propelled several players up the ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings: Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and bowlers Inoshi Priyadharshani and Udeshika Prabodhani made notable gains: India’s Harmanpreet Kaur, Shafali Verma, and Richa Ghosh also climbed the rankings: Meanwhile, England’s Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn, and Australia’s Beth Mooney, retain top positions.

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