March 16, Colombo (LNW): In a recent announcement, State Minister of Home Affairs, Ashoka Priyantha, revealed ongoing interviews for the recruitment of Grama Niladhari Officers (GNO) across 2,002 vacant divisions. Priyantha assured that the selected candidates would assume their roles before April concludes, underscoring the government’s commitment to filling crucial administrative positions swiftly.

Addressing the media at the Presidential Media Centre under the theme ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’, Priyantha reiterated the potential of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s agenda in steering the nation towards economic prosperity and societal well-being.

Highlighting the Ministry’s proactive approach to socioeconomic stability, Priyantha outlined various initiatives aimed at addressing past crises. These include the establishment of district-level food safety and nutrition committees, provision of spectacles to 02 million impoverished families, and efforts towards rural development through decentralized budget initiatives.

Furthermore, Priyantha disclosed recent interviews conducted on March 13 and 14 for GNO recruitment, with ongoing sessions on March 15. The Ministry aims to finalize these appointments by the end of April.

In a related development, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena engaged with professional associations of Grama Niladhari Officers on March 14 to address their concerns, including travel expenses and office allowances. A cabinet paper has been submitted in this regard.

Regarding governance issues, Priyantha revealed the drafting of the GN Constitution, a pivotal concern for GNOs, with a cabinet paper awaiting approval. Once ratified, it will undergo further action to enhance administrative processes.

Priyantha concluded by emphasizing the government’s dedication to livelihood restoration and societal cohesion amidst economic challenges. He credited President Wickremesinghe for fostering trust and expressed optimism in sustaining the current trajectory for transformative growth over the next two years, heralding positive economic rejuvenation and project rectification.

March 16, Colombo (LNW): M. J. Gunasiri, the Commissioner General of the Excise Department, highlighted the multifaceted challenges posed by e-cigarettes to both society and government revenue streams. Gunasiri emphasized the alarming nicotine content in e-cigarettes, surpassing that of traditional cigarettes, and the heightened risk of addiction and associated health hazards, including lung cancer.

Of particular concern is the deceptive packaging of e-cigarettes, camouflaged as innocuous items like power banks and perfume bottles, making them difficult to detect. This covert nature exacerbates their prevalence among school students and young people, posing a grave threat to public health.

Furthermore, Gunasiri noted the alarming trend’s adverse impact on tax revenue, as the proliferation of e-cigarettes undermines traditional tobacco taxation. He pointed out that these devices emit pleasant aromas, adding to their allure but concealing their potential harm.

Highlighting global consensus on the dangers of e-cigarettes, Gunasiri referenced the bans imposed by authoritative bodies such as the World Health Organization and the United States. These prohibitions underscore the urgent need for robust measures to curb the spread of e-cigarettes and protect public health and fiscal interests.

March 16, Colombo (LNW): Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha emphasized that the purpose of schooling extends beyond exam results, stressing the importance of equipping children with broader knowledge, attitudes, and skills.

Premajayantha underscored the need to move away from a solely exam-focused approach, emphasizing educational reforms aimed at evaluating practical skills alongside academic knowledge.

Speaking in conjunction with the national rollout of the Activity Based Oral English (ABOE) program for Grade One students in 2024, the Minister highlighted the initiative’s focus on developing English speaking and listening skills from an early age.

The ABOE program, introduced for Grade one and two students across the country, aims to address the growing necessity for English proficiency from the primary education level, recognizing the importance of language skills in today’s global landscape.

To support the implementation of the program, the Ministry has conducted training sessions for primary teachers, with over 13,800 educators already equipped with the necessary skills for activity-based oral English teaching.

Minister Premajayantha’s remarks signal a shift towards a more holistic approach to education, aligning with the evolving needs of learners in a rapidly changing world.

March 16, Colombo (LNW): During a recent press conference, SJB Member of Parliament Eran Wickramaratne emphasized the collective responsibility of parliamentarians, irrespective of party affiliations, to draft environmentally friendly laws. The conference aimed to elucidate the objectives of Sri Lanka’s Environment Parliament.

Wickramaratne highlighted the pressing issue of rising temperatures, particularly affecting Sri Lanka’s lowlands and coastal regions. He stressed the necessity, as per the Paris Agreement, to escalate renewable energy usage to 70% by 2030 and eliminate carbon dioxide emissions entirely by 2050. The upcoming meeting of the Sri Lanka Environmental Parliamentary Forum, scheduled for March 21, will convene parliamentarians, political figures, officials, scholars, and activists to address local and global environmental challenges.

MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa echoed Wickramaratne’s sentiments, underlining the importance of engaging in global environmental discourse to tackle shared challenges. He outlined the Environmental Parliamentary Forum’s role in guiding governmental policies to alleviate environmental distress and ensure the welfare of both people and wildlife.

MP Yadamini Gunawardena emphasized the urgency of managing climate change effectively to safeguard lives and the economy. He stressed the need for coordinated efforts with relevant institutions.

The press conference aimed to raise awareness about the Environment Parliament, which comprises members from diverse political backgrounds. Notably, similar bodies exist in over 50 countries worldwide, reflecting a global commitment to environmental stewardship.

March 16, Colombo (LNW): Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts in the evening or night.

Mainly dry weather will prevail elsewhere of the island.

Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the morning.

March 15, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka verifiably failed to meet 33% of the commitments due by end-February 2024 in its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, according to the February update of Verité Research’s ‘IMF Tracker’.

Many of these commitments that are classified as ‘not met’ on IMF Tracker were designed to improve governance. 

These include commitments related to publishing information (transparency), and those that require the passage of governance-improving legislation. 

The IMF has recognised poor governance as being at the heart of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, and Sri Lanka is the first Asian country to have had an IMF-led Governance Diagnostic Assessment.

The status of 36% of the commitments are classified as ‘unknown’, which means sufficient data was not made available to assess their progress. By end-February, 31% of the commitments were verifiably ‘met’.

The second round of IMF programme funding came in December 2023. Under the updated agreement, Sri Lanka was due to meet 45 commitments by end-February. The IMF Tracker dashboard classified 14 (31%) of these as ‘met’, 15 (33%) as ‘not met’, and 16 (36%) as ‘unknown’.

Of the 15 ‘not met’ commitments, six are on publishing information. Four are on actions relating to adopting new laws: (a) Obtaining parliamentary approval on Banking Act; (b) Introducing automatic indexation of excises to inflation; (c) Making legislative change to set up a debt management agency; (d) Presenting the public finance management law to parliament.

 These four actions, which are aimed at addressing governance problems, have remained neglected despite being included in the IMF staff-level agreement in September 2022.

IMF Tracker is the only platform that is publicly tracking Sri Lanka’s commitments under its 17th IMF programme. It is available on the parliament monitoring platform manthri.lk of Verité Research,.

Mwanwhile rhe International Monetary Fund (IMF) Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Peter Breuer and other officials yesterday met with the Power and Energy Ministry to review the progress of the reforms of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).

Taking to ‘X’ Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera announced that they discussed key matters related to the sector.

“Matters on recent tariff reduction in the electricity sector, CEB and CPC balance sheets of 2023, current financial position of CEB, accounting principles and standards adopted, BSTA filling automation, dispatch audit to be conducted, outstanding payments, forecast for 2024, CPC pricing formula and CPC operations was briefed and discussed,” he added.

March 15, Colombo (LNW): The government has stepped into find some redress to the  construction industry in Sri Lanka which is on the verge of collapsing in the economic crisis which has triggered the the shortage of building material and its  high prices if it is available in some hardware stores.     

Sri Lanka stands on the verge of losing a major industry – its construction sector, which notably contributes approximately 9.6% to the GDP and involves nearly 2.6 million stakeholders. 

The industry has already seen a significant contraction by 60%, resulting in over 500,000 job losses and the emigration of more than 10,000 professionals. In response, the government has established a task force, producing a 51-point report, from which 11 critical points were selected for action. 

Despite these measures, progress has stalled, necessitating urgent intervention to rejuvenate the industry.

Inthis context ,President 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 attended by industrialists from the construction sector, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said. 

Wickremesinghe also emphasized the inclusion of experts from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Urban Development, and Housing in this committee formation process. Furthermore, he assured relief for industrialists across various sectors through debt restructuring by the following year.

The discussion also delved into the issues faced by contractors of all scales and parties within the construction field, including the revival of stalled projects, the establishment of an investment-friendly environment, the promotion of construction services, and alternative funding and contracts. Counselling matters were extensively addressed during the session, it added.

The plight of contractors, particularly in the SME sector, is alarming. They face immense hardships from halted projects, non-payment, and financial pressures, often risking personal assets.

The competitive nature of acquiring projects, with minimal profit margins, exacerbates their vulnerability, leading to a detrimental cycle affecting their entire business operation. 

As the industry contends with these challenges, the proposal is for a high-powered committee to address contractor grievances, improve contract terms, and establish fair compensation mechanisms.

Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka, Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardena, along with other ministry secretaries and representatives from related institutions and the construction industry participated in the discussion.

March 15, Colombo (LNW): IndiGo, India’s preferred airline, has announced new direct flights between Mumbai and Colombo starting April 12, 2024. These flights will operate three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and play a key role in enhancing connectivity between the financial capital of India – Mumbai, and the capital of Sri Lanka.

 With this new connection, Mumbai has become the fourth destination in India with direct connectivity to Colombo, after Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales at IndiGo, said: “We are pleased to launch new direct flights between Mumbai and Colombo, which would serve as a catalyst in enhancing travel, trade and tourism, between India and Sri Lanka. 

With the addition of these flights, IndiGo will operate 37 weekly flights to Colombo from 4 cities in India. 

IndiGo Airline, is continuously working towards providing its customers with superior connectivity and enhanced accessibility to explore new horizons with our ever-expanding range of travel options. 

“IndiGo remains committed to delivering on its promise of affordable, on-time, courteous, and hassle-free travel experience across an unparalleled network, he said..”

India and Sri Lanka share a rich legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and trade relations spanning over 2,500 years. 

Colombo serves as a bustling hub for both business and tourism. The city is well-connected to the international airport and offers easy access to the island nation. 

Colombo itself is a city of contrasts, where modern skyscrapers stand alongside colonial-era architecture. 

Travellers can explore a wealth of cultural and historical landmarks, including the Gangaramaya Temple and the National Museum. For culinary adventure lovers, Colombo’s diverse food scene offers a tempting array of flavours, from spicy curries to fresh seafood.

IndiGo has announced the introduction of new direct flights between Hyderabad and Colombo from November 2, 2023.IndiGo is the first Indian carrier to provide direct connectivity between the two cities, reinforcing trade, economic, and cultural ties.

This was  part of IndiGo’s strategic expansion in international markets, providing customers with seamless and efficient connectivity.

Head of Global Sales at IndiGo, Vinay Malhotra, said, “The introduction of these flights will not only enhance connectivity but also provide travellers with greater flexibility and convenience.”

Customers who wish to plan their travel can book tickets on the official website.

The schedule includes Flight 6E 1181 Hyderabad-Colombo operating daily, except Wednesday, and departing at 12 noon to arrive at 2 pm