Colombo (LNW): The inauguration of ESHA EURO PARTS Pvt. Ltd.’s new showroom, a prominent player in the luxury motor vehicle spare parts industry, took place at 139 Gallupara, Dehiwala.
The ceremony was led by Dr. Amila Kankanamage, former President of the Colombo Chamber of Commerce (CCC), with the participation of Mr. Gotabaya Jayathilaka, a renowned entrepreneur, and Mr. Nuwan Lasantha Medage, the Managing Director of ESHA EURO PARTS.
The company emphasises its seamless accessibility, stating that spare parts required for luxury automobiles can be procured from ESHA EURO PARTS without any difficulty.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is anticipating the arrival of 54 essential medicines, including those for critical conditions like cancer and kidney diseases, within the next week, Health Minister Ramesh Pathirana said.
The Minister disclosed that these medicines, valued at US $58,000, will provide much-needed relief to the healthcare system.
Additionally, the Health Ministry in Bangladesh has promised a further one million US dollars worth of medical aid for Sri Lanka, he noted.
This generous commitment was conveyed during a meeting between the High Commissioners of both nations and the Minister of Health.
The officials also discussed the prospect of a long-term collaborative program between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to alleviate the current medicine shortage in the country.
Colombo (LNW): The All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association is expressing concerns over the bakery industry’s viability as gas prices continue to surge.
Sales of bakery products have dropped significantly, with a 25 per cent decrease, Association Chief N.K. Jayawardena disclosed.
Despite the mounting gas costs, Jayawardena stresses that the industry will avoid raising the prices of bakery products.
Earlier, state-run LP gas provider Litro Gas announced higher rates for its domestic gas cylinders, with a 12.5 kg domestic gas cylinder being sold for Rs. 3,565, a 5 kg cylinder for Rs. 1,431, and a 2.3 kg cylinder, Rs. 668.
Colombo (LNW): The Welfare Benefits Board is preparing to launch the second round of Aswesuma applications in January.
The first round of payments is scheduled to be finalised by December, according to Board member Kamal Padmasiri.
Aswesuma beneficiaries can expect to receive their September payments by November 15th, with October payments set to be disbursed by the end of November.
Additionally, a special “Aswesuma” week is commencing tomorrow, aimed at streamlining and addressing ongoing concerns within the benefit programme.
Colombo (LNW): Anger over Sri Lanka’s miserable World Cup campaign has erupted after a humiliating 302-run thrashing by India, with the island nation’s sports minister demanding the cricket board’s resignation and informing its malpractices to ICC member countries.
Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, who has long been at loggerheads with the board and previously accused it of being “traitorous and corrupt”, upped the stakes by telling officials and selectors to quit.
He has individually written to all full member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to inform them of the recent controversies concerning the national cricket board.
In a media release issued yesterday (Nov. 04), the Sports Ministry accused Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) of misleading the international cricket governing body by implying that it is plagued by political interference.
In his letter, Ranasinghe emphasized that ‘interim measures’ would have to be taken against SLC, assuring that this would be done only to establish good governance principles, to uphold the rule of law and to create a system of governance that promotes ethics and spirit of the game.
He mentioned that cricket in Sri Lanka, since 2015, has seen a gradual degradation in the quality of the sport played both internationally and locally, noting that SLC has been besieged with complaints of player disciplinary issues, management corruption, financial misconduct, and match-fixing allegations.
The lawmaker went on to say that due to the political crises and disasters, no action could be taken against the cricket board despite several ministers before him having initiated inquiries into the purported misconduct of SLC.
Their probes resulted in several reports that substantiate the claims against the SLC officials, he added.
However, recent revelations and audit reports published by the Auditor General’s Department, warrants immediate intervention as the minister in charge to bring the perpetrators of financial crimes before the legal system and to establish good governance and transparency in the Sri Lanka Cricket administration, Ranasinghe said further.
Sri Lanka Cricket boasted that it had surpassed all past revenue rankings and made a colossal Rs 23 billion in profits.
Increase in International Cricket Council (ICC) funding, revenue generated from playing international cricket and sponsorship contracts have all contributed, according to SLC, for the giant leap in the massive financial turnover.
“We have been able to carefully manage our US dollar account in a way to suit the income that we earn,” said SLC secretary Mohan de Silva who himself can count nearly 20 years in cricket administration.
He has resigned from the post sending his letter of resignation to SL cricket board, local media reported.
“Prosperity at SLC has also brought Sri Lanka’s present crop of cricketers untold riches and financial gains in a way that their predecessors who won a World Cup in 1996 did not have and above all made pre-Test era cricketers of the 1970s paupers of their time, thrown into the deep end to fly the flag with nothing asked or given.”
Win or lose it is super luxury pampering for present day players who drive the latest model cars, jet-set to play in enticing Leagues across the globe and get the best Seven-star comforts representing the Sri Lanka team.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s new 50 rupee sugar tax, imposed suddenly while people were sleeping, is against reform advocated in an International Monetary Fund report on reducing corruption, opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said.
Sri Lanka issued an order to raise an import tax on sugar from 25 cents to 50 rupees overnight, without a type of pre-parliamentary sovereign prerogative delegated to the minister in charge.
Sri Lankas parliament later rubber-stamps such midnight taxes, imposed under a law on special commodity levy and a cess.
“One of the things even the IMF has been speaking about in terms of governance reform is to stop this practice of midnight gazettes,” de Silva told a public forum.
Sri Lankan importer reported to have imported 8500 MT of sugar on 30 -10-2023 three days before the increase of commodity levy to Rs. 50 from 25 cents per kilo foregoing a tax revenue of Rs422 million.
This tax increase has benefited the importer as he has cleared his stock of sugar from customs paying 25 cents per kilo which was the applicable tax at that time, media reports revealed.
“Where suddenly decisions are taken, and sometimes inside information goes to the others,” DRd solva said.
The report pointed to one case where sugar taxes had been cut where one importer is said to have benefited.
“In October 2020, the finance minister reduced the levy on several goods, including sugar, from Rs 50 to Rs 0.25 overnight,” the IMF report said.
“Subsequently, an unusually large amount of sugar was imported by a well-connected entrepreneur.
“As the consumer price of sugar remained unchanged, the levy reduction led to large windfall gains for the importer.”
De Silva said got messages that “shipload” of sugar had been cleared, though he had no personal knowledge.
However it is not clear whether the ship was a routine order which arrived coincidentally or not.
Unlike in the British period, Sri Lanka’s post independent rulers hatch taxes in secret and unleashes them on the citizenry without prior warning by quantums that are big enough to result in large losses or profits.
Hoarding goods before budgets also became a practice at one time due to large tax increase.
One way out is for citizens to sponsor a law preventing the ruling class from raising taxes by more than 5 percent, liberal advocates say.
Sudden changes in law disturbs the operating environment for businesses, and undermines what is generally understood as the ‘rule of law’, a key requirement of which is predictability.
Midnight taxes are imposed by the minister and are rubber stamped by the parliament after the fact, in direct contradiction to principle of ‘taxation by consent’ for which parliaments were originally set up by the Magna Carta, analysts have pointed out earlier likening it to fiscal tyranny.
Colombo (LNW): With winter approaching throughout Europe, two maiden swiss and Poland flights arrived at Katunayake Airport this week marking the commencement of the arrival of tourists from Poland and Switzerland to Sri Lanka.
It was of significance that there were more young people, among these 186 Polish national tourists arrived at the Katunayake Airport on ENT-1561 a special flight of Enter Air from Warsaw, Poland.
This is the thirteenth time that Polish tourists have come to Sri Lanka during winter.Tourists are due to arrive from Poland to Sri Lanka from November 2023 to March 2024.
These Polish tourists plan to visit historical places like Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, and beaches such as Unawatuna and Arugam Bay as well as wildlife parks in Sri Lanka
The aircraft (ENT1561), carrying 206 tourists, arrived at 7.45 a.m. signifying the beginning of a series of charter flights scheduled to operate between Warsaw and Colombo till the end of March 2024.
These flights, facilitated through a collaboration with Green Holidays Centre Ltd., are set to occur every 10 days, offering a seamless travel experience for tourists seeking to explore tropical destinations with rich cultural and natural heritage ahead of the winter holidays.
Swiss leisure airline, Edelweiss Air resumed operations to Sri Lanka ahead of the winter holidays at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake recently .
The flight carrying 221 passengers arrived at 8:50 a.m. was extended the traditional Sri Lankan welcome at the BIA. The airline will operate weekly flights from Zurich to Colombo till 17 May 2024.
The airline based at Zurich Airport, a sister company of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and a member of the Lufthansa Group that primarily operates charter and holiday flights to 70 destinations over 30 countries worldwide.
The new connection offers a convenient direct flight for travellers from Colombo to the heart of Europe, with many onward flight options from Zurich connecting to Europe, North America, and beyond with Swiss International Air Lines.
Founded in 1995 and named after the Edelweiss flower, a symbol of Switzerland known for its resilience and beauty, the airline is committed to quality and customer satisfaction and has established itself as a prominent player in the aviation industry.
As a reliable companion, the airline’s entire 2023/24 winter flight schedule includes 57 holiday destinations in 32 countries – short, medium, and long-haul – and ensures a pleasant and carefree travel time and enjoyment safety, and well-being of its passengers on board.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka and the European Union (EU) are to further enhance cooperation and engagement in reviewing policy directives to expand trade, Foreign ministry sources said.
The EU side highlighted the features of the new GSP Scheme which will come into effect from the year 2024.
I has also highlighted the features of the new GSP Scheme which will come into effect from the year 2024. Sri Lanka is an applicant to the GSP Plus facility under the new Scheme which will enable Sri Lankan exporters to export more than 7000 products under zero duty to EU member countries for the next ten years.
Sri Lanka is an applicant to the GSP Plus facility under the new Scheme which will enable Sri Lankan exporters to export more than 7000 products under zero duty to EU member countries for the next ten years.
The EU acknowledged the progress made by Sri Lanka towards economic stability and attempts made to expand trade with the EU, and requested further cooperation and engagement in reviewing policy directives.
Currently, the EU is the second largest export market for Sri Lanka with a value of US$ 3 Billion in the year 2022.
Apparel exports dominate the export basket with a 54% share of exports in 2022. The other key export products are pneumatic tyres, tea, articles of apparel, tobacco and liquid coconut milk.
Exports from Sri Lanka to the EU dropped 9.81 percent to US$ 654.84 million in the first quarter of 2023 from a year ago, according to Export Development Board data.
The 11th Inter-Parliamentary consultations between Sri Lanka and the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia of the European Parliament (DSAS) were convened on 31 October, at the Sri Lanka Parliamentary premises.
A multi-party delegation led by Foreign Affairs Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry, participated in an interactive discussion with the visiting EU delegation led by Finnish Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Heidi Hautala from the group of the Greens who is also Vice-President and the Rapporteur for New GSP Regulation of the European Parliament.
The discussion centred on matters related to bilateral cooperation in the context of further consolidating ties between the two legislatures.
Sri Lanka side apprised the MEPs of the current economic and political developments in the country and also on overall progress in reconciliation and human rights situation including proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
The EU Co-chair Hautala welcomed progress in EU-Sri Lanka bilateral relations and briefed on issues of importance to the EU such as new climate friendly regulations being adopted in the EU (European Green Deal), Ukraine conflict, inflation in the European region and future EU integration.
The Sri Lanka delegation also highlighted the importance of GSP+ concessions which provides duty free access for Sri Lanka’s exports to the EU market and requested support of the European Parliament for continued access to the concessions.
PMD: During the Nuwara Eliya Special District Coordination Committee (DCC) meeting held Nove (04) at the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat, President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasised the importance of effective implementation of directives related to the country’s development.
He underscored that government officials must promptly execute decisions made during district development committee meetings and stated his commitment to preventing any programmes that could hinder the country’s progress.
Furthermore, he warned that action would be taken against the heads of government institutions who fail to properly implement the instructions regarding the country’s development activities.
The meeting was attended by both political authorities of the district and government officials.
The discussions covered the development programmes implemented in the Nuwara Eliya district, along with future development plans. Progress on implementing decisions from previous discussions, chaired by the President on December 22, 2022, and April 10, 2023, was also reviewed.
Government officials presented detailed reports on swift actions taken to improve infrastructure development, including addressing shortages of drugs in district hospitals, resolving the shortage of school teachers, road repairs, and solutions to drinking water issues. Challenges encountered during program implementation were identified and addressed during the meeting.
President Wickremesinghe stressed that executing decisions promptly to make the Nuwara Eliya district an attractive and comfortable tourist destination for both local and foreign tourists would significantly contribute to the country’s economy. He also highlighted the need to swiftly fulfil responsibilities according to the instructions given by government officials to attract investors in the tourism sector.
The President emphasised that heads of public institutions should have a strong understanding of their institutions’ scope to ensure efficient service delivery to the public. The meeting also discussed expediting the development plan for Nuwara Eliya city.
The President visited the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat this morning and participated in the inauguration of the newly established textile shop on the ground floor.
The event was attended by Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Kanchana Wijesekera, Jeevan Thondaman, MPs S.B. Dissanayake, V. Radhakrishnan, M. Rameshwaran, Central Province Governor Lalith. U. Gamage, Secretaries of relevant Ministries, Nuwara Eliya District Secretary P.K. Nandana, and other heads of government agencies, as well as members of the security forces.
