January 03, Colombo (LNW): In a session with the Sectoral Overseeing Committee on National Security, Justice, Prisons, and Constitutional Reforms Minister Dr. Wijeyedasa Rajapakshe emphasized the pivotal role of the National Hydrology Act in enabling Sri Lanka to harness revenue from ships traversing its waters in dollars.

Dr. Rajapakshe highlighted that although in existence since 1983, the National Hydrology Act has remained dormant. This legislation grants essential legal authority to develop and maintain Electronic Navigation Charts crucial for maritime navigation.

During the recent meeting chaired by MP Dr. Sarath Weerasekera, officials elucidated that the Act’s primary objective is to register hydrological surveyors and nautical cartographers while establishing the National Hydrographic Office.

A significant revelation came from officials who disclosed that the Royal Navy of England has generated three maps for shipping, encompassing the South Seas, using data partly provided by Sri Lanka. However, officials clarified that Sri Lanka, through this Act, holds the rights to conduct exploration, gather data, and craft maps for the pertinent sea regions. This updated information can also be used to revise existing maps, subsequently enabling the nation to capitalize on maritime routes for generating income.

January 03, Colombo (LNW): Cabinet Spokesman and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena announced the official endorsement to proceed with the proposed Sri Lanka-Thailand Free Trade Agreement during the weekly cabinet media briefing held at the Government Information Department.

The ninth round of negotiations for this agreement took place in Colombo from December 18 to December 20, 2023. Following these discussions, key aspects have been finalized, with legal and institutional matters forwarded to working groups for comprehensive legal scrutiny.

Notably, both parties reached an agreement during the 9th negotiation round to incorporate provisions for the simultaneous elimination of 50% of cumulative duties applicable to the Harmonized System classification codes listed in the Sensitive List of the Tariff Liberalization Programme. This elimination process is set to commence at the start of the 16th year from the Agreement’s entry into force.

Furthermore, an accord has been reached to truncate the duration of the Tariff Liberalization Programme from 18 years to 16 years based on the discussions held during this negotiation round. This move signifies a mutual commitment to expediting the trade liberalization process between Sri Lanka and Thailand, demonstrating a shared dedication to fostering increased economic collaboration and market access.

January 03, Colombo (LNW): In a significant move to align with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Sri Lanka has committed to enhancing its forest cover to 32% of the total land area by 2030. Additionally, the nation aims to bolster the quantity of carbon absorbed by forests by 7% from existing levels within the same timeframe.

To achieve these targets, proactive measures have been initiated, encompassing extensive forest plantation, rehabilitation of degraded forests, and expanding forest cover on government and private lands situated away from forested areas. Although the benefits of this reforestation endeavor are national in scope, active involvement from diverse stakeholders is being encouraged. As an incentive, it has been acknowledged as appropriate to distribute the benefits derived from reforestation among the participating entities.

Presently, there is a lack of legal provisions enabling the allocation of produce like fruits, leaves, flowers, timber, and resin to individuals engaged in reforestation efforts in public areas. Moreover, recognizing the potential in establishing a National Reforestation Fund, aimed at securing contributions from private sector entities, non-governmental organizations, and international bodies, to ensure ample funding for highly productive reforestation initiatives.

Responding to these critical needs, the Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation proposed the introduction of a comprehensive legislative framework titled the “Reforestation and Forest Cover Act.” This act encompasses provisions that cater to the aforementioned actions and strategies required for successful reforestation efforts. The Cabinet has granted its approval for the proposal, marking a crucial step toward effective reforestation management in Sri Lanka.

January 03, Colombo (LNW): Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana, the Cabinet Spokesman Minister, emphasized the critical turning point reached by Sri Lanka’s economy in 2023 under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government. However, looking ahead to 2024, he cautioned that the economic challenges persist and are expected to endure until 2027.

During a recent Cabinet press briefing, Dr. Gunawardhana stressed the importance of adhering to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program until 2024 to mitigate the ongoing crisis. He highlighted that diverging from this plan could drastically limit any government’s lifespan to a mere two weeks, irrespective of the ruling party or the President.

The Minister underscored the nation’s reliance on international financial institutions like the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and creditors for sustaining the economy. He elucidated that without agreements in place with these entities, Sri Lanka would struggle to function financially, unable to even secure necessary imports such as petroleum, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and essential consumer goods.

Dr. Gunawardhana emphasized that the country’s access to international loans in 2027 would be limited to a maximum of USD 1,500 million, emphasizing the necessity of adhering to international financial regulations.

In light of these challenges, the Minister urged for significant sacrifices in the coming year, calling for collective efforts to navigate through the existing economic crises and ensure the country’s stability.

January 03, Colombo (LNW): The Commissioner General of Examinations, Amith Jayasundara, has urged students preparing for the 2023 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination to take note of a minor alteration in the timetable. Mr. Jayasundara clarified that the Department of Examinations had made revisions due to the inclusion of Korean Language as a new subject.

Students were cautioned against using previous exam timetables, as certain websites might display outdated information. Emphasizing the importance of relying on the amended timetable provided in the examination admission card, he stressed that this document contains accurate and updated scheduling information for each subject, including date, time slots, subject number, and medium of instruction.

Highlighting the convenience of this information on the admission paper, Mr. Jayasundara reassured students that it suffices for their reference, eliminating the need to seek additional timetable details elsewhere.

Addressing concerns about students in disaster-prone areas, the Commissioner General assured the implementation of a special program to arrange alternative examination centers, with priority given to regions like Anuradhapura, Kekirawa, Polonnaruwa, Passara, Ampara, Batticaloa, and Hasalaka.

In light of inclement weather affecting travel to examination centers, students were advised to seek assistance from the nearest Zonal Education Office or Disaster Management Units to ensure timely arrival at the exam venues.

January 03, Colombo (LNW): Minister of Health Ramesh Pathirana reassured the public about the Ministry’s vigilant monitoring of the emerging JN.1 Covid variant reported from India. At a press conference held at the Presidential Media Center, he confirmed that no cases have been reported from conducted sample tests thus far. However, he urged the public to maintain the health protocols established during the previous Covid seasons.

Amid discussions on the new variant, Minister Pathirana highlighted that the World Health Organization hasn’t raised undue concerns, emphasizing ongoing surveillance and extensive testing by the Medical Research Institute.

Addressing the measles resurgence, the Minister announced the finalization of preparations for a nationwide vaccination program. This initiative, scheduled to begin the following week, will be administered through Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Offices across the country.

He underscored the Ministry’s commitment to providing advanced medicines under the free health service, acknowledging past shortages due to the pandemic’s economic impact. Efforts to expedite medicine procurement and digitize the procurement process were highlighted as key strategies for future transparency and efficiency.

Furthermore, Minister Pathirana revealed President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s allocation of funds in the current budget to enhance the quality control laboratory of the NMRA. Structural enhancements and capacity building are anticipated in the coming year.

Highlighting the need for collective action against dengue, he emphasized a community-driven environment-cleaning program involving security forces to control the disease.

Despite Sri Lanka’s recognition by the World Health Organization for measles eradication, Minister Pathirana acknowledged around 700 reported cases last year. To address this, plans have been made to provide measles immunization vaccines through all Medical Officers of Health offices nationwide, encouraging parents to ensure their children receive necessary immunization.

By: Editor (LGBTIQ)

January 03, Colombo (LNW): In an effort to promote inclusivity and address challenges faced by people of diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities, Gender Expressions, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) in Sri Lanka, the Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka, under the Support to Justice Sector Project (JURE), organised a Round Table Dialogue. 

This significant event, supported by the European Union (EU) and jointly executed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Sri Lanka, was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice.

The dialogue brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Attorney General’s Department, the Ministry of Justice, Women and Children’s Bureau, Sri Lanka Police, Prison’s Department, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), Legal Aid Commission, and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL).

A crucial outcome of the dialogue was the unanimous agreement among participants on the importance of collaboration and communication between the government and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community for meaningful progress.

In line with this commitment, it was decided that LGBTQIA+ organisations would compile a comprehensive list of requests and recommendations. These submissions are to be handed over to the Legal Aid Commission thereafter.

In recent developments, a circular released by the Sri Lanka Police outlining protocols for interacting with individuals of transgender identities within the country and offering recommendations for addressing their problems was subjected for review with the aim of extending protection to encompass the entire spectrum of SOGIESC.

A private member’s bill showcasing decriminalisation of consensual same-sex sexual relations between adults via a ‘Penal Code (Amendment) Bill’ was tabled by Ruling Party MP Premnath Dolawatta, a historical first move by a Sri Lankan lawmaker for the safeguarding of the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Dolawatta’s bill was challenged before the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka accusing it to be violating fundamental rights (FR), but the arguments were dropped in a historic determination that consensual same-sex sexual relations between adults are in fact constitutional and any move for decriminalisation can be passed into law with a simple majority in Parliament. 

(Photo: BRIDGE to Equality Facebook Page)

January 03, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka government has improved the quality of the financial analytics supporting the development of the Medium-term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) establishing a new Macro Fiscal Unit (MFU), finance ministry sources revealed.

The new MFU will enhance technical capabilities and appropriate systems for revenue forecasting.

A change to fiscal rules could strengthen fiscal governance by avoiding an incentive to make unrealistic revenue forecasts and prevent changes to the size of the budget during the approval phase.

IMF has been working with the Government to review existing fiscal rules to better promote fiscal sustainability.

The fiscal rule should be applied in determining the MTFF with Parliamentary engagement regarding the fiscal envelope at the start of the budget process, thus limiting the need for adjustments at the end of the process.

There exists a range of funds outside of the Consolidated Fund which are not covered by the budget.

The risk of corruption is exacerbated as off-budget funds are typically not subject to standard internal control procedures, have limited transparency and do not receive the same level of external oversight as applied to budget entities.

New Macro Fiscal Unit (MFU) has made complete analytics on total revenue for the year 2023 and concluded its findings.

Amidst multiple taxes, the Government revealed that revenue in the just concluded 2023 had reached Rs. 3.1 trillion as against revised estimate of Rs. 2.85 trillion.

“Last year, the Government revenue reached Rs. 3.1 trillion, constituting 12% of our GDP. As part of our strategic vision, we aim to elevate the GDP to 15% by 2026.

In the year 2024, we have set a target of achieving Rs. 4.2 trillion in Government revenue, necessitating a revision of the Value Added Tax (VAT),” President Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday at the opening of the Sri Lanka Air Force Headquarters at Akuregoda.

The 2023 achievement was put in context by State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe who told a media briefing that.

He said in terms of state income, it is anticipated to reach Rs. 3110 billion in 2023, surpassing the revised estimate of Rs. 2850 billion.

This would represent a state income of 11.2% compared to GDP. Ambitiously, there are plans to propel this figure to a 15% growth by 2026, he added.

Semasinghe also emphasised the country has witnessed a noteworthy upturn in the number of tax files, reflecting a positive trend in tax compliance.

According to him, in 2019, the total number of registered taxpayers stood at 1,705,233. However, owing to various policy decisions, this figure decreased to 677,613 in 2020 and further to 507,085 in 2021.

“Demonstrating a commendable success in policy implementation, the number of tax files rebounded from 437,547 in 2022 to a significant milestone of one million,” Semasinghe added.

January 03, Colombo (LNW): The Bank of Ceylon, Sri Lanka’s premier financial services entity has been named ‘The Bank of the Year – Sri Lanka’ by the prestigious Banker magazine UK.

The announcement was made to all stakeholders and loyal customers at an event held at the commencement of the New Year.

The award, which comes on the heels of a volatile year for the financial services industry and the economy, recognises the Bank’s stellar –performance across key indicators and highlights BOC’s resilience and standing, both as a state bank and as ‘Bankers to the Nation’.

Bank of Ceylon was also listed among the Top 1,000 Banks in the world by the magazine for the 12th consecutive year, and is the only Sri Lankan bank to be listed for 2023.

Significantly, the Bank posted an aggregate growth in its balance sheet further highlighting customer confidence.

The Bank’s sustained commitment to revolutionising banking and enhancing customer delight is also reflected in the results.

BOC General Manager Russel Fonseka commenting on this achievement said: “the strategic goals are aligned with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as we believe in contributing to our national priorities and the community.

The conscious choices reflect the business model that has sustainability at its core, thus making a meaningful, positive impact on both society and the environment as a responsible corporate citizen.”

The awarding of the listing by The Banker, is the latest in a series of awards and acknowledgements of recognition of Bank of Ceylon’s performance in strategic and key areas including customer experience and delight as well as technology-led innovation and development of technologically-led products and services.

Bank of Ceylon’s holistic approach to environmental sustainability efforts and leadership in sustainable practices, in line with United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were recognised by the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka (GBCSL) with no less than three awards at the recent Green Building Awards.

BOC’s City Office in Fort, its oldest branch, which was recently renovated won the Silver award in recognition for optimising green efficiency, while the Bank retained its ”Green Business Leadership of the Year Award – Bank Section” for the second consecutive year, and also grabbed the award for ‘Green Commitment Excellence of the Year 2023’.

The Bank’s 2022 annual report, under the theme – ‘Resilient Resolve Revive’, was also recognised with the Gold Award at the recently concluded TAGS Awards 2023 by CA Sri Lanka.