By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka trade ministry’s irregular measures to import 50,000 metric tons of keeri samba rice in lieu of the festive season without following proper procedure allowing10 selected importers to carry out the task in their own way, commodity exporters complained.

The Ministry has selected those importers from a list of companies engaged in rice importation indicated in a SMS received by the relevant officers without proper evaluation of their eligibility, they said.

It has been revealed that the trade ministry has not followed any registration procedure for the selection of these importers and it has not considered previous experience in importing rice and the quantity of rice that they are going to import.

Azeez Brothers, Benson Traders, RTS Foods Ltd, ENSEN Trading Ltd, VD Holdings, Nandana Enterprise, Gnanam Imports.Pulses Processing Ltd, Barik Enterprise and PM Mohomed Ali Ltd were the importers named in the SMS.

SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, said the Cabinet has reportedly granted approval for the import despite the upcoming Maha season harvest, with estimates pointing to a yield of over 2 million metric tons of rice, which is 80% of the country’s annual requirement.

He also questioned why a decision to import rice for the festive season is taking place so late in the day, as it takes over two weeks for imports to reach Sri Lanka, and asked if there is already a ship carrying rice consignments anchored in the outer harbour.

“This is madness, this is almost like the sugar scam. Red raw rice is over Rs. 180 a kg, which is difficult for the poor man to afford. Keeri Samba is sold at over Rs. 300 a kg, so what is the logic behind importing Samba?

Why is that order being placed now? Farmers incur a cost of about Rs. 90 to produce a kg of rice. When you make room for imports that has a cascading impact on prices, so how does the Government hope to protect and promote local agriculture,” De Silva asked.

He added the move to allow imports will benefit racketeers, and the Government may also look to reduce prices in the wake of an election year. De Silva added such a measure will compromise local agriculture output and confidence, in a year production costs are billed to rice with the increase in VAT.

“We call on the Government not to allow this. There must be a better plan to support local agriculture if we want it to become one of our key sectors.

Local onion farmers are struggling because of bad policy and decisions surrounding imports, and the lack of storage facilities and support that were disrupted by this Government when it came into power under President Rajapaksa,” he stated.

Colombo (LNW): The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of India confiscated 54 kilograms of methamphetamine from a suspected drug trafficker in Chennai on Friday (21).

Udayakumar, a Sri Lankan national, was called in for questioning amid suspicions that he intended to smuggle methamphetamine to Sri Lanka, The Hindu reported.

During the investigation, 2 kilograms of the drug was seized from his possession. In a subsequent development, the central drug law enforcement agency arrested Akbar Ali of Perambur and seized 54 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in a concealment.

The illicit substance had been sourced from Myanmar via Moreh in Manipur, with the intention of smuggling it into Sri Lanka.

In 2023, the NCB’s Chennai zone recorded a seizure of 65.061 kilograms of methamphetamine and 3,338.018 kilograms of ganja.

These substances, procured by the accused for smuggling into Sri Lanka, resulted in the arrest of 67 individuals involved in the drug network.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): New High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha expressed his country’s commitment to strengthening the special friendship between the two countries, while fostering closer collaboration in trade, investment, energy, connectivity and other areas.

Mr. Jha presented credentials to Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in a diplomatic ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo earlier in the day, marking the official commencement of his tenure here.

His most recent assignment prior to the posting in Sri Lanka was at the Embassy of India in Brussels, where he served from July 2020 until December 2023. Jha has the experience of serving as a member of negotiating teams for Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with Sri Lanka and the European Union respectively.

As the new high commissioner to its neighbouring island nation, Mr. Jha is poised to further strengthen the bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka, fostering cooperation and collaboration in various domains, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a press release.

In the guest book of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mr. Jha conveyed that India and Sri Lanka share deep-rooted bonds in history, geography, culture and people-to-people ties.

He highlighted the growth of ties in political, economic, and security fields over the decades, emphasizing India’s role as Sri Lanka’s close neighbour, largest trade partner and a key development partner.

Mr. Jha aligned his goals with the Vision Statement agreed upon by the leaders of both nations, expressing confidence that their cooperation will lead to shared prosperity, progress and regional stability.

The new Indian envoy thanked President Wickremesinghe for the warm welcome and looked forward to constructive engagements in the future.

The partnership encourages investment from India’s private sector and joint ventures with Sri Lankan companies. Three areas – logistics, energy and tourism – are the focus of this partnership.

This includes improving regional logistics and the development of ports in Colombo, Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai, ferry services between Indian and Sri Lankan ports and greater air connectivity between both countries.

These are business investments that also enable people-to-people movement.

The most important projects include proposals to build an oil pipeline from India to Sri Lanka and to connect the two countries’ electricity grids.

India already has oil pipelines and power links with Bangladesh and Nepal – providing a template that can be used with Sri Lanka. While India is an energy importer it houses a world-class and world-scale oil refining and processing industry.

Colombo (LNW): The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has acknowledged its failure to implement proactive measures to prevent a nationwide power outage caused by a lightning strike, according to an official statement.

The recent power outage occurred when the primary Kotmale-Biyagama transmission line tripped due to a lightning strike.

The CEB admitted its lapse in taking preventative actions, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Prof. Manjula Fernando noted.

However, he added that installing advanced methods to shield against lightning damage incurs a significant cost for the CEB.

Fernando asserted that the commission plans to discuss and decide on preventive measures at its upcoming meeting next month.

1. Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe says bonuses to employees at Commercial Corporations, Statutory Boards & Govt owned companies may be paid only if the Govt entity has paid 30% of it’s profit after tax from the previous year to the consolidated fund.
   
2. President Ranil Wickremesinghe appoints 10 Ministry Secretaries & 2 Chief Secretaries: the appointments to be effective from 1st Jan’24.
   
3. President, National Trade Protection Council Mahendra Perera says the plight of 89% of the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises is worsening following stringent legal action taken by banks to recover their loans: also says 1,183 SME assets had been taken over by banks and auctioned, under parate execution during the past 11 months.
   
4. Doyen of Sinhala Journalism & Editor of Daily Lankadeepa for 33 years, Siri Ranasinghe felicitated by his friends, well-wishers and colleagues.
   
5. ITAK MP Govindan Karunakaran says President Ranil Wickremesinghe has promised the Tamil politicians to table the Truth and Reconciliation Bill to Parliament “to bring a long-term solution for the historical ethnic issues”.
   
6. SJB’s MP & “Economic Guru” Harsha de Silva says at least 18% of GDP should be collected as taxes, as opposed to the current 13%: laments SL’s expected taxes is only Rs.4,100bn & should be at least Rs.5,700bn: asserts it has to be increased by another 5% “to be comfortable”: Silva has been a strong advocate of an IMF programme, debt re-structuring after default, high interest rates, sale of SOEs, & a floating Rupee.
   
7. SL Telecom Trade unions demand a bonus amidst current financial challenges: their action impacts operations & clients of SLT: the Unions also want recent Govt nominees on the Board to be removed and the sale of the Treasury stake suspended.
   
8. Tea production in Nov’23 falls by 3.82% to 19,586,188kg from 20,364,487kg in Nov’22.
   
9. State Drama Advisory Council Chairman & veteran artist Parakrama Niriella makes dramatic exit from the Council: accuses Cultural Affairs Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka of interfering with the Council’s decisions.
   
10. Mumbai Indians Global Head of Cricket & SL Consultant Coach Mahela Jayawardene expresses satisfaction in securing Dilshan Madhushanka into the IPL Mumbai Indians’ team.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): Sri Lankan government has to decide if it wants to collaborate with the Russian state-owned nuclear giant Rosatom, Ambassador of Russia in Sri Lanka, Levan Dzhagaryan said.

This decision is now up to the Sri Lankan authorities to set up a nuclear power plant in the island.

The possibility of nuclear power joining Sri Lanka’s energy mix resurfaced, with the Russian Ambassador, Levan S. Dzhagaryan, advocating for small-scale plant during a press conference on Thursday (21).

Dzhagaryan’s proposal centers around a 110-megawatt “floating or land-based” nuclear power plant, presenting it as a valuable alternative to Sri Lanka’s current reliance on coal and renewable energy sources susceptible to climate fluctuations.

He highlighted successful nuclear partnerships forged by Sri Lanka’s neighbors, ultimately reiterating that the decision rests solely with the Sri Lankan government.

Responding to a question raised during a media briefing on Thursday (Dec.21), the envoy spoke of the current status of the bilateral talks on nuclear power cooperation between Sri Lanka and Russia.

Ambassador Dzhagaryan mooted the establishment of a 110-megawatt small nuclear power plant, either floating or land-based, in Sri Lanka.

He said Sri Lanka needs alternative sources of power, and to stop relying heavily on coal and renewable energy which is susceptible to climate change.

Speaking further, Ambassador Dzhagaryan emphasized Russia’s fruitful nuclear cooperation with Sri Lanka’s neighbouring countries, such as Bangladesh, India and Myanmar as well as Turkiye and Iran.

When asked about the status of the talks on the joint venture on Mattala International Airport, Ambassador Dzhagaryan mentioned that their proposal is “still under consideration”.

He also highlighted the increasing number of Russians visiting the island nation as a key factor for his country’s interest in the Mattala Airport, and said at least 200,000 Russian tourists are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka by February 2024.

Sri Lanka will call for expressions of interest (EOI) in setting up nuclear power plants, its energy minister said on Friday, as it seeks cheap electricity to support its economic recovery.

The primary source of energy in the island nation is from imported oil and coal, and hydropower. The government aims to produce 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and it sees nuclear power as a low-carbon option for its energy mix. It aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.

The government intends to include the safe use of nuclear energy as a part of the long-term generation plans,” Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said in a post on the X social media platform, after meeting officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency in Colombo.

Tamil civil society groups consisting of – Tamil University Students, Victim groups, families of the disappeared, religious groups, labour unions, academics, women groups, and others have jointly rejected the “Himalaya Declaration” by Sanga for better Sri Lanka (SBSL) and Global Tamil Forum (GTF), for not addressing Tamil grievances.

“We carefully read with interest the Himalaya Declaration but was totally disappointed for completely ignoring Tamil grievances and the pain and suffering Tamils have undergone and are still undergoing,” said the groups.

* “It is understandable that the Buddhist clergy is unaware of Tamil grievances, since they live outside Tamil areas among Sinhalese and have no clue what Tamils have gone through and continue to go through.”

The groups further stated that “Since the war ended fourteen years ago, Tamils have expressed their grievances through mass rallies like, P2P (Pothuvil to Polihandy). P2P led a seven-day march across Tamil areas with around half- a-million Tamils joining despite attacks and intimidation by security forces and notorious military intelligence.”

Tamil University Students, victim groups, Families of the disappeared and other civil society groups held numerous protests, hunger strikes and marches to express Tamil grievances. None of their grievances were addressed in this “Himalaya Declaration.”

“We like to bring to your attention following Tamil grievances articulated by Tamils since the war ended fourteen years ago:”

1) Reduce armed forces presence in Tamil areas to the pre-war 1983 levels:

It has been over fourteen years since the war ended in 2009, but the security forces presence, including the notorious Military Intelligence, is being maintained as it was in the peak of the war in May 2009.
* The security forces presence during Peacetime among the civilian population is creating numerous security and social issues for Tamils, especially for women. Tamils have faced atrocity crimes, including mass killing of Tamils amounting to Genocide and large-scale rape of Tamil women by the Security forces.

2) Stop the Destruction of Hindu temples, including ancient Hindu sites and stop Building Buddhist Temples in Tamil areas, where no Buddhists live.

3) Stop Government sponsored Sinhalese settlements in Tamil areas and stop land grab of Tamil lands by the government. Also, completely release all the civilian lands still occupied by the security forces.

4) As requested by UN officials, Refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC):

Fourteen years have passed since the war ended, but not a single security force official or political leader have faced justice for the killings. Also, thousands of Tamils, including babies and children have Disappeared.
* As requested by several UN officials, including a former UN High-commissioner for Human Rights, refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

5) To prevent further bloodshed, hold an internationally conducted Referendum to solve protracted Tamil conflict:

The root cause for the protracted Tamil conflict since independence is due to lack of political solution. The Tamil conflict resulted in the recurrence of mass killing of Tamils in 1958, 1977, 1983 and 2009.

Several agreements between Tamil leaders and the Sinhala-dominated governments were unilaterally abrogated by successive Governments.

Even international mediation by India and Norway failed.

* As practiced in several countries around the world, hold an internationally conducted referendum to democratically find a permanent political solution to prevent further bloodshed.

1) Mr. A. Vijayakumar
President – Student Union, University of Jaffna.

2) Mrs Y. Kanagaranjini
President – Association for relatives of the enforced Disappearances, North and East Provinces.

3) Thavathiru Velan Swamigal, Sivaguru Aatheenam – Coordinator, Pothuvil to Polikandy Rally, (P2P).

4) Rev. Fr. Joseph Marry (S J) – Batticaloa.

5) Mr. T. Thangaraja, President – Employee’s Union, University of Jaffna.

6) Mrs. Vimaleswary Srikantharuban, Women United Monitoring Society, North and East Provinces.

7) Thavathiru Akathiyar Adikal, Thenkailai Aatheenam – Trincomalee.

8) Rev. Fr. Jayanthan Pachchek OMI, Oblates of Mary Immaculate – Jaffna.

9) Mr. Vigneswaren Gajaruban, Student Union, Faculty of Art and Culture, Eastern University.

10) Mrs. Mithilaichelvi Sripathmanathan, Working Women Society.

11) Rev. Fr. Kandaiya Jegathas, Coordinator, Pothuvil to Polikandy Rally, (P2P).

12) Mrs. Sroja Sivachchandran, Centre for Women and Development.

(EINPRESS WIRE)

Colombo (LNW): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has designated ten distinguished lawyers as President’s Counsel.

They will officially assume their roles after a ceremonial session at the Supreme Court.

Following this event, the appointees will be recognised as President’s Counsel (PC) and will be admitted to the Inner Bar.

The ten accomplished Attorneys-at-Law granted this honour by the President include;

• Chamantha Weerakoon
• Dr. Asanga Gunawansa
• Mohamed Adamaly
• Harsha Fernando
• Dr. Sivaji Felix
• Faisza Markar
• Kaushalya Nawaratne
• Upul Kumarapperuma
• Viran Corea
• Eraj de Silva

Colombo (LNW): The number of dengue-related deaths in 2023 has reached 50, with reported cases surpassing 84,000 as of December 22.

The Colombo District leads in the number of cases, totaling 17,803, while the Western Province has the highest province-wise count at 38,673.

December alone has recorded 7,550 Dengue cases.

Dr. Nalin Ariyaratne, Director of the National Dengue Control Unit, expressed concern over the current situation, with an average of 250 daily reported cases.

He emphasised the importance of public vigilance in maintaining cleanliness to eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites, especially during the ongoing rainy conditions.