The Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the African Union (AU), K.K. Theshantha Kumarasiri presented credentials to Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union Moussa Faki Mahamat on 26 May 2023 at Headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

During the discussion, followed by the presentation of credentials, the new Permanent Representative conveyed the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union the warm felicitations of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the government and people of Sri Lanka on the celebrations of the 60^th Anniversary of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) which was later named as the African Union (AU), established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Representative highlighted the tremendous progress and achievements that have been made by the African Union for the last six decades under many challenging circumstances while ensuring continuous development of the continent and partnerships with the rest of the world.

The Representative also briefed Chairperson Mahamat about the new foreign policy initiative of “Look Africa” introduced by President Wickremesinghe in order to enhance Sri Lanka’s bilateral relations with the countries in Africa, and also the African Union in particular on matters of regional and multilateral nature, including Sri Lanka’s interest in blue economic initiatives with partner countries and regional  & multilateral organizations in order to develop partnerships for better management of challenges of economic & social development, mitigating of climate change issues, supporting for inclusive economic growth and mobilization of sustainable financing instruments to address common issues of complex nature in the spirit of solidarity of South – South Cooperation.

Chairperson Mahamat conveyed his warm greetings to the President of Sri Lanka for his commitment in promoting blue economic agenda and making significant initiatives to engage with the member States of the African Union in view of addressing matters of common interests. Further, Chairperson of the African Union Commission assured that the African Union Commission and its Commissioners will provide adequate institutional assistance and necessary cooperation to the Permanent Observers to the African Union (including Sri Lanka) in order to build partnerships with the view to achieving common objectives pertaining to specific areas of cooperation such as agriculture, food security & poverty alleviation, renewable energy, education, knowledge creation & innovation and tourism & hospitality in particular.

Further, the Permanent Representative expressed Sri Lanka’s desire for the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will pave the way for eliminating barriers to trade in Africa and boosting intra-Africa trade as well as expansion of trade and investment with potential partner countries in the rest of the world including Sri Lanka while deepening country’s linkages with the African content.

During the discussion the both parties expressed the hope that Africa’s prolonged struggle of searching for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council will be achievable in coming years with a wider endorsement of policy level. The discussion also focused on the speedy progress that has been made by the African Union in the recent past with respect to Africa’s accession to the G20 Group of large economies by becoming a permanent member of the Group. Further, Chairperson Maamat assured the commitment of African Union to collaborate with Sri Lanka as a Permanent Observer to the African Union for the realization of aspirations and goals of the African Union under its ambitious master plan of “Agenda 2063” in view of inclusive and sustainable social and economic development while transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future.

Theshantha Kumarasiri who is currently performing as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Ethiopia is a member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service with over 20 years of career experience while serving previously in France, South Korea and Brazil. He is a graduate of the University of Kelaniya, and has a Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Democratization from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Addis Ababa

29 May 2023

An estimated 17 percent of the population is in moderate acute food insecurity in Sri Lanka, especially in the Northern, Eastern and Central Provinces, indicating an improvement compared to 2022.

COLOMBO: Food security in Sri Lanka is improving across all provinces, according to the Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) report jointly carried out in February/March 2023 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The report estimates 3.9 million people or 17 percent of the population is in moderate acute food insecurity which is nearly a 40 percent decrease from June/July last year. Nearly 10,000 people are severely acute food-insecure, down from 66,000 people last year.

The improvement in food security stems from better food consumption, which could be attributed to reduced food prices and improved incomes among farming communities during the harvesting period when the mission was carried out.

Despite this positive trend, food insecurity remains high in certain districts, especially Kilinochchi, Nuwara Eliya, Mannar, Batticaloa, Vavuniya, and Jaffna. The highest level of acute food insecurity was found within the tea plantation communities in the Estate sector and among daily wage labourers and households who rely on social assistance programmes, such as Samurdhi, as their main source of income. 

Production of cereal, including rice and maize, across the two main cropping seasons in 2022/23 is forecast at 4.1 million tonnes, 14 percent below the past five-year average, mainly due to poor plant nutrition caused by an inadequate supply of fertilizer and unaffordability of essential material inputs. However, essential fertilizers distributed to smallholder farmers by the Government, facilitated by funds received from multilateral and bilateral donor agencies, has significantly impacted production, marking an improvement in the yield with productivity in the recently harvested 2022/23 “Maha” season, 12% higher than the 2022 “Yala” season.

Representative of FAO to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Mr. Vimlendra Sharan speaking on CFSAM Report findings said, “The Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) report is an eye-opener on the continuing vulnerabilities and challenges that exist within the food systems of Sri Lanka. This report and its findings will no doubt serve as a guiding light for policymakers and stakeholders to collectively work towards ensuring food security, strengthening agricultural resilience and mitigating risks faced by farmers and rural communities who have been disproportionately impacted by the economic crisis. FAO remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka in their efforts towards achieving sustainable food systems, food security and zero hunger.”

“After many months of challenges, we are finally witnessing an improvement to the country’s food security,” said Abdur Rahim Siddiqui, WFP Sri Lanka’s Representative and Country Director. “But there is more to be done. A high number of households — more than 60 percent — are adopting negative measures to put food on the table, including borrowing money and purchasing food on credit. WFP will extend its emergency operation, which commenced last year, to provide food rations and cash assistance to people identified as food insecure.”

Mission recommendations

The joint FAO/WFP Mission recommends providing immediate support to farmers, particularly by releasing available fertilizer stocks to enhance production and productivity in the ongoing “Yala” season and make urgent policy decisions to import fertilizers in time for the 2023/24 “Maha” cultivation season.  The report also recommends any move for reducing or removing fertiliser subsidy to be in a gradual and phased manner, giving adequate time to the farming community to adapt.

Other recommendations include the establishment of a “Fertilizer Task Force” to streamline fertilizer procurement and distributions as well as to strengthen adaptive research on climate smart agriculture and sustainable farming practices to improve fertiliser use efficiency. Further, to minimize the impact on the livestock and fisheries sectors, the mission recommends providing adequate support to increase fodder and feed crop production.

Further recommendations include continuing food and/or cash assistance to facilitate access to food among households most vulnerable to food insecurity. In the long-term, increased livelihood support to food-insecure households and resilience-building initiatives are also recommended to prevent them from compromising on productivity and their capacity to cope with future shocks.

The Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka – Australia Chapter, in collaboration with Consulate General of Sri Lanka to Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, held “Reignite Sri Lanka 2023”, a business networking event, on May 17, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia.

The function was aimed at presenting Sri Lanka’s economic growth and investment opportunities to leading Australian businesses and organizations, and to initiate discussions between Sri Lankan and Australian companies on future engagement.

Consul General for Sri Lanka Sandith Samarasinghe as one of the main speakers presented the main points of Sri Lanka’s Climate Prosperity Plan, a government initiative aimed at ensuring Sri Lanka’s economic growth and stability through climate friendly policies and sustainable energy and conservation initiatives.  During his speech, Consul General Samarasinghe also highlighted some of the key investment projects earmarked under the CPP, and invited attendees to visit the report and explore the opportunities available here.

President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and keynote speaker Sanjaya Bandara, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chalaka Gajabahu also addressed the guests on several areas, including Sri Lanka’s investment and tourism potential.

The speeches were followed by a panel discussion composed of the main speakers, as well as Malik Fernando of Dilmah Tea, Ruwan Karunaratne from the Colombo Port City Economic Commission, and Lucy Walgers from TripADeal.  The panel addressed a number of topics, including Sri Lanka’s resurgence from the recent economic crisis, making Sri Lanka more attractive to investors, the opportunities of the Colombo Port City project, and the role of tourism in driving Sri Lanka’s growth.

The event concluded with a networking session, where Sri Lanka and Australian companies and representatives of industry associations were able to meet and discuss mutual interests. 

Reignite Sri Lanka 2023 was the inaugural event of what the CA Sri Lanka – Australia Chapter hopes will be a continued initiative in promoting Sri Lanka as a business, investment and tourist destination.

Consulate General of Sri Lanka

Melbourne

31 May 2023

Colombo (LNW): The government has responded to the allegation levelled by certain parties that the State’s Poson Programme in Anuradhapura is not being properly funded, stating that it is false and asserting that Rs. 28.8 million has already been granted in this regard.

As of now, two Ministries and one Department have contributed a sum of Rs. 28.8 million for the State’s Poson Programme this year, a statement by the President’s Media Division said.

The allocation made by the Buddhashasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry for this year’s Poson Mihinthale Perahera was the highest since 2019, it added.

Colombo (LNW): Bruno Divakara, owner of SL-Vlog YouTube Channel, has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The arrest was made after questioning Divakara for over eight hours in connection with stand up comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya’s comments allegedly insulting Buddhism.

PMD: A meeting took place at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (30) between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and representatives from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The primary focus of the discussion was the digitisation of data in Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasised the importance of continuing the government’s efforts to modernise the agricultural sector, improve nutrition, address climate change, and enhance financial security.

During the meeting, officials from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation expressed their willingness to support these activities, provided they align with the government’s policies and regulations regarding financial assistance and the use of modern technology. They presented relevant information to support their stance.

The proposed establishment of a university dedicated to climate change was also a topic of attention during the meeting.

Minister of State for Finance Mr Shehan Semasinghe, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff Mr Sagala Ratnayake, Secretary to the President Mr Saman Ekanayake, Senior Advisor to the President on Climate Change Mr Ruwan Wijewardena, Advisor to the President on National Food Security Dr. Suren Batagoda, Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva , Additional Secretaries of the President’s Office Mr. Vernon Perera, Ms Chandani Wijewardena, Dr. Sulaksha Jayawardena and other officials, members of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Sarvodaya Foundation attended the meeting.