By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): Social innovation is the process of developing and implementing innovative ideas, products, and services to address social and environmental challenges, and is important in development as it provides new and creative solutions to complex social problems, such as poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.

With the increase in complexity and scale of social challenges, there is a growing need for more inclusive, collaborative, and innovative approaches to address these challenges thus making social innovation a highly promising approach in advancing the national development agenda to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing society.

In light of this, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka through its innovation arm, Citra Social Innovation Lab, has partnered with the National Innovation Agency (NIA) to jointly address these challenges and work together to strengthen the social innovation eco-system in Sri Lanka.

The National Innovation Agency was established with the specific aim of promoting a better understanding of innovation in the fields of social sciences, science and technology, defense, environment and service, and their impact on the economy of the country. Citra Lab, a joint initiative of the Prime Minister’s Office and UNDP in Sri Lanka, was instrumental in the conceptualisation and design of NIA.

The organisation which specialises in the use of innovation and foresight tools will offer its expertise in design thinking and human-centered design to activate the social innovation pillar at the agency.

Formalizing of this strategic partnership through an exchange of letters took place recently with Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative at UNDP in Sri Lanka, and Prof. Ajith de Alwis, Chief Innovation Officer at NIA.

Speaking on the close partnership NIA has had with Citra Lab, Professor Ajith de Alwis expressed his enthusiasm in embarking on this journey with fellow innovation experts, adding that, “there are already several issues in urgent need of being addressed, especially in relation to embedding innovation within the public sector, along with many opportunities where this partnership will prove to be most effective”.

UNDP in Sri Lanka Resident Representative Azusa Kubota, noted how this partnership dawns at a crucial time for the country. “Sri Lanka is a resilient nation, with untapped potential across various sectors. UNDP looks forward to working closely with NIA to further strengthen the innovation landscape in the country to positively contribute to its development agenda”.

Key objectives of this alignment are centered on streamlining social innovation within Sri Lankan society, and to embed social innovation into national development efforts to achieve sustainable human development.

The nature of this cross-sector partnership will enable stakeholders to co-construct and implement socially innovative solutions which will address sociol-economic issues, create positive social impact, and enhance the well-being of communities.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): The EU has urged Sri Lanka to lift the import restrictions, preventing many European products from entering its market.

The EU welcomed Sri Lanka’s intention to present a plan for the lifting of the import restrictions, by June 2023.

Sri Lanka expressed its intention to phase out restrictions, factoring in the current economic situation. The EU and Sri Lanka agreed that the EU-Sri Lanka Investor Dialogue may take place at an early date, in Sri Lanka.

The EU presented the new EU GSP Regulation, which is expected to enter into force on 1 January 2024, for the next 10-year cycle. The EU informed that the report of the last EU GSP+ monitoring cycle 2020-2022 is expected to be released in the coming months

This was revealed in a joint EU and Sri Lanka press communique issued by the latter, following the 25th session of the Joint Commission, held in Colombo, the Sri Lankan delegation has briefed the EU of the cases before the Supreme Court in this regard.

Paola Pampaloni, Deputy Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service of the EU, led their delegation.

They reviewed bilateral relations, ranging from reconciliation, human rights, trade, development cooperation, climate change and environment, sectoral cooperation, international security cooperation and cooperation in multilateral fora.

The EU has welcomed the 21st Amendment, which would further enhance democratic governance.

On the new Anti-Terrorism Bill, Sri Lanka informed that the Ministry of Justice was seeking the observations of the public and other stakeholders with a view to amending the gazetted Bill before submitting it to Parliament.

Sri Lanka’s ongoing consultation process, with all relevant stakeholders, is aimed at adopting a legislation in line with international standards, which could soon replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

The EU appreciated the commitment of Sri Lanka to further release PTA detainees and urged Sri Lanka to refrain from using the PTA.

The EU has urged Sri Lanka to lift the import restrictions, preventing many European products from entering its market. The EU welcomed Sri Lanka’s intention to present a plan for the lifting of the import restrictions, by June 2023.

Sri Lanka expressed its intention to phase out restrictions, factoring in the current economic situation. The EU and Sri Lanka agreed that the EU-Sri Lanka Investor Dialogue may take place at an early date, in Sri Lanka.

The EU presented the new EU GSP Regulation, which is expected to enter into force on 1 January 2024, for the next 10-year cycle. The EU informed that the report of the last EU GSP+ monitoring cycle 2020-2022 is expected to be released in the coming months.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s Tea Industry with options for expansion is to be guided towards penetrating the Lucrative Chinese market by introducing an immediate export promotion strategy, Sri Lankan Ambassador in China Dr. Palitha Kohona said.

Ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona was addressing the Belt and Road International Tea Trading Forum in Hefeng County, Hubei Province as a guest speaker. Hubei has over 700,000 hectares of immaculately tended tea gardens.

China’s insatiable thirst for tea could provide Sri Lanka’s high-quality tea with a lucrative and expanding market but China’s standards and special requirements must be observed, he said.

Organic tea, though more expensive, was rapidly catching on in China, especially among the health conscious older consumers, but had to satisfy other requirements

The modernisation of the Sri Lanka tea industry including through digitization contributed significantly to the success of China’s rural revitalization program and it could introduce dramatic changes to the lives of the work force, especially to the thousands of women employed in the industry. .

Similarly, rapid modernisation of Sri Lanka’s tea industry, including through digitization, could introduce dramatic changes to the lives of the work force, especially to the thousands of women employed in the industry. It would also help to retain the young who tended to drift to the cities in search of better employment

Ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona attended the Belt and Road International Tea Trading Forum in Hefeng County, Hubei Province as a guest speaker. Hubei has over 700,000 hectares of immaculately tended tea gardens.

Addressing the gathering of tea experts (including many academics), senior government and party officials, tea traders and diplomats, Ambassador Kohona, as an invited guest speaker, underlined the continuing significance of the tea industry to Sri Lanka.

This major agricultural commodity that provided employment, directly or indirectly, to over 10% of Sri Lanka’s workforce, was a key foreign exchange earner.

It has contributed significantly to government revenues and indirectly assisted the funding of Sri Lanka’s free education and free healthcare systems and was largely dependent on the predominantly female work force of tea pluckers.

The modernization of the tea industry contributed significantly to the success of China’s rural revitalization program. Similarly, rapid modernization of Sri Lanka’s tea industry, including through digitization, could introduce dramatic changes to the lives of the work force, especially to the thousands of women employed in the industry.

It would also help to retain the young who tended to drift to the cities in search of better employment.

China’s insatiable thirst for tea could provide Sri Lanka’s high-quality tea with a lucrative and expanding market but China’s standards and special requirements must be observed. Organic tea, though more expensive, was rapidly catching on in China, especially among the health conscious older consumers, but had to satisfy other requirements.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): Imported eggs from India have begun to appear in Sri Lankan markets priced at 35 rupees per egg although initially intended for use only in the cake and biscuit industry, later these eggs became available to consumers as well, official sources said.

Importing eggs from India were intended to address a shortage of local eggs and to provide consumers with eggs at a more affordable price at a time when local eggs are sold at higher prices.

According to sources the decision to import eggs from India was made to break the monopoly of local egg producers

Due to the bird flu epidemic there are concerns regarding marketing the imported Indian eggs, but Namakkal Egg Producers Association President K. Mohan assured that the bird flu guidelines were being strictly followed.

When Nalin Fernando was Sathosa Chairman in 2012, eggs were imported from India and now he is spearheading the task of importing eggs from India as the Minister of Trade raising questions of conflict of interests.

The import of liquid eggs without a proper inspection poses a serious health risk, as they may contain salmonella bacteria, officials claimed.

The imported Indian eggs were brought from the Namakkal region in Tamil Nadu, where the bird flu epidemic has been severe since October 2022, according to news appearing in the Indian Express website.

The Indian state produces around 60 million eggs daily, but due to the bird flu epidemic, the eggs have become unmarketable. Major poultry farm producers in Tamil Nadu requested the Central Government to find quick solutions to control the spread of bird flu.

According to the Indian Express website Namakkal Egg Producers Association President K. Mohan had assured that the bird flu guidelines were being strictly followed in Namakkal farms.

He had maintained that hens in Namakkal do not get infected with bird flu very often. However, bird flu outbreaks in other parts of India have an impact on poultry farms resulting in a decrease in egg exports.

The website underscores that egg producers have requested the Indian Central Government to declare Namakkal as a bird flu-free egg production zone.

It is possible that the import of Indian eggs was an attempt to show the world that bird flu does not exist in India.

As per the initial statement by the Director General of the Department of Animal Production and Health, Dr. Hemali Kotalawala, the import of Indian eggs was prohibited due to the bird flu epidemic in India. However, she also clarified that there was no issue with importing eggs from other countries except India.

She stated that due to the recent bird flu epidemic in India, the necessary recommendations cannot be given to the Import and Export Controller General regarding the import of eggs.

However, later on, the authorities announced that the import of Indian eggs would be permitted with certain safety measures in place. Indian eggs were eventually imported to Sri Lanka. Furthermore, there are plans to import liquid eggs as well.