February 16, Colombo (LNW): The highly anticipated 2025 Government Budget will be presented to the Sri Lankan Parliament tomorrow (17), marking a significant moment as it will be the first budget under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration.
Parliament is set to convene at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow for the presentation of the budget speech, which will outline the government’s financial plans and priorities for the upcoming year.
In the lead-up to the budget presentation, President Dissanayake chaired a crucial meeting on February 13 to finalise the details of the budget. The session was attended by several key ministers and senior officials, including Mahinda Siriwardana, the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.
The discussions focused on finalising the key elements of the budget and ensuring alignment with the government’s broader economic and social goals.
Earlier this year, on January 09, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya introduced the Appropriation Bill, which serves to allocate funds for government expenditure for the 2025 financial year.
The budget speech, or second reading of the bill, will take place tomorrow, and the subsequent debate will run from February 18 to 25, lasting a total of seven days. A vote on the second reading will be held on February 25 at 6:00 p.m.
Following the second reading, the Committee Stage Debate on the Appropriation Bill will span 19 days, including four Saturdays, from February 27 to March 21. The final vote on the third reading of the bill is scheduled for March 21 at 6:00 p.m.
During the debate, daily sessions will run from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with a half-hour window from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. allocated for questions for oral answers. Motions at adjournment time will be scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with the exception of February 25 and March 21, when votes are to be held.
In his remarks at a Cabinet press briefing on November 26, 2024, Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa highlighted that the 2025 budget would be crafted with an emphasis on bolstering public trust and advancing national development in line with the aspirations of the Sri Lankan people.
In this regard, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal from President Dissanayake, who also serves as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, to ensure that the 2025 budget aligns with the various projects and initiatives identified by each ministry.
Furthermore, it will adhere strictly to the expenditure guidelines outlined by the Public Finance Management Act, No. 44 of 2024, and the Government Policy Statement.
The government is committed to a transparent and strategic financial plan that meets the expectations of the public while fostering long-term growth and stability for the nation.
February 16, Colombo (LNW): A notorious criminal, along with his wife, who had been evading justice by hiding in a foreign country, has been successfully brought back to Sri Lanka.
The 30-year-old suspect, a Colombo resident, faces multiple serious charges, including involvement in murder and other violent crimes.
Authorities have confirmed that he has now been returned to the island after an extensive manhunt that spanned several months.
According to police sources, the fugitive was a key figure in an organised crime syndicate and had been wanted for a series of heinous offences.
The repatriation was part of a broader initiative by Sri Lankan authorities aimed at bringing back individuals involved in organised crime who have fled overseas to avoid arrest and prosecution.
The ongoing operation, which is focused on tracking down and extraditing criminals, is being coordinated by the Sri Lankan police in collaboration with international law enforcement agencies.
Officials have expressed their commitment to ensuring that those who have evaded justice are held accountable for their crimes, regardless of where they may attempt to hide.
February 16, Colombo (LNW): Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya has revealed plans to set up an Education Council aimed at revolutionising the teacher training system in Sri Lanka.
Speaking at the inauguration of the refurbished library at the Kopay Teacher’s College, Dr Amarasuriya emphasised the crucial role the new council will play in improving and regulating the quality of education across the country.
The council, according to the Prime Minister, will work to modernise and streamline the teacher training process, ensuring that educators are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the evolving needs of students.
Dr Amarasuriya acknowledged the growing demand for a more robust and forward-thinking teacher training programme, underscoring the importance of enhancing both the scope and capacity of the current system.
In her speech, the Prime Minister stressed that a strong and well-organised framework for teacher development is essential for achieving long-term educational goals.
By creating a dedicated council, the government hopes to bring greater structure and consistency to the training process, with the ultimate aim of raising educational standards nationwide.
The opening of the upgraded library at the Kopay Teacher’s College, a key institution for teacher education in the Northern Province, further underscores the government’s commitment to improving the educational infrastructure.
The new library facilities are expected to provide a modern space for both learning and research, helping to support future educators in their professional development.
February 16, Colombo (LNW): Thirteen Sri Lankans who had been forcibly held in cybercrime camps across Myanmar have reportedly been freed, with authorities confirming their safety.
The group includes 11 young men and two women, all aged between 20 and 30. They are currently in good health, and plans are underway for their transfer from the Thai border to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Bangkok.
Once at the embassy, arrangements will be made to return them to Sri Lanka in the coming days.
The successful rescue operation marks a significant step forward, though four other Sri Lankans are still being detained in separate camps in Myanmar.
Sources within Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry have stated that efforts to secure the release of the remaining captives are ongoing, with diplomats working tirelessly to negotiate their freedom.
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has been actively involved in the rescue efforts, recently engaging in high-level talks with both the Thai Foreign Minister and Myanmar’s Deputy Prime Minister.
Herath’s appeal for assistance in freeing those trapped in cybercrime operations has seemingly borne fruit, with the latest developments seen as a positive outcome of these diplomatic exchanges.
Despite the progress, officials remain focused on ensuring the safe return of the remaining Sri Lankans. Further diplomatic measures are expected in the coming days as the situation unfolds.
February 16, Colombo (LNW): Mainly dry weather will prevail over most parts of the island, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (16).
A cold weather can be expected in the Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western and Central provinces during the early morning.
Misty conditions can be expected at several places in the island during the morning.
Marine Weather:
Condition of Rain:
Mainly fair weather will prevail over sea areas around the island.
Winds:
Winds will be north-easterly and speed will be (20-30) kmph. Wind speed can increase up to 40 kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Mannar via Puttalam and from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota.
State of Sea:
The sea areas off the coasts extending fromColombo to Mannar via Puttalam and from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota will be fairly rough at times.
Some of the Chamber Executives hold key jobs in the AKD Administration
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has traditionally played a key role in shaping Sri Lanka’s economic policies. However, in recent years, it has increasingly been perceived as a politically engaged entity according to Chamber analysts , leveraging its influence to steer policy decisions in favor of its key stakeholders. Under the leadership of figures like Duminda Hulangamuwa, the CCC has adopted a more strategic approach in engaging with the presidency, actively maneuvering economic and tax policies to align with its preferred economic agenda. For President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), who lacks prior business or economic and oversees experience, the CCCs outreach presented an opportunity to gain economic insights. However, sources suggest that he may have placed undue trust in the Chamber’s narrative. Also that there are several other chambers in the country. Who do their and stay out of politics. This led to the appointment of the CCC Chairman as his Economic Advisordespite concerns within his party about the Chamber’s alignment with elite business interests.
CCC Chairman
Notably, the CCC Chairman is set to retire from his main Jobposition and the Chamber presidency in the coming months. Finance Ministry insiders indicate that he is eyeing the position of Finance Ministry Secretary, currently held by Mahinda Siriwardana. However, resistance is mounting within the JVP hierarchy, given Hulangamuwa’s past associations with Dr P.B. Jayasundara and later Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Neutrality
Historically, the CCC has positioned itself as a neutral business advocacy platform, offering policy recommendations that support economic stability, trade facilitation, and investment growth. However, its current trajectory suggests a deeper entanglement in political decision-making particularly in shaping the President’s economic strategy. While its influence has resulted in pro-business reforms, concerns are emerging about governance, economic equity, and policy neutrality. This shift has also affected the Chamber’s ability to navigate between the public and private sectors as a key policy influencer. With the CCC increasingly seen as having vested interests in governance structures, other chambers may now have an opportunity to step up as more credible policy advocates.
Future
Amid Sri Lanka’s fragile economic landscape, President AKD faces the critical challenge of balancing business interests with broader economic stability. The CCCs growing political engagement places pressure on him to align policies with the Chamber’s priorities particularly in areas such as corporate taxation, financial regulations, and trade liberalization. While pro-business policies are essential for economic recovery, the CCC’s increasing influence, including its acceptance of unpaid government advisory roles and executive , raises concerns about the potential for policy imbalances. If the AKD government leans too heavily toward private sector interests without addressing social equity and economic inclusivity, the country risks widening wealth disparities and regulatory imbalances. Over time, the President may face backlash from within his own party, while private sector advisors, as is common in Sri Lanka, will seamlessly transition to advising the next political administration.
February 15, World (LNW): In the midst of escalating ideological battles, one of the most compelling paradoxes of contemporary American politics lies in the figure of Scott Bessent, the openly gay Treasury Secretary under Donald Trump.
Bessent’s ascension to the second most powerful position in the Trump administration, following Vice President J.D. Vance, presents a striking contradiction in the broader political landscape, particularly within the “Make America Great Again!” (MAGA) movement that has increasingly sought to curtail LGBTQIA+ rights, especially for transgender individuals.
Bessent, a wealthy hedge fund manager and former associate of political figures like George Soros, was a key donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign, and his role as Secretary of the Treasury was announced shortly after the former president’s victory. In doing so, Trump positioned Bessent not only as the face of a new economic agenda but also as the highest-ranking openly LGBTQIA+ individual in American history, becoming a symbolic representative of the American Dream.
However, Bessent’s high-profile nomination sits uncomfortably with the prevailing policies endorsed by Trump’s administration, particularly the MAGA movement’s growing influence over Republican agendas that undermine LGBTQIA+ rights.
In stark contrast to Bessent’s personal identity, the policies endorsed by the Trump administration have veered sharply in the direction of social conservatism, with a particular focus on dismantling protections for transgender individuals and restricting access to healthcare for LGBTQIA+ people.
These efforts are championed by powerful voices in the Grand Old Party (GOP), notably members of the MAGA base who continue to push a reactionary social agenda that directly contradicts the values of equality and inclusivity that the LGBTQIA+ community has fought for over the last several decades.
The Idaho House’s recent passage of a bill urging the Supreme Court to reverse the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which legalised same-sex marriage in 2015, serves as a chilling example of the political climate that Bessent, despite his personal affiliations, now finds himself aligned with.
This bill, which was officially approved with backing from both the state’s GOP leadership and key elements of the MAGA movement, aims to strip legal recognition from same-sex unions in the state and could ultimately set a precedent for a wider push to unravel the gains made by the LGBTQIA+ community in recent years.
Given that Bessent holds one of the most influential positions in American politics, one might wonder how his personal identity aligns with the broader ideological forces that his administration supports.
Bessent is married to John Freeman, a former New York City prosecutor, and the couple live with their two children in Charleston, South Carolina. His appointment raises difficult questions about the intersection of personal identity and political power.
Whilst his position as an openly gay public figure in such a high-profile role could be seen as a victory for LGBTQIA+ visibility, the policies that the Trump administration champions—especially in regard to the restriction of civil rights for transgender individuals—call into question the sincerity of this representation.
Bessent himself may remain largely silent on the contentious social issues surrounding his administration, perhaps focusing on his economic mandate, but his silence cannot wholly shield him from criticism. His support for Trump’s political platform—despite the direct contradiction to his own identity—becomes an emblematic example of the ways in which oligarchical interests can overlook social justice in the pursuit of wealth and power.
There is also an undeniable irony in Bessent’s appointment in the context of the Trump Administration’s so-called “WOKE” policies, a term often weaponised by right-wing figures to mock progressive movements for social justice. In this environment, Bessent becomes a symbol of the contradictions inherent in the intersection of personal ambition and political power, particularly for someone who resides in a privileged position of wealth and influence.
In effect, his success within the administration, despite the MAGA movement’s attacks on LGBTQIA+ rights, echoes the uncomfortable reality that policy, identity, and morality are often subordinate to the political and financial interests of the elite.
The growing tension between the push for civil rights and the political priorities of those in power has been starkly highlighted by the passage of bills like the one in Idaho, and the increasingly hostile rhetoric surrounding LGBTQIA+ issues. Bessent’s role in the Trump administration provides a chilling reminder that progress for marginalised communities can be undone by those who wield power, even when they seem to share an identity with those they are working to oppress.
His participation in this administration reveals the uncomfortable truth that in politics, one’s personal identity can often be secondary to the broader ideological and financial goals of the elite—goals that are more than willing to sacrifice the rights of minorities for the sake of power.
Thus, as Scott Bessent continues to occupy his role as Treasury Secretary in a government that has been increasingly hostile to the LGBTQIA+ community, his situation serves as a potent symbol of the hypocrisy that can arise when personal identity and oligarchical interests intersect.
In the face of an administration bent on eradicating the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals, particularly the dismissal of transgender individuals from sports and the military and the banning of gender-affirming healthcare for trans-identified minors, Bessent’s role invites us to reflect on the delicate balance between progress, power, and the often incompatible nature of identity politics and financial ambition.
Colombo, February 14 – Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, will participate in the 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC), scheduled to take place from February 16–17, 2025, in Muscat, Oman.
The Indian Ocean Conference, a flagship forum for nations in the Indian Ocean region, is organized annually by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, in collaboration with the India Foundation. This year’s edition is being held in partnership with Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the theme: “Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership.”
Minister Herath is scheduled to address the first plenary session on February 16, focusing on regional maritime security, economic integration, and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean region.
The conference will bring together ministers and officials from over 60 countries and international organizations. In addition to his address, Minister Herath will hold bilateral discussions with regional counterparts on strengthening economic partnerships and maritime cooperation.
Sri Lanka has played a significant role in previous IOC meetings, having hosted the second edition in Colombo in 2017.
Former Minister Navin Dissanayake has been appointed as the Vice President of the United National Party (UNP).
The appointment was made by UNP leader and former President Ranil Wickremesinghe during the UNP Working Committee meeting held today.
Dissanayake, a senior politician, has held several key positions in government, including Minister of Sports, Tourism, and Plantation Industries, as well as Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province.
His appointment is seen as a move to strengthen the party’s leadership and prepare for upcoming political challenges, particularly in the wake of shifting alliances and electoral strategies ahead of the next general election.
Sri Lanka’s dedicated economic centres are currently controlled by few entrepreneurs by providing an opportunity for middlemen to earn profit leading the prices of locally produced vegetables and fruits sky rocketing as the mechanism has not been established properly, country wide farmer’s organizations complained. .
These organisations along with consumer protection societies are urging the new government to set up an establishment as C.W.E. by bringing all Economic Centres in the island under one Trust in order to meet out justice to both the farmer and the consumer without middlemen’s interference.
In a country where 19 DECs were established for direct transactions between farmers and buyers, their failure to eliminate intermediary involvement has led to discontent on both ends: farmers and consumers, they said. .
Thus, DECs were to act as open marketplaces for the wholesale trade of vegetables and other agricultural products.
The farmers can directly bargain with the wholesalers. However, many farmers report difficulty selling their produce, while consumers complain about inflated prices.
One striking example is the price markup for carrots: bought at Rs 120 in regions such as Nuwara Eliya, they can sell for as much as Rs 400 at the Negombo market, due to the middlemen who dominate these centres.
Farmers’ organizations feel that the present system has allowed too many intermediaries to flourish, needlessly jacking up prices.
The farmer groups and consumer advocates are pressing the government to set up a centralised trust, on the pattern of the defunct C.W.E. – Cooperative Wholesale Establishment, to manage all economic centres and bring these under one management umbrella to weaken the middlemen’s grip and allow a just price both to the producer and the consumer.
Farmers say that if put into operation, this system can be operative within three months and they can sell their produce without any problem and at better prices.
Despite support for farmers, many are still struggling to thrive, facing higher prices of improved seeds and fertilizers, crop yield irregularities, and general absence of reliable agricultural credit.
Many are forced to take loans with high interest while illegal food imports destabilize the local market further.
Even in good seasons, they often find themselves unable to sell their produce at profit. While the government still maintains a fertilizer subsidy, it has not been increased and also not distributed to food and vegetable farmers, making their livelihood increasingly hard to manage.
The concept of economic centres was mooted in 2000 under a United National Party government initiative led by then minister Bandula Gunawardana.
The first centre in Dambulla, designed with modern facilities like cold storage, remains incomplete decades later. Prior to the establishment of DECs, small traders directly purchased and transported produce, keeping prices stable.
On their own, farmers delivered goods to major markets in Colombo, Kandy, and other areas by organised transport associations that distributed the produce at that time .
Today, that is no longer the case. Produce is taken by farmers to the nearest economic centre using mostly their means of transportation.
However, prices crash during peak seasons because of bulk supplies, thereby leaving many farmers without profit.
Unsold vegetables at times get discarded or even used as animal feed. Prices soar during off-seasons, which large-scale farmers who complete their harvest ahead of the season and those small-scale farmers who defy seasonal planting benefit from.
Over time, a few large traders have taken over each centre, and gradually, they have created a monopoly over the market.
A monopolistic market situation squeezes small and medium traders out of the market and heightens consumer prices. This way, both consumers and producers feel they are caught in a web of high costs and low returns.
In response, farmers and consumer advocates are demanding reforms to return the DECs to their original purpose: “fair price through efficient direct sales channels, untainted by middlemen.
