1. The Appeal Court extends its interim order barring the arrest and recording of a statement from ex Attorney General Dappula De Livera. The interim order was extended yesterday as the petition filed on behalf of the ex AG was taken up for consideration. Livera dragged himself into controversy by a comment he had allegedly made suggesting that “there was a grand conspiracy with regard to the 2019 April attacks”
2. Governor of CBSL assured that the stability of the country’s banking system will be safeguarded: Weerasinghe assured that the safety of the public deposits will be guaranteed as “they have always been maintaining.”
3. Deputy Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Imran Khwaja arrives in Sri Lanka: This is to probe the alleged political interference in the administration of the Sri Lankan game of Cricket.
4. A team of staff from the IMF met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe, following their arrival in Sri Lanka. The IMF said this visit comes as part of the regular consultations between the global lender and the island nation, ahead of the first review mission later this year.
5. UNDP in Sri Lanka works closely with several Ministries to develop a project to mainstream e-mobility through the conversion of 500,000 Tuk-Tuks to electric vehicles (EVs) or e-Tuk- Tuks over a 5-year period
6. President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasizes that Sri Lanka will not support any work that hinders the unity of Asia: pointed out that there are many differences between the Asian geopolitics and the politics of the Pacific region and that we should recognize those differences and work to preserve peace and stability.
7. Two SL Photojournalists receive international recognition: Photojournalists Eranga Jayawardena and Ishara Kodikara have been recognized for their coverage of Sri Lanka’s ‘Aragalaya’ people’s movement in 2022.
8. The Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Bill has been gazetted. The new bill will replace the Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Act No. 17 of 2017. If the bill is submitted to Parliament and passed, it will reportedly be possible to hold the Provincial Council Election under the old electoral system.
9. President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed the relevant officials to amend the existing ordinances regarding lands to suit the current development needs: instructs the officials to resolve the issues of the lands under the Provincial Councils through a Land Commission.
10. The Welfare Benefits Board says the Samurdhi allowance will be given from the 1st of July. It can be obtained through any bank recognized by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka: allowance is given under two categories, ‘Extremely Poor’ and ‘Poor’.

According to the Health Entomologists Association, there has been a notable surge in the number of mosquito larvae, raising concerns about the potential spread of diseases. Chairman Najith Sumanasena highlighted that this discovery was made through comprehensive surveys conducted by association officers.

Sumanasena emphasized that despite the implementation of mosquito control programs in various regions, including the Western Province, they have failed to achieve the desired outcomes. This is particularly alarming as over 3,000 cases of dengue fever have already been reported this year, with 50% of the cases originating from the Western Province.

The health sector is urging the general public to take responsibility by eliminating all mosquito breeding areas and actively preventing the proliferation of dengue mosquitoes. By doing so, individuals can play a crucial role in curbing the spread of this disease.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe made an exciting announcement during the 10th Environment Pioneer President’s Medal Awarding Ceremony 2020-2021, held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).

He revealed that Sri Lanka would establish the world’s first international environmental university to bolster global efforts in tackling climate change.

The ceremony recognized the excellent service of teachers, schools, regional environmental officials, and offices, with 129 environmental pioneers being awarded Presidential Medals.

The Environment Pioneer President’s Medal is the highest accolade under the National Environment Pioneer President’s Medal, and the winners receive an additional 04 points in university entrance.

Aralagangwila Wilayaya National School was awarded as the best school, producing 14 Environment Pioneer President’s Medal winners, while the Central Provincial Office of the Central Environment Authority received the award for the best office, guiding the most significant number of Environment Pioneer President’s Medal winners (25).

The Environment Pioneer President’s Medal recipients took a group photo with President Wickremesinghe, who urged them to spread the message of environmental protection in schools as environmental pilots.

According to the Department of Meteorology, residents of Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-Western, and Southern provinces should anticipate occasional showers or thundershowers throughout the day. Moreover, some areas in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces, as well as Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle, and Matara districts, may experience heavy showers exceeding 100 mm.

Northern and North-Central provinces, along with Trincomalee district, can expect several intervals of rainfall. Uva and Eastern provinces are also likely to encounter showers or thundershowers in various locations, primarily in the afternoon or during the night.

In addition to the rainfall, strong winds reaching speeds of approximately 40-45 kmph are anticipated along the western and southern coastal regions, as well as the western slopes of the central hills.

Given these weather conditions, the general public is strongly advised to take necessary precautions to minimize any potential damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers. Stay safe and stay informed.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, left for Stockholm, Sweden this morning to attend the 02^nd Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, scheduled on 13 May, 2023. The Forum is organized under the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in collaboration with the European External Action Service. The Foreign Ministers of the European Union and Indo-Pacific Region are expected to attend.

The Forum is Co-Chaired by Sweden Foreign Minister, Tobias Billstrom and High Representative for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Joseph Borrell.

Foreign Minister Sabry will Co-Chair the 01^st Round Table Discussion under the theme of ‘Building more sustainable and inclusive prosperity together’, one of three Round Tables, of the Forum.

Minister Sabry will hold bilateral discussions with a number of participating Foreign Ministers including Foreign Ministers of Austria, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Netherlands, Romania and Sweden. The Minister is also scheduled to meet business community especially CEOs and senior officials of IT industry in Sweden.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

10 May 2023

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The Akam International Foundation, an initiative adopted to lobby various aspirations of the Tamil people around the world for the preservation of their language, art and culture, has been established on May 09, 2023 in Holborn, London, the UK.

AKAM aims the gradual progress in basic amenities, education and economic development of Eelam Tamils, the adopting of robust methods to address challenges faced by Tamil people in their country of residence, the connecting of Tamil youths globally; mentoring them and training them with the required technical knowledge to develop them into future leaders, and the discussing of the importance of moving forward together with other Tamil organisations with one purpose and one mind.

“All kinds of grassroots humanitarian organisations operating around the world will hopefully unite and work together with us with integrity and passion in supporting the Tamil speaking people in our homeland.. We will unite the Tamil youth through the AKAM Foundation around the world and run as a strong Tamil organisation with older and younger generations present,” the newly established AKAM Foundation said in a statement.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): Today’s (11) exchange rates of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) reveals further strengthening of the Sri Lanka Rupee against the US Dollar.

Accordingly, the buying price of the US Dollar is Rs. 308.67 and the selling price is Rs. 322.70.

Yesterday, these rates were respectively Rs. 310.90 and Rs. 323.80.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): The Finance Ministry is now strictly managing the Treasury cash flow to meet the recurrent expenditure amidst signs of some stability not by improving the economy, but with several tax increases and subsidy cuts that have further curtailed demand.

On account of these new revenue generation measures and 6 per cent expenditure cuts of ministry budgets, the government is to introduce a Financial Management Act (FMA) aimed at managing public finance and expenditure, a senior Treasury official disclosed.

With the expected tax adjustments, the Government is expecting a total income of Rs. 173 billion, but for the essential recurrent expenditure alone it requires Rs. 196 billion, resulting in a deficit of Rs. 23 billion for the month of March .

State salaries cost Rs.87.4 billion; pensions and income supplements (Samurdhi programme) were Rs.29.5 billion while other expenses were Rs. 10.8 billion.

The amount needed to service debts in March is Rs. 508 billion. Debt service was Rs 377.6 billion for January 2023 which has to be covered with borrowings from Treasury bills, bonds and a Central Bank provisional advance of Rs.100 billion, he revealed.

He said that the relevant bill is being finalized with the aim of improving the responsible fiscal management process when dealing with public finances and to take substantial decisions based on efficient resource utilization.

The FMA will strengthen transparent financial systems and effective performance management by giving freedom to officials to manage public finance efficiently and making them accountable for their responsible projects, he pointed out.

The new Act will provide provisions to introduce reforms and modernize the accounting and reporting standards and making public sector accountability as a mandatory requirement.

The new FMA is to be formulated in accordance with international standards in the implementation of national policies, strengthening physical sustainability and credibility, and providing an accurate and reliable perspective of the nation’s public finance, he added.

In a bid to bring in much needed fiscal discipline, the Government will introduce a new Public Financial Management Act (FMA) equipped with binding fiscal rules, which is set to come into effect with the budget 2025.

Although, the existing Financial Management Regulatory Act) has been in place for nearly three decades, Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardana pointed out that successive governments have never complied with the fiscal targets stipulated in the Act, which ultimately resulted in the current economic crisis.

The proposed FMA is set to include measures when the government could deviate from fiscal rules under extreme conditions in order to bring the public finances back to compliance.

“The Act provides for non-compliance with State’s financial rules only with the approval of parliament in extraordinary cases. However, the Act does not include provisions for deviating from those terms.

The Act does not specify the measures to be taken in the event that the set goals cannot be met in accordance with the provisions of the Act,” the Government Information Department said.

The proposed FMA is also a key condition of the International Monetary Fund’s Extended Fund Facility.