By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): The Government is now implementing ‘Aswesuma’ compensation) program aims to strengthen the social safety nets (SSN) to help cushion the impact of the economic crisis on the poor and vulnerable amidst the widespread public protest against the selection criteria.

The IMF staff team now in Sri Lanka will asses the progress of this IMF approved reform program which is accompanied by stronger social safety nets  

The far reaching social welfare program initiated by the president heeding the condition of the International Monetary Fund for the eligibility of Extended Fund Facility of US$3 billion was stipulated to come into effect from May2023.

The Sri Lanka’s new SSN program has been launched in July 01 2023 missing the IMF ded line of May suffered from poor adequacy, coverage, and targeting.

The program has set a floor on SSN spending of Rs 187 billion in 2023 (0.6 percent of GDP, indicative target), finance ministry claimed

Minister of State for Finance, Shehan Semasinghe, said that among the 2 million Aswesuma beneficiary families, phased payments have commenced for 1.5 million families.

 In the first phase, a total of Rs. 4.395 billion have been successfully transferred to the bank accounts of 689,803 beneficiaries.

Approximately 100,000 families are engaged in protests demanding payments as their names were not included in the eligible recipients list. In light of these considerations, a collective total of 2 million beneficiary families are selected for relief.

Highlighting that around Rs. 15 billion is earmarked for assisting the 1.5 million shortlisted beneficiary families, the State Minister emphasized the prompt release of necessary funds for their support.

State Minister Semasinghe further said;“The government has initiated the disbursement of funds for the initial group entitled to benefits.

Minister Semasinghe underlined that if Aswesuma benefits were acquired through fraudulent means, legal action would be initiated against such persons and in such cases, efforts to reclaim the disbursed funds will not be hesitated upon.

This program was aimed to allow the major four SSN programs (Samurdhi cash transfers and support for elderly, disabled, and chronic kidney disease) to mitigate inflation eroding per household benefits.

In parallel, the authorities will have to implement broader institutional reforms to improve efficiency, coverage, and targeting of the SSN to fulfill the IMF commitment.

The authorities have made the Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) operational as the legal entity responsible for coordinating all SSN programs and reforms.

They have also populated a new Social Registry, an electronic database of SSN beneficiaries, and obtained parliamentary approval of the new eligibility criteria for selecting beneficiaries for SSN program.

The eligibility criteria, developed with support from the World Bank, are based on objective and verifiable characteristics of households. Parliamentary approval of the welfare benefit payment scheme and application of the new eligibility criteria were expected by May.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is undergoing the international monitory fund prescribed economic reform program to rescue the country’s almost dying economy fulfilling  38 commitments made to gain US $2.9 billion extended fund facility under the first IMF policy review.

 Sri Lanka verifiably met 38 of the 57 trackable commitments that were due for completion by end-August in its 17th programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to the latest progress update by Verité Research.

The end-August update on the programme by ‘IMF Tracker’, an online platform by Verité Research, shows that the progress on 11 commitments remains “unknown”, while eight are now classified as “not met”.

IMF staff team now in Sri Lanka is reviewing the progress on the programme which kicked off in March 2023 and approve the second disbursement – which is now expected to be delayed till at least the end of October.

The IMF review is to focus on commitments that were due by the end of June. Even with that large latitude, Sri Lanka is falling short on an important governance-linked commitment.

That is, the establishment of an online fiscal transparency platform. This was due by end-March but is yet to be delivered.

This platform was expected to publish semi-annually three types of information: (1) all significant public procurement contracts, (2) a list of all firms receiving tax exemptions through the Board of Investment, and (3) a list of individuals and firms receiving tax exemptions on luxury vehicle imports.

Such a platform can shed light on government actions and curtail the abuse of power to confer private advantage, at the cost of public revenue.

This is also the first Sri Lanka programme in which the IMF has identified governance and corruption issues as being critical for macro-economic recovery and stability in Sri Lanka. The fiscal transparency platform gains added importance in that light.

The IMF has a track record of overlooking failures to meet commitments, especially when they occur due to circumstances that might be outside the control of government.

This act of omission, however, is one that is well within the government’s control. Overlooking it can make the IMF appear to not be giving due weight to its own evaluation about the importance of governance related commitments – and encourage further slippage in future actions related to improving governance in Sri Lanka.

However “IMF welcomes the authorities’ ongoing efforts in meeting key commitments under the Fund-supported program.

Performance under the program will be formally assessed in the context of the first review of the Extended Fund Facility arrangement, which is nowtaking place sources said.

It is yet to be submitted  the Public Financial Management (PFM) Law to Parliament for approval and the full revision of the Banking Act approval during Q3 and Q4 -2023.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): The British Foreign Office announced that a large number of foreign embassies in London, including the Sri Lankan High Commission, owe the country millions of pounds in unpaid congestion charges.

Parliamentary Under-secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) David Rutley in a written reply to UK Parliament said that the overall amount of the debt now totals more than £145 million.

Accordingly, the Sri Lankan High Commission in London owes an amount of £652,120 as a total outstanding.

However, according to Under-secretary Rutley, there are no legal grounds to exempt diplomatic missions and international organisations from the London Congestion Charge, which is comparable to a parking fee or toll charge they are required to pay.

“Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomats have an obligation to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State.

The British Government therefore expects all diplomatic missions to respect UK laws and regulations, which includes payment of the Congestion Charge,” he stated.

Among the other countries are the US, Japan, Poland, France and Germany. The London congestion charge is a fee charged on most cars and motor vehicles being driven within the Congestion Charge Zone in Central London between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and between 12 noon and 6 p.m. on weekends.

Sri Lanka’s expenses on foreign missions has seen a natural increase over the years, with over 50% of those expenses being towards personal emoluments of staff serving in foreign missions.

 These personal emoluments include salaries and wages, overtime and holiday payments, and other allowances for mission staff.

The value of unpaid Congestion Charge debt incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations in London since its introduction in February 2003 until 31 December 2022 as advised by Transport for London (TfL) was £145.41 million.

1. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa calls on private lenders & super-rich to bear their share of the burden in domestic debt optimization: criticizes the Govt’s approach as disastrous: accuses the Govt for sparing these affluent groups from the debt restructuring burden, leaving it solely on the working class.
   
2. Airport and Aviation Services says restrictions on imported items and the high cost have decreased cargo movement at airports by 15% in the first 8 months of 2023.
   
3. Acute shortage felt in the case of Consultant Anaesthetists for surgical operations and other procedures in state sector hospitals.
   
4. International Trade Office Chief Negotiator K J Weerasinghe admits SL is yet to set dates for its next round of trade talks with China and India: China and India accounted for about USD 9bn each in bilateral trade in 2022.
   
5. Fishermen in Rameswaram, India go on a strike & demand the release of 8 Rameswaram fishers arrested by SL authorities: around 800 fishing vessels remain moored at the jetty: previously, the SL Navy had detained 17 fishermen from Rameswaram & Pudukkottai for poaching in the SL waters.
   
6. Researchers raise concerns about the practicality of the Cabinet approved Beira Lake nano-technology neutralisation project: as per the Cabinet decision, the move is meant to improve the quality of water in the Beira Lake using micro nano-bubble & carbon fibre biofilm technology, and environment-friendly enzymes.
   
7. Colombo’s Lotus Tower celebrates 1 year with a total of 120,174 local & 200,223 foreign visitors: Head of Management Prasad Samarasinghe says the revenue earned through the visitors was more than Rs.550mn and that Rs.100mn has been paid to the TRC as the initial lease payment.
   
8. SLPP rebel MP Dr Nalaka Godahewa exposes the harsh realities of economic challenges in 2023: says it’s abundantly clear that the aspiration of building a thriving export-oriented economy under the current Govt is nothing but a pipe dream.
   
9. Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (Sathosa) to send home all it’s employees totalling about 300 on compulsory retirement from 30Sept’23 as part of its restructuring programme: action based on a Cabinet decision.
   
10. Asia Cricket Cup Final today between India and Sri Lanka: analysts say Sri Lanka possesses the ability to defeat India, because they very nearly did so last week.

The VOICE referendum which will be held on the 14th of October, is being unnecessarily politicized and wantonly turned into a divisive one. Originally, when the Australian Prime Minister made the proposition in July 2022, it was thought it would receive bipartisan support with overwhelming approval. By the time the referendum date was announced in August 2023, the political environment has become heavily polarised with many simplistic misrepresentations, false claims and imagined allegations being made.

The referendum is all about recognising the Indigenous Australians in the Constitution and empowering them to provide advice on issues affecting them to parliament and policymakers. Scrutinizing and debating that proposition is a good thing and it is essential for a healthy democracy. But this is not what is happening. The debate has been dominated by racially charged assertions based on unrelated matters. The attacks by the NO campaigners against the YES campaigners have increasingly become personal, and misunderstandings abounded. Any debate on such an important matter should be based on facts, not by making exaggerated claims or fearmongering. Otherwise, over 15 years of considered attempts for the journey towards reconciliation could become totally derailed.

The main issues raised against the YES campaign are:

1. The VOICE proposition causes division: It is increasingly apparent that, sadly, the NO campaigners are wilfully causing divisions. After patient and thoughtful discussions held over 15 years with hundreds of elders and leaders of the First Nations peoples, the YES campaigners have simply called for constitutional change and structural reform in order to address socioeconomic disparities – and make Australia stronger and more united. Constitutional law experts have pointed out that the proposed Constitution Alteration is not a racially based provision like the existing ‘races power’ – Section 51 (xxvi) – which the NO campaigners falsely claim to have been removed by the 1967 referendum. In fact, race is mentioned in two sections of the Constitution.

2. The VOICE proponents avoid providing details, and Australians have been asked to vote for something they “Don’t know” about: The referendum is about the principle of ‘Recognition through a Voice to Parliament’. The form and composition of this ‘advisory body’ will be legislated by the Parliament in consultation with the Indigenous communities and the broader public after the referendum. The process will be completely transparent. This is not buying a house without an inspection, or being asked to sign a blank cheque, as the NO campaigners claim. Rather, the Australians are making an informed choice to improve the lives of this country’s First Peoples by listening to their views first.

3. A leftwing conspiracy for power grab: This is completely wrong considering the history and evolution of the YES campaign. Scores of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people have contributed to this process, and many Labour, Liberal, Green, Independent, and Left politicians have been actively involved in lively discussions leading to the campaign. Several Liberal Party Shadow Ministers have resigned over this issue.

4. A constitutionally embedded voice would open the door for legal challenges: These concerns have been rebutted by many constitutional experts, and clear advice has been given by the Solicitor-General.

5. It will allow the VOICE to make representations on matters not directly relevant to Indigenous peoples: The consulting person or body can always verify the relevance on any such matter and disregard the representation. The Voice is all about advice, and will not have the power to veto laws or decisions. The Parliament and Government have the final say.

6. The VOICE would be a Canberra based elitist body that will not represent the genuine interests of the First Nations communities: This dubious assumption is all about gaining populist appeal. The Voice is a product of the ‘Uluru Statement from the Heart’ that has called for a representative body for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples “coming from all points of the southern sky”. It is proposed to use the already recognised 35 Local and Regional Voices as the Voice’s bottom tier. The National Voice will come out of this.

7. The VOICE will not properly address the issues of the Indigenous peoples and therefore it will be ineffective: Statistics show the existing representative bodies have not produced the desired outcomes for the Indigenous communities. Just 4 out of 19 ‘Closing the Gap’ targets are on track. By listening to the Voice of the people on the ground, well-coordinated and targeted services can be delivered more effectively and efficiently. The long-term solution, however, lies in a Treaty arrangement that accepts Black sovereignty.

8. Landowners will have to pay rent to Aboriginal Councils: This has nothing to do with the referendum in question. Even as some ‘progressive’ NO campaigners emphasize, the voice is an advisory body with no teeth to enforce such measures.

9. The possibility of vote rigging! This is the most ridiculous claim of all, like the Trump campaign did during the last US presidential elections. This assertion is totally rejected by the Australian Electoral Commission.

Despite all the false allegations, misrepresentations, and assumptions the NO campaigners are making, they have so far not made any plausible alternate proposal, except the Opposition Leader saying that he will have another referendum if the upcoming referendum fails. He appears to support recognition of the First Nations people, and no more. So, in essence, what the NO campaigners are saying is: No Voice, no consultation, no empowerment, and the lever of control has to remain permanently in the hands of ‘others’, not with the Indigenous peoples.

As we have experienced in Sri Lanka on numerous occasions, the NO campaign seems to be largely dependent on deception, confusion and distraction. As Australians from multicultural backgrounds, we have a duty and responsibility to vote for empowering the First Nations peoples to have a say on decisions that affect their future. It is a fundamental right and very much part and parcel of a participatory democracy.

This is not Labor’s Divisive Voice, as accused by some NO campaigners, but a call for the Australian people’s magnanimous response to improve the First Peoples’ lives. This is a concept advanced by ‘The Uluru Statement from the Heart’ so their “ancient sovereignty can shine through as a fuller expression of Australia’s nationhood”. The whole thing must be approached with love, understanding and tolerance.

When the Prime Minister announced the date for the referendum, he said, “When YES wins, all Australians will win. So, in a spirit of generosity and optimism, vote YES.”

Let us take this referendum as a historical opportunity and help deliver a fairer future for the First Nations people just as for all others.

Yours sincerely,

Signed,

Dr Lionel Bopage
President
Australian Advocacy for Good Governance in Sri Lanka (AAGGSL)                                     

Mr Antony Gratian
Secretary
Australian Advocacy for Good Governance in Sri Lanka (AAGGSL)