Colombo (LNW): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued another extraordinary gazette declaring four more public services essential, exercising his powers under Section 02 of the Essential Public Services Act No. 61 of 1979.
Accordingly, services related to the supply of electricity, supply or distribution of petroleum products and fuel, postal service, and all types of work or labour required for the maintenance, care, feeding, and treatment of patients in hospitals, nursing homes, dispensaries, and similar institutions have been declared essential, with effect from April 17, 2023.
Colombo (LNW): Carmi Sriya Karunanayake, mother of former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, has passed away today (17) aged 82.
Her demise was confirmed while she was receiving treatments at a private hospital.
Beloved wife of Tissa Karunanayake (deceased), adored mother and mother-in-law of Ravi, Saliya, Mela and Mudie, loving grandmother of Onella, Shenella, Minella and Thiyaan, and loving sister of T D S A Dissanayake, Rani and Indrani, Mrs. Karunanayke served as the Parliamentary Affairs Coordinator during the government of ex President J.R. Jayawardena.
Her body will lie at AF Raymond Funeral Parlor, 115, D.S. Senanayake Mawatha, Colombo 8 from 01.00 PM to 10.00 PM on 18 April 2023 and from 10.00 am on 19 April 2023. Cortège will leave A F Raymond Funeral Parlor at 04.00 PM on Wednesday 19 April 2023, and the cremation will be held at 04.30 PM at Kanatte new gas crematorium on 19 April 2023.
Colombo (LNW): Asiri healthcare group announced it has entered into an agreement with the Colombo Port City Economic Commission to lease land to build a state-of-the-art hospital with a capacity of 500 plus beds with an estimated investment of US$100 million within the premises.
The proposed state-of-the-art hospital will be built within the walls of the China-backed special economic zone in Sri Lanka in line with the Colombo Port City Economic Commission’s Master Plan, and a newly set up unit of Sri Lanka’s Softlogic group “Asiri Port City Hospital (Pvt) Ltd.”, accordingly, prepares to lease land for 99 years for the project.
“Asiri Port City Hospital (Pvt) Ltd is a fully owned subsidiary of Asiri Hospital Holdings PLC led by the Founder and Chairman/Managing Director of Softlogic Group Mr Ashok Pathirage. Asiri Hospital Holdings PLC is the largest private healthcare provider in Sri Lanka, renowned for offering technologically driven and cutting-edge health care services. Asiri Hospital Holdings PLC commenced operations in 1986 and currently operates eleven other medical facilities around the island and collectively has over an 800-bed capacity,” a statement by the firm said.
This hospital will be one of the four main strategic and large-scale social infrastructure development projects with the Port City, and will comprise of a medical team made up of a pool of local and international specialists supported by an internationally trained nursing staff.
Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane will participate in the inaugural UK-Sri Lanka Strategic Dialogue at Foreign Secretary level on 18 April 2023 at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London. UK Minister of State in the FCDO Anne Marie Trevelyan will open the dialogue, which will be conducted with the participation of Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Undersecretary of the FCDO.
The inaugural Strategic Dialogue is convened at the invitation of the FCDO at the important juncture of the 75thanniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom this year.
The Strategic Dialogue will provide a forum for both sides to discuss the multifaceted relations between the two countries.
On the sidelines of the dialogue, Foreign Secretary Wijewardane will have a bilateral meeting with Assistant Secretary General of the Commonwealth Prof. Luis G. Franceschi and interact with members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG).
Colombo (LNW): The university teachers have returned to academic activities starting from today (17), but will not be attending the process of paper marking for the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination, announced the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA).
The university teachers led by the FUTA refrained themselves from engaging in academic activities across all universities in the island on March 09, 2023 against the government’s new tax regime.
Following the strike action, the authorities urged the university teachers to respond positively to the process of evaluating the G.C.E. Exam papers for the sake of the children.
Colombo (LNW): The Navy intercepted an Indian dhow carrying over 62kg of Kerala cannabis and apprehended 03 suspects, during a special operation conducted in the Sri Lankan waters west of the Delft Island, Jaffna in the dark hours of 15th April 2023.
The Sri Lanka Navy conducts regular patrols and search operations in the coastal and sea areas around the island, with a view to preventing the influx of drugs into the island.
As an extension of these efforts, the Fast Attack Craft P 411 of the 04th Fast Attack Flotilla, attached to the Northern Naval Command conducted this search operation in island waters off the Delft Island in the dark hours of 15th April and spotted a suspicious Indian dhow in the sea area. Upon search of the suspicious dhow, the Navy recovered 02 sacks of Kerala cannabis which were in 23 packages weighing about 62kg and 400g. The operation also led to the apprehension of 03 suspects in connection to the incident.
The gross street value of the seized stock of Kerala cannabis is believed to be over Rs. 20 million.
The 03 suspects along with the stock of Kerala cannabis and the Indian dhow were handed over to the Delft Police for onward legal action.
Colombo (LNW): The CCTV camera system installed at the Airport Customs is turned off amidst a trade union action being taken place against the current government’s policies, sources said.
During query, sources told LNW that the existing CCTV system at the Airport Customs is not functioning due to the protests.
The Immigration Dept too has CCTVs installed but are placed in a way that they do not cover the immigration desks closely only from afar, sources added.
Some trade union members responded to the claim saying that this is a false statement planted to weaken the trade union actions, but the industrial sources confirmed that the CCTV camera systems’ inactive status can be proven with evidence, and the simplest solution ought to be proving that functioning cameras are placed everywhere covering the premises 100 per cent, should any resistance to this claim grow further.
We wish to unravel a detailed report with evidence to back the claim, so stay tuned for more information..
Colombo (LNW): Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty program of Emirates and flydubai, has partnered with Dilmah Tea to offer members an exciting opportunity to experience the lush tea plantations in Sri Lanka.
Starting from Friday, members can bid Miles with Skywards Exclusives for a chance to win a stay at the Tea Maker’s Private Retreat. The once in a lifetime opportunity includes a tea-making masterclass, a unique culinary experience inspired by tea, food pairing experiences with tea and a visit to explore the tea fields.
Ring in International Tea Day in the heart of a tea plantation Starting from 200,000 Miles, Emirates Skywards members can bid and win an all-expenses paid trip to Sri Lanka, including:
The package also includes transportation to and from the airport, meals at the all-day dining restaurant at Hilton Colombo, and all meals and beverages at the Ceylon Tea Trails.
Travel dates will be from 18 May until 24 May 2023. What better way to celebrate International Tea Day on 21 May than by being at the heart of a tea plantation!
Emirates and Dilmah Tea have enjoyed a successful partnership for more than three decades, brewing the finest teas on-board and in Emirates’ airport lounges worldwide. The airline continues to take the Dilmah brand name to 140 destinations across six continents through its extensive network.
Each year, the airline brews 33 million cups of Dilmah tea for its customers from a specially curated tea menu available in all classes. More than 10 different varieties of tea are available on-board, including popular choices like Dilmah Ceylon Black Tea, Moroccan Mint, and Breakfast Tea.
Premium passengers can also savor the aromatic flavors of Emirates Signature tea blend made exclusively for the airline by Dilmah and served only in First Class. Inspired by flavors of the UAE – the exquisite tea has rich aromatic notes of rose, almond and ginger.
Emirates Skywards continues to offer more than 30 million members worldwide unmatched rewards in the air and on-ground.
Skywards Exclusives is a distinctive airline loyalty program initiative that provides access to exclusive experiences from Emirates’ expansive sponsorship portfolio.
Members can bid and redeem Miles for some of the world’s most prestigious sporting and cultural events, including exciting events featuring Real Madrid, AC Milan, Dubai World Cup, SL Benfica, Emirates FA Cup, and other sports such as golf, tennis, and cricket.
Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lanka Shippers’ Council has strongly protested against the “unacceptable and hasty decisions” taken by the authorities which has affected the import and export sectors of Sri Lanka.
Issuing a statement, the Council said that the import and export sectors of Sri Lanka, which comprise the critical and crucial economic segments of Sri Lanka and which contribute to the country’s overall commercial activities, have been seriously affected by the recent action of the Minister of Ports and Shipping.
The Council is perturbed by introducing and implementing the gazette No.2321/62 new gazette annulling the Gazette No. 2041/10 dated 17th October, 2017, which was originally introduced on 27th October, 2013, to the benefit of Importers and exporters, since its introduction.
The benefits to importers and exporters which have accrued since the implementation of the Gazette No. 2041/10 dated 17th October, 2017, have prevented several anti-competitive practices which have been carried out by service providers for several years before its implementation, the statement said.
The annulling of the Gazette No. 2041/10 has created a ripple effect, which will result in Sri Lanka’s imports and exports becoming costlier and uncompetitive, due to the unethical surcharges which will be levied, and which will lead to the loss of the country’s market share in the global market.
After 2017, the relevant legislation in Sri Lanka recognized the concept of an all-inclusive freight cost for imports and exports, which was payable by the contracting party.
A Delivery Order payment was the only fee that was payable outside of the all-inclusive freight cost. What this meant was that when importing goods on a Cost Insurance Freight (CIF) basis, the importer was only required to pay the local delivery order fee.
“It is the responsibility of the shipping line to subsequently pay the Sri Lanka Ports Authority for the unloading and loading of vessels, which is the stevedoring charges. In an all-inclusive freight payment, these charges are in turn, paid in US dollars by the shipping line to the SLPA,” the statement said.
The statement said that a recent article which was published on 10th April, 2023 in the print media, incorrectly alludes to a leakage of foreign currency which prevailed prior to the implementation of the new Gazette 2321/62.
“The information contained in the media article regarding dollar leakage is a gross misinterpretation of the facts. Paying the cost of goods in international trade is an accepted norm and has to be the total of all services rendered for the goods to reach the buyer.
The original Gazette No. 2041/10 strongly supported this by establishing the need for the contracting party to pay all charges so that there is no breaking of costs at different points.
On the contrary, rescinding the Gazette No. 2041/10 has now authorized any operator/provider of a service, to levy any amount, at any point, irrespective of the terms of the contract,” the statement added.
The Sri Lanka Shippers’ Council said that it is their hope the “unacceptable and hasty decisions” which have been taken will be re-visited, to address the interests of the country first and not to cater to the selfish and own advantage of a section of the logistics community.
Colombo (LNW): Moreover, Imoto Sachiko, JICA’s Senior VP for South Asia has reiterated JICA’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s economic recovery when she met the Sri Lankan envoy on the sidelines of the 2023 Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe has held talks with the President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Jin Liqun and discussed how AIIB and Sri Lanka could work together closely in financing sustainable infrastructure development.
During the discussion, he has assured that AIIB will support Sri Lanka to overcome the current economic crisis, according to the State Minister
During the meeting, Ms. Imoto Sachiko has claimed that the JICA eagerly awaits to resume the Japan-funded development projects in Sri Lanka.
State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says he engaged with global leaders to discuss Sri Lanka’s priorities and explored opportunities for collaboration to further the progress that Sri Lanka has made towards economic recovery and sustainability.
He stated this in a Twitter message, marking the end of the 2023 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC.
“End of a very significant week for #SriLanka at @IMFNews @WorldBank #2023SpringMeetings. Engaged with global leaders to discuss Sri Lanka’s priorities and explored opportunities for collaboration to further the progress we have made towards economic recovery & sustainability,” he tweeted.
Semasinghe, accompanied by Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe and Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana has also met with Kentaro Ogata, Deputy Vice Minister for International Affairs of Japan, where Mr. Ogata has recalled the long history of friendship between Sri Lanka and Japan.
State Minister Semasinghe, taking to Twitter, said that the Japan envoy reaffirmed Japan’s priority to assist Sri Lanka in the debt negotiation process.
The Sri Lankan delegation who had a cordial meeting with Tatiana Rosito, Deputy Minister of Finance of Brazil, to discuss Sri Lanka’s progress in implementing economic reforms and debt negotiations has obtained the reaffirmation of Brazil’s utmost support for Sri Lanka’s rapid recovery.
“Had a cordial meeting with Tatiana Rosito, Deputy Minister of Finance of Brazil, to discuss Sri Lanka’s progress in implementing economic reforms and debt negotiations. The Deputy Minister expressed Brazil’s utmost support for Sri Lanka’s rapid recovery”, Semasinghe mentioned in a Tweet.
Furthermore, the State Minister also stated that he met with Mr. William Roos, Co-Chair of the Paris Club Secretariat.
During the meeting, the delegations have held talks on the progress made thus far on the debt restructuring process, and the important role played by the Paris Club in the relevant process, State Minister Semasinghe highlighted.
