This year, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Ankara decided to make the customary Ramadan donation for some of the survivors of the Earthquake who arrived in Ankara.

The devastating earthquakes on 6 February followed by over 6,000 after shocks and flooding that occurred in the south eastern part of Turkiye, resulted in destroying over 50,000 lives and infrastructure spread in 10 provinces with over 110,000 sqm area. According to offıcial estimate over 300,000 have migrated to Ankara, with most living in with relatives, friends and in dormitories.

The Embassy decided to provide the donation boxes to people living in Alacaatlı Neighborhood of Cankaya District of the Ankara Province. The support for this group is extended by the local Neighborhood Muhtar who is the elected village head. Muhtars and their village councils are elected during local elections for five (05) years. Political parties are not permitted to nominate candidates for these posts.

The head of Muhtar, Hülya Erdoğan of Alacaatlı Neighborhood and her all-female volunteer team invited a group of survivors to gather at their office to receive the donation. The volunteer team along with Embassy staff and members of the Sri Lankan community distributed the donation boxes. Ambassador also interacted with the group, who shared their horrific experiences, and how they are trying their best to be resilient.

Ambassador also had discussions with Hülya Erdoğan and her team on their mandate which includes extending physical and mental support with counselling for survivors and funding. Ambassador assured her support in their efforts.

Ambassador thanked the Embassy staff and some of the members of the Sri Lankan community who contributed in making the Ramadan donation packs and added that as the disaster occurred on the day that the formal reception of Sri Lanka’s 75^th Anniversary of Independence was to take place, it was decided to add a special gift, in commemoration of the same.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Ankara

10 April 2023 

The Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Melbourne conducted a mobile consular service for the Sri Lankan community on 02 April 2023, during a Sri Lankan New Year Festival held in Dandenong, Victoria.

During the festival, which was organized by the Sri Lanka German Technical Training Institute OBA (SLGTTIOBA), the consulate set up a booth to provide several consular services to the large numbers of visitors to the event.

During the full-day service, the Consulate staff helped members of the public who wanted to submit applications for new passports, dual citizenships, birth registrations and driving license verifications.  The Consulate processed over 20 applications for the above, assisting applicants by reviewing the applications and supporting documents and advising on any gaps or corrections. To ensure a full service, the Consulate also provided on-site payment facilities and an online appointment facility, for those who wished to follow up with appointments to the Consulate. In addition, the staff also certified “life certificates” for pensioners and other documents.

Apart from these services, the staff fielded inquiries from over 600 visitors to the stall, on all consular matters, guiding people on applications, checklists of documents, fees, and next steps in the process.

Visitors to the booth commended the Consulate for this initiative, saying that it was very convenient for those who found it difficult to come to the Melbourne CBD, and many requested that the Consulate carry out similar services in the future. 

Consul General Sandith Samarasinghe, also participated as a special guest in the official ceremonies of the New Year celebrations. During the opening ceremony in the morning,  he participated in the flag raising ceremony, and conveyed the best wishes of President Ranil Wickremesinghe for the success of the event.

At the official ceremony in the afternoon,  the Consul General congratulated the SLGTTIOBA for the successful New Year celebrations, which the association has been holding for over twenty years, and which was now recognized as the largest Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations in the world, outside of Sri Lanka. He appreciated the tireless efforts of the organizers in helping to keep alive Sri Lankan traditions and culture amongst the Sri Lankan community in Australia, and thanked the organizers for inviting the Consulate to be part of the event.  He assured that the Consulate was committed to continuing to build strong connections with the Sri Lankan community, within the overall environment of the rich Australian multiculturalism. 

During the event, Consul General Samarasinghe met with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, and other key Australian leaders, including federal MPs, State MPs, Mayors and Councillors.  During his meeting with the Victorian Premier, the Consul General  reiterated the strong ties between Sri Lanka and Australia, and the Consulate’s commitment to continue to strengthen these bilateral ties. The  Consul General also met with key leaders in the Sri Lanka community, and interacted with members of the Sri Lankan business community, associations and the general public, expressing the Consulate’s commitment to continuously engage with the community.

Consulate General of Sri Lanka

Melbourne

06 April 2023

1. President Ranil Wickremesinghe directs officials to develop a formal plan aimed at maximizing the contribution of the Nuwara Eliya District to the Sri Lankan Govt’s program to establish a stable economy within a 4-year timeframe.
   
2. State Minister of PCs and LG Janaka Wakkumbura says the 2023 LG election will likely not be held on April 25: also says PM Dinesh Gunawardena will “do justice” to the requests of the Election Commission in consultation with the Ministry of Finance.
   
3. Traders say the number of shoppers is nowhere close to what it was in previous years at the Pamunuwa market in Maharagama where the large masses search for bargains during the New Year season.
   
4. Minister of Industries and Plantation Industries Dr. Ramesh Pathirana says it is essential to follow a protectionist policy on behalf of the industries in order to uplift the industrial sector.
   
5. Food and Agriculture Organisation donates over 3,820 tons of Urea Fertiliser to the Ministry of Agriculture to be dispatched to over 72,200 small-holder paddy farmers.
   
6. Examinations Dept postpones the GCE Ordinary Level Exam 2022 by 2 weeks: the exam was previously scheduled to commence on May 15, and the new date will be May 29.
   
7. Police say at least 564 persons have been killed in 534 fatal road accidents reported across the country from Jan 1 to April 9 this year: also say around 2,500 to 3,000 fatal accidents are being reported each year and more than 90% of those were due to reckless driving.
   
8. SJB MP Nalin Bandara says the SJB will form a grand alliance targeting upcoming elections with party leader Sajith Premadasa as a common presidential candidate: also says the UNP is welcome to join the proposed alliance.
   
9. Royal Turf Club prepares to conduct the 2023 Governor’s Cup horse-racing event at the Race-course in Nuwara Eliya on Saturday, 15th April: all eyes said to be on the new sensations “Mauritania” and “Legendary Princess”.
   
10. Uncapped player Dushan Hemantha and wicket keeper Sadeera Samarawickrama included in the Sri Lankan Test squad for the 1st Cricket Test against Ireland due to commence on April 16 at the Galle Int’l Cricket Stadium.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry convened a briefing on current developments in Sri Lanka for the Colombo-based diplomatic corps on Monday, 10 April 2023. Minister of State of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya, Chief of Staff to the President Sagala Ratnayaka and Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane were associated with the briefing.

Opening the meeting, the Minister thanked the international community for the support extended to Sri Lanka towards economic recovery and briefed on progress made in this regard. He also requested countries to review their travel advisories to reflect the stability in the country which would further encourage tourist influx.

The Minister also highlighted initiatives taken by the government for reconciliation including the convening of the All-Party Conference by the President in December 2022 and January 2023 and the appointment of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Reconciliation chaired by the President. He also briefed on the government’s position on the 13^th Amendment and the proposed counter-terrorism legislation. He provided an update on ongoing efforts to set up a Truth and Reconciliation mechanism, and thanked the Government of South Africa for facilitating a working visit in March to study the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

President’s Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka briefed on developments related to the government’s structural reform process in the context of IMF, World Bank and ADB programmes, and highlighted the measures taken, inter alia, towards debt sustainability, fiscal oversight, social protection for the vulnerable segments, good governance and addressing corruption.

Foreign Secretary Wijewardane outlined Sri Lanka’s continued engagement with the UN mechanisms including Sri Lanka’s recent participation in the 4th Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the 6th Periodic Review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC). She added that Sri Lanka also submitted its 9th Periodic Report to the Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in April 2022 and has started the consultation process among relevant stakeholders.

The Foreign Secretary also highlighted the government’s initiatives to proactively engage with Sri Lankans overseas including through the recently established Office for Overseas Sri Lankans Affairs.

Following the briefing members of the diplomatic corps engaged in a discussion on several pertinent issues, including investment promotion, reconciliation, good governance, and anti-corruption. They also thanked Minister Sabry for providing regular briefings to the diplomatic corps on relevant developments in Sri Lanka.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs                                 

Colombo

10 April 2023

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) announced that special teams have been deployed to conduct raids during the upcoming festive season, in a move to institute legal action against offenses such as the sale of food items for exorbitant prices, the sale of items that are not suitable for consumption and the concealing of stocks.

In a statement, the CAA revealed that over 1,500 trades have been raided for multiple offenses including the above, adding that these special operations will be increased during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festive season.

The CAA will also be moving its radar towards the selling of eggs, and poultry farmers as well.

These operations may be carried out in both day and night, CAA added.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The 2022 G.C.E. Ordinary Levels Examination will be held from May 29 to June 08, 2023, announced the Department of Education in a statement today (10).

The announcement comes in after confirming that the holding of the examination as previously planned on May 10 will be dragged in due to paper marking teachers’ involvement in a strike action over the government’s new tax policy.

The Dept has also issued several telephone numbers and an email for any inquiries regarding the examination.

Tel: 011 2 785 922 / 011 2 784 208 / 011 2 784 537
Email: [email protected]