In his address to Parliament yesterday, MP Harsha de Silva shed light on the alarming state of poverty in Sri Lanka. Drawing upon the latest findings by LirneAsia, the MP revealed that a staggering 7 million Sri Lankans currently live in poverty, with approximately 4 million individuals, accounting for around 17% of the population, having fallen into poverty since 2019 thanks to misguided policies of Gotabaya Rajapaksha Government.

During his speech, MP Harsha highlighted the profound impact of this dire situation on the daily lives of families. He recounted the poignant words of a distressed mother who shared her struggle, saying, “I used to buy all the food she [referring to her 4-year-old baby] needed, but now I can’t even buy half of what I used to. Even a bun… She used to eat baby rusks, which used to cost Rs. 30.00, but now it’s around Rs. 140.” It is deeply concerning that 47% of households have been compelled to reduce their food consumption in order to make ends meet.

The consequences of poverty extend far beyond hunger. MP Harsha de Silva emphasized that in 27% of households, parents have been forced to sacrifice their own meals to ensure that their children are fed. Equally troubling is the fact that 6% of households with children aged 5-18 have been unable to send their kids to school. Quoting a survey participant, the MP revealed, “About half the boys in the nearby estate have dropped out of school. They take on odd jobs in the area and can earn about Rs. 200 if someone calls them.”

These distressing statistics underscore the urgent need to address poverty in Sri Lanka. MP Harsha de Silva called for a united effort among Members of Parliament to raise awareness and support initiatives aimed at alleviating this crisis. He emphasized that no child should go hungry or be deprived of an education. It is imperative that policymakers work diligently to make a meaningful difference in the lives of fellow citizens.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): In the backdrop where medical officers leaving the country seeking greener pastures is nothing new, doctors leaving Sri Lanka should be viewed as a positive move, for they should be sending mandatory foreign currency back to the country, the Government Medical Officers’ Forum (GMOF) said.

Media reports on hospitals and units being shut down as a result of medical officers and specialists leaving the country are part of a staged political drama, carefully orchestrated by a group of consultants who wish to continue working beyond the recently declared retirement age, the GMOF disclosed in a statement.

Sri Lanka being miserably failed to produce human resources for the Health Sector adequately to export the excess, the government should increase the output by nine medical faculties established across the country, the Union emphasised.

Full Statement:

Doctors leaving out of the country seeking greener pastures is nothing new. It is said around 500 doctors have left the country during the last one year alone.

Is it new information?

As far as we know, since the 80s every year considerable numbers of doctors have been leaving out of the country. So what is new?

Only the organised media cry attributed the reason as economic crisis plus political instability in the country. It is absolutely fake.

We are wondering why the story of deteriorated human right status is still not proclaimed as one of the main reasons.

We as GMOF see the doctors leaving the country out as a positive move. We need those doctors sending mandatory foreign currency back to the country. They do pay bond money to the country.

So then what’s wrong?

We have miserably failed to produce human resources for health adequately to export the excess. But still we are not too late. We need to increase the output by 9 medical faculties in the country. It’s a huge investment.  

However, stories circulating in the media that hospitals are being shut down due to lack of doctors and units getting closed as a result of specialists leaving the country is a staged drama. It’s not only a political drama but also a well orchestrated set up by 249 consultants who want to continue working beyond retirement age. The government policy is 60 years as the age for compulsory retirement.

But those who want to overstay need justification. Hence it is created. Even the Cabinet is in a dilemma. Should we extend it beyond 60 years? If we do it well we get to do it to all as a policy.

Why not nurses? Paramedics?

Do you think specialists are scarce only in health care?

What about Engineering? SLAS officers. Yes of course establishment code already provides provision to retain those ultry specialists beyond 60 years by offering  annual  contracts.

Then why change the whole country’s Policy?

One thing that the Health Ministry has failed to identify is the hidden agenda of this request. Those who have aged are now occupying the best hospitals in the country. NHSL, LRH, Castle, Kalubowila, Karapitiya, Kandy, Jaffna, Anuradhapura, etc. These stations are associated  with lucrative private practices. Hence the story behind the cry.

What has happened as a result is that young specialists have to serve peripheries in the remote areas in the so-called difficult low facility areas for a prolonged period. As a result the children of those young specialists have no good schools. Hence who leave the country are young doctors, not the old.

Over to you the government, that it is your weakness in the policy adherence that created the unnecessary exodus if it happens in future.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): The de facto Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has won control power of the Health Ministry over certain policy level decisions, and even some Health Ministry officials are awaiting the ex Minister’s comeback to make the Health Sector a better place, sources said.

Apart from a few, a number of trade unions too have been anticipating his comeback, crying for a solution to end the corruption which has risen by an unprecedented magnitude.

Under those circumstances, for the past six months the vast majority of health officials were in touch with Dr. Senaratne, complaining the status quo as ‘disastrous and pathetic’.

A source on the condition of anonymity told LNW that the situation at the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) is disgraceful and the incumbent Minister is only interested in purchasing drugs at any cost.

Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has failed to pull his ministerial legal officers up together to instruct the Attorney General’s Department to defend the government policy of making compulsory retirement age to 60 from 65 last year, a top official disclosed.

The decision was uniformly applicable to all government officers, but some doctors consulted the Court challenging the decision taken by Parliament at the 22nd Budget, he added.

This simple policy decision has failed to be defended by Rambukwella, whilst trade unionists representing the United National Party (UNP) namely Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) opposes the incumbent Minister and accuses him of backing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) affiliated minor staff trade unions.

As a result the JSS too has agreed to pledge their support for the comeback of Rajitha Senaratne, who served as the Health Minister from 2015 to 2019.

Colombo (LNW): The third phase of the first school term of 2023 will commence tomorrow (12), announced the Education Ministry.

Accordingly, all government and government-approved private schools will start their third phase of the first school term of the 2023 academic year tomorrow.

The second phase of first school term in 2023 ended on May 26, 2023.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) warned that the Sri Lankan Rupee despite its rapid growth in the present will be subject to depreciation soon after the debt repayment resumes and import restrictions are relaxed.

Speaking to reporters in Hanwella yesterday (10), SJB National Organiser Tissa Attanayake said the current economic stability is only temporary due to the imposition of import restrictions and the suspension of foreign debt repayments.

Attanayake comments tally with many analysts’ warning that the recent appreciation of the Sri Lankan Rupee being ‘artificial’ is a result of the burrowings amounting to US $ 500 million at an interest of 25 per cent from various external parties.

Over the first half of 2023, the Sri Lankan Rupee has appreciated by about Rs. 70 against the US Dollar, under what analysts describe as ‘hot money’ inflows.

The SJB National Organiser emphasised that he does not believe that the country’s current situation is stable, adding that the Sri Lankan Rupee is very likely to depreciate again, once the debt repayment resumes and import restrictions are relaxed.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): Seventy per cent of farmers have already received their fertiliser subsidy coupons, announced the Agriculture Ministry in a statement today (11).

Subject Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said efforts are underway to ensure that all remaining coupons are distributed to farmers by the end of next week.

The government has instructed fertiliser companies to promptly distribute fertiliser stocks to Agrarian Development Centres. This instruction comes in as a ship carrying 22,500 metric tonnes of urea arrived in the island yesterday (10), and these stocks are said to be distributed from Monday (12).

1. State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says the Govt expects to allow vehicle imports with the payment of customs duties in forex: this proposal was originally mooted by former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal in September 2021, but was not implemented by the Govt of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

2. All Ceylon Health Trade Union Federation General Secretary Dr. Jayantha Bandara alleges that the Govt only bears 40% of the total health costs with the private sector accounting for 60%: also says there are crippling medicine shortages in state-run hospitals and no equipment or materials for testing.

3. The Tamil National Alliance informs President Wickremesinghe that if the current Govt fails to provide a solution to the ethnic question within a certain period, it will take steps to find a solution under the international law of self-determination: alleges the Govt has deceived the Tamil people again.

4. President’s Advisor Ruwan Wijewardene says former Minister and son of the visionary leader Gamini Dissanayake, Navin Dissanayake will be appointed as the Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province on June 13th.

5. SJB MP Harsha Silva warns the crisis faced by the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector is worsening: calls for urgent measures to ease their plight: analysts point out that it was MP Harsha Silva who fiercely advocated exchange rate float, debt restructuring, increased interest rates and higher taxes, that has led to current plight of the MSMEs.

6. Court of Appeal Judge Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna appointed Acting President of the Court of Appeal by President Ranil Wickremasinghe.

7. Police Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa says the Katunayake situated “Miracle Dome” built by Pastor Jerome Fernando is not closed for the public, but under police security due to the risk of clashes that might break out between people.

8. Poultry producers say a kg of chicken meat can be brought down to Rs.1,200 within 3 months: presently a kg of chicken is being sold at around Rs.1,300.

9. Vavuniya High Court Judge M. Illancheliyan hands down the death sentence to former Vavuniya PLOTE leader Sivanadan Premanath, alias Nedumaran, after finding him guilty of murder of Vavuniya General Hospital Gynaecologist Dr. Mohammad Sulthan Meera Mohideen in 2000.

10. Athletics and Sports Ministry officials warmly welcome the Athletes who took part at the Asian Junior Athletic championship in South Korea, at the Katunayake Airport, for winning 2 gold, 1 silver & 2 bronze medals at this meet while they finished 7th among 45 countries.

The Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka together with Aitken Spence Travels promoted Sri Lanka as a unique tourist destination to 20 leading tours operators in Austria at the Embassy on 6 June 2023.

Delivering the welcome remarks, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka Majintha Jayesinghe highlighted the distinctive splendors of Sri Lanka. While speaking of the many attractions, the Ambassador ensured assistance to Austrian travel agencies.

During his presentation, Assistant General Manager of Aitken Spence Travels, Sampath Perera highlighted the unexplored touristic attributes and attractions that Sri Lanka poses to potential Austrian tourists and travellers while presenting detailed information in categories such as culture, wildlife, adventure, beaches, festivals, ayurveda, and UNESCO designated heritage sites. A number of fascinating promotional videos on Sri Lanka were also screened.

 At the event, Managing Director of Aitken Spence Travels Nalin Jayasundera elaborated the contribution of Aitken Spence Travels in destination promotion and invited attendees to facilitate and encourage potential tourists to visit Sri Lanka during the upcoming holiday season.

A raffle was drawn at the event where the grand prize was offered by the prestigious Aitken Spence hotel chain. Sri Lankan traditional refreshments together with world famous Ceylon tea were served to the travel agents.

Austria is placed among the potential markets for tourism in Sri Lanka and during the first four months of 2023 Sri Lanka received 3411 tourists from Austria. Being a leading conglomerate in the hospitality sector in Sri Lanka, Aitken Spence maintains a solid clientele in the European market.

Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka

Vienna

9 June 2023

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): President Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to embark on an official tour in India next month.

His departure may take place somewhere between July 20 – 30, according to sources.

This will be Wickremesinghe’s first official tour to India in his capacity as Sri Lanka’s Head of State.

During his tour, the Sri Lankan President is set to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top officials of the Indian government.