State Minister for Social Empowerment, Anupa Pasqual, announced that, under the guidance of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, they are actively crafting a fresh legislation dedicated to improving the rights and well-being of differently abled individuals.

In his statement, the state minister emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that differently abled citizens are no longer considered a dependent population and that they should be treated as equal citizens, not relegated to second-class status.
State Minister Anupa Pasqual made these remarks during a press conference conducted at the Presidential Media Centre yesterday (08), cantered around the theme of ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country.’

Expressing his views further State Minister Pasqual said;

We have been entrusted with a significant mission aimed at empowering our society in the upcoming year. One of the most notable tasks assigned to our ministry is the empowerment of 1 million beneficiaries from underprivileged backgrounds. It is crucial to highlight that the 1.6 million differently abled community members have not received the empowerment they deserve thus far. Under the dedicated guidance of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, we are committed to completing these initiatives in the coming year.

To kick-start the International Day of the Disabled, observed on the 1st of December, we have organized special activities aimed at promoting the development of the differently abled individuals, just like any other segment of our society. Our initiative, named “Empo 2023,” involves differently abled individuals from across the island traveling by train from Colombo to Kandy, with a visit to the Dalada Maligawa and a special ceremony planned at the Peradeniya Botanical Garden. What’s truly remarkable is that the event will bring together differently abled communities from around the world, including China and Japan.

Additionally, at the recommendation of the President, we are actively working on a new bill designed to better the lives of differently abled people. Although discussions on this matter have been on-going since 2004, concrete progress has been elusive. We are now committed to drafting and presenting the bill to Parliament within the first quarter of the next year. Furthermore, we have organized a special conference on International Disability Day, set for December 1st, under the leadership of Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

Furthermore, it is a fundamental aspect of our government’s policy to ensure that the differently abled community is no longer considered a group dependent on others. To achieve this, we are actively working to enable their participation in the development and education sectors. The differently abled community should be treated as equals, with the same rights, technological resources and accessibility as the rest of our population.

As we embark on the journey into January, our ministry’s primary empowerment goal revolves around productivity. We are keen on exploring how our community can contribute to the overall Gross Domestic Product. Our objective is to establish a micro-level production network involving 1 million participants.

In addition, we have included proposals in this year’s budget. These proposals entail making the empowerment process mandatory, implementing a pension system and incorporating disability studies into university syllabi.

Trade, Commerce and Food Security Minister Nalin Fernando said food inflation is expected to decline further in 2024.
He has requested reports on food production to assess how much food prices can be controlled next year.

Minister Fernando made these remarks at a news conference at the Presidential Media Centre today (09), themed “Collective Path to a Stable Country.”

Minister Nalin Fernando further said;

Food prices and safety are top priorities for our government. We have taken several steps to strengthen the economy and collect the required amount of taxes, such as increasing the sugar tax from 25 cents to 50 rupees. To protect consumers, we have also introduced a control price of Rs. 275 for 1 kg of sugar. We are monitoring the sugar stocks of 12 of the 14 sugar importers daily to ensure that there is no shortage. We have also alerted officials to raid traders who sell sugar above the control price.

We are also working to understand food production and security in the country, and how to control prices in the year 2024. We have requested reports from the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Livestock. This information will help us to guarantee the availability of essential goods at affordable prices for consumers next year. It will also help us to understand our import needs.

We believe that by successfully implementing these measures, we can further reduce food inflation in the coming year.

Sri Lanka is importing about 30 million eggs per month to help meet domestic demand and ensure that there is no shortage of eggs during the festive season. The government plans to continue egg imports until December 31, 2023, or until local production have recovered.

The price of chicken meat has also been reduced from Rs. 1700 per kilogram to Rs. 1150 per kilogram after the government negotiated with producers. The government is committed to maintaining this lower price until the end of the year and has informed producers that it is ready to import chicken meat if necessary.

The affiliated trade union alliance held a protest in front of the Fort railway station today (10) afternoon.

They demanded that according to the 2024 budget to be presented to Parliament on the 13th, all employee salaries should be increased by Rs. 20,000.

Union leaders and other members participated in this protest and they protested for about an hour.

The demonstration was not interrupted by the police.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, called for a comprehensive program to revive the country’s spice industry, which was once a major source of income. Speaking at the 19th Annual General Meeting of the Spice Council, he urged them to prepare a proper plan for the revival of the industry and said that the government is ready to provide the necessary support.

The President stressed the importance of bringing the private sector together to implement the program promptly. He also presented awards to Mr. Sarada de Silva and Prof. Jayasiri Lankage for their contribution to the promotion of the cinnamon industry in Sri Lanka.

In addition, President Wickremesinghe presented a commemorative gift to the Minister of Agriculture and Industrial Development, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, and received a souvenir gift from the Spice Council.

Expressing his views further, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said;

Sri Lanka once had the world’s best spices, but our neglect of the industry in the past 30-40 years has led to a decline in our income from spices.
This needs to change. As we implement economic reforms and debt sustainability measures, we must become a more competitive and export-oriented economy. We need to earn more foreign exchange to repay our debt and ensure a positive balance of payments.
One way to achieve this is to focus on an export economy that is competitive and generates foreign exchange through economic activities. Spices can be one of the main sectors of this economy.

In the past, the Sri Lankan economy was heavily dependent on the spice sector. We need to expand our focus to a broader market. The government has already taken some steps in this direction, such as establishing a separate department for cinnamon development.

Other spices that have been cultivated in Sri Lanka since ancient times include pepper and many others. We need to work through a targeted program to improve the production and export of these spices.

Sri Lanka is known for its high-quality coffee and cocoa, in addition to spices. The government is prepared to provide the land and resources needed to develop these sectors, and there is also private land available. Let us all work together to achieve this.

We should also immediately implement an agricultural modernization program that incorporates new technologies. This will help us to improve productivity and efficiency and to compete more effectively in the global market.

The private sector has a vital role to play in this endeavour. I therefore urge the Spice Council to develop a plan for promoting the spice industry and I assure you that the Minister and I are ready to provide the necessary support.

Expressing his views Minister of Agriculture and Industrial Development Mahinda Amaraweera;

“The government is committed to taking important steps to boost the spice sector. The President’s recent decision to establish a separate department for cinnamon is a timely and welcome move to improve the cinnamon value chain.

Under the President’s leadership, the government has taken many steps to support the overall progress of the country’s agriculture sector, including the spice industry.”

The event was attended by Director of the Department of Cinnamon Development Janaka Lindara, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board Dr. Kingsley Barnard, heads of government and private institutions, President of the Spice Council Mr. Viraj De Silva and members of the association.

The World Bank Executive Board has granted approval for a financial package of US$ 150 million to Sri Lanka, aimed at bolstering the resilience of the country’s financial sector. The funding is designated to enhance the financial and institutional capabilities of Sri Lanka’s financial sector safety net, with a primary focus on reinforcing the Sri Lanka Deposit Insurance Scheme.

In a statement, Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, emphasized the importance of a robust safety net in the wake of Sri Lanka’s economic challenges. The funding will specifically contribute to strengthening the Deposit Insurance Scheme, providing protection to the savings of smaller depositors, including women and individuals in rural areas. This initiative aims to instill confidence in Sri Lanka’s financial system, a critical component of the country’s recovery efforts.

The Financial Sector Safety Net Project is designed to enhance the financial and institutional capacity of the Sri Lanka Deposit Insurance Scheme (SLDIS), managed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The financing will augment the reserves of SLDIS, which can be utilized for payouts to insured depositors of banks and licensed finance companies. Additionally, the project will support the institutional strengthening of SLDIS in alignment with international best practices for effective deposit insurance schemes.

Alexander Pankov, Lead Financial Sector Specialist and Task Team Leader for the project, stressed the significance of reinforcing the financial sector safety net during a macro-debt crisis. A robust deposit insurance system, coupled with enhanced supervision and resolution frameworks, is crucial for maintaining financial stability, preserving public confidence in the financial system, and safeguarding people’s savings.

Established in 2010, the SLDIS has conducted multiple payouts for failed licensed finance companies in recent years. Presently, the scheme guarantees deposits for households and enterprises up to LKR 1,100,000, covering over 90 percent of deposit accounts in Sri Lanka. The recent legal upgrade through the approval of the Banking Special Provisions Act underscores the need for institutional and financial strengthening of SLDIS to effectively fulfill its legal mandate in protecting financial sector stability.

The Sri Lankan Rupee has experienced a marginal appreciation against the US Dollar in commercial banks today, as compared to Thursday’s rates. At Peoples Bank, the buying rate for the US Dollar has risen from Rs. 321.15 to Rs. 321.92, while the selling rate has decreased from Rs. 334.41 to Rs. 333.14.

Similarly, Commercial Bank has reported a decrease in both buying and selling rates for the US Dollar, with the rates moving from Rs. 322.63 to Rs. 320.99 for buying and from Rs. 333 to Rs. 332 for selling.

At Sampath Bank, there has also been a slight decline in the buying and selling rates of the US Dollar, moving from Rs. 323 to Rs. 322 for buying and from Rs. 333 to Rs. 332 for selling.

In a recent development, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has appointed Senior Chemist D. D. Bulathsinhala as the Acting Chief Executive Officer. The announcement was made by Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, Chairman of the NMRA, who revealed that the appointment was endorsed by the NMRA board members.

Dr. Wijewickrama clarified that while Bulathsinhala assumes the role of Acting CEO, a permanent appointment for the Chief Executive Officer position is anticipated in the future.

This change comes on the heels of the removal of Dr. Vijith Gunasekera from the position of Chief Executive Officer on Wednesday. Health Secretary Janaka Sri Chandragupta, in a letter dated Tuesday, informed Dr. Gunasekera of his immediate transfer to the Health Ministry. The decision was purportedly made based on a resolution reached by the NMRA Board of Directors.

However, Dr. Wijewickrama revealed that the Health Secretary had initially sought written clarification from the Board of Directors regarding the necessity of Dr. Vijith Gunasekera’s services. In response, the Board communicated that, in order to restore trust in the NMRA, Dr. Gunasekera’s services were deemed no longer essential.

Allegations related to the importation of substandard medicines to the country have implicated the NMRA’s top officials, leading to a series of changes in leadership. Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama recently replaced the former NMRA Chairman. Additionally, the Health Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, was previously removed from his post.

Dr. Vijith Gunasekera, who was informed to step down earlier, reportedly resisted the decision. Furthermore, trade unions alleged his involvement in the destruction of sensitive documents at the NMRA. The reshuffling within the NMRA’s leadership is indicative of ongoing efforts to address concerns and enhance transparency within the regulatory authority.