By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The ceremony of Anointing Oil (Hisa Thel Gama) for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year has commenced today (16) at 9.41 am.

According to Sinhala and Tamil New Year auspicious time calendar, the ceremony is carried out by wearing red and yellow mixed clothing and by seeing at the direction of the South, placing Imbulpath leaves on the head and banyan leaves on the feet, and bathing after being anointed with imbulpath extract and oil.

1. International Federation of Journalists says the new Anti-Terrorism Act designed to replace the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1979, threatens to exacerbate restrictions on the right to assembly and gravely curtails freedom of expression and press freedom.
   
2. Number of MPs calling for a proble into the sudden “debt default” announcement by CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe on 12th April 2022, even when there was a substantial and credible pipeline of Forex inflows, grows: NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake joins MPs Wajira Abeywardene (Chairman-UNP), Wimal Weerawansa (Leader-NFF), Vasudeva Nanayakkara (Leader-DLF) and Gevindu Kumaranatunge (SLPP and Leader-Yuthukama Kavaya).
   
3. Colombo National Hospital Director Dr Kumara Wickramasinghe says there has been a significant drop in the number of accidents caused by fireworks during New Year celebrations this year: fireworks traders say there has been a significant drop in the sale of fireworks this year.
   
4. MP Mano Ganesan says he together with MP Rauff Hakeem initiated an effort to bring UNP and SJB under one umbrella, but had to abandon the idea since the SJB leadership did not respond: also say the subject of “premiership” never popped up in the discussions.
   
5. Railway Department Deputy General Manager (Commercial) V S Polwattage says a total of 34 train services out of 210 had been cancelled yesterday: also says priority had been given to operating long-distance train services during the new year period and after the new year.
   
6. IMF Deputy MD Kenji Okumura praises the Govt’s commitment to “resolve” the debt crisis and “reform process”: Finance State Minister Semasinghe says his delegation had a “productive meeting” with the IMF: analysts point out that SL’s ISB debt had risen from USD 5 bn (6% of GDP) to a staggering USD 15 bn (18% of GDP) from 2015 to 2019 while under an IMF programme.
   
7. India’s HindustanTimes reports that Sri Lanka has repaid nearly half of the USD 500 mn borrowed from India for fuel purchases last year: also reports that creditor nations including China, Japan and India will have to take significant “haircuts” as part of debt restructuring of Sri Lanka.
   
8. Traders at “Pamunuwa” market in Maharagama say the number of shoppers is nowhere close to what it was in previous years: also say the public is no longer able to afford to purchase as much as they used to and last year was comparatively better.
   
9. Air Seychelles announces it will commence twice-weekly flights from Mahe, Seychelles to Colombo, from June onwards: the inaugural 4-hour flight scheduled for June 20, 2023.
   
10. Dimuth Karunaratne leads Sri Lanka in the historic first ever Cricket Test match against Ireland today at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.

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

Colombo (LNW): 15 persons were seriously injured in a vehicle accident in Galwanguwa, Hingura Ara, Embilipitiya are yesterday (15) at about 4.30 pm, as a cab and a van collided on the road, later to be collided with a motorcycle.

Among the injured are six children, four men and five women and were admitted to Embilipitiya District Hospital.

Embilipitiya Police HQ are conducting further investigations.

Colombo (LNW): High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives to Sri Lanka Ali Faiz paid a courtesy call on the State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon at the State Ministry of Defence in Colombo four days ago (12).

Faiz was accorded a warm reception by the Minister upon his arrival at the State Ministry premises and both high officials held a cordial discussion on matters of bilateral importance and mutual relevance.

During the discussion, the State Minister recalled the long held cordial relationship between the two countries and further added that Maldives has always been a friend to Sri Lanka.

The visiting High Commissioner assuring the fullest support to Sri Lanka, also expressed his gratitude to Sri Lanka for being a friend to the Maldives.

The State Minister and the High Commissioner exchanged mementos to symbolise the meeting and as a gesture of goodwill.

Defence Attaché of the Maldivian High Commission Lt. Col. Hassan Amir was also present at the occasion.

CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), which in turn is a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), a majority state-owned enterprise with headquarters in Beijing

Colombo Port City agreement between the government and the CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd will soon be in the public domain following the Right to Information Commission order to release it to the public. 

The PPP agreement raises many questions on environmental and investment issues and the commission referred questions to CHEC Port City Colombo, despite the Chinese company stating that the government is to provide the infrastructure for sewage treatment under the Public Private Partnership that covers the development.

It lso makes the government responsible for water supply, energy supply, waste removal and public transport.According to official estimates Port City  project will result in additional water demand of 39,000 cubic metres per day.

The developer has said the increased demand will be met by the state water authority and that it is encouraging its private partners to recycle wastewater.

Some environmental activists and citizens question whether authorities have the plan or budget for the significant investment required to accommodate PCC, given Colombo’s over-stressed public infrastructure and the abject state of Sri Lanka’s public finances.

CHEC Port City Colombo said a new multi-lane motorway known as the “Outer Circular Highway (OCH)” will meet the development’s transport needs and it will seek to “promote a more pedestrian form of commuting with many sheltered walkways and green canopies”.

While CHEC Port City Colombo has argued that PCC has already generated “significant interest in the international community foreign firms may be deterred from investing in the project if it does not allow them to meet internal sustainability targets for reducing carbon emissions, waste and water use, and protecting the marine environment.

Many residents in Colombo also express concerns that Chinese investors could take a bigger stake in PCC if the project fails, although there has been no suggestion of such a possibility by either the government or the developer.

The Right to Information Commission has ordered the release of the Tripartite Agreement signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the CHEC Port City Colombo and warned that the failure to release the information could result in the prosecution of the relevant officials.

The order came following two appeals by M.F.A. Mansoor from Puwakwatta Estate in Kotadeniyawa and the Center for Environmental Justice in Colombo.

The appeals were taken up before Commission Chairman retired Justice Upali Abeyrathne, and Commissioners retired Justice Rohini Walgama, Attorney-at-Law Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena, Attorney-at-Law Jagath Liyana Arachchi and A.M Nahiya.

The two Appeals in issue were taken up together given the commonality of the information requests in question — the Tripartite Agreement – between the Megapolis Ministry, the Urban Development Authority and the CHEC Port City Colombo — signed on August 12, 2016, for the development of a new international financial city.