Colombo (LNW): Plans are underway to sell 82 acre Nuwara Eliya Racecourse to a leading sports club as its present management is not in a position to spend a colossal sum of money for upkeep work.
Sugathadasa National Sports Complex Authority was responsible for the maintenance of the Race Course in terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 15 August, 2012.
An agreement has been signed in 2015 to be applicable for a period of 02 years for the sports activities of the Nuwara Eliya Horse Racing Club. That is to pay 02 lakhs per month. Along with that, another deposit of 20 lakh rupees has been kept.
The racing club has not paid their dues during the period of 2018 to 2023 and there is an attempt to transfer the Nuwara Eliya Racecourse to the Nuwara Eliya Divisional Secretary and sell it to the owner of the Turf club , who is in debt to the Sugathadasa authority.
The Central Employees Union of the Sugathadasa Sports Complex has alleged that plans were underway to sell the 82 acre Race Course in Nuwara Eliya.General Secretary of the Union, N. G. Karunatilleke, said that they were concerned as the Sugathadasa National Sports Complex Authority was responsible for the maintenance of the Race Course in terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 15 August, 2012.
In a statement issued to the media, the Union said that the livelihood of 11 workers, assigned for maintenance work, and other activities which brought income, was now at risk.
The Union alleged that the administration had failed to collect what was owed in terms of the agreement with the Royal Turf Club, in terms of an agreement finalised in 2015, with the intervention of the Sports Ministry. The Union alleged that those who wanted to sell the property wanted to depict the enterprise as a loss-making operation.
The Sugathadasa Sports Complex Employees Association has disclosed that there is a plan to sell the 32 acres of horse racing land belonging to the Ministry of Sports in Nuwara Eliya city center.
It is said that the authority has earned income annually by conducting stable festivals held at horse racing grounds for these activities. An agreement has been signed in 2015 to be applicable for a period of 02 years for the sports activities of the Nuwara Eliya Horse Racing Club. That is to pay 02 lakhs per month. Along with that, another deposit of 20 lakh rupees has been kept, says Sugathadasa Sports Complex Employees Union.
Colombo (LNW): With increasing tourist arrivals and innovative strategies in place, Sri Lanka Tourism will unveil the first phase of the highly anticipated check-in promotion next week under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Sri Lanka has welcomed over 51,500 tourists during the first 10 days of the month, propelling the impetus to reach the monthly target of 149,075 arrivals.
The country received 51,594 tourists during the first 10 days of the month, comprising 35,775 during the first week, and 15,819 in the balance three days.
The first 10-day arrivals have also pushed the cumulative figure to date to 819,507, driving the impetus to continue in the year 2023.
India continues to grow reflecting 18% or 9,146, followed by the UK with 13% or 6,939, China with 7% or 3,707, France with 6% or 3,249 and Germany with 6% or 3,155.
As per the latest Central Bank data released yesterday, in the first seven months of 2023, tourism earnings were at US $ 1.09 billion, reflecting a 43% increase from the corresponding period of last year, whilst July earnings stood at $ 219 million, showcasing the highest monthly increase thus far.
“President Wickremesinghe will inaugurate the short-term campaign ‘Rejuvenating Sri Lanka’ coinciding with the inauguration of the Hilton Yala Resort on 19 August,” Tourism Minister Harin Fernando told journalists on Thursday.
He affirmed that Sri Lanka Tourism is poised to embark on its comprehensive two-phased marketing blitz with the highly anticipated check-in promotion next week and the long-term campaign targeting 14 markets in October.
“The first wave of the thematic campaign is set to debut in four key markets — India, China, Russia, and Australia. This strategic approach aims to maximise impact while ensuring a gradual and well-structured expansion of the campaign’s reach,” he disclosed
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu explained that the initial phase of the campaign will focus on ‘Rejuvenating Sri Lanka’ commencing at the end of this month which will span two to three months, followed by the launch of a more extensive thematic long-term campaign focused on 14 key markets scheduled for a grand launch in October.
“For the past 16 years, Sri Lanka Tourism has not undertaken such an extensive campaign. Our approach involves a strategic roll-out, with the thematic campaign being tailored to the booking patterns of our key markets, in a phased manner and not all in one go,” he added.
Gajabahu also addressed the efficient execution of the campaign, noting that the Ministry is spearheading a fast-tracked process with the objective of completing the tender procedure within 21 days — a swift approach necessitated by previous delays caused by issues with tender documents.
Noting that SLTPB has appointed a strategic and creative agency already, he said Sri Lanka Tourism will spend Rs. 1.4 billion over the next 12 months from the end of this month to mark a fresh approach to destination marketing including two domestic campaigns.
He also said plans are underway to conduct two domestic campaigns to remind 22 million Sri Lankans that the warm-friendly people are ready to welcome visitors from around the world.
One campaign is to remind the importance of tourism to locals and the other campaign is aimed at the Sri Lankan diaspora towards luring visitors and investments.
”No matter what global campaigns we do, if the local community is not welcoming towards them the efforts put into drawing tourists will not reach its full potential. Thus, a domestic tourism campaign will be launched towards the end of the year,” he said.
Colombo (LNW): Some 3.9 million Sri Lankans are moderately food insecure with more than 10,000 households facing severe food insecurity, according to the latest situation report issued by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The report says that about 2.9 million children need humanitarian assistance to access lifesaving nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, protection, and social protection services.
The UNICEF report “Sri Lanka Humanitarian Situation Report No.01 (Economic Crisis)” covers the period from January 1 to June 30 this year. It notes that about 3.9 million people were classified as moderately food insecure as of May.
Estate sector communities are found to be suffering from the highest level of acute food insecurity, followed by households highly dependent on social protection schemes such as Samurdhi or disability benefits.
Despite the apparent economic stability and improved food security in the country, a significantly high 62 percent of households are adopting livelihood-based coping strategies such as withdrawing savings, borrowing money, and buying food on credit to access food compared to 48 percent in May last year, the report says.
It highlights that 26 percent of households are employing emergency or crisis-level livelihood coping strategies, which include “selling productive assets (e.g., farming equipment), reducing essential health/education expenses, withdrawing children completely from school, and selling land.”
According to the report, in April 2023, the percentage of underweight children under five was 15.8 percent, compared to 13.1 percent in April last year.
More families are resorting to negative coping mechanisms to prioritise food consumption over expenses for education, health, and protection, UNICEF states.
“Parents are facing challenges in prioritising income at the household level for education. As a result, partner reports indicate irregular school attendance, which could lead to school-drop out eventually, is increasing among students, along with increasing mental health issues related to education among children.”
The report notes that drought conditions may negatively affect the upcoming “Yala” agriculture season and already 45,000 acres of paddy fields in the Hambantota district are at high risk of being destroyed due to severe drought.
“With the worsening drought conditions affecting the yala harvest, rice wholesale and retail prices are expected to increase, exacerbating the existing food insecurities in the country.
In addition, many forest fires had been reported across the country due to the prevailing dry weather conditions, including in the water catchment-protected areas,” the report states.
UNICEF reached more than 647,900 people, including 360,941 children with, humanitarian assistance in the first half of this year. The agency’s humanitarian cash transfers reached 70,571 households ensuring nutrition food access to mothers with young children in the most vulnerable districts.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s Revenue enhancement performances for this year have not been in line with expected targets and there has been a “significant” shortfall in the revenue performance this year, the Treasury has acknowledged.
In a circular, Treasury Secretary K.M. Mahinda Siriwardene instructed government institutions to stick to the stringent expenditure control measures until further notice as the Government was still struggling “for various reasons” amid fiscal challenges and inadequate revenue performance.
The Treasury Secretary noted in the circular titled “Guidelines for the Preparation of Annual Estimates 2024″.
It is critically important that government expenditures are managed carefully and efficiently considering the limited fiscal space and the need for channeling scarce resources to essential areas while making all efforts to efficiently manage expenditure, Secretary Siriwardena said.
He stressed that “public finances of the country should be managed with the utmost care, discipline and accountability.”
According to the circular, there will be no provision of funds allocated to the Provincial Councils (PCs) under line ministries, or departments for functions directly assigned to PCs.
The circular said this was “to avoid overlapping programmes carried out by line ministries and departments at regional level with PCs. This should be prepared in coordination with PCs.
As per the medium-term macroeconomic targets under the International Monetary Fund’s Extended Fund Facility, the primary balance of the budget which is estimated to be a deficit of 0.7 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023 needs to be increased to a surplus of 0.8 percent of GDP in 2024 to reach a surplus of 2.3 percent of GDP in 2026, the circular noted.
“This has to be achieved through a combination of revenue-enhancing and expenditure-rationalisation policies.”
To reach the targeted primary balance of the budget, the Secretary stressed that government expenditure should be managed prudently while continuing the stringent expenditure control measures.
Accordingly, heads of state institutions are instructed to adopt a “zero-based budgeting approach” while “making a transformational change through minimum inputs” aiming at curtailing government expenditures when estimating the expenditures for the Budget 2024.
When preparing budget estimates, heads of departments of spending agencies are told to carry out only activities that are relevant to the performance of the core functions assigned to the respective ministries and departments and withdraw from performing irrelevant tasks, and assign them to appropriate institutions.
The implementation of development programmes and projects by departments and institutions should be carried out under the coordination of the ministry, instead of direct implementation by the ministries, one of the guidelines reads. The heads of the departments are also told to carry out a cadre review to abolish positions of which functions are similar or no longer needed and deploy the staff only for the core functions of the concerned institutions as far as possible.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka the ninth largest gem exporter to the global market and one of the world’s five most important gem bearing nations is now ready to implement a well-structured strategy aimed at attaining an annual export revenue of at least two billion US dollars.
The country’s Gem export industry’s contribution to economy is yet to match the other global stakeholders such as Thailand, which is an international trading hub for gem and jewellery and generates around US$ 12 billion in export revenue, Hong Kong, which notches US$ 30 billion.
As per the Central Bank Annual Report 2022, Sri Lanka earned US$ 450 million as export income from gems, diamonds, and jewellery during 2022 while the annual average for the past 5 years was US$ 298 million.
During a recent discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat to address issues within the gem and jewellery industry, President Ranil Wickremesinghe urged officials to swiftly implement comprehensive strategy for achieving the country’s objective of bolstering annual export earnings through enhancements in gem and jewellery exports and re-exports.
Furthermore, the President revealed that recommendations pertaining to tax policies for the advancement of the gem and jewellery sector were submitted to him by the “Sectoral Monitoring Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development”.
Deliberations extended to discussions on taxes impacting the industry as well as the export and re-export procedures. Pertinent stakeholders also shared insights with the President regarding the challenges that have arisen within the sector.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe assured that the government is fully prepared to provide necessary support and facilities if a formalized plan to elevate the gem and jewellery industry in Sri Lanka is promptly presented.
Sri Lanka has recorded a significant rise in its export revenue from the gems, jewellery, and diamonds sector, recording a 32% increase compared to the same period the previous year.
The country’s ability to leverage its rich natural resources and skilled craftsmanship has played a vital role in this sector’s growth, despite global economic challenges.
The National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA) reports that the revenue from these exports has increased dramatically.
The Chairman of the NGJA, Viraj de Silva, disclosed that the total revenue generated from gems, jewellery, and diamonds exports from January to the end of May 2023 reached US$ 222 million.
The figure indicates a substantial surge in comparison to the same period in 2022, which saw approximately $ 161 million in revenue.
The country’s thriving gem industry benefits from the abundance of resources and the traditional skills of local gem cutters and jewellery makers.
The robust increase in revenue from gem, jewellery, and diamond exports demonstrates Sri Lanka’s potential as a global leader in the sector. As the country continues to enhance its capabilities, the future looks bright for Sri Lanka’s gem and jewellery industry.
Opposition lawmakers including JVP’s Anura Kumara Dissanayake and SJB’s Sajith Premadasa demand that the Speaker withdraws his statement, in which he ruled that the proposal on executing the Domestic Debt Optimization program cannot be challenged in any Court: however, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena asserts he would not amend his stance on the matter.
Tourist Hotels Assn President M Shanthikumar says the re-introduction of the Minimum Room Rate Policy was to prevent the hotels from being degraded: also says that getting higher numbers in and charging lower does not help the industry: certain other stakeholders say the move will lead to the downfall of the industry.
Top business analysts expect the Banking Sector NPL ratio which is currently in excess of 18% to shoot up to 40% if no action is taken by the banks or the Central Bank to restructure bad and irrecoverable debts of small and medium sized enterprises.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe says that resolving the country’s economic challenges goes beyond the success of the debt optimization programme: emphasises the need to promptly initiate an economy-building strategy guided by sound decisions: cautions that failure to proactively adopt a new program would inevitably result in the country facing another economic hurdle within a decade.
The Mahaweli Authority raises concerns about the limited water capacity of the Udawalawe Reservoir: indicates that it can sustain the region’s water needs for just 3 more days only.
Sri Lanka Telecom which is earmarked by the Govt for Privatisation, reports a net loss of Rs.2.1 bn for 2Q23, compared to a profit of Rs.1.96 bn in 2Q22: also says the group revenue has declined to Rs.26.1 bn from Rs.26.9 bn: explains that the delay in monetisation of the fibre network and the revenue contraction in Mobitel due to the decline in the subscriber base by 1 mn, are the reasons for the decline.
Public Health Inspectors Assn cautions about an upsurge in the spread of Leptospirosis, also known as “rat fever”, amidst the ongoing dry weather conditions: its Chairman Upul Rohana says those involved in freshwater fishing, should remain vigilant in this regard.
Former Army Chief of Staff Lt. General Jagath Dias queries as to whether a plan is currently underway to help establish “Eelam” by Constitutional means.
President Ranil Wickremasinghe emphasises the need to implement a well structured strategy to earn at least USD 2 bn from the Gem and Jewellery industry.
The Australian Government alerts its nationals travelling to Sri Lanka to exercise a ‘high degree of caution’ due to the threat of public demonstrations, shortages of some imported foods & medicines, and security risks: also warns that dengue fever is another risk owing to the monsoonal weather.
Colombo (LNW): The government of Sri Lanka will be looking out at possibilities of holding the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) Examination in the 10th Grade in the future, revealed Education Minister Susil Premjayanth.
In a statement, the Minister emphasised that the move is being made in the objective of paving the way for children to become independent in choosing their future paths after facing the GCE Advanced Level Examination via a transformational change in the Education Sector that allows the growth of knowledge in a very short period of time.
Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lanka Navy apprehended 04 suspects with a stock of smuggled Kendu leaves weighing about 551kg (wet weight) during a search operation conducted off the Mattathivu island in Kalpitiya lagoon on August 11. The operation also led to the seizure of 02 dinghies used to smuggle the contraband items.
As an extension of these efforts, the search operation was conducted by SLNS Vijaya in the Northwestern Naval Command off the Mattathivu island on August 11, and in this operation, naval personnel searched 02 dinghies on suspicion and recovered the contraband items from them. The dinghies had been loaded with 21 sacks, stuffed with approx. 551kg (wet weight) of Kendu leaves. Accordingly, the contraband items, 02 dinghies and 04 suspects aboard were taken into the naval custody.
The suspects held in this search operation were identified as residents of Kalpitiya, from 17 to 27 years of age. The 04 suspects together with the stock of Kendu leaves and 02 dinghies were handed over to the Customs Preventive Office in Katunayake for onward legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, the Navy took hold of about 318kg (wet weight) of Kendu leaves washed ashore at Serakkuliya, during a foot patrol and a search operation conducted at Serakkuliya beach the following day (12).
As an extension of these efforts, SLNS Vijaya, SLNS Thambapanni and Rapid Action Boat Squadron in the Northwestern Naval Command carried out a foot patrol and a search operation in the beach area of Serakkuliya on 12th August. During this operation, naval personnel recovered 09 suspicious packages of washed ashore and they have been stuffed with Kendu leaves weighing about 318kg (wet weight).
It is suspected that racketeers have smuggled this consignment of Kendu leaves and abandoned at the beach due to Navy’s presence in the area.
The Navy conducts regular search operations and patrols in coastal and sea areas of the island to prevent nefarious activities being carried out via sea routes.
A few showers will occur in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts, and showers or thundershowers will occur at a few places in Uva and Eastern provinces and in Mullaitivu district during the evening or night, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (14).
Mainly fair weather will prevail elsewhere over the Island, the statement added.
General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Marine Weather:
Condition of Rain:
Showers will occur at a few places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Matara via Galle.
Winds:
Winds will be south-westerly and speed will be (30-40) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (45-55)kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Hambantota to Pottuvil and Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar.
State of Sea:
The sea areas off the coast extending from Hambantota to Pottuvil and Puttalam to Kankasanthurai via Mannar can be rough at times. The sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle can be fairly rough at times.
PMD: President Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored the imperative to fortify the nation’s economy, ensuring that forthcoming generations are spared from enduring the unfortunate period that both the country and its people have weathered in the past two years. These remarks were made during his participation in the 150th Anniversary celebration of St. Thomas College in Matale today (13).
Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted that resolving the country’s economic challenges goes beyond the success of the debt optimization program. He emphasized the need to promptly initiate an economy-building strategy guided by sound decisions. He cautioned that failure to proactively adopt a new program would inevitably result in the country facing another economic hurdle within a decade.
The President expressed his vision of propelling the country forward through comprehensive modernization. To achieve this, he announced the establishment of the Technology Promotion Council and the Digital Transformation Commission, aimed at accelerating the nation’s digital evolution.
In an unprecedented event, President Wickremesinghe visited St. Thomas College in Matale, unveiling a commemorative plaque that marked the institution’s 150th Anniversary. He also graciously posed for a group photograph with the Alumni Association.
During the same occasion, the President also conferred certificates upon students who secured the top position in the district during the general education certificate examination.
Following is the speech delivered by President Ranil Wickremesinghe at this event;
It has been a century and a half since the inception of St. Thomas College in Matale. During its establishment, the country relied on a plantation-based economy with a significant focus on coffee cultivation. However, within a few years, the coffee industry collapsed, causing a severe economic downturn and depriving the government of its revenue stream. The economy struggled until the introduction of tea and rubber cultivation, which revitalized the nation’s financial standing.
As the 150th Anniversary of St. Thomas College in Matale is commemorated today, the country finds itself grappling with an ongoing economic crisis. The previous year’s economic turmoil left deep impacts on the nation’s economic, social, and political landscapes. During that period, the prospect of recovery seemed bleak. A poignant example of this was the lack of volunteers to assume the role of Prime Minister after Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation. Typically, such vacancies are eagerly pursued, but in this case, no one stepped forward.
Taking up the mantle of the presidency, I assumed responsibility, formed a cabinet, and embarked on finding both short-term and long-term solutions to address the economic crisis. Through decisive actions, we managed to eliminate the prevalent queues that had become emblematic of the nation’s struggles. The outcomes of our government’s decisions in September, January, and April of the previous year have been embraced positively by the populace.
As this year draws to a close, we hold the belief that our nation can overcome bankruptcy by successfully executing the credit appreciation program. Achieving this necessitates stringent control over public expenditures and a shift toward a more productive economy. We have already begun implementing these measures. However, it is essential to recognize that while our current endeavours may alleviate the “bankrupt” label unless further steps are taken promptly, we risk facing the same fate within a decade.
Consequently, the government’s course must be charted anew, underpinned by a revamped system. Sound financial discipline should guide our governance approach, extracting maximal benefits from each government institution. Initiatives to trim superfluous expenses within ministries are in the pipeline. Moreover, an inventory of government-owned land, buildings, and vehicles is being compiled under the Prime Minister’s Secretary’s leadership, with expectations of its completion by year-end.
The proposed measures for domestic debt optimization have been successfully passed in the Parliament, despite attempts to hinder the process through legal channels.
The EPF has introduced a draft law aimed at providing a 9% interest rate to all members, and this initiative is currently in progress. Consequently, there are no grounds to impede the advancement of this program. As stipulated in Article 04 of the Constitution, financial authority rests with the Parliament, thereby vesting it with the responsibility and competence to execute these actions. All legal cases related to this matter have been dismissed by the Supreme Court.
Upon the completion of the debt optimization endeavour, our focus should shift to the effective implementation of the subsequent economic program. Presently, there is a significant exodus of individuals from our nation. The departure of skilled experts and professionals has created a substantial void that cannot be easily filled. It is essential to reaffirm our commitment to establishing a robust economic foundation conducive to the well-being of all citizens.
Challenges confront our country today, primarily driven by insufficient government revenue and a trade imbalance skewed towards higher import costs relative to exports. A reliance on daily credit is not a sustainable solution. Once the debt consolidation process concludes, the same question emerges anew. We must proactively address this concern by bolstering our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at a rapid pace, as an increased GDP directly translates to heightened national income.
Parallelly, we must intensify our efforts in the realm of exports. A comprehensive strategy for this endeavour should be formulated within the next decade.
In the current landscape, conventional political slogans have lost their relevance, even within both ruling and opposition parties. Instead, it is imperative to assess the country’s challenges and forge ahead with practical solutions. If the proposed solutions fail to gain traction, alternatives should be presented to address the issues at hand.
To propel the nation’s economic development, an annual influx of at least one billion dollars in foreign exchange is essential. The initial step toward achieving this goal involves augmenting foreign exchange inflows from existing sectors.
Our primary income sources are foreign employment and export earnings. Unfortunately, the economic situation in countries like Europe and America, particularly affecting the garment industry, has shown regression. Consequently, we shouldn’t anticipate substantial revenue from these sectors this year. Thus, our attention must pivot to tourism. Accordingly, we have devised comprehensive plans to significantly enhance our country’s tourism sector throughout this year and the following year.
Additionally, there is a pressing need to double our export revenue. To achieve this, attracting investors and providing them with the requisite facilities is essential. New initiatives such as the development of the port city have been set in motion. Furthermore, advancing rapidly over the next decade with technologies like artificial intelligence is paramount; our success or failure hinges on our ability to maintain this momentum.
In line with these objectives, plans are underway to establish several government and private universities. A subsidized loan program for students entering these institutions is also on the horizon. Our aim is to annually produce a minimum of 10,000 engineers and 7,500 doctors from Sri Lankan universities. The demand for IT expertise is also substantial, necessitating consistent efforts to meet these requirements.
Our aspiration is to construct a prosperous future for generations to come. It is our collective responsibility to fortify the economy to prevent a recurrence of last year’s adversities.
The government has undertaken numerous novel measures in pursuit of this goal. However, anticipated outcomes from the Board of Investment and the Export Board have fallen short. To address this, we have established an economic commission tasked with centralizing relevant powers. This will streamline the investment approval process, eliminating the need to navigate various ministries for clearance, and consolidating all procedures in one location.
Drawing inspiration from Mr. J.R. Jayawardena’s establishment of the Greater Colombo Economic Commission in 1978, we also aim to create a dedicated board to provide the necessary infrastructure for investments.
In tandem, we aspire to double the annual influx of tourists to our country from 2.5 million to 5 million. The Matale district possesses immense potential to contribute significantly to the burgeoning tourism industry.
Within the next two months, we intend to unveil an agricultural modernization program. Our current agricultural output, whether in terms of rice or other crops, falls short. It is imperative to promote the cultivation of these products.
Furthermore, we are in the process of establishing a Technology Promotion Council with the aim of acquiring the necessary technical expertise for our nation. Concurrently, a Digital Transformation Commission will be formed to propel digitization across the country. Envisioning comprehensive modernization across all sectors, our objective is to shape a developed Sri Lanka by the year 2048.
The event was attended by a multitude of individuals, including Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha, Prime Minister’s Secretary Mr. Anura Dissanayake, Central Province Governor Mr. Lalith Y. Gamage, Ministry of Education Secretary Mr. Nihal Ranasinghe, former judge and Chairman of the Human Rights Commission Mr. M.P.B. Dehideniya, Professor Chaminda Ratnayake, Vice Chancellor of NSBM Green University, General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Staff of the Tri forces, Mr. Kaushalya Navaratne, President of the Sri Lanka Bar Association Mr. Dhammika Hewawasam, Principal of St. Thomas College in Matale, and a substantial gathering of faculty members, parents, and alumni.
