• Formulation of a new Medical Act within six months.
• Proposal to be drafted for establishing WHO standard benchmark level 4 lab facility.
• Additional allocation of Rs. 30 billion approved for medical supplies.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe led a follow-up meeting at the Presidential Secretariat to bolster the nation’s healthcare system. He directed the formulation of a new Medical Act within six months with the aim of addressing shortcomings in the present Medical Ordinance and thereby provide better healthcare and protect citizens’ well-being. A high-level Committee, consisting of the Secretary of Health, Legal Draftsman, and President of the SLMC, was assigned to examine the provisions of the Medical Ordinance and formulate a new Medical Act with appropriate provisions.

To address immediate medical needs, an additional allocation of Rs. 30 billion was approved for medical supplies under the Provision to Ministry of Health, sufficient for the next three months.

On President Wickremesinghe’s directions to the NMRA to expedite the approval process for FDA-approved drugs and reference drugs from other countries that collaborated with the Health Ministry, the NMRA sought to obtain Cabinet approval to make the necessary amendments to the NMRA Act that will ensure faster access to critical medications.

The meeting resolved the issue of staff shortage at the NMRA. The President called for a detailed report to strengthen the role of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) in regulating medical products and ensuring public health safety.

Efforts to improve medicine distribution and inventory management were discussed, with the President emphasizing the need for a web-based system to provide real-time information on available medicines and their distribution among hospitals with immediate effect as discussed during the meeting two weeks ago.

A five- member committee led by Mr. A. K. Seneviratne, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury was appointed to, among other tasks; devise a simple and transparent scheme for the procurement of quality drugs and medical devices.

The Ministry of Health requested the Department of Management Services to amend the Service Minute to align nurse recruitment qualifications with current healthcare requirements. The President urged health officials to consider recruiting and training individuals with Arts and Commerce Stream qualifications as nurses.

Additionally, the President instructed the Health Ministry and NMRA to draft a proposal for establishing WHO standard benchmark level 4 to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of medical products.

The Chief of Presidential Staff and Senior Adviser on National Security to the President Mr. Sagala Ratnayake emphasized to the health officials to immediately submit a list of unusable hospital equipment and equipment or related materials or goods that will expire or be removed within two years.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to promptly implement the proposed reforms, aiming to build a robust and accessible healthcare system for all citizens.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Health Minister Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella, Chief of Presidential Staff and Senior Adviser on National Security to the President Mr. Sagala Ratnayake, Secretary to the President Mr. E. M. S. B. Ekanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister Mr. Anura Dissanayaka, Secretary to the Ministry of Health Mr. S. Janaka Sri Chandraguptha, Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Health officials and Finance Ministry officials attended the meeting.

• Land deeds already given to 20,000 families – Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs and Minister of Irrigation Roshan Ranasinghe.

The distribution of land deeds for 15,000 families in the Mahaweli region will commence from the second week of this month as per the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs and Minister of Irrigation Roshan Ranasinghe stated.

Minister Roshan Ranasinghe also mentioned that steps have been taken to provide land deeds to 20,000 families who do not possess land deeds in the Mahaweli region.

He expressed these views Agu; (02) during a press conference themed ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’ held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC).

Minister Roshan Ranasinghe further commented;

On President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s instructions, 20,000 land deeds have been distributed to the citizens of the Mahaweli region under the first phase of the ‘Idam Aithiya Niwasatama’ (Land right to home) Program. Another 15,000 land deeds will be distributed starting in the second week of this month, according to plans.

Additionally, the dry weather has made it difficult to deliver water from the Walawe River. Paddy fields covering over 25,000 hectares are irrigated using water from the Walawe River. Additionally, 8000 hectares of intercrops are grown. Water supply for paddy fields is becoming a challenge in such a situation.

In this situation, the issue of maintaining a steady supply of electricity and water for farming has also come up. However, the Ministry is making an effort to safeguard crops. The Nation’s food security must also be taken into account.

The previous Cabinet meeting included a lengthy discussion on the present dry weather conditions. There, the opinion was also expressed that we should go for a program that does not cut off the electricity.

However, if ships with generators that provide electricity with the dry weather are expedited to get electricity, it is possible to solve the electricity crisis and provide water to the farmers. The Electricity Board has paid special attention in this regard as well.

PMD

Today, August 04, the Sri Lankan Rupee witnessed a depreciation against the US Dollar at commercial banks in Sri Lanka when compared to yesterday’s rates.

At Peoples Bank, the buying rate of the US Dollar surged from Rs. 305.58 to Rs. 311.42, while the selling rate rose from Rs. 320.61 to Rs. 326.74.

Commercial Bank also reported an increase in the buying rate of the US Dollar, which rose from Rs. 307.58 to Rs. 309.78. Simultaneously, the selling rate climbed from Rs. 322 to Rs. 325.

Similarly, at Sampath Bank, the buying rate of the US Dollar went up from Rs. 310 to Rs. 313, and the selling rate increased from Rs. 322 to Rs. 325.

The fluctuations in exchange rates underscore the ongoing volatility in the currency market, impacting financial transactions and import costs for businesses and consumers in Sri Lanka.

The Chairman of Litro Gas Company, Muditha Peiris, has reassured the public that domestic gas cylinder prices will not be increased today (August 04). However, the company was scheduled to announce the price revision for liquefied petroleum (LP) gas cylinders today, as part of its monthly price adjustment based on the pricing formula.

In a positive trend for consumers, Litro Gas has implemented four consecutive price reductions this year. Last month’s revision brought down the price of a 12.5kg cylinder to Rs. 2,892 and a 5kg cylinder to Rs. 1,198. As the company continues its pricing formula-based adjustments, consumers will be closely observing any changes to the gas cylinder prices in the market.

Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha has unveiled plans to ensure that only qualified teachers with government-stipulated qualifications will be allowed to engage in pre-school education in the future. Speaking at the inauguration of a national program to provide free school books to economically disadvantaged children at Bomiriya National School, the Minister emphasized the significance of pre-school education as the foundation of primary education.

Under the new initiative, approximately 40,000 pre-school teachers across 19,000 different pre-schools throughout the country will undergo specific training and receive a diploma. Only teachers with such qualifications will be permitted to establish and operate pre-schools.

Drawing inspiration from the Japanese education system, the Minister emphasized the importance of providing activity-based education to pre-school children, aiming to reduce the burden of exams and unnecessary learning pressure in subsequent educational levels. The Ministry of Education has already trained 13,800 primary teachers in 2022 and is continuing to train the same number in 2023.

Furthermore, a special program in collaboration with UNICEF is in place to develop primary education, and the use of English has been integrated into the curriculum from year one classes. The Minister highlighted the goal of strengthening pre-schools to achieve primary education development targets.

In addition to this, a pilot program will offer vocational training to students for six months after the A/L examination, commencing in 2024. The training courses will be conducted within respective schools, benefiting around 210,000 students who will sit for the A/L exam later this year.

Looking ahead, the Minister revealed plans for a pilot program to provide opportunities for 300,000 school students to pursue courses in Information Technology, English language, and vocational training of their choice after passing the Ordinary Level examination. These initiatives aim to enhance the overall quality of education and prepare students for future success in their academic and professional pursuits.

A devastating accident occurred this morning in Eriyagama, Thambuttegama, resulting in the loss of four lives as a van collided with a lorry, according to the police.

Additionally, four other individuals sustained injuries in the tragic incident.

In a move aimed at fostering economic growth and easing supply chain bottlenecks, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has revealed that import restrictions on an additional 300 items will be relaxed by the first week of September. This decision comes as part of the government’s efforts to stimulate trade and ensure a smoother flow of essential goods and commodities into the country.

1. Litro Gas Chairman Muditha Pieris says the world market price of LP gas has increased by over USD 85 per MT, and that a domestic LP gas price “revision” will be announced today: since 1st August, water and fuel charges have also been increased substantially: Central Bank firmly claims inflation has decreased significantly.
2. Former Public Security Minister and SLPP MP Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr. Sarath Weerasekera calls for the close monitoring of certain organisations in the light of the Government’s decision to lift the bans on 5 Islamic organisations which were initially imposed following the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019: asserts the decision to lift the bans, was “wrong” and that it may bring about various negative consequences.
3. State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe says SL intends to “conclude” the debt restructuring process in line with the 1st review of the IMF, which is due in September 2023: previously, several Govt MPs and Ministers had assured that the debt re-structuring would be completed by September 2022.
4. Nutritionist Roshan Dela Bandara says research conducted by Newcastle University in Australia has found that microplastics are mixing with food, drinking water and air: also says research results have revealed that a person consumes 5 grams of microplastics a week, which is the size of a credit card.
5. FUTA Chairman Professor Barana Jayawardena laments that there is a severe brain drain within the country’s universities: points out that in the last 6 months, around 600 university lecturers have left their respective universities.
6. Police say the remains of top SL businessman Onesh Subasinghe, 45, who was murdered in a serviced apartment in Jakarta, were brought to Sri Lanka and handed over to his family members: on 2nd February, Subasinghe who was on vacation in Jakarta with his Brazilian wife Rosa, her assistant (also a Brazilian woman), and their 4-year-old daughter, was found dead under mysterious circumstances.
7. Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera says Govt funds were not used for the “study tour” of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus to New Zealand: asserts the study tour was organized with the support of “development partners”: points out that the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus plays a “major role” in addressing the socio-economic and political issues of women in the country.
8. Colombo Stock Market records significant gains with the ASPI up by 130 points to 11,577: Turnover at Rs.6.6 bn: LKR continues its topsy-turvy journey.
9. Chief Incumbent of Mihintale Rajamaha Vihara Walawahengunawewe Dhammarathana Thera says the electricity supply to Mihintale sacred city has been disconnected due to “non-payment of arrears”: also says the CEB has taken this step at a time when a massive development project is in progress at the Minintale sacred city.
10. Afghanistan to host Pakistan for a series of 3 Cricket ODIs across 5 days in SL, with 2 games to be played in Hambantota on Aug 22 and 24, and the third taking place in Colombo on Aug 26.

In a historic shift, Sri Lanka has successfully transformed its inflation levels from being the highest in Asia, hovering around 70% just a year ago, to becoming the lowest in the region. The Central Bank’s latest projection indicates that the current inflation rate of 6.2% is expected to further decrease to approximately 1% for a brief period before stabilizing around 4%.

This significant achievement can be attributed to the government’s strategic economic revival initiatives, combined with stringent monetary policy regulations enforced by the Central Bank, as stated by Dr. P. K. G. Harischandra, the Director of the Central Bank’s Economic Research Department.

While neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Afghanistan, and Maldives continue to grapple with higher inflation rates, Sri Lanka’s prudent measures have led to this impressive turnaround.

Dr. Harischandra acknowledged that external factors, such as fluctuating oil and gas prices and skilled labor migration, could potentially impact inflation in the future. Additionally, weather patterns affecting electricity generation and agriculture may exert pressure on maintaining low inflation levels.

Addressing concerns about the exchange rate and foreign debt servicing, Dr. Harischandra reassured that Sri Lanka has been granted a sufficient grace period for debt repayment after seeking an IMF bailout. The country’s foreign receipts, bolstered by bilateral aid and a surge in tourism revenue, along with increased foreign remittances channeled through formal banking channels, have eased pressure on the dollar and balanced the import-export dynamics.

As Sri Lanka forges ahead with its economic recovery, the nation stands poised to build on these positive trends and continue its journey towards financial stability and growth.