Colombo (LNW): DP Education opened a “DP Education IT Campus” centre at Ethawetunuwewa College in Welioya on July 30, 2023, under the patronage of Dhammika Perera, co-founder of DP Education.
DP Education IT Campus is an initiative operated by DP Education aiming the increasing of computer literacy of the children of Sri Lanka and paving the way for them to find career opportunities in the IT Sector.
“This area has no internet, no signal properly. But we brought in internet here with new technology. So, there won’t be any problem for the children to continue their learning activities. By establishing this in an area where there is no internet or signal, we hope that at least 200 children will be able to come out as software engineers per year,” Dhammika Perera told media.
The “DP Education IT Campus” aims to provide coding, AI (artificial intelligence) and robotics education which can lead to a large number of career opportunities in the global IT Sector. DP Education has already set up plans to establish a DP Education IT Campus in every regional secretariat in Sri Lanka.
PMD: Mr FUJIMARU Satoshi, Minister of State in the Cabinet Office of Japan, and Mr YAMAMOTO Kozo, former Minister of State for Regional Revitalization and Regulatory Reform, called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (31).
During the meeting, they discussed the stalled development projects in Sri Lanka, which were previously supported by the Japanese Government. The parties agreed to restart these projects once the credit optimisation process in Sri Lanka is completed. Additionally, they decided to involve officials from the Japanese Embassy in Sri Lanka in conducting an investigation related to these projects.
The Japanese delegation, including Mr Mizukoshi Hideaki, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, President’s Senior Advisor on National Security and Chief of Staff Mr Sagala Ratnayaka, and President’s Senior Adviser on Economic Affairs Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, among others, attended this event.
Colombo (LNW): Several spells of showers will occur in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts, and mainly fair weather will prevail elsewhere over the Island, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (01).
Fairly strong winds about 40 kmph can be expected at times in western slopes of the central hills, Northern, North-Central, Southern and North-Western provinces, and in Trincomalee district, the statement added.
Marine Weather:
Condition of Rain:
Showers or thundershowers may 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 (55-65)kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota and in the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Trincomalee via Mannar and Kankasanthurai.
State of Sea:
The sea areas off the coast extending from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota and in the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Trincomalee via Mannar and Kankasanthurai will be rough at times. The other sea areas around the island may be moderate.
Colombo (LNW):Sri Lanka is set to face another food shortage as a result of ongoing severe drought in rice production areas in the Maha agricultural season falls during “North-east monsoon” from September to March in the following year.
According to Agriculture Ministry sources, paddy farming and electricity supply will be disrupted due to non-availably of sufficient water in Samanala wewa and Udawalawe reservoirs causing loss of Rs 17 billion in the next week alone.
Around 25,000 hectares are under paddy cultivation and its need irrigation facilities from Udawalawe reservoir which is dried up at present. Samalawewa reservoir should release water to tackle the issue.
The southern province will have to face at least two to three hour power cuts if the water is released from Samanala wewa to Udawalawe reservoir, officials said.
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Agriculture, Mahinda Amaraweera, issued a warning about the potential for a food shortage if the upcoming Maha agricultural season fails to yield expected results. The Minister voiced this concern during a public event held in Agunukolapelessa.
A key factor contributing to the potential failure of the Maha season is the prevailing drought conditions in the country. This could significantly impact the productivity of the agricultural sector and in turn, the availability of food crops in the local market.
Sri Lanka is expecting a paddy (rough rice) harvest of 2.69 million metric tonnes in ongoing main (Maha) 2023 cultivation season as the country recovers from the worst currency crisis in the history of the island’s soft-pegged central bank.
Nut under the present drought conditions it will come down by 30-40 percent to 1.9 million to 1.8 million metric tonnes compelling the government to import rice. However Sri Lanka will not be able to import rice from India as it Is also under the threat of the drought.
Up to December 756,538 hectares of paddy had been sown or 89 percent of the targeted 852,894 hectares for the season, the island’s agricultural office said.
Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector is recovering from a fertilizer ban and well as forex shortages from money printed to suppress interest rates which disrupted agro chemicals to the sector.
Sri Lanka has bought fertilizer with the help of World Bank and Asian Development Bank support.
Cultivation extents of 750,000, in past years have brought paddy harvests of around 3.0 million metric tonnes in the past when fertilizer was freely available.
Understanding the severity of the situation, Minister Amaraweera called upon the people of Sri Lanka to make an effort to counteract the potential food shortage.
He urged citizens to grow food crops in all available spaces suitable for plantation. Such proactive measures can potentially alleviate some of the impacts of a failed Maha season.
The Maha season is crucial for the agricultural economy of Sri Lanka. A successful season ensures food security and contributes to the country’s economic stability. A failure, however, could lead to a significant food shortage and possibly trigger an economic crisis.
Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera said there is a risk of food shortage arising if the upcoming Maha season is not a success. He added that there was no rice reserve at present.
The minister requested the people to take measures to understand the situation and grow any food crop in every place that can be used for plantations.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is witnessing a resounding resurgence in the first half of 2023, with the new high number of tourist arrivals showing a marked increase in comparison to the previous year, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
The initial six months of 2023 have seen a noteworthy influx of tourists visiting the island nation. From January 01 to July 27, SLTDA announced adding that this was an uplifting trend for the country’s tourism sector, which has been steadily recovering from recent global challenges.
Sri Lanka welcomes an impressive 748,377 tourists from January 1st to July 27th, 2023, exceeding the 2022 total of 719,978
July sees over 120,000 tourist arrivals, surpassing 100,000 arrivals for the sixth time in the first seven months of the year
India remains the top source market, contributing 17% of total arrivals with 20,770 tourists China emerges as one of the top three markets, making up 7% of total arrivals in July with 8,446 tourists
Provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) reveals that tourist arrivals in the first seven months of 2023 have already exceeded the total tourist arrivals recorded for the entire year of 2022.
Within the 1 January to 27 July period, Sri Lanka welcomed 4 percent more tourists than the whole 12 months in the previous year.
The tourist arrivals from 1st January to 27th July 2023 reached an impressive 748,377 surpassing the total tourist arrivals of 719,978 recorded from 1st January to 31st December 2022.
Further, Sri Lanka welcomed over 120,000 tourist for the first 27 days of July, surpassing the 100,000 arrival milestone for the sixth time in the first seven months of the year.
SLTDA data showed that from 1 to 27 July, a total of 123,508 international visitors entered the country. The daily arrival average for July 1-27 period was 4,574, whereas the weekly arrival average was about 30,877.
In terms of source markets, India remained the top tourist traffic generator for Sri Lanka during the period.
The neighbouring giant contributed 17 percent of the total tourist arrivals bringing in 20,770 tourists.
The second largest contributor was the United Kingdom which accounted for 12 percent of the total tourist arrivals.
The UK brought in 15, 126 visitors to Sri Lanka. In third place was China. Following the post-pandemic reopening of its borders for travel,
China has emerged as one of the top three markets for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. In the month of July, China accounted for 7 percent of the total tourist arrivals, with a notable influx of 8,446 tourists.
While Germany holds the fourth position, the Russian Federation, which was Sri Lanka’s biggest tourist traffic generator since the island nation opened its borders, is observed to be slipping from its previous ranks.
In July, Russia accounted for 5 percent of the total tourist traffic. Other notable markets included France, Maldives, Netherlands, Canada, and Australia.
Sri Lanka has a target of attracting at least 137, 594 tourists for July. Within the first 27 days of the month, 89 percent of the target has been realized.
Colombo (LNW): Over 7000 more Sri Lankans are to get South Korean jobs following the issuance of visas to work in Korea during the second half of this year.
This was disclosed by Ambassador of Republic of Korea Miyon Lee stating that there are 25,000 Sri Lankan workers employed in Korea and by the end of this year it will be increased to 32,000.
The new Korean Ambassador, who called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Temple Trees last week said her country would work on few new development projects in Sri Lanka in addition to early completion of the ongoing projects.
The Prime Minister urged her to look into the possibility of recruiting Sri Lankans under the seasonal agricultural workers scheme too and the Ambassador assured that her Government would consider the request.
The Prime Minister urged her to take effective steps to resume some of the ongoing infrastructure development projects that were halted due to economic crisis and the issue of debt restructuring.
The Ambassador agreed to consider the request made by the Prime Minister to assist projects on water treatment, sanitation, sewage disposal systems and dry zone agriculture.
The Prime Minister said Korea has the opportunities now to invest in new sectors such as production of agricultural machinery, medicine and medical equipment and renewable energy and fisheries sectors.
Ambassador Miyon Lee said she would also work on further enhancement of cultural and religious ties, educational exchanges and people-to-people relationship.
It had also been agreed to refer 600 people who are currently registered on the Korean job website after passing the Korean language proficiency test under the production sector category for jobs in the shipbuilding sector.
Priority will be given to job seekers registered in the website, whose period for securing a job will expire by December 31 this year.
These jobs are to be provided by shifting the job category from the production sector of the website to the ship construction sector.
Candidates who are willing to change their job category from production to the shipbuilding industry should apply for it as soon as possible.
Accordingly, these jobs are to be provided by shifting the job category from the production sector of the website to the ship construction sector.
Thus, candidates who are willing to change their job category from production to the shipbuilding industry should apply for it as soon as possible, according to the ministry’s statement.
The South Korean Human Resources Department has also agreed to conduct examinations and recruit 900 welders and painters for jobs in the shipbuilding industry under the E9 visa category from next year.
Colombo (LNW): The winds of change are taking place in Mannar, Sri Lanka, as the Hiruras Power (Pvt) Ltd Wind Power Project is now fully swing despite certain hiccups in 2021, company sources said.
Situated in the Mannar wind belt, this unique project marks a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s renewable energy journey.
With a total capacity of 15 MW, the Hiruras Wind Power Project consists of two phases: 10 MW and 5 MW.
The first phase of 10 MW, was successfully commissioned on June 12, 2023, followed by the second phase of 5 MW, which was commissioned on July 21, 2023.
With WindForce holding a 100% stake and a combined capacity of 15 MW, this initiative further cements WindForce’s position as a leading player in the renewable energy sector, increasing their total installed capacity to an impressive 245.1 MW.
Despite facing numerous challenges, including the Covid pandemic and economic crises, the project showcases the unwavering determination and commitment of the WindForce team.
The road to completing the Hiruras Wind Power Project was not without obstacles. The year 2021 posed significant challenges for the project, with the Covid pandemic wreaking havoc on economies worldwide and disrupting supply chains.
Additionally, the economic crisis further complicated matters. Despite these hurdles, WindForce exhibited remarkable resilience and perseverance, forging ahead with the construction while adhering to strict health and safety protocols.
The successful completion of the project well ahead of the set timelines is a testament to the team’s dedication and adaptability.
WindForce’s commitment to excellence was evident throughout the project’s lifecycle. The company’s dedicated team handled all aspects of the project in-house, showcasing their expertise from the project’s inception to its realization.
Starting with wind resource assessment and micro sighting, the team meticulously planned the power plant modelling and development processes, ensuring optimal efficiency and sustainability. The entire engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) process was expertly managed, resulting in a state-of-the-art wind power facility.
The completion of the Hiruras Power (Pvt) Ltd Wind Power Project in Mannar, Sri Lanka, stands as a remarkable achievement and a testament to the potential of renewable energy in the region.
With WindForce leading the charge, the project’s success showcases their unwavering commitment to sustainability and resilience, even in the face of challenging global circumstances such as the Covid pandemic and economic crises.
By surmounting these obstacles and delivering the project well ahead of schedule, WindForce has solidified its position as a leading player in the renewable energy sector, further contributing to Sri Lanka’s journey towards a greener and more sustainable future.
Colombo, July 31: During Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s July 20-21 State Visit to India, Wickremesinghe and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to explore the feasibility of building a bridge across the Palk Strait to give India “land access” to the ports of Colombo and Trincomalee.
India and Sri Lanka already have air and sea connectivity and the two leaders decided to improve and expand them. But there is no “land connectivity”. Both Wickremesinghe and Modi are now keen establishing a land link also in order to bring the two countries closer for the common good and for the larger purpose of integrating the South Asian region.
The Vision Statement issued at the end of Wickremesinghe’s visit said that the two leaders agreed to “establish land connectivity between Sri Lanka and India for developing land access to the ports of Trincomalee and Colombo, propelling economic growth and prosperity in both Sri Lanka and India, and further consolidating the millennia-old relationship between the two countries. A feasibility study for such connectivity will be conducted at an early date.”
Explaining the concept to the media, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that the idea was proposed by the Sri Lankan President and was backed by the Indian Prime Minister.
Land connectivity will help India’s Southern States, which are now India’s growth centres, to increase their trade with Sri Lanka and vice versa. Ships from ports on India’s Eastern seaboard like Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata and Chennai, now have to go around Sri Lanka to reach Colombo. But if a land link is established with a bridge across the Palk Strait, traders can use road/and rail transport which are cheaper and less time consuming.
Long History
In 1913-14, the British rulers of India and Ceylon planned to use the rail link to bring Indians to work in the island’s tea and rubber plantations. Rail tracks were laid on the Indian side up to Dhanushkodi, and on the Ceylon side, up to Talaimannar. But the track across the Palk Strait was not laid because World War I intervened.
The idea had to wait until Wickremesinghe became Prime Minister in 2002-2004 to be revived. His “Hanuman bridge” was part of his larger project to build a strong economic cum strategic relationship with India to contain the Tamil Tiger insurgency in North and East Sri Lanka. He granted India the 99 unused giant oil tanks in Trincomalee and a part of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation’s distribution network to the Indian Oil Corporation and proposed a land link.
Sri Lanka envisaged a four-lane highway with a parallel single rail track that would cost of LKR 88 billion. Many papers were presented at a seminar held in Colombo in August 2002 under the aegis of the Sri Lanka Institution of Engineers and the Indian Institution of Engineers (Tamil Nadu Centre). A Concept Paper was presented to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalitha.
But the project did not take off, partly because Jayalalitha was against the land link that could facilitate LTTE infiltration into Tamil Nadu, and partly because Wickremesinghe was facing a backlash from the Sinhala nationalists, who feared infiltration from India. At any rate, he lost the 2005 Presidential election to Mahinda Rajapaksa, a Sinhala nationalist.
A decade later, in June 2015, the Indian Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari proposed the building the 23 km bridge with ADB assistance of US$ 3.5 billion as part of the Asian highways project. But he made this announcement without consulting the Sri Lankan leadership, perhaps imagining that Wickremesinghe, who was Prime Minister then, would automatically give it a nod. But Wickremesinghe was non-committal having been a victim of Sinhala nationalism earlier.
Indeed, Gadkaris persistence drew a hostile response in Sri Lanka. In 2016, Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that if the bridge was built the 60 million Tamils from Tamil Nadu would swamp Lanka. Another nationalist, Udaya Gammanpila, said that if the bridge was built he would demolish it.
Wickremesinghe Revives Proposal
However, Wickremesinghe now feels that the political climate in Sri Lanka is conducive to closer ties with India, given the significant role India has played in rescuing Sri Lanka from an economic abyss. Significantly, till now, no Sinhala nationalist leader has opposed the “land link” proposal made in New Delhi.
Wickremesinghe has support from two Lankan economists: Gayasha Samarakoon and Muttukrishna Sarvananthan. They said in a paper published by Routledge, that a land bridge would bring down the transport cost in India-Sri Lanka trade by 50%.
The 23 km bridge could be traversed in less than an hour. And from the arrival point at Talaimannar, it would take another 7–8 hours to reach Colombo by road (roughly 367 km). The total travel time between India and Colombo would be 9 hours with a few more hours to accommodate customs requirements.
But the total time taken to transport goods from Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu to Colombo is between 116 and 122 hours (about five days) for non-container ships, and between 40 and 46 hours (i.e., nearly two days) for container ships. This is “excessive” the economists said.
They further said that the waiting time for customs clearance and other formalities could also be significantly reduced if the land route was used because the land route would involve only exports/imports to/from India, whereas the Colombo Harbour would be handling trade to and from all over the world.
Lower transport costs would bring down prices of goods in Sri Lanka. An uptick in trade would create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. The road link would also contribute to the economic development of backward provinces like the Northern Province and the North Central Province.
“Districts in these provinces have been the lowest contributors to the national economy for a very long period. The poverty and unemployment rates of these provinces are the highest in the country and the human development index of these provinces is the lowest in the country,’’ the economists pointed out.
“Furthermore, the business communities in the Northern and North Central Provinces have long complained about their inability to directly engage in international trade. Presently, businesspersons in the Northern and North Central Provinces can engage in export/ import trade only through exporters/importers in Colombo. The proposed bridge would boost direct international trade between the northern, north-central, and eastern regions of Sri Lanka and India (particularly Southern India).”
Currently, only a small fraction of Indian tourists visits the Northern, North Central, and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka due to the long distance from Colombo, where the main international airport is located. The proposed bridge would boost tourist traffic to these marginalized provinces.
Unlike in 2002, 2015, 2016 and 2017, Sinhala nationalists have made no comment on the bridge proposal as on date. This is probably because it will be churlish to oppose closer links with India when India is helping Sri Lanka overcome a grave economic crisis.
But suspicions about India’s moves run deep in the minds of the Sri Lankan ruling class, based on an atavistic fear of Indian hegemony. An imagined prospect of being flooded by businessmen, professionals and workers from over-populated India frightens Sri Lankan businessmen and professionals. Hence the opposition to the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the Economic and Technical Partnership Agreement (ETCA) proposed by India.
Sri Lanka is also thought to be too weak vis-à-vis India. Sunday Times said so in an editorial on Wickremesinghe’s visit: “The problem for Sri Lanka is that it has no muscle, no clout to bargain as equal partners for win-win solutions when in Delhi. It is a lopsided balance sheet.”
Colombo (LNW): A rewarding event was held under the patronage of Public Security Minister Tiran Alles at the Ministry this afternoon (31), appraising and rewarding Police officers and civilians who contributed to the establishment of rule of law in the country.
Addressing the event, Minister Alles said Police officers who serve their duty to the letter without being subjugated to bribery are exemplary for Sri Lanka Police.
The Minister also took the opportunity to reward civilians who contributed to the cause and laud them, and pointed out that the public’s support in eradicating crimes is highly expected by Sri Lanka Police.
Responding to a query by a reporter on incidents in which assailants are arriving in motorcycles and opening fire, the Minister stressed that such events had been frequently evident especially in the Southern Province over the last period, but were controlled in the recent times. Further details cannot be disclosed at this moment, Alles told the reporters.
Below are the details of the Police officers and civilians who were appraised and rewarded for their contribution:
P.S. 39301 D.M.S.K. Dissanayake
P.S. 72248 L.A.I.G.H. Liyanaarachchi
These sergeants on 17.07.2023 arrested several suspects involved in the transportation of 10 cows in a lorry exhibiting animal cruelty from Dambulla to Kurunegala, and served their duty properly without accepting a bribe of Rs. 100,000 offered by the suspects.
H.A. Dileep Samankumara
R.A. Seelara
These civilians on 23.07.2023 assisted the Police in seizing a suspect who stole a golden chain from a woman and attempted to flee in a motorcycle in the Divulapitiya Police division. The two civilians blocked the suspect on the road by a car and helped the Police to capture him.
