PMD: President Ranil Wickremesinghe received official information regarding the repair of 175 buses owned by the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB). These buses had been taken out of service due to the lack of spare parts as a result of the country’s import restrictions. Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena presented the relevant documents to the President.
A project was initiated at the depot level, following the instructions of Minister of Transport, Mr. Bandula Gunawardena, and was funded by the general treasury allocation. The goal was to refurbish 400 out of 852 buses that had been out of service for over three years.
As part of this project, 175 buses were restored to operation at a cost of nearly Rs. 300 million. The repair work was carried out with the involvement of engineers and technicians from the technical department of the Sri Lanka Transport Board.
Out of these 175 buses, 15 will be allocated to the “Sisu Seriya” programme, serving as transportation for school children. The remaining buses will be handed over to respective depots to fulfil passenger transportation needs.
The event was attended by Chairman of Sri Lanka Transport Board, S.M.D.L.K. de Alwis, Chief Executive Officer Mahesh Kulathilaka, Deputy General Manager Panduka Swarnahansa, and Chief Mechanical Engineer Lakshman Pushpakumara.
PMD: The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Marc-André Franche, paid a courtesy call to President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday afternoon (24).
During the meeting, Marc-André Franche, the UN Resident Coordinator, engaged in constructive dialogue with President Wickremesinghe on matters of utmost importance for Sri Lanka’s economic stability and growth. Both parties acknowledged the significance of the role the UN could play in assisting Sri Lanka in ensuring equitable debt treatment as Sri Lanka undergoes a restructuring process to overcome financial challenges and foster sustainable development.
President Wickremesinghe took the opportunity to present his administration’s comprehensive development and reconciliation plans for the North and East of Sri Lanka. The proposed plans aim to address long-standing issues, foster regional growth, and promote harmony among communities in these areas. The President emphasised the government’s determination to bring about positive changes that would benefit the lives of people in the region.
The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to collaborate closely on implementing the discussed initiatives.
Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lankan Rupee continues to depreciate against the US Dollar in comparison to yesterday (24) as revealed by the official exchange rates list issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (25).
Accordingly, the buying price of the US Dollar has increased to Rs. 323.03 from Rs. 321.10, and the selling price to Rs. 336.16 from Rs. 334.55.
The Sri Lankan Rupee has also depreciated against several other foreign currencies, including Gulf currencies.
Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lankan singing sensation duo “Jaya Sri” will release their brand new song ‘Ruwithe’ this Friday, July 28, 2023 at 5 pm on their official YouTube channel.
The announcement came in after days of speculation on Social Media that the two brothers have wrapped their arms around a new project. From starting a restaurant to becoming diamond cutters, speculations surfaced whether the musical siblings have abandoned the fans to pursue greener pastures.
But Jaya Sri finally came clean on a recent Facebook Live and explained about their new song.
“There are lots of talks, call us Jaya Sri. What is Ruwithe, some asked. Some asked us to reveal ourselves, some said the work is good, and some too spicy. Let me tell you. We let you guess.” Jaya Sri Rohitha said.
“Is it a new song? or have Jaya Sri started a diamond business? Have Jaya Sri started something else, they asked,” he went on. “So, whatever said, we have to say, that we’re going to release a beautiful new song. Ruwithe. Mathuwenna. Mathuwenna means, that if you have talents, polish ’em up and appear yourself. That’s what the song is about.”
Colombo (LNW): Trade union representatives, activists, civil movements and concerned individuals gathered in front of the Colombo Fort Railway Station this (25) afternoon urging the government to put an end to the robbing of the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF) under the guise of debt optimisation, and to scrap the new labour laws allegedly exploiting the workforce.
The protest was organised in a joint effort by trade unions and was attended by a large number of trade union members, activists, civil movements and concerned individuals.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe says the government will be unveiling a new tourist plan called ‘Visit Sri Lanka’ that will be released in the upcoming months; asserts the proposal is in the final stages of development and would be made public as soon as it is complete.
Plantation Industries Minister Ramesh Pathirana says action will be taken to establish an Agriculture and Plantation Research University by merging all institutions connected to the plantation industry and agriculture sector, as per President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s concept; asserts the fundamental draft related to this has already been prepared and it is intended to complete the basic work this year.
The CB says the Finance Ministry issued a new order relaxing certain limitations / suspensions imposed on outward remittances of foreign exchange: adds the move comes in “with a view to assist and maintain the financial system stability by minimising the pressure on the exchange rate and preserving the foreign currency reserve position of the country.”
The AG’s Office tells the Supreme Court that a two-thirds majority in Parliament and a referendum will be required to reconvene the Local Government bodies, were the private MP’s bill tabled by Ruling Party MP Jayantha Ketagoda to be considered; adds the provisions of the Constitution are being violated through certain clauses in the bill in question seeking amendments to the Municipal Ordinances on urban councils and municipal councils.
Sri Lankan-born journalist and the face of BBC One’s News At Six George Alagiah dies at the age 67: Alagiah was diagnosed in 2014 with stage four bowel cancer, which had spread to his liver and lymph nodes.
New Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC Reyaz Mihular says the recent changes in the company’s Board of Directors had nothing to with the divestment of shares by the Government: adds they as a Director Board have a sole responsibility to ensure SLT-Mobitel is run professionally, and the shareholders, therefore, cannot be expected to be told any conditions for selling shares: asserts the changes made in the company are solely “to ensure that SLT-Mobitel is managed properly following good governance practices.”
Chairman of the National Movement to Protect Consumer Rights Ranjith Vithanage says the swindle of selling palm oil-mixed coconut oil has once again been enthroned due to the Rs. 25 tax imposition on coconut oil, leading to a loss of about US $ 700 million in exports; laments the move is easily paving the way for notorious cooking oil dealers to continue the swindle; urges the government to increase the duty imposed on palm oil as well.
The Horana Magistrate Court warrants the arrest of former Commissioner General of Labour and current Secretary to the Ministry of Labour R.G.A. Wimalaweera in connection with the death of five persons at a chemical waste station of a rubber factory in Horana: Wimalaweera is accused of influencing a former factory inspection engineer to produce false evidence pertaining to the incident as the then Commissioner General of Labour.
Fitch Ratings says the SL government’s debt restructuring plan is likely to reduce investment and liquidity risks for domestic insurers: adds it expects the sparse foreign-currency liquidity in the local banking system to continue to limit insurers’ ability to meet foreign-currency obligations, such as reinsurance payments and claim obligations arising from the small portion of foreign currency-denominated policies.
Sydney Downing Centre District Court questions the “focused” media attention on Sri Lankan Cricketer Dhanushka Gunathilaka’s sexual assault case: Judge Warwick Hunt says he had concerns about potential prejudice after seeing Gunathilaka’s charges on the front page of a newspaper; questions how can the SL Cricketer get a fair trial after all this publicity.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is planning to attract 5 million tourists, including 2.5 million high-end visitors, contributing to the country’s economic growth under the government’s new tourism strategy: ‘Visit Sri Lanka’ , President Ranil Wickremesinghe divulged.
The President said this while addressing the ‘Bocuse d’Or 2023’ competition and awards ceremony where he announced the government’s new tourism strategy, ‘Visit Sri Lanka’ which is set to launch in the upcoming months, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that the government will be unveiling a new tourist plan called ‘Visit Sri Lanka’ that will be released in the upcoming months. He claimed the proposal is in the final stages of development and would be made public as soon as it is complete.
The government aims to bring in 5 million tourists, of whom 2.5 million will be high-end visitors, President Wickremesinghe said while emphasizing the industry as a significant economic driver.
According to Indian estimates, Sri Lanka can host up to 10 million tourists, of whom most will be tourists from Asian and the Indian Ocean region, he continued.
Now, if you’re looking at 5 million tourists or 10 million tourists, there have to be different types of tourism. And one that we can do well is culinary tourism. And that’s what we should focus on.
Not merely in our hotels, but any place. And if you’re having culinary tourism, remember, bulk is going to come from Asia. So there has to be fusion food from different parts of Asia, not only Europe. That’s what we should focus on., he pointed out.
Transformation of the tourism industry is required to make Sri Lanka competitive in the global travel market place and the government has recognized the potential in promoting the country as a tropical nation with a diverse culinary style. Hence attention will be given to develop the culinary tourism in the country, the President said.
The government is prepared to launch a Culinary School in collaboration with the private sector, the travel industry, and the hotel industry, the President added, noting that there is a need to train more personnel in the hospitality field, particularly in culinary tourism.
Attention will also be paid to aid private Culinary Schools in accomplishing this task, he added.Therefore, I think we must now train more and more personnel in the hospitality field, especially in the field of tourism and culinary tourism.
So let’s get ready for it. I have been talking with some of my planners and others, and we feel, firstly, we have to upgrade our hotel school, and it must become a genuine hotel school.
But more than that, together with the private sector, the travel industry, the hotel industry, the government is prepared to start a culinary school just for that, for large numbers.
There is a good future. Let’s train more and more people, and let’s all get used to it. Not merely in hotels, but the time will come when most of you will be running restaurants or supplying food. And that’s what the trade has to be. Services have taken over he emphasized.
Colombo (LNW): The finale week of the First-ever internationally held Mrs. India Inc Season 04 in Sri Lanka concluded recently with great success and glory with pleasant memories among contestants and local and foreign fans specially Indians.
At a press briefing held last week, Mrs. India Inc Director Mohini Sharma, along with the winner and the first four runner-ups of the competition spoke on their experience of the pageant finale week held in Sri Lanka from 13 to 19 July.
The grand finale was held at Nelum Pokuna while Cinnamon Grand hosted the contestants. Sharma spoke on her decision to hold the finale in Sri Lanka expressing her desire to internationally highlight the Mrs. India participants’ potential of winning the global pageant.
She added that due to organizing the event in a foreign country, most supporters of the contestants were absent from the audience at the event which initially seemed discouraging to the participants.
“But the experience we would give to the contestants was beautiful, it was a change of vibe and energy we all needed. Having new experiences, learning new things, meeting new people and trying new cuisine added up to the whole experience,” she explained.
Sharma as well as the winners of the competition commended the hospitality and support received by the country, noting that the pageant was held in Sri Lanka without challenges due to it.
“This year’s edition of Mrs. India is truly a special one and a milestone of r extraordinary journey. We have successfully taken our pageant to the international stage here in Sri Lanka, showcasing the talent, cultural diversity and beauty of women from all around India
“We are all thoroughly impressed by the brand of hospitality Sri Lanka has extended, and we are confident our paths will inevitably intertwine in the near future,” said Sharma.
The grand finale witnessed the crowning of Chethana Joshi Tiwari as Mrs. India for the year 2023 and also saw the crowning of Disha Shetty, Sohini Rohra, Nikita Satya and Roohi Marjara as first, second, third and fourth runner-ups respectively. The winners will have the prestigious opportunity to represent India at the global pageants later in the year.
Colombo (LNW): The swindle of selling palm oil-mixed coconut oil has once again been enthroned after months of silence due to the recent tax imposition on coconut oil, leading to a loss of about US $ 700 million in exports, lamented the National Movement to Protect Consumer Rights, a leading consumer rights watcher in Sri Lanka which previously divulged the ongoing racket of selling palm oil-mixed coconut oil in the local market.
The disclosure appears in the backdrop where the Finance Ministry has imposed a tax of Rs. 25 per litre on imported coconut oil, and the move is easily paving the way for notorious cooking oil dealers to continue the swindle of selling palm oil-mixed coconut oil whilst the market price of coconut oil soars, said the movement’s Chairman Ranjith Vithanage.
This will also be catering to the decline of export revenue from the coconut-related products in Sri Lanka, he noted.
“The annual coconut requirement was estimated to be 4.9 billion fruits, as per the statistics of the Coconut Development Authority in 2019. The number of coconuts required for domestic consumption is 1.8 billion fruits and the number of coconuts needed to produce coconut oil in this country is 1.8 billion fruits. The number of coconuts required for export-related production is 1.3 billion fruits. But the annual coconut harvest is 3.1 billion fruits. Based on the stats, the annual coconut deficit is 1.8 billion fruits,” Vithanage emphasised.
He went on: “Various methods had been used to cover this deficit. One is to import coconut oil to Sri Lanka. Between 140,000 – 160,000 metric tonnes of edible coconut oil has been imported into Sri Lanka in 2019. If that amount was produced in Sri Lanka, the amount of coconuts used for it would be equal to 1.4 – 1.6 billion fruits. If the import of coconuts is stopped due to the rise in the import tax on the price of coconut oil, 1.4 – 1.6 billion coconuts may have to be spent to meet the coconut oil demand of Sri Lankan consumers. The drop of export-related products due to the availability of coconuts, the annual decline in export revenue mounted to US $700 million.
Every time the amount of duty imposed on coconut oil surged and the amount of duty imposed on palm oil dropped, the swindle of selling palm oil-mixed coconut oil was undertaken by notorious businessmen. For the past twenty-five years, that smuggling has been going on, and to stop that smuggling, the government had increased the amount of duty on palm oil and even tried to maintain the amount of duty imposed on coconut oil at a lower value than the amount of duty imposed on palm oil. As a result, the swindle of selling palm oil-mixed coconut oil came to a standstill.
These smugglers appear in various forms from time to time and try to impose a lower value for palm oil than the duty imposed on coconut oil. This time, the amount of duty imposed on coconut oil was increased by Rs. 25 as a result of that effort.
A government should be looking into every aspect whilst imposing taxes. The economy of the country as well as the health of the people of the country are seriously threatened due to taking decisions based on only one end. The export revenue is also falling.
Our organisation, therefore, urge the responsible units to reconsider the Rs. 25 duty imposed on coconut oil. Or else, please increase the duty imposed on palm oil by Rs. 25 as well.”
