By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has taken a significant step toward promoting sustainable energy solutions by becoming a founding member of the Global Biofuel Alliance.

The Cabinet of Ministers this week approved the proposal presented by the Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, solidifying Sri Lanka’s commitment to advancing bio-fuel adoption and cooperation on a global scale. 

The alliance aims to foster collaboration among leading bio-fuel producers and consumers, including countries such as Brazil, India, the United States, and other interested nations. By joining forces, these countries seek to promote the sustainable use of biofuels, especially in the transportation and energy sectors.

The announcement was made during the India Energy Week in February 2023, where India, as the current G20 Presidency, unveiled plans to establish a global bio-fuels alliance.

 India, as the driving force behind the alliance, seeks the participation of all nations to join this collaborative initiative. Sri Lanka was also extended an invitation to sign the founding document and become a founding member of the Global Biofuel Alliance.

 This membership solidifies Sri Lanka’s commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions and demonstrates the country’s dedication to environmental stewardship.

“This will be a great stepping stone for Sri Lanka in diversifying its energy sources, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.

It will also help the electricity users to move into cleaner energy and bring down their bills,” Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing.

The Global Bio-fuel Alliance aspires to create a platform for knowledge-sharing, market development, and the exchange of best practices in biofuel production and utilisation.

 The alliance will facilitate global biofuel trade, encourage the development of optimal policies, and provide technical assistance to nations seeking to implement biofuel practices.

By working together, member countries will accelerate the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the impact of climate change.

India launched the Global Biofuel Alliance, an ambitious initiative aimed at fostering international collaboration and accelerating the development and adoption of biofuels.

The official announcement of this groundbreaking alliance came during the Clean Energy Ministerial Meeting in Goa on July 22, 2023, with a formal launch planned at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi in September this year. Nineteen countries  including Sri Lanka are standing with India on this.

Having achieved its 10 percent ethanol blending target, also known as E10, five months ahead of schedule in June 2022, India now sets its sights on an even more ambitious objective: achieving a 20 percent blend, or E20, by the end of 2025.

 Ethanol is a vital biofuel and plays a pivotal role in reducing India’s dependence on fossil fuels while curbing carbon emissions and air pollution.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The Norwegian Embassy in Colombo will close on July 31, 2023, the Embassy announced in a social media remark.

It added that all diplomatic affairs will be handled by the Norwegian Embassy in New Delihi, and urged the public to follow its official Facebook Page.

Whilst Visa related matters are being handled by the Scandinavian country’s colleagues in New Delhi, a VFS office in Colombo where applicants can hand in their documents will be still operational, the Embassy said in response to queries.

“The Norwegian Embassy in Colombo will close on 31 July 2023. From 1 August, the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi will be responsible for Norway’s bilateral relationship with Sri Lanka and the Maldives. This Facebook page will be closed. We invite you to follow the page of the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi for more updates on our ongoing cooperation with India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives!” the Embassy wrote.

Colombo (LNW): The Ministry of Health has instructed the officials to immediately remove a batch of locally produced Aspirin from use in hospitals, following reports of a quality defect identified.

The production company in question has been notified and requested to provide relevant information about the incident, said Dr. Saman Ratnayake, Additional Secretary to the Ministry.

Measures have been taken to seize the imports of this batch, and despite the action, there will be no shortage of Aspirin, he added.

Colombo (LNW): The government will be taking measures to make the employees of the local government bodies whose employment statuses remain uncertain permanent permanent soon, said Provincial Councils and Local Government State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura.

Accordingly, those employed on contractual-basis, freelance-basis and others at the LG bodies will be made permanent, and the process of collecting information in this regard has already commenced, the Minister revealed.

As of now, about 12,000 vacancies are available in LG bodies, and the permanent appointments will be granted to fit these vacancies, Wakkumbura assured.

Currently, there are about 10,000 non-permanent employees in LG bodies, he added.

Colombo (LNW): Amal Eran Herath Sanderatne, top economist and the founder and CEO of Frontier Research, has passed away at the age 47.

Sanderatne is reported to have died after falling off the fifth floor of an apartment complex in Colombo yesterday (23).

Police have launched an inquiry into the death of the economist, and are currently determining what exactly happened leading to his death.

Sanderatne’s Frontier Research is a company that provides macro-economic research.

1. President Ranil Wickremesinghe to convene an All-Party meeting on Wednesday at the President’s House: The meeting is expected to address a number of matters of importance, including the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and initiatives to be implemented for the promotion of national harmony.
   
2. President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructs officials to expedite the Anuradhapura Sacred Site Development Plan, giving priority to the Maha Viharaya Development Plan; adds a Committee consisting of a team of experts from the National Physical Planning Department, the Department of Archaeology, and Universities will be appointed to implement the Maha Viharaya Development Plan.
   
3. The Auditor General’s Department launches a special probe into the use of substandard medicines, following reports on a number of incidents in the Health Sector surrounding controversy: Auditor General W.P.C. Wickramaratne says previous investigations on the NMRA and the Health Ministry revealed significant information about the use of substandard and unregistered drugs; asserts the Parliament Committee on Public Business also discussed the matter; adds a separate probe into the computer system related to the purchase and distribution of medicines will also be conducted.
   
4. The new circular issued by the Health Secretary censoring health officials from providing information to the media without prior consent of the department heads meets with immediate backlash: Health professionals allege the circular is against the freedom of speech and expression of health workers; reveal the communique in question fails to mention the provisions of the Establishment Code which concern the representatives of trade unions or health professionals’ associations; urge Health Secretary to provide an explanation and revoke it immediately.
   
5. Power and Energy State Minister D.V. Chanaka says the first fuel shipment of China’s Sinopec, which signed a contract to enter the Sri Lankan fuel market, will arrive in the country early next month; asserts steps will be taken to replace the fuel price formula with a maximum retail price, thereby creating a fuel competitiveness that benefits the country; assures a MRP will be stipulated to all fuel companies under the price formula from August.
   
6. Trade Minister Nalin Fernando says the two leading LP Gas companies must comply a price formula and sell gas at the same prices; warns any attempt to violate this requirement will be met with legal action; laments private vendor LAUGFS had not taken any steps to slash its gas prices subsequent to its state-run competitor LITRO.
   
7. The SYU together civil movements organises a protest and a cultural concert in remembrance of a number of events in the history of Sri Lanka that affected national unity, including the 1983 “Black July”: The event was led by SYU member Eranga Gunasekara and JVP former MP Bimal Rathnayake: Police fire water cannons to disperse the protest.
   
8. Several train trips scheduled for yesterday and today have been cancelled owing to the strike action launched by the Railway Engine Drivers’ Association concerning an issue related to the duty rosters of engine drivers.
   
9. Immigration/Emigration Dept laments a number of incapacities are evident in accessing the new online system established for obtaining passports: Failure to properly place the fingerprints, non-submission of adequate bio data, and failure to comply with the procedure in submitting the relevant documents online the most frequent; urges the public to contact the Dept itself or the nearest Divisional Secretariat to resolve any problems pertaining to the submission of applications and follow the correct procedure.
   
10. Minister Bandula Gunawardena says whatever the government in power in the country, Sri Lanka is legally bound to settle foreign debts at maturity till 2048; adds SL has to repay foreign debt of US$ 36 billion and only 37% of them mature within the next five years; asserts 51% of the total foreign debt matures in 6-20 years and the rest 12% after 20 years.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): A number of incapacities are evident in accessing the new online system established for obtaining passports, and the failure to properly place the applicants’ fingerprints, the non-submission of adequate bio data, and the failure to comply with the procedure in submitting the relevant documents online are the most frequent among them, the Department of Immigration and Emigration said.

In the backdrop, only about 3,700 passports could be proceeded for issuance out of about 35,000 applications submitted online, lamented Controller of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Ilukpitiya.

The Dept, therefore, urged the public to contact the Dept itself or the nearest Divisional Secretariat to resolve any problems pertaining to the submission of applications and follow the correct procedure in applying for passports.

Anyone can visit the official website of the Department of Immigration and Emigration and follow the guidelines for submitting applications via the online system.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): A number of train trips have been cancelled as the Railway Engine Drivers’ Association has launched a strike action.

The trade union action is based on an issue related to the duty rosters of engine drivers.

As a result, several evening trains scheduled for yesterday (23) and this (24) morning have been cancelled.