Colombo (LNW): Daily air flights between Jaffna, Sri Lanka and Chennai, India will commence from July 16, 2023, Alliance Air announced.
The Dutch Fort and much more await your company in Jaffna. Now fly daily from Chennai to Jaffna.
— Alliance Air (@allianceair) July 5, 2023
For bookings, please contact +9144 4255 4255 or +9144 3511 3511#AllianceAir #Jaffna #Chennai #Explore #Travel #SriLanka #VisitSriLanka pic.twitter.com/37jELLbxpI
The flight schedule is as follows:
By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): A Parliament Select Committee has been appointed to probe into Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy status and submit recommendations on the matter.
The PSC will be chaired by MP Sagara Kariyawasam, Secretary General of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), and followed by State Minister D.V. Chanaka, Minister Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi, MPs Vijitha Herath, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Eran Wickramaratne, Ashok Abeysinghe, Jayantha Ketagoda, Harshana Rajakaruna, Pradeep Undugoda, Sanjeeva Edirimanna, Nalaka Kottegoda, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, and Ranjith Bandara.
By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) condemned the private member’s bill presented by Ruling Party MP Jayantha Ketagoda to re-convene the dissolved Local Government Authorities without holding elections, calling the move would be a heavy blow to the people’s sovereignty enshrined in the Constitution.
In a statement, the TISL pointed out that any attempt to pass such amendment must be roundly defeated, and called on all citizens to stand up for their voting rights, by opposing this move.
Full Statement:
“Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) condemns the anti-democratic private member’s bills presented to the Parliament of Sri Lanka by SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda to re-convene the dissolved Local Government Authorities (LGAs) without holding elections. TISL believes that this move would be a heavy blow to the people’s sovereignty enshrined in the Constitution.
Local Government Members are the grass-roots level public representatives. Regular elections are essential for the people’s mandate to be reflected in the LGAs. In addition, this Amendment sets a bad precedent as it creates a risk of abusing the legal framework to prevent holding timely elections, including national elections. This can lead to the people losing faith in the entire democratic system in the country, with negative implications to the rule of law as well.
Therefore, TISL emphasizes that any attempt to pass this Amendment must be roundly defeated. TISL calls on all citizens to stand up for their voting rights, by opposing this move.”
TISL condemns the anti-democratic private member’s bills presented to #ParliamentLK by SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda to re-convene the dissolved #LGAs without holding #elections. This move would be a heavy blow to the people’s sovereignty.
— Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) (@tisrilanka) July 6, 2023
Read more: https://t.co/meZLoeELa7 #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/c5bOhYQRL8
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka received three ‘Double Wattled Cassowaries‘, a species of flightless birds, under an animal exchange programme with Thailand last night (05), Daily Mirror reported.
According to Daily Mirror report, two males and one female Cassowaries about nine months old, weighing about sixty kilograms each were brought to the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) last night at 11.10 p.m. from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by Malaysia Airlines flight MH-179.
These animals are believed will be handed over to the Dehiwala zoo.
Photo Courtesy: T.K.G. Kapila
Colombo (LNW): The Right to Information (RTI) Commission yesterday (05) reprimanded Parliament officials for withholding information pertaining to the report issued by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on the Easter Sunday massacre, calling it ‘a punishable offence.’
This declaration was made by a four-member bench of the Commission which concluded a seven-month long hearing of a RTI appeal against the Parliament of Sri Lanka on the allegation of not releasing sections of the PCoI report containing evidence recorded from the wife of the Easter attack bomber Zahran Hashim and several top Police and Military intelligence officials to the public.
Journalist Tharindu Jayawardena on behalf of the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) lodging a RTI application with Parliament demanded that the copies of the evidence produced by Hashim’s wife Abdul Cader Fatima Hadiya, ex SDIG of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Ravi Seneviratne, ex CID Director Shani Abeysekara, DIG Nalaka Silva, SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena, ex Director of Military Intelligence Chula Kodituwakku, Naufer Moulavi and Gaphoor Mama pertaining to the probe on the Easter Sunday massacre be released.
However, Parliament had initially declined the above appeal, stating that such information was not in its possession. Later, the attorney representing the appellant had submitted facts to the RTI Commission confirming that these information are, in fact, possessed by Parliament, and the latter made rather a contradictory statement suggesting that releasing such information could violate the Parliamentary Privileges Act.
The Commission observed that it would be an offence punishable by law to produce false information pertaining to the matter, and informed Parliament to make its final written submissions by August 04, 2023 and the appellant to make its final submissions by August 18, 2023.
Colombo (LNW): The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has decided to slash the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the CBSL by 200 basis points to 11 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.
The move comes in after ‘careful analysis of the current and expected developments, including the faster-than-envisaged disinflation process and benign inflation expectations in the domestic economy,’ the CBSL said.
This will aim the enabling of the country’s economy to reach its potential and stabilising inflation at mid-single-digit levels in the medium term, whilst easing pressures in the financial markets.
By doing so, the CBSL expects that the market interest rates, particularly lending rates, will adjust downwards adequately and swiftly.
PMD: Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayaka, stated that new legislation will be enacted to combat all actions that jeopardize religious unity.
The Minister reiterated that under the guise of freedom of speech or religion, no one has the right to offend any religion.
Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayaka expressed these views today (05) during a press conference themed “One Way to a Stable Country” held at the Presidential Media Center yesterday (05).
By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has extended the suspension on Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) from carrying on businesses and activities of a Primary Dealer for a period of six months.
The Monetary Board has taken this decision in compliance with the regulations provided by the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance.
01. CB’s Monetary Board decides to reduce the SDFR and the SLFR of the CB by 200 basis points to 11% and 12% respectively: Decision said to have been taken following “a careful analysis of the current and expected developments, including the faster-than-envisaged disinflation process and benign inflation expectations in the domestic economy.”
02. ADB says it is willing to provide the necessary knowledge and technical support for Sri Lanka’s new reform operation programme in the water supply sector, along with capacity building projects of the NWSDB.
03. CPC reports its fuel cost breakdown as of 18 Feb ’23, reporting profits: Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara reveals CPC earned a profit of Rs. 16.21 per litre of Petrol 92, Rs. 3.25 for Auto Diesel, Rs. 109.44 for Petrol 95, and Rs. 11.64 for Lanka Super Diesel; adds, however, a loss of Rs. 21.49 incurred per litre of Kerosene: assures the CPC is on a path towards achieving financial stability.
04. Colombo High Court grants bail to stand-up comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya who was arrested on the charge of making controversial comments on Buddhism: HC Judge Aditya Patambedi says the ICCPR, which was deemed the rationale for Edirisooriya’s arrest, is being used today beyond the purpose for which it was introduced to SL by the Legislature; adds it would be “appropriate to adopt the ‘Rabat Plan of Action’ introduced by the UN’s Human Rights Committee in constituting the establishment of an offence under ICCPR Act (3)1, and accordingly, her comments being presumed to be inciting national or religious hatred would be an invalid argument.”
05. Sri Lanka surpasses 50,000 cases of dengue since January this year: As of Tuesday, a total of 640 cases reported in the last three days of this month alone, with June reporting the highest number of cases: Death toll at 31: 43 dengue high-risk zones identified: Western Province accounts for 24,930 cases, approximately 49.8% of the overall figure.
06. CB’s Monetary Board decides to extend the suspension of Perpetual Treasuries Limited from carrying on the business and activities of a Primary Dealer for a further period of six months: Decision made in terms of the Regulations under the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance.
07. RTI Commission reprimands officials representing Parliament for its wavering stance on the possession of PCoI Report on the Easter Sunday Massacre and warns that furnishing false information to the former is a punishable offence by law: Conclusion made by a four-bench commission following a seven-month long hearing of a RTI appeal against Parliament for not releasing sections of evidence recorded from suicide bomber Zahran Hashim’s wife and several top Police and Military intelligence officials to the public.
08. Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda says SL will seek fresh diplomatic engagements with India to secure what is termed ‘an innocent passage’ through its territorial waters for SL fishermen to enter the Arabian Sea for multi-day fisheries; adds the GOSL is to ask for India’s support to secure a passage through its EEX for Sri Lankan fishing vessels.
09. Sri Lanka receives three ‘Double Wattled Cassowaries’, a species of flightless birds, via an animal exchange programme from Thailand: BIA sources say the three birds were received for the Dehiwala zoo: Two males and a female Cassowaries about nine months old and weigh about 60 kg each, brought in.
10. Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe says most of the national sports bodies haven’t any proper plan but always wish support from the Ministry; laments it is “very difficult to work with sports body officials, as most of the time they are willing to work for their benefits and not for the players and the sports.”
PMD: A meeting took place yesterday (05) between the President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka, and Mr. Takafumi Kadono, Resident Mission Director of the Asian Development Bank.
During the meeting, it was revealed that the ADB was willing to provide the necessary knowledge and technical support for Sri Lanka’s new reform operation program in the water supply sector, along with capacity building projects of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board.
The meeting extensively examined the plans and monitoring framework for the water supply sector in Sri Lanka, as well as discussed future steps. Mr. Ratnayake expressed gratitude for the bank’s support and advised officials to review progress on a monthly basis.
Notable participants in the discussion included Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Minister Jeevan Thondaman, Prime Minister’s Secretary Anura Dissanayake, and President’s Senior Adviser on Economic Affairs Dr. RH. S. Mr. Samaratunga, among other relevant government officials.
