President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Pakistan Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar engaged in bilateral discussions in Beijing yesterday afternoon (17). This meeting took place on the side-lines of the ‘One Belt – One Road’ international conference in China.

During their meeting, both leaders emphasized the global imperative of cultivating a harmonious society free from animosity, prejudice and anger arising from racial, religious or ethnic differences. They stressed the paramount importance of addressing the challenge of fostering a unified society based on shared humanity, where divisions driven by race, religion or ethnicity give way to unity and mutual understanding.

Subsequently, President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar engaged in an extensive discourse concerning the economic crises that affected both Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with a particular focus on strategies for recovery.

Moreover, the leaders deliberated on the critical developments unfolding in the Gaza Strip. In this regard, a consensus was reached to issue a joint statement, reflecting their common stance on the matter.

This pivotal meeting was further enriched by the presence of distinguished delegates, including Pakistan’s Finance Minister, Shamshad Akhtar and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, Ali Sabry.

State Minister of Trade S. Viyalanderan, expressed the need for Tamil political leaders to collaborate with President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s flexible approach to achieve national unity and address the challenges faced by the Tamil population.

State Minister Viyalanderan emphasized that the economic difficulties experienced by the people during the recent past have begun to see some relief. He stressed the importance of everyone rallying behind the continuous and effective advancement of the President-led government’s program aimed at a complete economic recovery for the nation.

State Minister Viyalanderan made these remarks during a press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre on the 17th, under the theme ‘Collective Path to a stable country’.

The State Minister further elaborated:

“The country is gradually emerging from its economic downturn, but the process is not yet complete. We cannot claim that the financial burden on the people has been entirely lifted. However, considerable progress has been made in mitigating the hardships faced by the people during the preceding economic crisis. Further measures are required to alleviate these hardships.

Relevant ministries, led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, are diligently working towards this objective. The effort must be on-going and highly efficient, requiring collective engagement. As the Minister of State overseeing this matter, it is our responsibility to further reduce the prices of essential commodities in the country.

The escalation in the cost of essential goods directly impacts the everyday lives of the people in our country. Thus, it is imperative to lower the prices of commodities to meet the public’s expectations. Recognizing this, the Ministry of Commerce is taking decisive steps to ensure the availability of essential goods at affordable prices.

Despite price reductions in many essential goods, certain traders have yet to adjust their pricing. Some items continue to be sold at higher rates. Consequently, we have instructed the officials of the Consumer Affairs Authority to initiate legal action against those responsible.

In addition to economic challenges, we are actively working to find resolutions to the ethnic issues and foster national harmony. In this context, President Wickremesinghe has convened multiple rounds of discussions with members of both the ruling and opposition parties, both inside and outside parliament, to deliberate on matters such as the 13th Amendment and related topics. These discussions are on-going, with diverse opinions being voiced. However, our commitment remains to meet the expectations of the people.

It is worth noting that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a Tamil person as the Governor of the Eastern Province for the first time. We express gratitude to the President for this significant step. The current President is particularly dedicated to addressing the concerns of the Tamil community and President Wickremesinghe’s flexibility provides an opportunity for Tamil leaders to engage in constructive dialogue to resolve our issues. This should be regarded as their shared responsibility.

We must actively involve Tamil leaders and civil society activists in discussions concerning our challenges. This process must be expedited.

It is essential to acknowledge that, within the brief period available, we have initiated numerous projects. Furthermore, we will continue implementing development initiatives, including road construction, bridge projects and improvements in agriculture and fisheries, as well as enhancing the livelihoods of our citizens. Measures have also been taken to combat unauthorized sand mining in the Eastern Province, with a focus on environmental preservation and resource conservation.”

 PMD

A protest was organized by the Union of Environmental Organizations in front of the Colombo Fort railway station today (18) under the name of ‘යුක්තියේ අඩහැරය’.

The organizers said that the protest will be held for the wild elephants who has been killed in the past. The environmental organizations pointed out that due to the killing of wild elephants in the past, the freedom of living of these animals is being knowingly abolished.

They alleged that the Department of Forests and Wildlife, which should intervene for the safety of wild animals, has also forgotten its role.

Accordingly, it was emphasized to the responsible parties that the right to live of wild elephants should be confirmed immediately.

Civil society activists including trade unions were also present for this protest.

Photos – Ajith Seneviratne

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has reappointed current police Chief C.D. Wickramaratne despite the Constitutional Council unanimously vetoing the service extension given last week.

The Constitutional Council had taken an undivided decision at its meeting yesterday (Oct. 17) to reject the third tenure extension granted to Wickramaratne, who was appointed as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in November 2020 and was supposed to retire from the police service on March 26, 2023.

President Wickremesinghe had extended his tenure by 3 months on two occasions – on March 26 and July 09 – by way of special gazette notifications.

The second tenure prolongation came to an end on October 09. IGP Wickramaratne was, however, granted yet another service extension of 3 weeks on October 13.

President Wickremesinghe, who is currently on a four-day official visit to China, has reportedly been given instructions from Beijing to make the necessary arrangements to reappoint IGP Wickramaratne.

The Constitutional Council has declined to grant a third service extension to IGP C.D. Wickramaratne, citing the Government’s policy not to extend the service of State sector employees over the age of 60, sources said.

The Constitutional Council had met in Parliament under the Chairmanship of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday afternoon.

Also in attendance were Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Member of Parliament Sagara Kariyawasam, and civil representatives.

President’s representative to the Council, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva was absent from the meeting as he is currently visiting India.

Wickramaratne was due to retire on 25 March this year. Currently, both the President and Subject Minister Tiran Alles, are overseas.

A final decision regarding the position of the Inspector General of Police will be made upon their return, according to sources in the President’s Office.

According to sources from Police Headquarters, Senior DIG Administration Nilantha Jayawardena, Senior DIG Western Province Deshabandu Tennekoon, and Senior DIG Central Province Lalith Pathinayake remain the top contenders for the coveted position.

However, allegations of dereliction of duty over the Easter Sunday attack have been levelled against all three while various parties including the Catholic Church of Sri Lanka have urged the President to refrain from appointing either of them to the position.

At the Invitation by Mr. Tao Guangyao Huawei Sri Lanka CEO and Christophe Lee, Director Huawei Sri Lanka -President Ranil Wickramasinghe Visited the Huwaei Advanced Research Center/ DaVinci Exhibition Center in Beijing on Tuesday.

He was Welcomed in the Centre by Simon Lin, Senior Vice President Huawei Technologies / President Huawei Asia Pacific,  Jun Zhang, President of Public Affairs and Communication and Peter Pan, President of Huawei South Asia Region. Several areas of cooperation was discussed.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry PC, Transport and Highways Minister Banduala Gunawardana ,Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka , DInesh Weerakkody Chairman BOI and Portcity Commission , Sagala Rathnayake NSA and Thekshana Abeyawardana Director Presidential Secretariat participated in the discussions at the Huawei Beijing DaVinci Exhibition Center.

On October 18, the Sri Lankan Rupee exhibited stability against the US Dollar at commercial banks in Sri Lanka, maintaining similar exchange rates compared to the previous Tuesday.

Peoples Bank reported minor adjustments, with the buying and selling rates for the US Dollar rising marginally from Rs. 316.18 to Rs. 316.67 and from Rs. 329.37 to Rs. 329.88, respectively.

Meanwhile, Commercial Bank noted no significant changes, as the buying rate and selling rates for the US Dollar remained constant at Rs. 317.68 and Rs. 328, respectively.

Sampath Bank observed slight fluctuations, with the buying rate for the US Dollar increasing from Rs. 319 to Rs. 319.50, and the selling rate also showing a slight increase from Rs. 329 to Rs. 329.50.

The government has officially declared three vital sectors as essential services through a Gazette notification. The announcement, issued by the Secretary to the President, came into effect on Tuesday, October 17, 2023.

The Gazette notification explicitly designates electricity, petroleum, and health services as essential. It reads, “All services related to the supply of electricity, the distribution of petroleum products and fuel, and any service, work, or labor, irrespective of its nature, essential or necessary for the maintenance and care, feeding, and treatment of patients in hospitals, nursing homes, dispensaries, and similar healthcare institutions, are hereby recognized as essential public services.”

This declaration underscores the critical importance of these sectors in ensuring the continuous functioning and well-being of the country, particularly during times of crisis or emergencies.