01. Commissioner General at the Department of Motor Traffic Nishantha Anuruddha laments the main reason for the delay in issuing driving licences is “not having sufficient printing capacity with the existing printing machines”: adds a Cabinet paper has been sent for the purchase of five driving licence card printing machines.

02. Senior Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama says there is a risk of a dengue epidemic with the upcoming monsoon, thus dengue control needs to receive “more attention from all sectors”: adds everyone’s assistance is important because neither the government nor the health authorities can control the virus on their own: More than 47,000 cases reported since January 2023.

03. IGP informs all senior Police officers that in a bid to expand the operations of seizing illegal firearms and hand grenades all Police personnel and private tippers will be encouraged by increasing the amount of cash rewards granted through the Police Reward Fund for a period of one month: Move comes in as per an order by Public Security Minister Tiran Alles.

04. Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Levan S. Dzhagaryan says a group of Russian delegates will arrive in Sri Lanka this September and October to initiate talks on establishing a nuclear power plant in Sri Lanka: expresses confidence that the outcome of the negotiations would be positive.

05. Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena says by 2025, every depot belonging to the SLTB must be profitable; warns if not, the service cannot continue: laments while 90% of the depot employees are honest, about 10% do not hand over the fully daily collections to the depots; adds they allegedly keep a percentage of the collections and hand over the balance to the depots.

06. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry defends the appointment of ex Minister Rohitha Bogollagama as Sri Lanka’s next envoy to the UK, saying the move was well thought and was taken following discussion between himself and President Wickremesinghe.

07. The Department of Immigration and Emigration says 911,689 passports have been issued in 2022: reveals 2022 saw the highest number of passports issued in the last five years: adds 529,139 additional passports were issued in 2022 compared to the year before: In 2022,  1,124,022 Sri Lankans left the country.

08. The Election Commission says despite the change in the Commission administration, there will be no disruption to the activities of the currently announced LG Polls: The appointment of five new members to the EC nominated by the Constitutional Council to take place after President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s return to the island: Current Chairman Nimal Punchihewa nominated as a member of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.

09. Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe says the final list of beneficiaries of ‘Aswesuma’ welfare benefit programme will be published after completing the evaluation of appeals and objections: adds different surveys have shown that approximately 30% of welfare benefits are received by people who do not qualify to receive the allowances.

10. All Ruling Party MPs urged in a special notice not to leave Colombo next week starting from tomorrow, due to a series of special meetings and ‘a special Parliament resolution’ pending being tabled; also instructed to halt their foreign travels as well.  

Acting Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon made a visit to the Indian Navy Submarine ‘INS Vagir’ at the Colombo port on Wednesday (Jun 21).

Minister Tennakoon was received by the Commander of the submarine, Commander Divakar S on his arrival at the jetty and later accompanied him to the Submarine.

During the hosted tour of the Submarine, the Minister was given a briefing on the technical and maritime capabilities of the vessel.

Commander of Western Naval Command Rear Admiral Suresh De Silva and Defence Advisor of the Indian High Commission in Colombo Captain Vikas Sood were also present during the tour.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): A person was killed by gunfire near Dharmashoka Vidyalaya, Ambalangoda last night (24).

The victim is a three-wheeler driver in the area, and the shooters were reportedly two assailants who arrived in the scene by a motorbike.

The event surfaces only days after the government announced that it will be taking stern measures to curb gun violence in the country.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): All Ruling Party MPs and Ministers have been urged in a special notice to stay in Colombo next week as a mandatory requirement, starting from tomorrow (26).

This has been informed through the Office of the Chief Organiser of the Ruling Party, due to a series of special meetings and what sources elaborate as ‘a special Parliament resolution’ pending next week.

The retention in Colombo being a priority, all Ruling Party MPs have also been instructed to halt their foreign travels as well, according to sources.

Instruction on setting up a mechanism to check whether stickers are affixed to every bottle of liquor in the distilleries.
 Instructions to digitize the work of Excise Department
 Instructions for periodic exchange of officers attached to Excise Department working in liquor factories.

The Excise Department was instructed by Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage to apprise this Committee of the pending laws and regulations necessary to increase the efficiency of the Department.

Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage instructed the officials of the Excise Department at the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Economic and Physical Plans held june (22) in Parliament.

Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Member of Parliament, pointed out to the officials of the Excise Department that the expected revenue from the Excise Department the year is 217 billion rupees and as of June, only 72.985 billion rupees have been earned. He said that due to this, the Excise Department of Sri Lanka has not reached the expected income.

The officials present here pointed out that the production and sale of alcohol has decreased due to the increase in the price of alcohol. The officials pointed out presenting data that the expected income cannot be reached due to this.

Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that the revenue of the Excise Department has not increased for a considerable number of years. Because of this, it is not observed that the income has decreased only due to the increase in the price of alcohol. Therefore, to collect taxes directly from the large-scale alcohol production companies in this country. He also instructed to revoke the licenses of the manufacturing companies that fail to pay taxes in any way.

Furthermore, Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage pointed out the need for digitization of the Sri Lankan Excise Department. He pointed out that this institution is with a history of 110 years and the lack of digitization of this institution is a weakness.

The Committee also instructed to prepare a system to check whether stickers are affixed to each liquor bottle in the liquor factories. It was mentioned that there is a trend of liquor bottles being released in to the market without stickers. Due to this, the Committee instructed officials to prepare a proper mechanism to check the matter. The Chair also instructed to take the necessary steps in order to cancel the liquor license of the liquor shops selling alcohol without the sticker. The Chair also advised to check the quantity of liquor supplied to the liquor factories and the quantity of bottles distributed from the factories and take necessary measures if any irregularities occur.

Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage further instructed that the officials attached to the Excise Department who are working in the liquor factories have been working in those companies for a long time, thus it is observed that corruption and irregularities are taking place and therefore to prepare a system to exchange these officials periodically.

The Chair of the Committee instructed to inform the Committee of the laws and regulations that have stopped in the middle, which are necessary to increase the efficiency of the excise department.
Accordingly, the Chair of this Committee, Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage, recommended to give a report to this Committee within two weeks showing the necessary plans to increase the income of the Sri Lanka Excise Department in relation to these discussed matters. Hon. Harshana Rajakaruna, Hon. Gunathilaka Rajapaksha, Hon. Nipuna Ranawaka, Hon. Sudath Manjula, were present at the Committee meeting held.

In a momentous occasion, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, the Commander of the Air Force, recently declared open the newly established Surface Treatment Plant at SLAF Station Palavi. This inauguration marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance the engineering capabilities of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).

The establishment of the Aircraft Overhaul Wing at SLAF Base Katunayake in 2015 aimed to address the comprehensive overhaul needs of Chinese origin aircraft. As an integral part of this wing, the Surface Treatment Plant plays a vital role in facilitating the surface finishing of spares during the overhaul process for F-7BS/GS and K-8 aircraft.

The design of this cutting-edge workshop was executed by a team of experts from the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC). Under their supervision, the construction and installation of equipment were carried out, ensuring adherence to aviation standards and quality.

The Surface Treatment Plant boasts a wide range of surface finishing capabilities, encompassing various methods such as Electroplating (including Chrome Plating, Copper Plating, Cadmium Plating, Nickel Plating, Bright Nickel Plating, Tin Plating, Zinc Plating, Silver Plating, and Black Zinc Plating), Anodizing (including Passivation of stainless steel, Chemical conductive anodizing, Sulphuric acid Anodizing, Chemical oxidation of aluminium and its alloy, Chrome acid Anodizing, and Hard Anodizing), and Chemical Treatment (including Phosphating, Bluing, and Passivation of copper).

The successful implementation of this state-of-the-art Surface Treatment Plant not only elevates the engineering capabilities of the SLAF but also positions it as a valuable resource for sister services and external organizations. The facility has the potential to cater to the surface treatment needs of entities such as the Port Authority, Sri Lankan Airlines, and other relevant organizations.

The inauguration of the Surface Treatment Plant reflects the SLAF’s commitment to advancing its engineering capabilities, ensuring the efficient maintenance and overhaul of aircraft. This development signifies a significant step forward in the Sri Lanka Air Force’s ongoing efforts to enhance its operational readiness and contribute to the nation’s defense.