Colombo (LNW): In a proactive move to bolster the tourism sector and attract a new wave of remote workers, the Cabinet of Ministers has given its seal of approval to a range of visa programs, including a novel offering known as the “Digital Nomad Visa” (DNV).
Under the Digital Nomad Visa program, applicants are required to demonstrate a minimum monthly income of $ 2,000, which must be channelled through the Sri Lankan banking system. This visa is renewable annually, subject to certification of the requisite funds.
The application fee for the DNV is set at $ 500, and it encompasses the visa holder’s spouse and dependents.
This initiative comes in response to a noticeable shift in people’s attitudes towards online business and the newfound ability to work remotely, anywhere with an internet connection.
Several factors have driven this change, including technological advancements, the flexibility of work-life balance, global connectivity, and evolving work cultures.
The breakthrough move was proposed by and secured Cabinet approval by Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles.
Sources said notably, many countries in the region and beyond have introduced DNV to attract a distinct type of tourism.
For instance, Germany offers a freelance visa tailored for self-employed individuals. Malaysia has its “DE Rantau Nomad Pass,” which also mandates a monthly income of $ 2,000.
New Zealand refers to its visa as a “Working Holiday Visa,” requiring proof of $ 2,700 in funds.
Sri Lanka is planning to simplify the country’s visa issuance methodology to make it easier for tourists and businesses to visit the country.
The Cabinet of Ministers this week approved a proposal furnished by the Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles to further simplify visa methodologies implemented at present.
According to the Immigration and Emigration Act No. 20 of 1948 and the regulations issued under that, the Department of Immigration and Emigration issues three categories of visa, namely visit visa, resident visa and transit visa.
The Cabinet Office noted that considering the complexity in the visa issued under visit visa and resident visa categories, measures have been taken to review Sri Lanka’s visa methodology with visa methodologies of countries that attract more tourists.
The current visa system in Sri Lanka is complex and outdated. It has been criticised by businesses and tourists alike, who say that it is too difficult to navigate and that it takes too long to get a visa.
Norway’s Digital Nomad Visa spans two years and necessitates a monthly income of $ 3,140. Portugal’s version is initially valid for one year and can be extended up to four years, with a monthly income requirement of $ 2,950. Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa calls for a monthly income of $ 2,215.
Colombo (LNW): The Lanka Mineral Sands Company has taken steps to introduce a new methodology for the sale of Sri Lanka’s minerals as the foreign exchange earnings remain low due to the export of high value minerals such as ilmenite, rutile and zircon as raw materials to foreign countries.
The officials said that measures have been taken to sell the minerals at the highest prices ever in the history and accordingly a ton of rutile will be sold for US $ 1733, a ton of ilmenite for $ 251 and a ton of Hi-Titanium ilmenite for $ 250.
Agreements have been signed to give more than 7% for each ton as the state share.Due to this, the new system has been set up in such a way that the government can earn a large amount of revenue, the officials said.
Lanka Mineral Sands (LMS) will ship it’s largest-ever consignment of mineral sands by value this week, signaling the advent of a new chapter of operations.
The cargo of concentrate ‘tailings’ is valued at several million dollars, and is being shipped to its Chinese buyer following an international tender process with the participation of five bidders at a pre-determined benchmark price.
This shipment represents the largest-ever for LMS since its inception in 1957.
Puttalam Ilmenite Limited (PIL), the country’s premier explorer of mineral sands, represented the buyer in Sri Lanka.
Puttalam Ilmenite together with its partners have invested over US$ 20 million in Sri Lanka for research and development in the country’s mining sector, and is looking to grow the commercial potential of the segment internationally.
The company is planning to build the country’s first world-class mineral processing facility that will represent the largest-ever foreign direct investment in the sector through the BOI.
Lanka Mineral Sands is a 100 percent state-owned enterprise, and is one of Sri Lanka’s few profitable state entities.
Its operations are based at Pulmoddai on the East Coast, employing over 600 people including engineers. LMS is in the process of expanding its operations at Kokkilai.
Chairman of Lanka Mineral Sands, Dr. Udeni Dassanayake said, “This has been a progressive year for LMS, and we have already transferred over Rs.1.7 billion to the Treasury in addition to securing a new buyer and obtaining market-based price for our product.
General Manager of PIL, Ryan Rockwood, a seasoned mining professional said, “Sri Lanka’s mineral sands sector offers great potential, and we possess a good understanding of its composition and value for buyers all across the world.”
“Ilmenite has taken the lead in mineral sands exploration in Sri Lanka in tandem with our international partners, who have placed a great deal of trust in our company and are continuing to invest in Sri Lanka.
Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) has further depreciated against the US Dollar today (05) in comparison to the day before, as revealed by leading commercial banks of the country.
At Peoples Bank, the the buying price of the US Dollar has increased to Rs. 313.37 from Rs. 312.39, and the selling price to Rs. 328.09 from Rs. 327.07.
At Commercial Bank, the buying price of the US Dollar has increased to Rs. 313.23 from yesterday’s Rs. 312.39, but the selling price remains steady at Rs. 324.50.
At Sampath Bank, the buying price of the US Dollar has increased to Rs. 315 from Rs. 314, and the selling price to Rs. 326 from Rs. 325.
Colombo (LNW): The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka determined that the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill can be passed in Parliament via a simple majority.
The Supreme Court’s ruling, accordingly, was announced to the Chambers by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena this (05) morning.
The Speaker commented that the Supreme Court has held that neither the bill nor any of its provisions is inconsistent with Article 12 of any provisions of the Constitution.
The bill, therefore, can be passed via simple majority, he noted.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lankan professionals issued the ultimatum to the government that their strike action will continue if the government fails to keep its promises.
The professionals’ cautionary note comes in only days ahead of the scheduled visit by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation to Sri Lanka on September 15, to extend the first phase of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for the island nation.
Pointing out the necessity for the Sri Lankan President to stand by the written pledge he had made earlier this year, the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) reminded that in March, 2023 President Ranil Wickremesinghe had committed himself to revisiting the tax regime by June, but this is an affair yet to meet the light of day.
Should the government continue to fail in providing a solution to the tax issue, resumption of the strike actions would be inevitable, said Senior Lecturer Charudaththe Illangasinghe, the Spokesperson for the FUTA.
Colombo (LNW): The Northern Railway Line will be temporarily closed for a period of six months starting from January 2024 for renovations, revealed Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena.
In the backdrop, trains will operate at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour from Colombo to Kankasanthurai, the Minister noted, adding that renovation work on the Colombo to Panadura railway tracks will also commence shortly.
In the meantime, plans are underway to remove the speed limits on the Kelani Valley Railway Line, in a move to boost the speed of train services, the Minister pointed out.
PMD: Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media Dr. Bandula Gunawardena said that investors have been allowed to purchase 200 electric buses for operation in the Western Province.
The minister also pointed out that this program will be implemented in accordance with the world agreement where all public transportation worldwide will be free from fossil fuels by 2030.
Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media Dr. Bandula Gunawardena conveyed these updates during a media briefing held yester day (04) at the Presidential Media Centre under the theme ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country.’
Dr. Bandula Gunawardena further said;
“Investors have been allowed to import 200 electric buses for the Western Province. For this project, Expression of Interest has been called. It will be implemented as a domestic and foreign joint venture. Also, the investors have been allowed to establish charging points.
The investor would be allowed to operate the project to recover the invested capital. Thereafter, within a certain period, the ownership of the buses will be acquired by the government. Any country in the world including China and Korea could apply for this project. This is an investment opportunity.
There is a global consensus that all public transport in the world should reach zero emission by 2030. Those involved in carbon trading are investing in this to protect the ecosystem. Electric buses bring great value to the environment. Various organizations in the world are paying a high price to protect this value.
Also, all government institutions should be digitized to prevent decrease in income. A cabinet paper has been presented to replace issuance of tickets with electronic cards. When you transact using advanced technology such as card or QR system instead of cash, you could increase the income of each of these institutions by at least 50%.
Institutions such as the Inland Revenue Department, Customs, Excise Department, Railways, Sri Lanka Transport Board, etc. can be rebuilt through modern technology. Without it, the government cannot bear the burden. Many changes have been made to the railway system.
A shipment of rail tracks has been brought to the port after 4 years under the loan assistance of the Asian Development Bank. The railway line from Colombo to Panadura is in a state of dilapidation. Coastal railway tracks need to be replaced at least every 5 years. As a result of the dilapidated railway lines, the trains have to run at a reduced speed, causing delays for commuters who have to report for duty on time.
Therefore, the restoration work of the railway track from Colombo to Panadura will commence within the next few days. The northern railway line was temporarily closed since January to upgrade the tracks from Anuradhapura to Kankasanthurai. Further upgrades are scheduled on this northern track from Mahawa to Anuradhapura in January 2024. Once these upgrades are completed, trains on the northern track would be able to operate at a speed of 100km per hour from Colombo to Kankasanthurai.
A loan agreement is to be signed under Indian loan assistance for the modernization of the signalling system. A renovation process to increase the speed by removing the speed limits of the Kelanivalley railway line will commence from the first week of this month.
If a train carriage is imported from abroad, it costs Rs. 200 million. A Sri Lankan entrepreneur refurbishes a train carriage for Rs. 25 million. Accordingly, it is hoped that the existing railway carriages will be renovated through the upcoming budget.
Employees are impressed with our program. The trade unions are now supporting us. We also get their support in dealing with polluters. I appeal to the trade unions not to inconvenience passengers in order to achieve their demands. In the event there are issues that affect them, it could be discussed with the relevant officials where a solution could be found.
National Medicine Regulatory Authority Head Professor S D Jayaratne admits inferior drugs had been imported and used at Govt hospitals: asserts the Govt would henceforth take advice from the US Food and Drug Administration in the importation and regulation of medicines: also says the NMRA is investigating the mystery deaths that had occurred in hospitals during the last few months.
SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam says people are getting what they have asked for, from President Ranil Wickremesinghe: also says people asked for more taxes, & not concessions: the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce had consistently and publicly called for higher taxes, removal of subsidies, debt re-structuring, and IMF intervention.
JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva says NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake is the only common candidate who can defeat incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe at a future poll.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa dismisses claims that he will not run for President if incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe contests the 2024 Presidential election: also says assertions to the contrary may indicate a threat to his life: UNP General Secretary Range Bandara says no one is interested in killing Premadasa.
Litro Gas says the price of a Litro 12.5kg cylinder has been increased by Rs.145 & the new price will be Rs.3,127: Laufgs Gas also increases the price of their 12.5Kg cylinder by Rs.145 with the new price being Rs.3,835.
Supreme Court to take up for hearing, the Writ petition filed by Colonel (Rtd) W M R Wijesundara which seeks an order postponing the Local Government Elections in view of the prevailing economic crisis in the country.
SJB Deputy National Organiser S M Marikkar accuses the Govt of increasing the country’s debt burden by a massive 14% in just a 6-month period: says Sri Lanka’s total debt was USD 84bn at the end of Dec’22, but by the end of the 2nd quarter of 2023, it had increased to USD 96.5bn.
Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court remands a “Choon Paan” seller (mobile bread-seller) 19, from Eppawela, who had been arrested by the CID for allegedly uploading and sharing a threatening Facebook post on President Ranil Wickremesinghe: the man was arrested ahead of the President’s scheduled visit to the Eppawala area on 7 Sept.
Samagi Joint Trade Union Alliance Convenor Ananda Palitha claims the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has increased prices of all products in spite of earning a monthly profit of Rs.12bn: says there is no justifiable reason for the upward revision of fuel prices.
Controversial UK-based media outlet “Channel 4” announces it is planning to make some shocking revelations about the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks in a programme titled “Sri Lanka’s Easter Bombings”: the programme trailer indicates that it is about to “implicate” an official inside the SL Govt to the Easter Sunday attacks.
Colombo (LNW): Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central and North-western provinces, and Fairly heavy showers above 50mm are likely at some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara and Nuwara-eliya districts, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (05).
A few showers are likely in Jaffna, Mannar and Anuradhapura districts, and fairly strong winds about (40-50) kmph can be expected at times in western slopes of the central hills, Western, Southern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces, the statement added.
On the apparent southward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka during 28th of August to 07th of September in this year. The nearest towns of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today are Bambalapitiya, Maliboda, Keppetipola, Badalkumbura and Pottuvil about 12.09 noon.
Marine Weather:
Condition of Rain:
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo, Galle and Matara.
Winds:
Winds will be south-westerly and speed will be (30-40) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (60-65) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Hambantota to Pottuvil and sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Trincomalee via Puttalam, Mannar and Kankasanthurai. Wind speed may increase up to (50-55) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle.
State of Sea:
The sea areas off the coast extending from Hambantota to Pottuvil and in the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Trincomalee via Puttalam, Mannar and Kankasanthurai can be very rough at times. The sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle may be rough at times. Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers. Increase of swell wave heights(about 2.0 -2.5m) can be expected in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Pottuvil, via Colombo, Galle and Hambantota.
Colombo (LNW): The unfolding truth unmistakably uncovers that the hate policy carried out by the head of Asia Rugby in relation to Sri Lanka Rugby, as well as the sports authorities of Sri Lanka who have contributed to it, have done so in a shameless cloak of transparent. The proceedings directed against Sri Lanka by the Asia Rugby President are becoming increasingly evident, particularly with the involvement of Vinod Tiwari, the acting head of the Asia Games.
This stems for this is that Lasitha Gunaratne, who participated in the election for Sri Lanka at that time, did not vote in favor of him when he became the president, and later, despite the independence of the Sri Lanka rugby administration, by Rizly Illyas, the Asia president blamed for the decisions made by the Sri Lankan Sports Minister with the Sri Lanka Rugby.
The issue of non-voting and the letter sent by Asian President to then former Minister warning Sri Lanka in this regard have now become hidden facts because Lasitha is also a member of the National Sports Council of the current Sports Minister who allows the stupid behavior of the Asia President.
The Asia President’s animosity towards Sri Lankan rugby has led him to employ his Sri Lankan associate, Asanga Senaviratna, a former rugby president, as a conduit to tarnish its reputation. During his tenure as the President of Sri Lanka Rugby, he was responsible for Sri Lanka incurring a fine of £50,000, which is still being paid in installments, imposed by World Rugby for permitting foreign players to participate in Sri Lanka without following the requisite procedures.
Despite the individual’s role in the incident that led to Sri Lanka paying the fine and potentially damaging the country’s reputation, Namal Rajapaksa, who had previously held leadership positions in Sri Lanka rugby and later became the Sports Minister, nominated this individual as the chairman of the Rugby Advisory Council alongside the Asia Chairman.
It is an embarrassing situation that the Sports Ministers of Sri Lanka are camping to facilitate the Asia president to ban rugby in Sri Lanka on the challenge of Rizly Illyas personally made to the Asia president for the independence and pride of rugby in the country without being a part of this mafia. It’s indeed unfortunate that even the Sri Lankan Parliament representatives, who have been active in cricket – a significant source of wealth, have not been responsive to the efforts of the Sri Lanka Rugby administration to elevate rugby nationally and replenish its depleted funds and the Sri Lanka Rugby administration, which was contributing to that task, did not wake up from the measures taken to protect the pride of the Asia Rugby president.
There have been not even requests for debates. What they did was allow Roshan Ranasinghe to make absurd accusations in Parliament and wait silently.
At this moment, the activities of the Asia President, who was behaving proudly with all those silences, have become questionable through the Asia Olympic Committee. The political parade of the Asia President and his assistants in charge of the Sri Lankan sports show that they are marching proudly, but they are wearing transparent shawls and are walking naked. It was with the announcement that Rizly Illyas, who held the position of president who was under the wrath of the political power within Sri Lanka Rugby, as well as with the Asia President, would be stepping down from his position.
If the problem so far has been Rizly Illyas, now he has stepped down from that position. If so, now as the Sports Minister said, as the Asia president also pointed out, the Sri Lanka sevens rugby team should be given the opportunity to represent the Asia rugby Tournament under the Sri Lankan flag, not under the Olympic flag of Sri Lanka. But the Sports Minister now has to understand that the Asia President is also angry with Lasitha Gunaratne for not coming forward to vote because of the new story told by the Asia President.
Also, Asanga Senaviratne does not need to worry about it. He was the President of Sri Lanka Rugby at the time he was fined £50,000 for the notable black stain in the history of Sri Lanka Rugby.
The Asia President has now gone to tell Tiwari through his executive officer Benjamin that he has the power to decide to the how rugby should be in the Asia Games, and is working to take rugby to a risk of withdrawing from the Asia Games. If so, the Asian president will have to incur the wrath of the rager nations of Asia itself.
If the issues have been primarily attributed to Rizly Illyas, as stated by the Sri Lankan Minister, then it’s possible that the Asia President may no longer have problem about the participation of Sri Lanka rugby. But now the Asia President’s opinion is that Sri Lanka should pay a fine of $10,000 for the non-participation of a Sri Lanka women’s team.
The Sri Lanka women’s team had to face that fate due to unforeseen circumstances such as the disappearance of the team captain during the Korean Tour. In that regard, the Sports Ministry also brought the opinion that a women’s team should not participate again.
By the time the inquiry was completed, there was a period of about 20 days for the respective tournament, and if the situation is taken legally, it is a period of two months.
Also, the power and authority over the women’s team was not delegated to Sri Lanka Rugby. When you define two months as 60 days, 20 days represents one-third of that time frame. Accordingly, proper time has not been given to this team to prepare for the tournament.
By now, the Asia Olympic Committee, the main Asia Tournament Organization, has become aware of the hateful and idiotic nature of this illogical behavior in Asia rugby. The legal time frame and related constraints have been explained communicated by Sri Lanka Olympics. Earlier, the tournament sponsored by Sri Lankan sponsors, which involved the participation of Minister Namal Rajapaksa and the issues surrounding it, are currently being discussed at the Asian level.
The World Rugby expressed displeasure with the way the current Asia Rugby president came to power, and did not provide funds to organize some tournaments.
At that time, the Sports Minister of Sri Lanka tried to eliminate Sri Lanka by defeating the Philippines in the tournament held with the sponsors of Sri Lanka.
If the Philippines had indeed confirmed their defeat, and Sri Lanka did not win, it would have resulted in the Philippines winning the international match while Sri Lanka would have been considered a defeated team in that particular match.
With all these issues, the Sri Lankan Sports Ministers were pushing the Sri Lanka Rugby President to resign for standing up for the independence and pride of the country’s sport and making him take the blame. It appears that the Asia President continues to meddle in Sri Lanka rugby even after the departure of the Sri Lanka Rugby President. Also, the Asia President informed Harin Fernando, a former Sports Minister, about not voting for Lasitha Gunaratne in the election. Another important aspect to consider is the country represented by the Asia President.
Along with the hatred towards Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka is also an obstacle for the Asian chairman to win some place for the country he represents. Excluding Sri Lanka from the Asia tournament will create a good opportunity to potentially be seen as a way to avoid certain situations or conflicts within the organization.
Therefore, if the Sports Ministers of Sri Lanka who went to his procession really have any feelings about Sri Lanka, they should understand the truth that they have not been shown as kings. They had gone to the procession naked, dressed in transparent shawls.
When individuals who don’t bear the responsibility for a country’s sport, and who have historical issues such as a £50,000 fine, they also wore transparent cloaks as royal clothes.
Even now, if the intelligence has grown to the point where they feel naked, they should raise the voice of the sports politician who becomes the voice of a country and address the Asia President. The World Rugby should be accused of violating the independence and pride of the country’s sport and violating agreements. Namal Rajapaksa’s appointment of the individual who was the President when Sri Lanka was fined £50,000 as the chairman of the Sri Lanka Rugby Advisory Committee is seen as a contributing factor to the issues within Sri Lanka rugby, it may indeed be appropriate for him to address the rugby community and express his apology and regret.
Taking the evidence that is very clear about those facts, the current Sports Minister of the country should withdraw the permission of such people to hold any sports-related responsibility on behalf of Sri Lanka.
But the current Sports Minister is trying to slap the “treasonous” label of treason on the people who are trying to protect the independence and pride of the country’s sports and not on the people who are humiliating the country in front of the world. He is putting the label of ‘treasonous’ on true patriots by appearing in photographs together with the people who affected the pride and independence as well as the people who created the biggest black spot. The photograph here also shows such a situation. But now people are getting to see the truth in front of the Asia Olympic Committee. It is felt that they are not wearing royal cloths but transparent cloaks.
It is important that someone gives the Sri Lankan Sports Minister the wisdom to get rid of the formality of that naked parade and fight for reality.
The behavior is enough now to realize that the problem is not just Rizly Illyas, but the Asia President’s hatred of Sri Lanka and removing an obstacle to the advancement of rugby in his country. Indeed, it’s crucial to recognize that there can be individuals or entities that may support actions that appear to undermine the independence and pride of a country’s sports for their own personal interests rather than the best interests of the country’s sports community.
With Vinod Tiwari coming forward to dedicate himself for the vitality of the Asia Games by raising these questions for the Asia Games, many people were looking at the ‘Nilames’ in the parade of the Asia President as majestic images dressed in royal clothes, but now it is becoming clear that they are transparent cloaks.
So it is a matter of one’s intelligence to decide whether to take on the clothes now or to continue moving forward in the parade of transparent cloaks lined up by the Asia Games organization.
In the same way that the sports leaders of Sri Lanka joined this parade and did not respect the independence of Sri Lanka rugby and hindered the Sri Lanka rugby, now the Asia President Qais al Dhalai has also brought forward his personal agenda in a way that hinders the Asia rugby.
Currently, the seriousness of the narrow interests of the Asia President has affected rugger widely, to the point of whether Sri Lanka will play in the Asia tournament or whether the rugby will be held.
Rizly Illyas’ resignation letter is also attached to this article.
