Colombo (LNW): The civil defence officer who was arrested over the accidental shooting of a female elephant named ‘Sita’ has been granted bail today (30).
The officer from the Civil Defence Department working with the Mapakada Wewa Wildlife Regional Office was arrested for shooting ‘Sita’, a female elephant that had been part of the annual Randoli Perahera at Mahiyanganaya Rajamaha Viharaya.
The incident occurred at about 3:30 am this morning when the officer mistakenly identified ‘Sita’ as a wild elephant after she crossed the river.
Despite being informed by bystanders that ‘Sita’ was not a wild elephant, the officer proceeded with the shooting.
After being shot, 48-year old ‘Sita’ was tethered to a tree near the Mahaweli River, and received immediate medical attention from the Wildlife Conservation Department’s veterinary surgeons post-injury.
The officer in question had used rubber bullets aiming to deter wild elephants in the area, unintentionally injuring ‘Sita’, said Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department M.G.C. Sooriyabandara.
Colombo (LNW): A number of lawyers’ associations, including the Lawyers’ Collective and the Young Lawyers Association raised deep concerns about the recent resignation of T. Saravanarajah, former Magistrate of Mullaitivu based on alleged threats to his life, calling for an impartial investigation into the event.
In a statement, the Lawyers’ Collective pointed out that it is imperative, given the serious implications it has for matters pertaining to the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law, that the matter be fully investigated with measures to assure independence and impartiality.
In a statement, the Young Lawyers’ Association demanded that the Judicial Service Commission conducts an impartial inquiry into the allegations against the government and the Attorney General, which has been circulated in the media, whilst calling for an impartial investigation into the resignation of Mr. Saravanarajah.
Colombo (LNW): The Department of Irrigation today (30) extended the ‘Amber’ flood warning issued for the low-lying areas of Nilwala River, Gin Ganga and Kuda Ganga, in the backdrop where rainfall continues.
Accordingly, the flood warnings which were initially issued two days ago (28) for the following areas have been extended for another 24 hours effective until tomorrow (01).
• Kotapola, Pitabeddara, Akuressa, Pasgoda, Athuraliya, Malimbada, Thihagoda, Matara and Devinuwara Divisional Secretariat Divisions in Nilwala River basin
• Palinda Nuwara and Bulathsinhala Divisional Secretariat Divisions in Kuda Ganga sub-basin of Kalu River
• Welivitiya Divithura, Baddegama, Niyagama, Neluwa, Tawalama, Nagoda, Elpitiya and Bope Poddala Divisional Secretariat Divisions of Gin Ganga basin
Meanwhile, ‘Amber’ flood alert has been issued at 10.00 a.m. today for the low-lying areas of Attanagalu Oya in Gampaha, Minuwangoda, Ja-Ela, Katana and Wattala.
The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has also extended the landslide warnings issued for parts of Galle, Hambantota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Matale, Matara and Ratnapura districts.
‘Amber’ (Level 2) warnings issued to the following areas will be in effect until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow (01):
• Galle District – Neluwa Divisional Secretariat Division • Kalutara District – Ingiriya Divisional Secretariat Division • Kandy District – Pasbage Divisional Secretariat Division • Matara District – Pitabeddara and Kotapola Divisional Secretariat Divisions • Ratnapura District – Kalawana, Ayagama, Eheliyagoda, Ratnapura, Kuruwita, Pelmadulla, Nivithigala, Kiriella and Elapatha Divisional Secretariat Divisions
“Yellow” (Level 1) warnings issued to the following areas were extended until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow (01):
•Galle District – Elpitiya Divisional Secretariat Division • Hambantota District – Walasmulla Divisional Secretariat Division • Kalutara District – Mathugama, Walallawita, Bulathsinhala and Agalawatta Divisional Secretariat Divisions • Kegalle District – Yatiyanthota, Ruwanwella, Deraniyagala, Dehiowita and Kegalle Divisional Secretariat Divisions • Matale District – Yatawatta Divisional Secretariat Division • Matara District – Mulatiyana and Athuraliya Divisional Secretariat Divisions • Ratnapura District – Kolonna and Imbulpe Divisional Secretariat Divisions
Colombo (LNW): US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung urged Sri Lankan authorities to prioritise the rights of the country’s citizens when considering the recently introduced Online Safety Bill and the Anti-Terrorism Bill.
Taking a statement to X (previously known as Twitter), Chung emphasised the importance of incorporating feedback from technology professionals, civic organisations, and a range of experts while deliberating the Online Safety Bill.
“As Sri Lanka deliberates the Online Safety Bill, it’s crucial to include input from the tech sector, civil society, and diverse experts. Preserving freedom of expression is essential—it’s a fundamental right that is non-negotiable and must be safeguarded,” she wrote.
The US Envoy went on: “We also urge the Sri Lankan government to honour its pledge to revise its anti-terrorism legislation in alignment with international standards & best practices in other democracies. Sri Lankans deserve both security & fundamental freedoms. Striking the right balance through effective legislation will ensure both, enabling lawful freedom of assembly & empowering law enforcement to tackle threats effectively.”
(1/2) As Sri Lanka deliberates the Online Safety Bill, it's crucial to include input from the tech sector, civil society, and diverse experts. Preserving freedom of expression is essential—it's a fundamental right that is non-negotiable and must be safeguarded.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka faces minimal risk from the Nipah virus that recently emerged in neighboring India, a statement by the Health Promotion Bureau of Sri Lanka said.
As per the Epidemiology Unit of Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry, Kerala, India reported 6 Nipah virus cases since the outbreak began in late August 2023, leading to two deaths. More than 700 individuals, suspected to have come into contact with infected patients, were quarantined and tested with no positive results as of September 22.
Kerala authorities have shut down certain public areas as a safety measure. This marks the fourth Nipah outbreak in Kerala in five years. Each time, effective and swift measures were taken to contain the virus.
Full statement;
Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus, transmitted predominantly from fruit bats and through food which has been contaminated by body fluids or secretions of infected animals, including directly from human to human via prolonged close contact. In infected people, it can cause a range of illnesses from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
Nipah virus was first recognized in 1998 in Malaysia during an outbreak among pig farmers. In total, around 265 people were infected. Thereafter, a small outbreak in Singapore was also reported with a total of 11 infected people. Since then, no further outbreaks had been reported in Malaysia. No spread to other countries was also noted during this period and both countries were able to successfully control the outbreak without international spread. From 2001, the virus again emerged in Bangladesh and frequent small-scale outbreaks have flared up on and off in that country since. The disease was also identified in eastern India (Bengal region) in 2001 and since then, few sporadic small-scale outbreaks have occurred. All such outbreaks have thus far been well controlled and not spread beyond the local area of origin.
The latest outbreak in the South Indian State of Kerala, emerged in late August 2023. Up to now, 6 people have been infected of which 2 have died. Over 700 people who were suspected to be potential contacts of the infected patients have been quarantined and tested for the infection, with no positive reports as of 22.09.2023. As a precautionary measure and to mitigate potential spread of the disease, the state authorities initiated closure of selected public places in the area of origin of the disease. This is the fourth Nipah outbreak to hit Kerala in the past 5 years. Each time, the disease has been well controlled and timely precautionary measures have been taken to ensure that there is no spread beyond the area of origin of the outbreak.
In general, transmission of the disease can occur in several ways – either through unprotected exposure to secretions/tissues from infected animals, or through consumption of fruits or fruit products contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bats. Human to human transmission has so far only been reported mainly by close contacts of the infected patients, via the infected person’s urine, saliva, blood or other secretions.
Human infection ranges from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory infection (mild or severe) and fatal encephalitis. Infected people usually develop fever initially, followed by headaches, myalgia, vomiting and sore throat. This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness and neurological signs indicating acute encephalitis. Some patients can also have pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses including acute respiratory distress. Seizures and encephalitis can occur in severe cases.
The incubation period is believed to range from 4 to 14 days. Most people who survive acute encephalitis make a full recovery, but long-term neurologic conditions have been reported in some survivors. The case fatality rate is estimated at 40 – 75%. However, this rate can vary by outbreak depending on the local capabilities for epidemiological surveillance and clinical management.
Diagnosis is usually through clinical history and main tests involved include RT-PCR from body fluids and ELISA testing. Other tests include PCR assay and virus isolation by cell culture.
There are currently no specific drugs or vaccines for the Nipah virus. Mainstay of treatment is intensive supportive care to treat severe respiratory and neurologic complications.
Fruit bats are the natural reservoir for the Nipah virus. There is no apparent disease in fruit bats. The Nipah virus can cause outbreaks in some domestic animals, primarily pigs where it is highly contagious. An infected pig can exhibit no symptoms, but some can develop feverish illness.
Prevention is mainly through raising awareness of the risk factors and education of the community among the measures that can be taken to reduce exposure to the Nipah virus, by reducing risk of bat-to-human, animal-to-human, and human-to-human transmission. These include thoroughly washing fruits and peeling, prior to consumption including discarding of contaminated fruits or those with animal bites. When handling sick animals or their tissues, protective clothing including gloves and face shields should be worn. Important to avoid close unprotected physical contact with diagnosed Nipah virus-infected patients. Regular handwashing should be carried out after caring for or visiting sick people. Health care staff caring for patients with suspected or confirmed infection, or if handling specimens from them, should implement standard infection control precautions at all times. These measures should also be followed, especially by those travelling to infected areas/localities.
Considering the disease epidemiology, and current outbreak control measures that have been implemented in areas such as Kerala, in the current context, the risk to Sri Lanka is minimal and there is no need for the public to panic. Furthermore, the Health Ministry is closely monitoring the situation and will advise the public on measures to be taken as the need arises.
The development comes against the backdrop of a diplomatic row between New Delhi and Colombo last year over the docking of Yuan Wang 5, a vessel used by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to track satellites and ballistic missiles, at the Chinese-controlled Hambantota port
New Delhi The Sri Lankan government is set to unveil a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for visits by foreign ships or aircraft, including military assets, as part of efforts to address India’s concerns over port calls by Chinese vessels, people familiar with the matter said.
The SOP, which will include guidelines and details about the type of vessels to be allowed into Sri Lanka’s ports and territorial waters, are expected to be formally announced by authorities in Colombo soon, people familiar with the initiative in both Sri Lanka and India said on condition of anonymity.
The development comes against the backdrop of a diplomatic row between New Delhi and Colombo last year over the docking of Yuan Wang 5, a vessel used by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to track satellites and ballistic missiles, at the Chinese-controlled Hambantota port. Another PLA Navy vessel, Hai Yang 24 Hao, known to have surveillance capabilities, visited Colombo port in August 2023.
“The SOP will lay down the type of vessels that can make port calls. For instance, the class of submarines and warships that can make visits to Sri Lanka’s ports. The SOP will also state how long the vessels can remain in the country’s territorial waters and the type of activities they can engage in,” one of the people cited above said.
A second person familiar with the initiative on the Indian side said: “The guidelines and SOP are fine but what will matter are actions taken on the ground.”
The Indian side’s greatest concern that the Chinese vessels can use their equipment to snoop on Indian security facilities while in Sri Lankan waters, the people said.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe referred to the SOP while participating in the annual Indo-Pacific Islands Dialogue organised by Carnegie Endowment in New York this month. He contended the new SOP built on earlier procedures set by the Sri Lankan Navy and were framed following consultations with the Indian side.
“Recently, we had discussions with India and we’ve now taken on all the amendments. So, any ships that come in now are according to an operation procedure which we have done together with India. I can’t see any ship that’s a threat coming in through that operating procedure,” Wickremesinghe said.
He said only Chinese research vessels visit the island country under the terms of agreements between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) and some universities of Sri Lanka. Such vessels have visited Sri Lanka for the past 10 years, he added.
Both India and the US have expressed concern about a planned visit to Sri Lanka by another Chinese research vessel, Shi Yan 6, described by China’s state media as a ship with a 60-member crew that conducts oceanography, marine geology, and marine ecology tests. China sought permission from Sri Lanka in August for a port call by the vessel, but the people said a final decision on dates for a visit is yet to be made.
While the Indian side conveyed its concerns to authorities in Colombo, US undersecretary of state for political affairs Victoria Nuland took up the matter with Sri Lankan foreign minister Ali Sabry during a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Shi Yan 6 is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka in October to carry out tests with NARA.
ByKalyananda Tiranagama Executive Director Lawyers for Human Rights and Development
It appears that President Ranil Wickremasinghe, all along his political career, has acted in the belief that he can bring about national unity, true national reconciliation among different communities and find a lasting solution to the ethnic problem only by granting more and more concessions to the racist political parties with separatist agendas in the North and the East and complying with their demands.
In 2002, as the Prime Minister, Wickremesinghe signed, without the approval of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, an Oslo-brokered ceasefire agreement with the LTTE, allowing the LTTE to have internal self-administration in the areas under their control in the North-East. In 2005, he supported the move of the Kumaratunga government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the LTTE for the establishment of a Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS Agreement) under LTTE leadership for carrying out reconstruction work in the six Tsunami affected Districts in the North-East. In 2006, he assured the TNA of support for the re-merger of Northern and Eastern Provinces if a motion was brought for that purpose in Parliament. During the war for the liberation of the North-East from terrorism, instead of supporting the war effort, his party tried to derail the war effort by abstaining from voting for the extension of the Emergency and making derogatory remarks about the victories of the armed forces.
Common Dream of Wickremasinghe and Sampanthan
In his Address to Parliament on February 8, 2023 delivering the Policy Statement of the Government, President Wickremasinghe disclosed a common dream Mr. Sampanthan and he had been trying to realise over the years thus:
‘‘Both Hon. R. Sampanthan and I were elected to Parliament in 1977. We both have a common dream, which is to provide a sustainable solution to the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka while we are both in Parliament. Ever since, we have been discussing that dream and have been making efforts towards its achievement. All previous attempts have failed, but we wish to succeed this time. We expect your support to this end.’’
Before proceeding to examine the dream of the President, let us examine the dream of Sampanthan and the political organisations led by him: the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). This dream remained continuously unchanged since the founding of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (Federal Party) in 1949. The name of the Party – Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) or (Tamil State Party of Ceylon) itself reflects this dream. This dream was reiterated in various resolutions passed at their conferences and public declarations at different times.
Dream of Sampanthan and other Tamil leaders
Trincomalee Resolution of ITAK – April 1957
The Resolution passed at the first National Convention of the ITAK held in Trincomalee in April 1957 elaborates on this dream citing the components this dream consists of:
“Inasmuch as it is the inalienable right of every nation to enjoy full political freedom without which its spiritual, cultural and moral stature must degenerate and inasmuch as the Tamil Speaking People in Ceylonconstitute a nation distinct from that of the Sinhalese by every fundamental test of nationhood, firstly that of a separate historical part in this island at least as ancient and as glorious as that of the Sinhalese, secondly by the fact of their being a linguistic entity different from that of the Sinhalese, with an unsurpassed classical heritage and a modern development of language which makes Tamil fully adequate for all present day needs and finally by reason of their traditional habitation of definite areas which constitute one-third of this island, the first National Convention of the I.T.A.K. demands for the Tamil Speaking Nation their inalienable right to political autonomy and calls for a plebiscite to determine the boundaries of the linguistic states in consonance with the fundamental and unchallengeable principle of self-determination.”
The components of this dream are as follows:
a. Tamil Speaking People in Ceylonconstitute a nation distinct from that of the Sinhalese by every fundamental test of nationhood: i. playing a separate historical part in this island at least as ancient and as glorious as that of the Sinhalese; ii. with an unsurpassed classical heritage and a modern development of language making Tamil fully adequate for all present-day needs; iii. their traditional habitation of definite areas constituting one-third of this island; b. Inalienable right of the Tamil Speaking Nation to political autonomy.
Vaddukoddai Resolution of TULF
The Vaddukoddai Resolution unanimously adopted on 16 May 1976 by the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) consisting of all the Tamil political parties and groups in the North – East narrated in its preamble all the rights denied to or deprived of Tamil people by the successive Sinhala governments and their demands for restoration thereof:
a. The Tamils of Ceylon by virtue of their language, their religions, their separate culture and heritage, their history of independent existence as a separate state over a distinct territory for several centuries and, above all by their will to exist as a separate entity ruling themselves in their own territory, are a nation distinct and apart from Sinhalese;
b. Throughout centuries from the dawn of history, the Sinhalese and Tamil nations have divided between themselves the possession of Ceylon, the Sinhalese inhabiting the interior of the country in its Southern and Western parts and the Tamils possessing the Northern and Eastern districts;
c. Successive Sinhalese governments since independence have encouraged and fostered the aggressive nationalism of the Sinhalese people and have used their political power to the detriment of the Tamils by making serious inroads into the territories of the former Tamil Kingdom by a system of planned and state-aided Sinhalese colonization and large scale regularization of recently encouraged Sinhalese encroachments, calculated to make the Tamils a minority in their own homeland.
d. The proposals submitted to the Constituent Assembly by the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi for maintaining the unity of the country while preserving the integrity of the Tamil people by the establishment of an autonomous Tamil State within the framework of a Federal Republic of Ceylon.
‘‘This convention resolves that restoration and reconstitution of the Free, Sovereign, Secular, Socialist State of TAMIL EELAM, based on the right of self-determination inherent to every nation, has become inevitable in order to safeguard the very existence of the Tamil Nation in this Country.
‘‘
This Convention directs the Action Committee of the Tamil United Liberation Front to formulate a plan of action and launch without undue delay the struggle for winning the sovereignty and freedom of the Tamil Nation; and
‘‘
Chelvanayagam
This Convention calls upon the Tamil Nation in general and the Tamil youth in particular to come forward to throw themselves fully into the sacred fight for freedom and to flinch not till the goal of a sovereign state of TAMIL EELAM is reached.’’
From this it clearly appears that not only the LTTE and the other armed militant groups, but the entire leadership of the TULF was also responsible for aiding and abetting and leading the Tamil youth for the 30-year war against Sri Lanka.
Although the LTTE was defeated and the 30-year war came to an end on May 18, 2009, the ITAK, the TULF or the TNA and the other political parties in the North-East have not abandoned their goal or dream of creating a separate Tamil State in the amalgamated Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. They have only changed their strategy and tactics in the march for reaching their goal.
Speech made by R. Sampanthan, the leader of the TULF, at the 14th ITAK Convention held in Batticaloa in May 2012
In this speech, Sampanthan clearly explains to their members their new strategy to achieve their goal of a separate state thus:
“We gather here following our victory in the passage of the recent Resolution at the UN Human Rights Council, a condemnation against the SL government by the international community.
“Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi was created by S. J. V. Chelvanayagam, the father of Tamil Nation, for the purpose of establishing self-determination of the Tamil people on this island. This objective is evident in both the name of the party and in the manner in which it operates.
“Tamil United Liberation Front, of which our party was a member, took the historical decision to establish the separate government of Tamil Eelam in 1976. Based on this decision of our party, and the need to place ourselves in a position of strength, Tamil youth decided to oppose violence with violence and began to rise up as armed rebel groups.
“Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, became a great force within the Tamil community.
“We remember the Tamil youth who sacrificed their lives in armed struggle. …. SL government has committed the crime of extermination against our people,
“The intervention of India has clearly taught us the lesson that whatever our aspirations may be, India will never welcome a political solution in Sri Lanka that does not accord with the interests of India.
“Achieving Tamil Eelam was becoming an increasingly unrealistic goal. Thus, instead of sacrificing more lives to this cause, our party with the help of India, began supporting a solution that allowed Tamil people to live within a united Sri Lanka.
“A most important lesson we have learnt from the past 60 years… is that we should act strategically, with the awareness that global powers will act based on their domestic interests.
“Further, a struggle that runs counter to the international community, built only on military might, will not prevail. It is for this reason, that in the new environment created by various global influences, we have, together with the support and assistance of the international community, found new ways of continuing with our struggle.
“Our expectation of a solution to the ethnic problem of the sovereignty of the Tamil people is based on a political structure outside that of a unitary government, in a united Sri Lanka in which Tamil people have all the powers of government needed to live with self-respect and self-sufficiency.
“The position that the North and East of Sri Lanka are the areas of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking people cannot be compromised in this structure of government…. We must have unrestricted authority to govern our land, protect our own people, and develop our own economy, culture and tradition… Meaningful devolution should go beyond the 13th Amendment to the Constitution passed in 1987.
“The abovesolutionis one that is likely to be acceptable to members of the international community including India and the United States.
“Any solution to the ethnic problem concerning the sovereignty of the Tamil people must be acceptable to the Muslim community in Sri Lanka.
“The international practice prevalent during the mid-eighties, when the intervention of India occurred, has now changed. Although the issue at hand is the same, the prevailing conditions are different. The struggle is the same, but the approaches we employ are different. Our aim is the same, but our strategies are different. The players are the same, but the alliances are different. That is the nature of the Tamil people. Although we still have the same aim, the methods we use now are different.
“The current practices of the international community may give us an opportunity to achieve, without the loss of life, the soaring aspirations we were unable to achieve by armed force.’’.’’ www.sangam.org/2012/06/Sampanthan_Speech.php
Colombo (LNW): The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has decided to seek public opinion regarding the revision of electricity tariffs proposed by the Ceylon Electricity Board for 2023.
A statement, issued by the utility regulator said in accordance with Section 30 of the Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009, the PUCSL has decided to seek public opinion (stakeholder consultation) regarding the revision of electricity tariffs proposed by the distribution licensee (Ceylon Electricity Board) for the year 2023.
Accordingly, written comments and suggestions from the public and other stakeholders regarding the proposed 3rd electricity tariff revision for 2023 will be accepted until October 18, 2023.
The oral stakeholder consultation on the matter will be held on 18th October 2023 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Colombo.
In the wake of the the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) approval to increase electricity tariffs, the Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) has claimed that the CEB is preparing to increase electricity tariffs by 56%.
The CEB reported to have been proposed a 3.15% reduction in the electricity tariff for the period from July to December, 2023, but that the PUCSL had reduced the tariff by about 14.2%, curtailing a considerable amount of the allowed expenditure (approximately Rs. 33 billion) for the operations of the CEB for 2023.
“The total projected revenue anticipated from electricity sales from CEB customers amounts to Rs. 600.67 billion (Bn) (with the other incomes of the CEB, it is Rs. 612.74 billion).
Based on the revised generation dispatch, the aggregate expenditure for the year has been adjusted to Rs. 645.25 billion. Consequently, a deficit in revenue of Rs. 32.51 billion is anticipated by the end of the year 2023 (with the other incomes), if the existing tariff rates persist,” the association revealed.
Commenting on the CEB’s preparations to increase electricity tariffs, the ECA Chairman Sanjeewa Dhammika claimed that the CEB was preparing to hike tariffs by 56%. “Three tariff revisions have been made from August 2022, to date. If another revision is made in the coming months, electricity tariffs have been increased by 200% within the course of one year.
The CEB and the Power and Energy Minister cannot revise electricity tariffs whenever they want. Only two tariff revisions can be made per year with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers. Therefore, it is wrong for the CEB even to propose a tariff revision in this manner.”
The PUCSL had approved an overall 14.2% electricity tariff reduction with effect from 3 July 2023.
The revision reduced the electricity tariffs of the category that consumes zero-30 units by 65%, 31-60 units by 51.5%, and 61-90 by 24.5%, and tariffs of the hotel sector by 26.3%, the industry category by 9%, commercial buildings by 5%, and religious places by an overall percentage of 16%.
Colombo (LNW): The first State Owned Enterprise (SOE) privatization will take place soon while the finalisation of a transaction advisor from the less-than-expected bids received is currently underway, Head of the SOE Restructuring Unit of the Finance Ministry Suresh Shah said.
Almost all proposals received for transaction advisors are a partnership between a local and international investment bank, he said adding less number of proposals for the transactions advisors could be due to the current economic condition, transaction size and the bad record on Sri Lanka for not completing privatisation processes in the past
There are around 130 commercial SOEs, more or less. That is the lot that we are looking at from a number of different perspectives.
One perspective is which of these 130 entities should remain with the government. That is one. 20-25 Soes will have to be manged by the government.
Then, which of these entities should be better served in the private sector? And thirdly, there are also some entities which are doing absolutely nothing, so they will be liquidated, he pointed out.
Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said the Government has prioritised economic sustainability over political gain by committing to restructure State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).
Addressing various stakeholders including trade union leaders, civil organisation activists and journalists at the Finance Ministry on ‘Restructuring of Government Institutions for a New Development Approach’ he said restructuring SOEs is a critical factor to ensure financial discipline and establishing a stable economy.
“The Minister also said that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) must be restructured to overcome the financial burden it has on the overall economy.
“All the SOEs must be restructured. By transferring the powers of decision-making to the Government, the business operations must be allowed via officials to handle. We need to create a proper system to manage those enterprises by restructuring,” he added.
Wijesekera also addressed the staffing situation within the CEB and CPC, revealing that there are over 4,000 vacancies in these institutions, surpassing the approved staff count. However, he emphasised that the existing workforce is sufficient to maintain operations and provide essential services.
As per the Minister, CPC has 3,292 approved staff positions, but currently employs 2,100 individuals, resulting in 1,192 vacancies, whilst CEB with 24,000 approved staff positions, employs 21,000 workers, and has brought in 3,000 external hires for specific tasks. This leaves a gap of 3,000 additional employees needed to meet the approved staff cadre.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka‘s Institute for Political Economy’ is set to become a catalyst in navigating a progressive path towards an equitable Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the youth uprising (Aragalaya).
It has paved the way towards ousting former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ending his economic policy blunders.
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is widely attributed to local corruption, poor governance and mismanagement of the economy by the previous regime. However, the country’s crisis is also enabled by flawed global systems, institutions and treaties.
An independent think tank, the Institute for Political Economy (IPE) has been set up to stimulate and inform debates and discussions on public policy implementation in Sri Lanka amidst a turbulent global economy.
Its founders said IPE, inspired by the Aragalaya (අරගලය/அரகலய/struggle), aspires to be a centre for progressive thought and critical analysis dedicated to rewarding work over wealth and calls for systemic change in Sri Lanka›s political economy landscape.
IPE is committed to researching and disseminating transformative economic policies and development strategies.
IPE›s core strength lies in the dedication of its volunteers, who comprise a network of academics, economists and professionals located globally.
IPE aims to promote current global debates calling for a recalibration of the global economy, away from entrenched financialised interests and is committed to seeking viable alternatives.
There is growing recognition that entrenched vested interests, including in the Global North and in Sri Lanka, are hindering equitable and ecologically sensitive development trajectories.
As a virtual organisation, IPE welcomes all individuals committed to exploring alternatives that shield Sri Lanka from the excesses of the current global economic order and confront contemporary development challenges head-on.
“We believe that it is essential to develop critical analyses of mainstream policies and challenge conventional thinking,” said Charith Gunawardena, who co-founded IPE, along with Kanchana N. Ruwanpura and Kanishka Goonewardena, both professors at their respective institutions.
“Our collective aspiration is to foster an environment that encourages collaboration, draws on expertise from around the world, and advocates for transformative system change. By acknowledging existing inequities, we can collectively shift economic processes towards a progressive, egalitarian, and democratic direction,” said Gunawardena. As IPE embarks on its journey towards proposing transformative economic policies, it invites stakeholders from all sectors to join hands in this critical endeavour. By combining diverse expertise and perspectives, IPE aims to create a powerful force for positive change in the country.
