By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): Low-income families are facing the worst effects of the economic crisis, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

The ICRC and the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) collaborated to provide emergency relief assistance to 11,850 vulnerable low income families impacted by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

The collaboration also supported the Sri Lankan healthcare system with a donation of essential medical supplies.

Under the ICRC-SLRCS partnership, over 6,170 families received cash or cash vouchers (LKR 18,000 each) as emergency relief assistance, enabling them to meet their daily food and other essential needs up to a period of two weeks.

The families were selected from 12 districts in Sri Lanka (Ampara, Batticaloa, Galle, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Matara, Monaragala, Puttalam, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Vavuniya based on the food security assessment.

In addition, over 5,600 pregnant women and new mothers from 10 districts received supplemental nutrition packs through the ICRC-SLRCS partnership

“Low-income families are facing the worst effects of the economic crisis. As part of our humanitarian response, the ICRC partnered with the SLRCS to address some of their urgent needs in these challenging times.

During the economic crisis, the ICRC adapted its programmes to better serve the affected people in Sri Lanka,” said Séverine Chappaz, Head of the ICRC Delegation in Colombo.

Under the ICRC-SLRCS partnership, over 6,170 families received cash or cash vouchers (LKR 18,000 each) as emergency relief assistance, enabling them to meet their daily food and other essential needs up to a period of two weeks. T

he families were selected from 12 districts in Sri Lanka (Ampara, Batticaloa, Galle, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Matara, Monaragala, Puttalam, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Vavuniya), based on the food security assessment conducted at household level by the SLRCS, in consultation with relevant authorities.

In addition, over 5,600 pregnant women and new mothers from 10 districts received supplemental nutrition packs through the ICRC-SLRCS partnership.

The ICRC also collaborated with the SLRCS to help address the shortage of medical equipment and supplies as part of its joint humanitarian response to the economic crisis.

A total of 10,000 blood bags, 77,300 oxygen masks, 9,000 paraffin compresses, 2,950 thoracic drains and 300,000 face masks were donated to the Ministry of Health. The donations will contribute to the strengthening of the healthcare system in Sri Lanka.

The ICRC-SLRCS humanitarian cooperation totaling nearly CHF 640,000 (USD 715,000) provided critical support to families affected by the economic crisis while assisting the Sri Lankan healthcare system.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): The Government has decided to continue its five-year agricultural research partnership with Malaysia.

The Cabinet of Ministers cleared the proposal to this effect submitted by Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera at its meeting on Monday.

In 2016, the Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy and the Agricultural Research Development Institute of Malaysia entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for five years.

The duration of the agreement has now lapsed, and both parties have agreed to extend the MoU for another five years,” Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena said

Speaking at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday, he said it was imperative to continue the agreement on scientific cooperation in the agriculture industry between the two countries.

The MoU, which was initially signed in 2016, aims to formalize and continue scientific cooperation in the field of agriculture between the two countries.

The extension of the agreement reflects the commitment of both parties to strengthen their collaboration in agricultural research and development.

The MoU serves as a framework for scientific cooperation in the field of agriculture between Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It facilitates the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and resources in agricultural research and development.

Through this collaboration, both countries aim to enhance productivity, sustainability, and innovation in their agricultural sectors. The extension of the MoU underscores the shared commitment to further strengthening their cooperation in agricultural research.

By extending the MoU, Sri Lanka and Malaysia affirm their dedication to fostering agricultural innovation.

The agreement provides a platform for joint research projects, capacity building initiatives, and the sharing of best practices in agriculture.

This collaboration enables both countries to leverage each other’s expertise and experiences to address common challenges and explore new opportunities in the agricultural sector.

The extension of the MoU is expected to drive advancements in agricultural practices, technology adoption, and knowledge transfer.

Both countries recognize the importance of sharing scientific knowledge and leveraging resources to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability.

Through this extended partnership, they aim to achieve common goals such as food security, rural development, and environmental sustainability. The MoU serves as a framework for continued cooperation, fostering a strong and fruitful partnership between Sri Lanka and Malaysia in the agricultural sector.

The extension of the MoU between Sri Lanka and Malaysia signifies the commitment of both countries to strengthen their scientific cooperation in agriculture.

This extended partnership will facilitate knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and innovation, contributing to the advancement of the agricultural sectors in both countries.

The continued scientific cooperation between Sri Lanka and Malaysia will drive sustainable and resilient agricultural practices, benefiting farmers, consumers, and the environment.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): The government has already initiated the preparation of a restructuring plan for public enterprises. President Ranil Wickremasinghe has made a clear policy announcement to the nation recently that the state authorities are serious about long-term economic reform.

He also categorically stated that Sri Lanka is open for businesses. This could boost investors’ confidence and help attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) into the debt ridden country.

Additionally, the government expects the chief officers of these enterprises to be committed to improving their performances. If they fail to meet the annual targets assigned to them, we will not hesitate to replace them with more suitable candidates, he added.

There are currently 430 public enterprises operating in 33 sectors of the economy. These enterprises employ 6 percent of the Sri Lankan population.

However, many of these enterprises have garnered monopolistic positions in the market, hindering private investment.

Price fixing, inefficient management, and poor entrepreneurship have weakened public finances, turning these institutions into national burdens that are dependent on the taxpayer.

Notably, entities like the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, Ceylon Electricity Board, and Sri Lankan Air Lines have incurred significant operating losses, equivalent to 1.6% of the country’s GDP in 2021

Complementing COMMPLIMENTS the president’s directive to restructure SOEs, former finance minister Ravi Karunannayake out lined action plan of upcoming reforms adding that public enterprises in strategic sector links to day to day activity of the people are set to undergo reforms and others engaged in commercial activities face performance optimization.

He emphasized that according to official data 39 of the 52 strategically important public institutions are making profits while 13 of them are still making losses.

The losses incurred by 13 public institutions currently amount to Rs 1,029 billion while the profits made by the 39 enterprises are at Rs 218 billion, he said.

He also highlighted that the annual loss made by the public institutions is more than Rs 811 billion, adding that only Rs 28 billion have been paid by the profit-making public institutions as taxes to the treasury .

The restructure tool is used to improve their financial and operational performance and to make them operate on the strength of their balance sheets, he pointed out adding that measures were also taken to reduce the flow of public funds to SOEs.

He suggested that Sri Lanka should follow the Temasek model of Singapore which is operated on a competitive basis, where the Government has no intervention in business.

The professionals running the business raising the revenue and make profits as same as in a private company and the work principles is set right from the beginning to be competitive.

He categorically stated under this set-up privatization in a partial or full sale of assets – is not the only option for SOE reform.

For instance, there are other options like the vesting of performance and management in private sector contract, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), holding companies, listing on the stock market, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), etc.

Therefore, enhancing the low level performances of SOEs by optimization procedure is essential whilst ensuring transparency and accountability at this difficult juncture of trying to recover from economic crisis, he added.

The government’s plan to restructure the SOEs on the directions of President Ranil Wickremsinghe is aimed at self-financing without depending on the treasury and it will be a reality soon, Mr Karunanayake opined.

He assured that the Government had made a firm decision to have major controlling rights of the non-strategic enterprises in the optimaisation or commercialization process and dismissed claims of total privatization.

“We have to walk the talk and fulfill Sri Lanka’s obligation of IMF commitments relating SOE reforms within six months and the Government has short-listed transaction advisors to assist in the divestiture of four SOEs less than three months, he said.

They are Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd., Hotel Developers Lanka Ltd (Hilton Hotel Colombo), Canwill Holdings Ltd (Grand Hyatt Hotel), and Litro Gas Lanka Ltd including Litro Gas Terminals Ltd (LPG retailing).

Cabinet approval will be sought of a comprehensive strategy to restructure the balance sheets of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Road Development Authority, and Sri Lankan Airlines by June 2023.

Prompt publication of audited financial statements will be made for all 52 major SOEs while prohibiting of new foreign exchange borrowing by nonfinancial SOEs which have foreign currency debt amounting to US$ 45.5billion with limited foreign exchange revenues.

He noted that Sri Lanka has showed successful result s from the privatization of several state entities during the periods of late 1980s to around 2004.

At least 43 commercial entities were privatized and , from 1995 to 2004 saw the privatization of larger, more complex sectors such as telecommunications, gas, and airlines took place .

In fact, the much-hailed Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) privatization was carried out during this period he revealed adding the such enterprises has undergone performance optimization making more profits rather than in state control.

He noted that the SOE reforms envisaged are expected to contribute towards higher economic productivity by reducing market distortions, increasing organisational efficiency and improving the quality of service to the public.

1. Central Bank says it’s gross official reserves have risen to around USD 3 bn: Analysts point out that is because of approximately USD 500 mn of “hot-money” inflows by investors who are making phenomenal returns on the back of the LKR appreciation and over 25% interest rates for T-Bills & Bonds: analysts also say the CBSL Forex Reserve now basically consists of Central Bank SWAPs of USD 2,150 mn + IMF loan tranche of USD 333 mn + “hot money” investments of USD 500 mn.

2. President Ranil Wickremesinghe says although all political parties in Parliament are united, none of them currently possess a 50% voter base: emphasizes the need for unity among the parties to steer the country towards recovery from the ongoing economic crisis: asserts the majority of people have lost faith in elections and politics.

3. Japanese embassy in Colombo says resumption of loan projects will depend on the progress of the SL debt restructuring process: statement seems to be in response to the Cabinet’s approval to proceed with the resumption of the USD 2.2bn LRT project to be financed by JICA.

4. IMF Deputy Managing Director Kenji Okamura says the Sri Lankan economy is showing tentative signs of improvement, in part due to the implementation of critical policy actions: warns economic recovery remains challenging: also says it is essential to continue the reform momentum under strong ownership by both the authorities and the Sri Lankan people.

5. Minister of Justice Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe reveals the Office of Missing Persons has concluded inquiries into 3,170 complaints: also says the OMP’s initial productivity was unsatisfactory, but steps have been taken to improve the process.

6. Former Governor of the Northern Province and TMTK MP CV Wigneswaran, says he will seek support from Hindu religious organisations in India to counter the systematic Buddhistisation activities in the North & East.

7. Tea Board Chairman Niraj de Mel claims the tourism sector has not adequately pushed local tea to tourists: says the hotel industry lacks knowledge about the 157-year-old Ceylon Tea, a beverage known around the world.

8. CEB proposes tariff reduction of 28% for over 1.7 mn domestic electricity consumers who consume less than 30 units per month: the present electricity bill of these low consumption consumers is around Rs.751: following the proposed revision on 1st July, the bill is expected to reduce to around Rs.543: prior to the tariff hikes, it was Rs.105.

9. Civil rights activists raise concerns over the recent arrest of controversial female stand-up comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya, over an alleged defamatory comment made by her related to Buddhism, under the Int’l Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) legislation.

10. Pakistan Cricket Board is said to be upset at the Sri Lankan Cricket Board expressing its desire to host the entire Asia Cup tournament: declines offer to play an ODI bilateral series in Sri Lanka.