By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): The government expects to attract many visitors from Asia, including India, East Asia, South Asia, and West Asia, because it is easier for them to travel.

It will open up the Eastern Province, and there will be apartments available for purchase where you can directly stay near the beaches of the Eastern Province. The laws will be changed to accommodate tourism development plans.

The government has identified A new site in Dedduwa in the South, over 1000 acres with water, d for very environmentally friendly tourism.

Another one is next to Horton Plains, another 900 acres which will be another forest reserve where you can have 5-star luxury accommodation.

There are many other places where yachts and yachting will start, with Mannar as one of the headquarters, throughout the Jaffna Lagoon, down into Trincomalee and further down.

It will exploit the railway in different ways, just like you have gone up to Ella. Moreover, we want to hand over a large number of plantation bungalows for boutique hotels.

So there are going to be more and more items that we will add on to it. Food items, dance items, to make Sri Lanka truly known as a worthwhile tourist destination.

It is planned to develop and showcase the places in Sri Lanka such as Mahabalipuram. ,Odisha and rhese are the places Europeans and others must see, official sources said. .

Cox’s Bazar .and the Andaman Islands are already popular among Indians. When this happens, prices in the Andaman Islands will go up.

Myanmar travelers can travel down to the Andaman seas, all the way down to Singapore

the Minister of Urban Development and Housing Prasanna Ranatunga,, advised the Department of Coastal Conservation and Coastal Resource Management to identify the attractive places around the country’s coastline and prepare an urgent program to attract local and foreign tourists

Minister Prasanna Ranatunga also said that suitable investors should be found by involving the Urban Development Authority and other government institutions as well as the private sector to develop such places.

The Department of Coastal Conservation and Coastal Resource Management has already identified 24 new tourist spots along the coast of the country, including Gagge Wadia, Puttalam Lagoon Islands, Kudava, Vaikkala, Negombo Lagoon, Kapungoda, Prithipura, Kokgala Lagoon, Seethagalle, Rakava Lagoon, Lunama Lagoon, Malala Lewaya, Kirinda, Kunukale Beach, Elephant Rock, Salathiv Island, Tambalagamuva Bay, Governor’s Office, Uppuveli, Sampalthiv Beach, Ariyamalla Beach, Nayaru Beach, Nandikadal Beach, Santhakulam Beach have been identified as new tourist areas.

The coastline of this country, rich in economic resources, has a length of 1620 km.Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said that solutions to the economic crisis can be found by systematically developing the coastline around the country while protecting the coastal environment of the country.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The Government of Sri Lanka will be signing a ‘joint declaration of intent’ (JDOI) with the Government of India to collaboratively achieve the goals of improving the quality of dairy farming in Sri Lanka.

The Cabinet of Ministers has granted its approval for the combined proposal to sign a joint declaration of intent with the two governments.

The joint programme will assist in making the country self-sufficient in milk production and increasing the income of small-scale dairy farmers, said Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardena addressing the briefing held in announcing the Cabinet decisions today (11).

In the meantime, the Attorney General’s clearance has also been received for the said JDOI, which has been drafted in this regard.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The 2023 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination is scheduled to be held from November 27 to December 21, 2023, announced Education Minister Susil Premjayanth today (11).

The Minister added that the evaluation of answer scripts of the 2022 ALs Exam will be completed by mid-August, and their results are likely to be released before the end of the month.

All relevant authorities intend to complete the exam before Christmas, he added.

The French Naval Ship Lorraine this morning (11th July 2023) arrived at the port of Colombo on a formal visit. The ship was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval tradition.

The 142.20m long ship is an Air-Defence Multipurpose Frigate manned by 154 crew members and she is commanded by Captain Xavier BAGOT. Meanwhile, the Commanding Officer of the ship called on Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Suresh De Silva at the Western Naval Command Headquarters today.

During their stay in Sri Lanka, the crew members of the ship are expected to visit some of the tourist attractions in the country.

Lorraine is scheduled to leave the island on 15th July and she will conduct a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with a ship of the Sri Lanka Navy off Colombo on her departure.

Source: SL Navy

Colombo (LNW): India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Ministry of Defence a short while ago, confirmed the President’s Media Division (PMD).

The Indian Foreign Secretary’s arrival in Sri Lanka aims at making the necessary arrangements for the Sri Lankan Head of State’s visit to New Delhi, India later this month.

Colombo (LNW): The government has taken a significant step towards state-owned enterprise reform with the appointment of transaction advisors for the divestiture of 7 identified entities. The decision is in line with the policy directive set by the government and aims to ensure effective and transparent divestiture of key entities.

Under the leadership of the president, a proposal was presented to the cabinet of ministers and subsequently approved. To ensure a successful process of divestiture the government decided to seek expert advice from the transaction advisors. 

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the appointment of The International Finance Corporation (IFC) a member of the World Bank Group for the divestiture of Sri Lankan Airlines Limited, Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC and Sri Lanka Telecom PLC.

The appointment of advisors for the remaining 4 entities, namely Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd (SLIC), Hotel Developers Lanka Ltd (Hilton), Canwill Holdings (Pvt) Ltd (Hyatt) and Litro Gas (Pvt) Ltd (Litro, including Litro Gas Terminals (Pvt) Ltd) was carried out through a competitive bidding process following Government’s Consultant Procurement Guidelines. Both local and international advisors submitted proposals, which were evaluated by a Special Cabinet Appointed Consultants Procurement Committee, appointed by the Cabinet. Following the procurement process, the committee recommended the appointment of transaction advisors as follows:

• Litro Gas (Pvt) Ltd (Litro, including Litro Gas Terminals (Pvt) Ltd): Deloitte India has been appointed as the transaction advisor.                                                                                                 
• Canwill  Holdings(Pvt) Ltd (Hyatt): Deloitte India has been appointed as the transaction advisor.
• Hotel Developers Lanka Ltd (Hilton): Colliers Singapore and Platinum Advisors has been appointed as the transaction advisor.
• Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd (SLIC): Alvarez & Marsal and Capital Alliance Partners has been appointed as the transaction advisor.

These recommendations were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting held on Monday 10th July. The agreements with respect to these appointments will be concluded shortly setting the stage for the next phase of the divestiture process including investor engagement.        

The government believes that the appointment of these expert transaction advisors ensures efficient and transparent divestiture process. By leveraging their expertise, the government is working towards the successful transition of these entities which promotes economic growth and sustainability.

01. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says the MPs of the SJB and its allied parties will be dropping themselves out from the Parliament Select Committee chaired by SLPP Secretary General Sagara Kariyawasam appointed to probe the bankruptcy status of Sri Lanka: NPP MP Vijitha Herath was the first to announce that he will be withdrawing from the Committee.

02. President Ranil Wickremesinghe issues an Extraordinary Gazette (2340/03) announcing the collection of the census of population and housing in Sri Lanka for the years 2023 and 2024: The gazette issued by the virtue of the powers vested in the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies, by Section 02 of the Census Ordinance (Chapter 143).

03. Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara issues an Extraordinary Gazette on the petroleum products licensing regulations for the import, export, selling or supplying petroleum products in SL: The gazette issued in compliance with Section 07 of the Petroleum Products (Special Provisions) Act, No. 33 of 2002 read with Sections 05 and 06 of that Act on the advice and recommendation of the Committee appointed under Section 03 of that Act: Applies to an applicant and any person or body of persons issued with a licence under these regulations to import, export, sell, supply or distribute petroleum in the country under Section 05 of the Act.

04. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry says SL is likely to discuss energy, power and port projects during a presidential visit to New Delhi next week; adds SL will now focus on grid connectivity between the two countries, port development and renewable energy projects, largely in the northern part of the island, when President Ranil Wickremesinghe visits India from July 21 for two days.

05. 08 SLFP MPs whose party memberships have been suspended summoned to the Party’s Central Working Committee on July 14: These MPs are Nimal Siripala De Silva, Duminda Dissanayake, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Jagath Pushpakumara, Surendra Raghavan, Chamara Sampath Dissanayake and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.

06. Education Minister Susil Premjayanth vows the country’s education system will undergo an educational transformation and essential measures will be taken to produce students who are prepared for the twenty-first century; adds human resources will be managed for that purpose and education will be reformatted in accordance with worldwide standards in order to produce a sustainable and high-quality education.

07. The Appeal Court issues notices to the members of the PCoI on Political Victimisation, including its Chairman ex SC Justice Upali Abeyratne, to lay down facts pertaining to a petition filed by ex CID Director Shani Abeysekara alleging the breach of a pledge made before the Court: Abeysekara claims that he had received summons from the PCoI to testify in relation to a complaint made by Avant Garde Chief Nissanka Senadhipathi and he, therefore, filed a writ petition against it; adds the attorney who represented the PCoI pledged before the Court that he would not act against Abeysekara regarding Senadhipathi’s complaint until his petition is heard, but the PCoI report includes several recommendations against him.

08. Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe assures all deserving individuals who require will be included in the “Aswesuma” Welfare Benefit Scheme: adds 968,000 appeals and 17,500 objections received on the Scheme and asserts district secretaries will commence assessment on theses appeals and objections to make accurate determinations.

09. The Child Protection Alliance addressing a letter to President Ranil Wickremesinghe raises strong concerns regarding the continuous direct activity with children by Ven. Pahalagama Somarathana, Chief Prelate of Vidyaravinda Pirivena, Pahalagama, Gampaha, who is a convicted child molester: Somarathana Thera was convicted to serve 07 years in prison for child sexual abuse on June 01, 2012 by Ilsworth Crown Court in the UK.

10. Crudia zeylanica, or what the locals called ‘Sri Lanka Laguma’, an ancient tree located in Daraluwa, Veyangoda area for over 100 years, was reported to have been removed in secrecy: A group of people had used backhoes to remove the tree, despite many protests of environmentalists when it was planned to be cut down during the construction of the Colombo – Kandy Expressway.