According to a case filed by Minister Diana Gamage of the Colombo District Court, notices have been issued to Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the Samagi Jana Balawega, and to Ranjith Madduma Bandara, the General Secretary of the party, to appear in court on January 25.
This order was given after the case bearing number DSP 500/2022 was called today (09) according to the facts pointed out by lawyer Uditha Igalahewa, who appeared on behalf of the plaintiff, and according to the facts pointed out to the court by Range Bandara, who currently holds the position of General Secretary of the United National Party, through an affidavit petition.
The General Secretary of the United National Party had pointed out that Sajith Premadasa and Ranjith Maddumabandara are members of the United National Party. It was also stated in the affidavit of the General Secretary of the UNP that a case against them was still being heard in the court.
Lawyer Udiga Igalahewa pointed out to the administration based on those facts that according to the constitution of the People’s People’s Party, a member of it cannot be a member of another party.
S. M. D. L. K. D. Alvis has been appointed as the new chairman of the Ceylon Transport Board.
This appointment has been made by the Minister of Transport Bandula Gunawardena.
A few days ago, Minister Bandula Gunawardena had informed the former president of Langama, Kingsley Ranawaka, to resign from that position, accusing him of not implementing the decisions of the cabinet.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted on 10th December 1948 by the United Nations at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris. Since then this day has been celebrated all over the world as “International Human Rights Day”. This year is the 74th anniversary.
The UDHR contains thirty articles. Articles 1 and 2 outline the philosophical claim of the UDHR and emphasise that human beings are born free in equal dignity and are entitled to all rights and freedoms without any kind of discrimination. Articles 3 to 21 deal with Civil and Political rights and articles 22 to 27 deal with Economic, social and cultural rights. Concluding articles 28 and 29 stress the duties and responsibility of the individual in a democratic society. Finally, article 30 gives cautionary notice that UDHR may not be interpreted as implying that a person or group has any right to do anything aimed at destroying the rights and freedoms set forth in the UDHR.
Considering the emphasis of articles in the UDHR, it is important to analyse how far the UDHR has been respected by the governments of Sri Lanka regarding the human rights of Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka (or earlier Ceylon).
1948 The Citizenship Act disenfranchising Indian Tamil Plantation workers was passed in Parliament. One million 3rd generation plantation workers had been living in the island for over 115 years. They were brought to the island by the British from South India to work in Tea and Rubber plantations in the hill country. 100,000 plantation Tamils were victimised. (Violation of UDHR article – 21)
1956 The “Sinhala Only” Act was passed in the Sri Lankan Parliament. This Act made Tamils as second class citizens in the island. Tamils staged peaceful protests in Colombo and Gal Oya. 150 Tamils were burnt or hacked to death; 20 Women were raped; 3000 were made refugees and their properties were looted by Sinhala mobs. (Violation of UDHR article – 2, 3, 5, 12, 17 )
1958 Anti Tamil riots in Sinhala areas. Massacre of Tamils, looting of their properties, setting fire to their houses. 25,000 Tamils were made refugees; 500 Tamils were burnt or hacked to death; 200 Women were raped and Tamil properties were looted or destroyed by Sinhala mobs. (Violation of UDHR articles – 2, 3, 5, 12, 17)
1961 Tamil non-violent (Satyagraha) civil disobedience campaign in the North and East was disrupted by the security forces, protesters were beaten and arrested. (Violation of UDHR articles – 5, 9, 20)
1964 The Pact (Srima-Shastri) to evacuate Tamil plantation workers of Indian origin was signed. They had been living in the island for over 131 years. 650,000 Plantation Tamils became stateless persons.
(Violation of UDHR articles – 4, 15, 23)
1972 Equal education opportunities for Tamil students were denied. Standardisation on University admission was introduced. There were similarities with Apartheid. (Violation of UDHR article – 26)
1974 The Fourth International Tamil research Conference held on 10/01/1974 in Jaffna was disrupted by the Sri Lankan Police. 9 Tamils were brutally killed. (Violation of UDHR articles – 2, 3, 20, 27)
1977 In July,Tamil United Liberation Front-TULF, contested and won overwhelmingly at the Parliamentary election mandating them to exercise the “Right to Self-determination” and establish Tamil Eelam in the North East.
In 1983 August 8, Sri Lankan government enacted the 6th amendment to the constitution and rejected the right to self-determination of the Tamil people, the mandate voted by the Tamils in 1977 general election. (Violation of UDHR articles – 8, 10, 21)
1979 July, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was introduced in Sri Lanka. This Act gives a free hand to the Security forces to arrest, detain, torture, rape, kill and dispose bodies with impunity. Arrested people could be detained for three months without being produced in courts. (Violations of UDHR articles – 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
1981The Jaffna Public Library containing 95,000 volumes was completely destroyed in a fire set by a group of Police officers who went on a rampage in the Jaffna city on May 31, 1981. 95, 000 volumes of unrecoverable-invaluable books were burnt. (Violations of UDHR articles – 2, 21, 24, 27)
Since independence in 1948, more than 35 years of peaceful non-violent struggle by the Tamils protesting against Sinhala oppression, were suppressed by violent means by the Sri Lankan security forces, inflicting loss of many lives and much material damage to the Tamils. (Violations of UDHR articles – 3, 4, 5,9,13,20)
1983 The Government masterminded anti-Tamil riots in July 83. More than 6,000 Tamils were killed by the Sinhalese in the South. Tamil houses and businesses were looted and destroyed. Tamils living in the South were sent in ships to the North and East by the government. 250,000 Tamils were made refugees; 2,500 Tamils were burnt or hacked to death; 500 Women were raped; 53 Tamil political prisoners were brutally murdered in the maximum security Welikada prison on 25-27th July. Sinhala extremist groups and thugs abused the socio-economic and the political rights of the Tamil people. Anti-Tamil riots also in 1956, 1958, 1977, and 1981.
1984 – To date Tamils living in the North-East were arrested, tortured and killed. Women were raped, many disappeared. Tamil properties were looted or destroyed by the Sri Lankan security forces. Air Force bombers dropping Cluster bombs in residential areas and near IDPs camps causing severe loss and damage to Tamil people and their property.
The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Emergency Regulations (ER) adopted by the government helped the security forces to carry out all sorts of human rights violations with impunity.(UDHR completely violated)
1990 – To 2002 Economic embargo in Tamil areas. Food, medicine, electricity and other important items are denied to the Tamils. (Violations of UDHR articles – 22, 25, 26)
1995 –On 15th November, an NGO Forum took place at Bentota Beach Hotel, in Bentota, in the South of Sri Lanka. Both foreign and local NGO representatives participated in this forum and this forum meeting was disrupted by anti-NGO demonstrators.
The organisers of the NGO forum decided to shift the venue to the capital, Colombo. On 16th November, the NGO Forum re-convened in the morning at a conference hall in Ratmalana, police officers arrived to “request” the Forum to suspend its proceedings, claiming that the meeting was illegal! The meeting was dissolved and all attendees dispersed. (Violations of UDHR articles – 8, 13, 18, 19, 20)
1997 –On 25th September, 38 NGOs serving in several parts of Batticaloa district, were ordered by Government of Sri Lanka to cease all their humanitarian operations. This immediately followed a government order banning NGOs from assisting people in the areas of Batticaloa. (Violations of UDHR articles – 8, 13, 18, 19, 20)
Sinhala colonisation – As a result of many years of State planned Sinhala colonisation in the Tamil homeland(North and East),the Sinhala governments and its destructive agents plundered and robbed 50% of the ancestral lands of the Tamils in the North East of Sri Lanka. (Violation of UDHR articles – 17)
Unilaterally abrogated pacts and agreements – Several agreements signed between the Tamil leaders and the Sinhala leaders to resolve the political turmoil in the country wereunilaterally abrogated by Sri Lanka.
In 1957, the “Banda Chelva” pact and in 1965 the “Dudley-Chelva” pact. These agreements were based on a quasi-federal system devolving certain powers to the Tamils in the North East province.
1998 – UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances stated that, “Sri Lanka had the second highest number of disappearances in the world, ranking next to Iraq”. Also Sri Lanka is the only country that the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has visited several times. So far no proper remedies have been found for these disappearances. (Violation of UDHR articles – 3,4,5,7,9,10,11)
2005, with the aim of ensuring equal distribution of Tsunami aid to the worst affected North East, an agreement known as the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure – PTOMS was signed between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. This was unilaterally abrogated by the government of Sri Lanka under the pretext of a Supreme Court judgement. (Violation of UDHR articles – 16, 25)
At this point over 85,000 Tamil people had been killed or “disappeared”; more than 12,500 Tamil women raped and killed; more than 2500 buildings of Tamils’ religious places of worship (Churches and Temples) had been destroyed in aerial bombings and artillery shelling and billions of rupees worth of material damage had been caused to the Tamils by the Sri Lankan government.
As a result of well planned ethnic cleansing by the Sinhala State, nearly 500,000 Tamil people were internally displaced and more than 500,000 Tamils sought political asylum in Europe and other countries. (Violation of UDHR articles – 3, 16, 16,17)
2005 7th January, the UN Secretary General made a humanitarian visit to Sri Lanka to see the Tsunami affected areas. When Kofi Annan requested to visit the North East, the areas in the island most affected by the tsunami, the Sri Lankan authorities deliberately prevented him from making a humanitarian visit there. (Violation of UDHR articles – 13,25 & a serious violation of the United Nations Charter, Chapter XV Article 100.
2006 – Sri Lankan citizens cannot seek remedy from the UN Human Rights Committee – Even though Sri Lanka is signatory to the ICCPR, on 15 September 2006, the Supreme Court effectively ruled that Sri Lankan citizens cannot seek remedy from the UN Human Rights Committee regarding human rights violations. It declared that the accession to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1997 does not bind Sri Lanka and has no legal effect within the island. – Decision of the Supreme Court 15 September 2006 – SC Spl (LA) No 182/99. (Violation of UDHR articles – 8, 10,19)
2006 – Sri Lanka’s Air Force bombed a gathering of schoolgirls at Vallipunam on August 14, 2006, killing 56 schools girls and wounding 210 others. (Violation of UDHR articles – 3, 10,12,13,20,26)
2006 – In 1987 the India and Sri Lanka accord was signed under the guise of settling the Tamil ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. Under this accord the merger of North Eastern province took place on 8 Sep.1988. But, after exactly 18 years, The Supreme Court delivered its political judgement on 16 October 2006, stating that the merger of these two provinces was invalid. (Violation of UDHR articles – 3,5,9,10,13,21)
2007 – Sri Lanka was ranked as the third most dangerous place for the media in the world, with manyjournalists being killed. (Violation of UDHR articles – 3,5,6,7,10,13,18,19)
2008 – January, Sri Lanka withdrew from the Ceasefire Agreement-CFA between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE that was signed in February 2002. (Violation of UDHR articles – 3,5,9,10,13,)
According to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Sri Lanka ranked as the country with the highest number of disappearances.
The fate of 656 Tamils who ‘disappeared’ in 1996 is not yet known but Tamils continue to ‘disappear’ in North East.
Many Tamil journalists, academics, parliamentarians, human rights activists, children and others in the North East have been killed. (Violation of UDHR articles – 3,4,5,7,9,10,11)
IIGEP quit Sri Lanka – President Rajapaksa had invited the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons – IIGEP to ‘observe and ensure the transparency’ of investigations held by the Commission of Inquiries on the complaints of abductions, disappearances and other serious violations of human rights arising since 1st August 2005. Also, the IIGEP was to ensure that those inquiries are conducted in accordance with basic international norms and standards. On 22 April 2008, the IIGEP, quit Sri Lanka, citing government unwillingness to implement its recommendations to bring the probe up to international standards, lack of financial stability, government interference and slow process. (Violation of UDHR articles – 8,10)
2009 – Sri Lanka government and their security forces committed War crimes and Genocide against the Tamil people. This has been well recorded by all international human rights organisations and the United Nations. Furthermore these serious violations have been documented and screened by TV Channel 4, UK. (Violation of UDHR, other international conventions, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of genocide and the Geneva Conventions)
2010 – The UN Secretary-General’s appointed panel submitted a report on War Crimes in Sri Lanka on 12 April 2010. This was subsequently transferred to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the Human Rights Council on 13 September 2011. However no action was taken. (Violation of UDHR and other international conventions)
On 8 September 2010, 18th amendment to the Constitution was passed. This makes the way for the executive President allowing an incumbent to contest the Presidential elections any number of times he desires. It changed Sri Lanka into a de facto dictatorship. (Violation of UDHR)
On 8 December 2010 Sri Lankan Cabinet decided that national anthem will remain only in Sinhala. The move meant that the Tamil version is no longer played at any official or state functions. (Violation of UDHR articles – 7)
2011 – Soon after the armed struggle came to an end in May 2009 – the Sri Lankan government carried out fully fledged Colonisation, Sinhalasation, Buddhisation, and Militarisation – changing the demography of Tamil Eelam.
(Violation of UDHR and other international conventions)
2012 – Politically motivated impeachment motion against Sri Lanka’s first female Chief Justice took place. (Violation of UDHR 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 and other international conventions)
On 8 November 2012, 16 inmates were killed and more than 45 injured in a clash between Sri Lankan Special Task Force and Sinhala prisoners in the Welikada prison in Colombo. (Violation of UDHR 3, 5,6, 19, 20 and other international conventions)
Hundreds of political detainees have spent decades in the prisons without any hope of justice; thousands have been ‘disappeared’ and arbitrary killed; women tortured, raped and hacked to death. There have been no independent hearings nor have the culprits been brought to justice. Impunity has prevailed for decades in Sri Lanka. (Violation of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 26 and other international conventions)
Persistent violations of the UDHR and other international conventions continue unabated despite increasing international pressure on Sri Lanka.
Since 2009 – the number of countries out of forty seven countries in the UN HRC voted in favour of Sri Lanka is given below : 2009 2012 2013 2014 2015 2017 2019 2021 2022
22 15 13 12 (Consensus – No vote) 11 07
A few reports of the United Nations on Sri Lanka :
Report of the UN Sec General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka – 31 March 2011
Comprehensive report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka – UN HRC 30th session, 28 Sept. 2015 – A/HRC/30/61
Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka- UN HRC 40th session, 10 Feb. 2017 – A/HRC/34/20
Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka – Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – UN HRC 34th session, 08 Feb. 2019 – A/HRC/40/23
Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka – Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – UN HRC 49th session, 11 April 2022 – A/HRC/49/9
Comprehensive report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – A/HRC/51/5: Situation of human rights in Sri Lanka – UN HRC 51st session, 04 Oct 2022- A/HRC/51/5
In Sri Lanka the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was enacted in 1979 as a temporary measure and still continues even today. It allows the authorities (Police and other security forces) to carry out arrests of anyone, without warrant, for anything they consider as ‘unlawful activities’ and allows the Security forces to keep the arrested individual in detention for 18 months without producing the suspect before a court.
Under the PTA hundreds of individuals have been held in remand for decades awaiting trial. Not a single escaped tortured in custody, and confessions obtained under torture is used against the individual in the Sri Lankan courts.
The armed struggle started in 1983, came to a complete halt after Mullivaghzal in May 2009. Since Mullivaighzal, when we look at the situation in the North and East, the traditional homeland of the Tamils – all sorts of human rights violations are taking place on a daily basis. On the other hand, the North and East is being successfully subjugated to Buddhisation, Singhalisation, Militarisation and Colonisation.
Since the independence of Sri Lanka (Ceylon), the attitude of the rulers regarding the ethnic conflict is that: After listening to the Ramayana epic all-night long, in the morning, who will ask: “What is Rama’s relationship with Seetha?”
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says India has always extended support to the entirety of Sri Lanka which includes the Tamil, Sinhalese and all other communities.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe says authority to revise electricity tariffs vests with Cabinet: also says Public Utilities Commission Chairman will be summoned before him: Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera says a proposal has been submitted to abolish the PUC: PUC Chairman Janaka Ratnayake says the PUC can’t be intimidated by the CEB to agree to price increases.
SJB MP Champika Ranawaka says Govt’s plans to restructure CEB by dividing the CEB into 18 companies, would lead to disaster.
CB Governor Weerasinghe urges businesses and public to desist from taking loans at high interest rates: says to negotiate at tates lower than current 30-35%: analysts say CB leading the way for high interest rates by issuing 3-month T-Bills at over 33%: thousands of businesses face closure and millions of jobs lost due to current interest rates prompted by CBSL actions.
Elections Commission says notice will be issued in the last week of December 2022, calling nominations for Local Government Election.
Budget 2023 presented to Parliament by President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Finance passed with a majority of 43 votes: 123 vote in favour, and 80 against.
President Ranil Wickremasinghe says Parliamentary Select Committee to be appointed by Parliament to look into those who led the economy to bankruptcy: former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal says he welcomes the move and had already requested the President on 5th Sept ’22 to appoint a high level Committee to look into the debt default.
Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella says those who contributed to the country’s bankruptcy will not be saved in the “after-life”: also says Govt is spending the left-over money since they are not paying any loans at the moment: adds giving aid from such money is not an economic victory.
Bullish run at the CSE extends for 9th consecutive session: ASPI rises to a 2-month high to close at 8,892 points: day’s turnover at Rs 2.4 bn.
National Building Research Organization warns the quality of air in the island has dropped to unhealthy levels: attributes reason as the influx of dust particles contaminating Sri Lanka’s air space through strong winds from India: air quality at 249 in Colombo: 291 in Kurunegala: 280 in Jaffna: and 214 in Kandy.
Currently, there is talk in the political field about a powerful cabinet minister who receives 50 million rupees each from the relevant suppliers to submit a cabinet paper in order to get cabinet approval for the tenders for emergency purchases of his ministry.
It is also said that 40 million rupees are being taken from the minister’s close friends to relieve the above mentioned amount.
Sources said that these money transactions are not done in Sri Lanka but through Australia.
Sources also added that the minister is going to lose his position soon due to this situation.
The Tamil Progressive Alliance has decided to suspend the party membership of Member of Parliament M. Velukumar who abstained from voting in the 2023 budget final vote held yesterday (08) afternoon.
The leader of that alliance Mano Ganesan said that this action will be taken against the MP Velukumar because he abstained from voting while the party had taken a decision to vote against the budget.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the country has had to face adverse repercussions today due to the short sighted popular decisions taken in the past and unpopular decisions have had to be taken for the future prospects of the country.
The President made this observation today (08) taking part in the third reading debate of the budget proposal for the financial year 2023.
He said further that a Parliamentary Select Committee will be established on a resolution by the Parliament to look into those who led the economy to bankruptcy with their incorrect fiscal policies.
The statement made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe is as follows:
Some members discussed of the Mahaweli lands. The lands of the state were under the Land Commissioner until 1977. Due to the rapid development, some of the urban and rural lands were brought under the Urban Development Authority, Mahaweli Authority, and several other corporations. But now, no one knows as to where those lands are or what they are doing with them. Hence the government is concerned to find out as to where the government lands are, and to whom they have been given. Although this is done through Divisional Secretary, he cannot issue lands as he wishes and a committee will be appointed in this connection. The government hopes to cancel all those grants of lands. Some spoke against taking over Mahaweli lands but they were all under the Land Commissioner earlier. By now people have been settled in most of the lands under those institutions. But the rest have not been handed over to the Land Ministry by the Agriculture Ministry. Some institutions are still in the process of settling the people in those lands. We don’t have any issue with them. They can continue to develop them and settle people in them. However the government owned lands in Mahaweli B, C and H zones and lands in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa should be identified and make them available for the public to use. Despite the agriculture is developed by both Mahaweli Authority and Agriculture Ministry, so far we have not been able exceed the harvest above 6 Mt of paddy per hectare. That is the government’s concern and nobody needs to worry of this government’s move. In addition, in accordance with the Education Minister’s request, we agreed to establish nongovernmental universities. Hence when we meet on 12 and 13, let’s discuss this matter with the former education ministers and other MPs and let’s reach a decision by next January. Thereafter we can establish those universities.
I would like to request the Speaker, as if we discussed earlier to appoint five youth to each Ministerial Consultative Committee, we can soon finalise the criteria of selecting them without delay. If we delayed it, the youth would inquire as to what has happened to it.
The Energy Minister said that electricity tariffs were increased last August. However the increase is not ample as it is estimated that the loss would be Rs. 151 billion. The total loss since 2013 is Rs. 300 billion. If drought prevails next year, we need Rs. 420 billion for next year’s electricity. If it rained, we need Rs. 352 billion while Rs. 295 is required if rained so much to have floods. How are we going to find this money? We would have to print money, but Rupee would depreciate. We would have to increase VAT but it would increase the price of all commodities or to charge it direct. However the parents requested not to cut power due to GCE (A/L) examinations of their children. Nobody including the politicians is willing to increase the prices. What is the option we have other than that?
After the discussions with China, we can go to the next step if we handle the economy somehow or other now with difficulty. If we can’t show the profits at such a situation we also suffer losses, nobody outside would aid us. The Prime Minister and I discussed this matter and we have to take decisions which are not popular for the sake of the country. The other countries at a time took those decisions not popular but were beneficial to their countries. We have not increased the electricity bills since 2013 and all of us are responsible for the loss. Now what are we going to do? If you have a deficit of Rs. 400 billion, what are you going to do? There are only 03 options: print money, put on VAT or charge directly. I was the one who initiated to draft the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Act. There the powers are vested on Minister and the Cabinet. There is a letter from the Attorney General which says it is evident from the afore mentioned provisions in the Sri Lanka Electricity Act general policy guidelines of pricing could be issued by the Minister and that such policy may be framed in the form of a tariff structure formula or by any other method. In terms of section 30 sub section 2 and 3 of that the aforesaid the PUCSL could be statutory obliged to give effect to such policy. It is observed that neither the Sri Lanka Electricity Act nor the PUCSL Act No 35/2002 contain any provision to empowers the PUSL to vary or act in variants of such policy guidelines.
I know it well, as I was the one who drafted the PUCSL Act and it comes within the ambit of my ministry. I don’t know as to why this Chairman misleads the people. I’ve got to meet this Chairman as I have received several complaints against him and his statements. He says that he does not allow increasing the electricity tariffs. He has not been vested with any power in that connection. How could the country run the economy, if we can’t increase the electricity tariff?
The said chairman is the Chairman of the Trilliam Group too. He is the one who buys highest amount of electricity. Building diversified portfolio on luxury real estate. Trillium: As a developer we aim to create the most luxuriant living spaces, offices and hotels at sought after locations where our design and architecture are obtained through exceptional levels of expertise. How much electricity is consumed by luxurious apartments? He has Trillium Residencies, Trillium Havelock Residencies, Trillium Residencies Colombo 07, Trillium Hotels Colombo 07, Trillium Residencies Negombo, Trillium Villas. So when the electricity prices increases his expenditure increases.
As the Chairman of the PUCSL he has conflict of interest with that decision, so he had to disassociate himself from that meeting. He didn’t do that. They want me to have an inquiry. But under the law, the power of inquiry lies with the Parliament. So I will leave for the members of the Parliament to decide what has to be done. I don’t think this type of things can go on. You are chairman of a public corporation; you must know how you should behave. You are not a monkey who dances into organ. If I had something such, even I would not be pleased with the electricity tariffs going up. I don’t like electricity bills going up at my home, but as I have none, it’s no problem to me. I saw that the Engineering Association viewed that the electricity bills did not need to be increased. I know the issue there. I’ve got the letter sent by State Minister Dilum Amunugama on those power plant projects none of which have yet been approved. They are 100mw off shore wind power plant in Norochchole at USD 321million, 500mw off shore wind power plant in Hambantota at USD 1.4 billion, 100mw solar power plant in Buffalo Island, Batticaloa at USD 68 million, 250mw wind power plant in Dutch Bay, Puttalam at USD 204 million. I would ask them first to pass these and then pass their resolution against the increase of electricity tariff.
We have to import coal for six months for Norochchole coal power plant as for six months we cannot import coal due to the condition of the sea there. In 2001, I stopped the project of the construction of this Norochcole power plant due to this six months issue. But when we were defeated, they convinced the successor government, that this was the suitable place to construct the coal power plant. Those persons who instructed the government now have retired. In 2002, when we got World Bank aids, we were given a report on electricity on unbundling. We did not implement it and we were later defeated in 2004. Then, these officers requested the government to bring the Act in 2007. Thereafter not a single electricity power plant could be set up. Following dialogues with India and Japan, the UNP government could come to agreements to get two LNG power plants. After we were defeated the successor government, without cancelling those agreements granted it to New Fortress company in USA. Thereafter, as they did not like New Fortress, they gave it back to Pakistan and China. So within the same premises, there were China, Pakistan, India, USA, Japan and only Russia was not there. It was wonderful that a world war did not ignited there as there were five main powers in the world. Now there is no LNG or anything here and now they ask me to solve this issue. If the Japanese and the Indians were allowed, the LNG could have been a reality. So I asked you members here not to query about it again.
Another matter is the Banks’ issue. If the people do not settle loans, the banks will have to auction their property. But the issue is that the people too have no money to by such property.
Therefore, we are discussing with the IMF to solve these issues. I think we all have to get together and think how this financial sector is to be lifted. We can blame each other. I can say I am not responsible. But the fact is that we can’t have the banks collapsing. So we have to come back to banking. That’s why; I want the Banking Oversight Committee.
Responding to a query made by parliamentarians as to who drove the country to such a bankruptcy and what is the punishment for them , President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that a Parliamentary Select Committee will be established on a resolution by the Parliament to look into it.
Sri Lanka is about to miss the Central Bank Governor’s December and January dead line of receiving IMF executive board‘s approval for the island nation’s extended fund facility (EFF), informed sources said.
Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe told a recent media conference if Sri Lanka misses the board approval in December it plans to appear before the IMF Board in January 2023 and is optimistic that it would shortly receive assurance from bilateral creditors including China and India.
Sri Lanka will miss the December deadline for securing an IMF loan, as the main bilateral debtor, China, was involved in the 20th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) National Congress, and had little time for holding debt restructuring talks with Colombo
China is ready to extend a loan facility to Sri Lanka enabling it to service huge debt of around US$ 7 billion but no word on debt restructure.
Following the utterance on December deadline by breaking his radio silence on market sensitive information he was clean bowled by a Chinaman’s googly as he misread China’ stance on debt restructuring, a veteran economic analyst with in-depth knowledge on IMF affairs said hilariously.
The country’s request for the US$2.9 billion loan package with relevant documents will be further delayed as Sri Lanka’s name is not included in agenda of the The International Monetary Fund’s summit on loan assistance is currently underway in Washington, D.C.
Its agenda is available on the fund’s official website, and it is notable that Sri Lanka which has , already signed the staff level agreement, is not included in the agenda of the ongoing loan assistance summit .
Eight countries including Barbados, Namibia, Rwanda, Armenia, Ecuador, Gambia, Benin State, Senegal, and Egypt who have requested to allow its representatives to attend the summit were included in it.
But Sri Lanka‘s name was not included in the list as a participant although it has reached a staff level agreement for EFF.
Under this set up Central Bank Governor Nandal Weerasinghe’s assertion of getting IMF executive board approval in January will not become a reality for the second time, several economic experts said.
He noted that Nandal should not jump the gun like his previous backfiring announcement of preemptive debt default by the country without the parliamentary approval.
IMF officials working on Sri Lanka’s bail out loan package have not announced any dead line on its executive Board approval.
Peter Breuer, Senior IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka noted that the initial disbursement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) is available at board approval, which is contingent on the implementation of prior actions by the authorities and the progress with discussions with creditors on restoring debt sustainability.
