The Health Ministry and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) have successfully reached a consensus to resolve the issue of unpaid electricity bills amounting to Rs. 160 million for seven state hospitals.
Among the hospitals with outstanding bills, the Colombo National Hospital’s unpaid electricity charges total Rs. 120 million. Additionally, the National Dental Hospital, De Soysa Maternity Hospital, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, National Eye Hospital, National Institute for Nephrology Dialysis & Transplantation in Maligawatta, and Castle Street Hospital for Women owe a combined sum of Rs. 40 million.
Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella revealed that after extensive discussions with the CEB and the Auditor General, a decision was made to create a payment schedule in collaboration with the Treasury to settle these outstanding bills.
Dr. Saman Ratnayake, Additional Secretary to the Health Ministry, provided assurance that the state hospitals in question would not face power interruptions as a result of the arrears. The parties involved agreed to settle the three-month arrears within the next two months, and Rs. 120 million has already been allocated to the Colombo National Hospital to clear its unpaid electricity bills.
Several spells of showers will occur in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts.
Mainly fair weather will prevail elsewhere over the Island.
Fairly strong winds of about 40 kmph can be expected at times in western slopes of the central hills, Northern and North-Central provinces, and in Monaragala, Hambantota and Trincomalee districts.
Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda attended a closed-door panel discussion organized by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), New Delhi on ‘Economic Recovery of Sri Lanka & Visit of the President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe to India’ as the lead speaker on Wednesday (26).
Opening his remarks, the High Commissioner stated that the Sri Lankan President thanked the Indian Prime Minister and his government for the financial assistance rendered during the recent economic crisis which served as the lifeline towards laying the critical initial steps towards economic stabilization. He also stated that the future India-Sri Lanka cooperation would mainly focus on connectivity and investment which will be founded on a vibrant economic integration strategy.
High Commissioner Moragoda went onto elaborate the significance of India-Sir Lanka relations and the special status it has reached in the recent past. Commenting on the recent visit of the President of Sri Lanka to New Delhi, High Commissioner stated that the visit not only further strengthened the existing bilateral relationship, but laid a solid foundation towards a vibrant India-Sri Lanka economic partnership.
Further, the High Commissioner also explained the broader contours mentioned in the joint vision statement along with the importance of MoUs that were signed and underlined the necessity of both countries working towards reaping mutual benefits founded on the key pillars of connectivity and integration, which are expected to be implemented through five key enablers stated in the India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision.
Former Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ambassador Ashok Kantha and Professor and Dean of the Office of International Affairs and Global Initiatives, Jindal University Ambassador Mohan Kumar also shared their views on the theme along with High Commissioner Moragoda.
The ICWA was established in 1943 by a group of eminent intellectuals led by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru and Dr. H.N. Kunzru. Its principal objective was to create an Indian perspective on international relations and act as a repository of knowledge and thinking on foreign policy issues. The ICWA is funded by the Ministry of External Affairs and enjoys full autonomy.
Director General – ICWA Ambassador Vijay Thakur Singh, former Indian diplomats, officials of the ICWA, and members of the leading New Delhi based Think Tanks were also present at the event along with scholars and research personalities.
Colombo, 27.7.23 – Dr. Harsha de Silva, the pioneer of 1990 Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service, is elated to commemorate its 7th anniversary today (28). This momentous occasion celebrates the unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of the people of Sri Lanka and reaffirms the dedication to providing unparalleled support to maintain this indispensable service, regardless of any challenges that may arise.
In its seven years of operation, 1990 Suwa Seriya has emerged as the most efficient public service in Sri Lanka, achieving remarkable milestones. With a staggering 6,609,357 calls answered and 1,581,554 emergencies attended, the service has proven to be a lifeline for countless individuals in critical situations.
Dr. Harsha de Silva recalled the early days of the service, acknowledging the strong opposition from trade unions and the financial struggles faced during the economic crisis. He expressed heartfelt gratitude for the invaluable support received from the private sector, which played a pivotal role in keeping the service operational. Today, 1990 Suwa Seriya stands tall as the savior of the nation, a testament to the enduring spirit of unity and collaboration.
The success of 1990 Suwa Seriya would not have been possible without the unwavering support of various individuals and entities. Dr. Harsha de Silva extended his appreciation to everyone involved, including former President Ranil Wickramasinghe, whose support was instrumental in establishing the service. He also acknowledged the dedicated Directors, particularly the Chairman of Suwa Seriya Foundation, Dumindra Ratnayake, and the tireless staff who work day and night to ensure the service’s seamless functioning.
Since its inception on July 28, 2016, 1990 Suwa Seriya has attended to approximately 15,000,000 patients, setting an exceptional standard in emergency response times. Responding to calls within an astounding 8 minutes and 45 seconds in Colombo and 14 minutes and 29 seconds outside Colombo, the service has earned a reputation for its exceptional efficiency.
Dr. Harsha de Silva reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining and enhancing the 1990 Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service for the greater good of the nation, emphasizing the critical importance of its continued existence as an indispensable lifeline for the people of Sri Lanka.
He also expressed profound gratitude for India’s invaluable support in kickstarting this initiative, especially acknowledging the unwavering backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who heeded his call and has remained ever-supportive throughout the journey.
On this joyous occasion, Dr. Harsha de Silva extends his heartfelt regards to all the board members and 1500 dedicated staff, acknowledging their dedication and perseverance in ensuring the success of this vital service.
About 1990 Suwa Seriya:
1990 Suwa Seriya, established on July 28, 2016, is dedicated to providing timely and life-saving pre-hospital care to those in need, making a significant impact on emergency response in Sri Lanka.
The draft Bill entitled ‘Contempt of Court, Tribunal or Institutions’, has been included in the parliament’s order paper and the issue of the constitutionality of this Bill will now be subjected to debate.
There are several key questions arising from this draft Bill. These are:-
Does this proposed law amounts to repeal or amendment of the constitution?
This question arises because of Article 105(3) of the constitution which has already provisions for dealing with the contempt of court. The relevant portion is as follows:
“The Supreme Court of the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Court of Appeal of the Republic of Sri Lanka shall each be a superior court of record and shall have all the powers of such court including the power to punish for contempt of itself, whether committed in the court itself or elsewhere, with imprisonment or fine or both as the court may deem fit. The power of the Court of Appeal shall include the power to punish for contempt of any other court, tribunal or institution referred to in paragraph (1)(c) of this Article, whether committed in the presence of such court or elsewhere”
The question that follows is as to the link between the proposed Bill and its provisions and the above mentioned articles of the constitution relating to contempt of court.
The draft bill makes no mention about any such link between the proposed law and the constitutional provisions relating to the same issue.
The implication that may be drawn is that this draft Bill is a repeal or an amendment to the constitution. It is a repeal because the new provisions of the act replaces the existing provisions of the constitution. The new draft law does not mention that it is an amendment to the constitutional provisions or any supplementary law in order to effect the existing constitutional provisions.
Instead, the new draft in section 15 states that “The provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other written law, and accordingly, in the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Act and such other law, the provisions of this Act shall prevail”. This in simple reading means that the provisions of this new draft Bill will prevail over article 105(3) and other relevant sections of the constitution.
The constitution is the supreme law of the country. No statute can override the provisions of the supreme law.
The new draft Bill is in fact a repeal and/or an amendment to the constitution. The manner in which repeal or the amendment to the constitution can be brought about is mentioned in articles 82 -84 of the constitution.
Article 82(1) states that a Bill for amendment of any provisions of the constitution should be placed on the order paper of the parliament unless the provision to be repealed, altered, or specified in the Bill is described in the long title thereof as being an Act for the amendment of the constitution. The draft Bill on Contempt of Court or Institution does not anywhere state such a long title as required by the constitution.
The constitution also states in Article 82(2) that the provisions for repealing the constitution should contain provisions replacing the constitution and is described in the long title thereof being an act for repeal and replacement of the constitution. The constitution also makes it a duty of the speaker not to place such a Bill which has not complied with the above mentioned provisions and not proceeded with unless it is amended as to comply with those requirements.
It will be useful for the public to know the full constitutional provisions regarding the amendment of the constitution because in several acts which has been proposed in recent months there has been an attempt to bring about repealing and amendment to constitutional provisions by introducing statutory provisions without following the constitutional process required for repealing and amendment of constitution. The result would be that the constitution itself will be merely treated as another statute which would be replaced by a new statute with the provision that the new statute will prevail over all previous laws.
For the benefit of the public we reproduce below the entire article 82 of the constitution.
82. (1) No Bill for the amendment of any provision of the Constitution shall be placed on the Order Paper of
Parliament, unless the provision to be repealed, altered or added, and consequential amendments, if any, areexpressly specified in the Bill and is described in the long title thereof as being an Act for the amendment of the Constitution.
No Bill for the repeal of the Constitution shall be placed on the Order Paper of Parliament unless the Bill contains provisions replacing the Constitution and is described in the long title thereof as being an Act for the repeal and replacement of the Constitution.
If in the opinion of the Speaker, a Bill does not comply with the requirements of paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of this Article, he shall direct that such Bill be not proceeded with unless it is amended so as to comply with those requirements.
Notwithstanding anything in the preceding provisions of this Article, it shall be lawful for a Bill which complies with the requirements of paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of this Article to be amended by Parliament provided that the Bill as so amended shall comply with those requirements.
A Bill for the amendment of any provision of the Constitution or for the repeal and replacement of the Constitution, shall become law if the number of votes cast in favour thereof amounts to not less than two-thirds of the whole number of Members (including those not present) and upon a certificate by the President or the Speaker, as the case may be, being endorsed thereon in accordance with the provisions of Article 80 or 79.
No provision in any law shall, or shall be deemed to, amend, repeal or replace the Constitution or any provision thereof, or be so interpreted or construed, unless enacted in accordance with the requirements of the preceding provisions of this Article.
In this Chapter, ‘œamendment’ includes repeal, alteration and addition.
While there are many other matters which are fundamentally contradictory to the constitution and also the law relating to contempt of court as prevailing in all commonwealth countries, it is first of all necessary to consider whether this Bill as it is should be proceeded with at all. As it directly violates the expressed constitutional provisions.
Admiral (Prof) Jayanath Colombage presented the Letter of Credence to the Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr Kao Kim Hourn on 26 July 2023 assuming the post as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to ASEAN.
The Ambassador highlighted Sri Lanka’s Look East policy, current activities of Sri Lanka with the member states of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to join RCEP, and Sri Lanka’s interest in becoming Sectoral Dialogue Partner in ASEAN, especially in ASEAN Maritime Outlook and Blue Economy.
The Secretary General of ASEAN appreciated the efforts taken by Sri Lanka to overcome the economic challenges and emphasized that Sri Lanka plays a critical role in ASEAN Regional Forum while engaging in a friendly relationship with all countries. Further, the Secretary General appraised Sri Lanka’s interest in becoming Sectoral Dialogue Partner in ASEAN.
Colombo (LNW): In the wake of the emigration of highly skilled and semi-skilled individuals from the country amidst economic hardships the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has stepped into to draw in more talented employees from Sri Lanka.
It has inaugurated the Skill Verification Programme (SVP) on Wednesday, a statement from the Saudi embassy in Colombo said.
The outflow of talented individuals, particularly in the fields of medicine, engineering, and information technology, has had a profound impact on the country’s development and economy.
The ministry of Labor and vocational training expressed the hope that this new proramme will provide more opportunities for talented un skilled youth to find employment in the Middle East easing the current brain drain.
The emigration of the number of skilled Sri Lankan workers increased by 130 percent to 92.836 in 2022 comparing to 40,390 in 2021
In the first stage of the external track of the programme, which is being implemented under the Ministry’s Professional Accreditation Programme, five professions, namely plumbers, electricians, refrigeration/air conditioning technicians, automobile mechanics, and automobile electricians are being considered for skill testing.
The programme has been introduced by the Ministry in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. In an effort to best regulate its labour market, it implemented SVP in July 2021.
The first phase of the SVP intends to validate workers’ skills in five specializations out of the 23 selected by the Ministry, to increase the quality of the professional workforce in the Saudi labour market and raise the level of professionalism.
The goal is also to boost productivity and stop the influx of unskilled professional labour into the Kingdom’s labour market.
Through two tracks—internal and international—the SVP seeks to confirm that employees in the targeted professions possess the essential skills.
The international track works with several recognized international examination centres to examine professional labour before their arrival.
Brain drain, the emigration of highly skilled individuals from the home country, poses a significant challenge for the island nation.
Sri Lanka known for its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes, has been grappling with this issue for decades.
The outflow of talented individuals, particularly in the fields of medicine, engineering, and information technology, has had a profound impact on the country’s development and economy.
One of the primary drivers of brain drain in Sri Lanka is the limited employment opportunities for highly skilled professionals.
The lack of stability and consistent policies in Sri Lanka has discouraged many talented individuals from staying and investing their skills in the country.
Higher salaries and better living standards abroad: Economic factors play a significant role in brain drain.
Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s bilateral debt restructuring process has been continued with creditors of China, India and the Paris club separately while treating all bilateral lenders alike, finance ministry sources divulged.
Sri Lanka is discussing its bilateral debt restructuring process separately with China, but Beijing will be treated equally as the other bilateral lenders, a high ranking official of the ministry said.
Sri Lanka owes US $7.1 billion to bilateral creditors, with $3 billion owed to China, $2.4 billion to the Paris Club and $1.6 billion to India, according to finance ministry official data.
The ministry official said “Chinese creditors are not in favor with participation in discussions at a common platform. ‘But they are negotiating as bilateral creditors, with the knowledge of the parameters of the negotiation”
China was the top lender to Sri Lanka’s post-war infrastructure development. During 2010-2016, it accounted for 37 percent of the total external borrowing.
Sri Lanka borrowed $5.9 billion from China for infrastructure development during this period and more than half of these loans from China came through unsolicited proposals for public funded infrastructure projects avoiding the normal competitive procurement process.
China has lent through directly from the Chinese government, from its two policy banks China exim bank and through the Chinese Development Bank.
China is Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral creditor. As of June 2022, it accounted for over 21 percent of Sri Lanka’s total outstanding debt amounting to $8.5 billion.
According to finance ministry sources, majority of Sri Lanka’s borrowings from China are from the policy banks in the form of overseas development assistance (aid, concessional loans and interest-free loans) and official assistance (loans with interest at market rates or higher than market rates).
China EXIM bank has lent around $4.3 billion to Sri Lanka. These lendings have largely been project-specific.
It has also contributed to some mega projects—such as Hambantota Port, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, and the Lotus Tower.
On the other hand, CDB has lent around $3.0 billion to Sri Lanka. The bank began investing in Sri Lanka only in 2011, but its funds were limited in scope and extent.
In Sri Lanka, CDB focuses on refinancing loans, rather than project-specific funding, mainly serving as a balance of payment supporter.
In 2018, CDB offered Sri Lanka a funding facility of $1 billion. Similar facilities of $500 million and $700 million in 2020 and 2021.
As signs of economic distress grew in 2022, Sri Lanka sought an assistance of $4 billion from China—this included a fresh loan of $1 billion, a credit line of $1.5 billion, and resuming of a currency swap worth$1.5 billion.
However, these requests were not materialized except currency swap worth$1.5 due to a series of differences between China and Sri Lanka and Colombo since late-2021, such as a tussle over the fertilizer issue, the cancellation of a Chinese solar project in Northern Sri Lanka.
Colombo (LNW): The Government will be expediting the implementation of Sri Lanka’s first Information and Cyber Security Strategy with a partnership-based approach to protect cyberspace from multinational cyber threats, Technology Ministry sources disclosed.
Defense Cyber Commands’ bill and a separate bill on cyber security laws outside the defense purview are to be presented in parliament to enact it soon with the aim of, combating terrorist groups and criminals using cyber space and electronic communication for anti-social activities.
.The Defense Cyber Commands Bill covers all sectors related to electronic communication to protect national security interests, a senior official of the ministry said.
He noted that this bill will also deal with the present armed forces and police cyber protection units and the second draft bill, will strengthen the institutional structure to handle with cyber protection with the setting up of the Data Protection Authority.
The bill was passed without a vote after a raft of amendments was made to the original version.
Sri Lanka will introduce new cyber security legislation in 2023 and also unveil a framework for a digital economy State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath said.
According to the state minister, the proposed cybersecurity act, which has been on the cards for some years now and subjected to repeated delays, is aimed at protecting personal data and will also serve the wider national security interest.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as Minister of Technology, has introduced a new framework for digitalization with a view to turning Sri Lanka into a digital economy,
“The state minister also dismissed concerns that the proposed cybersecurity act could curb media freedom, not unlike the proposed broadcast regulatory commission.
In August 2022, Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers approved a proposal by President Ranil Wickrememsinghe to implement an ‘Information and Cyber Security policy’ in all state bodies listed under public authorities.
The policy, formulated by the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) in line with the Information and Cyber Security strategy 2019-2023, was given approval to be implemented in all public authorities listed in the Right to Information Act No 12 of 2016.
A cabinet statement said though there is a trend of state owned enterprises (SOEs) being digitalized, there is a threat to information and the security of data due to outdated technology and a shortage of qualified staff to supervise systems.
Other objectives include the “introduction of legal provisions required for protecting infrastructure facilities related to decisive and essential information within the country, prevention of risk activities that affect the cyber security as well as creating a formal cyber protected environment within the country.
Colombo (LNW):The implementation status of 71 per cent of the highest value expenditure proposals in Interim Budget 2022 – with an allocation of LKR 46.8 billion – remains unknown, Verité Research said.
Verité Research has been tracking the progress of budget promises since 2017, and Interim Budget 2022 has the largest proportion of proposals for which information was not provided. On average, information was not disclosed to assess progress of 38 per cent of the expenditure proposals between 2017-2021.
For most of the Interim Budget 2022 proposals, no information was provided by the government agencies, even for requests made under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. This has been a continuing trend since 2017.
The Interim Budget 2022 assessment tracked 24 expenditure proposals made in the budget speech, with a total allocation of LKR 50.5 billion. Information received was sufficient to assess the progress of seven proposals, and the assessment revealed that only one proposal had been fulfilled as of 31 December 2022.
The National Budget Department (NBD) of the Ministry of Finance is responsible for budget implementation but is not fully aware of the agencies responsible for the implementation of proposals.
For example, the agencies identified by the NBD as being responsible for implementation claimed they are not responsible for the implementation of 17 out of the 24 proposals tracked.
This indicates one of two possibilities: 1) the NBD, which is responsible for the estimation and appropriation of public finance resources, is unaware who the implementing agencies are or 2) the agencies are not aware that they are responsible for the implementation of these proposals.
Both possibilities raise serious concerns about the accountability of the government in delivering promises made by the Minister of Finance in his budget speech in Parliament.
The Interim Budget 2022 was presented at a crucial juncture in Sri Lanka’s history, where the country was mired in an economic crisis unlike any it has faced since independence.
The budget strived to provide hope by promising to lay the foundation to change the economic trajectory of the country.
These findings raise doubts as to whether Sri Lanka can genuinely expect a sustainable change in its economic trajectory without addressing the core problem that led to the crisis; lack of transparency and accountability in how the government manages the public funds.
The importance of enhancing fiscal transparency to reduce corruption vulnerabilities and restore long-term economic and political stability has been highlighted in Sri Lanka’s commitments with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
