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Sri Lanka Tourism promoted at WTM! (PHOTOS/VIDEO)

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Promotion of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry commenced at the World Travel Market (WTM) today (07), and its debut event was held at EXCEL London, London, UK.

Organised by the Sri Lanka Tourism Board, the SL tourism promotion event was attended by many people around the world and it was noteworthy that the Princess of the Royal Family of Thailand also attended the event.

LNW Media Coverage for SL Tourism Promotion at EXCEL LONDON below;

MIAP

Government accelerates the implementation of a trade adjustment program

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The Government will be accelerating the implementation of a trade adjustment program for local industrialists to match the competitiveness of international trade by setting policy priorities in relation to international trade.

The aim is to expedite free trade agreement negotiations with foreign countries specially FTA’S with China and India to facilitate the country’s debt restructuring initiative.

Accordingly, while further penetrating into the main export markets of USA and Europe, the government is currently engaged in an effort to establish comprehensive free trade agreements targeting large and emerging economies in order increase exports.

For this purpose, the government has taken steps to establish a National Trade Negotiation Committee (NTNC) .

The main task of this committee is to revive the negotiations of free trade agreements with strategic importance to India, China and Thailand markets where large foreign direct investment and export potential is prevalent and local industries affected by the economic crisis can obtain capital inputs, raw materials and intermediate goods at a lower cost.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the implementation of a trade adjustment program for local industrialists to match the competitiveness of international trade by setting policy priorities in relation to international trade, the President’s Media Division reported.

The President emphasized on the need to gradually liberalize the service sector to attract Foreign Direct Investment into the country and to take steps to gain membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

President Ranil Wickremesinghe made these remarks during his meeting with the officers of the National Trade Negotiations Committee at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (04).

The President instructed the officers at length about free trade negotiations as well as the future outlook of international trade and on aligning policy priorities in this regard.

He further stated that in parallel to the expansion of international trade activities, the government will implement a Trade Adjustment Program to support the local industries to further adjust with competition.

Access to regional and global supply chains and re-engagement with the global economy to enhance export and export-oriented foreign direct investment is an element of the government’s economic reform program to revitalize the domestic economy.

The Secretary to the President and the Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Food Security as well as officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General’s Department, the Treasury, and the Department of Commerce and senior officials from the line Ministries and several others attended this meeting.

The amount of urea fertilizer given for the first shift increased

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The Ministry of Agriculture has decided to increase the amount of urea fertilizer released for the first shift to 50 kg per hectare.

Taking into consideration a request made by the farmers’ representatives, the Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation, Mahinda Amaraweera, has instructed the Secretary of the Ministry, Rohana Pushpakumara, to take action in this regard.

Earlier, only 40 kg of urea fertilizer was to be given per hectare.

The minister emphasized that steps will be taken to issue the related circular next Tuesday.

EU keen to ensure all Sri Lankans have access to justice

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The European Union (EU) says it stands with Sri Lanka in its efforts to ensure everyone has access to justice.

Lars Bredal, Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives stated that “The EU stands with Sri Lanka in its efforts to ensure everyone has access to justice.

As digitalization plays an increasingly important role in all facets of modern society, it is relevant to the functioning of the justice system, as it allows for improved access and delivery of justice services.

He expressed the hope that the provision of this equipment will be instrumental in facilitating and strengthening the work of the officers of the Mediation Boards Commission (MBC).

He was speaking at the event of enhancing the administrative functions of the Development Officers (Mediation) across the island.

The EU funded ‘Supporting Effective Dispute Resolution (SEDR)’, project amplified its support to the Mediation Boards Commission (MBC) through the provision of 70 laptops to enhance the administrative functions of the Development Officers (Mediation) across the island.

The event was graced by several dignitaries – Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Minister of Justice, Priyanath Perera, Secretary Mediation Boards Commission, Justice Yapa, Chairperson Mediation Boards Commission, Commissioners of the Mediation Boards Commission, Lars Bredal, Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and Maarya Rehman, Country Director British Council Sri Lanka.

SEDR is a four-year access to justice project implemented by the British Council, in partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF), and funded by the European Union (EU). The EUR 7 million project is part of the EU’s overarching STRIDE (Strengthening Transformation, Reconciliation and Inclusive Democratic Engagement) Programme in Sri Lanka.

SEDR’s Result Area 4 includes an activity to support the administrative functioning of mediation boards through the provision of IT equipment. This is with the objective of supporting newly appointed Development Officers collate data.

Under SEDR’s Result Area 1, significant work has already been done on enhancing the MBC’s website and building a mediation database to help the MBC function more seamlessly and to be able to monitor progress.

The website will help with public awareness and will increase much needed access to mediation, which is more cost efficient and sustainable when compared with litigation.

An ICT Needs Assessment survey of 235 MBC staff, including the new cadre of Development Officers (Dos) – Mediation – was completed in the second half of 2021, and a training needs analysis was also done prior by a consultant hired by SEDR. The scope and focus of the ICT equipment to be procured was made with agreement between the MBC, Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and SEDR joint committee being that the best option was the provision of 70 laptops.

The British Council IT team completed the task of installing software (Windows10) onto these laptops, which also all come with SEDR-branding and carrier bags.

As part of the distribution process of these laptops, SEDR will work in close liaison with the MBC and MOJ to design and present an online basic orientation training session, to ensure the 70 new users are enabled to obtain maximum benefit from both the new ICT hard and software. SEDR will furthermore support an additional online training session for new users, specifically focussing on how best to use the new equipment as part of the MBC’s new online mediation database/platform.

SL government expenditure surpasses revenue by 83 percent

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The Sri Lanka government has been continuing its spending spree during the first four months this year surpassing the revenue by 83 per cent resulting in a budget deficit of Rs.524.1 billion, 0.7 per cent higher than the Rs.520.5 billion budget deficit in the same period of 2021, the Finance Ministry fiscal position report revealed.

Total expenditure amounted to Rs. 1.15 trillion reflecting a 15.2 per cent increase in the first four months of 2022 compared to Rs. 1 trillion in the same period of 2021.

The total debt increased to Rs. 2.33 trillion by the end of April 2022 from Rs. 1.76 trillion at the beginning of January 2022, Ministry data showed.

The then administration has obtained debt more than the estimated expenditure in the 2022 budget and government reserves have not been increased accordingly during this period, two economic experts Prof. Wasantha Athukorala of the University of Peradeniya and Dr Nandasiri Keembiyahetti of the Ruhuna University pointed out in a recent economic review.

In the Interim Debt Policy, the Ministry of Finance has taken measures to settle certain amounts on Sri Lanka Development Bonds (SLDBs) (equivalent to US$96 million of principal and interest) were settled in rupees shortly after the implementation of this policy,

These limited amounts were consistent with the Central Bank’s monetary objectives at that time.

Investors have been informed that the majority of SLDBs debt service from mid-April to End-June has either been refinanced or suspended. The same applies to SLDBs debt service onwards, notably in Q3 and Q4 2022.

The authorities ultimately took the view that it was too difficult to pursue this option of making payments in rupees to holders of the affected debts (including ISBs), who wished to receive it due to the limitations in the relevant documentation of some debts (notably the ISBs) and the current economic conditions in Sri Lanka.

The then government’s much debated tax cuts as an attempt of encouraging industrialization, along the lines of the Southeast Asian economic miracle and other measures, such as fixing the dollar rate of the rupee and flattening interest rates were among the major reasons for the fiscal crisis, two economic experts said.

The economic situation has worsened owing to continuation of additional livelihood support for “Samurdhi” and other welfare recipients and payment of an additional Rs. 5,000 for public servants and pensioners together with the increase in expenditure on interest payments, subsidies and transfers, salaries, and pensions.

Sri Lanka oil refinery faces risk of break down due to its intermittent closure

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Sri Lanka has once again compelled to delay refining of crude oil to produce Petrol. Diesel Kerosene and Jet fuel locally due to the shutdown of Sapugaskanda oil refinery since October 07 as the unloading of crude oil shipment is still pending because there was no way of making a payment for it, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara said.

“Order has been placed to get down three shipments of crude oil in the recent past and the government managed to make payments only for two of them. However, the funds are inadequate to pay for the third one. Therefore we have no option left, but to close the refinery temporarily,” the Minister said.

He noted that they have deposited the necessary rupees for that but have not received the forex for the payment. So we took a policy decision to close the refinery.” The minister said enough fuel stock is available with the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and no fuel shortages will occur going forward. “

The Sapugaskanda refinery was closed since 2021 and resumed operations in March this year and was closed again in July until it was reopened in August. It was also shut down for a week in May this year due to a technical issue.

The shutting down and restarting the refinery will create mechanical faults in its operation which will require the replacement of spares at unbearable costs during the dollar crisis period, a senior engineer of the refinery said.

An oil tanker carrying 99,000 MT of Eastern Siberia Pacific Ocean (ESPO) crude oil remains off the west coast of Sri Lanka for more than a month awaiting payment and racking up millions of dollars in demurrage charges, officials said.

Several CPC trade unionists and various interested parties are making allegations against the crude oil order placed by the CPC following the proper procedure and once an order had been placed and the vessel had arrived, the Government could not refuse it, Minister Wijesekera said.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the imported fuel cargos are also scheduled to reach the island in the next few days.

The reason for the present lack of fuel at a few filling stations is due to them not completing their orders properly, the CPC claimed.

Responding to a question, top CPC official pointed out that State enterprises such as the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the loss-making National Carrier SriLankan Airlines owed the fuel supplier millions of dollars in arrears.

He noted that had the monies owed been paid, the CPC would have been able to provide the banks with the necessary rupee equivalent to the dollar price of shipments, thereby securing Letters of Credit (LCs) to import crude oil, which would allow them to refine fuel locally.

The tanker waiting offshore is carrying approximately Rs. 28 billion ($ 80 million) worth of crude oil.

Sri Lankan Airlines has $ 300 million in arrears to the CPC. The power sector, the CEB, and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) owe the CPC approximately Rs. 100 billion.

If these state institutions fulfill their financial obligations then the CPC could settle payment of the lineup crude oil shipments to keep the refinery going for months.

Once a refinery is operational, it should be kept running without disruption to get the best value for money in fuel to meet the part of country’s demand, he added.

President Ranil calls for a report on the Kandakadu incident

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President Ranil Wickramasinghe has informed the Minister of Justice to provide a full report immediately regarding the conflict situation at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center and the incident where a group of inmates escaped.

It is said that the President, who is currently on an official visit to Egypt, has called Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa on the phone and given the necessary instructions.

Also, the President has emphasized that urgent measures should be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again.

COP27 begins a ‘new era to do things differently’, UN climate change chief declares as pivotal conference gets underway

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The UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, should shift the world towards implementation of previously agreed plans to tackle humanity’s greatest challenge, Simon Stiell, the new Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Convention (UNFCCC), said on Sunday at the opening of COP27.

Today a new era begins – and we begin to do things differently. Paris gave us the agreement. Katowice and Glasgow gave us the plan. Sharm el-Sheik shifts us to implementation. No one can be a mere passenger on this journey. This is the signal that times have changed,” Mr. Stiell told delegates gathered in the main plenary room of the Tonino Lamborghini International Convention Centre.

The UN climate chief said leaders –be they Presidents, Prime Ministers or CEOs – would be held to account for promises they made last year in Glasgow.

“Because our policies, our businesses, our infrastructure, our actions, be they personal or public, must be aligned with the Paris Agreement and with the [UN Climate] Convention”, he underscored.

The UNFCCC convention entered into force on 21 March 1994 to prevent “dangerous” human interference with the climate system. Today, ratified by 198 countries, it has near-universal membership. The Paris Agreement, agreed in 2016, works as an extension of that convention.

Outside the plenary hall at the COP27 conference centre, Sharm El-Sheikh

Kiara Worth/ UNFCCC

Outside the plenary hall at the COP27 conference centre, Sharm El-Sheikh

Deliver what has been promised

Acknowledging the current complex geopolitical situation, Mr. Stiell said that COP27 is an opportunity to create a safe political space, shielded from whatever is going on “out there”, to work and deliver world change.

“Here in Sharm el-Sheikh, we have a duty to speed up our international efforts to turn words into actions”, he emphasized.

The UNFCCC Executive Secretary underlined three critical lines of action for the Conference:

  1. Demonstrate a transformation shift to implementation by putting negotiations into concrete actions.
  2. Cement progress on the critical workstreams – mitigation, adaptation, finance and crucially – loss and damage.
  3. Enhance the delivery of the principles of transparency and accountability throughout the process.

“I welcome detailed plans on how we deliver what we have promised”, he told delegates.

Emissions from crude oil extraction are a significant part of the total emissions of fossil fuels

© Unsplash/Zbynek Burival

Emissions from crude oil extraction are a significant part of the total emissions of fossil fuels

No backsliding allowed

Mr. Stiell, dubbing himself an “accountability chief”, stated that 29 countries have now come forward with tightened national climate plans since COP26, five more since the publication of last week’s UNFCCC NDC Synthesis report, but still not a majority.

“So here I am now, looking out at 170 countries that are due to be revisiting and strengthening their national pledges this year,” he said.

He reminded delegates that last year the Glasgow Climate Pact was agreed at COP26, and he expected them not to rescind their word.

“Stick to your commitments. Build on them here in Egypt. I will not be a custodian of back-sliding,” he said.

People protest in Nürnberg, Germany, as part of the Global Climate Strike.

© Unsplash/Markus Spiske

People protest in Nürnberg, Germany, as part of the Global Climate Strike.

An inclusive process

In words that drew an ovation in the plenary room, the UN climate chief underscored that women and girls must be placed at the centre of climate decision-making and action.

“Their empowerment leads to better governance and better outcomes,” he said, also highlighting the importance of civil society organizations and the youth in the COP27 process.

UK representative, COP26 President, Alok Sharma, addresses the opening plenary of the latest UN climate change conference, COP27, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

UNFCCC/Kiara Worth

UK representative, COP26 President, Alok Sharma, addresses the opening plenary of the latest UN climate change conference, COP27, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

New Presidency

Alok Sharma, President of COP26 representing the United Kingdom, passed the baton officially to the new Egyptian President, Sameh Shoukry, during the opening plenary.

Mr. Sharma reviewed the achievements made at Glasgow last year, such as finalising the so-called Paris Rulebook – the the guidelines for how that Agreement is delivered – and making stronger finance commitments.

“The UN Secretary-General has said ‘our shared long-term futures do not lie in fossil fuels’, and I agree with him, wholeheartedly”, he said.

According to the COP26 President, if all commitments made last year, including the net-zero pledges, were to be implemented, the world would be on a path to 1.7 degrees Celsius warming by the end of the century.

“Still not 1.5C, but progress,” he said, recognising the scale of the challenge that the world is facing.

Echoing Mr. Stiell, he urged leaders to act, despite current geopolitical challenges.

“As challenging as our current moment is, inaction is myopic, and can only defer climate catastrophe, we must find the ability to focus on more than one thing at once”, he urged.

Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and COP27 President, addresses the opening plenary of the latest UN climate change conference, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

UNFCCC/Kiara Worth

Egypt urges implementation

COP27 President Sameh Shoukry called on delegates to scale up ambition and begin implementing the promises already made.

“Moving from negotiations and pledges to an era of implementation is a priority,” he said, later commending the countries which have already shared updated national climate plans.

Mr. Shoukry added that the $100 billion promised for adaptation by developed countries to developing countries should be delivered, and finance must be also at the centre of discussion.

“The negotiations [during the next two weeks] will hopefully be fruitful. I urge all of you to listen carefully and commit to implementation and to turn political commitments into agreements and understandings and texts and resolutions that we can all implement,” he underscored.

He also warned that “zero-sum games will have no winners” and that the implications of the negotiations will affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world suffering the impact of climate change.

“We cannot afford any negligence or shortcomings; we cannot threaten the future of upcoming generations”, he emphasised.

A child stands in rising water after Cyclone Eloise hit Beira, Mozambique.

© UNICEF/Ricardo Franco

Loss and damage

Also on Sunday, the agenda items that will be discussed over the next two weeks at COP27 were agreed during the procedural opening.

‘Loss and damage’, an item that was still uncertain ahead the conference, finally made it into the agenda after being put forward by negotiators from the Group of the 77 and China (which essentially includes all developing nations) and after extensive discussions among the 194 parties to the UN Climate Convention.

Climate change, through extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, desertification and rising sea levels, causes costly damage to countries.

Because the intensification of these otherwise “natural disasters” is being caused by the rise in greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from rich industrialized countries, developing countries – often the most affected – have long argued that they should receive compensation.

The issue of these payments, known as “loss and damage” now will be a major topic of discussion at COP27.

UN NEWS

Sri Lanka Original Narrative Summary: 07/11

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  1. President Ranil Wickremesinghe meets UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Egypt: briefs him on Government’s plans on National Environment Policy: due to address UN COP 27 World Conference on Climate Change in Sharm-El-Shiek on 8th November.
  2. CB data shows Rs.366.4 bn (91.3%) of total T-Bills of Rs.401.4 bn issued in last 6 auctions were for 3-mths duration: analysts express concern over possible unmanageable “bunching” in near future: fear that such vulnerability would lead to inevitable sharp spike in interest rates or local debt default.
  3. Sri Lanka’s most famous singer-songwriter-rapper Yohani shifts base to Mumbai: focuses on Bollywood: starts to learn Hindi.
  4. Navy conducts special operation in seas North of Talaimannar to chase Indian poaching trawlers within Sri Lanka’s waters: apprehends 2 trawlers with 15 Indian fishermen.
  5. Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara says the weekly fuel quota of 5 litres for 3-wheelers on National Fuel Pass will be increased to 10: increase applicable only to full time 3-wheeler taxis in the Western Province, and registered online with the authorities.
  6. Minister Bandula Gunawardena begins discussions to transform the Railway Department into an Authority: intention to provide the best possible benefits to commuters: conversion to be done after careful study of proposals of Railway officials, trade unions and employees.
  7. Statue of former Minister D A Rajapaksa that was toppled during the May-9 mob violence, re-erected and unveiled at commemoration ceremony in Tangalle: former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, PM Dinesh Gunawardena and Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene attend the event
  8. Oil tanker with 99,000MT of crude oil valued at approximately USD 80 mn still remains off the West coast of Sri Lanka for nearly 45 days: awaits payment from Central Bank to unload: Trade Union Leader Ananda Palitha claims such tanker vessels normally charge USD 150,000 per day in demurrage.
  9. Around 50 inmates escape following a clash between two groups at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre in Polonnaruwa: joint search operation by the Army and the Police underway.
  10. Top Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka arrested by Sydney Police for an alleged “sexual assault” incident: the complainant is a woman 29, who had been introduced via a “dating” website.

Note: Cardinal Ranjith has subsequently said that he has been “misquoted” by the relevant newspaper yesterday re. his comment on the IMF.

50 inmates escapes during a clash at Kandakadu Rehabilitation Center

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It is reported that 50 inmates escaped during a clash at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center last night (06).

It is said that the conflict has occurred between two groups of inmates in the center.

05 inmates who were injured in that conflict have been hospitalized so far.