Reporters Without Borders (RSF) alerts on a new threat to press freedom in China: a new smartphone service designed to “train” and even evaluate journalists on the regime’s propaganda as well as to “help” them pass the test of loyalty to Chinese leader Xi Jinping has just been launched.
The All-China Journalists Association (ACJA), an organisation overseen by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), recently launched a smartphone service, available on the WeChat platform, designed to “train” media professionals in the “Marxist vision of journalism”, a concept that defines the CCP doctrine on media.
The service introduced on 30 June features at least 220 courses, and is aimed at “helping” journalists pass the loyalty exam to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which is compulsory to obtain or renew press credentials since 2019. It is able to track users’ progress and issue training certifications, and it could also be used by media outlets to conduct journalists’ annual reviews.
“Over the past decade, the Chinese regime has been conducting a true crusade against press freedom and the right to information, and this new smartphone service is yet another tool to brainwash and compel journalists to conform with state narratives. The international community should build up pressure on the Chinese regime to deter it from continuing its repressive policies and restore press freedom as enshrined in the country’s constitution.”
Cédric Alviani RSF East Asia Bureau Director
In 2019, the regime launched a smartphone propaganda app available for the general public called “Study Xi, strengthen the country”, which was also later used to test journalists’ loyalty to the regime and their knowledge of its narrative.
Since Chinese leader Xi Jinping took power in 2012, he has further tightened control of the Chinese state media, which are expected to “reflect the Party’s will,” while initiating a violent clampdown on independent journalists and applying unprecedented censorship and surveillance online, as revealed in RSF’s report The Great Leap Backwards of Journalism in China.
To support journalists working on China issues, RSF launched the training.rsf.org website in 2021, which covers physical safety, digital security, mental health, and reporting best practices, alongside its ambitious capacity-building and assistance programme that has already benefited more than 500 journalists covering China.
China ranks 179th out of 180 in the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index and is the world’s largest captor of journalists and press freedom defenders.
Colombo (LNW): Technical Standards prepared by Japan,called Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting: ISDB-T is designed to provide reliable high-quality video, sound, and data broadcasting not only for fixed receivers but also for mobile receiver have been presented to Sri Lanka . Japanese ISDB-T is one of the most used digital TV standards in the world.
Japanese Ambassador Mizukoshi Hideaki handed over the Technical Standards prepared by Japan to Mass Media Minister Bandula Gunawardana in the presence of JICA Sri Lanka Chief Representative Tetsuya Yamada; Ministry Secretary Anusha Palpita and Additional Secretary E.M.S.B. Jayasundara.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) together with the Ministry of Mass Media is strongly committed to the digitalization of terrestrial television broadcasting in Sri Lanka which will significantly improve the quality of the broadcasting and the capacity of the digital space in Sri Lanka.
JICA is fully utilizing and coordinating their available schemes including Loan, Technical Cooperation Project and Public-Private Partnership to provide total support from the distributing side to the receiving side for the successful shift to terrestrial digital broadcasting.
The terrestrial digital broadcasting will realize the diverse services and effective use of frequencies which enhance the development of other purposes such as E-education, Intelligent Transport Service, Intelligent Security Systems, etc.
During the ceremony, Minister Gunawardena welcomed the participants and accepted with gratitude the Technical Standard prepared by Japan, and he received the Standard from Japanese Ambassador.
The Secretary said that this is symbolic ODA on-going project, and this digital technology will save the future of broadcast. He mentioned that this project is very important for Sri Lanka and happy to know that Japan is committed to this project.
Japanese Ambassador emphasized that this DTTB project will open many benefits to Sri Lankan viewers such as watching high-definition picture quality television, also it is extremely important to strengthen information and communication technology for implementing the digital economy. He requested all stakeholders to continue efforts in this program.
Colombo (LNW): In a groundbreaking move to introduce positive change and enhance Sri Lanka’s economic standing, the Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) has presented a comprehensive proposal aimed at laying the groundwork for stable policies and attracting quality investments.
COYLE’s visionary plan, backed by extensive research and comparative analysis, focuses on key areas of concern and offers innovative solutions to overcome challenges and drive long-term prosperity.
The proposals have been officially handed over to Member of Parliament Madura Vithanage who has agreed to convey the contents with the necessary channels in Parliament.
Young MP and Attorney-at-Law Withanage is the Chairman of the Select Committee of Parliament to study the practical problems and difficulties that have arisen in relation to enhancing the rank in the Ease of Doing Business Index and make its proposals and recommendations.
Expressing his support of COYLE’s proposals, MP Vithanage said: “ A program will be formulated within the next 3 months to solve the problems of businesses in the country.
Leveraging the expertise of diverse professionals, COYLE seeks to forge a path towards a more efficient and effective governance structure.
It acknowledges the positive economic conditions in the country, but emphasises the importance of addressing the loss of credibility resulting from defaulting on obligations.
To regain trust and attract quality investments, COYLE highlights the necessity for stable policies that offer a proactive approach, rather than merely reacting to crises.
By setting clear timelines, introducing self-compliance capabilities for new investors, and upgrading standards to eliminate ambiguity, Sri Lanka can establish itself as a reliable and trustworthy investment destination.
Additionally, COYLE’s proposals stress the need to revisit existing laws, with a particular focus on dispute resolution and accountability. Currently, the absence of liability when ministers change policies on an ad hoc basis, and the lack of law and order, pose significant challenges.
COYLE also calls for personal accountability for ministers and government institutions, urging the enactment of laws that hold them liable for any damage caused.
COYLE’s proposal reflects the needs at a pivotal moment for Sri Lanka’s economic future. By championing stability, accountability and proactive decision-making, COYLE aims to capitalise on the country’s potential, re-foster an environment of trust for investors to attract high-quality, long-term investments.
“The road ahead may be challenging, but with the collective efforts of passionate individuals and the support of all stakeholders, COYLE firmly believes that Sri Lanka can chart a course towards prosperity,” a statement said.
Colombo (LNW):Saudi Arabia has launched the Skill Verification Program (SVP) in Sri Lanka as part of a scheme to attract more skilled workers from the island nation, foreign media reported.
The program has been initiated by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) under its Professional Accreditation Program.
Sri Lankans are hopeful that a new employment scheme with Saudi Arabia will help ease their country’s economic crisis, professionals and labor officials said adding that , they expect it to boost the nation’s manpower exports to the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka recently signed an agreement on the Skill Verification Program which aims to improve the professional competence of employees in the Saudi labor market and streamline the recruitment process of skilled workers from the island nation.
Under the deal — which covers 23 professions, including electricians and auto mechanics — Saudi employers will recognize accreditations issued by Sri Lanka’s Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission.
“The TVEC has embarked on the assessment process where Saudi Arabia would tell us their manpower needs and Sri Lanka would choose the right candidates for the right courses,” commission director, Dr. Lalithadheera K. Arachchige, said.
For many years, Sri Lankan professionals have been working in Saudi Arabia without recognition of their professional certification and often enrolled in jobs below their qualifications. The new deal is expected to change that.
Abdul Nazar, managing director of Colombo-based recruitment company Air Kings Group who used to work in Jeddah, said Saudi Arabia had previously not recognized professionals from Sri Lanka “unless they have gone through the technical skill tests processed by the Saudi government.”
According to Saudi Gazette, workers in five professions, namely plumbers, electricians, refrigeration/air conditioning technicians, automobile mechanics and automobile electricians were selected for skill testing in the first phase of the external track of the program.
The first phase of the program plans to verify the skills of workers in five specializations out of 23 specialization targeted by the ministry, with the aim of improving the quality of professional manpower in the Saudi labour market and raising the level of professionalism.
Through this program, the Saudi government will enhance productivity, and halt the flow of unqualified professional labour into the kingdom’s labour market.
The objective of the program is to verify that workers in the targeted professions possess the necessary skills through two tracks – internal and international.
The first track aims to examine the skills of professional workers currently in the Kingdom and that is in cooperation with local examination centres, while the second track aims to examine professional labour before their arrival, and that is in cooperation with a number of accredited international examination centres.
The Saudi ministry has launched the program in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. The SVP was introduced in July 2021 as part of regulating its labour market in the best possible manner.
Colombo (LNW): In light of the organisational structure and the socio-economic benefits delivered by LITRO Gas, restructuring the state-owned LP gas vendor, which is so far the only state-owned body that incurs profits, would not be timely accurate, emphasised the National United LITRO Guardianship, in a letter addressed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (13).
Despite halted operations for a period of about three months during last year’s economic crisis, LITRO Gas defended the market, the manufacturer and the customer alike as the island nation’s LP gas provider, the Union said in its letter.
In the backdrop, it would be questionable as to whether LITRO, which always stood up for the customer in every national crisis in Sri Lanka, should be subject to restructuring thereby being submissive to private acquisition, the National United LITRO Guardianship added.
Below is the full letter sent to President Wickremesinghe by the National United LITRO Guardianship elaborating as to why the state-owned LP gas vendor shall not be restructured.
PMD: President Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of financial discipline in nation-building and announced plans to promptly introduce formal measures to control public expenditure and generate new government revenue.
The President highlighted the need to maximise the value of every rupee spent by the government, as currently, public expenditure often fails to achieve this objective. He expressed concern over not only the neglect of public revenue but also the unrestricted spending of public funds on non-beneficial activities, which has contributed to the economic crisis in the country.
Furthermore, President Wickremesinghe attributed the current financial problems to the lack of parliamentary discussions on this matter in the past two or three years. To address this issue, he informed that several committees have been established in the parliament to examine the state’s financial situation and income tax matters.
President Wickremesinghe made these remarks during the presentation of a report by the committee chaired by State Minister for Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policy, Mr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, which aimed to propose strategies for generating new sources of income for the state. The report was submitted to the President by State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (12).
The report encompasses recommendations aimed at establishing a structured framework to attain the revenue goals of the Inland Revenue Department, Sri Lanka Customs, and the Excise Department. It also suggests the implementation of novel approaches to augment government revenue and the creation of a digital economic infrastructure to support these endeavours.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe directed the Minister of State to engage in further discussions regarding these proposals and present them to the Parliamentary Committee on Ways and Means.
Furthermore, the President emphasised the utmost importance of leveraging digital technology to its fullest potential in implementing these recommendations. He also emphasised the necessity of formally informing the public about these initiatives through an extensive media campaign.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe further said;
“In the current economic crisis, a major concern is the improper collection of tax revenue. Some individuals and entities who are obligated to pay income tax fail to do so, leading to a significant shortfall. Additionally, there have been reports of the government experiencing delays in receiving complete tax revenue from customs, as well as similar accusations regarding excise duty.
During this crucial period of economic recovery, it is imperative to establish comprehensive financial discipline in the country. The first step is to control government expenditure, which is currently being addressed. Secondly, the government must ensure that each rupee spent delivers maximum value, as this is often not the case with public expenditure. Therefore, careful attention needs to be given to this matter within the Parliament. Thirdly, there is a need to increase state revenue. To tackle this challenge, a committee led by State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has been appointed and entrusted with the responsibility.
I extend my gratitude to everyone involved in the preparation and presentation of this report today.
We must explore new avenues for increasing income tax revenues, as outlined in the report. This aspect has received significant attention within our Parliament. It can be argued that the lack of parliamentary discussions in the past two or three years, along with a lack of interest in certain cases, has been a primary cause of the economic crisis. To address this, several inquiry committees on income tax and the fiscal situation have been established. It is within these activities that we should seek out these new approaches.
Furthermore, digitisation plays a crucial role in these endeavours. Those who oppose this transformation should consider stepping aside, as I intend to enforce digitisation within a designated timeframe. Any shortcomings that arise should be addressed promptly.
Importantly, the income generation methods we have adopted draw inspiration from the United Kingdom. These methods have been greatly refined and improved over time. Thus, we must examine the latest systems and develop the necessary infrastructure accordingly. Proposed amendments to the Audit Act have been put forward to support this objective.
We have extended an invitation to Mr. Francis Maude, who served under Prime Minister David Cameron and has substantial expertise in this area, to visit Sri Lanka and share his insights on sectoral reform.
When the British colonised this country, they prioritised revenue collection and appointed revenue officers for this purpose. Under a unified administration, revenue officers and local officials, known as Mudaliyar (or Mudali), paid special attention to revenue collection. As a result, income did not decline, and it even increased with the development of tea, coconut, and rubber industries. However, since the 1970s, revenue generation has been neglected, and it has been removed from the administrative agenda of the country. Not only has revenue been overlooked, but state funds have been spent without restraint.”
Minister of State for Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policy Mr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya;
“This report has been meticulously prepared under the guidance of the President, encompassing short-term, medium-term, and long-term proposals. Its aim is to streamline existing sources of income and introduce new ones, ensuring that the burden on the people remains minimal.
It is important to acknowledge the wealth of experience we have gained while addressing the challenge of state revenue. Thanks to the President’s guidance, we have attained a certain level of stability. However, there are still numerous objectives to achieve in order to increase our state revenue in proportion to the gross domestic product.
We have reached the limits of introducing new taxes and raising tax percentages. Therefore, our focus must now shift towards expanding the tax base and closing the gaps in the tax net to enhance revenue generation.
Moreover, great emphasis has been placed on enhancing government revenue through improved competitiveness and transparency. Extensive discussions with all stakeholders have been on-going, leading to a fair resolution of long-standing contentious issues.”
Present at this significant occasion were Minister of State for Finance Mr. Shehan Semasinghe, Presidential Senior Advisor on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka, Presidential Secretary Mr. Saman Ekanayake, Presidential Senior Advisor on Economic Affairs Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Mr. R.M. P. Ratnayake, and other officials.
Colombo (LNW): The Ministry of Education has called for the applications for the enrolment of Grade 01 students in government schools for 2024.
Accordingly, the Ministry has issued a sample application form which can be downloaded at www.moe.gov.lk.
Parents and legal guardians are required to complete the application form to enrol their children in Grade 01 in government schools for the year 2024.
The completed forms should be submitted to the respective Heads of Schools via registered post, and the applicants are required to submit them before August 18, 2023.
This short article is to highlight basic legal, conceptual and governance issues relating to Domestic Debt Optimization (DDO) as announced hitherto.
The article highlights few fundamental concerns over the implementability of the DDO and predicts severe repercussions on political and socio-economic fronts.
Gazette issued under RSSO
On 3rd July, the President in the capacity of the Minister of Finance issued regulations under section 34 and 55 of the Registered Stocks and Securities Ordinance (RSSO) authorizing the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Registrar of Public Debt to carry out powers vested with the Minister under section 34 of the RSSO.
The gazette is as follows.
The section 34 of the RSSO is as follows.
Major legal concerns
The exercise of powers and authorities under section 34 of the RSSO does not require an issuance of Regulations. Subjects that require Regulations under section 55 of the RSSO do not cover the subject of “Conversion of Loans” under section 34.
Regulations cover words “convert or exchange”. However, section 34 of the RSSO relates to “conversion” only while nothing is covered on “exchange.”
Minister’s powers under the RSSO can be delegated only to the Secretary to the Treasury through a gazette issued under section 56 of the RSSO. There is no any reference to the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance. Therefore, the authorization to the Registrar of Public Debt is unlawful.
The Sinhala version of the Regulations refers to “රාජ්ය ණය අධිකාරී“. However, RSSO does not refer to such a designation. It refers to the designation of “ලේඛකාධිකාරී” and “Registrar.” Further, there is no designation of Registrar of Public Debt in the RSSO as the duties of the “Registrar” apply only to debt raised through instruments permitted under the RSSO.
The conversion of loans requires the section 35 of the RSSO that provides for the arrangement for the conversion. However, it is not covered in the Regulations.
If Regulations are lawfully in order as they are, the Minister must declare the specific lists of securities or stocks in the Regulations as implied from the contents of the section 34 of the RSSO. However, the Minister has declared such lists in a separate document “Invitation to Exchange” issued by the Minister on 4 July to superannuation funds and other eligible holders.
As the Minister uses provisions in the RSSO to implement DDO, the legality as well as the purpose of a resolution sought from the Parliament for the DDO are not clear.
Treasury bonds specified in the “Invitation to Exchange” are not the loans raised in terms of sections 2 and 4 of the RSSO with the authorization by the Minister as required. Therefore, an issue remains as to how loans issued in contravention of the relevant provisions of the RSSO are converted into stocks or securities provided for in the section 34 of the RSSO.
If such Treasury bonds are lawful bonds in any case, loans have been raised through such bonds by the Registrar under section 5 of the RSSO. It is the statutory duty of the Registrar under this section to “make all such arrangements as may be necessary to raise loans upon the most favourable terms that can be obtained.” If so, an investigation is necessary as to how such Treasury bonds have become a burden causing public debt unsustainable.
The responsibility of domestic debt management with lowest cost and prudent risk has been vested by the Monetary Board with the Domestic Debt Management Committee (DDMC) of the CB. If so, an investigation is necessary as to why the DDMC failed to fulfil its public duties as DDO is now necessary to make domestic debt sustainable. In fact, the proposed DDO is virtually a default of contracts on promissory notes on Treasury bonds.
Passing the burden of domestic debt mismanaged by the Registrar and DDMC to the general public through superannuation funds in a discriminatory manner without any investigations into those who mismanaged debt to the default status is an undemocratic use of the public governance powers by the incumbent government.
DDO proposed in Treasury bills held by the CB to convert into Treasury bonds or term loans is not practical as both Local Treasury Bill Ordinance and Monetary Law Act do not have supporting provisions. It is noted that the majority of Treasury bills held by the CB at present is the unlawful increase by the present CB Governor in the conflict of interest.
DDO conceptual issues
Official communications reveal that the proposed DDO is undertaken on the request of external creditors at the discussion between them and the government on foreign debt restructuring consequent to the default announced with effect from 12 April 2022 on the advice of the present CB Governor. He is also responsible for the excessive issuance of International Sovereign Bonds for his foreign reserve management role. In fact, it is the foreign debt that is unsustainable due to the acute shortage of foreign currency reserves with the CB whereas it is the CB that expanded foreign debt aggressively and unlawfully for monetary policy purposes. Foreign lenders who lent excessively by knowing the risks must bear the loss of default and it is undemocratic to share this loss with local currency lenders.
Domestic debt raised in domestic currency cannot be unsustainable as debt service can be made through the rollovers at new interest rates as and when the debt matures and the government has money printing and creating power for debt service. The proposed DDO on Treasury bonds is also an early rollover of the existing debt in 63 Treasury bonds with a total face value of Rs. 8,904 bn maturing between September 2023 and March 2045 to 12 new bonds at new interest rates/coupon of 12% and 9% maturing between 2027 and 2038 (see the list below). Therefore, this rollover will not ease the debt stock or debt-GDP ratio. However, it is noted that the policy announcement made by the Ministry of Finance on 4 July covered bonds maturing between 2024 and 2032 for the conversion under the DDO. As such, the Ministry does not know what they are really doing.
As present interest rates structure has been elevated at historically high levels by the super tight monetary policy since April 2022, proposed interest rates on new bonds may be costly to debt service on new bonds for the period up to 2038. In contrast, rollovers at maturities would have the benefits of the market interest rates in the future after the economy recovers from the current monetary tightening and CB’s debt management. The rollovers are difficult at present not due to non-availability of liquidity but due to sugar high interest rates on government securities driven by the CB for the monetary policy as the CB serves both functions of debt manager and monetary authority. The CB has been injecting ample liquidity through reverse repo auctions and direct purchases of Treasury bills as it wishes.
The criteria used to select bonds for the conversion is highly questionable.
*First, there are several bonds with coupon rates below 9% in the declared bond list. The exchange of these bonds at new coupon rates of 12% and 9% as proposed will increase the debt service burden.
*Second, 6 bonds maturing from August 2039 to March 2045 are to be exchanged with new bonds maturing up to 2038. As the maturity is shortened here, the debt service burden will increase. What is actually required is to extend the maturity profile of the debt stock in order to ease debt service and bunching.
*Third, there is no purpose of two bonds with outstanding value of less than 10 bn to be offered in the list as only large value bonds require optimization.
*Fourth, the coupon rates of Treasury bonds in the list are not representative of the actual cost to the government as the weighted average yield to maturity of those bonds at issuances could be lower than specified coupon rates due to issuance at premium whereas the opposite will apply to discount bonds. As such, discount bonds should be optimized. For this purpose, new coupons can be linked to secondary market yields if the government securities market is developed in terms of the relevant provisions of the RSSO.
Overall, it is clear that all existing bonds have been listed for DDO without any assessment of the debt burden of each bond. Therefore, the proposed DDO on Treasury bonds will be another bureaucratic job that will effectively fail as usual.
Active Liability Management Act was passed in 2018 to restructure the debt stock as debt unsustainability or default was foreseen in advance. However, the Treasury or the CB never acted accordingly. Instead, they raised more debt by using the additional borrowing powers (i.e., 10% of the existing debt stock) given in the Act. These provisions could have been used for the DDO too as the Act was passed specifically for debt restructuring purpose. An investigation also is required why the provisions of this Act were not implemented despite evolving debt unsustainability.
Public concerns
Although authorities talk rosy stories on debt restructuring and DDO, its complexities can have severe effects legally, socially and economically.
The popular statement that EPF members will not be affected anyway by the DDO is untrue as any debt restructuring is implemented to gain trough the cost passed to lenders. If there is not cost to the EPF being the single largest lender, the purpose of the proposed DDO is questionable.
I recall the political calamity caused by a just attempt to introduce transparency and competition on issuance of government securities in place of the long existed private placements lovingly promoted by the CB. The attempt was to introduce transparency and market discipline to develop the debt market. The present CB Governor was a big advocate for private placements fighting against the market mechanism. As a result, the good governance based government in 2015 was shattered in few months from its beginning.
As compared to that event, the proposed DDO is much more controversial and complicated and, therefore, could cause serious legal and socio-economic repercussions due to issues presented above.
It appears that the President personally leads the restructuring task without facts known to him. Those who advised the President to follow this path of debt restructuring and DDO seem to have misled the President and Parliament by not revealing facts and consequences behind the DDO concept.
Officials who mismanaged debt to be unsustainable are in the forefront of debt restructuring without being subjected to any investigation. This is not acceptable.
In this context, if circumstances become unhealthy in future, the President will singularly be responsible for as those who advised the President would have retired and left to their foreign residences and Parliamentarians who voted for the DDO resolution can change their position abruptly overnight for political benefits as usual.
(This article is released in the interest of participating in the professional dialogue to find out solutions to present economic crisis confronted by the general public consequent to the global Corona pandemic, subsequent economic disruptions and shocks both local and global and policy failures.)
P Samarasiri
Former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka
(Former Director of Bank Supervision, Assistant Governor, Secretary to the Monetary Board and Compliance Officer of the Central Bank, Former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Board and Credit Information Bureau, Former Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka, Former Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission and Insurance Regulatory Commission and the Author of 10 Economics and Banking Books and a large number of articles published.
The author holds BA Hons in Economics from University of Colombo, MA in Economics from University of Kansas, USA, and international training exposures in economic management and financial system regulation)
Colombo (LNW): The National Medicines Regulatory Authority will be probing some of the leading private hospitals in Colombo area in response to a series of public complaints that patients are being billed with exorbitant rates for medicines exceeding the government’s designated maximum retail prices (MRP).
The public’s outcry over the prices of medicines comes in against the backdrop where the Health Ministry declared a list of 60 essential and most commonly used medicines with their maximum retail prices slashed by 16 per cent with effect from June 15, 2023.
It is illegal if commonly used medicines are sold for prices beyond the MRP, and some of the commonly used medicines allegedly sold for exorbitant prices are paracetamol, amoxicillin, metformin, antibiotics and insulin, Daily Mirror reported quoting an official at the NMRA.
A similar probe was carried out in the South against a private hospital in Galle, and had discovered that it had violated the recent gazette declaration by the Health Ministry. The hospital in question is currently being processed for trial at Court.
Colombo (LNW): The government has reportedly reimposed the customs import duty for milk powder.
Accordingly, an import tax of Rs. 100 has been imposed per kilogram of milk powder, effective from Wednesday (12).
This tax revision comes in in replacement to the previous decision to remove the import duty of Rs. 225 per kilogram of milk powder imposed by the government.
The revised customs duty has been imposed by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stablisation and National Policies.
