High Commissioner Saroja Sirisena was awarded the Diplomat of the Year from Asia & Oceania at the   prestigious DIPLOMAT magazine annual Awards Ceremony 2023 at the Royal Over-Seas League on 24 April 2023.

The Awards Ceremony recognises outstanding work and achievements of London’s diplomatic community who are trying to better their nations’ well-being and is in its thirteenth year.  DIPLOMAT magazine identified 10 categories that recognise different levels of diplomacy, and winners were nominated by their fellow diplomats. 

Referring to London as the global centre for diplomacy, with over 180 diplomatic missions DIPLOMAT’s Editor, Venetia de Blocq van Kuffeler stated that a posting in London remains one of the highlights of any diplomat’s career. She added that the winners are testimony to their hard work, dedication and professionalism.

Saroja Sirisena previously served as Ambassador to Austria and Consul General in Mumbai as well as serving in Sri Lanka’s Missions in Paris, Brussels and Geneva.

Over 150 guests including Heads of Mission and diplomats from over 80 countries attended the Awards Ceremony.

High Commission of Sri Lanka High Commission

London

28 April 2023

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has decided to launch a disciplinary action against MP A.H.M. Fowzie over voting in favour of the IMF deal in Parliament by ignoring the Party’s stance.

Party Secretary General MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara revealed Fowzie violated the SJB’s decision over the IMF deal, saying “Mr. Fowzie committed something completely unsuitable. After Mr. Mujibur Rahuman stepped down, Mr. Fowzie met with the Party leaders and promised to work with us. So this is very wrong.

The SJB Secretary added: “He has betrayed the party followers. We as a party decided to call in a disciplinary inquiry against him and take the necessary steps to oust him from the party.”

14 Sri Lankans residing in the Republic of the Sudan who were evacuated due to the prevailing crisis arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport today, and were received and warmly welcomed by Director General of the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sisira Senavirathne. Their evacuation was facilitated with the coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the generous assistance of the Government of Saudi Arabia.

The Embassies of Sri Lanka in Riyadh and Cairo and the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Jeddah have been working with the authorities of the Royal Government of Saudi Arabia and the Government of India to evacuate the Sri Lankans living in Khartoum who had requested to be rescued. The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Nairobi and the Sri Lanka Embassy in Muscat also extended assistance in the evacuation process.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to monitor the situation in the Republic of the Sudan and remains ready to assist the Sri Lankan nationals who are still in the Republic of the Sudan if and when a request is made for repatriation.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

29 April 2023

The Sri Lanka Country Engagement Plan was launched on Friday (April 28) as a joint initiative of the Inland Revenue Department, the Fiscal Policy Department, the Finance Ministry and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Sri Lanka.

The engagement plan aims to better align taxation policies with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country.

The SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. But it requires fundamental changes to the way the economy and fiscal policies are organized.

In order to offset challenging market conditions faced by developing countries and accelerate progress towards the SDGs, the recently launched SDG Stimulus Plan of the UN Secretary-General had called for a fit-for-purpose sustainable financing approach.

Therefore, stable and reliable state revenues are crucial for financing the SDGs. Hence, the Inland Revenue Department, the Fiscal Policy Department, the Finance Ministry and the UNDP in Sri Lanka came together to better align taxation policies with the achievement of the SDGs in the country.

Joining 25 countries globally – notably the Maldives and Bhutan in the Asia Pacific region – the Sri Lanka Country Engagement Plan will provide the roadmap for the demand-driven activities envisaged for the country.

Funded by the governments of Finland and Norway, this initiative will be implemented for two years and anchored at the Inland Revenue Department and the Fiscal Policy Department. 

Gracing the occasion, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe stated, “The Government of Sri Lanka recognizes that revenue generation stands at the core of financing public development and is integral to achieving the SDGs..

This initiative does not implement new taxes to achieve the SDGs, but rather propose how existing public finance policies and principles can be better aligned and efficiently managed to make progress towards the SDGs headed. ”

Commenting on the importance of aligning fiscal policies towards the achievement of SDGs, R.M.P. Rathnayake, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury stated, that this initiative will explore better alignment of fiscal policies and frameworks with the SDGs, develop capacities to improve tax administration, and help incorporate Sri Lanka’s perspective and needs in global and regional discussions on reforms”. 

Forging wide-ranging partnerships, the Initiative will roll out an SDG Taxation Framework, raise awareness on alignment of public finance to achieve the SDGs and implement an OECD-UNDP Tax Inspectors without Borders Programme (TIWB) which will provide hands-on ‘learning by doing assistance’.

Further, the Initiative aims to explore digitalization solutions to improve tax filing, processing and collection efficiency, support Sri Lanka’s climate and gender considerations in fiscal policies, and support treaty negotiations in partnership with the South Centre, Switzerland. 

Articulating the need to address the gap between public finance and the SDGs, UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, Azusa Kubota stated, “ UNDP is committed to working with the Government of Sri Lanka and a wide range of stakeholders in the roll out of this Initiative to help the country mobilize its resources at scale and achieve the SDGs”.

The Sri Lankan government is considering lifting the maximum retail price (MRP) on eggs to address the prevailing shortage in the local market. This proposal was discussed at a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office with the participation of respective officials, egg producers, and poultry farmers.

The meeting was chaired by the Presidential Secretary, along with the secretaries to the Agriculture Ministry and Trade Ministry. The egg producers and poultry farmers have pointed out that removing the MRP imposed on eggs would resolve the shortage in the local market within 15 days.

In response, Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera has indicated that he will consider submitting a proposal seeking the removal of the MRP on eggs to the Cabinet of Ministers soon.

The imposition of the MRP on eggs was implemented by the government in an effort to control prices and ensure affordability for consumers. However, this move has had the unintended consequence of creating a shortage of eggs in the local market, leading to price hikes and inconveniences for consumers.

The government’s decision to consider lifting the MRP on eggs is a positive step towards resolving the current shortage in the local market. The removal of the MRP would also enable egg producers and poultry farmers to sell their products at market prices, which would incentivize them to increase production and address the shortage in the long run.

The government is expected to review the proposal and take necessary action to resolve the issue of egg shortage in the local market.

The Department of Meteorology has issued a warning for a significant increase in thunderstorm activity in Sri Lanka today. Showers or thundershowers are likely at several places over most parts of the island after 2.00 p.m., with heavy showers above 100 mm expected in parts of Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-Western, and Southern provinces.

The warning also indicates that showers or thundershowers may occur in the Eastern province and in Mullaitivu and Hambantota districts during the morning. The general public is advised to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

The sea areas around the island will also experience an increase in thunderstorm activity. Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the sea areas around the island. The winds in the sea area will be south-easterly, and the wind speed will be 20-30 kmph. The sea areas around the island will be slight to moderate, but temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.

This warning is a result of the current weather conditions and is intended to provide the public with the necessary information to ensure their safety. It is recommended that individuals stay indoors during thunderstorms, avoid using electronic devices that are connected to power sources, and stay away from tall trees or open fields.

The Department of Meteorology regularly issues weather warnings to ensure the safety and well-being of the public, and it is crucial that individuals pay attention to these warnings and take the necessary precautions.

A workshop on Indian cinema was inaugurated at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Colombo on 28 April 2023. Hon Arundika Fernando, State Minister of Urban Development and Housing was present on the occasion. Mr. Vinod K Jacob, Deputy High Commissioner participated in the inauguration and  welcomed the delegation led by the highly decorated director, actor, screenwriter and lyricist from  Kannada cinema, Dr. Nagathihalli Chandrashekaran to the workshop.

2.     Speaking on the occasion, Deputy High Commissioner noted, “At a time when India and Sri Lanka are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations, it is indeed timely that we are having this workshop.” Wishing that the workshop would contribute to deepening people to people ties, he highlighted six main observations during the course of his speech.

3.     First, every year, more than 2000 films are made in India. In 2011, the total number of cinema tickets sold were 3.5 billion. The history of Indian cinema is more than 100 years old. The pioneering filmmaker was Dadasaheb Phalke, who is known as the father of Indian cinema, gave India the first full length silent feature film titled RAJA HARISHCHANDRA on 3 May 1913. Through this long journey, Indian cinema has enriched Indian society and vice versa. The movies have tackled issues like nationalism, women’s and children’s rights, caste, religion, class and the like.

4.     Second, looking at the more than 100-year-old journey of Indian cinema and how we responded to the restrictions of Covid 19, there are some interesting trends. The fact that RRR’s Naatu Naatu won the Best Original track at the latest Academy Awards is a testimony to the ability of Indian cinema to innovate. He quoted a report which estimated that Hindi theater-going universe shrank by 21.5 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, most South Indian languages have shown stability or growth, with Kannada gaining the most at 25%, from 1.16 crore to 1.45 crore.

5.     Third, it is important to recognize that commercial success is an essential element of the progress of the Indian cinema. Equally, this is a fluid concept. Among the earliest examples in this regard is the success of the 1951 movie AWARA which set a record in terms of collection, was overtaken in 1952 itself with collections for the movie AAN. This year, the movie PATHAAN has set fresh records. However, related to this is the aspect of success in terms of creative content which cannot only be measured by collections. Convergence of these two aspects namely the commercial and the creative depends in large measure on the audience.

6.     Fourth, Kannada cinema has come a long way since the first talkie SATI SULOCHANA in the 1930s. Its output has been prolific and contributed to the vitality of Indian cinema and indeed Indian society. The KGF series is fresh in everyone’s minds but the workshop will educate about the versatility of Kannada cinema.

7.     Fifthly, the ecosystem that enables Indian cinema flows from the freedom of speech and expression which is a fundamental right in the Indian constitution. The Cinematograph Act of 1952 is the main piece of legislation in this regard. As is normal in any other jurisdiction, there are structures and mechanisms that govern censorship, copyright and piracy including digital piracy.

8.     Finally, the Government and people of India have stood by the people of Sri Lanka and have given support to the tune of USD 4 billion. This has been in line with the Government’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. It is important that Sri Lankan friends appreciate that such a policy can be successful only if the people of India support these initiatives. The Indian people continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka.

***

28 April 2023

Colombo