1. Port Trade Union activists say a ship carrying 99,000 MT of crude oil has been outside the Colombo Port for 44 days without unloading as the payment of USD 70 mn is outstanding: delay charges so far, rise to a staggering Rs.2,500 mn.
   
2. Ratings agency S&P downgrades Sri Lanka’s bonds to ‘D’ from ‘CC’: affirms ‘SD’ long-term and ‘SD’ short-term Forex sovereign rating: canard that a prior-announced “soft” default will lead to the preservation of the financial “status quo”, invalidated.
   
3. Former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal says there was absolutely no necessity for the hurried, inexplicable and suspicious “debt default” of 12th April 2022: asserts default was announced without required formal approvals: also says adequate “bridging finance” was forthcoming from China, India and “Green bonds”.
   
4. John Keells Holdings Chairman Krishan Balendra says JKH will seek “gaming operators” for its flagship project “Cinnamon Life”: says opportunity arose after the government formalized process of issuing licences and monitoring casino operations.
   
5. State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says proposed taxes is only to ensure there is no economic crisis in the future: assures the current economic crisis will end soon.
   
6. Reports emerge the Govt has put on hold, the proposed investment in LNG operations by US’s New Fortress Energy, although the Supreme Court has dismissed the petitions against it: State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says the project is being reviewed in conformity with the policy of the new government.
   
7. Education Minister Susil Premajayanth says the present dress code for school teachers will not be changed under any circumstances.
   
8. Cardinal Ranjith says the 21st Amendment contains a clause that if a Sri Lankan citizen lodges a complaint against the Govt or a Govt body at the UN or any UN-affiliated organisation, their civic rights could be removed for up to 20 years.
   
9. Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry says deaths from dengue have risen to 60 by end October: mainly children: infections 62,184 (last year 35,924): outbreak feared in next 2 months.
   
10. Sri Lanka crashes out of the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup 2022 after Australia registers 4-run win over Afghanistan in their final Super 12 match.

The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Türkiye, S. Hasanthi Urugodawatte Dissanayake, presented open copies of her Letter of Credence of her appointment to the , Director General of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye Ambassador Tunca Özçuhadar on 02 November 2022, having assumed duties at the Embassy on the previous day. 

S. Hasanthi Urugodawatte Dissanayake is a career diplomat with over 26 years of experience in the Foreign Service having served ın Sri Lankan Missions in Japan, Sweden, Italy, China and Viet Nam. Her last tenure abroad was as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Viet Nam from 2015 – 2019.

In Colombo, she has served in several Divisions at the Ministry of Affairs covering economic, UN and multilateral, political and protocol affairs. Prior to her taking up duties in Ankara she was the Additional Secretary for Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change.

Ambassador and the Director General of Protocol had interesting conversations on Japan where both have served simultaneously as well meeting later during Ambassador Özçuhadar tenure in Colombo.  Given the mutual background, interests and experience of the two, conversation also focused on how the two countries could collaborate on archaeological research, conservation and heritage management which would also contribute to boost tourism both ways.  

Embassy of Sri Lanka
Ankara
04 November, 2022

At least 5.7 million people, or 26 per cent of the population in Sri Lanka require humanitarian assistance, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a report.

The report warned that without immediate humanitarian assistance, and ‘upstream’ interventions to address the fragility of systems, services and facilities, this number will multiply, and the consequences will deepen.

Food security and livelihoods have suffered directly because of the economic crisis, while access and availability of basic services such as education and healthcare, including hospital maternity care, and sexual and reproductive health services have been disrupted.

Notably, in addition to the impact on education, child protection risks have risen. A serious decline in domestic agricultural output brought on by an unsuccessful agricultural transition to organic farming has deepened the crisis.

Unless critically damaged systems, services and facilities (crucially, the agriculture and fishing, health and social care, and education sectors) are urgently restored, it is likely that those who are already vulnerable will be pushed further down a pathway towards destitution.

Householders and families across the country are already employing negative coping strategies, such as reducing meals, postponing medical care, taking children out of school and employing children to provide income, and depleting and selling their assets.

People are now more often becoming the victims or perpetrators of crime and theft, people are migrating in search of employment, human trafficking is said to have increased, and families are breaking up.

At the community and family level, the macroeconomic collapse in Sri Lanka has translated into a complex humanitarian emergency, as millions of people are increasingly suffering, with severe shortages of food, fuel, cooking gas, medicine and other essentials

The assessment found that household purchasing power is constrained by food inflation and that disruptions to livelihoods and food insecurity have increased, raising worries about malnutrition.

People are suffering from poorer health because the healthcare system has become compromised. Household economic stresses have resulted in rising concerns over basic needs and protection for the most vulnerable (such as those already living below the poverty line, people with disability, and marginalized people).

The assessment report includes an analysis and recommendations based on a face-to-face household-level survey of 2,871 respondents in 11 districts across nine provinces, a separate case study of 300 households from 10 estates in Nuwara Eliya, 24 focus group discussions (FGDs), 15 key informant interviews (KIIs), and an anticipatory analysis, framed by extensive secondary data.

At the Second handing over Ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai symbolically handed over cash donation of 14,000,000 Thai Baht (SLRS 135,398,986 ) from Royal Thai Government to Sri Lanka Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCAP C.A. Chaminda I. Colonne on 01^st of Nonmember 2022. This financial donation will be channeled through the United Nations to Sri Lanka.  Other donations made included medicines and medical supplies valued THB 1,000,000 by Thai Red Cross Society, THB 1,071, 300  by the Thai Chamber of Commerce, eleven freight containers transporting services valued THB 748,376 by Regional Container Line Public Company Limited, THB 436,120 valued 16 tons of sugar and 1000 pieces of blankets by Thai Beverage Public Company, 120 tons rice valued THB 3,724,800 by Rama IX Golden Temple, 96 tons of rice valued THB 1,400,000 by Chak Daeng Temple and 24 tons of rice valued THB 500,000 by Siri Guru Singh Sabha.

Deputy Prime Minister recalled that the two countries have been bound together by shared values and cultural ties, long before the formal establishment of diplomatic relations, 67 years ago.  He conveyed that these strong bonds have continuously hosted close cooperation and partnership in various areas particularly in trade and investment, technical cooperation and people to people contacts, all of which have flourished and prosperity substantively in recent decades.  On behalf of the Government of Thailand, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs assured that the strong will of Sri Lankan people will lead the country to a right direction and committed to continue assisting Sri Lanka to overcome the daunting challenges during this most difficult time.

Ambassador Colonne highlighted that the Sri Lankan economy is envisaged to record a gradual recovery over the medium term. She added that regional countries may extend assistance to such recovery by providing preferential market access for Sri Lanka’s exports by lowering tariffs, providing/increasing quotas or implementing special procurement schemes, and providing specific Sri Lankan industries with technical assistance. The Ambassador extended her appreciation to His Majesty the King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Government and the People of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for making several thoughtful and generous donations to the people of Sri Lanka, with the assistance of Thai Buddhist temples, Private and other entities. 

Previously, during a similar recent  handing over symbolic ceremony at the Foreign Ministry presided over by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijavat Isarabhakdi, 1.3 Million THB (SLRS. 12,571,927.28) worth of medical supplies and 700,000 Thai Baht financial support by Thai Parliament were symbolically handed over to the Ambassador along with symbolic donations by the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Government Pharmaceutical Organization, Thai Red Cross Society, Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Somdet Phra Sangharaja Wat Bavoranives Vihara Foundation under the Royal Patronage, and Wat Phra Ram 9 Karnchanapisek, totaling over 5 million THB. (SLRS. 48,308,003.65).

The Ambassador was thankful for the compassion, optimism and inspiration shown by the Thai people and for positively impacting countless lives in Sri Lanka. She also extended her gratitude to the Ambassador of Thailand in Colombo Poj Harnpol for assisting in the local distribution of these donations in Sri Lanka.  

Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka 

Bangkok

04 November, 2022

Sri Lanka will be taking every possible action to prevent Sri Lankans from travelling overseas for work under tourist visas.

The Foreign Employment Ministry has taken this decision following the exodus of specially women to the Middle East under tourist visas for jobs in Gulf countries.

Minister Manusha Nanayakkara directed the ministry officials to take action to send women abroad for all jobs especially to the countries such as the UAE and Oman under work visa.

“The ministry has been notified by the Sri Lankan Bureau of Foreign Employment about women travelling on tourist visas with the hope of finding jobs in the UAE, and they become stranded without being able to find any jobs and instead become victims of various types of harassments, imprisonment and getting lost,” the minister said.

Therefore, the minister took this decision to prevent all such attempts to go abroad to work on tourist visas.

Also, the minister had instructed the officers at the SLBFE unit established in the airport to closely monitor the women who are travelling overseas seeking jobs in the above mentioned countries under Tourist visas.

If the SLBFE officials could confirm that the men and women applying for jobs through fake documents, legal action will be taken against such people through the bureau, the minister added.

The SLFEB advises all Sri Lankans about the importance of travelling abroad through legal channels, especially for those seeking foreign employment.

Over 200,000 Sri Lankans have left for overseas employment until the end of August this year, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) reported.

The SLBFE said that a total of 208,772 Sri Lankans have reported for foreign employment to date.

Among the group, nearly 2,858 Sri Lankans have gone to work in South Korea in 2022.5,000 Sri Lankans are expected to be directed to employment opportunities in South Korea by the end of this year, the SLBFE added.

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment further said there was an increase in the demand from Sri Lankans for foreign employment opportunities

Between 2014 and 2022, Sri Lanka has received 1.6 million job opportunities from many developed countries and emerging markets for skilled and trained labour but has sent only 37,000 Sri Lankans for these jobs.

In Japan alone, there are vacancies for over 1.4 million Sri Lankans in the IT sector but none has been sent.

In countries like Japan, Korea and Israel, although there is scope for sending trained workers, it was revealed that the number of trained workers going abroad from Sri Lanka is decreasing due to the drop in the number of people with language proficiency and professional skills suitable for jobs in those countries

DIG Sajeeva Medawatta, who is the Executive Director of the National Police Training Institute, has been promoted.

Accordingly, he has been promoted to the position of Senior DIG with effect from March 9, 2021.

According to the notification of the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, this promotion has been given subject to the approval of the Public Service Commission.

Krish Group’s Executive Director Janaki Siriwardena has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department.

That is on the charges of aiding and abetting the large-scale financial fraud of a woman named Thilini Priyamali.

Accordingly, Police Media Spokesman Nihal Talduwa stated that Janaki Siriwardena was arrested this morning (04) at his office in Colombo Fort.