The resignation tendered by P.S.M. Charles, a member of the Election Commission, citing death threats over the phone by an unknown figure, has been denied by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the President’s Office announced.
Despite Charles’ willingness to tender resignation due to what described as death threats posed over the phone, the President has denied the letter.
MIAP
The government will increase the number of passport application centres attached to the Department of Immigration and Emigration up to 54 across the island revealed Public Security Minister Tiran Alles.
Currently, only 04 passport application centres are in operation and accordingly, the number will increase up to 54 with the new 50 centres. Having these centres established, the customers will be able to reach out the most convenient centre, submit their applications along with their fingerprints and receive their passports at their doorstep.
The Minister made these remarks addressing a special briefing held in the Ministry two days (27) ago.
MIAP
Showers or thundershowers will occur at a few places in Sabaragamuwa Province and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Kaluthara, Galle and Matara districts during the afternoon or night and a few showers will occur in Northern, Eastern and Uva provinces, said the Department of Meteorology in a statement today (29).
General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Marine Weather:
| The low-pressure area located over the Southeast Bay of Bengalis very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a Depression over the South-West Bay of Bengal Sea area around 31st January 2023. Thereafter, it is likely to move gradually west-northwestwards and reach near east coast of Sri Lanka on 01st February 2023. Wind speeds will be (40-45) kmph and can increase up to 60 kmph in sea areas between (Equator – 05 N) and between (85E – 95E). Heavy showers or thundershowers and very rough or rough seas can also be expected in above sea areas. Therefore, naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into the above-mentioned sea area during the next 24 hour. Fishing and naval community are requested to be attentive to future forecasts issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard. |
| Condition of Rain: |
| A few showers will occur in the sea areas off the coast extending from Kankasanthurai to Batticaloa via Trincomalee. |
| Winds: |
| Winds will be north-easterly and wind speed will be (20-30) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (40-45) kmph at times over the sea areas off the cost extending from Colombo to Kankasanthurai via Puttalam and Mannar and sea areas off the cost extending from Pottuvil to Matara via Hambanthota. |
| State of Sea: |
| Sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Kankasanthurai via Puttalam and Mannar and sea areas off the cost extending from Pottuvil to Matara via Hambanthota will be fairly rough at times. The other sea areas around the island will be slight. Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers. |
MIAP
The Sri Lanka High Commission in Singapore together with the Sri Lankan community in Singapore celebrated the Thai Pongal festival for the third consecutive year at a colourful ceremony at the High Commission premises on Thursday, 19 January 2023.
Decorative motifs, popularly known as “Kolams” among the Tamil community were drawn on the floor adding a traditional cultural look to the event.
Vice Chairman of the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple in Singapore K. Selvakrishnan and President Jayaseelan Karthijesu, and Secretary-General of the Singapore-Ceylon Tamils Association S.Koban were present at the celebrations as special guests. Chief Priest of the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple in Singapore Sri Sabesan Kurukkal, conducted the special pooja and Hindu religious observances.
Welcoming those present, High Commissioner Premawardhane emphasized the importance of the Thai Pongal Festival and introduced it as the most treasured religious and cultural festival celebrated by the Tamil Community across the globe. She added that festival pays tribute to the sun by offering the first harvest as a token of gratitude. She said that the Thai Pongal festival has become an integral part of the national culture and this year’s ‘Thai Pongal’ is a celebration with added significance, considering the bumper harvest of the current ‘Maha’ Season, from which the entire nation will benefit.
The High Commissioner quoted from the Thai Pongal message of President Ranil Wickeremesinghe, which highlighted that the Pongal festival this year is opportune to signify the Government’s endeavours, to build a self-sufficient country by ensuring food security and nutrition for all, and reviving Sri Lanka being the Granary of the East, as established by our forefathers.
The High Commissioner added that the Singapore -Sri Lanka relationship is underpinned by shared cultural values and strong people to people linkages. She recalled the invaluable assistance extended throughout the Covid 19 pandemic by the Government of Singapore through Temasek Foundation International, other charitable organisations and the Singapore community to support Sri Lanka’s healthcare response to the pandemic.
High Commissioner Premawardhane further added that the High Commission is also hoping to join hands with the Tamil Community in Singapore to assist in initiating some special projects for which the preliminary discussion has been held with the Governor of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka during his recent visit to Singapore.
The High Commissioner acknowledged the extensive contributions made by the Sri Lankan Tamil community towards the development of Singapore, stating that the community was a proud reflection of the country, its diversity and its talent. The Senpaga Vinayagar temple in Singapore was built in the 1850s for which the Ceylonese Tamils are credited with pioneering the building of the first structures of the temple. The High Commissioner appreciated the important role played by the Singapore Ceylon Tamils Association in the maintenance and management of the temple.
The religious rituals ended with the offering of Pongal to Lord Ganesha and other gods.
Traditional sweetmeats, including Pongal and Ceylon tea were served at the conclusion of the event.
High Commission of Sri Lanka
Singapore
24 January 2023
Saudi Arabia has stepped in to provide further assistance to promote tourism, increase foreign direct investments and enhance employment opportunities for Sri Lankans.
This pledge was given by Foreign Affairs Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud when his Sri Lankan counterpart Ali Sabry met him and had an extensive bilateral discussion in that country.
Minister Ali Sabry underlined the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries and thanked Saudi Arabia for the support extended to Sri Lanka in the international fora, especially during its membership at the UNHRC in 2009, 2012 and 2014.
Sabry also acknowledged the contribution of nearly SAR 1.5 billion by the Saudi Development Fund in infrastructure and other developments in Sri Lanka and the solidarity shown in the IMF supported debt restructuring programme.
He paid a tribute to his Saudi counterpart for hosting nearly 185000 Sri Lankans and expressed his willingness to enhance the employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in skilled, semi-skilled and professional categories in the Kingdom.
Minister Sabry invited Saudi investors to invest in Sri Lanka, especially in the Colombo Port City and the Renewable Energy sector.
The Saudi Foreign Minister stated that Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka are true friends and share similar views on a number of international issues. He expressed his appreciation to Sri Lanka for being one of the first countries to support Saudi Arabia’s bid to host EXPO 2030 in Riyadh.
He also said that Saudi Arabia always encourages business entities to look at Sri Lanka as a possible destination for investment.
Responding to the update given by his Sri Lankan counterpart on the current economic situation in Sri Lanka, the Saudi Minister said that he is “glad that Sri Lanka is getting positive attention from her friends around the world”.
The ministers also agreed to the resumption of air connectivity between the two countries to the level of the pre-Covid period.
During his meeting with Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Fund for Development Sultan A. Al-Marsad, the Sri Lankan Minister thanked the SFD for the continuation of the funding despite the economic situation in the country and the flexibility shown on debt repayment.
On the invitation extended by Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, his Sri Lankan counterpart undertook an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 22 to 27 January.
During his meeting with the Secretary General of Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahmin Taha, the Minister and the Secretary-General agreed to enhance the engagements and continue to cooperate in the international fora.
The minister also urged the member states of the OIC for “visible humanitarian and economic support” to Sri Lanka.
At a meeting with the Vice President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Dr. Zamir Iqbal, the organization offered to coordinate with the Government of Sri lanka to organize an investment conference to unlock alternative finance with a view to helping Sri Lanka’s economy.
During the meeting with the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Nayef Falah M Al Hajraf, the Sri Lankan minister noted that the total trade volume between Sri Lanka and GCC countries is in the region of US$ 2.5 billion a year, a significant trade bloc, following India, China, Europe and the USA.
Sabry also mentioned that of the 300,000 employment opportunities generated during the year 2022, 257,000 were employed in the region.
The Sri Lankan minister and the Secretary-General acknowledged the necessity of exploring untapped investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka for GCC countries. In this context, it was agreed to expedite the process of entering into a framework agreement between Sri Lanka and the GCC.
Spain is one of the fastest recovery markets for Sri Lanka Tourism after the pandemic and participation in FITUR argues well for the much-needed exposure for Sri Lanka as an attractive tourism destination for Spanish-speaking countries, SL tourism promotion bureau sources revealed.
It is contributing in a substantive manner to its overall growth strategy Sri Lanka
Tourism made the presence with the 28 private sector companies at 43rd edition of FITUR International Travel Mart which was held from 18- 22 January 2023, Madrid, Spain.
FITUR is the largest tourism event in the Spanish Market where all the sectors leisure, business and MICE tourism meet under one roof.
Sri Lanka Tourism stall was ceremonially opened by Mr.Chalaka Gajabahu ,Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Barcelona, Mr. Agustin Llana and representatives of the leading private sector members of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka was able to attract a high level of attention from the trade and travel visitors attended at the event.
The Sri Lanka pavilion highlighted many aspects of its potential culture, beauty, Ayurveda and many more which Sri Lanka would offer as a tourism destination
. Sri Lanka stand optimized the “So Sri Lanka” and “Visit Sri Lanka” vivid sights to attract the potential visitor segments.
At the Sri Lanka pavilion, Ceylon tea was served for the visitors with a view of promoting Ceylon tea in the Spanish market.
On the sideline of the FITUR travel fair, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau officials participated at the events organized by the UNWTO. During the events,
SLTPB officials met with the Mr.Harry Hwang , Director of Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO.As a result of discussions, Mr.Harry Hwang has shown the interest to hold the UNWTO Joint commission in Sri Lanka in 2024.
In the Meantime, the SLTPB and Sri Lanka Embassy of France also took steps to arrange Business Meetings, exclusive media interviews, Air Line meetings at the FITUR 2023.
The Media gathering conducted during the fair created the great opportunity to highlight the updates on the destination and create awareness on the destination.
Sri Lanka in its way towards high digital connectivity is set to regulate the mobile phone industry by making licenses to import handsets with the aim of busting the snuggling and grey market, finance ministry sources said.
As the world integrates the ‘New Normal’ in the ecosystem, Sri Lanka’s digital framework with mobile phone connectivity is pacing with fresh energy and has bold plans for the future.
The nation witnessed a whopping 245% increase in E- commerce base, as the basket went from US$11 to $38 which was primarily driven by e-payment, e-banking, online medical consultation and e-sports, the latest segment on e-platforms.
Smartphones are also galvanizing day-to-day activities like online classes, online shopping, and e-payments with 43% people accepting to have tried newer things online.
The smartphone industry is looking at a promising avenue. In terms of digital development, Sri Lanka witnessed a speedy process where now the usage of mobile phones has become a common feature among the people.
In this setup , Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara has intervened to stop the smuggling of unregistered mobile phones into Sri Lanka.
This action has been taken by the minister after the Mobile Phone Importers Association apprised him regarding the organized racket of smuggling mobile phones into the country using individuals as carriers, depriving the government of tax revenue and posing a threat to national security.
Minister Nanayakkara had explained the relevant issues to State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya as well as the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and urged them to take necessary action to stop the racket.
These facts were revealed in a discussion held today (27) between the Mobile Phone Importers Association and the Minister Nanayakkara.
The Association told the minister that due to the importation of mobile phones in the above illegal manner, in 2021 alone around $20 million has been transferred to foreign destinations illegally through the Undiyal system, and the tax revenue lost to the government is estimated to be around Rs. 7.8 billion.
The mobile phone importers pointed out to the minister that importing mobile phones without registration in this way also affects national security and that the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has no record of such mobile phones.
Minister Manusha Nanayakkara assured that necessary measures to stop the illegal importation of mobile phones, which affects the country’s tax revenue and national security, will be taken with the intervention of the Minister of State for Finance and the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
Smartphone manufacturers are eyeing this opportunity of impending demand for smartphones. Deeper insights into the market reveal that 48%2of the people would be interested in buying products that are manufactured locally.
Thus, the vision of ‘Make in Sri Lanka’ and ‘Digital Sri Lanka’ can go hand in hand in reforming the smartphone industry in the coming years.
As a youth-centric brand, vivo is tapping into this wave of digital transformation and is manufacturing smartphones that cater to all the digital needs of the users. It is also exploring to tap the 5G wave that is bound to take the nation by storm.
In a move of a friendly country in need for Sri Lanka , China has extended assurance for the island nation’s debt restructuring with the submission of the relevant letter to the International Monetary Fund to unlock a US4 2.9 billion bailout loan, Chinese diplomatic sources confirmed.
China has taken this action several weeks after India has given its assurance for debt restructuring and now Japan is ready to follow suit.
China’s Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) has provided Sri Lanka with a debt extension, China’s Foreign Ministry said.
EXIM offered Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on its debt and said it would support the country’s efforts to secure a $2.9 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters news agency.
China and India are the biggest bilateral lenders to Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people that is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades.
“China feels for Sri Lanka as it faces difficulties and challenges and has been helping with Sri Lanka’s socio-economic development as best as we can,” the Foreign Ministry said in comments to Reuters.
In the wake of China’s gesture, Japan’s top finance diplomat, Masato Kanda said that crisis-hit Sri Lanka was a key issue when it came to helping countries in debt but he was not sure when creditors aiming to extend it loans would meet.
He said that middle-income countries have been left without an international arrangement to address the debt crisis.
“Japan is closely coordinating with international organs such as the Paris club or IMF in order to ensure participation of non-Paris Club members such as China and India,” Kanda said.
There is no doubt that International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans often come with a set of conditions that most countries find unfavorable to implement. With its ongoing economic crisis and complex multilateral debt negotiations between creditor nations, Sri Lanka is no exception.
On the request of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Japan took the lead the debt restructuring talks with creditor nations.
Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki emphasized the role that bilateral creditors like India and China should play in dragging Colombo out of its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948.
The restructuring of Sri Lanka’s debt held by India and China provides Sri Lanka with a certain amount of leverage in the IMF negotiations. Interestingly, this also reflects the changing regional dynamics of the last few years.
Sri Lanka is of strategic interest to China for its trade and infrastructure connectivity in the Indian Ocean region as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It became more crucial after India announced its non-participation in the BRI.
Justice Minister Hon. Dr. Wijedasa Rajapaksa and Member of Parliament Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijeratne, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children, recently handed over the applications of justice of peace for the probation officers to avoid the inconvenience of obtaining affidavits required in legal proceedings for children who become
victims.
Accordingly, the applications required for the appointment of justice of the peace for 325 probation officers working all over the island under the Department of Probation and Child Care Services were symbolically handed over to the Secretary to the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment Ms. Yamuna Perera.
The Provincial Commissioners including the Commissioner of Probation and Child Care Services joined the meeting of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children held on December 2 under the chairmanship of Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijeratne, where they had the opportunity to present their problems and suggestions to the caucus. They pointed out that during the judicial process, the child victims who are on probation are inconvenient when referring to a third party to obtain affidavits. Thus, the Parliamentary Caucus for Children
brought this proposal to the attention of the Minister of Justice.
Hon. Dr. Wijedasa Rajapaksa, Minister of Justice, who attended the event, pointed out that the intervention of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children to solve a current issue is
commendable. He said that every possible step will be taken for such positive steps in the future as well.
Hon. (Mrs.) Rohini Kumari Wijeratne, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children, said that being able to provide solutions to this long-standing problem is a victory for the children in Sri Lanka. She also said that the Parliamentary Caucus for Children would like to thank the Minister of Justice Hon. (Dr.) Wijedasa Rajapaksa for his prompt response to the request made through the intervention of this caucus.
Also, the chairperson pointed out that this occasion is an example of the Parliamentary committees’ intervention in a more positive way to solve the existing problems. Furthermore, Mrs. Rohini Kumari Wijeratne, discussed the current issues regarding children at the provincial level with the ministry officials. There, instructions were given to promptly forward to the ministry the information including the issues and suggestions referred at the provincial level regarding “Child Protection” and to take every possible step to avoid those problems.
It was also further advised to inform the caucus about its progress every 06 months. State Minister Hon. Diana Gamage, Members of Parliament, Deputy Co-Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children Hon. (Mrs.) Dr. Sudarshanee Fernandopulle and Hon. Chandima Weerakkodi were also present at this occasion.
Also, the Secretary of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children, Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Mrs. Kushani Rohanadira, Secretary to the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Ms. Yamuna Perera, Additional Secretary Ms. Nilmini Herath, the Commissioner of the Probation and Child Care Services Department, Mr. Namal Liyanage and a group of officials from the Ministry of Child Affairs and Social Empowerment also participated in this event.