Sri Lankans living in Zambia, via the Zambia Sri Lanka Friendship Association, recently donated 1150 Rabies Vaccines to the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka. The donation was coordinated by the Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka to Zambia, Elmo Jayatileke with Mr. Ronnie Peiris while Dr. Anver Hamdani from the Ministry of Health, coordinated it from Sri Lanka.

According to the Honorary Consul, Sri Lankans in Zambia have also donated medicines valued at approximately USD 10,000 in their individual capacities.

Sri Lanka High Commission

Pretoria

12 September, 2022

In a bankrupt country like Sri Lanka why should the top two officials in the Central Bank and the Treasury be paid over Rs 2.5 Million a month. The man who justified the default as a soft default and ruined a nations credibility – Nandalal is paid according to activist Ravi Kumudesh Rs 2.5 Million a month , a pension and in addition gets one million from the IMF.

Where is the governance? Mahinda Siriwardana – The Secretary of the Ministry of Finance where even Dhammika Perera expressed utter disgust for delays, is paid Rs 2.5 Million a month with allowances.

The Governor also gets Rs 2 Million for a suit allowance annually and a house, medical and Benz Car. These officials are paid more than even the private sector Bosses.

But there contribution other than a few SJB MPs who know more economics than John Maynard Keynes, the English economist whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments, have been disastrous from all fronts.

What is parliament (unfortunately majority has no O/Ls) doing to stop this excesses. The country cannot afford to pay incompetent officials like these two officials so much money when the majority can’t even get one meal day. The President must wake up before it is too late for the people. Today Sri Lanka’s credit ratings are in tatters because of the action of these officials. But they are the darlings of the opposition.

What is the Aragalaya doing with this abuse? Stop this abuse of power now.

The State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tharaka Balasuriya, assumed duties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, 9September, 2022 at a modest ceremony. The Foreign Secretary, Aruni Wijewardane and senior officials of the Ministry were present at the occasion.

Addressing the officials, State Minister Balasuriya stated that he is looking forward to supporting the Foreign Minister Ali Sabry in continuing the mandate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an efficient manner in order to revitalize the economy of Sri Lanka during the current economic situation prevailing in the country.

First elected to Parliament in 2015, State Minister Balasuriya, held the State Ministerial portfolio of Social Security, following the establishment of the new Government in November 2019.  Previously, he was a Member of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, to which he was elected in the year 2012.

State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Wisconsin, US and has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. He had his primary education at the Colombo International School.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

9 September, 2022

The disconnection of power supply to consumers who fail to pay their bills will be applied in an equal manner and no separate law will apply to the clergy, said Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara in a tweet yesterday (11).

The Minister made this observation in response to a statement made by Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thero, who confronted that many monasteries are not of capacity to pay the increased electricity tariffs.

The Thero added that despite the clergy being capable of paying the increased bills, the bills will not be paid and that a national movement will be launched in objection to the government’s decision to revise the electricity tariffs.

However, the Subject Minister is of the strong view that it is mandatory to pay the bill, if electricity is used.

Power supply will be disconnected to those who do not pay their bills continuously, Wijesekara went on, adding that the Thero’s comments are politically influenced.

MIAP

The appointment of new Cabinet Ministers is likely to be dragged in indefinitely, given the absence of a final decision on the affair, political sources disclosed.

Last week, 37 state ministers were appointed, but no Cabinet was appointed simultaneously.

President Wickremesinghe is set to leave for the United Kingdom to attend the funeral of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, but he is also on schedule to leave for Japan on an official tour prior to his visit to the Royal Family.

Meanwhile, the pending necessity to pass the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution in Parliament is also on his way, hence the appointment of the new Cabinet being dragged in indefinitely.

MIAP

Sri Lanka tightened import restrictions with a ban on more than 300 additional items including sports gear creating shortage hitting sports badly as an economic crisis that has affected hundreds of thousands of businesses and SMEs.

The Government’s recent clamp down on sports goods due to the foreign exchange crisis in the country is affecting a lot of sports, especially cricket.

Sri Lanka is facing  shortage of cricket gear at a time where national cricket team has performed brilliantly in the UAE clinching  the Asia Cup in yesterday ‘s final in nerve tingling finish and our Under-19 cricketers comprising schoolboys have beaten England in the Youth Test series.

The country has become Asian Net ball champions and showing prowess in athletics and other fields of sports. 

Complaints are being made  in especially from school cricket authorities that the ban is affecting them badly as cricket equipment cannot be sourced due to the ban of numerous items.

The inter-school cricket season third term is due to commence this month after being badly affected by COVID-19 for the past two years, and the scarcity of cricket equipment in the market is certain to affect many schools.

Cricket being a specialised game where so much equipment is required for playing as well as for training the current ban, if continued, will affect the game.

Sri Lanka is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and cricket is the only sport that brings valuable foreign exchange into the country as was witnessed during the recently concluded Australian cricket tour here.

It has won cash awrds in dollars wiining the Asia Cup to swell the country’s foreign exchange inflow.

Cricket not only brings the highest revenue it is also a recreation sport that cannot be affected by lack of equipment.

We do understand the acute problems related with foreign exchange but sports should not be hampered especially at schools and district levels.

The ban applies not only to cricket but to all sports who are attached to international bodies like the IOC, IAAF, FIFA, World Rugby (WR), FIBA, IAAF, BWF, ITTF to name a few. 

Asa side effect of import ban on sports gear Decathlon, a France-based a sportswear brand said it is closing stores in Sri Lanka after an import ban imposed amid a currency crisis, made it impossible for the firm to operate in the country.

“Decathlon will indefinitely suspend all retail operations in Sri Lanka (store and eCommerce) from 30th October 2022, the company said in a statement.

Decathlon had operated a retail store in Battaramulla, Sri Lanka since 2018, while also operating an e-commerce website. Another store in Union Place was closed in July 31, 2022, the company said.

The company based in France is currently operating in 60 countries with 1,747 stores. Sri Lanka imposed an import ban on over 300 items in August, amid the worst currency crisis triggered in the history of the island’s soft-pegged central bank.

Forex shortages are a problem associated with soft-pegged regimes, and are absent in clean floats and hard pegs and is linked to money and credit. Import bans have no effect as long as credit fired by printed money continues.

The latest import ban however came amid a steep correction in the balance of payments after the central bank allowed rates to go up, reducing private credit and investments.