High Commissioner Gopal Baglay inaugurated a humanitarian assistance programme for fishermen and their families in Northern Province along with Hon’ble Douglas Devananda, Fisheries Minister of Sri Lanka on 13 March 2022 in Jaffna. The programme is being carried out under grant assistance by Government of India.

2.     1200 families spread across Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Mannar shall receive food materials and other essential domestic supplies as a part of the programme.  Beneficiaries in Jaffna District were handed over these materials during the inauguration and distribution of materials in other parts of the Province shall be carried out in the coming days.  

3.     Speaking at the event, High Commissioner underlined that India was a brotherly country which cares for the people of Sri Lanka and mentioned that India will continue to extend such humanitarian assistance in the future too. He also said that both Government of India and Government of Sri Lanka are working together towards addressing the issues faced by fishing communities of both countries. Emphasizing the need for keeping traditions alive, he thanked the leadership of Sri Lanka including Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda for facilitating the visit of Indian fishermen and other pilgrims to the Annual Festival at St. Anthony’s shrine in Kachchateevu. Thanking Government of India for the humanitarian assistance programme, Hon’ble Minister Devananda said that the number of Indian pilgrims for the Festival would be in thousands next year.

4.     High Commissioner also inaugurated an artificial limb fitment camp in Jaffna held by Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), world’s largest organisation for persons with physical disabilities in terms of fitment of artificial limbs and other related aids. The camp, which is fully supported by Government of India, is held in collaboration with Jaffna District Development Committee (DDC). Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Angajan Ramanathan, Chairman of Jaffna DDC graced the occasion.

5.     The artificial limb fitment camp in Jaffna follows a similar Government of India-supported BMVSS camp in Gampaha organized in partnership with Ranaviru Seva Authority.  This camp which primarily catered to Sri Lanka Armed Services personnel provided various services such as the Jaipur foot to more than 500 persons with locomotor disabilities. It may also be recalled that Government of India had organized two camps in Vavuniya and Jaffna in 2010 and 2011 respectively. These camps had jointly catered to more than 2500 persons.

6.     Northern Province is a region of focus under Government of India’s people-centric development partnership initiatives in Sri Lanka. A number of projects cutting across diverse aspects of daily human lives such as housing, education, health, livelihood development and industrial development, among others have been implemented here.  Several other projects are at various stages of implementation

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Colombo

13 March 2022

Cabinet Sub Committees on Economic Way Forward initiate deliberations under the Chairmanship of Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris

The three Cabinet Sub Committees, which were appointed by the President last month to negotiate with China, Japan and the Middle East Region on economic matters met for the first time on 9 and 10 March 2022 at the Parliament under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris. Commencing its task, the Cabinet Sub Committees convened the initial meetings with the participation of Cabinet Ministers Bandula Gunawardena, Namal Rajapaksa, Ali Sabry, Ramesh Pathirana and Johnston Fernando, who function as the Members of the Sub Committees.

The Committees were appointed based on a Cabinet Memorandum presented by the Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa, under the theme “Economy 2022 and the Way Forward” to negotiate with countries from which essential food items, raw materials and industrial goods required for the export-oriented industries are imported to the country, with a view to identifying alternative methods of importing such goods. Chairman  the Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. Peiris, outlined that the President has appointed the Cabinet Sub Committees to explore an economic way forward in collaboration with reliable trading partners to create a facility that supports trade.  

Secretaries and senior officials of the relevant Ministries briefed on various matters such as issues related to trade, employment and foreign remittances. The Cabinet Sub Committee on China was briefed on the current progress related to the ongoing negotiations in respect of the proposed China – Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement, while the Committee agreed to fast-track the possible next steps in consultation with the relevant stakeholders at the earliest.

The Sub Committees have directed the relevant officials to obtain a list of urgent requirements from all Ministries and agencies, which Sri Lanka may solicit from partner countries, to achieve economic stability and quick progress.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

13 March, 2022 

Close to 100 Indian pilgrims, comprising mainly fishermen and priests, took part in the annual Festival at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kachchateevu on 11-12 March 2022. A similar number of pilgrims from Sri Lanka also took part in the Festival. Consul General of India, Jaffna Raakesh Natraj and other officials of the Consulate were special invitees.

2.     Hon’ble Douglas Devananda, Fisheries Minister, Sri Lanka greeted the pilgrims on their arrival at the Island. A late evening mass was held on the same day after special Prayers for the pilgrims to mark the Festival. A special Mass dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, the patron Saint of Fishermen was conducted by priests from India and Sri Lanka on 12 March 2022. This was followed by the traditional feast. The Church flag was also hoisted as a part of the festivities.

3.     The annual Festival witnesses enthusiastic participation of Indian pilgrims every year. More than 3000 pilgrims from India participated in 2020. These Indian pilgrims are extended consular and other forms of assistance by Consulate General of India, Jaffna. There was no participation last year as the Festival was not held due to COVID-19. Limited participation was permitted this year for the Festival, which was held in accordance with COVID protocols.

4.     The Festival underlines the deep people to people linkages between India and Sri Lanka as well as enduring cultural ties. Participation of fishermen from the two countries paves way for close interaction between them and provides an opportunity to know each other and their problems better. The mainstay of the centuries-old connect has been such interactions and close bonds between the peoples of the two close maritime neighbours.

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Colombo

12 March 2022

The price of a 50kg cement bag has surged up to Rs. 1850, effective from yesterday midnight, cement companies declared.

The price of a cement bag was previously revised up to Rs. 1375 and the recent revision has surged the price by Rs. 475.

Notably, the price of cement has doubled in not more than a year.

MIAP

Bus owners’ associations have proposed to surge bus fares following the record breaking price hike on fuel. The matter has been discussed between the trade unions responding to the bus industry, bus owners’ associations and Transport Minister Dilum Amunugama.

Speaking to media, the Transport Minister stated that a bus fare hike will be mandatory in the event that there was no other option but to revise the fares over to the inability to fulfill the stakeholders’ request of being provided a fuel subsidy.

Accordingly, the revised bus fares are to be announced tomorrow (14) night and a final decision will be taken in this regard at the Cabinet, Amunugama revealed.

The bus associations’ request of soaring the fares by over 60 per cent will not be possible, the Minister went on, adding that the minimum bus fare may surge by Rs. 1 – 2, in the adaptation of a revision that neither collapses the bus industry nor troubles the public.

However, the bus owners’ association is of the view that the bus fares should be increased at a higher amount given that the bus industry has already collapsed. Surging the minimum fare by Rs. 2 – 3 will not be sufficient at all, Union President Gemunu Wijeratne noted.

The bus associations have been of the opinion from the beginning that the minimum bus fare should be soared up to at least Rs. 30.

A reasonable fare hike will be obtained in accordance with the National Policy on Bus Fares, Wijeratne added.

MIAP