Search
සිංහල
தமிழ்
Home Blog Page 1999

Hydroelectricity only for two more weeks – reservoirs won’t be full until May

MIAP
-
0
Hydroelectricity only for two more weeks – reservoirs won’t be full until May

Power cuts are reportedly have to be carried out until the reservoirs used for hydroelectricity are sufficient filled. The power outages, therefore, are likely to continue for at least another three months, experts in the field warned.

The areas in which these reservoirs are located will not receive sufficient rainfall until the end of May, despite the intermittent showers before the month, revealed the Meteorological Department.

The water levels in the reservoirs used for power generation can only be used for another two weeks, and chances are high that the hydroelectricity generation may be disrupted if there are now showers.

The above circumstances appear in the midst of an escalating fuel crisis, further endangering the process of generating power in the future. Experts also warn that the existing power cuts are likely to be extend by a few more hours, should the crises continue.

MIAP

President puts his highest effort into solving problems. Opposition does nothing but complaining (VIDEO)

MIAP
-
0
President puts his highest effort into solving problems. Opposition does nothing but complaining (VIDEO)

State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa speaking to a function held yesterday (26) stated that the Opposition is picturing an image of a commodity shortage in the country and proposes no practical solution to solve the economic crisis, but the President is putting his highest effort into solving problems.

“Bearing all the trouble, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is putting great effort to manage the country well. As the efforts are being put, the Opposition sometimes goes on saying that the ‘President failed’, ‘no fuel, power and gas in the country’ and is picturing an image of a commodity shortage in the country. But none of them are providing a recommending a proposal to solve the economic crisis. This is not something our country suffers from alone, for every country in the world is facing these economic crises.

As Sri Lanka, we too had to face this at a time when businesses, and all the sectors that can locate funds and generate revenue to the public sector have come to a standstill. However, His Excellency the President, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister have never taken any action to make up for the lack of development activities at the district level and at the village level,” he said.

‘Mulu Ratama Hari Magata’ National Statement to be launched on March 02

MIAP
-
0
‘Mulu Ratama Hari Magata’ National Statement to be launched on March 02

A resolution to solve the economic crisis suffered by Sri Lanka is to be launched by the minor parties of the government on March 02, 2022.

The collective is comprised of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the Democratic Leftist Party, Lanka Samasamaja Party, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, the National Freedom Front, the National Congress, the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya, the Vijaya Dharani National Council, the Eksath Mahajana Pakshaya and Yuthukama National Movement and is set to launch its National Statement “Mulu Ratama Hari Magata” on the said date.

The event is set to be launched on March 02 at 3 pm at the Monarch Imperial Hall in Sri Jayawardenapura and a special discussion was held on February 23 at the residence of former President Sirisena as well.

11 representatives of the minor parties government including Ministers Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudewa Nanayakkara and MPs former President Maithripala Sirisena, Athuraliye Ratana Thero, Tiran Alles, Gevindu Kumaratunga and Asanka Navaratne, together with a distinguished group of intellectuals and artists are expected to join the event.

MIAP

Bus fares may soar if diesel subsidy not given: Anjana Priyanjith

MIAP
-
0
Bus fares may soar if diesel subsidy not given: Anjana Priyanjith

The government should be providing a special fuel subsidy for buses in the backdrop where Lanka IOC has surged the price of diesel by Rs. 15 per litre, said Chief Secretary of the All Ceylon Private Bus Companies’ Federation Anjana Priyanjith, speaking to media yesterday (26).

“The government should immediately be providing a special subsidy for buses. There is no other option but to revise the bus fares. We urge the government provide a diesel subsidy without letting the surging of the bus fares happen,” he said.

MIAP

SL’s cost of living may surge due to Russia-Ukraine conflict: Jagath Kumara

MIAP
-
0
SL’s cost of living may surge due to Russia-Ukraine conflict: Jagath Kumara

Sri Lanka’s cost of living is likely to surge by twice or thrice as bigger as it is now in the next few days due to the Russia – Ukraine conflict, said Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Jagath Kumara, speaking to a briefing held in the SLPP Headquarters yesterday (26).

“The world is facing a very serious matter at the moment. The situation in which Russia attacks Ukraine. This situation affects every country economically and socially in certain ways. Both Russia and Ukraine are our friends, and in the backdrop of war, we may likely to lose the ties with these two countries. In such a situation, we may likely to have a problem with our products, especially exporting tea. Russia imports a lot of tea from us and helps us; supports us in many ways. Ukraine too has supported us in various ways,” the MP said.

He added: “Therefore, there is uncertainty whether the conflict between these two countries may further drive us down in the crisis. Even in the world, it is uncertain whether this may trigger another war. We were not the only ones to face the dollar crisis, the recession and the increasing cost of living. The cost of living may likely to soar by twice or thrice the size of it is today due to the Russia – Ukraine conflict. So, the fuel price has begun to increase again, so will gas. Also, when we are unable to export our products, the dollar deficit worsens. Of these crises may affect this country again. These are not problems we looked for. We are not the ones who told Russia and Ukraine to fight each other, are we?”

MIAP

Relief for Sri Lankan passengers who’re fully vaccinated

MIAP
-
0
Relief for Sri Lankan passengers who’re fully vaccinated

Sri Lankans who are fully vaccinated and leaving for the United Arab Emirates after March 01, 2022 will not be needing to being referred to PCR tests, revealed Chairman of the Sri Lanka Civil Aviation Authority Upul Dharmadasa.

MIAP

Sri Lanka accords priority to Fauna and Flora Protection 

CN
-
0
Sri Lanka accords priority to Fauna and Flora Protection 

The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Wildlife and Forest Conservation gave its approval to amend the Fauna and Flora Protection (Amendment) Bill in Parliament for the second reading.

The Bill empowers the Minister to make orders to enforce the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The Ministerial Consultative Committee met on Thursday under the chairmanship of Minister C.B. Ratnayake and State Minister of Wildlife Protection.

Adoption of Safety Measures including the Construction of Electrical Fences and Trenches was highlighted by Reforestation and Forest Resource Development Wimalaweera Dissanayake.

Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation Somarathna Vidanapathirana said this amendment, which also takes into account the GSP concession, has been under discussion for nearly 15 years and was finally able to come into force.
Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa who attended the CC meeting said the Ministry should work towards developing eco-tourism to increase foreign visitors and requested the Department of Wildlife Conservation to introduce more attractive programs.

These are the setting up of leopard centers in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism. Minister Ratnayake instructed the officials to take necessary steps in this regard as well as to take steps towards establishing a Leopard Center at the Training Center of the Polonnaruwa Wildlife Conservation Department.

Premadasa also spoke on the need to make permanent volunteers who have served for many years and have not been made permanent. The Minister instructed the officials to look into the matter immediately and take necessary action.

Several MPs also told the Committee that the Yala National Park being closed for two hours during the day, causes an inconvenience to tourists. Officials were thus instructed to reduce the daytime park closure to one hour by the State Minister.

He also instructed the officials to take maximum measures to ensure the safety of wildlife.MPs also drew the attention of the Minister to a number of issues such as the human-elephant conflict, the construction of elephant fences and the concerns pertaining to the national parks.

Ukrainian tourists in Sri Lanka request extended stay amidst its crisis

CN
-
0
Ukrainian tourists in Sri Lanka request extended stay amidst its crisis

Ukrainian tourists in Sri Lanka request extended stay amidst its crisis   

Sri Lanka is bracing for what could be a major impact to the already unstable economy as a result of the crisis in Ukraine. 

Russia’s military operation in Ukraine is expected to hit Sri Lanka’s tourism sector as well as tea exports and the purchasing of oil. 

Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage said that the most number of tourists to Sri Lanka arrived from Russia and Ukraine in the recent past. 

He said that Sri Lanka is expecting arrivals from those countries to be affected as a result of the crisis in Ukraine. 

They are currently resorted to staying at hotels in Bettota area and are unable to travel to their home country.

They are requesting that they be allowed to remain in Sri Lanka until the war situation in Ukraine is resolved

“That will have a major impact on us,” the Foreign Secretary said at a virtual media briefing yesterday.      

Colombage also said that Sri Lanka will find it hard to sell its tea as a result of the crisis in Ukraine. 

Russia and Ukraine are among the key countries to which Sri Lanka exports tea. 

He also said that Sri Lanka will be compelled to pay more for oil and gas imported to the country. 

World oil prices have already shot up as a result of the situation in Ukraine and Sri Lanka will need more dollars to pay for the imports. 

“We will once again have to face a situation,” the Foreign Secretary said with regards to the impact the crisis will have on the local economy. 

Meanwhile, Former Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said that sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU and proposed by other major trading nations may also affect Sri Lanka’s trade ties with Russia. 

He said that would then hurt Sri Lanka’s economy as Russia is a major trading partner of Sri Lanka.

World oil prices have already shot up as a result of the situation in Ukraine and Sri Lanka will need more dollars to pay for the imports. 

“We will once again have to face a situation,” the Foreign Secretary said with regards to the impact the crisis will have on the local economy. 

Meanwhile, Former Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said that sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU and proposed by other major trading nations may also affect Sri Lanka’s trade ties with Russia. 

He noted  that Sri Lanka will be compelled to comply with any sanctions imposed by the EU or the US on Russia. 

He said that would then hurt Sri Lanka’s economy as Russia is a major trading partner of Sri Lanka.

The war in Ukraine has resulted in 198 people being killed with 3 of them being children and 1,115 wounded, with 33 of them being children.

Ukraine constituted of 10% of all arrivals into Sri Lanka within the past month while Russia made up 16% of all tourist arrivals, the SLTDA report for tourism arrivals in January 2022 reveals. 

Out of the total arrivals of 82,327, over 31,000 tourists originated from central and eastern Europe, home to countries such as Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Russia and Kazakhstan. 

An analysis of Russian arrivals in the consecutive years reveals that it has almost exceeded the pre pandemic levels as experienced in January 2019. 

This could be likely due to increased interest by Russian tour operators in alternative destinations to Thailand and Goa with strict public health measures in place and the launching of direct flights to Russia, the SLTDA report mentions. 

Europe became the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka with 68.8% of the total traffic received in January 2022. Given the escalating number of COVID-19 cases, this can be considered as significant growth, the report further mentions

UN Calls for sanctions against Sri Lankan human right violators.

CN
-
0
UN Calls for sanctions against Sri Lankan human right violators.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has called on the international community to continue to explore possible targeted sanctions against credibly alleged Sri Lankan perpetrators of grave human rights violations and abuses.

She also called on the Sri Lankan Government to publish the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings to ensure transparency for victims and pursue further independent investigations into the involvement of any other state or non-state actors.

Bachelet, yesterday (Friday) published a report on Sri Lanka which will be formally tabled at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva at the 49th Session which begins next week.

“Bachelet recognizes recent steps taken to initiate reforms but expresses deep concern over a number of human rights trends in the country.

While we recognize the renewed willingness of the Government of Sri Lanka to engage constructively with our Office, including in the preparation of the report, we urge the Government to go much further with the legal, institutional and security sector reforms necessary to comply with Sri Lanka’s international human rights obligations,” Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani said.

In the report the High Commissioner reiterated the recommendations made to the Government of Sri Lanka in paragraph 60 of her 2021 report to the Council.

She further recommended the Government to ensure the drafting process for a new Constitution is based on broad and inclusive consultations, and advances the devolution of political authority, which is integral to reconciliation and the full enjoyment of human rights by all members of its population;

“Avoid reliance on the military to run civilian affairs and take steps to reduce the influence of the military on civilian life,” she added.

She also urged the Government to establish a moratorium on the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act until it is replaced by legislation that fully complies with international human rights norms and standards.

The High Commissioner urged member states to cooperate with victims and their representatives to investigate and prosecute international crimes committed by all parties in Sri Lanka.

These crimes committed through judicial proceedings in domestic jurisdictions, including under accepted principles of extraterritorial or universal jurisdictions and continue to explore possible targeted sanctions against credibly alleged perpetrators of grave human rights violations and abuses.

She also urged member states to review asylum measures with respect to Sri Lankan nationals to protect those facing reprisals and refrain from any renouncement in cases that present real risk of torture or other serious human rights violations.

Sri Lanka and EU identify areas for close collaboration

CN
-
0
Sri Lanka and EU identify areas for close collaboration

The European Union and Sri Lanka have identified areas for the strengthening of partnerships between the EU and the island nation, Diplomatic sources said.  

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris met with the Commissioner of the European Union for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, held at the French Foreign Ministry in Paris.

Minister Prof. Peiris discussed with EU Commissioner Urpilainen the strengthening of partnerships between Sri Lanka and the European Union with regard to value-added exports.

These sectors are  garments, flavoured teas, spices including cinnamon and pepper, fisheries products, gems and jewellery and  partnerships in respect of investments in priority sectors like the hospitality sector, Information Technology, food processing, power and energy, and the production of pharmaceuticals.

The discussion also touched on health policy cooperation, connectivity among ports and harbours in the region, vocational training, digitalization and other aspects of people to people contact.

European Commissioner Urpilainen told Minister Prof. Peiris that the EU is increasingly outward-looking in reaching out to countries around the Indian Ocean and the Pacific and that there are clear synergies in the areas of activity identified by the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile the European Union’s (EU) GSP + facility regained by Sri Lanka in 2017 providing market free access for local exporters to European countries will remain till 2023 but this continuation process will not be automatic. 

This was reiterated by Ambassador Denis Chaibi, Head of the EU Delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

However he added that the government’s obligations to implement the commitments under 27 UN conventions towards regaining the GSP + will remain as well and will continue to be monitored by the EU. 

Sri Lanka has now become an upper-middle income country in 2019, and thus reached a level of development that would mean it has to graduate out of the GSP+ scheme over time. 

There is a 3-year transition period foreseen for the continuation of the EU facility, ending in 2023 and the strict monitoring process is being continued, he revealed. 

The new status of Sri Lanka becoming this year an upper middle income country will mean that the country will lose the benefits of GSP+ sooner or later, possibly in three years’ time, he pointed out. 

Essentially, EU uses trade as an incentive and its GSP and GSP+ regime does this. 

The beneficiary Third World countries can develop, grow and take advantage of these schemes, while not putting their sensitive sectors and industries at risk. 

“But there is no free lunch; benefits do not come without responsibilities. In exchange for this tariff-free access to the European market, countries must meet international standards in labour rights, environment and human rights,” he emphasised. 

EU GSP+ is automatically lost if a country achieves ‘upper middle income’ status consecutively for three years. In July 2019 the country graduated to upper middle income status. 

1...1,9981,9992,000...2,140Page 1,999 of 2,140

About us

Quick Links

The latest

Not Just a Building: Two Years of Changing Lives at Suwa Arana

Featured 0
On a quiet street behind Sri Lanka's national cancer...

Shani Abeysekara Reappointed as Director of CID with Police Commission Approval

News 0
Senior Superintendent of Police Shani Abeysekara has been appointed...

Women Tech Trailblazers Shine at SLASSCOM’s Fast Forward 4.0 and Hack Like a Girl 2.0

News 0
The Women Technopreneurs Forum (WTech) of SLASSCOM has once...

Ceylon Chamber appoints Krishan Balendra as Chairperson at 186th AGM

News 0
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce elected Krishan Balendra as...

Police Warn of Rising Social Media Scams in Sri Lanka

News 0
Sri Lanka Police have issued a strong public alert...

Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus Discusses Expanding Female Representation and UNDP Support for Parliamentary Development

News 0
A recent meeting of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus focused...

Sri Lanka Plans to Relocate Embassy Back to Tehran, Resumes Employment Efforts in Israel

News 0
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, Arun...

© 2025 Lankanewsweb.net. All Rights Reserved.