Extremists, racists and religious extremists should be faced without fear and racism, ethnic distinction and extremism must be eradicated from this country, said Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, joining the Thaipongal Festival organised by Leader of the Labour National Society Palani Digambaram at Sinesita Stadium in Nuwara Eliya today (16).
The Opposition Leader joined the event as the Chief Guest and the occasion was also graced by Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay.
Reminding that the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa had made the dream of citizenship a reality by granting citizenship to the plantation workers’ community for the first time, the Opposition Leader noted that he would take the responsibility of uplifting the their lives and making them a stronger community.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is currently formulating a Plantation Workers’ Convention and having it as the mission of a future government to uplift the living standards of plantation workers, Premadasa revealed. A Special Presidential Task Force for the development of the Plantation Sector will be established under a SJB government, he promised.
ECONOMYNEXT – Canada on Friday (14) warned its nationals visiting and living in Sri Lanka of a looming economic crisis that could lead to shortages in food, medicine and fuel and also contribute to deterioration in the security environment.
The Canadian government in its travel advisory issued via its official Twitter account also warned of possible poor delivery of public services including healthcare due to the economic crisis.
Sri Lanka is facing an unprecedented economic crisis due to heavy debt and bad policies in the past. The island nation, which thrived under British colonial rulers before independence in 1948, is grappling with food shortages due to insufficient dollars for imports and lower harvest in its farmlands due to the government’s controversial change in its fertilizer policy.
⚠️ Canadians in #SriLanka: The deteriorating economic situation is affecting the supply of basic necessities and the delivery of public services.
Though the government has assured no shortages, already the 80 billion US dollar economy is seeing queues for kerosene, cooking gas, rice, milk powder, sugar, and wheat flour among many other commodities.
Prices of many essential goods have skyrocketed in the last six months with inflation hitting record highs and double digits, resulting in a negative rate of returns for risk-free investments.
The Canadian government advised its citizens to take measures due to limited access to resources which “could also contribute to a deterioration in the security environment”.
“Keep supplies of food, water and fuel on hand in case of lengthy disruptions. Long line-ups may be experienced at grocery stores, gas stations, and pharmacies. Monitor local media for information related to food and fuel shortages.” it said.
Canada is the first country to issue a travel advisory on Sri Lanka’s over economic instability and its possible impact on its travellers.
The President Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peremuna (SLPP) coalition is facing a twin crisis of dent and forex. It has to pay around 6.9 billion US dollars in foreign loans this year while it’s forex reserves were at just 3.1 billion US dollars by end December.
The government shrugged off possible sovereign debt default concerns and requests to seek International Monetary Fund (IMF) assistance. The government has also claimed that it has already been restructuring debts.
A continuous supply of power can be guaranteed until the day after tomorrow, said Energy Minister Gamini Lokuge today (16).
This is mainly due to the reception of 3000 metric tonnes of fuel oil to the Kelanitissa Power Plant, the Minister revealed.
Lokuge added that a request has been made to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to continue the provision of fuel for power generation until February 22 and that a special discussion will be held with the CPC authorities tomorrow as well.
If an agreement is not reached, a decision may be taken on the supply of power, he noted.
Lokuge also accused the previous government of incurring a considerable amount of debt from the Rs. 80 billion debt, which is due to be settled by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to the CPC, and murmured that he has to bear the responsibility of settling the amount now. More than Rs. 44 billion has to be recovered from the relief provided to electricity consumers amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the CEB may be relieved significantly from the financial depression befallen it if the money is received, he added.
The Subject Minister also expressed confidence that the generator, which was malfunctioned losing 300 megawatts of power, may be restored by February 22.
Tennis star Novak Djokovic has lost his chance to defend his Australian Open title after an Australian court upheld a government deportation order.
Three Federal Court judges on Sunday sided with Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s decision made on Friday to cancel the 34-year-old Serb’s visa on public interest grounds.
The ruling means that Djokovic, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, will remain in detention in Melbourne until he is deported.
A deportation order usually also includes a three-year ban on returning to Australia.
The sensational 11-day battle over Djokovic’s COVID vaccination status ended his dream of a record 21st Grand Slam.
Djokovic said he was “extremely disappointed” with the court’s decision but added he will “cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure”.
“I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love,” he said in a statement.
Hawke cancelled the visa on the grounds that Djokovic’s presence in Australia may be a risk to the health and “good order” of the Australian public and “may be counterproductive to efforts at vaccination by others in Australia”.
The justices listened to a half-day of feisty legal back-and-forth about the alleged risk posed by Djokovic.
Hawke said Djokovic’s stance may inspire anti-vaccine sentiment, leading some people to face the pandemic without vaccination, and inspiring anti-vaxxer activists to gather in protests and rallies.
The player’s high-powered legal team painted Australia’s effort to deport him as “irrational” and “unreasonable”, but at times they faced pointed questions.
Djokovic’s lawyer Nick Wood insisted his client had not courted anti-vaccination support and was not associated with the movement. The government “doesn’t know what Mr Djokovic’s current views are”, Wood said.
Legal limbo
Djokovic was scheduled to play his first-round Australian Open match on Monday night on a Day 1 programme announced while he was still in legal limbo.
The Australian government cancelled Djokovic’s visa because of issues surrounding his stance against COVID vaccination. That was four days after the Serbian star had an earlier decision to cancel his visa overturned by a court on procedural grounds.
Fans reacted with dismay over the court ruling.
“What they did today is everything except justice,” said Natasha Marjnovic, 44, a Djokovic supporter who was wiping away tears outside the court building. “They killed a beautiful sportsman and his career and for all of us who love tennis.”
Canadian tennis player Vasek Pospisil also questioned the move.
“Novak would never have gone to Australia if he had not been given an exemption to enter the country by the government. He would have skipped the Australian Open and been home with his family and no one would be talking about this mess,” Pospisil said on Twitter.
“There was a political agenda at play here with the elections coming up, which couldn’t be more obvious. This is not his fault. He did not force his way into the country and did not ‘make his own rules’; he was ready to stay home.”
‘Keep Australians safe’
A border official originally cancelled his visa after deciding Djokovic did not qualify for a medical exemption from Australia’s rules for unvaccinated visitors.
He spent four nights in immigration detention before the first court hearing and was confined to an immigration hotel again on Saturday night waiting for his appeal.
The medical exemption that allowed the Serbian star to enter the country without being vaccinated sparked fury in Australia, and became a political issue for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has to call a federal election before May.
Morrison on Sunday welcomed the court’s decision, saying it will help “keep our borders strong and keep Australians safe”.
“It’s now time to get on with the Australian Open and get back to enjoying tennis over the summer,” the prime minister said in a statement.
Djokovic’s dominance in Grand Slam play of late has been particularly impressive, winning four of the last seven major tournaments and finishing as the runner-up in two others.
The only time he did not get at least to the final in that span was at the 2020 US Open, where he was disqualified in the fourth round for hitting a ball that hit a line judge in the throat after a game.
Although the present government proudly opened the Mirigama-Kurunegala terminal of the Central Expressway yesterday (15), most of its construction work was undertaken by the Good Governance government, reminded Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Lakshman Kiriella.
Speaking to the media, the Chief Opposition Whip noted that most of the construction work of the Mirigama-Kurunegala Section of the Central Expressway had already been completed by the time a ’52-day coup’ was formed in 2018.
Reminding that even the initial surveying part of the construction of the Mirigama-Kurunegala terminal had not been carried out when the Good Governance Regime came to power in 2015, Kiriella added that its construction commenced in October, 2016 and was handed over to 16 local contractors. No foreign debt was ever obtained to complete the Section and only the funds obtained from the General Treasury were allocated for the purpose, the SJB MP noted.
37 kilometres out of 41 kilometres of the Central Expressway terminal were completed during the period of the Good Governance Regime and the present government had to complete only the remaining 04 kilometres, with which it demonstrated a non-existent pride at the opening event, Kiriella said.
Needless to explain that the present government consumed two solid years to complete only 04 kilometres, he mocked.
There may be a four hour daily power outage in the future as the Ceylon Electricity Board is suffering from a massive fuel crisis, revealed the CEB Engineers’ Association. The Union pointed out that the power system may not be able to maintain its balance unless a four hour power outage is allowed to happen. Should a power outage not be allowed to happen, the CEB could be led to another crisis, they added.
The CEB is in possession of only 3000 metric tonnes of diesel sufficient for three days of power generation and hence fuel oil sufficient for only 22 days, revealed Union Chairman Saumya Kumarawadu.
The generation of hydropower has also declined, while the amount of water required for electricity generation in the management of water available in reservoirs for agricultural purposes, drinking water requirements and environmental purposes has been reduced.
Meanwhile, Subject Minister Gamini Lokuge went on saying that a request has been made to the Irrigation Department to continuously release the amount of water required for power generation.
As of now, the generation of power using coal has also been driven into a crisis, and the CEB is suffering from occasional breakdowns at the Norochcholai Power Plant, as well as a crisis in the coal supply.
Cricketer Rahul Dravid was given Doctorate by Bangalore University, Rahul Dravid returned it. Not only did he return, he also gave a wonderful speech, he said-My wife is a doctor, she spent many sleepless nights and days to get this title. My mother is an arts professor, she waited fifty long years for this degree, persevered. I have worked hard to play cricket, but I have not studied that much, so how do I not have this degree?
Einstein was invited by the Israeli government to become the country’s prime minister in 1952 Einstein humbly said-I am a noob student of physics. What do I understand of state governance?
The world-renowned mathematician named Perelman gave huge money back to field medals and awards known as the Nobel Prize in Mathematics worldwide. He said-We had a family of very scarcity. To save mother’s money, we had to keep calculating. Managed to show a little math skills in that way. Now there is no scarcity, so what will I do with so much money?
Seeing the modesty of these people, my head is bowed down in honor and shame. When I look at myself, I can see the reflection of indestructible, arrogant, or strange people. These people repeatedly remind me that being humble doesn’t mean falling short, it’s growing much bigger.
Because we fall small in our indestructible arrogance, we grow up again and again in our humble attempt to become small. The most strange truth in the world is-you have to be small to grow up, you don’t need to be big to be small.
Sri Lanka has sought a US $ 500 loan from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), headquartered in Beijing, China, for green development projects, Daily Mirror learns.
It is a multilateral development bank with the mission to improve social and economic outcomes in the world. The bank opened in January, 2016. Sri Lanka is one of its founding members..
Besides, the government has also asked for a credit arrangement from China to import materials required for apparel manufacturing. The request was made when Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Sri Lanka.
This is the second installment of the $1 billion loan sought by Colombo last year
China recently signed a $500 million loan agreement with Sri Lanka, in a move to boost its foreign reserves that are under severe strain since the pandemic struck in 200.
This is the second installment of the $1 billion loan sought by Sri Lanka last year.
The first was released in March 2020, just as the pandemic hit Sri Lanka.
The approval comes a month after Sri Lanka obtained a currency swap facility from China for $1.5 billion. Meanwhile, the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) also sanctioned Sri Lanka’s request for a $180 million loan in February. Sri Lanka already owes more than $ 6 billion to China from past loans.
Sri Lanka is due to repay some $ 7 billion of its outstanding debt this year and the government has said it is “exploring all options.
In April 2021, foreign debt amounted to US$ 35.1 billion. Out of the US$ 35.1 billion, 47% (US$ 16383.4 million) was accounted for by international market borrowings; 10% (US$ 3388.2 million) was owned to China; 13% (4415.7 million) to the Asian Development Bank; 9% (US% 3230.9 million) to the World Bank; 2% (US$ 859.3 million) to India, and the rest was owed to others.
Sri Lanka’s gross official foreign exchange reserves fell to US$ 2,267 million in October 2021, down 73% August 2019.
Meeting foreign-currency debt-servicing needs for 2022 will be the government’s immediate concern, economic commentator Dinesh Weerakkody says.
According to him, two big payments are due in 2022 – a US$ 500 million bond in January, followed by US$ 1 billion of debt maturing in July. It is estimated that a total of US$ 5 billion will be required to service debt obligations (principal plus interest) and other commitments in 2022.
In 2020, imports were reduced by approximately US$ 3.9 billion (a 20% reduction in comparison to 2019) resulting in a US$ 2 billion drop in the trade deficit.
This gave the government temporary breathing room to manage foreign debt repayments in 2020, points out, an economist.
He warns that with the increase in oil prices in the global market and an expected post-COVID economic revival in Sri Lanka in 2022, fuel import bills will rise again, putting further pressure on foreign reserves.
The Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga states if the people who are paid from public funds do not render a service commensurate with their salaries, they will be born as ravens and frogs in the next life. The Minister also states that it is their responsibility to do justice to the salary they receive.
Prasanna Ranatunga stated this addressing a function held in Minuwangoda to award appointment letters to graduates recruited to the public service.
“Government officials, including politicians, receive their salaries and allowances at the expense of the people. We must do justice to the salaries we receive from the people’s money. If those who receive salaries and allowances from the people’s money do not perform their duties properly, they will be born as ravens and frogs in the next life. This is something my dad told me. Today, as a Minister, I receive these privileges at the expense of the people. I feed my children with people’s money. Therefore, I will do my best for the country. Always act in accordance with the conscience. Do justice to your salary from today. Many enter the public service in search of privileges. Dedicate yourself to set up state machinery that will serve the people properly. That is your duty and responsibility.” he added.
The United Rice Growers’ Association says that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is increasingly turning to hydropower generation due to the lack of fuel to generate electricity, which could adversely affect paddy cultivation in the forthcoming Yala season.
“Currently the Ceylon Electricity Board is facing a problem in generating electricity as they do not have the required fuel. This gives us information that they are turning to hydropower to generate electricity. The reservoirs of the Mahaweli scheme were not built for the purpose of generating hydropower, but for the full purpose of these purposes to uplift agriculture in Sri Lanka and increase paddy yield. But we saw this government forgetting all that and releasing water to generate hydropower. If that happens we will not have enough water for paddy cultivation during the Yala season. That is why we ask the government to retain that water in reservoirs until the Yala season. If you want to generate electricity, use fuel or something else. Because we can get fuel through dollars, but we cannot get water in dollars for the Yala season ”
The President of the United Rice Growers Association Mudith Perera stated this while expressing his views to the media yesterday (15).
