A country’s school system should be improved in order to build education as it would be the basis to the development and social progress of a country, said Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, addressing the occasion of donating a school bus to Walisinghe Harischandra Vidyalaya in Anuradhapura, the 40th donation of its kind, as part of the ‘Sakwala’ Initiative undertaken by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
The Opposition Leader noted that human resources should be strengthened by equipping schools with resources compatible with new technology, reminding that the SJB, without any governing power, proved how work should be done via the conduction of ‘Sakwala’ and ‘Husma’, which he described as initiatives that rendered a great deal of service to the country.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has decided to appoint an 08-member Committee to negotiate with China and India in the process restructuring Sri Lankan debt in compliance with the instructions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the agents of the World Bank (WB), official sources confirmed.
Accordingly, envoys from the IMF and the WB have emphasised the necessity to expedite the debt restructuring process to President’s Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayake, during a recently held meeting. It is in this backdrop has a new Committee been appointed on the instructions of the President.
The Committee comprises of Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe, President’s Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayake, President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, President’s Advisor Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena and former CBSL Governor Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy, and is expected to intervene on the negotiations with China and India to uplift the process of debt restructuring to a point of progress.
The Sub Police Inspector arrested in the allegation of shooting a 14-year old school student in Matara – Thihagoda on October 28 has further been remanded. This was when the suspect was produced before the Matara Magistrate Court yesterday (04).
Matara Chief Magistrate Isiru Nettikumara ordered that the Police Officer be remanded till November 18.
The shooting led to severe injuries on the head of the victim.
A National Committee on the Delimitation of Local Government Divisions has been appointed under the chairmanship of former Chairman of the Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya.
The three-hour power cut planned for today (05), tomorrow (06) and the day after (07) will be slashed to one hour, revealed the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL).
However, a two-hour power cut will be proceeded on November 08, it added.
No, helping the Sri Lankan economy is not why you need to holiday in Sri Lanka. It is not your problem.
Sri Lanka should be your travel destination of choice because it is right now the dream of every tourist: a paradise that is not crowded with other tourists.
On Instagram, companies are selling softwares to help you remove the crowds from your vacation photos. All you have to do is visit Sri Lanka and you won’t need those softwares. Those Insta reels and TikTok videos that make nature look exotic with only you in them — Sri Lanka is the easiest place to make those videos this winter.
Tea plantation near Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka Image Credit: Supplied
If you detest the Insta video makers, you still have the least density of such tourists in Sri Lanka, at least for now.
And yes, there is enough petrol to take you anywhere in the island country. As a tourist with forex power you won’t face any inconvenience, except perhaps not being able to buy some imported goods like shoes and cosmetics.
But you are not going to Sri Lanka to buy a pair of Nike shoes.
If you are a tourist in Sri Lanka today, you are met with a mix of surprise and gratitude. Surprise, because they know tourists are avoiding Sri Lanka right now. Gratitude, because they know they need you and your foreign exchange. Even the conductor of the bus was mentioning the word ‘dollars’ with ‘tourist’ in his Sinhalese sentences.
The traditional Kandyan dance Image Credit: Supplied
Indians ‘most welcome’
This is especially true if you are Indian. Sri Lanka has been economically better off, cleaner, less polluted, more modern, more Anglicised, with better human development indicators across the board. Sri Lanka has imagined itself above the South Asian league, and has wanted to be seen in the league of Singapore and Dubai.
All that came crashing down this year with a hard default of foreign debt. Even the International Monetary Fund hasn’t yet given Sri Lanka any aid. It is aid from India that is keeping the country afloat. No country has come remotely close to the Indian aid of $4 billion dollars so far.
The man on the street realises what India has kept them afloat. That’s why even the tuk-tuk driver tells you Sri Lankans and Indians are brothers.
More direct international flights to Sri Lanka are coming up every month, meaning that the touristy lanes of Galle Fort are going to feel a little less empty every month. For now, Sri Lanka’s tourist bookings are going for an incredible discount.
This winter, it may be a good idea to ditch Bali, Lankawai, Phuket, Saigon or Goa. If you are looking for a warm, tropical place by the sea, Sri Lanka is the right place to go to.
If you are the sort of person who hates swathes of tourists taking over a place, this winter is the right time to go to Sri Lanka.
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Buddhist monks turn on the LED lights to form an image of the Lord Buddha, as people observe Vesak Day, an annual celebration of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death, at Dhammakaya Temple, Pathum Thani, near Bangkok, Thailand May 15, 2022. Image Credit: Reuters
A variety of destinations
Sri Lanka packs in a good variety of places for an island. You could go snorkelling in the Indian Ocean or climb the peaks in Ella, a hill station. You could go see Buddhist sites in the sacred city of Kandy, a wildlife safari in Yala or the Sigiriya rock fortress that Sri Lankans consider the eighth wonder of the world.
All of these sites become prettier if you take the train. The world’s most beautiful train journeys are in Sri Lanka. If you are going to Ella, the train will stop at the Nine Arches Bridge. The site is itself a tourist spot that people come to visit and take photos. How many train stations can you say that about?
In Ella we climbed rocky steps to reach the cave where Ravana hid Sita, according to Hindu beliefs. We did this on the eve of Diwali!
Sri Lankans say it with a smile
In Galle, walking around the Galle Fort walls and seeing the Indian Ocean in all its glory, the coral reefs stopping the waves amid a beautiful sunset, you tend to wonder: why didn’t I come here before?
Amid the King Coconuts and tiger prawns, the hoppers and Sri Lankan curries, Sri Lanka is hard to not like. The servers in restaurants will strike conversation with you and tell you not of an economic but a political crisis.
Amid all the gloom, they never lose their smile. As the tuk-tuk drivers overcharge you, they’re still so cheap you won’t believe this is a country with a 66% inflation rate.
The people are nice and easy-going, making Sri Lanka safe for tourists even amid a historic economic crisis.
It is not just the tourism industry but the country as a whole that understands the value of foreign exchange tourists bring at a time when the country doesn’t have enough dollars to import fuel. For this reason they treat you very well. They want you to return home and encourage others to visit Sri Lanka.
Port Trade Union activists say a ship carrying 99,000 MT of crude oil has been outside the Colombo Port for 44 days without unloading as the payment of USD 70 mn is outstanding: delay charges so far, rise to a staggering Rs.2,500 mn.
Ratings agency S&P downgrades Sri Lanka’s bonds to ‘D’ from ‘CC’: affirms ‘SD’ long-term and ‘SD’ short-term Forex sovereign rating: canard that a prior-announced “soft” default will lead to the preservation of the financial “status quo”, invalidated.
Former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal says there was absolutely no necessity for the hurried, inexplicable and suspicious “debt default” of 12th April 2022: asserts default was announced without required formal approvals: also says adequate “bridging finance” was forthcoming from China, India and “Green bonds”.
John Keells Holdings Chairman Krishan Balendra says JKH will seek “gaming operators” for its flagship project “Cinnamon Life”: says opportunity arose after the government formalized process of issuing licences and monitoring casino operations.
State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says proposed taxes is only to ensure there is no economic crisis in the future: assures the current economic crisis will end soon.
Reports emerge the Govt has put on hold, the proposed investment in LNG operations by US’s New Fortress Energy, although the Supreme Court has dismissed the petitions against it: State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says the project is being reviewed in conformity with the policy of the new government.
Education Minister Susil Premajayanth says the present dress code for school teachers will not be changed under any circumstances.
Cardinal Ranjith says the 21st Amendment contains a clause that if a Sri Lankan citizen lodges a complaint against the Govt or a Govt body at the UN or any UN-affiliated organisation, their civic rights could be removed for up to 20 years.
Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry says deaths from dengue have risen to 60 by end October: mainly children: infections 62,184 (last year 35,924): outbreak feared in next 2 months.
Sri Lanka crashes out of the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup 2022 after Australia registers 4-run win over Afghanistan in their final Super 12 match.
The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Türkiye, S. Hasanthi Urugodawatte Dissanayake, presented open copies of her Letter of Credence of her appointment to the , Director General of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye Ambassador Tunca Özçuhadar on 02 November 2022, having assumed duties at the Embassy on the previous day.
S. Hasanthi Urugodawatte Dissanayake is a career diplomat with over 26 years of experience in the Foreign Service having served ın Sri Lankan Missions in Japan, Sweden, Italy, China and Viet Nam. Her last tenure abroad was as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Viet Nam from 2015 – 2019.
In Colombo, she has served in several Divisions at the Ministry of Affairs covering economic, UN and multilateral, political and protocol affairs. Prior to her taking up duties in Ankara she was the Additional Secretary for Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change.
Ambassador and the Director General of Protocol had interesting conversations on Japan where both have served simultaneously as well meeting later during Ambassador Özçuhadar tenure in Colombo. Given the mutual background, interests and experience of the two, conversation also focused on how the two countries could collaborate on archaeological research, conservation and heritage management which would also contribute to boost tourism both ways.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have good trade and diplomatic relations, which can be enhanced with joint efforts of both the countries, Jagath Abeywarna, Consul General of Sri Lanka, said on Thursday.
Total trade volume between Sri Lanka and Pakistan is $400 million, out of which Pakistan exports worth $300 million to Sri Lanka, while the latter exports worth $100 milllion to the former, the counsul general shared exchanging views at a meeting with Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association (PYMA).
The consul general said major items of exports tea and coconut were exported by Sri Lanka to different countries, and $11 million were exported to Pakistan in 2021. Whereas, income from the tourism sector was $3 million, he added.
Abeywarna stressed the Pakistani business community to enhance the level of exports in textile-related products.
“We will highly encourage Pakistan exporters to make business delegations in order to expand exports to Sri Lanka. In this respect collaboration between businessmen of both countries is the need of the day.”
Sohail Nisar, vice chairman PYMA, said Pakistan stands as Sri Lanka’s second-largest trading partner in South Asia.
He stressed the need to promote air and sea connectivity between the two countries to strengthen cooperation in trade and industry.
Nisar added that Pakistani products especially pharmaceuticals, rice, fruits, vegetables, cement and garments have a wide scope in the Sri Lankan market.
Similarly, Sri Lankan tea, wall tiles, floor tiles etc. have a wide scope in Pakistan.
Businessmen of both countries should make joint efforts for bilateral trade of goods according to the demand of each other’s countries, which would increase the volume of trade, he said.
