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SL strongly criticised at 51st UNHRC Session

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SL strongly criticised at 51st UNHRC Session

The manner in which the Sri Lankan government acted regarding the protesters at the people’s struggle triggered by the economic crisis cannot be accepted, said the acting High Commissioner for Human Rights addressing the 51st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which commenced today (12) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The commencement of the Session was followed by a minute of silence in commemoration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second of Britain, who passed away last week.

Her comments on Sri Lanka comes in following a report on the country presented on the first day of the Session itself. The High Commissioner also informed the member states about the suffering of the Sri Lankan people due to economic problems and the drained dollar reserves.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali Sabry who led the local delegation at the Session told the member states that a number of measures are being taken to assure democracy, including the adaptation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, adding that any arrest made during the people’s protest was in compliance with the country’s rule of law and that only those accused of committing violence were arrested and not any peaceful protesters.

Meanwhile, strong protests are being carried out in Geneva against the current Sri Lankan regime regarding a number of issues including the repression of activists. The event is endorsed by Sri Lankans living in European countries.

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Energy Minister strict on electricity bills, no special treatment for clergy

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Energy Minister strict on electricity bills, no special treatment for clergy

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.

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Premalal Jayasekara aka ‘Choka Malli’ sworn in as a State Minister in RW Government!

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Premalal Jayasekara aka ‘Choka Malli’ sworn in as a State Minister in RW Government!

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Premalal Jayasekara, who about two years ago was convicted for murder by the High Court, today (12) has been sworn in as the State Minister of Ports and Aviation Affairs in the Ranil Wickremesinghe regime.

Jayasekara, who also goes by the name ‘Choka Malli’, was convicted for the murder of a UNP backer committed in 2015 and is pending death row.

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Appointment of Cabinet Ministers dragged in indefinitely

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Appointment of Cabinet Ministers dragged in indefinitely

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.

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Govt. import ban on sport gear bowls out cricket and other sports

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Govt. import ban on sport gear bowls out cricket and other sports

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.

Update: USAID assures new assistance of US$60 million to Sri Lanka!

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Update: USAID assures new assistance of US$60 million to Sri Lanka!

President Ranil Wickremesinghe today assured the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Samantha Power, that he will go through with the proposed electoral reforms. 

Ms. Power assured assistance of $60 million in new assistance. “But compared to the challenges you face, that is very, very small and very modest.

She said But we want to use our convening power to be catalytic as best we can, at the international financial institutions, with the private sector, with other countries that themselves are looking anew at Sri Lanka and thinking where to go.”

The  government is also bringing in the new anti-terrorist legislation calling the Parliament to say once and for all that they must agree on electoral reform with in six months.  

The political parties can’t be putting this off forever. They have to bite the bullet at some stage. So, if they are not willing I will go for a referendum on the major reforms,” he said adding that there will be 14,000 people’s councils in the 14,000 basic units.

He also said that discussions have been held with Tamils regarding detentions under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

President Ranil Wickremesinghe also said that he is focusing on an export oriented, competitive market economy for Sri Lanka as the country has the opportunity of supplying South Asia, Southeast and east Asia.

“President Wickremesinghe said that the wheels have been set in motion to make Sri Lanka a prosperous nation by 2048 as the country looks to celebrate the centenary of its independence.

He also noted that as far as democracy is concerned, the 22nd Amendment is before Parliament.

“The ruling party is waiting for Parliament to pass it. In administrations, it has brought out the first Cabinet manual in Sri Lanka.

Hence, that will have to go before the Cabinet and we’ll establish procedures for the whole of the Cabinet. The oversight committees are back again and we’ll be looking forward to support from the USA, he added.

He thanked Ms Power for the $40 million US assistance for the farmers, which will certainly be a big help as the country is about to launch a food security and nutrition initiative.

Meanwhile, Samantha Power highlighted Sri Lanka’s vibrant private sector and said measures should be taken to unleash the potential of the private sector.

“You have such an incredible private sector, such entrepreneurship. But the government, over so many years has largely stood in the way of unlocking that potential instead of fuelling it.

Quoting Former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera she said that the late minister as saying that government has no business running business.

And you know what he has done in the telecom sector? If that could be done in other sectors in an expeditious and transparent way, to unlock the potential of your people, it would be incredible, she added.

She said that the political reform agenda and the economic agenda go hand in hand which they have already seen this in the United States in trying to engage the business community to look at Sri Lanka now and to see the opportunities that exist here.

USAID urges China to assist Sri Lanka debt restructuring to tackle economic crisis 

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USAID urges China to assist Sri Lanka debt restructuring to tackle economic crisis 

Visiting USAID Administrator Samantha Power on Sunday urged China, among other creditors, to assist Sri Lanka in restructuring debts to recover from the ongoing economic crisis.

Completing her two-day visit to the island nation that grapples with the worst-ever economic crisis since its independence from British rule in 1948, Power announced that the US was ready to help South Asian island in its debt restructuring process.

“As Sri Lanka seeks to emerge from this economic crisis, the United States, as a creditor and a member of the Paris Club, stands ready to participate in the restructuring of Sri Lanka’s debts,” Power told journalists in Colombo.

“It is imperative that all Sri Lankan creditors, most notably the People’s Republic of China, cooperate in this process openly and on comfortable terms with each other.

“When debt becomes unsustainable as it so clearly has in Sri Lanka, the stake of that

cooperation can mean the difference between life and or death, prosperity or poverty,” Power added.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator, who emphasised that the US is not interested in increasing Sri Lanka’s debt, said that her country “provides grants, as it is interested in the US-Sri Lanka relationship becoming a strictly trade related relationship, and not an aid relationship”.

“We want to use our resources to unlock the potential that we know is there, without strings attached. And we think this is a really important moment in Sri Lanka for that same mindset of standing with our friends, no strings attached, and in the interest of economic independence and economic stability for this country,” Power added.

During her visit, Power announced that $60 million assistance would be given to Sri Lanka – $40 million to help farmers purchase fertiliser and other vital agricultural inputs and another $20 million as emergency humanitarian assistance.

The USAID stated that the complex emergency that has resulted in a severe economic crisis has left nearly 5.7 million Sri Lankan people in urgent need of food, agriculture, livelihood support, protection, and more.

The weekend’s USAID financial support has brought the US government’s assistance to Sri Lanka at nearly $240 million.

With a colossal $51 billion total debt with the challenge to repay around $28 billion by 2028, Sri Lanka suspended repayment of nearly $7 billion in foreign debts due for the year 2022.

On September 1, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) struck a deal to provide $2.9 billion over four year to help salvage the country from its worst economic

crisis but reiterated that much will depend on the cooperation of the country’s existing creditors including China.

During her weekend visit, Power also met President Ranil Wickremesinghe, farmers who were affected by the agricultural crisis and few other stakeholders.

Actor Damitha Abeyratne granted bail!

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Actor Damitha Abeyratne granted bail!

Veteran Actress Damitha Abeyratne, a prominent voice of the people’s struggle against the government, who was arrested and remanded last week, has been granted bail.

Abeyratne was produced before the Court today and accordingly, she has been released on two sureties of Rs. 500,000 each.

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Sri Lanka’s external debt restructure faces obstacles amidst complex issues

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Sri Lanka’s external debt restructure faces obstacles amidst complex issues

Sri Lanka’s bargaining power will be weakened by the current default and new court case against it. If the New York Federal Court delivers its judgement in favour of Hamilton Reserve, Sri Lanka will have to make the full payment on 25 July. 

If it does so, the other creditors will also ask for the same treatment on the principle of equal treatment. Then, the debt restructuring plan will come to a standstill, economic experts claimed.

These lenders who take the borrowers to courts are called ‘holdout investors’ and they stand outside the negotiating creditors putting a hold on the ongoing restructuring plan. And these litigations may take many years for conclusion, they added.  

The country’s external debt restructure has become  a complex issue as the Government has to get creditors consent for repayment plan amidst severe economic crisis and preemptive debt default, several economic experts warned.    

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has made debt restructure a prerequisite for the country to seek the approval of the IMF executive board to obtain the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of US$ 2.9 billion, Peradeniya University economics Prof O.G Dayaratne Banda said.

He added that some of the details in economic reform programme (a realistic macro-economic and fiscal framework) and repayment plan cannot be revealed as it might affect the negotiations with creditors that are still to be commenced under post default situation. 

Basically the economic reform programme will be devised by the Sri Lanka side with the consent of IMF staff mission aiming at addressing the balance of payment and exchange rate stabilisation, he disclosed.

At this juncture it is not possible to divulge market sensitive information such as   debt restructuring parameters, he claimed.

The IMF staff level agreement has been reached on Thursday 01 of this month to support Sri Lanka’s economic policies with a 48-month arrangement under the EFF.

It has also arrived at a consensus on new Fund-supported programme prepared by state monetary and fiscal authorities to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability.

It will be safeguarding financial stability, protecting the vulnerable, and stepping up structural reforms to address corruption vulnerabilities and unlock Sri Lanka’s growth potential.

The government has already taken preliminary measures towards this end by implementing some of these commitments proposed in the Interim budget 2022.

Based on these developments the IMF staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision, IMF sources revealed.

But due to the present state of preemptive debt default, the government authorities have to submit a plan on debt sustainability to the IMF executive board separately after reaching consensus with creditors on debt restructure.  

The IMF executive board will not endorse the releasing of $ 2.9 billion four year EFF tranches till the assurance of Sri Lankan authorities on debt sustainability with the consent of creditors on their debt restructure.

Without the “assurances” from those creditor countries, the Fund’s money cannot flow, Senior IMF Mission Chief Peter Breuer emphasised at a recent media conference held in Colombo.

According to Finance Ministry statistics endorsed by the IMF, the country’s bilateral debt stock as at end 2021 spear headed by loans taken  from China , India and Japan was $ 9.6 billion while the total  external debt excluding commercial loans and additional payments amounting to around $ 22 billion.

However several economic experts said China India, multilaterals and global asset managers should agree on debt restructuring with sizable cuts on capital or interest or both of their borrowings.

Under restructuring, both the borrower and the lender will agree to a new repayment plan with a waiver of the interest or some part of the principal or a combination of both

Normally according to international stipulation, this maximum hair cut would be around 50 percent and foreign creditors will have to give their consent to write off 50 percent of total external debt of $ 22 billion which is equalled to $ 11 billion or 50 percent waver of total accumulated interest.   

Under restructuring, both the borrower and the lender will agree to a new repayment plan. That should necessarily be repayment of less than the full amount. It can be waiving of the interest or waiving of some part of the principal or a combination of both Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe has previously stated Sri Lanka can reach debt sustainability without re-structuring domestic debt.

Boys and girls who are struggling to win over Asia for a country that hears about defeats

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Boys and girls who are struggling to win over Asia for a country that hears about defeats

Internationally, Sri Lanka’s most successful team sport is men’s cricket. Sri Lanka has even won the world championship. As a women’s team sport, Sri Lanka receives the highest honor from netball. Sri Lanka has been the champion six times and runner up ten times. These two sports run in two formats. Cricket lives a life of luxury while netball does not have that privilege. It oscillates between being accepted as a sport and being treated as a women’s game because of the highly traditional power struggle within the netball format.

The power is centered not only at who decides to control decisions but often with the issues of who will train, and what places these women’s children should get in the team. Also, often the Ministry and the Development Department need cricket funds in some cases, while netball is dependent on the Ministry’s and the Development Department’s two cents therefore we have seen some netball connections in the Ministry and the Development Department, trying to assert their power within the netball issues.

Irrespective of these formative conditions, the instances that netball has won for Sri Lanka in team games should be accepted with respect as much as in cricket. Based on that respect, Sri Lanka has come to the front as the undisputed queen of Asian netball in the fight to win Asia. Singapore, which is currently thinking of strategies to win the crown while still sitting on the seat of second in command, will enter the battle to break the dominance of the queen on its own land. It should be remembered with respect that those who have guided the team from winning the crown for the last time, representing the world championship, etc., were the strength behind the team entering the final battle yesterday.

Accordingly, the coaches from Thilaka Jinadasa, Somita Alwis to the current Hyacinth Wijesinghe as well as the coaching staff who supported them and are still doing so, are the factors of this strength. Most likely, the tactic that Singapore used in yesterday’s game to control Malaysia’s pace by slowing down the game a bit and exchanging the ball in the field for more time, was launched against Sri Lanka as well. Therefore, Sri Lanka worked to prevent it and immediately get into that rhythm and convert the match into their own rhythm.

The most important thing is that this match was in a favorable position towards Sri Lanka. Also, Sri Lanka has already qualified for the World Cup. Under this condition, the battle to become the coach here will resume in the next World Cup tour. Some former officials do not want to stop winning Asia and allow the country’s female coaches to become World Cup coaches. Therefore, the search for more players who need to strengthen the team immediately at the end of this tournament should be carried out in a separate round, and steps should be taken to maintain it under the coach and training staff of the team that is going to the world championship.

But there are a number of things that need to be taken care of when the team goes out into the world to fight. There, if there is no training advisory council, a staff should be used to constantly identify the areas where the players need to grow, give advice to the coach and work to correct them through her. In such a situation, it should be the responsibility of the current coach to stand up for the country by dealing with the discussion as well as the ideas and discussions, and she should make sure not to use “the country as I want”.

India has won the most Asia Cup cricket matches in history. That’s seven times. Sri Lanka has done the feat the second most times, having won the championship five times. Pakistan have won the tournament only twice so far. This was the second time that the tournament will be run in the 20/20 format, and the first time it was held in 2016, India were the champions. Runners-up Bangladesh had to go out in the first round this time, while champions India were eliminated in the second round by Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is at the forefront of the winning mentality. Throughout this tournament, Sri Lanka stands out as the strongest team due to the combination of skills of several players. Its advantage was important for Sri Lanka yesterday as well. But it is certain that they have also studied Sri Lankan batsmen as well as bowlers through the world’s top data analysts. Therefore, as strong as the body is, Sri Lanka, the winner, has been the one who maintained the momentum with discipline and restraint while applying the knowledge sensibly and creatively according to the relevant moment.

Like the current selection committee, under the leadership of Dasun Shanaka, the selection committee who sent a team to Pakistan on a diplomatically important tour and managed to win the championship, should also be thanked here. It became clear that cricket is cricket and not characters. On the same hand, it is also wonderful how players like Bhanuka Rajapaksa are creeping into the hearts of the people like cricket in the country, proving that even a selection committee cannot keep cricket in its shape by attacking certain weaknesses. Also Keith Miller and the current Silverwood are committed to the profession with responsibility and love. Their coaching staff deserves similar credit for this win. South Asian culture’s respect and sensitivity to human connections transcends the profession. So the tributes to Miller and Silverwood’s love are already happening on point.

It has now been confirmed that cricket is a non-individual-centered team sport, which has been the identity of the road since history. History itself has confirmed that even if there are talented special players, those who are not are the main ones but the team spirit wins. With the leadership of Dasun Shanaka, cricket has reached a moment where it is at the top of such a channel. To protect this place that has come with great dedication, only the knowledge of cricket education should be used. At present, South Asian poverty is based on the power of astrological matters, and if it is said that it can be won, it is important to intervene in a sporting way to get it until the last second when the victory is confirmed without making a margin of victory.

Just like a cricket team, netball is a team. But the team is also confident that they will squeeze out victories to the point where they are circled around Tharjini. That mentality is one that pushes down from the administration even from the netball coaches in Sri Lanka. But while she was there, there were times when we couldn’t even conquer Asia. Every second that Tharjani’s handling of the ball fails, it becomes difficult for Sri Lanka to win, and when Tharjani commits a few mistakes, the effect on the entire team is sadly exceeded.

Therefore, in order to determine the path of netball in Sri Lanka after the 2023 World Cup, it was essential to think of strategies to take advantage of the average height expected from a female netball player in Sri Lanka. This should lead to the discovery of relatively new players for the national team, and it is important to maintain an “expecting” pool of players for national netball.

Sometimes a person working in Sri Lanka with hypocrisy may also have the crisis of someone else taking over the status they have acquired through sports. If such a person gets low political protection in Sri Lanka and the ruler of politics can make some advantageous deal out of it, the country is irrelevant. Therefore, the biggest challenge ahead for the crowned boys and girls who have come to reign in this Asia was that the game could have been surrendered at any time for the hypocritical political spirits of the people to run wild. However, it was the wish of the country to see both girls and boys become Asian stars and stars for the love and joy of the people of the country.

The poverty, insecurity, inflation and hunger that have won over the rulers to be a country with the highest rates of malnutrition and, in many cases, the highest in the world and the highest in Asia and South Asia, the people want happiness, today there is an indoor sports ground in Singapore and a cricket ground in the United Arab Emirates. Let’s congratulate the cricketers and netball players who struggled to put a sense of pride in the hearts of the citizens of a state that is unable to put a smile on their lips to find pride, for winning Sri Lanka and giving the countrymen the joy of victory, which is a rare treasure!

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