Sri Lanka among four nations to receive capacity building assistance for selected infrastructure sector
Sri Lanka will receive assistance from international donor agencies to build capacity in selected infrastructure sectors through which appropriate disaster-resilient measures are defined and applied to pre-disaster preparation for recovery and post-disaster recovery efforts.
The effort will be rolled out by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through its regional hub in Bangkok, with the financial support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), under the freshly launched project ‘Resilient Infrastructure Through Enhanced Knowledge’.
The project embarked upon by the UN has recognized the necessity for greater investment in the planning process for disaster-resilient infrastructure across Asia and the Pacific.Alongside Sri Lanka, receiving assistance under the project will also be Armenia, Cambodia and Fiji.
Considering the importance of water and food security, Sri Lanka has selected the irrigation sector to develop a comprehensive country-specific disaster recovery framework under this project, the UNDP said in a statement to the media recently.
“The irrigation sector is one of the most important sectors in the country. Irrigation resilience is not only for water management but also provides inputs for agricultural expansion, facilitates technological change and helps increase sectoral productivity and the GDP of the country.
Introducing a disaster recovery framework will benefit the sector, as it ensures recovery to build back faster and better,” said Disaster Management Centre (DMC) Mitigation Research and Development Director Anoja Seneviratne.
The activities will concentrate on supporting Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) training to government officials, utilizing contingency and recovery tools and plans, improve financial preparedness planning, which will help to meet the resources required for disaster recovery and cover the additional costs of building forward better.
The project is implemented in collaboration with the DMC, National Planning Department, National Budget Department and all stakeholder agencies in the irrigation sector, including the Irrigation Department, Agrarian Development Department, nine Provincial Departments of Irrigation and Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka.
The first training on PDNA and disaster recovery planning took place in Colombo recently, with over 63 participants from across the above stakeholders, including engineers, planners and accountants.
Foreign donor agencies assist Sri Lanka for capacity building
SL Embassy in Moscow secures long-term credit line from Russian Govt to procure fuel
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow is pleased to announce that on the 17th October 2022, a productive discussion was held with the Russian Government on the possibility of obtaining a long term credit line in order to procure fuel to Sri Lanka.
Her Excellency the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Prof. Janitha A. Liyanage attended this discussion representing Sri Lanka and emphasised the significance of such a credit line to Sri Lanka to procure fuel, especially at this trying time. The mechanism of the said credit line and the modality to procure fuel from the Russian Federation were discussed at length with the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation.
From the Russian Government, Mr. Maksimov Timur, the Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation and Mr. Levan Jagaryan, H.E. the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and a few officials representing the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also present at the discussion.
This Embassy is of the view that this credit line facility will play an important role to make adequate fuel supplies available to Sri Lanka at a competitive price in the months to come.
Sanna Irshad Mattoo: Pulitzer-winning Kashmiri journalist stopped from leaving India
Sanna Irshad Mattoo was awarded the Pulitzer for her coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic and was on her way to attend the award ceremony.
Ms Mattoo said she was stopped “despite having a valid visa and ticket”.
The Indian government has not made a statement yet on why she was stopped.
News agency PTI quoted Jammu and Kashmir police officials as saying that she had been placed on a no-fly list.
Ms Mattoo said this was the second such incident in four months. The journalist told the BBC she asked officials why she hadn’t been allowed to travel but was not given a reason.
I was on my way to receive the Pulitzer award ( @Pulitzerprizes) in New York but I was stopped at immigration at Delhi airport and barred from traveling internationally despite holding a valid US visa and ticket. pic.twitter.com/btGPiLlasK
— Sanna Irshad Mattoo (@mattoosanna) October 18, 2022
She said she was “heartbroken” at not getting the chance to attend the ceremony, describing the Pulitzer as a “dream for every journalist”.
Several activists and journalists have been stopped from leaving or entering the country this year.
In March, journalist Rana Ayyub – who writes for the Washington Post – was stopped at Mumbai airport when she was about to board a flight to the UK to deliver a speech at the International Centre for Journalists.
Ms Ayyub was allowed to travel a few days later after she won an appeal against the decision in the Delhi High Court and got permission.
In April, former Amnesty India chief Aakar Patel was stopped twice from boarding a flight to the US at Bangalore airport.
This followed a federal investigation into Amnesty allegedly breaking India’s foreign currency exchange laws during Mr Patel’s tenure as its chief. The agency called him a “flight risk”. He was later asked by a court not to leave the country without its permission.
In August, Angad Singh, an Emmy-nominated American journalist of Indian-origin, was reportedly deported to New York soon after he landed in Delhi.
While the Indian government did not comment on the incident, Mr Singh’s family said his passport was confiscated at the airport before he was deported. His mother alleged his treatment was a response to the documentaries the journalist had made on India’s Covid crisis and farmers’ protests for Vice News.
Earlier this year, the federal government deported Professor Filippo Osella, an anthropologist at the University of Sussex, who had been visiting India for more than 30 years.
Prof Osella challenged his deportation in the Delhi High Court, calling it arbitrary and unconstitutional. He also said he was treated like “a hardened criminal” by Indian authorities without being given a reason for his deportation.
Last week, the Indian government defended its decision in court, saying that the academician had been placed in the “highest category of blacklisting” based on “sufficient material” against him.
BBC News
Family holding royalty in SL political arena in a mission to save Janaki Siriwardena accused of having ties with Thilini Priyamali
A family holding royalty in the Sri Lankan political arena is in a mission to save Janaki Siriwardena, the Executive Director of KRRISH Group, who has allegedly sheltered for the alleged misdeeds of Thilini Priyamali, a woman who is currently in remand custody over a massive financial fraud, to save themselves from being exposed, sources disclosed.
These powerful political fists are attempting to save Mrs. Siriwardena from being sued for her alleged involvement in Priyamali’s alleged misdeeds, to save their own skin, sources added.
Were the money transactions of the KRRISH ED surrounding Priyamali to be uncovered, the said political family would be in a terrible trouble, hence the attempt for a cover up, according to sources.
The Sri Lanka Police are yet to take any action against Mrs. Siriwardena despite the collection of a statement.
MIAP
Sri Lanka Apparel sector exports hit an all time high in September.
Sri Lanka has set a target of US$6 billion for the apparel industry export revenue for the year 2022. With ten months months into 2022, biggest foreign exchange earner apparel exports in September soared to record high for the month though year on year growth was the lowest in six months reinforcing industry concerns expressed over the future outlook.
As per provisional data, apparel exports in September amounted to $ 451.46 million up by only 4.89 percent from the corresponding month of last year. However, the September 2022 figure is the highest for the month beating the previous best of $ 451 million in 2018.
The 5 percent year on year growth is also the lowest in six months reaffirming industry views that going forward market conditions for exports will be challenging.
Prior to September, apparel exports have grown year on year by a high of 39 percent (June) and a low of 19 percent (August). In March export growth was flat.
September 2020 performance is also the lowest in four months and ended the three-month streak of over half a billion exports between June and August.
Exports to the US in September were down by 4 percent to $ 186.27 million whilst shipments to the EU were up by 15.7 percent to $ 141.52 million. Exports to the UK were up 3.5 percent to $ 56.67 million and other markets up 13 percent to $ 67 million.
Apparel exports in the first nine months were an all-time high of $ 4.3 billion, up 18.4 percent year on year. The previous highest for the first nine months was $ 3.97 billion in 2019.
Exports to the US were up 22 percent to $ 1.82 billion, EU by 15.8 percent to $ 1.26 billion, UK by 14.8 percent to $ 572 million and other markets by 17 percent to 639.8 million.
Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) officials have said that despite impressive exports so far it asserted that in 2022 industry envisages a 25-30 percent decline in the remainder of the year.
This is because the economic downturn is impacting future orders from the US and EU whilst the war in Ukraine has pushed up logistics and energy costs. The US, EU and the UK comprise about 86 percent of Sri Lanka’s total apparel exports.
22A to be defeated tomorrow. BR to return to SL next month!
The vote on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution is set to take place tomorrow (21) evening in Parliament, and the proposed constitutional amendment is very likely to be defeated based on the firm opinion held by the majority of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MPs to vote against it as previously confirmed by Ruling Party Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, political sources disclosed.
Accordingly, passing the proposed 22A may not be possible given that the number of votes required for the passing of the amendment is already lost.
Meanwhile, SLPP Founder and National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa who is currently abroad is set to return to Sri Lanka next month, Party sources disclosed.
LNW earlier disclosed that the demand from the side of the SLPP for Basil Rajapaksa to accept the premiership, which is currently held by Dinesh Gunawardena, is astronomical, and the SLPP National Organiser, therefore, is likely to accept it, sources further added.
Related news:
Sri Lanka to begin crucial debt talks with China India and Japan
Sri Lanka aims to finalize debt-restructuring talks with international creditors by the second quarter of 2023, as it looks for early assurances from lenders to help unlock a $2.9 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund
President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed confidence in the successful restructuring of external debt following talks with the Chinese Finance Minister.
The President said that the delegation headed by the State Minister of Finance, who is currently in Washington, held initial discussions on Saturday with the International Monetary Fund and the three main countries, China, India and Japan that have given loans to the country.
He said that the Government is giving priority to immediately solve the problem of the country’s bankruptcy and to ensure food security.
Sri Lanka has concluded formal talks recently as it seeks IMF board approval for the loan in December or January, local authorities said in a virtual presentation.
The most effective way to obtain the financing assurances quickly is the creation of an ad-hoc bilateral creditor coordination platform allowing the official bilateral creditors to give their financing assurances to the IMF collectively after having debated among themselves,” the authorities said.
The South Asian nation, which fell into its first ever default in May, has said it will ensure transparency and equal treatment among creditors including China, Japan and India.
But some of Sri Lanka’s bondholders see talks dragging on for months as they push for the inclusion of local debt and loans from non-state creditors in the restructuring.
Central bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said the “perimeter” of Sri Lanka’s debt exercise is still being considered with the assistance of the debt advisers, according to people with knowledge of the matter who declined to be identified.
The issue of domestic debt is being looked at very carefully given the impact it may have on the stability of Sri Lanka’s banking sector and the overall macro fiscal framework, the people cited Weerasinghe, he added.
Sri Lanka’s debt stood at $101 billion last year, including guaranteed loans by state companies and central bank liabilities. Local currency debt accounted for 54 percent of the total, while bilateral debt is about 12 percent, according to Finance Ministry data.
Fitch Ratings earlier this month warned the nation is contending with a high risk of default on its local currency bonds.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government was looking at debt talks including local bonds in the restructuring, while Weerasinghe had said he was confident Sri Lanka’s debt can be made sustainable without changing the domestic component.
Wickremesinghe is seeking bilateral creditor coordination to help accelerate efforts toward “debt sustainability and ensure comparability of treatment,” according to a Finance Ministry statement.
The president’s media unit confirmed that Sri Lanka’s three main bilateral creditors were among 23 Paris and non-Paris Club members that attended a forum for ambassadors recently
Children’s Caucus focus on the formulation of a national policy for children with special needs
The Parliament Children’s Caucus focused on the need to formulate a national policy to ensure the well-being of children with special needs in Sri Lanka.
Views on this regard were expressed when the Parliament Children’s Caucus met in Parliament Oct (18) under the chairmanship of its Chairperson, SJB MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna.
The views and suggestions of the members regarding the future work of the caucus regarding the well-being of children in this country also received special attention. Accordingly, it was decided to have extensive discussions with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and other affiliated institutions, Children and Women Bureau and representatives of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) extensive discussions on the problems and proposals related to child care, with a special focus on child care.
Various fields related to children in the country were also given attention whilst providing quality education to the entire child population, providing adequate health care, to make existing resources and officials more efficient, to identify environments before children are abused and implementing the necessary measures, ensuring access to good nutrition and creating opportunities for children to develop their potential were also looked into.
Also, it was further emphasised that it is essential to find solutions to the various problems for the children of rural, urban and plantation people separately. It was also special that the members of the caucus agreed to work with government officials and non-governmental organisations related to children with the priority of the ideas and suggestions of the provincial commissioners using new technology.
The members of the caucus who expressed their displeasure about the use of media in concerning situations related to children, focused their attention on the need to create a proper programme and policy together with the relevant minister. In addition, the need to create an awareness programme on child malnutrition was also discussed.
MP Velu Kumar, co-vice president of the Caucus, and MPs Thalatha Athukorala, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Diana Gamage and Manjula Dissanayake were present at the occasion.
US Assistant Secretary Lu assures assistance to SL
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu who is currently on an official visit to Sri Lanka met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and assured to support Sri Lanka during this difficult period.
While appreciating the President’s efforts in rebuilding Sri Lanka’s economy he said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is the right person to get the country out of the present crisis & assured him that he has a force backing him.
He also stated that the U.S. government would continue to assist Sri Lanka with their negotiations with the IMF and the debt restructuring talks.
These remarks were made during the discussion that took place this evening (19) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
During the discussion President Wickremesinghe also expressed his appreciation to the US Government for their continuous support towards Sri Lanka.
The Assistant Secretary further stated that the US government is expected to provide all possible support to Sri Lanka and its people in this difficult period and welcomed the President’s efforts in regard to reconciliation and strengthening of the Democratic institutions.
The US Ambassador to t Sri Lanka Julie Chung and Political and Economic Advisor Susan Walke were also present at this discussion.
PMD
SATHOSA slashes prices of 06 essential food items
Lanka SATHOSA has slashed the prices of six essential food items.
Accordingly the revised prices of these food items are as follows;
- 01 kg of garlic previously sold for Rs. 550 slashed by Rs. 60 – new price Rs. 490.
- 01 kg of flour previously sold for Rs. 375 slashed by Rs. 55 – new price Rs. 320.
- 01 kg of dried sprats previously sold for Rs. 1500 slashed by Rs. 50 – new price Rs. 1450.
- 01 kg of large lentils (Kadala Parippu) previously sold for Rs. 315 slashed by Rs. 30 – new price Rs. 285.
- 01 kg of white sugar previously sold for Rs. 275 slashed by Rs. 15 – new price Rs. 260.
- 01 kg of imported white Kekulu rice previously sold for Rs. 174 slashed by Rs. 05 – new price Rs. 169.
MIAP