Professor Ranjith Bandara has been appointed as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).

Professor Ranjith Bandara is a Member of Parliament of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.

It is reported that Dayasiri Jayasekara, Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party(SLFP), Member of Parliament, is also at the forefront of the people’s representatives who defrauded the Electricity Board.

From 2016 until now, the electricity bill of the house where Dayasiri Jayasekara resides, has not been settled and its amount to be paid is Rs. 637,448.38 .This is stated in a letter sent to the MP by Hemantha Ranasinghe, Deputy General Manager of Ceylon Electricity Board in Colombo and also he informs to settle this amount before October 15.

The Electricity Board also informs that if the payment is not made before the relevant date, the electricity will be cut off without any prior notice.

The person who resided before handing over this house to Mr. Dayasiri Jayasekara has also not paid the bills to the Electricity Board and the unpaid amount is 494,739.69 rupees.

Accordingly, the unsettled amount of only one house provided for public representatives has exceeded one million rupees. In recent days it was reported that more than 50 former and current representatives have not paid the bills for the electricity they used.

If the common people who use 40-50 units of electricity per month do not pay their bills for two or three months, the electricity board is anxious to cut off the supply simultaneously, though millions of public representatives default on paying the bills, It’s doubtful about the reason for providing them the electricity for six or seven years without cutting off the supply.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry says that a truth-seeking mechanism will be established to investigate allegations of human rights violations. The minister mentioned this while addressing an internet forum yesterday (05).

Sabri expresses confidence that this mechanism will be operational before March next year.

Last year, former President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa appointed a commission of inquiry headed by Supreme Court Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz to evaluate the findings of the previous commissions and committees and the way forward regarding human rights and truth-seeking activities. The commission’s investigations have now reached the final stage and the final report is scheduled to be released this month.

The commission’s first report was handed over to then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July 2021.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs says that the commission’s final report will propose to investigate, report, or take necessary action based on previous commissions or committees appointed to investigate human rights violations, serious violations of international humanitarian law, and other such offenses.

The minister also mentions that the truth-seeking mechanism will be established based on that report.

1. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says former President Maithripala Sirisena asked him to take up the post of PM on 71 occasions: 10 times before 26 October 2018, and 61 times the following year.
   
2. SJB MP Kabir Hashim elected unanimously as Chairman of Committee on Public Accounts: SLPP MP S B Dissanayake proposes and SJB MP Niroshan Perera seconds.
   
3. The government decides not to proceed with the recommendations of the final report of the “One Country, One Law” Presidential Task Force: its Chairman Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera claims the report does not contain recommendations that target any race or religion, and it’s the Government’s responsibility to implement it.
   
4. President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared the supply of electricity and the supply or distribution of petroleum products and fuel as essential public services.
   
5. Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe appoints new National Sports Selection Committee: says the responsibility has been entrusted to persons who love sports and have practical knowledge.
   
6. Speculation rife that more Cabinet and State Ministers are to be appointed: Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena says present Ministers are overwhelmed with work: and explains that it is therefore good to have a separate Minister for each portfolio.
   
7. A core group led by “friendly” countries, USA, UK, Canada & Germany together with 30 other countries co-sponsor resolution against Sri Lanka at UNHCR: Foreign Minister Ali Sabry says Sri Lanka will oppose it: resolution likely to be carried.
   
8. Telecom companies revise charges with the introduction of the Social Security Levy: all pre-paid and post-paid packages, including the Pay TV services increased, with the addition of the new tax of 2.5%.
   
9. Treasury Bill rates continue at their astronomical levels at auction on 5th October: Rs.76.4 bn for 91 days @ 32.3%: Rs.4.2 bn for 182 days @ 30.6%: Rs.4.3 bn for 364 days @ 29.7%.
   
10. Wanindu Hasaranga moves to 3rd place in the ICC Men’s Player T20 bowling rankings: 4th in the all-rounder list.

A special fuel pass has been introduced for foreign tourists and those involved in the tourism industry.

This special fuel permit has been in effect since yesterday (05) and it is possible to get fuel from more than 300 fuel stations across the island without the quota system.

Minister of Tourism and Lands Harin Fernando stated that this special program was prepared together with the Ministry of Energy so that the foreign tourists coming to Sri Lanka can carry out their tourism activities more easily without hindrance.

President Ranil Wickramasinghe is scheduled to make a special statement today (06).

Accordingly, he will present this special statement in Parliament.

It is said that the President will present facts regarding the current economic situation of the country and international support.