Despite the current President’s claim of crossing a ‘rope bridge’ in his coming, the so called rope bridge was crossed by the Rajapaksas and their cronies, whilst the 22 million people of Sri Lanka were thrown into Hell, said Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, addressing the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Authority Board meeting in Buttala yesterday (28).
The event was organised by SJB Monaragala District MP W.H.M. Dharmasena and was attended by a lot of people.
The current President is a comedy and the current regime is a fraud, and any regime opposing the people faces unpleasant consequences, as the history bears witness, Premadasa pointed out.
To build the country, a new mandate is required, hence the necessity to hold an immediate election, and those coming before the public in the face of ‘elephants’ and ‘crows’ will be taught the right lesson this time, he added.
Premadasa also stressed that the SJB, should it gain state power, wishes to serve the village and the city alike and initiate programmes that emits more income at a lower cost via new technology.
Unlike the Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime, the SJB in its role as the Opposition served the people aiming their well being, when the Rajapaksas made false demonstrations driving the country into a state of bankruptcy, he noted.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with the Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong in Tokyo recently and pledged to implement Free Trade Agreement with Singapore
During the discussions, President Wickremesinghe informed the Singaporean Prime Minister that an international trade office was being established in the President’s office.
He also explained that his priority was to bring into effect the Free Trade Agreement with Singapore.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong welcomed the news, and stated that Singapore was looking forward to investing in Sri Lanka once again.
President Wickremesinghe invited the Singaporean Prime Minister to visit Sri Lanka next year when the country celebrates its 75th Independence anniversary.
The Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement was signed in 2018 when Wickremesinghe was Prime Minister.
The Government led by Gotabaya Rajapaksa had raised concerns over the FTA and had proposed several amendments.
Sri Lanka signed the Sri Lanka – Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) on 23 January 2018 and the Agreement was brought into operation with effect from 1 May 2018.
In view of the impact of the contents of this Agreement and the potential that Government states it offers to boost domestic trade, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chamber decided to set out its perspectives on the significant features of the Agreement.
In finalizing this brief a consultative process was adopted with adequate opportunities given to members of the Chamber to submit views.
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce sees the Agreement positively in the context of enhancing Sri Lanka’s trade initiatives and deepening its current relations with the economies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
ASEAN is a growing trading region with links to global production networks that Sri Lanka could have the potential to integrate with to diversify its exports basket and attract Foreign Direct Investment.
Considering that the Agreement is comprehensive in its coverage, there exists opportunities for Sri Lankan businesses to derive benefits from this Agreement by leveraging on the synergies it is expected to bring between trade, investment and services.
It is worthy to note that consequent to the signing of the Agreement, there have been numerous delegations that have visited the country from Singapore to explore potential investment opportunities.
The Chamber was an active stakeholder participant whenever consultations and meetings were convened by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade (MoDSIT) and with the negotiating team of SLSFTA.
The Chamber also assisted in the consultation process by making timely submissions and convening sector specific consultations on trade-in-service for its members, in maritime, construction, tourism and IT sectors, in 2017.
The state-run LITRO Gas Company said it commenced the repayment for the credit facility provided by the World Bank for uninterrupted gas supply.
LITRO Chief Muditha Peiris told media that by September a sum of Rs. 6.5 billion was settled to the General Treasury and by October, a sum of Rs 08 billion will be repaid.
Accordingly, the total credit facility of US $ 70 million (LKR 26 billion) will be repaid to the General Treasury by December this year, said the state-run gas distributor’s Chief.
The Sri Lankan tourism sector has evolved and will continue to evolve immensely from where it was just over 10 years ago in 2009.
In a post-COVID world, regaining investor and consumer confidence may take some time. However, given the attractiveness of the country as a destination as well as its strong potential for growth, there is no doubt that the sector will get back on its feet.
With the continued development and maturing of the hotel and real estate markets in Sri Lanka, it will certainly be a destination to watch in the years to come.
Multi-million-dollar casinos are to be planned for Colombo to boost Sri Lanka’s ambitious hopes of becoming Asia’s new gambling hotspot, but the projects still face political and religious opposition.
Sri Lanka legalised gambling in with the aim of eventually luring cashed-up tourists to the island nation and boosting an economy battered by covid-19 and economic crisis.
Turning Mannar Island into a casino resort like Macau, well known as a gambling destination, could attract tourists and bring revenues to the country, this according to Sri Lankan Tourism State Minister Diana Gamage, who also backs the legalization of cannabis, over which she clashed with the opposition.
The idea of turning the island into a gambling mecca is controversial. Macau is the only city in China where gambling is legal (online betting is banned with repercussions for the entire region).
Since 2014, Macau Special Administrative Region has topped Las Vegas in terms of revenues at least seven times, with 60 per cent of its GDP depending on gambling, while other sectors of the economy are marginal.
It would be difficult, however, to transplant this model in Sri Lanka. Mannar has an ancient port and 16 landing points along its coasts. Fishing and dry-fish production are the mainstay of its economy.
About 36.7 per cent of the local labour force works in fisheries, and almost 40 per cent is employed in agriculture. Sri Lankan parents often threaten their children to send them to work on farms on the island as punishment.
In 2016 the island’s fish catch was 10,300 metric tonnes and dry-fish production exceeded 1,800 tonnes.
A development plan for the island already exists, approved by the Urban Development Authority for the period 2016-2030, with the areas that need immediate attention already identified.
To attract wealthy Indian tourists, when he was prime minister, Sri Lankan President Wickramasinghe promoted the construction of a link between the island’s main pier to Dhanushkodi and Palai, which in turn would be connected to Chennai via direct flights.
According to journalist and political analyst Kusal Perera, Gamage’s proposal is typical of the minister.
However, developing Mannar as a gambling hub would not only change the island’s economic vocation, but risks bringing businesses that typically revolve around casinos, on the margin of the law, like the sex trade.
In fact, human traffickers are heavily involved in Macau with illegal brothels, nightclubs, and massage parlours.
A special District Coordinating Committee meeting was held under the direction of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (28) to provide relief to those displaced by the fire that broke out last night (27) in a housing complex located in Kajeemawatte, Thotalanga. The future plans regarding those displaced was also discussed at this meeting.
It was revealed at this meeting that 306 persons residing in 71 houses had been displaced as a result of the fire. It was also revealed that 60 houses were completely destroyed, while another 11 houses were partially damaged. Out of 306 displaced people, 200 are adults and 106 are children. So far, the Colombo District Secretariat has made arrangements to accommodate the displaced people at the Modara Garden Community Hall and the Kelani Nadee Viharaya.
With the intervention and support of the Disaster Management Center, Colombo Municipal Council, Madampitiya Grama Niladhari Division, Police and the tri forces, steps have been taken to continue to provide basic facilities including food and water to the displaced persons.
Further, health facilities are maintained under the Regional Health Services Director. The District Secretary also stated during this discussion that with the assistance of several non-governmental organizations, including Sarvodaya, the required necessities and dry food rations were provided to the affected families.
Director General of the Urban Development Authority Mr. Prasad Ranaweera, pointed out that since 2007, Thotalanga Kajeemawatte has been maintained as an intermediate camp by the Urban Development Authority, and by the end of 2014, houses were provided to all the residents.
However, the Urban Development Authority also pointed out that since 2015, the land has been occupied by squatters from time to time.
During the discussion, it was decided that these houses caught fire on 03 occasions within the past two years, and that a formal and impartial investigation should be carried out immediately regarding the incident yesterday (27).
Accordingly, a committee headed by Major Pradeep Undugoda (Rtd) and Colombo District Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne was appointed. Other committee members include Colombo Divisional Secretary, Director General of the Urban Development Authority, General Manager of Housing Development Authority, Government Inspector, and Superintendent of Police in charge of the area, OIC of the Police Station of that area and Madampitiya Grama Niladhari Officer.
The committee was also informed to submit an urgent report to the President and the Prime Minister within 07 working days regarding the cause of the incident, future development of this area and proposed measures for the residents.
It was also directed that all displaced school children should be sent to school as usual from next Monday (October 03) and to be provided with necessary text books, exercise books, uniforms and shoes, and to provide required health facilities for pregnant mothers, mothers and women. It was also decided to continue the supply of cooked food and essentials in temporary shelters and to provide them all basic facilities.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Ministers Prasanna Ranatunga, Bandula Gunawardena, former Ministers Gamini Lokage, Sarath Weerasekera, Members of Parliament Eran Wickramaratne, Yadamini Gunawardena, Madhura Withanage, Major Pradeep Undugoda (Rtd) and Colombo District Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne attended this discussion.
The Fort Magistrate yesterday (28) temporarily lifted the overseas travel ban imposed to former Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena, based on a request made through his lawyers to fly to Italy to attend to an educational affair of his child and to fly to the United Kingdom for a business affair.
Accordingly, the former Minister was allowed to leave Sri Lanka from October 10 to November 20 at a bail of Rs. 01 million, as ordered Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage.
An overseas travel ban was imposed to Abeygunawardena based on the allegations in connection with the May 09 assault on Galleface protesters.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will not be joining the National Council, a working committee established for the very first time in Parliament, said Party Leader and former President Maithripala Sirisena, responding to reporters after attending a discussion held at the SLFP Headquarters yesterday (28).
The National Council is set to convene for the very first time today (29).
The latest bi-annual Export Barometer Survey indicates that exporters are increasingly concerned about the implications of the expected contraction of the Sri Lankan economy in the latter half of 2022 on export orders, with SMEs particularly vulnerable to the intensifying economic crisis.
The third in a series of surveys conducted by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – supported Partnership for Accelerating Results in Trade, National Expenditure and Revenue (PARTNER) activity, this survey received responses from 157 exporters of goods and services.
The majority of these respondents were SME firms, with women-owned and/or women-led firms accounting for 20%.
The survey, compiled in July-August, builds on the findings from previous reports published in August/September 2021 and February/March 2022 and tracks trends and sentiments related to Sri Lanka’s export performance, challenges faced by exporters, and ways in which firms are continuing to navigate the economic crisis.
It also presents measures required to enhance export competitiveness and the outlook for the export sector for the second half of 2022.
Pessimism is despite earnings from merchandise exports in August growing year on year by 5.4% in July to a record $ 1.16 billion and cumulative earnings in the first seven months increasing by 13% to $ 7.67 billion.
Most exporters predict the economy to fall moderately to severely in the second half of 2022, and a sizable percentage anticipates a similar trend in export orders. The latter trend indicates a considerable shift in exporter sentiment since the previous survey in February/March 2022.
Exporters continued to be resilient in the face of an intensifying economic crisis, particularly in the export of goods, which grew 14% in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
However, the survey highlighted that larger firms performed better in export revenue growth, capacity utilization, and sourcing of new export opportunities compared to SMEs.
Exporters across all categories of firms, including women-owned and/or women-led businesses, faced challenges in meeting their existing orders due to fuel and power shortages, while increases in transport costs and policy uncertainty worsened the situation
Firms also highlighted that the current economic situation will have a long-term negative impact on buyer confidence in Sri Lankan exports.
Employment trends turned negative in the first half of 2022, with more firms looking at cost-cutting measures. Most firms were facing attrition led by employees migrating due to the current crisis.
Nevertheless, 64% of firms are not expecting a change in their workforce size in the second half of 2022.
Exporters requested facilitation measures to fulfil export orders, with reduced focus on requests to improve export competitiveness.
Minimizing power shortages and maintaining political stability were the top priorities. Women-owned and/or women-led businesses and SMEs continued to request more facilitation in exploring new markets and access to trade/export finance.
Service exporters were more optimistic that their businesses would see moderate to high growth in the second half of 2022 and that the economy would improve compared to goods exporters (31% compared to 22%).
President Ranil Wickremesinghe calls on Emperor Naruhito at Imperial Palace in Tokyo: also holds bilateral discussion with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida.
Foreign funded Advocata Institute says electricity tariff increase is necessary because prices charged to consumers are below cost, leading to large deficits: claims the energy subsidy is financed through “money printing” which contributes to the on-going balance of payments crisis.
Cardinal Ranjith demands gloomy Christmas: wants tourism leaders to provide for the poor instead of spending money to celebrate Christmas: criticises the illumination of the City of Colombo.
Former Foreign Minister Professor G L Peiris questions legality of the High Security Zones declared in terms of the “outdated” Official Secrets Act: controversial gazette expected to be rescinded shortly.
National Freedom Front Leader and former Minister Wimal Weerawansa says the economic crisis is persisting because of the debt default announcement made by CB Governor Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe as soon as he assumed office.
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says Wildlife Department spends Rs.2.8 bn annually to provide free fire-crackers to repel wild elephants to safeguard villages in vulnerable areas: government incurs an additional interest charge of Rs.398.4 bn in 5 months up to August ’22, after the Central Bank increased its policy interest rates by a massive 7%.
Chairman, Elections Commission says an official announcement will be made early next year on the date of the Local Government Election: also says the youth voters’ registry is being updated now.
Residents blame drug addicts for the fire that gutted at least 60 houses in suburban area of Kajeemawatte where there are about 300 wooden houses.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena says he has been informed by certain police officers that girls from very respectable families have become prostitutes.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian PM Narendra Modi discuss Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring, in Tokyo, at a meeting that lasted around 10 minutes: President says Sri Lanka won’t do anything that will jeopardize India’s security.
FitsAir, promoted by Fits Aviation, a member of the Aberdeen Holdings group, said that commercial operations will commence from 5th October.
The privately-owned airline, operating A320-200 aircraft, has opened bookings for its international flights, connecting Colombo to Dubai, Male and Trichy.
In a significant move, veteran professional and top aviation expert Peter Hill has been appointed to the helm and to drive operations, along with a team of seasoned Sri Lankan professionals.
Top aviation expert Peter Hill, the Vice President, Passenger Operations, FitsAir, said that the airline also hopes to launch flights from Ratmalana to Jaffna and from Jaffna to India.
“FitsAr will cater to the needs of the modern Sri Lankan traveller who wants competitive fares, an in-flight service that is efficient without any ‘frills’ , he added.
It is combined with options of baggage allowance, where you do not pay for the weight of baggage which you carry – where there is no obligation to pay the full fair if your baggage is less in weight” he explained
The premise is that we do not want to waste a passenger’s time, money or energy in the process of travelling,” added Hill, who went on to note that FitsAir, due to its pricing competitiveness, will make air travel a viable option for many Sri Lankans.
“However, in true Sri Lankan hospitality, all passengers will get a complimentary refreshment pack, although substantial meals, beverages and snacks will be available for purchase on board plus pre-bookings.”
A free checked-in baggage allowance of 30kgs will be provided to all customers, and a free carry-on bag of 7 kgs.
FitsAir will also offer reduced fares for baggage of no more than 20 kgs. Passengers can purchase excess baggage at the airport, subject to space availability.
The airline has been operating through its predecessor, Expo Aviation, predominantly in the cargo sector for the past 25 years.
A year ago, the owners decided on the scheduled regional passenger market and now have a fleet of three Airbus A320-200 aircraft in its fleet.
It is part of FiTS Aviation (PVT) LTD, a member of the prestigious Aberdeen Holding Group of Companies. It is privately owned and run by a team of seasoned Sri Lankan professionals, together with a couple of well-known expatriates from the local aviation community.
From the outset, FitsAir has been designed to provide affordable scheduled air travel to customers between Sri Lanka and destinations between Sri Lanka and destinations within SAARC, GCC and SEAsia.
All the Airbus A320-200 aircraft are registered in Sri Lanka and are operated under the jurisdiction of the Director-General, Civil Aviation of Sri Lanka. The technical and cabin crew are all Sri Lankan and comprise a unique blend of seasoned professionals and fresh, fully-qualified younger faces.
It plans to commence services between Colombo’s Ratmalana Airport and Jaffna and then develop a mini-hub in Jaffna, to serve a range of South Indian cities are also underway. Flights out of Ratmalana and Jaffna would be served with 70-seat turboprop aircraft.
A range of domestic services are also in the plans, based around Ratmalana Airport working with Tour Operators/Hoteliers, to provide swift transfers and short-duration sightseeing tours. These services would use 12-seater Cessna Caravan aircraft
