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Prime Minister’s Dubai Tour next year cancelled due to dollar deficit

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Prime Minister’s Dubai Tour next year cancelled due to dollar deficit

The tour in Dubai scheduled for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa next year has been cancelled due to the ongoing economic crisis, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Rohitha Rajapaksa told media.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa was scheduled to visit Dubai as the Chief Guest at the Dubai Expo at the invitation of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai. After leaving Dubai on January 02, 2022, the Prime Minister was set to join the exhibition the next day, as January 03, 2022 has been designated as the Day of Sri Lanka at the Dubai Expo.

The Prime Minister, however, has decided to cancel the visit as it would be more important to focus on the problems in the country, according to his Chief of Staff.

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Malnutrition in Sri Lanka makes world record! (Video)

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Malnutrition in Sri Lanka makes world record! (Video)

The people of this country have inherited malnutrition, said Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa.

Speaking on the Day 04 of the “Manushyathwaye Charikawa” initiative undertaken by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) to address the hassles faced by the general public at Suriyawewa town today (29), the Opposition Leader pointed out that in a country where malnutrition has become prevalent the record of low weight babies at birth has grown bigger.

The opening of the Samagi Tharuna Balawegaya office at Suriyawewa inaugurated by Subhaka Pradeep, Leader of the Opposition of the Suriyawewa Pradeshiya Sabha and Member of the Working Committee of the Samagi Tharuna Balawegaya, was carried out under the patronage of Mr. Premadasa.

The current regime had secured its victory through religionism, nationalism and lies, the Opposition Leader pointed out, adding that it continues to promote such ideologies dismissing the true values of Buddhism.

In a matter of two years, the government on one hand has turned the country into a pool of tears and on the other, a land of darkness, Premadasa noted. He also stressed that today the country is suffering from famine and the national resources are being sold.

The Opposition Leader talked to the traders and the town folk and distributed the leaflet distributed mentioning “Family Governance – Destruction of the Country.”

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Milk powder price likely to soar again

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Milk powder price likely to soar again

The price of milk powder may have to be increased from tomorrow (30), said the Milk Powder Importers Association said. Accordingly, the increased prices will be announced tomorrow, said Union Spokesman Ashoka Bandara.

Following the last revision of the milk powder price, a 400 gram packet of milk powder was sold for Rs. 470 and a 01 kilogram packet for Rs. 1170.

The Public Sector has dramatically lost control over the prices of many commodities, including milk powder now. As of now, the price of milk powder is determined by the importers.

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Reserve position surge claimed by CBSL Chief like ‘Cobra appeared out of Kelani River’

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Reserve position surge claimed by CBSL Chief like ‘Cobra appeared out of Kelani River’

The spontaneous surge of the foreign reserve position to US$3.1 billion claimed by the CBSL Governor is merely a media showoff resembling the ‘Cobra appeared out of the Kelani River,’ said Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dr. Harsha De Silva speaking to a briefing today (29).

The SJB MP emphasised that a responsible institution like the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has deliberately refrained from disclosing the modes by which such a spontaneous surge has occurred.

At a time when the public image of the current regime is being tarnished on a daily basis, the CBSL and its Governor are concealing the truth thereby picturing a false image, Dr. Silva pointed out.

Stressing that the country is suffering from a severe forex crisis, the SJB economist added that there are no dollars to import essential commodities including gas, milk powder and medicines.

Despite many experts’ advice on seeking the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to resolve the ongoing forex crisis, the government did not heed such an option, Dr. Silva claimed.

In the backdrop, the CBSL Chief is behaving a like a ‘Superman,’ demonstrating an increased reserve position without disclosing the modes, he went on, questioning whether all the problems will be solved from tomorrow.

The SJB MP citing sources further noted that the reserve position was supposedly increased via 10 billion yuan obtained from China subjugated to certain restrictions.

Suggesting that the country has been driven into an abyss in this manner due to the politicians’ conduct of concealing the truth about the country for a long time satisfying the people for political purposes, Dr. Silva added that the abyss is being dug deeper by concealing the real forex crisis via the government’s media showoff.

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Indian High Commission felicitates Sri Lankan staff

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Indian High Commission felicitates Sri Lankan staff

High Commissioner H.E. Gopal Baglay felicitated several Sri Lankan nationals working at High Commission of India in recognition of their longstanding and dedicated services at a special event organized at the High Commission. Two of the longest serving personnel – Mrs.Mala Gamage and Mr. Neil Joseph Regis- with a service of more than 30 years each, were offered return air tickets to India and special cash support for visiting India. Mrs.Shirani Sritharan, Mrs.Sujatha Hettiarachchi, Mrs.Niranjala Manori Joseph and Mrs.Lakshi Samarawickrema were accorded promotions for their services recently. 

The High Commissioner thanked the Sri Lankan staff for their outstanding work at the High Commission. He stressed that their contribution to the High Commission helped the objective of strengthening India-Sri Lanka relations, especially in aspects directly related to the people, such as development cooperation in Sri Lanka, travel, trade & commerce. 

Around 50% of the High Commission’s staff comprises Sri Lankan nationals. Similarly, a considerable proportion of personnel in India’s Consulate Generals in Hambantota and Jaffna and Assistant High Commission in Kandy are also recruited locally. They come from diverse social, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, reflecting pluralistic nature of both India and Sri Lanka.

Colombo

29 December 2021

Many state media heads to be dismissed – ITN Chief already left

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Many state media heads to be dismissed – ITN Chief already left

The Mass Media Ministry has reportedly informed the heads of the Independent Television Network (ITN) and the Selacine Television Institute to resign from their posts.

Sudath Rohana, the ITN Chairman, has already left his chair as the announcement was being made, according to sources.

Amila Muremada serves as the Chairman of the Selacine Television Institute.

Meanwhile, top posts of a number of other state media bodies are to be reshuffled, sources further added.

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25 per cent of dollar reserves in commercial banks to be transferred to CBSL

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25 per cent of dollar reserves in commercial banks to be transferred to CBSL

25 per cent of dollar reserves possessed by commercial banks in Sri Lanka must be transferred to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), said CBSL Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal.

The CBSL Governor’s order comes in effect from December 27, 2021 and all commercial banks in Sri Lanka will be able to possess only 75 per cent of their dollar reserves.

The commercial banks in Sri Lanka have restricted the issuance of dollars for imported goods leading to a serious problem suffered by the importers.

Last week it was reported that over 1,500 containers of imported items were stalled in Port warehouses. Following the latest directive by the CBSL, further restrictions will be imposed on the issuance of dollars, driving the importers deeper into the abyss, according to analysts.

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SJB urges to reveal mode of reserve position surge

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SJB urges to reveal mode of reserve position surge

The mode in which the foreign reserves amounting to US$ 1.6 billion have surged up to US$ 3.1 billion must be disclosed before the country, urged the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), following the announcement made by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) this morning.

Speaking to a briefing held in the Opposition Leader’s Office today (29), SJB MP Nalin Bandara pointed out that the people have a right to know about the mode in which these foreign reserves have spontaneously surged.

Foreign reserves were rising in US dollars as well as in other currencies, as well as gold reserves, the MP reminded, stressing that how an additional amount of US$ 1.5 billion was included to the reserves must be explained.

The SJB MP went on saying that if the reserves were surged in gold or yuan, they could not be used to settle dollar expenses or settle foreign debts and that the yuan currency could only be used for goods imported from China.

The ongoing dollar deficit can be resolved temporarily only in an event of a reserve position surge in US dollars, Bandara added.

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ADB agrees to pay for Sinopharm vaccine purchased from China

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ADB agrees to pay for Sinopharm vaccine purchased from China

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to pay for the Sinopharm vaccine doses purchased from China, said State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Channa Jayasumana.

Accordingly, Sri Lanka is set to receive an amount of US$ 85 million from the ADB to settle the payments for the Covid vaccine.

MIAP

Another Gazette Reversed!

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Another Gazette Reversed!

The gazette notification issued in connection with the Prohibition of Obscene Publications Bill has been canceled. It is reported that the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice Ali Sabri has instructed to cancel the relevant gazette notification.

The gazette notification was issued on the 24th and it was opposed by many parties. Taking into consideration the objections and proposals, amendments are to be made to the Bill which has been prepared so far and the Ministry of Justice has decided to submit the amended Bill to the Cabinet for approval. The Minister of Justice has instructed the Secretary to cancel the gazette notification issued until then.

The Secretary to the Ministry said in a statement that the purpose of enacting a law to ban Obscene Publications was to protect the welfare of minors and the privacy of abused women, not to impede freedom of speech.

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