The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) group has secured a massive victory in the election held to elect representatives to the Nivithigala Multipurposee Co-operative Society.
Accordingly, the SJB managed to secure 26 of 38 territories belonging to the Nivithigala Multipurposee Co-operative Society.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP J.C. Alawathuwala speaking to a briefing held yesterday (30) claimed that the paddy harvest in the Kurunegala District has dropped by 40 – 50 per cent compared to the Season before.
“This is the season in which paddy farmers in the Kurunegala District are collecting their harvest. We clearly told the government and the Agriculture Minister that the harvest could drop by 50 – 60 per cent with this fertiliser crisis. Now see what has happened. Now, they have applied every fertiliser type – this garbage called ‘organic fertiliser’ – they were given and the harvest has dropped by 40 – 50 per cent. When the farmers’ tireless efforts at a huge expense end up in a harvest 50 per cent below than the previous year, how can they live?” the SJB MP said.
He added: “Now see what has happened in the country. The price of rice has skyrocketed. Compared to the prevailing prices, the price of rice has doubled and even tripled. On one hand the customer becomes helpless. What happens to the farmer on the other? In this so-called fertiliser problem that they had brought up, we have repeatedly warned that this crime must not be committed in this country. Our staple food is rice. Today, that staple food has reduced production by 50 per cent.”
We know that when independence was gained in this country, the rice production was 39 per cent. From the time of Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake to every other regime in this country, that was the percentage by which this country became self-sufficient in rice. When it was self-sufficient, Minister Mahindananda said that they were ‘ready to export’ rice. Now rice has to be imported to Sri Lanka. The country has been driven into a position where it has to import its own staple food, as there are no dollars,” the MP further noted.
MIAP
Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena, who visited the SATHOSA outlet in Kataragama yesterday (30) morning, has severely been reprimanded by a woman over the people’s hunger, making a scene.
The woman, who scolded the Minister in the face, confronted him saying that there is no rice to purchase and the people suffer from hunger as the government does not fulfill the promises it made.
Embarrassed, Miniter Gunawardena immediately left the scene uttering that the people should be happy for being given this much amid the current situation.
MIAP
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage speaking to a rally organised by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday (30) stated that many parties who wish to overthrow the current government may have to answer to many questions regarding the irregularities committed during its predecessor.
“Looking at Facebook, the JVP is behaving as if Anura Dissanayake is already the President. Mr. Sajith Premadasa is groaning of forming new governments. You may remember what had been committed during the last five years. Those who had destroyed this country for five years, sold the country’s resources and properties and devastated it are speaking of forming governments today. No matter what is said on Social Media, we will be turning this around in the next six to seven months,” Aluthgamage said.
He added: “In my opinion, venerable Maha Sangha, this government is too democratic. Still the thieves from the past have not been penalised. In a matter of day or two, many of those who are speaking of forming governments will have to answer to questions related to what they had committed.”
MIAP
Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s approach of seeking the assistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to solve the ongoing economic crisis must not be obstructed, said former Prime Minister and Leader of the United National Party (UNP) MP Ranil Wickremesinghe, speaking to a political discussion held in Puttalam two days (29) ago.
There is also the need of establishing a national policy framework with the contribution of all political parties against the ongoing economic crisis, the UNP Leader pointed out, adding that his IMF approach on three previous crisis situations, 1989, 2001 and 2015, did not make Sri Lanka liable to any unfavourable conditions at all.
The country, therefore, needs a long-term plan for its reestablishment, Wickremesinghe added.
MIAP
Every member of the ‘Sri Lanka Nidahasa – Podujana Alliance’ is held accountable for every initiative undertaken by the government and therefore, none can slip away from their responsibilities, said Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Namal Rajapaksa, speaking to a rally organised by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday (30).
“Certain parties of the Alliance are holding standalone rallies. There is no problem with it, that is their desire. Because they too should do politics. But they are frequently trying to make a picture that they are not involved in the initiatives undertaken by the government. But we say with responsibility that every member of this Alliance is held accountable for every initiative undertaken by the government,” Rajapaksa said.
The Minister added: “A single party cannot say that they are not involved despite their presence in the Cabinet. There is a collective responsibility. Therefore, they, despite their will to hold separate rallies, are held accountable for our initiative of building roads of one hundred thousand kilometres, so the initiative of building one thousand national schools, so the building of playgrounds, the Organic Farming initiative and etc. Therefore, they cannot slip away from that responsibility, I must add.”
The Sports and Youth Affairs Minister’s comments come in following the move by Ministers Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudewa Nanayakkara from the minor parties representing the government to hold separate rallies and criticise certain initiatives undertaken by the government. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the major stakeholder of the SLPP-led regime, too is following a path unfavourable to the government.
MIAP
Previous report: The govt. should immediately move away from the agricultural policy of using only organic fertilizer – Wimal (VIDEO)
The government is attempting to repress trade unions and their strike actions in violation of democracy, said Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, speaking to a public rally organised by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) held in Kekirawa yesterday (30).
The Opposition Leader demanded the government that this anti-democratic conduct be stopped immediately.
The government, which is selling off the country’s resources, is now taking measures to repress the worker, Premadasa went on, adding that the SJB would stand by the people against this dictatorial regime that violates the fundamental rights of the workers.
MIAP
The number of Covid-19 cases identified in Sri Lanka yesterday (30) has surged up to 1056, marking a surge in the prevalence of the virus after months of stability, revealed the Department of Government Information.
Among the cases were two returnees from Sri Lanka.
The figure was around 500 – 600 cases at the beginning of 2022.
MIAP
The Central Bank’s proposal to allow vehicle imports for persons who can pay in foreign exchange to import vehicles and pay taxes in hard currency has been placed under the carpet by the Finance Ministry, informed sources said
The proposal was made by Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabrall with the aim of increasing tax revenue and resurrect the local motor traders (importers) bankrupted by import restrictions and earn much needed foreign currency.
But the letter sent by the Central Bank to the treasury three months ago is still in the back burner without taking any action to find a solution to the present crisis in motor trade and drop in tax revenue.,
.He noted that Non-Resident Foreign Currency (NRFC) account holders – now called Personal Foreign Currency Accounts – would be permitted to use their resources to import a vehicle provided they would pay the applicable duty in hard currency.
“If the vehicle is paid for in hard currency and not converted rupees, and the duty also accrues to the government in hard currency, I don’t see any harm, in fact it would be good,” he said.
It would also mean that there’s are new vehicles coming into the country not paid for by rupees converted into hard currency plus a hard currency duty stream, an analyst said.
Banning vehicle imports on account of the present foreign exchange crunch has cost the government an immense revenue stream further it has hit local motor traders and also Sri Lankan expatriates in Japan who are in the same vehicle trade.
The Sri Lankan Automobile Association of Japan (SLAAJ consisting of over 100 members, boasts a presence in more than 40 markets worldwide.
Unfortunately, even such an impressive collection of businessmen is not immune to the overwhelming effects of the sudden import ban.
With 1,364 units of stock specifically bought for the Sri Lankan market prior to the embargo, SLAAJ members are forced to re-sell them at less than half the purchase price due to the drop in demand.
For a lot of them, it’s nothing short of stripping away half of their capital, an irrecoverable blow to any business.
Although based abroad, as an organisation consisting of only Sri Lankans, each member contributes to re-investments in Sri Lanka, and supports over 2,000 Sri Lankans living in Japan, all of whom are facing an uncertain future.
The continuing ban on vehicle imports has jeopardized the jobs of around 100,000 employees directly involved in the industry and its ancillary services.In terms of indirect dependents on the industry, 400,000 persons face the risk of losing their livelihoods as the import ban will ultimately sound the death knell to the trade”, s Arosha Rodrigo, Hony. Secretary of the Vehicle Importers’ Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL) disclosed
Sri Lanka’s unplanned shift to organic farming from chemical based agriculture practices has triggered a man-made crop disaster and incurred a massive loss of around US$1.04 billion, official provisional estimates and data of trading economic indicator models showed.
The total cost (fertiliser and rice imports) from the government’s attempts to transform the country’s chemical fertiliser farming to organic farming was $1.84 billion whereas all this cost could have been saved if the authorities had allowed the import of chemical fertiliser, spending only $400 million, according to a Finance Ministry source.
Sri Lanka is grappling with a severe food crisis. Food prices have skyrocketed and people are suffering from food inflation leading to potential economic crisis, an economic expert said.
The Finance Ministry and the Central Bank have to provide foreign exchange to import rice and essential food commodities when the country is struggling to find dollars, official sources said.
The total cost for rice imports will be $180 million and if the government had to import vegetables and fruits to meet any shortage, then the total food commodity import bill will be in the region of over $650 million, the ministry official said.
It has been planned to spend Rs. 3.8 billion to purchase organic fertiliser from local producers during the current Maha cultivation season.
The cost to import nano nitrogen liquid fertiliser from India is $44.2 million while another sum of $63.7 million has been paid to import 30,000 tons of potassium chloride fertiliser up to now.
Sri Lanka’s unplanned shift to organic farming from chemical based agriculture practices has triggered man made crop disaster incurring massive economic loss of millions of dollars.
The total economic loss up to now was around US$ 1.04 billion ($1044.8 million), official provisional estimates and data of trading economic indicator models showed.
Sri Lanka’s decision to shift to organic farming has been taken under economic pressure due to dwindling foreign exchange reserves, depreciating currency and loss in revenue, several economic experts said.
But the back firing of this decision of trying to force organic farming overnight without following a phasing out programme for natural farming along with inorganic farming has now compelled the government to find dollars for food imports.
The trade ministry is now taking measures to import 300000 metric tons of rice with a cabinet approval granted in its first meeting this year held on Monday 10 spending around US$ 134 million amidst a severe dollar crisis at present.
It will also import 100,000 Metric Tons of rice from Myanmar in order to maintain a buffer stock via State Trading Corporation at a cost of $46 million.
Sri Lanka is on the verge of facing unfavorable impacts on food security, agriculture industry revenue, foreign exchange earnings and rural poverty pushing the country into a grave crisis, official statistics and mathematical modeling data revealed.
This was the direct result of shifting the current local agricultural practices to organic farming without considering the technological, environmental, and economic costs and benefits,
On top of it the government has allocated Rs. 40 billion to compensate farmers for the losses incurred during this Maha season due to the government’s policy of banning the use of chemical fertilisers.
The government has paid $ 6.9 Million to Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd of China as per the Letter of Credit opened for the purchase of organic fertiliser after rejecting the shipment of 99,000 metric tons of organic fertiliser at a cost of $ 63 million.
In addition the country’s transformation to organic farming from the present practice has cost the country more than US$ 800 million from the import of chemical fertiliser after the partial lifting of the ban, spare parts to manufacture machinery to produce organic fertiliser locally and owing to the loss of export crop production.
