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Rwanda asylum flight cancelled after legal action

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Rwanda asylum flight cancelled after legal action

The first flight scheduled to take asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda on Tuesday has been cancelled after a last-minute legal battle.

Up to seven people had been expected to be removed to the east African country.

But the flight was stopped after an intervention from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was “disappointed” but would not be deterred and the “preparation for the next flight begins now”.

The cancellation of the flight followed a UK court saying it could go ahead, and came after a series of legal challenges in Britain failed.

The plane had been due to take off at 22:30 BST from a military airport in Wiltshire but, after a number of linked judgements from the ECtHR in Strasbourg and courts in London, all passengers were removed from it.

In a statement hours before the flight’s planned departure, the ECtHR said it had granted an “urgent interim measure” in the case of an Iraqi man, known only as “KN”.

It said such requests were only granted on an “exceptional basis, when the applicants would otherwise face a real risk of irreversible harm”.

That decision contradicted a ruling by judges in London, who had found no immediate risk to those being sent to Rwanda.

The ECtHR oversees a range of human rights laws to which the UK is a signatory, along with other nations. It is separate from the European Union.

BBC

Anura says not to use the Urea which is to be received from India for planting crops

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Anura says not to use the Urea which is to be received from India for planting crops

Leader of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake says that the urea fertilizer to be received by Sri Lanka under the Indian loan scheme is poisonous and that an agronomist has advised him not to use it for planting crops.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated this while addressing a conference of the National People’s Force held recently.

Dhammika Perera meets the President

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Dhammika Perera meets the President

It is reported that Dhammika Perera, who has been appointed as a National List Member of Parliament for the SLPP, has met President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday (14).

It is said that they had a lengthy discussion on the current situation and future course of action.

Sources said that the discussions were held at a very fruitful level.

Former Maldivian President hits back, denies Harsha’s comment!

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Former Maldivian President hits back, denies Harsha’s comment!

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed responded to a comment made by SJB MP Dr. Harsha De Silva involving his name, saying that it is false.

Denying the SJB MP’s claim, Nasheed said he believes that a number of countries are willing to help Sri Lanka, and that the assistance will come through.

“Harsha De Silva is a long-time friend and we often meet. I always enjoy his company. This press story isn’t accurate though. I believe a number of countries are willing to help Sri Lanka, and that the assistance will come through,” Nasheed wrote on Twitter.

The Opposition Economist recently told a gathering that he casually met the former Maldivian President, who revealed to him that he was given a ‘contract’ by the government to seek support for Sri Lanka and learned from the Leader Supreme of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) and the Leader of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via private telephone conversations that they will ‘not’ assist Sri Lanka due to its failed plans.

MIAP

PM holds talks with stakeholders of Tourism Sector

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PM holds talks with stakeholders of Tourism Sector

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held discussions with stakeholders in the tourism sector today (June 14) at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said it expects to attract around 800,000 tourists for the rest of the year, with an estimated revenue of $ 800 million.

The Prime Minister has instructed officials to prepare a plan to attract tourists from India for the next six months. He also requested the relevant authorities to make arrangements for the resumption of operations of the Palaly Airport.

With Sri Lanka targeting around 2.5 million tourists by 2025 with an expected revenue of $ 3.5 billion, the Prime Minister urged all stakeholders to formulate long-term plans to attract around 1.5 million high-level tourists.

The Prime Minister also instructed the relevant stakeholders to engage in youth awareness programs as many employees in the hospitality sector have already left for other locations and the number of new recruits to hotel schools in the country has come down drastically.

The Prime Minister also discussed the possibilities of organizing cultural festivals which will provide a unique opportunity to create new employment opportunities and allow the tourists to immerse themselves in the local cultures.

He urged the public sector tourism officials to work towards improving the Galle Literary Festival to attract more authors and literary lovers from all over the world.

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando said that he had already held discussions with the diplomatic community to compel the relevant countries to lift the existing tourism restrictions on Sri Lanka. He added that promotional shows with local and international celebrities are planned to attract foreign tourists with a focus on Indian tourists.

Representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board, Sri Lanka Hotel Management and Tourism Institute, Sri Lanka Hotel Association, Sri Lanka Association of Internal Tour Activists, Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association, Sri Lanka Professional Seminars and Festivals, The Association of Organizers and the Small and Medium Enterprises Division participated in this discussion.

President fooled by CBSL Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe

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President fooled by CBSL Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe

A day or two ago, a former finance chief telephoning the President has asked him whether he had instructed the debt to be defaulted. In response, President Rajapaksa told him not to worry for it was only a ‘soft default’.

“Who told you it was a soft default, sir?” the former finance chief questioned, to which the President responded, “Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal told us not to worry because it was only a soft default. Even I am aware of it.“

The former finance chief explained: “Sir, default has no appearance as soft or hard. A default is a default. We’re now suffering the consequences of it even after two months, aren’t we?“

Sources on the condition of anonymity told LNW that MP Harsha De Silva had told a similar story to his party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) on the debt default situation, ascertaining that it was ‘good’ to let debt be defaulted at this moment, for any move otherwise could have led the country into what he described as a ‘super default.’

Dr. Silva was the sole Opposition MP who had appreciated the CBSL Chief for defaulting the forex debt.

Now the Opposition economist too is in a frenzy and we have previously challenged him to deliver any explanation on how exactly this debt default was accurate at the time in which it was committed. We are more than happy to provide our space for his explanation.

If truth be told, informants of the field of economics are of the strong view that it had been in the realm of possibility to manage the situation by settling the debt by July without delay, whilst reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a step further.

Conclusively, the CBSL Chief has fooled the President, while Silva, the Opposition. The country is devastated as usual.

New tax for social security

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New tax for social security

The Cabinet has decided to introduce a ‘Social Security Contribution Tax’ as a new tariff at a rate of 2.5 per cent for importers, manufacturers, service providers, wholesalers and retailers whose total turnover exceeds Rs. 120 million per annum.

The draftsman has prepared the bill in this regard and the bill has received the Cabinet’s approval to be published in the government gazette and submitted to Parliament for approval.

The new tax will be introduced based on a resolution in the 2022 Budget.

MIAP

Govt offers special 40-year tax amnesty for Port City investors

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Govt offers special 40-year tax amnesty for Port City investors

Cash strapped Sri Lanka is to provide  special 40-year tax amnesty for Chinese-built Colombo Port city to attract potential investors as it has so far failed  to attract major foreign direct  investments after the much-hyped since its opening for investors nearly one year ago, a senior treasury official said.

He noted that that the Cabinet of Ministers recently decided to offer concessions to attract investments to the Port City,.

“This decision has been taken following the measures taken by other countries to provide more competitive tax relief than Sri Lanka in order to attract investors,”he claimed. .

Gunawardana said that if such concessions draw more foreign investors it will help address the dollar crisis in Sri Lanka.

“This decision to give 40 year tax relief has been taken at a time where   local investors in the country are eying to invest in other countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Kenya due to favourable investment opportunities,” he said.

As an intiqal step the Port City commission is planning to sell 100 hectares of reclaimed land with an investment target of US$ 5 billion.

A total of 269 hectares of land was reclaimed by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) in the Port City project.

As Sri Lanka defaulted on USD 51 billion foreign debt with most of its forex reserves drained out with no money to import fuel and cooking gas, the expansive Chinese build infrastructure projects were being showcased as projects that drained public exchequer for that lack of utility

however, later, the last government suspended the project and revised the cause to remove both land ownership and no fly zone in the agreement amid protests by India over security concerns.

Also with the Sri Lankan government desperately trying to secure long-term IMF funding to recover from the complete bankruptcy, the future of the much-touted Chinese funded Colombo Port City project to build an artificial 665-acre island to set up an international financial hub also hangs in balance.

The USD 1.4-billion Colombo Port City project, expected to play a key role in China’s ambitious “Maritime Silk Road” project in India’s backyard, is said to be the single-largest private sector development in Sri Lanka

US grants $27 million to strengthen Sri Lanka’s dairy industry

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US grants $27 million to strengthen Sri Lanka’s dairy industry

The US Department of Agriculture has given its consent to allocate financial assistance for the implementation of market-oriented milk production project in Sri Lanka.

The objective is to assist local industry stakeholders to embrace the required standards that would enhance the productivity of milk producers and the quality of their output.

The US Department of Agriculture has agreed to provide the necessary funds for the project till September 2024.

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung attended the signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Sri Lankan Department of Agriculture on Monday (13).

In close partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka, the project began in late 2017 and has already benefited 25,000 Sri Lankan dairy farmers, increasing their milk production by an average of 68 percent to date, the US Embassy in Colombo said. 

An estimated 80,000 Sri Lankans will ultimately receive assistance from this program, as part of the United States’ continued efforts to support food security and economic growth in Sri Lanka.  

After unforeseen delays including the COVID pandemic, the U.S. Embassy and the Sri Lankan Department of Agriculture finalized this partnership agreement on Monday.

Ambassador Chung stated, “This $27 million contribution is a prime example of the United States’ multi-year commitment to promoting sustainable economic development in Sri Lanka. 

Not only is this support significantly improving production for the country’s dairy industry – more important now than ever – it is also equipping Sri Lankan dairy farmers with the resources necessary to compete, grow, and thrive.”

Food for Progress’ Market-Oriented Dairy Project partners with a U.S. non-profit organization called the International Executive Service Corps to help Sri Lankan farmers increase dairy production by providing them with the skills they need to improve farm operations and management. 

It will also provide better access to financing, so farmers can expand their businesses and reach new markets.

In addition to assisting Sri Lankan farmers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture last year contributed US $26 million to a school nutrition program that benefitted over 453,000 Sri Lankans across the country, in coordination with Save the Children.  

Taken together, USDA initiatives to promote food security are benefitting over half a million Sri Lankans, ensuring schoolchildren have essential nutrition, and helping farmers increase productivity, the statement said.

Cabinet makes final decision on declaring Friday a holiday for public servants

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Cabinet makes final decision on declaring Friday a holiday for public servants

The Cabinet has taken a decision on closing public institutions on Fridays as a solution to the ongoing fuel crisis.

Accordingly, the Cabinet has approved the closure of all public institutions except those providing essential services such Water Supply, Electricity, Health, Defence Services, Education, Transport, Ports and Aviation on Fridays for the next three months.

MIAP

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