June 24, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Sathasivam Viyalendiran has been sworn in as the State Minister of Trade and Environment.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Presidential Secretariat, where President Ranil Wickremesinghe administered the oath of office.
June 24, Colombo (LNW): The Department of Animal Production and Health in Sri Lanka has announced a ban on importing animals and animal products from countries experiencing outbreaks of bird flu.
Director General Dr. Hemali Kothalawala stated that these measures aim to prevent the Avian Influenza A(H5N1) virus from entering Sri Lanka, following recent reports of the virus in several nations.
Dr. Kothalawala emphasised that the restrictions are essential for the country’s protection and confirmed that no imports will be allowed from affected regions.
She reassured the public that existing disease control measures in Sri Lanka have been further reinforced and urged people not to panic.
June 24, Colombo (LNW): Consumer confidence in Sri Lanka showed little change in May, remaining just below the March peak but experiencing a notable increase towards the end of the month, according to the Institute for Health Policy (IHP).
The Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS), reflecting the public’s perception of personal and national economic conditions, decreased by one point to 29 in May.
The Index of Current Conditions (ICC), which gauges current economic sentiment, dropped by two points to 24. In contrast, the Index of Consumer Expectations (ICE), indicating future economic outlook, rose by one point to 33.
Despite these fluctuations, all three indices exhibited an upward trend in late May. However, they continue to reflect a pessimistic outlook overall.
The IHP’s Consumer Confidence indices, derived from the Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey, reached new highs in March but have shown no significant improvement since then, with a slight decline in recent months.
These indices range from zero to 100, with scores below 50 indicating net pessimism.
The methodology used aligns with common practices in the United States and Europe, with data collected through telephone interviews.
These findings are based on 16,862 interviews conducted from 21 October 2021 to 7 June 2024, including 503 interviews in May 2024, with sample sizes adjusted to match the national population.
June 24, Colombo (LNW): Showers will occur at times in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Matara districts, with fairly heavy showers about 50mm being likely to occur at some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts, the Department of Meteorology said in its weather forecast today (24).
Several spells of showers will occur in North-western province and in Matale district.
Strong winds of about (40-50) kmph can be expected at times over the Western slopes of the central hills, Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee, Hambantota and Monaragala districts.
Marine Weather:
| Condition of Rain: |
| Showers will occur at several places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle. |
| Winds: |
| Winds will be south-westerly and wind speed will be (35-45) kmph. Wind speed can increase up to (60-65) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coasts extending from Trincomalee to Chilaw via Kankasanthurai and Puttalam and from Hambantota to Pottuvil. Wind speed can increase up to (50-55) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coasts extending from Chilaw to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle. |
| State of Sea: |
| The sea areas off the coasts extending from Trincomalee to Chilaw via Kankasanthurai and Puttalam and from Hambantota to Pottuvil can be very rough at times. The sea areas off the coasts extending from Chilaw to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle can be rough at times. Waves heights may increase (about 2.0–2.5 m) in the sea areas off the coast extending from Kalpitiya to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle, and Hambantota (this is not for land area). Naval and fishing communities are requested to be attentive in this regard. |
June 24, Colombo (LNW): Education Minister Susil Premajayantha highlighted the growing preference for private university graduates in the job market due to outdated curricula in state universities.
He made these comments while speaking at the International Industrial Expo 2024 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).
Minister Premajayantha stressed the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the education system.
He pointed out that the current focus on theoretical knowledge poses significant challenges and called for modernisation across the educational sector.
He emphasised the importance of integrating research and development into education, starting from schools and progressing to universities.
The goal is to transform university research into tangible products, fostering industrial growth.
“The Industrial Development Board initiated School Entrepreneurship Circles in June 2023 at the Ministry. Currently, 16,000 students from 400 schools are actively participating in these circles,” the Minister noted.
He also mentioned that official directives for establishing entrepreneurship circles in schools are being issued.
Education Secretary Ms. Thilaka Jayasundara highlighted the success of the Industry Ministry’s programme, aiming to increase the entrepreneurship rate in Sri Lanka’s workforce from 2.8 per cent to 10 per cent by 2030. The entrepreneurship rate has already risen from 2.8 per cent in 2023 to 3.2 per cent in 2024.
Jayasundara noted that this positive trend is supported by the inclusion of entrepreneurship development in the school curriculum.
Furthermore, steps are being taken to develop the necessary human resources for industries through Sri Lanka’s 12 professional skills institutes.
She projected that achieving a 10 per cent entrepreneurship rate would potentially triple the country’s per capita income.
June 24, Colombo (LNW): Teachers, principals, teacher instructors, and Piriven educators will participate in a one-day sick leave protest this Wednesday (26) to address unresolved salary discrepancies and other demands, announced the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU).
CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin emphasised that the Cabinet sub-committee has agreed to correct one-third of the salary anomalies based on the Subodhini Committee Report.
However, the remaining salary issues for teachers and principals remain unaddressed.
The sick leave protest aims to press for the resolution of the remaining two-thirds of the salary anomalies.
All participating educators will gather outside the Fort Railway Station for a demonstration and to plan further actions if the government fails to respond.
“We also insist that the government should not impose school expenses on parents. It has been two years without any action to resolve the salary anomaly issue. During the sick leave protest, teachers and principals will abstain from their educational duties,” Stalin told Daily Mirror.
June 24, Colombo (LNW): Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara praised President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Members of Parliament for their efforts to prevent deaths during the country’s economic collapse.
Speaking at the ‘Smart Youth Club’ programme on the second day of the ‘Amparata’ event, he remarked, “When the country progresses, it is important to study figures like Che and Lenin, as well as ideologies such as liberalism and Marxism. This helps us understand what is right. Some people change their views after reading something like ‘Das Kapital’, but to truly grasp the world, one must read broadly – left, right, north and south.”
“Our country faced a severe regression, with people dying in queues. To halt these deaths, we had to see ourselves as true revolutionaries. President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the parliamentarians accepted this challenge, recognising the people’s pain and suffering.
True revolutionaries stood up for the people. But what about those who merely watched, claimed they would save the country, discouraged financial assistance, and did nothing? Are they revolutionaries? Do they truly care for the people?” Nanayakkara questioned.
He continued, “These so-called economic killers even label Elon Musk an economic hitman. Today, we have moved from history to the future, attracting investments from knowledgeable individuals like Elon Musk. We are providing professional training from the grassroots level to empower youth as smart leaders.”
June 24, Colombo (LNW): President Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to deliver a national address on Wednesday (26).
During his speech, the President will outline the current economic situation and update the public on the progress of foreign debt restructuring.
Ravi Karunanayake, the national secretary of the United National Party (UNP), has suggested that the President’s address will offer significant relief to the citizens.
June 24, Colombo (LNW): The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has appointed two new Deputy Governors, effective this week.
Assistant Governor and Secretary to the Governing Board A. A. M. Thassim and Assistant Governor J. P. R. Karunaratne have been elevated to Deputy Governor roles, with their appointments effective from June 20 and June 24, respectively.
The CBSL announced that these appointments were made by the Minister of Finance, following the recommendations of the CBSL Governing Board, in accordance with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act, No. 16 of 2023.
Mr. A.A.M. Thassim brings over 31 years of experience at the CBSL, having worked in various departments including Banking Supervision and Regulation, International Operations, Communication, Payments and Settlements, the Employees Provident Fund, Finance, Risk Management, Deposit Insurance, Security Services, and Information Technology.
He has also been part of several high-level internal committees focused on monetary policy, financial system stability, and international reserves.
Mr. J. P. R. Karunaratne has served the CBSL for over 33 years, with extensive experience in the supervision and regulation of banks and non-bank financial institutions, currency management, public debt, Secretariat, finance, policy review, and monitoring.
He has held positions as Director of Supervision of Non-Bank Financial Institutions (DSNBFI) and Superintendent of Currency (SC), contributing significantly to the strengthening and consolidation of the non-bank financial sector’s legal and regulatory framework.
June 23, Colombo (LNW): The Education Ministry has confirmed that school activities will proceed as normal tomorrow (24).
This announcement comes in response to a planned strike by non-academic educational staff.
The union intends to initiate a sick leave campaign across three provinces tomorrow and in the Western Province on Tuesday (25).
