Colombo (LNW): The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) responded to recent reports regarding the issuance of Red notices to more than 5 million consumers.

The CEB clarified that the disconnection rate observed this year is within normal parameters when compared to pre-Covid years.

In an official statement, the CEB assured that the reported disconnections are routine for the current year.

According to the CEB, consumers are typically required to settle their electricity bills within one month of consumption, and the majority of consumers adhere to this timeline.

The board explained that a red bill is typically issued after one month, with an additional grace period of 10 days provided. Following this period, consumers are duly informed about the potential disconnection of electricity services.

In the first 10 months of the current year, the CEB disclosed that 544,488 disconnections and subsequent power reconnections have taken place.

Colombo (LNW): Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) MP Vadivel Suresh has assumed the role of Senior Advisor to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Presidential Secretariat announced.

In this capacity, Suresh will focus on facilitating the comprehensive integration of Hill Country Tamils into Sri Lankan society.

Notably, SJB recently removed Vadivel Suresh from the position of SJB’s Passara Organiser due to his vote in favour of the second reading of the 2024 Budget during a parliamentary session last week.

Colombo (LNW): To honor the 50th death anniversary of Chilean Nobel Prize laureate and poet Pablo Neruda, the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi, in collaboration with the Embassy of Chile in New Delhi, partnered with the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Kelaniya, the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi, India said in a statement.

Together, they organised an event featuring the presentation of the book “සෙයිලාන් දූපතේ දීප්තිමත් හුදෙකලාව” (Ceylan Doopathe Deepthimath Hudekalawa) on December 1, 2023, at the University of Kelaniya.

The translated book, by Indrani Rathnasekara, captures a chapter from Neruda’s memoirs, “Ceilán: La Soledad Luminosa,” recounting his time in Ceylon from 1929-1930 as the first Chilean Consul.

The event saw the presence of Juan Angulo, the Chilean Ambassador in India concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka, as the guest of honour.

The inauguration included Senior Lecturer Wijayananda Rupasinghe, Head of the Department of Mass Communication, and Professor M. M. Gunathilake, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, both from the University of Kelaniya. Indrani Rathnasekera, the translator, and Dr. Darshana Samaraweera, Deputy Director General of the National Institute of Education, played key roles in the event. The book was presented to the University of Kelaniya librarian and the Director of National Schools for circulation among schools.

This commemorative event served as a successful initiative to strengthen the ties between Sri Lanka and Chile, showcasing the potential for collaboration between Sri Lanka and diplomatic missions concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka from other capitals.

Currently, 99 foreign diplomatic missions are concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka from New Delhi, with the Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi acting as the focal point for their interactions with Sri Lanka.

Colombo (LNW): On November 30, Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States Mahinda Samarasinghe addressed the inaugural cohort of Peace Corps Volunteers set to depart for Sri Lanka on December 1, 2023, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington DC said in a statement.

The ceremonial event, held at Hotel Washington in Washington D.C., marked the 25-year partnership between the Peace Corps and Sri Lanka, emphasising U.S. support for the Sri Lankan Government’s priorities in English education development.

Rebecca Gong Sharp, Regional Director for the Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia region of the Peace Corps, acknowledged the support from the Government of Sri Lanka and local communities. She introduced Ambassador Samarasinghe as a dedicated and highly experienced diplomat and former senior politician.

Ambassador Samarasinghe, in his remarks, delved into the history of the Peace Corps in Sri Lanka, highlighting the opportunities it created and its impact on vulnerable rural communities, enhancing their English proficiency and employability.

Ambassador Samarasinghe also addressed the regional disparities within provinces and districts, emphasising the U.S. Peace Corps’ focus on collaborating with rural communities where English knowledge dissemination is essential. He underscored the significance of 2023, marking 75 years of bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the United States, expressing appreciation for the Peace Corps’ initiative to strengthen the friendship between the two countries through people-to-people contact.

Carol Spahn, Director of the Peace Corps, conveyed her gratitude to the Peace Corps Volunteers, praising the hospitality of Sri Lanka and its people. She extended her well wishes to the volunteers, expressing confidence in their transformative experience in Sri Lanka.

It was noted that upon arrival, the twenty-three Peace Corps Volunteers will undergo an extensive three-month training in Sinhala and Tamil languages, local culture, and customs before commencing their two-year English Language Training as teachers alongside Sri Lankan teachers in the rural communities of Uva and Central Provinces.

Established in May 1960 by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps engages skilled volunteers in service opportunities across more than 60 countries. The Peace Corps envisions being a dynamic, forward-leaning champion for international service, defined by its energy, innovation, and development impact. The Peace Corps is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

A surge in Polish visitors to Sri Lanka this Winter/Spring season is expected due to the increase in direct Polish charter flights form Warsaw and other  Polish cities, to Colombo and Mattala airports. These include LOT Charters (a fully owned  subsidiary of LOT Polish Airlines – Boeing 787 Dreamliner)), SkyUp Airlines (Boeing 737-800 NG) and Enter Air (largest Polish charter airline and second largest in Europe), in addition to the regular Turkish Airlines’ flights carrying Polish tourists to Sri Lanka from Warsaw via Istanbul.

A fresh impetus to activating further interest in destination Sri Lanka, was given by the recent official unveiling of LOT Polish Airlines’ 2024-2028 Strategy, which identified Sri Lanka among  the profitable Asian destinations.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Poland Dhammika Kumari Semasinghe, invitee of LOT PolishChief Commercial Officer Michał Fijoł to the unveiling ceremony, welcomed the news thatITAKA Travels, a top Polish tour operator, in collaboration with LOT Charters and its Sri Lanka partner,  will  operate direct flights from Warsaw to Colombo, from 4 January until 21 March 2024.

While ENTER Air began its  flights to Sri Lanka in November 2023, SkyUp Airlines will commence its first direct flight from Warsaw to Mattala on 18 December 2023, and for the first time, its second and third inaugural flights from Southern Polish cities Katowice and Rzeszów on 22 and 25 December, respectively, and continue until 16 April 2024. 

The Sri Lanka Embassy in Warsaw has continued to maintain the momentum of its destination promotional activities in creative ways using different platforms.  

Integrating trade and travel promotional activities, the Sri Lanka Mission continues to participate in public diplomacy events in different Polish cities and towns through its established networks.

Sri Lanka’s standing in Poland, as an attractive destination in Asia, has substantially increased since August 2021, which resulted in Poland’s ranking among the top ten tourism source countries for Sri Lanka from December 2021 until May 2022. The country has also been identified by the Sri Lanka Tourism as a new tourism generating country in Central Europe.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Warsaw

06 December 2023

Colombo (LNW): Education Minister Susil Premajayantha, has announced the initiation of a pilot programme for the implementation of new educational reforms across all grades in the upcoming year.

The programme aims to digitise the entire education system with support from local and foreign sponsors.

Minister Premajayantha also revealed plans to conduct the GCE O/L Examination in Grade 10 and the GCE A/L Examination in Grade 12.

The 2024 budget allocates Rs. 237 billion to the Ministry of Education and an additional Rs. 280 billion for provincial education, totaling approximately Rs. 517 billion for education.

Special programmes for the educational advancement of children with special needs and the introduction of an inclusive education system are part of the agenda.

Efforts are directed toward STEAM education, emphasising science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The digitalisation of the education system will be introduced through a pilot programme in the coming year, spanning grades 1-5, 6-9, and 10-13.

Plans to revise student exam grades are underway, aiming for university completion before the age of 21. In the next year, 2,535 teachers will be recruited for estate school development, and training opportunities will be extended.

A special programme for early childhood development, targeting children aged 3-5, has been devised in collaboration with the Children’s Secretariat, National Institute of Education, and UNICEF.

Proactive measures are being implemented to fill existing vacancies within the education service before the next school year.

Colombo (LNW): In a noteworthy development aimed at enhancing the facilities for students at Sri Lanka Law College, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced the allocation of government-owned land for this purpose.

The decision was made during a discussion held at the Parliament Complex on December 6.

President Wickremesinghe emphasised the historical significance of Sri Lanka Law College, set to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2024, and its notable contribution, having produced three presidents.

Minister of Urban Development and Housing Prasanna Ranatunga conveyed that a plot of land owned by the Urban Development Authority would be provided to Sri Lanka Law College in accordance with the President’s directive.

President Wickremesinghe instructed relevant authorities to promptly develop plans for the immediate enhancement of the law college’s facilities. In the initial phase, a 40-perch plot will be allocated, with further allocation based on the comprehensive plan, following consultations with the Ministry of Justice.

Dr. Atula Pathinayake, the Principal of the Law College, noted during the event that in the school’s 150-year history, no land had been allocated to improve student facilities. He acknowledged President Wickremesinghe for the attention given to this matter.

The gathering included Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing W.S. Satyananda, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority Nimesh Herath, officials from the Attorney General’s Department, and representatives from the students’ union of the Law College.