March 18, Colombo (LNW): The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested two Deputy Controllers of Immigration & Emigration, including a former Deputy Controller, for their alleged involvement in providing passports to underworld figures based on false information.

According to police reports, the suspects arrested, one of whom is a current Deputy Controller, are accused of facilitating passports for underworld figures Nuresh Supun Dayaratne, known as “Heenatiyana Mahesh,” and Shan Arosh Liyanage, alias “Mathugama Shan,” using fraudulent means.

One of the arrested individuals is scheduled to appear before the Vavuniya Magistrate’s Court, while the other will face proceedings at the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court.

The arrests were made following an investigation supervised by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Rohan Premaratne, who heads the CID.

Investigations revealed that the Deputy Controller of the Immigration Department allegedly provided Nuresh Supun Dayaratne with a fake passport under the name “Manikkuge Dinesh Silva,” along with fabricated passport and national identity card (NIC) numbers.

The arrest of the Deputy Controller occurred while he was undergoing treatment at the Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital.

Additionally, it was discovered that a former Deputy Controller of the Immigration Department had reportedly issued a fake passport to the organised crime figure Shan Arosha Liyanage, using the pseudonym “Dodangoda Liyanage Rajesh Kumara Jayasinghe.”

The suspected former Deputy Controller, who currently serves as a Deputy Director at the Pensions Department, faces allegations in connection with this fraudulent activity, as per CID statements.

March 18, Colombo (LNW): The President’s Media Division has announced an extension of the application deadline for the “Presidential Scholarship Programme 2024/25” until April 01.

Under the guidance of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and President’s Secretary Mr. Saman Ekanayake, this initiative by the President’s Fund aims to support students facing economic challenges in pursuing their education.

Responding to numerous requests, the extension provides more time for eligible students to submit their applications for consideration.

Zonal education directors have disseminated information about the programme to principals, divisional secretaries, and Grama Niladhari Officers, encouraging parents to inquire and submit application forms through school principals.

Furthermore, according to directives from the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, scholarships will be allocated to each school based on student numbers, with the Regional Director of Education determining the distribution within their regions.

School principals are instructed to form selection committees to choose scholarship recipients from April 1, 2024, based on allocated scholarships.

Following the selection process, details of eligible recipients will be submitted to the President’s Fund by the Ministry of Education for scholarship distribution over the next 12 months, starting April 2024.

The programme aims to support 100,000 students from Grade 01 to Grade 11 across Sri Lanka’s 10,126 schools, with an allocated budget of Rs. 3600 million from the President’s Fund.

Selected recipients are required to open joint bank accounts at designated branches of Bank of Ceylon, People’s Bank, or National Savings Bank, with initial deposits facilitated by the respective banks.

For further information, individuals are encouraged to visit the official Facebook page of the President’s Fund at www.facebook.com/president.fund.

By: Isuru Parakrama

March 18, Colombo (LNW): Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts in the evening or night, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (18).

Mainly dry weather will prevail elsewhere of the island, the statement added.

Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Galle and Kalutara districts during the morning.

Marine Weather:

Meanwhile, heat index, the temperature felt on human body is expected to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in North-western, North-central, Eastern, Western provinces and Monaragala, Mannar, Rathnapura and Vavuniya districts.

The public is urged to stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible, check up on the elderly and the sick, never leave children unattended, limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated, and wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

By: Staff Writer

March 17, Colombo (LNW): With a view of keeping Sri Lanka’s beautiful and pristine coastline immaculate, the government is set  to implement an innovative initiative of cleaning beaches in the country by introducing a new mobile application “Beach Clean-up Coordination App”.

It is aimed at enhancing the cleanliness and waste management on beaches minimizing the involvement of labour to clean up the tourism beach line.

A meeting was convened at the Presidential Secretariat, on Friday (15) chaired by Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, to discuss the launch of a new mobile application “Beach Clean-up Coordination App”

The introduction of this mobile application is facilitated through the intervention of the Coastal Conservation Protection Authority. It is to formalize coordination among institutions and organizations engaged in the sustainable development of coastal and marine environments.

Ratnayaka emphasized the importance of commitment from all institutions responsible for ensuring the sustainability of ocean and coastal areas in maintaining cleanliness. He highlighted that the new mobile application will serve as a tool to facilitate these activities effectively.

Stressing the necessity of expanding current education and awareness programs concerning coastal cleanliness and preservation Ratnayaka noted that such efforts would significantly contribute to the government”s initiative to promote tourism in coastal regions.

The Coastal Conservation and Protection Authority highlighted the severe pollution of coastal and marine resources caused by waste flowing from rivers and canals, sewage discharge, and waste dumped near fishing ports and other marine areas.

They noted the importance of clean-up efforts involving public and private institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations. The introduction of the mobile application is expected to enhance the coordination of these activities for more effective waste management.

.According to a study published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin which analysed 10 locations along a 91-kilometer stretch of Sri Lanka’s southern coast, it was revealed that 60 percent of the sand samples and 70 percent of the surface water samples they collected contained an abundance of micro plastics mainly due to poor waste management and an inability to break away from age-old littering practices.

10 distinct beaches are considered paradise beaches of Sri Lanka, whose coastline accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the tourism infrastructure.

From among the 10 main beaches, it is learnt that seven experience heavy pollution, mainly from plastic.

As current cleaning methods are human/labour intensive, extremely time consuming and carried out at irregular intervals, machines can be used in an organised manner to clean the beaches as they are capable of collecting dangerous objects such as syringes, broken glass, cigarette filters, footwear as well as single use plastics in the forms of straws, plastic bags and Styrofoam.

Further, stones from pebbles to larger rocks and organic waste such as coconut husks and tree wigs can be collected as well.

Meanwhile, private sector assistance is also to be solicited to use the machinery which is presently not being used as well as to promote beach cleaning as a good practice mandatory for economic sustenance by encouraging private stakeholders to adopt their own form of coastal cleaning and conservation.

By: Staff Writer

March 17, Colombo (LNW): In the wake of VAT 18 hitting the Gem and Jewellery industry compelling its closure, the Government has announced concessions to those who engaged in this sector.

The gem and jewellery industry warned that the Government’s decision to bring it under the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime will force closure, the private sector relocating overseas or reverting to the informal sector.

Import of precious stones, a key input for the industry’s exports as well as sale of gem and jewellery to tourists and expatriates, a major forex earner have been subjected  to 18% VAT.

The Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA) termed the move as “unprecedented” as the industry has always been GST/VAT exempted given the national importance in terms of earning much needed foreign exchange and employment.

Heading appaeals of the association,President Ranil Wickremesinghe unveiled plans to provide concessions to those who engaged in the gems and jewellery sector.

This initiative comes in response to the challenges faced by the industry, with the President emphasizing the importance of addressing these issues to support those involved in the field.

By offering solutions to the problems within the industry, relief will be extended to its stakeholders, ensuring their continued growth and prosperity.

The President clarified that immediate changes to the tax policy are not feasible. However, efforts will be made to devise an effective system to enhance the gem and jewellery industry.

The President directed officials to develop a viable system aimed at bolstering the gem and jewellery industry.

He instructed them to collaborate with both the public and private sectors to draft a proposal addressing these issues within two weeks.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe made this statement during a discussion held recently at the Presidential Secretariat’s with stakeholders from the gems and jewellery industry.

Formal gem and jewellery exports amounts to around $ 500 million whilst domestic sale to tourists and expatriates is estimated at $ 1 billion. The livelihood of over 600,000 persons and their families is dependent on the industry as well.

Despite overall negative performance, Sri Lanka’s export of gems, diamonds and jewellery in the first 10 months of 2023 grew by 16% to $ 440 million.

Total exports from Sri Lanka are down by 10%. Import of diamonds, precious stones and metals grew by 27% to $ 223 million.

In that context as well as at a time when consumer preference is shifting to colour precious gemstones from diamonds, the timing of bringing the gem and jewellery sector under VAT is ill-advised.SLGJA members said that 70% of the exports rely on imported precious rough stones for multiple commercial reasons such as customer preferences and colour, design and product quality. This is applicable to both lapidaries as well as local gem-studded jewellery manufacturers.

By: Staff Writer

March 17, Colombo (LNW): The government has started the acquisition of lands, most of which are privately owned, for the Adani-backed 250MW Mannar Wind Power Project (MWPP), its final environmental impact assessment (EIA) report states.

The report crucially emphasises the need for strong measures—even proposing a sophisticated radar system to signal when the turbines need to be shut down—to mitigate the effect of the project on Mannar’s rich and diverse birdlife.

This is especially important because “higher bird risk collisions than predicted” have occurred in the adjoining Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB)-run Thamabapawani Wind Power Project, with birds striking the transmission lines, it warns.

The Power and Energy Ministry awarded the construction and operation of the MWWP to Adani Green Energy Sri Lanka Limited (AGESL) as a build, own, and operate (BOO) project. The approximate investment is US$ 420 million

The 250MW Adani Wind Power Project in Mannar is creating headlines, raising eyebrows and causing much controversy.

While environmental experts list out the potential short and long-term dangers the project can cause to the unique ecosystems in Mannar Island, the renewable energy experts aren’t convinced enough of the gravity of these dangers, claiming that a high level of exaggeration is involved.

The involvement of the private sector Indian business giant has caused much concern among the masses since the common understanding is that the private business entities are heavily profits-oriented and won’t pay much attention to ecological and social impacts.

The activists point out how, if the permission granted and the project continued, Sri Lanka will have to pay way above the market rate for a single unit of energy.

In Adani Wind Power Project, the energy agreement duration is believed to be 25 years and throughout that period, it is alleged that Sri Lanka will have to pay 4 US cents, as opposed to 2 US cents which is the market price for a single unit. In a nutshell, for 25 years, Sri Lanka will have to buy power, generated via natural resources of our own, from India for double the price.

Since Mannar is the southernmost destination of the Central Asian Flyway of the migratory birds’ route, its ecological and avifaunal importance cannot be underestimated.

As bird experts point out, establishing a wind farm essentially blocking the routes wired in the migratory birds’ DNA will have some detrimental effects on their wellbeing and it will take some time and many bird collisions and deaths for the birds to ‘re-programme’ themselves to evade the new dangers in their winter destination which they visit only once a year.

Declining numbers of migratory birds isn’t an issue exclusive to Mannar. Over the years, the number of flamingos that visit Bundala has dropped slowly but steadily.

1. A meeting chaired by Sagala Ratnayaka discussed the launch of a new mobile app called “Beach Clean-up Coordination App” aimed at improving beach cleanliness and waste management: Facilitated by the Coastal Conservation Protection Authority, the app seeks to coordinate efforts among institutions for sustainable coastal development.
   
2. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says even on the International Consumer Day the people of Sri Lanka are suffering without being able to cover their three meals: asserts the people of the country are cursing the current administration: laments almost half of the country has become poor and they are unable to bear the cost of living whilst being deprived of their consumer rights.
   
3. CoPE Chairman and Ruling Party MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena says he will be taking legal actions against NPP MP Vijitha Herath for calling him ‘a thief’ during a press briefing: challenges the Opposition MP to prove the allegation before the Court of Law.
   
4. The government’s decision to impose an 18% VAT on the gem and jewellery industry led to concerns of closure and relocation: President Wickremesinghe responds by announcing concessions for industry members, aiming to address challenges and sustain growth: Immediate tax policy changes aren’t feasible, but collaborative efforts with public and private sectors will be made to devise effective solutions within two weeks: The industry, crucial for forex earnings and employment, faces significant impact from the VAT, affecting exports and domestic sales.
   
5. The Navy seizes two Indian trawlers and arrested 21 Indian fishermen for poaching in Sri Lankan waters near Delft Island: The operation, conducted by the Northern Naval Command, utilised Fast Attack Craft to intercept the poaching trawlers: The seized vessels and detained fishermen were escorted to Kankesanthurai Harbour for further legal action, bringing the total number of seized trawlers in 2024 to 18, with 146 fishermen apprehended.
   
6. Sri Lanka’s economy rebounded in the 4Q23’ with a 4.5% growth, following a year marked by a 2.3% contraction: Industrial activity drove the growth, supported by IMF assistance and lower interest rates: Despite challenges like high input prices, agriculture showed positive growth: The GDP at current prices rose by 14.8%, with tourism and remittances aiding the recovery: The services sector expanded by 2.8%, while industry grew by 7.9%: Services contributed 59.9% to GDP, industry 8.3%, and agriculture 8.3%.
   
7. The new Pakistani High Commissioner, Major General (Retd.) Faheem Ul Aziz, met with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena: The two discuss enhancing bilateral ties, focusing on economic sectors, investments, tourism, and industries: Aziz highlights the potential for increased Buddhist pilgrimages to Pakistan: Gunawardena expresses gratitude for Pakistan’s support and training facilities for Sri Lankan armed forces.
   
8. Malaysian authorities detain 158 individuals, including Sri Lankans, for overstaying visas or lacking permits during a raid in Perak: The detainees, from various countries, were renting apartments without proper authorisation.
   
9. The Human Rights Commission addresses reported irregularities in Royal College, Colombo 7’s 2024 Prefects Council appointments following seven student complaints: An initial inquiry revealed discrepancies in the selection process, prompting HRCSL to direct the school to rectify the wrongful appointments: If not resolved, a full inquiry involving all parties will follow: The complaints cited criteria violations and alleged inappropriate appointments.
   
10. The Sri Lanka Cricket said he fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka will not further take part in the ongoing tour as the bowler will return to start rehabilitation work after suffering an injury during the 2nd ODI: Madushanka, who left the field during the second ODI while bowling, has suffered a left hamstring injury.

March 17, Colombo (LNW): One person was fatally injured, and 37 others sustained injuries in an accident involving a bus traveling from Nelligala to Pundaluoya at Yahalatenna in Peradeniya.

According to police reports, the bus was ferrying a group of devotees who were returning from a visit to the Nelligala International Buddhist Centre.

The incident occurred when the bus driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to slide down a 15-meter slope and collide with a tree.

All injured individuals, including the bus driver, were rushed to the Peradeniya Hospital for medical treatment.

Unfortunately, a 79-year-old passenger succumbed to their injuries.

The deceased, identified as a resident of Halpola, Pundaluoya, and two critically injured passengers have been transferred to the Kandy General Hospital for further medical care.

Peradeniya Police have initiated further investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

March 17, Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lanka Navy conducted a specialised operation late last night (16) to deter Indian poaching trawlers from encroaching into Sri Lankan waters.

As a result of the operation, two Indian trawlers were seized, and 21 Indian fishermen were apprehended for poaching in Sri Lankan waters off the Delft Island.

Utilising Fast Attack Craft, the Northern Naval Command intercepted a group of Indian poaching trawlers observed engaging in illegal fishing activities in Sri Lankan waters near the Delft Island.

Following the operation, two Indian poaching trawlers were confiscated, and 21 Indian fishermen were detained for continuing their activities within Sri Lankan waters.

The seized vessels, along with the apprehended individuals, were escorted to the Kankesanthurai Harbour.

Subsequently, they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for further legal proceedings, as per naval authorities.

This recent enforcement action brings the total number of Indian poaching trawlers seized by the Sri Lanka Navy in 2024 to 18, along with 146 Indian fishermen apprehended in Sri Lankan waters.

All individuals involved have been duly handed over to the appropriate authorities to initiate legal proceedings.