A serious environmental crisis has emerged along the coastal stretch near the Dehiwala Bridge, where large amounts of garbage, plastic waste, and stagnant water have accumulated for several weeks, creating an unhygienic and hazardous situation.

According to local residents, the natural flow of water in the area has been blocked, leading to the buildup of polluted water mixed with polythene and other waste. This has resulted in a severe environmental issue, posing risks to public health and marine life.

Despite residents paying taxes to the Dehiwala–Mount Lavinia Municipal Council, no effective action has been taken to resolve the matter. Although an environmental police unit operates in the area, residents claim their presence is mostly limited to traffic control, with little attention given to environmental protection.

The Coast Conservation authorities are also being criticized for neglecting the issue. While routine roadside cleaning and the hoisting of the national flag take place in the mornings, no meaningful steps have been taken to manage the waste accumulating along the beach.

From time to time, volunteer groups attempt to clean the area, but due to the scale of pollution, their efforts have proven insufficient. A net installed to prevent garbage from flowing into the sea has also failed, as waste continues to overflow beyond it.

Regular visitors to the beach have reportedly informed the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, and the Leader of the Opposition about the issue. However, no concrete action has been taken so far.

Residents are now urging the relevant authorities to intervene immediately and implement a long-term solution to prevent further environmental damage. They warn that continued neglect could lead to serious health risks and irreversible harm to the coastal ecosystem.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) is deeply concerned about recent social media posts that target the Hon. Attorney General. These social media posts seek to unfairly interfere with the independence of the office the Attorney General.

It must be noted that the Attorney General performs a quasi-judicial role in respect of criminal matters. The Attorney General has to decide whether or not to charge /indict a suspect based on the material available and submitted to him by the investigating authority. In doing so, the Attorney General will be required to consider whether such material is admissible in law and whether based on such material there exists a reasonable prospect of a conviction.

The decisions of the Attorney General are reviewable, by way of the exercise of Writ jurisdiction before the Court of Appeal or by way of the exercise of the Fundamental Rights jurisdiction before the Supreme Court.

It must also be understood that judicial officers and quasi-judicial officers have to take decisions according to law, which sometimes may not necessarily reflect the popular view.

In case of Victor Ivon v. Sarath N. Silva, Attorney-General and Another (1998) 1 Sri.L.R. 340 at 349, it was observed by Justice Mark Fernando that – “A citizen is entitled to a proper investigation – one which is fair, competent, timely and appropriate – of a criminal complaint, whether it be by him or against him. The criminal law exists for the protection of his rights – of person, property and reputation – and lack of a due investigation will deprive him of the protection of the law.”

Whilst every citizen has a right to critique the decisions of public officials including the Attorney General it must be done in a manner that will not undermine the independence of the office of the Attorney General and to the detriment of the rule of law. The officers of the Department of the Attorney General should not be subject to unwarranted and unfair interference from sections of the public or media who do so to achieve their partisan ends.

The BASL firmly believes that it is the duty of the Government and the Law Enforcement agencies to ensure that there is no unwarranted interference with the exercise of the powers of the Attorney General. The Government must ensure the protection of the independence of key institutions

including that of the office of the Attorney General which is essential to protect the rule of law in our country.

We strongly urge that the independence and integrity of the office of Attorney General be protected at all times to ensure the protection of the cherished principles of justice and freedom.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra said enforcement measures taken by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) in 2025 have produced tangible benefits for migrant workers and their families.

Speaking after a review meeting with the SLBFE Enforcement Division, the deputy minister said the bureau received 4,822 public complaints between January and December 2025. Of these, 2,914 complaints were resolved through inquiries and settlements, while 772 cases were filed in courts.

Investigations carried out during the year resulted in 121 arrests, including several high-profile cases, and 21 raids targeting illegal recruitment activities and related offences. More than Rs. 380 million was recovered on behalf of affected migrant workers.

He said 15 recruitment licences were cancelled following due legal process where serious and repeated violations were proven, in order to prevent further exploitation of workers.

The deputy minister also highlighted the establishment of a dedicated Police Unit within the SLBFE on September 22, 2025, aimed at strengthening investigative capacity, coordination, and enforcement.

He urged the public to remain vigilant by avoiding unregistered agents, being cautious of illegal consultancies, and verifying information with the SLBFE before making decisions related to foreign employment.

Sri Lanka’s proposal to establish a domestic gold refinery has resurfaced at a time when the country is still navigating a fragile post-crisis recovery. The idea, confirmed by the National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA), is positioned as a solution to disrupted gold imports, rising smuggling, and heavy border taxes. Yet beneath the promise of value addition lies a complex question: is Sri Lanka economically and institutionally ready to implement such a project?

Until 2018, Sri Lanka allowed relatively free gold imports, supporting its jewellery industry and bullion trade. That system collapsed when foreign exchange shortages emerged following aggressive money printing and macroeconomic mismanagement. In 2017 alone, the country imported gold worth nearly US$650 million. By 2018, steep import taxes were imposed, exceeding 45 percent, effectively halting legal imports. What followed was not stability, but a sharp depreciation of the rupee and the growth of an underground gold market.

Today, gold is widely smuggled into the country, depriving the state of revenue and exposing the jewellery sector to legal and quality risks. Authorities argue that a domestic refinery could reverse this trend by importing semi-refined gold from producing nations such as South Africa, refining it locally, and distributing it to manufacturers, the Central Bank, and export markets.

However, the feasibility of this ambition remains uncertain. Establishing a refinery requires significant capital investment, technical expertise, energy reliability, and strong regulatory oversight. Sri Lanka’s current fiscal constraints under an International Monetary Fund programme severely limit public spending, while private investors remain cautious amid policy inconsistency and high taxation.

There is also ambiguity over whether the proposed facility would operate as a primary refinery processing raw gold or a secondary refinery handling already refined material. Each option carries different cost structures, environmental implications, and skill requirements. Without a clear operational model, the project risks becoming another underutilized state-backed venture.

Moreover, Sri Lanka’s broader economic environment presents challenges. Power costs remain high, logistics are inefficient, and policy reversals have damaged investor confidence. A refinery alone cannot compensate for these systemic weaknesses. Unless import taxes are rationalized and macroeconomic discipline restored, legal gold flows may not return even with local refining capacity.

While a gold refinery could theoretically reduce smuggling, support exports, and add value to the gem and jewellery sector, its success hinges on governance reforms, stable monetary policy, and realistic market assessments. Without these, the refinery risks becoming a costly symbol of ambition rather than a catalyst for recovery.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has issued a stark warning about the decade ahead, forecasting extreme volatility and uncertainty in its Global Risks Report 2026. Based on insights from more than 1,300 experts worldwide, the report highlights a convergence of economic, geopolitical, and environmental threats that could significantly affect vulnerable economies such as Sri Lanka.

According to the report, Sri Lanka faces several immediate risks over the next two years. These include the possibility of an economic recession, rising unemployment, limited job creation, inflationary pressure, and an expanding debt burden across public, private, and household sectors. These challenges persist as the country continues its recovery from the 2022 debt crisis that triggered shortages, social unrest, and a prolonged economic downturn.

While Sri Lanka has exited sovereign default, the WEF cautions that the recovery remains fragile. Economic growth, which rebounded to around 5 percent in 2024, is expected to slow to approximately 3.1–3.2 percent by 2026. This slowdown reflects weakening global demand, tight fiscal conditions, and unresolved structural weaknesses in the economy.

One of the most critical risks identified in the report is “geoeconomic confrontation,” ranked as the top global threat for 2026. This refers to the increasing use of tariffs, sanctions, and trade restrictions as tools of economic policy. Sri Lanka’s heavy reliance on apparel exports makes it especially vulnerable to potential U.S. tariff increases, which could reduce export earnings, disrupt factory employment, and put additional pressure on foreign exchange inflows.

Debt sustainability remains a major concern. Public debt is projected to remain above 100 percent of GDP, sharply limiting fiscal flexibility. Rebuilding foreign exchange reserves also remains a challenge, leaving the economy exposed to external shocks.

The report also highlights shortages of skilled labour, largely driven by migration since the economic crisis. Key sectors such as healthcare, construction, and information technology continue to face workforce gaps, weakening productivity and long-term growth prospects.

Climate risks further compound these challenges. Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to floods, landslides, and extreme weather events, which disrupt agriculture, damage infrastructure, and deepen economic stress. The WEF warns that such compound disasters can magnify existing vulnerabilities if not properly managed.

Overall, the report suggests that Sri Lanka’s economic stability over the coming decade will depend on careful policy management, economic diversification, and stronger climate resilience in an increasingly unstable global environment.

Sri Lanka’s public health system, long regarded as one of the most equitable in South Asia, is undergoing a quiet but consequential transformation. The JYP-led NPP government’s decision to outsource key diagnostic and testing services to private hospitals under public–private partnerships (PPPs) is being justified as a practical response to rising demand and limited resources. However, evidence suggests this policy risks weakening the very foundations of universal healthcare.

Advanced diagnostic services CT and MRI scans, cardiac catheterization, automated laboratory testing, and dialysis are undeniably under strain in government hospitals. Long waiting lists and delayed diagnoses have become common, particularly as non-communicable diseases increase. Yet transferring these essential services to private providers, with the government paying per test, shifts the system from a service-driven model to a profit-oriented one.

The private sector does not invest without guaranteed returns. PPP contracts typically assure fixed or minimum payments over defined periods, obligating the state to prioritize private invoices regardless of fiscal pressures. When governments struggle to meet these commitments, private providers respond by limiting services, delaying appointments, or renegotiating terms. In such scenarios, it is patients especially those without alternatives who bear the cost.

Claims that the government lacks funds to purchase diagnostic equipment are also contentious. Budgetary records indicate that substantial portions of allocated health funds have gone unutilized and were returned to the Treasury. This raises a troubling contradiction: if resources exist but are poorly deployed, outsourcing cannot be credibly framed as an unavoidable necessity.

Equally problematic is the assertion that procurement complexity makes private provision more efficient. In practice, long-term service contracts involving sophisticated technology are often more complex, less transparent, and harder to audit than direct equipment purchases. Such arrangements create fertile ground for inflated costs, weak oversight, and corruption, particularly when performance-based payments are involved.

The proposed expansion of dialysis services through PPPs further illustrates these risks. While private partners would supply and manage machines and consumables, the government would retain infrastructure responsibilities and clinical oversight. This fragmented accountability makes it difficult to assign responsibility when services fail or standards slip.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe said Sri Lanka is taking decisive steps to strengthen its organic agricultural export sector by aligning national standards with international regulations, particularly to enhance export agriculture.

He made these remarks at an awareness workshop held at the Ramada Hotel, Colombo, yesterday on national organic agriculture standards. The workshop, titled “Awareness on the Proposed Changes in the Legal Framework of the National Organic Agricultural System in Sri Lanka,” was jointly organised by the National Organic Control Unit (NOCU) of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with the International Trade Centre–UK Trade Partnership Programme (ITC-UKTP).

Sri Lanka’s organic export sector has recorded steady growth over the past three decades, positioning the country as a trusted supplier in the global organic market. The global organic market is currently valued at approximately EUR 136.4 billion, while Sri Lanka earns over USD 500 million annually from organic product exports.

The sector comprises nearly 400 certified organic exporters operating under internationally recognised standards such as Sri Lankan Organic, EU Organic, USDA Organic, JAS, Demeter and Naturland. These cover more than 70,000 hectares of land and involve over 20,000 certified farmers.

NOCU, established under the Export Development Act No. 40 of 1979, functions as Sri Lanka’s Organic Control Body, ensuring effective monitoring and safeguarding the credibility of the country’s organic agriculture system in global markets. With international market requirements evolving rapidly, EDB–NOCU has identified the urgent need to upgrade the Sri Lankan Organic Standard and related regulations to secure mutual recognition with key international standards.

With technical assistance provided under the UK Trade Partnership Programme, Sri Lanka has begun revising its regulatory framework, starting with alignment to Great Britain’s organic regulations. This move is expected to pave the way for future recognition by the European Union and other strategic markets.

A key focus of the workshop was the recent revision of the national organic standard, SLS 1324:2025, by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI). This second revision, following earlier updates in 2018 and the original publication in 2007, introduces a comprehensive framework covering organic production, processing, packaging, labelling, transportation and marketing.

The revised standard introduces mandatory Organic Management Plans, strengthens soil-based crop production requirements, enhances livestock and aquaculture provisions, tightens processing and labelling controls, and clearly prohibits genetically modified organisms, ionising radiation and non-permitted synthetic inputs. It also incorporates social justice principles, emphasising fair labour practices and ethical business conduct.

Stakeholders were informed that the revised framework is expected to improve consumer confidence, strengthen traceability and integrity, and enhance Sri Lanka’s access to high-value international organic markets.

The Sri Lanka Standards Institution reaffirmed its commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture and encouraged all stakeholders to adopt the revised standard to ensure the continued growth and global competitiveness of Sri Lanka’s organic sector.

Sri Lanka will launch a Rs. 2.5 billion project to clean up Beira Lake in the heart of Colombo, aiming to restore water quality and make the lake safe for recreational activities, officials said.

Authorities said 192 illegal sewage discharge points releasing untreated waste into the lake have already been identified and closed as part of the clean-up drive. The project addresses long-standing pollution caused by raw sewage, industrial effluents and unregulated waste disposal.

Dredging of the lake bed is expected to commence within the next three months, alongside the installation of water fountains and aerators to improve oxygen levels and water circulation, officials said. These measures are intended to enhance water quality and revive aquatic life.

The restoration programme aims to eventually make Beira Lake suitable for activities such as swimming and water sports, while also improving the surrounding urban environment.

Officials added that the initiative forms part of a broader urban environmental rehabilitation effort focused on protecting key water bodies in Colombo and preventing future pollution through stricter enforcement and monitoring.

Sri Lanka recorded 113 fatal road accidents from the beginning of this year up to January 19, claiming the lives of 120 people, police said on Tuesday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Traffic Control and Road Safety, W.P.J. Senadheera, said 216 people sustained serious injuries in these accidents, while 490 minor accidents were also reported during the same period.

Addressing a media briefing on January 20, Senadheera said 159 incidents involving damage to property had also been recorded.

He noted that pedestrians accounted for the highest number of fatalities, with 33 deaths reported. Motorcyclists were also among the most affected, with 45 riders killed along with seven pillion riders.

Police said road safety enforcement and public awareness programmes would be intensified to curb the rising number of accidents, particularly those involving vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and motorcyclists.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has held discussions with the President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Masato Kanda, in Davos, Switzerland.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) at the WEF Congress Centre in Davos-Klosters. Sri Lanka’s ongoing reform agenda and the country’s current economic situation were among the key issues discussed during the high-level engagement.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also met European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela in Davos yesterday. According to the Office of the Prime Minister, discussions focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–European Union cooperation in areas including economic recovery, education reform, digital transformation, climate resilience and sustainable development.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed for Switzerland on Monday (19) to participate in the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum. The WEF 2026 is being held under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue” and brings together more than 3,000 global leaders, including heads of state and government, chief executive officers of leading multinational corporations, policymakers and technology innovators.

During her visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a series of high-level bilateral meetings with key international leaders, heads of global institutions and other distinguished dignitaries.