News

Switzerland has pledged its support in recovering assets that have been moved out of Sri Lanka.

The assurance was given by the Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka, Dr. Siri Walt during a meeting with the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (Jan 24).

During discussions, Ambassador Walt provided guidance on the international measures required for reclaiming such assets and expressed Switzerland’s readiness to extend support whenever necessary by providing essential resources and assistance.

The discussion also focused on utilizing Switzerland’s expertise and technical knowledge to assist Sri Lanka’s ongoing anti-corruption initiatives. The Swiss government reiterated its commitment to providing technical and financial support for Sri Lanka’s priority programs, including the “Clean Sri Lanka” program.

The Ambassador additionally expressed Switzerland’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka in addressing social challenges, promoting national reconciliation, and assisting with the development of the Northern region through necessary aid and resources.

The Cabinet has approved the provision of Rs. 3000 gift vouchers to purchase shoes for students in selected schools, including Piriven and Seela Matha.

The Ministry of Education implemented a program for providing a pair of shoes for selected students since the year 2015, while student monks and lay students of Pirivens and Seela Mathas were included in this program from 2020 – 2023.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Prime Minister, in her capacity as Minister of Education, to provide a gift voucher worth Rs. 3000/- to the selected school children, student monks, and lay students of Pirivens and Seela Mathas to purchase a pair of shoes.

The proposal has been made based on the recommendation of a committee of officers appointed to study the implementation of the said program for the year 2025.

Accordingly, the school shoe programme is to be implemented as follows;

•⁠ ⁠For 650,000 students studying in 6,000 schools with less than 250 students •⁠ ⁠For 140,000 students in estate schools across the island that do not belong to the category of schools with less than 250 students •⁠ ⁠For 2,300 students in 28 schools consisting of students with special needs •⁠ ⁠For 30,000 selected student monks and lay students.

The results of the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination, held on September 15, have been released.

The Department of Examinations announced that the results can be accessed via the websites www.doenets.lk or www.results.exams.gov.lk.

School principals can download the examination results records for their schools starting tomorrow, using the provided usernames and passwords.

A total of 323,900 candidates sat for the recent scholarship examination. Out of these, 51,244 students scored above the cutoff marks.

The examination results were delayed due to a Supreme Court petition regarding the alleged leakage of several questions from the first paper before the exam.

The Supreme Court ordered the Department of Examinations to release the results based on the recommendations of a special committee appointed to investigate the incident.

The World Bank is committed to providing financial and technical assistance for Sri Lanka’s key government projects, the World Bank’s Vice President for South Asia Martin Raiser said.

According to the President’s Office, this statement was made during a meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and representatives of the World Bank held today (Jan 21) at the Presidential Secretariat.

During the discussion, consensus was reached to extend financial and technical support for programs aimed at generating employment for youth, the “Clean Sri Lanka” project, poverty alleviation in rural areas, and digital transformation projects.

New projects in the areas of education, energy, digitalization, and Northern development were also discussed for potential support.

The World Bank’s Martin Raiser assured that his organization would ensure the timely disbursement of approved financial assistance for Sri Lanka.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized that rural poverty could be alleviated by developing the education sector.

He called on the World Bank representatives to support the government’s ongoing educational reforms and requested assistance for the development of the public transportation sector.

Despite 28% of Sri Lanka’s labour force being engaged in agriculture, the sector contributes only around 6% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The President highlighted that this contribution is insufficient and needs improvement.

The President explained the government’s plans to provide essential facilities for the population, given the country’s high population density.

The meeting also covered the government’s strategies for youth employment generation and the implementation of new programs to attract tourists in 2025.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also revealed plans for the rapid development of ports and airports and stated that the government is focused on speeding up port development initiatives.

Special attention is being directed toward Northern development, with plans to establish three investment zones in the Northern Province.

The President added that efforts are underway to enhance tourism in the north, improve water facilities, and address the social issues of the Northern population while preserving their cultural identity.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; World Bank Regional Country Director for Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, David Sislen; the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Country Manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives, Gevorg Sargsyan; and the Vice President’s Special Assistant, Kishan Abeygunawardena.

The House Committee of Parliament has decided to raise the daily meals charges for Members of Parliament to Rs. 2,000.

This was revealed today (23) by the Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Gamagedara Dissanayake while addressing the Parliament.

Accordingly, he explained that the price for breakfast at the Parliament canteen will now be Rs. 600, while lunch will be increased to Rs. 1,200. Meanwhile, Rs. 200 will be charged for tea.

These new prices will come into effect from February 01, 2025.

The 'Dinana Dakuna Collective' states that building right-wing political unity cannot be done by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the United National Party (UNP) two parties coming together; to achieve it better, a political alliance based on right-wing ideological unity is essential.

Issuing a press release, it states that the 'Dinana Dakuna Collective' is not just an alliance aimed at gaining political power but one which emphasizes the need to build a political movement with a more right-wing ideological basis.

The statement also claimed that their main proposal is that the ability to overcome future economic challenges will be possible only through a correct right-wing vision of economic development and wealth distribution.

The Collective also proposes accepting the free market economy as a primary tool for wealth generation, emphasizing individual freedom and responsibility, evidence-based policymaking, and a liberal welfare system.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had emphasized that a country cannot move forward solely through laws and regulations, and that the traditions of a country are a very important element.

He made these comments during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat regarding the 74th Upasampada Vinaya Karma ceremony of the Sri Lanka Rāmañña Maha Nikāya.

He pointed out that the tradition, which has been built upon the teachings of the Lord Buddha, has played a significant role in shaping Sri Lankan society, and that it is the responsibility of everyone to preserve and pass on the Buddhist tradition to future generations.

President Dissanayake had reminded of the historical significance of the Upasampada Vinaya Karma, a major ceremony in Buddhism, and stated that the cessation of ordained monks (Upasampada Bhikkhus) would mean the dissolution of the Buddhist institution itself. He had emphasized the importance of preserving these ancient traditions and carrying them forward with honour.

The Upasampada ordination ceremony of the Sri Lanka Rāmañña Maha Nikāya is scheduled to take place from June 30 to July 5, 2025, at the Vijithapura, Palugaswewa Punyavardhanarama Vihara, with the ordination ceremony set to occur in the Udakukhepa Seema Malaka area.

This grand ceremony, with over 250 novice monks participating in the ordination process, will be held under state patronage.

Since the 'Upasampada Vinaya Karma' ceremony is held biannually by the Sri Lanka Rāmañña Maha Nikāya and is regarded by the government as a prestigious event, the President had instructed the relevant officials to ensure that all necessary facilities are provided without any shortcomings for the event.

The inaugural ceremony to mark the Chinese New Year festival was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya in Colombo on Sunday (Jan 19).

According to the PM’s Office, the event was jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Colombo.

The inaugural ceremony took place at the Cinnamon Life Hotel, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

During the event, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya delivered a congratulatory message from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, for the occasion of the Chinese New Year.

The celebration was attended by former President Maithripala Sirisena, former PM Dinesh Gunawardena, Industry Minister Sunil Handunnetti, Deputy Minister Finance and Planning Dr. Harshana Sooriyapperuma and other political dignitaries, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, the PM’s Secretary Pradeep Saputhanthri, as well as a large gathering of Sri Lankans and Chinese nationals.

A special delegation comprising 34 members from the Henan Art Troupe and the Sichuan Chef Team also arrived in Sri Lanka as part of the New Year celebrations.

The PM’s Office further said that in addition, the festivities will feature the “Chinese Food Festival” and the “Port City Chinese Cultural Night,” scheduled to take place from January 20 to 23.

Senior vocalist Anil Bharathi, who greatly contributed to Sri Lanka’s music industry, has passed away.

Anil Bharathi was 75 years old at the time of his demise.

It is reported that he passed away today (Jan 22) while receiving treatment at the Panadura Hospital due to an illness.

The veteran Sri Lankan singer is known for his songs ‘Bethlehem Pure’, ‘Seethala Sanda Eliye’ and ‘Bambareku Aduna’.

All government schools in the North-Central Province will remain closed tomorrow (20 January) due to adverse weather conditions, according to the Provincial Education Secretary.

The Governor of the Eastern Province has announced that all schools in the province will remain closed tomorrow (20) due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions.

A new traffic violation management software, equipped with advanced technological improvements for ease of use, was launched today (21) under the leadership of Acting Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Priyantha Weerasooriya, at the Police CCTV Division.

According to the police, this software will be implemented within the CCTV Division from today to take legal action against drivers who do not adhere to traffic regulations.

The software has been provided to the police by Prime Management Services (Pvt) Ltd.

From February 1, 2024, the Sri Lanka Police began issuing penalty notices to vehicle owners for traffic violations captured through CCTV systems installed primarily in Colombo and surrounding cities. These penalty notices, accompanied by video evidence of the violation, are sent directly to the registered vehicle owner’s residence.

As of now, the police report that 12,918 violations captured through CCTV footage have been prosecuted, and charge sheets containing video evidence of the offenses have been forwarded to the respective police stations covering the areas where the offenders reside.

The police media unit explained that the previous software caused significant challenges for officers performing these duties due to its complexity. The new software has been introduced to address these difficulties and streamline the process.

Former Minister Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa has been taken into custody by the Walana Anti-Corruption Unit for allegedly possessing an illegally assembled truck, police reported.

The arrest took place following an investigation led by the anti-corruption authorities, who discovered that the truck in question had been assembled in violation of legal standards. Further inquiries into the incident are currently underway, officials added.

The former minister is expected to be presented before the relevant magistrate court as investigations continue.