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The Appropriation Bill for the year 2019 was presented in parliament today (05) by Chief Government Whip Gayantha Karunathilaka. 

Accordingly, government expenditure set out in the Appropriation Bill showed that the total state expenditure for 2019 amounted to LKR 4450 billion of which LKR 2,232 billion has been allocated for debt servicing.

The Ministry of Defence will receive the highest allocation of LKR 392 billion followed by the Ministry of Internal, Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government with an allocation of LKR 291 billion.

Allocation of breakdown is found below.

Allocation of funding for respective ministries and departments coming under the purview of those ministries are as follows.

The launch of the Gamperaliya and the Enterprise Sri Lanka programmes for the year 2019 will be held at the Temple Trees tomorrow (02), under the patronage of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Gamperaliya programme that was launched in 2018 will be implemented on an accelerated basis, comprising of 12 areas after it was suspended with effect from the 13th of November 2018, following the swearing-in of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the premiership. 

LKR 300 million will be allocated for each electorate in 2019 under this rapid rural infrastructure development programme. The Gamperaliya programme aims to develop irrigation, rural roads, schools and playgrounds, Sathi Pola, green parks, renovation of religious and archaeological sites and housing development. The infrastructure development project areas will include rural roads, tanks, small-scale bridges and sanitary facilities in schools. 

Enterprise Sri Lanka, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera's ambitious attempt to create 100,000 new entrepreneurs in the country has resulted in the disbursement of LKR 58 billion in concessionary loans to nearly 30,000 people. Loans have been disbursed across the country through all districts with Hambantota accounting for the largest number of loans released so far with 4,842 followed by Colombo 2,789, Ratnapura 1,691, Monaragala 1,498, Matara 1,481, Kandy 1,476, Kurunegala 1,471 and Kegalle 1,341.

A week-long food festival spotlighting local Sri Lankan Sinhalese cuisine began on Feb. 4 in Turkey's capital Ankara.

The festival, organized by the Embassy of Sri Lanka, was inaugurated by Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Turkey Pakeer Mohideen Amza and his wife Saleema Amza in a local hotel.

Germany's Ambassador to Turkey Martin Erdmann and Indian Ambassador Sanjay Bhattacharry were also in attendance, among other guests.

Speaking at the ceremony, Amza said Ceylon cuisine is distinctive for its use of various spices, coconut, and rice.

Guests received a brochure telling about Sinhalese foods and showing photos of its offerings.

(ANKARA – Anadolu Agency)

Sri Lankan government signed an agreement with a Dubai-based company on Friday to implement a 200-million-USD mixed development project in Colombo suburb called "Battaramulla,"  Sri Lanka's Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

Ranawaka said that his ministry had signed the agreement on behalf of the Sri Lankan government with the company named ESSAR Projects Ltd in Dubai.The minister said the project would include the construction of a 40-story office complex, an apartment complex and a hotel complex.

"There will be facilities for recreation. This will give a new facelift to the area. It will have a modern play area for children, a mini cinema and a gymnasium," he added.

According to the minister, the project will be completed by 2022. (Xinhua)

Colombo (AFP) – Sri Lanka has decided against liquidating its national airline and will scout for a foreign investor, a minister said Thursday, despite warnings the loss-making carrier could drag on the economy.

A panel convened by President Maithripala Sirisena to determine the fate of debt-saddled SriLankan Airlines recommended it be retained, but subjected to a major financial restructuring.

The airline is estimated to be carrying loans and accumulated losses of nearly $2 billion.

“We have ruled out the closure of the airline because the process of winding down will also be expensive,” State Minister of Finance Eran Wickramaratne told reporters in Colombo.

“We have decided to go with the option of financial restructuring with a foreign investment partner.”

The airline has two profit-making subsidiaries in catering and ground handling that could go some way to “enhancing the value of the company” through proper restructuring, he said.

Attempts to privatise the airline failed in May 2017 when San Francisco-based private equity firm TPG withdrew its bid for a 49 percent stake.
Since then, there had been no foreign or local investor interest in SriLankan Airlines.

The International Monetary Fund — which bailed out the government with a $1.5-billion loan in 2016 — has warned the flailing carrier needs to be overhauled as a matter of priority to sustain economic growth.

Wickramaratne said the government was hoping that an international airline would take up equity in the carrier, as had been the case in 1998, when Dubai-based Emirates held a minority stake in SriLankan.

The carrier was profitable until 2008 when then-president Mahinda Rajapakse cancelled the management agreement with Emirates after the airline refused to bump fare-paying passengers off a flight and accommodate his family instead.

Rajapakse removed the Emirates-appointed CEO and appointed his brother-in-law Nishantha Wickremasinghe in place.

Wickremesinghe is now under investigation for corruption and mismanagement during his time with the carrier.

The Finance Ministry has appointed its Additional Secretary H.G. Sumanasinghe as the Acting Director General of the Customs Department.

The Cabinet of ministers earlier last week had approved Rear Admiral Shemal Fernando to head Sri Lanka Customs as the new Director General.

However, trade unions voiced their concerns with regard to the appointment of a former naval officer as the new DG, and after successful talks with customs trade unions, the Finance Ministry has appointed H. G. Sumanasinghe instead, it is learnt.

Sources from the Treasury said that the decision to remove the former Customs DG, P.S.M. Charles, was due to the continuous drop of revenue from the Customs department as well as its inability to curb the ingress of narcotics to Sri Lanka.

UNESCO World Heritage site, Sigiriya, located in central Sri Lanka was declared a polythene free zone from Friday to protect the biodiversity of the area and boost tourism, local media reported.

The decision was made by Sri Lanka's Minister of Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs Sajith Premadasa.

Sigiriya Project Manager, Major N. Nishantha told local media that the use of polythene had not only harmed the environment and animals but had also affected tourism in the area as it destroyed its beauty.

He said following the government's decision, security personnel will check the belongings of all local and foreign tourists and all polythene or plastic materials carried by them will be taken and returned back when the visitors are leaving the area.

Nishantha further explained that visitors who carry water bottles will have to carry it without the plastic bottle cap.

Food will also be restricted to prevent tourists feeding animals who frequent the area.

One of Asia's major archaeological site, Sigiriya is visited by thousands of visitors per year and is a major tourist attraction.

An Iranian national was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) while trying to smuggle 400g of the popular cannabis substance known as ‘Kush’, the police said.

Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera added that the 24 year old woman, who had arrived from Doha, Qatar was arrested early morning, today (31), by the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) officers stationed at the BIA. 

NB officers stated that the woman had concealed the cannabis substance in a false bottom of her luggage.

Narcotic substance popularly known as Kush that was caught by PNB officers. Pix: T.K.G. Kapila

Vice President Vincent Meriton of the Republic of Seychelles arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday (30) to receive two Wave Rider Inshore Patrol Craft (WRIPC) donated by the Government of Sri Lanka to the Government of Seychelles. The handing over ceremony of the Patrol Craft was held today at the Western Naval Command Headquarters in the Colombo Port.

Sri Lanka arranged this donation to Seychelles as per the request of Danny Faure, the President of the Seychelles during the bilateral discussion with President Maithripala Sirisena during the recent state visit to the Seychelles in October, 2018 coinciding with the thirty (30) years of establishment of Diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Seychelles.

The handing over ceremony was graced by President Sirisena with the participation of officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Ports and Shipping, Chief of Defence Staff, Secretary to the President, and the High Commissioner of the Seychelles in Colombo.

Even though modern day development is shaped by the technical and concrete exposures which leave behind stress, disease and death, a sustainable existence of the environment will be aspired by the entire world, President Maithripala Sirisena said.

The president added that twenty five years ago, many state leaders, politicians, scholars, and professionals showed no tendency to protect the environment. Since environmental pollution has become a threat to mankind's existence, today there is a vast interest in coping with this major challenge, he said.

Sirisena was addressing the Environmental Pioneer Presidential Medal Awards ceremony held yesterday (30), at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

This programme is aimed to bring forth environmentally sensitive future base by facilitating environmental centered school education to make the students actively participated in the process. 

Atotal of 93 environmental pioneers from 40 schools were handed over Presidential Medals during the Environmental Pioneer Presidential Medal Awards which was organized for the eighth year. 

The five-year programme serves the target of making four million school students environmental lovers while an environmental pioneer students, who has been awarded the Presidential Medal will receive four marks for extra curriculum activities during the university entrance.

Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Deputy Environment Minister Ajith Mannapperuma and the Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority, A.H.M. Muzammil were also present.

Twelve new foreign Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to Sri Lanka presented their credentials to President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s House in Colombo, today (01).

The Envoys who presented credentials are:

Mr Ivan Lancaric – Ambassador of Slovak Republic

Dr David Goldwin Pollard – High Commissioner of Cooperative Republic of Guyana

Ms Dinah Grace Akello – High Commissioner of Republic of Uganda

Mr Andrei Rzheussky – Ambassador of Republic of Belarus

Mr Sekou Kasse – Ambassador of Republic of Mali

Mr Armen Martirosyan – Ambassador of Republic of Armenia

Mr Agis Loizou – High Commissioner of Cyprus

Mr Ariel Andrade Galindo – Ambassador of El Salvador

Mr Ung Sean – Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia

Mr Omar Abdul Razzaq – Ambassador of Maldives

Dr Ron malka – Ambassador of Israel

Mr Gudmundur Arni Stefansson – Ambassador of Iceland

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka has halted imports of Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder until the company proves its product is free from cancer-causing asbestos, two government officials and the product's local distributor told Reuters.

Stocks of the product already in Sri Lanka can still be sold, but there will be no new imports of the talc, a popular healthcare product across Sri Lanka and much of Asia, until J&J India, from where Sri Lanka imports the product, provides fresh test results.

On Dec. 14, Reuters reported that the U.S. drugs and consumer products group knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder, leading to tests in several countries, including in India.

The report was based on thousands of pages of company memos, internal reports, and other confidential documents.

J&J has described the Reuters story as "one-sided, false, and inflammatory".

Kamal Jayasinghe, chief executive of Sri Lanka's National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA), which is part of the health ministry, said it had informed the distributor, A.Baur & Co., that it would require  further tests for it to continue importing the powder.

"We have held their re-registration and informed the distributor to submit quality reports from an accredited laboratory to ensure there is no asbestos in their products,” Jayasinghe told Reuters.

The license for A.Baur & Co to import the product expired in December, a second person at the NMRA said.

Shalutha Perera, head of consumer for A.Baur, told Reuters the firm has informed J&J in India of the suspension of the licensing process.
"J&J India directly handles all the regulatory matters," he said.

Perera said the NMRA contacted A.Baur in December regarding new asbestos testing.

A spokeswoman for J&J India declined to comment on the halt of shipments to Sri Lanka but said the company "is in full compliance with current Indian regulatory requirements for the manufacturing and testing of our talc".

"We are fully cooperating with the Indian government and are awaiting results from their testing," she added.

The spokeswoman said the product was routinely tested by both suppliers and independent labs to ensure it is free of asbestos.