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“Let’s work together to build the country,” President Gotabaya Rajapaksa told the Tamil National Alliance today (March 25).

President Rajapaksa says that as the leader of the entire nation, he will pay his attention to all the citizens equally.

The President made these remarks at a discussion held with the Tamil National Alliance at the Presidential Secretariat.

He further said that the government is working on a number of issues, including the release of suspects held in long-term detention, taking further actions regarding suspects who have not been charged or prosecuted, the launch of a truth-finding mechanism, the amendment of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the resolving of issues related to missing persons.

President Rajapaksa pointed out that the country can move towards development by further working together to achieve the objectives of the people of the country, including those living in the North and the East.

TNA Leader R. Sampanthan said that he hopes to see the country moving towards prosperity with a political solution in a united Sri Lanka. We must unite as a country. Mr. Sampanthan said that it is the responsibility of everyone to work together to overcome the current challenges as one country and one nation. Mr. Sampanthan said he would like to see Sri Lanka becoming the Switzerland of the East.

Attention was paid on further steps to be taken with regard to those who are held in long-term detention, release of lands that have been previously used for cultivation, investigation of missing persons, discussion of amendments to the new Constitution after transating into Tamil and Sinhala, and the establishment of a North-East Development Fund.

lkPrime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ministers Prof. G.L. Peiris, Chamal Rajapaksa and Ali Sabry, Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, TNA MPS Dharmalingam Sitharthan, Sivagnanam Sridharan, M.A. Sumanthiran, Charles Nirmalanathan, Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran and Thavaraja Kalai Arasan, also Mavai Senathirasa were also present on the occasion.

The Final Term Examinations of schools in the Western Province are to be delayed, announced the Director of Education for the Western Province.

This is due to a shortage in sourcing paper and other material to prepare the examination papers.

Due to the shortage of paper and other material, the final term examination timetable for Grades 6, 7, and 8 will be amended, and the final term examinations for Grades 4, 9, 10, and 11 will be moved to a date after the April 2022 holidays.

Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen of Kurunegala Teaching Hospital will be paid his salary and allowances arrears for the duration he had been sent on compulsory leave, the attorney general informed the court of appeal.

He was sent on compulsory leave from 24 May 2019 over allegations of having performed illegal sterilization operations.

Police arrested and investigated Dr. Shafi and found no evidence to prove the allegations against him.

He was subsequently released on bail.

When the court took up a writ application filed by Dr. Shafi today (23), a letter was submitted from the director-general of the Public Service Commission with regard to the payment of the arrears due to him.

The case will be taken up again on 31 May.

A special commodity levy has been imposed on several fruits and dairy imports for a six-month duration.

The finance ministry’s trade and investment policy department says the levy has come into effect on 10 March.

The items include grapes, apples, oranges, dates, yoghurt, cheese and butter.

Given below is the list of items and taxes:

US ambassador Julie Chung had a meeting with UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today (21).

They discussed ways the US and Sri Lanka can work together to find sustainable solutions to today’s urgent economic challenges, Chung tweeted later.

A vibrant political opposition is vital in any healthy democracy, she added.

There is no truth to claims that president Gotabaya Rajapaksa had asked Central Bank governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal to resign, his media office said.

A local newspaper report claiming that the IMF delegation had laid down such a condition is a total canard, it said.

The IMF did not discuss officials and the talks covered only the monetary issues.

The president and the government have the fullest confidence in the CBSL governor and there is no reason whatsoever to seek his resignation, it said.

Canteen owners are raising the price of milk tea to Rs. 100 per cup with effect from midnight today (20).

President of their association Asela Sampath said they would maintain this price for one-year duration without going for another increase.

If the price can be reduced, that will be done, he said.

Sri Lanka today (17) signed an agreement for one billion US dollar credit line from India to help import essential items.

It was inked in New Delhi in the presence of Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar and the finance ministers of the two countries Nirmala Sitharaman and Basil Rajapaksa.

“India stands with Sri Lanka,” Jaishankar said in a tweet later.

The Sri Lanka Tea Board says that the export of tea to Ukraine has come to a complete halt.

Its Director General, Anura Siriwardena stated that the country will not be able to export tea again until the Ukraine-Russia crisis comes to an end.

The amount of tea exported to Ukraine annually is about 4 million kilograms.

He noted that tea exports to Russia have also declined slightly due to the current situation.

Accordingly, alternative ways of exporting tea to Russia are being studied, Siriwardena added.

A Gazette Extraordinary has been issued by Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella increasing the revision of prices of 60 varieties of medicinal drugs.

The communiqué was published under Section 142 of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act, No. 5 of 2015.

The price revision is effective from today (March 15).

Gazette 2022-03-15 Price Re... by Ada Derana

Local supplier Laugfs Gas has raised the prices of its gas cylinders, according to its agents.

Up by Rs. 1,359, a 12.5 kg gas cylinder now costs Rs. 4,199, and with a Rs. 544 increase, a five kg one is now priced at Rs. 1,680.

Earlier, Laugfs Gas raised the price from Rs. 1,856 to Rs. 2,840 last October.

Finance minister Basil Rajapaksa left for India a short while ago to finalize a financial assistance.

He was accompanied by his wife and finance secretary S.R. Attygalle,

Rajapaksa has had a virtual meeting with Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on a credit facility of USD one billion for importing food, essential items and medicine.

Earlier today, the cabinet also gave permission for the finance minister to obtain technical assistance from the International Monetary Fund and to seek necessary assistance to resolve the economic crisis.