News

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary and MP Dayasiri Jayasekara says relief cannot be granted to citizens through this year's budget as it will further deteriorate the country. 
 
The MP made these claims while speaking to media following an event held at the SLFP Headquarters yesterday. Commenting on it further the MP said : 
 
“It is questionable if a country that is facing an economic downfall can be helped through a budget. I don't think we are able to provide relief to the people at this time. If we do so it will only deteriorate the country further. Therefore what the country needs now is a new social, cultural and economic vision”. 
 
Government response: Political Hypocrisy 
 
A UNP stalwart responding to these comments said that since 2015 as a result of handling the country’s economy carefully that we have been able to provide assistance to the people despite having significant debts to settle. 
 
He pointed out that the Rajapaksa’s, on the other hand, hid the state's debt in government organizations and added false data to show an inflated development while making the country a Chinese colony. He also added that they are now spreading false rumours due to political hypocrisy.

The Senior Army officer in Charge of the Eastern Province is said to have ordered the wives of Senior Officers reporting to him to attend all activities and events attended by his wife.

According to authoritative sources, the said Senior officer had called 40 Senior officers and said their wives must attend these events. He is said to have threatened to implement strict regulations on the use of official vehicles and other privileges enjoyed by these officers should their wives fail to act according to the order. 

However the wives of the Army officers under him are said to be questioning as to how their husband’s senior officer can issue orders to their spouses in such a manner. With many wives living away from the area, they are finding it difficult to attend these events and meeting, sources said, calling the order an unfair move on the part of the senior officer.

The same officer is accused of forcing the nearly 300 strong officer cadre reporting to him to provide sponsorships or advertisements amounting to Rs. 20 000 for the annual event of his regiment Mela held to collect funds for the Regiment. Many officers unable to raise such amounts have been left to shell out the required amounts from their own pockets. According to sources the senior officer appears to have gone ‘mad’ with power to think he can issue orders not only to his officers but to their family members as well.

The fifth budget of the present government to be presented in parliament at 2 pm today by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera is aimed at reducing the budget deficit to 4.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from 5.3% in 2018.

Minister Samaraweera's second budget as Finance Minister is themed under ‘Empowering the people, nurturing the poor’ and will focus on increasing the number of entrepreneurs in the country and eliminating all barriers that hinder this objective.

Samaraweera’s budget will have other tough targets, including maintaining the debt-to-GDP ratio to just 70% and limiting recurrent expenditure to 15% of GDP. Capital expenditure will also be limited to only 3.5% of GDP, the Finance Ministry had said. Total public expenditure is estimated to be Rs. 4.5 trillion while revenue is expected to be Rs. 2.4 trillion.

“The Budget will have proposals to expand Enterprise Sri Lanka and improve skills and entrepreneurship opportunities to improve the quality of Sri Lanka’s human resources,” a statement released by the Finance Ministry said on Monday. “Policies needed to empower the poor and reduce poverty will be included in this Budget.” 

The budget deficit in 2015 was 7.6% and improved to 5.3% in 2018 while the government is also currently running a primary surplus.

The Ministry of Justice and Prison Reforms has decided to set up the second Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar at the same location where the first Special High Court was established. According to Secretary of Justice and Prison Reforms R.M.D.B. Meegasmulla necessary steps would be taken to establish the second Special High Court without delay.This would be undertaken in accordance with the authority conferred to the Justice Minister by the Judicature Act No. 2 of 1978.
 
The judges for the second Special High Court had already been appointed, however, the location of the court remained an issue. The first Special High Court was officially set up on 21st of August 2018 at the Hulftsdorf court complex.
 
The Special High Courts are being set up hear the cases related to fraudulent acts, misuse of public property and acts of bribery.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tilak Marapana visited Italy from 01 – 03 March 2019, and held bilateral discussions on 01 March at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic, Manlio Di Stefano. 

The Foreign Minister stated that Sri Lankan expatriate workers in Italy are required to make a pension contribution amounting to around 9 percent of their salary and that they qualify for a pension after working for 20 years. 

The Minister observed that they collect this contribution together with the employer’s contribution only upon their reaching 68 years of age. He stressed that in such circumstances many of the workers do not get to enjoy this benefit as most of them work only for about 4-5 years in the country.

Minister Marapana requested the Italian authorities to consider adjusting this scheme so that a person would receive his contribution immediately upon relinquishing his employment in Italy, irrespective of the number of years worked and without having to wait until he has reached 68 years. He requested the Italian authorities to consider exempting expatriate workers from contributing to this pension scheme, if there were no legal constraints.

The Minister also brought to the attention of the Italian authorities the difficulties faced by Sri Lankans to submit their visa applications through the outsourced processing agency to obtain visas to enter Italy as tourists or to visit relatives. The Italian Undersecretary agreed to ease the difficulties encountered by Sri Lankan visa applicants.

Minister Marapana further requested that the Italian government consider providing employment to Sri Lankan skilled workers, especially the IT professionals, nurses, and healthcare supporters as Sri Lanka provides special certifications and training in these areas for the workers aimed at foreign employment.

The Foreign Minister later met members of the Sri Lankan community in Italy at a community meeting and discussed a range of issues pertaining to their social and economic aspects of the community members. The Sri Lankan community in Italy presently comprises around 120,000 residing in different parts of the country.

Three people lost their lives today when a Colombo bound Vavuniya bus crashed into a bridge and a transformer near the Mahawewa junction in Marawila around 4.30 am today.

According to the Police the bus had attempted to overtake a lorry while travelling at a high speed causing the driver to lose control of the bus.

The bus belongs to the D.S Gunasekara transport company and has been left in a mangled state. 

The horrific crash killed four individuals while 19 others suffered serious injuries. Among them are three Army soldiers, one Navy personnel and four women.

Police say some passengers were left trapped in the bus for a significant amount of time.

This may result in higher fatalities they said. Meanwhile the conductor of the bus is said to have fled the scene following the incident.

Marawila Police are carrying out further investigations into the incident.

It is reported that the Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the deciding factor on whether the Sri Lanka Freedom Party would support the budget that is to be presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera today.

According to internal sources of the SLFP, President Sirisena and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa have agreed that they should vote in favor of the Presidential vote and should oppose all other Ministry expenditure votes.

The sources added that Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision will be conveyed at the UPFA's party group meeting today (5th).

This was also stated by Parliamentarian Shantha Bandara at a media briefing held at the SLFP headquarters in Darley Road, yesterday (04).

Finance Minister Samaraweera told the media on Sunday that the 2019 budget would be called an ‘Enterprise Sri Lanka’ budget. “We are not going to give handouts. We are helping people to help themselves. We are giving them fishing rods instead of the fish.”

Prime Minister and Leader of the United National Party Ranil Wickramasinghe has announced that he would definitely contest in the next Presidential elections.

According to weekly sinhala newspaper ‘Aruna’ he has made this announcement to a group of close associates recently. 

The report further states Wickramasinghe had summoned a number of school friends, political associates, businessman and professionals on Wednesday (13) and made this announcement. (Aruna)

Former Secretary of Defence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa is likely to boycott the ‘Pohottuwa’ rally to be held on March 8 in Kandy sources say. According to reports he has not been invited for the rally and has also decided to not attend even if invited. Rajapaksa has said he would not appear on political stages until the favourable time. 
 
Sources close to Rajapaksa say he feels it is too early to appear on political stages and would only do so when he feels it is the correct time to do so. While the country is seeking a change, Rajapaksa is said to believe the necessary change will not be delivered by the budget which is to be presented today.

United People’s Freedom Alliance, General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera says he will announce a new political decision in the coming week.

The Former Minister has made this statement in an interview with Sinhala weekly, the Sunday Lankadeepa. 

According to the report, Amaraweera is said to have stated that the public has a deep mistrust of politicians and are disgusted by them. 

Therefore Amaraweera is set to embark on a different political journey, the report claimed.

Dozens of Gajaba Regiment (GR) War Heroes who suffered permanent injuries and turned differently able, yet receiving rehabilitation and recuperation under the care of the Headquarter Battalion (HQBN) camp of the Gajaba Regiment in Senapura on Saturday (23) were the beneficiaries of a state-of-the-art new therapeutic Swimming Pool that remained a long-felt medical requirement for hydrotherapy treatment.

The Ladies Chapter of the Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE), chaired by Mrs Shehani Piyasena footed the entire phenomenal cost of this construction at the request of Mrs Sujeewa Nelson, Chairperson, GR Seva Vanitha Unit at the invitation of Major General Shavendra Silva, Colonel of the Regiment, Gajaba Regiment and Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army (COS) and Colonel Jananka Vithanachchi, the Commanding Officer of the HQBN.

Hon. Sarath Ekanayake, the Governor of North Central  Province as the Chief Guest representing, HE the President and Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Army were greeted to a warm welcome by the Colonel of the Regiment, GR and the HQBN Commanding Officer on their arrival for the inaugural ceremony of this much-needed medical therapy. A few minutes later, both the Governor and the visiting Commander of the Army, together with Senior Officers visited the wards where GR War Heroes are undergoing rehabilitation after they turned permanently handicapped. The day's protagonists gave away gift parcels to the inmates and shared a couple views with some of them while inquiring into their well-being.

The climax of the day's event then began to draw the attention as the Governor,  Commander of the Army, Colonel of the Regiment, GR, Mrs Shehani Piyasena, Chairperson, COYLE, Mrs Sujeewa Nelson, Chairperson,  Gajaba Regiment  Seva Vanitha Unit, together with several Senior Officers walked up to the new swimming pool complex to unveil a plaque and cut a ribbon before the new facility was declared vested in those GR War Heroes who sacrificed their legs and limbs to protect the territorial integrity and unitary status of this island-nation. This new swimming pool, formally handed to GR by COYLE representative, is 25 meter long and equipped with 8 swimming lanes and the opening was symbolized by a display of swimming capabilities of those physically-handicapped War Heroes.

Commander of the Army in appreciation of the COYLE's great thoughtfulness and generosity awarded a memento to Mrs Shehani Piyasena of the COYLE at the same occasion and spoke high of their silent gesture of gratitude as the COYLE fights shy even to disclose the exact cost of the project. 

Regimental Senior Council Members, Regimental Centre Commandant, Brigadier Harendra Peiris, Deputy Centre Commandant, several other senior officers, Other Ranks, school children and villagers of the area also were present at the occasion. Towards the end of the ceremony, a few selected school principals were given packs containing some valuable sports items for use in their schools.

Gajaba Regiment, as one of the premier infantry outfits of the Sri Lanka Army, has shown the epitome of valour, courage and sacrifices for the sake of the motherland during its 35 years long, yet proud and eventful history. This valiant Regiment suffered the highest number of casualties and supreme sacrifices during the three-decade long brutal terrorism.  Gajaba War Heroes who turned physically-handicapped are in this way taken care by the Headquarter Battalion of the Gajaba Regiment which was established on 27 May 1994.

The World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region, Hartwig Schafer said that he congratulated Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera on the many reforms he has "championed" in the last year, including the Inland Revenue Act and the National Audit Act.

Schafer met with Samaraweera yesterday to discuss the many challenges that still remain
 such as increasing foreign direct investments as well as improving the country’s competitiveness and increasing its private sector participation. 

Finance Minister Samaraweera had briefed the visiting World Bank VP on Sri Lanka’s strong progress in Doing Business and Human Capital Indicators and pointed out that Sri Lanka leads the region in the Human Capital Index. Furthermore, he had stressed that a lot more investment is planned for education, health, and social service sectors in the future.

During his three-day visit, Schafer will meet President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Mayor of Colombo Rosy Senanayake and other senior government officials.