News

The newly appointed Inspector General of Police, Mr. T. M. W. Deshabandu Tennakoon met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (29).

Upon assuming the duty as the 36th Inspector General of Police in Sri Lanka, Mr. Deshabandu Tennakoon met with the President.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe extended his felicitations to the new Inspector General of Police and engaged in a friendly conversation with him.

As a gesture of respect and tradition, the new Inspector General of Police presented the President with a customary memento.

Actor-politician Uddika Premaratne has resigned from his parliamentary seat.

He tendered his resignation to the speaker this morning (27), reports said.

He was elected an MP for Anuradhapura from the NFF at the last general election.

Recently, he said in a speech to the House that he has found politics to be completely repulsive.

Thereafter, his vehicle was fired at, but no suspects have been arrested so far.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe paid his last respects to the late former Finance Minister Ronnie de Mel, who was a philanthropic politician as well as an excellent economic expert.

Yesterday afternoon (28), the President visited the residence on Charles Drive, Kollupitiya, where Mr. de Mel’s body lay, extending condolences to the bereaved family.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who joined the family members in a short conversation, then penned a message in the condolence book.

A vote of no confidence against the Speaker was initiated today by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

The motion cites various reasons, including the Speaker's failure to appropriately present the amendments proposed by the Supreme Court for the Online Safety Bill before its passage.

The motion also accuses the Speaker of violating the Constitution, Parliamentary Standing Orders, and the privileges of Parliamentarians, among other charges, said a post on Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa's Facebook page.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kieirella, Professor G. L. Peiris, Tissa Attanayake, Chandima Weerakkody, Shan Wijayalal de Silva, and others have signed the motion on behalf of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and Samagi Jana Alliance.

Deshabandu Tennakoon officially assumed duties as the 36th Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Sri Lanka, a short while ago.

Senior DIG and Acting IGP Tennakoon was appointed as the new IGP on Monday (Feb. 26).

This appointment, in compliance with the stipulations outlined in Articles 41C.(1) and 61E.(b) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, has been made pursuant to the authority vested on President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the PMD reported.

Secretary to the President Mr. Saman Ekanayake had presented the official appointment letter to Mr. Deshabandu Tennakoon at the Presidential Secretariat.

Tennakoon had been appointed as the Acting IGP on November 29, 2023.

Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police and Acting Inspector General of Police, Deshbandu Tennakoon has been appointed as the new Inspector General of Police. He is now the country's 36th Police Chief.

This appointment, in compliance with the stipulations outlined in Articles 41C.(1) and 61E.(b) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, has been made pursuant to the authority vested on President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake presented the official appointment letter to Deshbandu Tennakoon this afternoon (26) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Public interest litigation activist, Nagananda Kodituwakku has been removed from the position of Attorney-at-Law.

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka today disenrolled Nagananda Kodituwakku’s name as an Attorney-at-Law.

It is reported that the decision was announced after Kodituwakku was found guilty of professional misconduct.

The verdict was issued by the Supreme Court three-judge bench consisting of justices Priyantha Jayawardena, Preethi Padman Surasena, and S. Thurairaja.

The justices issued the verdict after taking up for consideration a complaint that had been filed against Nagananda Kodituwakku.

The Ministry of Education has issued a circular on the precautions to be taken for school students in light of the prevalent dry weather conditions across Sri Lanka.

The circular consists of a list of instructions related to possible heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, and precautions to mitigate their impact.

The ministry has also provided instructions related to outdoor activities, limiting sports and other outdoor activities during high temperatures.

The school authorities have also been requested to provide necessary and frequent water breaks for students during this period.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has underscored the ongoing efforts to nurture female entrepreneurs capable of adapting to the country’s economic transformation.

The President highlighted the significant role women entrepreneurs can play in fostering the digital and green economy, affirming the government’s commitment to supporting the empowerment of the women business community.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe made these remarks addressing the ‘Prathibhabhisheka Women Entrepreneur Awards 2023’ held in Colombo on Tuesday (Feb 27).

Hosted by the WCIC, this awards ceremony honoured remarkable female entrepreneurs and aimed to enhance their businesses and market access. Additionally, women from the SAARC region were provided with an opportunity to compete in a special category.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe presented awards to ten outstanding female entrepreneurs in the National Category, while Prof. Maithree Wickramasingha presented the SAARC Category awards.

Established in 1985, the National Chamber of Commerce for Women in Business aims to boost women’s contribution to Sri Lanka’s economy and promote their involvement in key business endeavours. The WCIC, initially comprising a handful of professional women running successful businesses, has now expanded to over 300 members.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, offering further remarks, extended his congratulations to all the award winners and acknowledged the commendable efforts of all participants. He emphasized the challenging nature of the past few years, noting the economic difficulties faced by everyone, including the business community.

Anticipating some economic growth in 2024, President Wickremesinghe highlighted the positive economic growth achieved in the last two quarters of the previous year. However, he acknowledged that this growth has yet to reach the level observed in 2018, estimating it would take about two more years to achieve that milestone. This marks the first year of expected positive growth since the last economic crisis, which warranted difficult decisions.

Recognizing the imperative to create an economic environment conducive to all, the President underscored the inability to print or borrow money, prompting the need for tax collection. He also outlined efforts to strengthen the Sri Lankan Rupee and reduce inflation rates.

Emphasizing the necessity for rapid economic transformation, President Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of transitioning to a new economic system, leading the country towards a competitive export economy.

Additionally, he reiterated the government’s commitment to providing maximum support to entrepreneurs. Hence, measures have been taken to defer the implementation of the Parate Law until the year’s end.

“Women entrepreneurs are significantly contributing to the nation’s economy, and the government is committed to providing them with all necessary support. The commendable efforts of your association in promoting women entrepreneurs are also acknowledged.

“We firmly believe that careful development of the country’s economy can be achieved through women’s empowerment. To this end, the government has launched a comprehensive program aimed at nurturing women entrepreneurs. Women can play a pivotal role in the nation’s economic growth, making their contribution indispensable for its transformation. In anticipation of the digital and green economy’s rise, the government has devised strategies to nurture women entrepreneurs capable of adapting to these changes.

“Today, numerous women are actively involved in businesses of varying scales, while the tourism sector has experienced significant growth. By fostering more opportunities within this sector, we can nurture robust entrepreneurs. It is imperative to systematically develop tourism, and the government stands ready to support entrepreneurs in this endeavour. Additionally, efforts are underway to ensure that individuals in the tourism industry earn a minimum of $500 per day. The responsibility in this initiative also lies with the WCIC,” he said.

The President further said that the government is actively modernizing the agricultural sector and has plans to leverage artificial intelligence in the future.

“The demand for entrepreneurs in these fields is expected to rise. As technology continues to advance globally, Sri Lanka must keep pace remaining competitive. The government has already laid the groundwork for economic advancement through technology and artificial intelligence.

“Efforts are also underway to grant freehold deeds to secure land rights for the people, with approximately 2 million individuals set to benefit directly. This initiative will significantly contribute to the nation’s economy.

“Consequently, they can make a direct contribution to the modernization of agriculture. Through these collective efforts, there is a potential to fortify Sri Lanka’s economy,” he added.

The presidential polls will take place in October this year and incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest as a non-party candidate, UNP leader in Colombo Ravi Karunanayake said.

Also a former finance minister, Karunanayake told the media in Colombo today (25) that all would be committed for Wickremesinghe’s victory.

CBSL salary hike unreasonable

Karunanayake found the Central Bank (CBSL) to be wholly unreasonable when it treated itself to exorbitant and uncalled for pay hikes at a time when the state has ordered expenditure and financial control.

Karunanayake recalled his allegation that the CBSL is behind the country’s economic woes, with financial institutions in ruin due to its not having done its work correctly.

It is the CBSL, even without consulting parliament, that had declared the country to be bankrupt.

Furthermore, the PAYE tax revenue is less than 35 per cent, which means the imposition of taxes have gained nothing for the state.

The country had to go to the IMF on 16 different occasions due to an absence of financial discipline.

The bureaucracy should make a more planned intervention, which is not seen at present, if the country is to be taken forward by taking decisions in consideration of the public too, he said.

Karunanayake said the country has regained some sort of stability from its situation 22 months ago, with much more remaining to be done.

President Wickremesinghe has been able to fulfill the responsibility he accepted and to bring the country under a certain level of management, said Karunanayake.

He urged the people to understand the risky situation if the ongoing programme is sabotaged, with no short-cuts to normalcy.

A long-term programme is required if the economy is to be uplifted, he said, adding that a growth in production, an increase in dollar reserves and an export income of 20 billion US dollars are imperative.

Karunanayake asked finance ministry and other state officials to work towards achieving those goals.

Turning to the political front, he said those who strengthened the hands of Gotabaya Rajapaksa then are today trying to reinforce the opposition leader. Also, those who found Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to be indispensable, now unleash an all-out attack against him.

In this situation, a programme suited for the country and a like-minded group to implement it are needed and that is happening now, Karunanayake added.

Former Finance Minister Ronnie de Mel (98) has passed away this evening.

Ronnie de Mel holds the record for the largest number of budgets presented by a finance minister. He was the Minister of Finance from 1977 to 1988 in the United National Party government led by President JR Jayawardena.

In an effort to support the education of Sri Lankan children, President Ranil Wickremesinghe introduced the “Presidential Academic Scholarship Program 2024/2025,” the President’s Media Division reported.

This special scholarship initiative, launched through the President’s Fund, aims to provide financial assistance to 100,000 students from Grade 01 to Grade 11 across all 10,126 schools in the country, the statement said.

The program is designed to annually award scholarships to one hundred thousand (100,000) students spanning from Grade 01 to Grade 11, covering all 10,126 schools in Sri Lanka while a total allocation of Rs. 3,600 million has been designated from the President’s Fund to sustain this initiative.

Acknowledging the challenges posed by the current economic climate, President Wickremesinghe hopes this program will ensure uninterrupted education for deserving students, particularly those with limited resources. By investing in the country’s future generation, the initiative aims to nurture talented individuals and contribute to the development of Sri Lanka’s human capital, the PMD said.

It said further details regarding the selection criteria and this program will be announced soon on the official Facebook page of the President’s Fund: www.facebook.com/president.fund.