News

A widespread LP gas shortage has plunged low and middle income Sri Lankan households into fresh operational distress, prompting severe criticism from the main parliamentary Opposition over state inaction.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva publicly challenged the government over its handling of the crisis, highlighting the compounding financial burden placed on families already battling elevated prices for staple items including bread, wheat flour, and fuel.

Addressing the persistent failure to resolve distribution bottlenecks, the former minister pointed out that reliance on commercial food delivery applications is a luxury out of reach for ordinary citizens reliant on domestic cooking.

He noted that while state-backed Litro cylinder distribution remains accessible to a segment of consumers, private distributor Laugfs Gas continues to face severe operational paralysis.

The logistical shortfall has been further complicated by international regulatory scrutiny, including reported United States trade sanctions targeted at a Dubai-registered subsidiary of Laugfs over alleged transactions tied to Iranian petroleum products.

The Opposition representative noted that the government possesses the administrative capacity to clear such straightforward supply impediments quickly, taking a side swipe at the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna by saying they would have mobilised street demonstrations over the identical grievance had they remained on the Opposition benches.

The government was able to transform a country that had reached economic bankruptcy into a nation where social welfare is assured, and even the international community is astonished at Sri Lanka reaching this state, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe said.

The Deputy Minister expressed these views participating as the chief guest at the Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Awards Ceremony held at the Karaliya Auditorium in Kandy, organized alongside the National Productivity Awards.

He said that although the general public requested the NPP government to establish law and justice, certain groups are organising protests against the government in various places for political gain when laws and regulations are introduced for social welfare.

He added that it is comical for corrupt politicians who plundered public funds during their time in power to now make accusations against the present government.

Reports that new solar power applications have been suspended have brought the government's renewable energy policy under sharp scrutiny.

The United National Party (UNP) working committee member Dinouk Colombage raised the issue after the Royal Colombo Golf Club informed its membership on 01 November that its planned rooftop solar initiative had been halted on state instructions.

This development occurred following management attempts to carry out pre-approved roof refurbishments and solar installations.

Colombage questioned if the administration was abandoning the target to generate 70 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, a goal established under former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He stressed that private sector investment remains vital for expanding green capacity across the island.

Grid capacity limits

The National System Operator revealed that Sri Lanka's installed solar capacity exceeded 3,070 megawatts by September 2026, including over 2,542 megawatts of rooftop installations.

It noted that solar power currently generates between 15 per cent and 25 per cent of daily electricity needs based on weather conditions.

The operator explained that rooftop solar additions planned for 2026 were surpassed ahead of schedule, necessitating temporary monitoring of approvals to prevent national grid instability.

It confirmed that applications under the Net Plus scheme would proceed while zero export connections remain exempt from restrictions. These developments follow September directives from the

Ministry of Energy that discontinued Net Metering and Net Accounting for new rooftop setups, transitioning all new agreements strictly to Net Plus.

Industry concerns over investment targets

Industry leaders warned that abandoning previous rooftop solar frameworks risks discouraging prospective investors, disrupting business operations, and threatening employment.

The Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority said that integrating roughly 600 megawatts of fresh solar capacity annually is essential to achieve the national 2030 target.

Meeting these objectives requires parallel investments in battery energy storage alongside grid infrastructure modernisations.

Confusion surrounding the Royal Colombo Golf Club suspension underlines growing demands for policy transparency from energy authorities.

Stakeholders say that official clarity is needed to determine whether recent delays reflect deliberate investment curbs or a misinterpretation of existing rules.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) must actively unite the growing public opposition against the actions of the present government, its National Organiser Tissa Attanayake said.

He said that the government is currently executing widespread anti-public measures across the nation.

The government intends to enforce severe public suppression through two newly proposed legislative bills, specifically the Protection from State Terrorism Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act introduced by the National People's Power (NPP) administration, he noted.

Attanayake emphasised that immediate priority must be directed towards constructing a strong national political coalition capable of halting this state suppression.

He further revealed that despite internal disputes and differences of opinion existing within both the United National Party (UNP) and the SJB, both political parties are prepared to align on a single platform for the 2029 presidential election.

The National Organiser added that little regard is given to baseless rumors and opinions being circulated by various individuals across the country.

Elaborating further, Attanayake reiterated the necessity of consolidating public resistance against the ruling regime and its proposed security laws, stressing that forming a united political front remains far more critical than attending to external speculation.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has arrested a former Secretary to the Ministry of Cooperatives and Internal Trade over alleged corruption in the procurement of chairs for the Mahinda Rajapaksa Auditorium in Polgolla.

The suspect was taken into custody by investigating officers at approximately 9.45 a.m. today (02), according to the Bribery Commission.

The arrest relates to allegations that the former Ministry Secretary influenced the procurement process by facilitating the purchase of chairs from a private company other than the bidder that had submitted the lowest quotation while meeting the required standards.

The alleged decision is said to have resulted in a financial loss of Rs. 7.97 million to the government while providing an undue benefit to another party.

The former official has been accused of committing an offence of corruption in connection with the procurement process.

He is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court.

Sri Lanka has the highest cigarette prices in the world when measured against purchasing power parity (PPP), according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data cited in a recent assessment by Oxford Economics.

The assessment challenges the effectiveness of the WHO's global tobacco tax incidence benchmark, arguing that taxation policies should take individual countries' economic conditions into account rather than follow a single international target.

The WHO recommends that taxes account for at least 75% of the retail price of tobacco products. However, the Oxford Economics assessment questions whether achieving this threshold necessarily leads to a reduction in smoking rates.

According to the report, there is no significant relationship between the proportion of cigarette prices made up of taxes and overall smoking prevalence. It notes that countries with higher tobacco tax shares do not necessarily have lower smoking rates.

The assessment also draws attention to concerns raised in previous international publications about using tax incidence as the main measure of progress in tobacco control.

A WHO publication cited in the assessment has previously noted that the tax share of cigarette retail prices is not, by itself, a reliable indicator of success in reducing tobacco consumption.

Instead, the publication highlights the actual retail price of cigarettes as a more important factor influencing purchasing decisions and smoking behaviour.

The WHO's Technical Manual on Tobacco Taxation also acknowledges that a high tax share alone does not guarantee the effectiveness of policies intended to reduce tobacco demand.

Against this backdrop, Sri Lanka's position in global cigarette pricing highlights the importance of considering consumer purchasing power when developing and evaluating tobacco taxation policies.

The Oxford Economics assessment argues that countries should evaluate the effectiveness of their tobacco taxes by examining actual cigarette prices, affordability and smoking prevalence rather than relying exclusively on a predetermined tax percentage.

While recognising taxation as an important tool in controlling tobacco consumption, the report emphasises that national economic conditions should play a central role in determining appropriate taxation strategies.

The government has initiated a programme to develop the country and provide benefits to the public within a short period of just two years since assuming power, Minister Samantha Vidyarathna said.

However, he pointed out that during the tenure of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the then government advised waiting until the year 2048 for national development activities.

He said that in 2026, measures are underway to increase nutritional aid, raise Mahapola university scholarships, provide cultivation assistance, expand coconut cultivation, as well as create new jobs and increase salaries.

The Minister alleged that individuals who engaged in corruption, drug trafficking, and those involved in illegal activities dislike these changes occurring in the country, adding that such elements are levelling various criticisms against the government.

Requesting the public not to be misled by false propaganda carried out against the government across certain media and social media platforms, the Minister appealed to the public for their support to successfully execute this programme aimed at building a beautiful country for future children.

He emphasised that since only about two years have elapsed for the young government, a far greater volume of work will be accomplished within the country by the end of its five-year term.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has arrived in Antigua and Barbuda to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026.

The Prime Minister arrived at V. C. Bird International Airport today (02), where she was welcomed by Michael Joseph, Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, according to the Prime Minister's Office.

During her visit, Dr. Amarasuriya is also scheduled to attend the Commonwealth Women's Forum, the statement added.

Sri Lanka has reached a stage where it can successfully conclude the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme by next year, Professor Seetha Bandara of the Department of Economics at the University of Kelaniya said.

Addressing the national convention of the ruling National People's Power (NPP) affiliated National Intellectual Organization, she said that the country has currently managed to maintain a positive economic growth rate of 5 per cent while driving foreign remittances beyond USD 8 billion.

She pointed out that the present government inherited an economy akin to a patient in an intensive care unit, struggling to import essential food and medicines or even secure a week's supply of fuel, but has now built foreign reserves past USD 7 billion.

Expressing views on the role of the National Intellectual Organization following the election of the government, she said that supporting the government does not mean rubber stamping every official decision.

Prof. Bandara emphasised that while endorsing correct policies, actively intervening to rectify erroneous decisions remains a historic responsibility of the academic and intellectual community.

Noting that the only group in the world possessing expert knowledge is within the National Intellectual Organization and that the unique and deep knowledge possessed by those intellectuals should not be limited merely to academic research papers, books, or lecture halls, she pointed out that this expert knowledge should be directly applied practically for state governance and policy formulation.

She added that although not every member can enter Parliament, intellectuals from the organization are actively guiding the state machinery onto the right trajectory through roles in Parliament as well as chairpersons and board members of public institutions.

A SriLankan Airlines aircraft arriving from Melbourne, Australia, made an emergency landing at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) last night (01) after smoke was detected in its cargo hold.

However, the aircraft landed safely without any injuries or damage, SriLankan Airlines Head of Corporate Communications Deepal Perera confirmed.

The flight, UL 605, arrived at approximately 10.38 p.m., with the incident being reported around 15 minutes before its scheduled landing.

Upon detecting the smoke, the pilot immediately informed the airport's operations control centre, prompting authorities to activate emergency response procedures.

Fire engines, medical teams, rescue personnel and ambulances were placed on standby at the airport. Nearby hospitals were also alerted to ensure they were prepared to respond if necessary.

The aircraft, an Airbus A330 wide-body jet, was carrying 258 passengers and 15 crew members at the time of the incident.

Subsequent inspections found that the smoke had originated from dry ice, or solid carbon dioxide, used to preserve a consignment of meat transported in the cargo hold.

Perera further stated that the aircraft underwent additional safety inspections before departing from BIA for another destination this morning (02).

The government has not yet made a decision regarding the sale or transfer of the Eastern Container Terminal at the Colombo Port, said Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation.

He made these remarks in response to questions from journalists concerning media reports suggesting plans for the privatization of the facility.

With an annual revenue nearing USD 200 million, critical strategic institutions like these are expected to be safeguarded by the current government, raising questions among reporters about the government's commitment to maintaining control over such lucrative assets.

Addressing these inquiries, Rathnayake clarified that as he is not the Minister directly overseeing port operations, detailed statements about administrative matters should ideally come from the relevant authority.

Nonetheless, he assured that no decision has been taken by the government regarding the privatization of the terminal.

"The Eastern Terminal is a highly valuable national asset. Managing it entails significant responsibility. It’s pertinent to recognize that the port industry is one of the most competitive sectors globally, which demands modern technology. However, the government has yet to make any decisions regarding the privatization of this terminal. I am unsure how such news reaches the media," he added.

Highlighting the potential for misinformation stemming from misleading reports, Rathnayake pointed out that it is imperative for the media to fulfill its primary responsibility of conveying accurate information to the public.

Sri Lanka’s 17 October nationwide blackout has opened another troubling chapter in the country’s electricity-sector crisis, shifting attention from the immediate technical failure to the financial consequences, emergency power procurement and accountability of institutions responsible for protecting the national electricity supply.

While the government has assured consumers that electricity tariffs will not increase during the final quarter of 2026, the wider economic costs of the breakdown remain a matter requiring public scrutiny.

The preliminary investigation by the National System Operator, submitted to the Public Utilities Commission on October 31, identifies the sudden collapse of Norochcholai Lakvijaya Unit 1 as the immediate cause of the nationwide outage. The unit’s generation fell from 187MW to just 5MW within 450 milliseconds because of a critically low boiler drum-water level.

The resulting frequency instability triggered the disconnection of major generating stations, leaving millions of consumers without electricity. However, the financial consequences extended well beyond the hours of darkness.

When Norochcholai’s generating capacity becomes unavailable, the Ceylon Electricity Board must depend more heavily on alternative thermal and diesel-based generation to maintain supply. These emergency arrangements can be substantially more expensive than electricity generated by coal, hydropower or renewable sources under normal operating conditions.

For an economy still struggling with public debt, fiscal constraints and pressure to reduce state-enterprise losses, repeated dependence on emergency electricity purchases could create additional financial liabilities.

The controversy is particularly significant because Sri Lanka has previously experienced allegations that private power suppliers benefited financially from electricity shortages and emergency procurement arrangements. Such allegations should not automatically be treated as evidence of deliberate sabotage. Nevertheless, the circumstances surrounding emergency purchases demand transparent disclosure.

The CEB should publish the quantities of emergency electricity purchased, contractual prices, suppliers selected, procurement procedures and the additional costs incurred following the October 17 incident. The public also deserves to know whether competitive procurement was possible under the circumstances and whether existing standby-generation agreements offered value for money.

Another unresolved issue concerns the government's renewable-energy strategy. The Energy Minister attributed part of the grid instability to approximately 1,700MW of rooftop solar generation operating without adequate monitoring and control arrangements. Yet expanding renewable energy without simultaneously investing in grid-management technology, battery storage and frequency regulation raises questions about planning priorities.

The October 30 trip involving Norochcholai Unit 3, which forced Stage III load shedding, reinforces concerns about the financial and operational risks associated with excessive dependence on a limited number of large generating stations.

Meanwhile, the Minister has rejected opposition allegations that substandard coal from earlier procurement arrangements caused the breakdown, maintaining that previous coal stocks had been exhausted by early September. This explanation makes an independently verified examination of coal quality, procurement records, plant maintenance and equipment performance particularly important.

The government's assurance that consumers will not face immediate tariff increases does not eliminate the underlying economic burden. Financial liabilities absorbed by the CEB or Treasury will eventually affect taxpayers through expanded state expenditure, accumulated utility losses, or reduced public investment capacity.

Sri Lanka therefore requires a comprehensive financial audit alongside its technical investigation. Parliament, the Public Utilities Commission, and the Auditor General must examine all emergency expenditures, plant maintenance decisions, and financial exposure arising from repeated grid failures.

The October blackout cannot become another episode where consumers receive technical explanations while institutions avoid scrutiny. Electricity security remains a national economic priority, and every rupee spent recovering from preventable failures ultimately comes out of the public purse.