News

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has announced that there are currently no plans to discontinue the QR code-based fuel quota system, citing continued uncertainty in the global fuel market.

CPC Managing Director Mayura Neththikumarage said the system will remain in operation as it plays an important role in managing fuel supplies and protecting the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

He explained that maintaining the QR-based system would help prevent a possible return of fuel queues and the difficulties experienced by the public, particularly if ongoing global conflicts lead to further disruptions.

Neththikumarage said the recent escalation of international conflicts has not affected Sri Lanka’s fuel supply network. However, he added that the CPC is closely monitoring global developments, including possible impacts on fuel prices.

The CPC will continue to assess the global situation while maintaining measures aimed at ensuring a stable fuel supply within the country.

Sri Lanka is actively considering the implementation of a property tax to boost state revenue, following explicit directives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Sources indicate that the introduction of this wealth tax has become a focal point of recent fiscal discussions in Colombo as the government scrambles to meet its revenue targets.

Although the global lender has recommended the introduction of a property tax on several previous occasions, both the past government and the current government have repeatedly deferred its implementation.

The highly sensitive tax has faced continuous delays due to its potential unpopularity and administrative complexities, with successive regimes pushing back timelines from time to time.

However, the room for political maneuvering appears to have run out.

Reports suggest that the Washington based lender has now firmly emphasised that this property tax must be officially enacted to broaden the state revenue base before the next crucial loan tranche can be released to Sri Lanka.

While the government has not yet taken a final decision regarding the exact framework or thresholds of this tax system, the government is running out of options under the current economic bailout programme.

The Public Health Inspectors’ (PHI) Union of Sri Lanka has announced that legal action will be taken against individuals found selling smokeless tobacco leaves together with betel quids.

Acting President of the PHI Union Upul Rohana said the relevant laws will be enforced under the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act, No. 27 of 2006.

Speaking to the media, Rohana stated that the sale of smokeless tobacco leaves has been completely prohibited in Sri Lanka under the First Schedule of the Gazette notification issued in September 2016.

He emphasized that the move is aimed at protecting public health, particularly in reducing the risk of oral cancer, rather than creating difficulties for betel quid vendors.

According to the PHI Union, Sri Lanka records between 1,750 and 1,900 oral cancer cases annually. The union said stronger enforcement of existing legal provisions is necessary to help reduce the prevalence of the disease.

Rohana warned that individuals who continue to sell smokeless tobacco leaves with betel quids will face legal action. Under the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act, those convicted by a Magistrate’s Court may be fined Rs. 2,000, face imprisonment of up to six months, or receive both penalties.

He noted that due to long-standing cultural practices, enforcement of the law had not been strict in the past, with authorities focusing mainly on awareness programmes.

However, Rohana said sufficient time has now been provided for the public to move away from these practices, and the relevant legal provisions will be implemented more strictly in the future.

He further clarified that the sale of smoking tobacco leaves remains permitted under the current legal framework.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has condemned prison authorities after its officers were blocked from entering Welikada Prison earlier this month.

The rights watchdog declared that the denial of access directly violated the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Act, which legally empowers its officials to inspect places of detention at any time without prior notice.

Prison officials met with the HRCSL on 14 July under the chairmanship of Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya to explain the incident, which occurred on July 07, 2026.

The authorities expressed regret for failing to communicate properly and blamed the standoff on an unstable security situation within the prison complex.

However, the HRCSL firmly rejected the explanation, stating it was completely unsatisfied with the reasons provided by the prison administration.

The commission raised severe concerns regarding the treatment of inmates recently transferred to Welikada following violence at Negombo Prison.

It highlighted alarming allegations of torture, the denial of necessary medical treatment, and lengthy delays in informing families where the prisoners had been moved.

Furthermore, the HRCSL discovered that several prisoners were still being held behind bars despite having already completed their sentences.

Welikada Prison authorities have now been ordered to cooperate fully with a comprehensive investigation into allegations of torture, ill-treatment, and deaths in custody.

The commission has issued immediate directives demanding that prison authorities respect its statutory right to inspect prisons, halt all reprisals against transferred inmates, notify families of prisoner locations, and immediately release those who have served their time.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said that the vast majority of the country's farming community, numbering in the millions, placed their trust in President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) because they had claimed on election stages that only they understood the pulse of the farmer.

He said that despite claims that numerous relief measures never before given in history would be provided to the farming community, those promised reliefs remained non existent.

The Opposition Leader made these remarks while addressing a public gathering held in Weerawila, Hambantota, yesterday (16), to look into the grievances of the farming community.

Escalating production costs and delayed subsidies

Premadasa said that 30%-40% of the country was impoverished and that this government had driven farmers into poverty.

He said farmers had been impoverished due to the harassment and policies directed at them, pointing out that high quality seed paddy, fertiliser and agrochemicals were not available at affordable prices.

He further revealed that even the fertiliser subsidy was received only after cultivation activities had concluded, and said the farmer had been left destitute due to the importing of substandard fuel, fertiliser and agrochemicals into the country.

He added that instead of the harvest increasing, expenditure had risen, and the prices of agricultural equipment had also escalated sharply.

Policy failures and media suppression

Premadasa said that just as there were no solutions to the human elephant conflict, the irrigation rehabilitation programme too had not been properly implemented.

He remarked that after gaining power, the Agriculture Minister was now pointing fingers at journalists, and said there was today no space either in Parliament or in the media to raise questions on behalf of the farmer.

He added that the farming community had been rendered absolutely helpless due to the government's inability to implement a properly managed agricultural policy.

The Supreme Court has fixed October 30, 2026, to consider a Fundamental Rights petition accusing the government of failing to implement adequate pre-disaster measures ahead of Cyclone Ditwah.

The petition seeks a formal declaration that the state's inaction violated the fundamental rights of the general public.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Janak de Silva and Achala Wengappuli scheduled the hearing after taking up the petition, which was filed by an attorney from Kandy.

The Attorney General, acting on behalf of the President, has been named as a respondent alongside members of the Cabinet of Ministers and several other state officials.

The petitioner contends that the state failed to act despite advance warnings issued by the Department of Meteorology regarding the impending storm.

The lawsuit argues that the administration neglected to put proper contingency plans in place to protect citizens and minimise the widespread damage caused by the natural disaster.

The petitioner has asked the Supreme Court to intervene by ordering the government to take proactive steps for future events.

The motion requests a court directive forcing the state to formulate and implement comprehensive guidelines aimed at preventing or reducing the impact of similar natural disasters.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian S.M. Marikkar says the government is hiding behind International Monetary Fund mandates while mismanaging the national currency and failing to prevent a massacre at Negombo Prison.

The opposition lawmaker firmly rejected the government's official narrative that the sharp depreciation of the rupee is a positive development for the export sector.

While acknowledging that exporters earn more in local currency terms during a depreciation, Marikkar stressed that this argument ignores the structural realities of the country's import-dependent economy.

Because the nation relies heavily on foreign imports for essentials like fuel, medicine, and food, a weaker rupee causes massive economic losses, inflates the trade deficit, and drastically increases the number of dollars required to service foreign debt.

He stated that the country desperately requires a proper, structured programme to manage its dollar earnings rather than letting the currency slide.

He dismissed the government’s attempts to blame the IMF for soaring prices and high taxes.

He remarked that IMF principles are not rocket science, explaining that the lender merely acts like a standard commercial bank assessing a borrower's ability to repay.

He said that the stringent conditions, high taxes, and price hikes are a direct consequence of the government's failure to expand the national income base. According to the opposition legislator, the government has failed to introduce effective measures to boost dollar inflows or create new investment opportunities, choosing instead to blindly follow external instructions.

Marikkar also addressed the recent fatal unrest at Negombo Prison, labelling the tragedy a massacre that occurred because authorities completely failed to control the situation.

He highlighted that out of approximately 2,400 inmates held at the facility, only a small faction was involved in the disturbance. Reminding the current leaders that they held the state strictly accountable for past prison riots when they were in opposition, he insisted that the government bears total responsibility for the safety of individuals in its custody.

He said that the opposition is not only raising the issue in Parliament but is also actively moving a no-confidence motion against the Minister of Justice.

The Fort Magistrate yesterday (15) ordered Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) to release copies of the email data system belonging to the Public Debt Management Department to assist an ongoing investigation into a massive financial fraud.

The high profile probe concerns the fraudulent disposal of USD 2.5 million of government funds from the Sri Lanka Treasury.

Magistrate Pasan Amarasinghe issued the directive following a motion filed in the Fort Magistrate Court by the Criminal Investigation Department.

The investigators requested the specific data copies held by the telecom provider to expand their inquiry into the missing state funds.

The court heard that detectives have already forwarded hard drives containing sixteen terabytes of retrieved computer data to the University of Colombo for detailed analysis.

The newly requested email logs will be handed directly to a specialised technical committee appointed under the university to trace the fraudulent transactions.

Representatives from the CID emphasised to the court that obtaining these specific email records is absolutely essential for the extensive investigations currently underway.

A 41-year-old man from Pitipana, Homagama, has been found to have been brutally murdered after his body was discovered in a canal in the Galagahena area of Homagama.

A post-mortem examination conducted at the Homagama Base Hospital following a Magistrate’s inquest revealed that the victim died due to severe injuries caused by his throat being slit.

Police identified the deceased as a resident of Pitipana who was employed at a garment factory while also working part-time as a motorcycle taxi driver through a ride-hailing application.

According to police, the victim had left his residence at around 7.00 p.m. on July 15 to transport a passenger on his motorcycle. His body was later discovered in a canal in the Galagahena area early the following morning.

Investigators suspect that the murder may have taken place on a plot of auctioned land near the location where the body was found. Police believe the assailants fled after stealing the victim’s motorcycle, gold necklace, mobile phone and wallet.

A pair of shoes and a Rs. 20 currency note believed to have belonged to the deceased were recovered from the suspected crime scene, according to police.

The suspects involved in the killing have not yet been identified. The Homagama Police are continuing investigations to identify and arrest those responsible.

The escalating military tensions in the Middle East have caused a significant surge in global oil prices, raising alarms about the potential adverse effects on the Sri Lankan economy.

Currently, Brent crude oil prices have risen to around USD 85 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude is reported at USD 80 per barrel.

This continuous rise in oil prices on the world market poses ongoing challenges for national economic stability, suggesting a clear need for proactive measures to safeguard against future repercussions.

To mitigate these severe impacts, economic analysts emphasize the urgent need for the country to adjust local fuel prices in line with international market trends.

They stress that such changes are vital to protect the country from broader economic shocks that usually follow global energy crises.

Highlighting these concerns, economic analyst Dhananath Fernando disclosed that previous bouts of unrest in the Middle East have already imposed severe challenges on the nation’s economy.

He cautioned that the risk of a repeat situation remains high under the current global climate.

He further noted that despite the potential unpopularity of such a move, aligning local fuel prices with global rates is absolutely essential for economic stability.

According to his assessment, taking proactive steps now is the only way to prevent international shocks from destabilising domestic markets.

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) C.D. Wickramaratne has died at the age of 63, with police reporting that the incident is being investigated as a suspected suicide.

Police Spokesperson Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) F.U. Wootler confirmed that Wickramaratne was found at his residence in Thalahena with a fatal gunshot wound caused by his service firearm.

His remains have been transferred to the Mulleriyawa Hospital, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death are being carried out by the Malabe Police.

Wickramaratne served as the 35th Inspector General of Police of Sri Lanka, following a long career in the police service that began in 1986 when he joined the force as a Probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police.

A graduate of the University of Colombo and the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Wickramaratne held several senior positions during his decades-long career before taking over as the country’s top police officer.

He was appointed Acting Inspector General of Police on April 28, 2019, a position he held for more than a year before being formally appointed as IGP on November 28, 2020.

Wickramaratne served as Inspector General of Police until his retirement on November 27, 2023.

Further details regarding the incident are expected as police continue their investigations.

The Court of Appeal has announced that it will deliver its decision on July 23, 2026, regarding whether to grant leave to proceed with a petition seeking the postponement of the upcoming 2026 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) Examination.

The petition was filed by a group of students preparing to sit for the examination, requesting the court to issue an order to delay the scheduled examination.

After considering submissions made by the petitioners and representatives of the Attorney General’s Department, the Court of Appeal bench decided to announce its decision on whether the petition can proceed on July 23.

The court’s forthcoming decision will determine whether further proceedings will be permitted in relation to the request to postpone the examination.