News

The newly appointed members of the Audit Service Commission have been sworn in on Sunday (April 09), before Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, the Speaker of the Parliament.

The Auditor General is appointed as the ex-officio Chairman to the Commission and accordingly, Mr.W.P.C. Wickramaratne has taken oath in the said position.

Furthermore, Retired Justice Nihal Sunil Rajapaksa, Mrs. Nandaseeli Godakanda, Mr. Gnananantharajah Thevagnanan, Mr. A M Dharmajith Nayanakantha also took oath as members to the Commission, the Department of Communications of the parliament announced.

Representatives of the World Bank have commended Sri Lanka’s Development Policy Operational Program, for the remarkable progress it has achieved in advancing its development objectives, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.

During the final discussion in a series held with the World Bank representatives on Sri Lanka’s Development Policy Operational Program, the attendees discussed the next steps to complete the island nation’s development policy operational pre-actions, such as the establishment of the Parliamentary Budget Office, restructuring of state-owned enterprises, welfare benefit payment systems, social registry, and their respective timelines.

The discussion was held this morning (06 April) at the Presidential Secretariat, under the chairmanship of Sagala Ratnayake, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff.

Ratnayake also commended the World Bank for their contribution to Sri Lanka’s development policy operations and expressed his hope for everyone’s support in making the program a success.

The event was attended by World Bank representatives, including Mrs. Chiyo Kanda, the Country Manager, and the President’s Senior Adviser on Economic Affairs, Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, as well as several other officials.

May the Easter celebration bless the country, with wisdom, positivity and spiritual strength to overcome all its challenges, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said in his message for Easter Sunday today (09).

Full statement:

Easter Sunday celebrates the ability of Lord Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, to transform lives by dispelling darkness in people’s minds and bringing hope to the world.

With Easter commemorating the resurrection of Jesus, it is an occasion for us to reflect on the values of love, peace, and forgiveness as espoused by Him, which are at the core of Sri Lankan culture, and we must come together with family, friends and communities, to solemnize the blessings life has to offer.

We are presently seeking to overcome an era of unprecedented hardship, uncertainty and disappointment and are looking forward to a better tomorrow. The Government is dedicated to realizing the aspirations of all Sri Lankans regardless of race, religion, party or color. I strongly believe that we can overcome these challenges in the near future.

However, it is crucial that we all unite on a common agenda that elevates us beyond narrow political objectives and regressive trends, and instead paving the way for the country toward progress. Let us all unite and work for a brighter future for Sri Lanka.

I am very much aware of the extreme pain caused by the Easter Sunday attack being still fresh in your minds, and I share that pain. I wish to reassure you that the legal proceedings related to this tragic incident are being processed independently and impartially, without any influence. The necessary groundwork towards this end has been laid, to ensure justice for all the victims. I pledge my unwavering commitment to ensuring the security of our country, by preventing any recurrence of such heinous acts.

As we continue to face these challenges, let us draw strength from the spirit of Easter, and its message of hope and renewal.

May the Easter celebration bless the country, with wisdom, positivity and spiritual strength to overcome all its challenges. I extend my heartfelt wishes to all those who are celebrating the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, a meaningful and peaceful Easter.

Ranil Wickremesinghe

President

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Retired Senior Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) Officer Sanath Jayantha Ediriweera has been appointed as the Chairman of the Public Service Commission.

Accordingly, Ediriweera and six other commission members were appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (06 April), after the recommendations of the Constitutional Council were approved.

Sri Lanka's first female professor of medicine Emeritus Professor Priyani Soysa died on friday (7).

Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Colombo Prof. Soysa was 97 years old at the time of her demise.

She is remembered for creating opportunities for mothers to stay with their children at children's wards, working to provide maternity leave for mothers up to three months, formulating the national policy on breast feeding, actively working on the polio eradication programme as well as children's nutrition.

Prof. Priyani Soysa's remains will lie at a private funeral parlor in Borella from Sunday (9) before being laid to rest at the Borella cemetery on Monday at 5pm.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today rejected a private complaint filed against former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Ajith Nivard Cabraal.

The private complaint had been filed against Cabraal over the alleged misappropriation of government funds.

The court rejected the private complaint after taking into consideration the preliminary objection filed by Cabraal’s lawyer.

Issuing the verdict, the court said the complainant had failed to provide sufficient evidence against the accused and therefore is rejecting the complaint.

The private complaint was filed by former Governor of the Southern and Central Provinces, Rajith Keerthi Thennakoon accusing Ajith Nivard Cabraal of allegedly misusing state funds during his tenure as the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka from 2006 to 2015.

80% of the school children's uniform requirement has been distributed, said the Ministry of Education.

A senior official said that the remaining 20% will be distributed before the end of this month.

Under the first phase, 70% of the material received from China to Sri Lanka have been distributed in the North, East, Central and North-Western provinces.

In the second phase, 30% of the material will be distributed to cover the rest of the 05 provinces.

Uniforms are to be distributed to 4.1 million school students and student monks.

A decision has been taken to suspend the licences of 40 fuel stations that have continuously not adhered to the National Fuel Pass QR quotas, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said on Thursday (06).

Minister Wijesekera said the decision was taken during a progress review meeting held with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) management and officers this morning.

He further stated that it was also decided that all fuel stations will be required to maintain a minimum of 50% of stock tank capacity.

The minister added that GPS tracking systems will be fixed to all CPC-owned fuel tankers by 15th April and will be thereafter implemented for all private tankers as well.

The outgoing South Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka Woonjin Jeong called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the President's Office on Thursday (06).

Woonjin Jeong who officially announced his end of term in Sri Lanka, engaged in a friendly discussion with the President.

President Wickremesinghe thanked the South Korean Ambassador for his service rendered to Sri Lanka during his tenure and wished him success in all his future undertakings.

Senior Adviser to the President on Climate Change Ruwan Wijewardene was also present during this occasion.

Woonjin Jeong has been serving as the South Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka since July 2, 2020.

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) annual flagship economic publication, the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2023, forecasts Sri Lanka’s economy to contract further in 2023 before it begins a gradual recovery in 2024, as the country navigates an unprecedented economic crisis.

The economy contracted by 7.8% in 2022 and is forecast to contract by 3% in 2023 as it continues to grapple with the challenge of debt restructuring and balance of payments difficulties.

Reform measures, such as the reversal of the tax cuts of 2019, and the recent approval of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Extended Fund Facility arrangement will support the country’s efforts to stabilize its economy.

Sri Lanka’s recovery from the crisis hinges on timely progress on debt relief and steadfast implementation of reforms.

Sri Lanka entered the crisis on a weak footing as pre-pandemic macroeconomic vulnerabilities, policy missteps, and shocks left the country with thin buffers on the eve of the pandemic.

In 2022, foreign currency scarcity led to shortages of essentials and triggered an acute energy crisis with prolonged power cuts and transport bottlenecks due to lack of fuel, which Sri Lanka needs to import. Inflation soared and eroded living standards, pushing many into poverty. The economic crisis has impacted the poor and vulnerable disproportionally.

“Sri Lanka has a long road to recovery, and it will be critical to ensure the poor and vulnerable are protected,” said Deputy Country Director for Sri Lanka Utsav Kumar. “It is imperative that the country address the root causes of internal and external imbalances, for which an unwavering commitment to reforms is essential.”

The needed reforms include enhancing domestic resource mobilization, improving the performance of state-owned enterprises to reduce their fiscal burden, strengthening public financial management, and encouraging private sector activities through harmonizing trade and investment policies. Improving governance and accountability mechanisms, such as strengthening anticorruption legislation, building strong institutions, and increasing transparency, will also be essential to address Sri Lanka’s economic vulnerability.

Tabling the anti-terrorism bill in parliament has been postponed, said minister of justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

The decision has been taken in view of the requests made by MPs, lawyers and civil society organizations with regard to the draft bill, he said.

Accordingly, it will likely be presented to parliament at the end of April.

There is opposition to the draft bill as being antidemocratic.

Premier Dinesh Gunawardena has said it would be passed in parliament this month.

The Ceylon Restaurant Owner's Association has decided to reduce the prices of several products, following the LP Gas price revision that came in to effect from midnight on Tuesday (4).

Accordingly, the prices of Fried Rice, Rice and Curry, and Kottu will be reduced by 20%.

The Chairman of the Ceylon Restaurant Owner's Association Asela Sampath said that a packet of Fried Rice, Rice and Curry, and Kottu sold for Rs. 500/- will be reduced by Rs. 100/-.

In addition, the price of a Plain Tea will be reduced by Rs. 10/- to Rs. 30/-.

The price of a cup of Milk Tea will be fixed at Rs. 90/-.

The Chairman of the Ceylon Restaurant Owner's Association Asela Sampath said that it is not possible to reduce the prices of other products until bakeries are provided with eggs at a cost of Rs. 35/- per egg.