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A suspect who was arrested at Katunayake Airport has fled police custody.

The suspect was arrested when he arrived at Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to fly out to Dubai under a fake name, and later, he had escaped from police custody there.

It has been revealed that the suspect was involved in several crimes including murders and that an overseas travel ban was previously imposed on him.

Police Media Spokesperson, SSP Nihal Thalduwa mentioned that investigations have been initiated in order to arrest the suspect.

Japan has decided to provide humanitarian grant assistance of USD 46 million to Sri Lanka, the Japanese Embassy in Colombo announced on Wednesday (22).

The Japanese Embassy stated that the grant assistance is being offered to provide fuel for all public hospitals, ambulances, and medical transport vehicles in Sri Lanka.

The Embassy further stated that Japan’s total grant assistance to Sri Lanka for the year 2022 amounts to USD 104 million, the highest grant in its history.

SJB lawmaker Mayantha Dissanayake, who was appointed as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (COPF) has decided to resign from the post.

The general secretary of the SJB, MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that Dissanayake had informed him about his decision to step down.

Dissanayake is expected to officially step down COPF chair after informing Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena of his decision in writing.

Acknowledging that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the only institution that can support a struggling country like Sri Lanka, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he is willing to provide the opportunity to submit any alternative proposals to the government's program to the IMF.

He revealed this during a meeting with businessmen and lawyers in the Kandy district yesterday (20).

While praising the current government's economic program which has helped reduce recent economic difficulties, President Wickremesinghe criticized political parties for playing games and lying to the people without presenting their proposals.

Expressing his views further, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said,

This meeting was convened today aimed at providing clarity on the current economic situation of our country and solicit views and suggestions on the steps to be taken towards recovery. We are currently facing a difficult situation. The collapse of the economy of a home affects the people living in it. The same holds true for the collapse of a business. However, when a country's economy collapses, the effects are felt by the entire population.

We faced this situation eleven months ago. We had no fuel, electricity or medicine. We faced a very difficult situation as a country. The country's economy came to a complete halt.

Upon assuming the presidency, I encountered a challenging situation in the country. However, we devised a sound economic plan and implemented it, which has helped us overcome the difficulties. Additionally, we provided necessary fertilizers to the farmers in a timely manner, resulting in a bountiful harvest this Maha season.

Currently, the issue of fuel queues has been resolved and there is an uninterrupted supply of electricity. As a result, we are making gradual progress towards improving the country's economy beyond its previous state. However, it's important to note that there are still other issues that need to be addressed.

Currently, inflation is high. The interest rates are extremely high. Therefore, we are aware of the challenges the business community is facing. Lawyers also have to face problems in carrying out their work in the field. It must be acknowledged that we have offered solutions to many of the nation's fundamental issues. We also have a lot of other issues to deal with.

When a country goes bankrupt, it has to go to the International Monetary Fund. Apart from that, there is no other organization in the world that provides aid when a country goes bankrupt. Each nation that experienced an economic catastrophe recovered after engaging in negotiations with the IMF. It took Greece 13 years to recover from the collapsed economy. I have no hope of being President for thirteen years.

There is only one way to rebuild this collapsed economy. That is the International Monetary Fund. Different political parties are presenting different stories. I suggested to them to let me know if there is another way to resurrect the collapsed economy.

The International Monetary Fund indicates that our tax revenue should be 15% of the Gross Domestic Product as it was in 2019. So far it has gone down to 09%. They have asked us how we expect to get assistance from money collected from the people of other countries as taxes, while we are giving tax relief to our people.

Therefore, we are prepared to allow those who oppose our policies to meet with the International Monetary Fund and submit proposals. It remains to be seen whether the International Monetary Fund will accept those proposals.

The government started negotiations with the IMF last August. Accordingly, it was possible to agree on the staff level agreement in September. They assigned us fifteen tasks to complete. The IMF gave us until December 31 to implement it. But we couldn't do it on that particular day.

Then we made plans to get time until January 31st. Even at that time, we were unable to complete those 15 points. Finally, the deadline was pushed back to February 15. By 6 pm on February 15, we completed all that was expected of us and sent them to Washington.

Only one of these fifteen issues was being delayed. It is related to the increase in electricity tariffs. The Electricity Board incurs Rs.230 billion each year in losses. According to the IMF, government taxes should not be used to support institutions. It was informed that if this occurs, the International Monetary Fund will not provide assistance.

However, one person in this country opposed the decision to increase the electricity tariff. As a result, receiving assistance from the IMF was delayed by six weeks. Alternatively, we could have completed this by the end of January. All 15 tasks assigned to us have been completed. Now is the up to the International Monetary Fund.

This is being discussed further. The IMF also suggested that everyone should get on one platform and discuss. However as China is a world power, their procedure is different.

On February 23, the Finance Ministers of the G20 countries are scheduled to hold a discussion in Bangalore, India.

During the meeting it is expected to look into how to restructure the debt of countries whose economies have collapsed. There, I hope to discuss the debt restructuring method of Sri Lanka with the Chinese Finance Minister. As per their stand, we have two or three options to implement.

If the IMF does not provide assistance, the people will have to endure a lot of difficulties due to the unavailability of fuel and 12-hour power cuts. Moreover, there will be a shortage of fertilizer for the Yala season.

The primary issue facing the country is its economic problem, and addressing it should be a top priority. Ignoring this problem will only result in it becoming more visible and challenging to overcome. Therefore, efforts should be made to work towards resolving the economic problem.

The upcoming election is not a means to change the government. The court is expected to make a decision on the date for the Local Government election.

However, the country's economic problem is not something that can be resolved through legal action, even if all judges, including the Chief Justice, are involved. The Parliament is responsible for addressing and improving the state of the economy. Therefore, it is essential for all 225 members of Parliament to come together and work towards a resolution that will help to recover the economy.

If required, even proposals put forth by political parties such as the Janatha Vimukti Peramuna, Samagi Balawegaya, Iran, and Harsha could be submitted to the IMF for assistance. Support could also be provided to facilitate this process. However, some political parties choose not to submit proposals and instead play political games by misleading the people on this matter.

The future of the country's youth is of utmost importance, and we cannot afford to take any chances with it. It is our responsibility to take all necessary action to build a stable and prosperous economy.

If anyone has alternative proposals that could help achieve this goal, I am open to discuss them and explore every possibility. In fact, I would like to offer the opportunity for these proposals to be presented to the heads of the IMF in Washington for further discussion and potential support. Together, we can work towards a better future for the country and its people.

I took over this country when nobody else was willing to step up. Despite the inevitable criticisms, I am committed to taking all necessary action to rebuild our economy. Our goal is to provide some relief to the people by the end of this year and begin our economic development plan at the start of next year. With a focused and sustained effort, we can build a strong and prosperous economy that benefits all citizens of our country.

The people have lost their trust in the 225 members of Parliament, irrespective of their political affiliation or whether they belong to the government or the opposition. It is crucial to make concerted efforts to regain the trust of the people, and this should be a top priority.

We are currently implementing a plan to recover from the economic crisis, and we are counting on your leadership in this regard. We are hopeful that, with collective effort, we can make significant progress and steer the country towards development again by 2024."

Meanwhile, Senior Adviser to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka informed the business community in attendance that the Cabinet has approved the disbursement of payments related to the construction sector, and a survey of these payments is expected to be conducted shortly.

"Once the survey is completed, any outstanding payments owed to builders will be promptly made. Payment methods will vary, with cash being used for some payments while others will be issued in bonds," he added.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced plans to make Sri Lanka a year-round tourist destination, with measures to be taken to promote the tourism sector.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the President made these comments during a meeting with businessmen from the tourism industry in the Galle District yesterday (23).

The PMD stated that the meeting was organized under the theme “Survival and Overcoming Challenges in the Tourism Industry.”

During the meeting, President Wickremesinghe acknowledged the challenges faced by those in the tourism sector due to the recent economic downturn but reassured the attendees that a planned program is being implemented to revitalize the sector.

The President outlined a program to attract over two million tourists to Sri Lanka, including those willing to spend $500 per day. To achieve this goal, a committee has been appointed to implement the plan as soon as possible.

In addition, President Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of better publicity for Sri Lanka to the world. He highlighted the recent Independence Day celebrations, which were held with pride to demonstrate that law and order have been stabilized in the country.

The President also noted that tourist numbers had dropped following the protests in May and June of last year. To attract tourists back to Sri Lanka, he emphasized the need to demonstrate that law and order has been restored in the country.

Overall, the meeting was seen as a positive step towards promoting tourism in Sri Lanka. The President’s commitment to the industry and his plans to revitalize the sector were welcomed by the attendees, who hope that this will lead to increased investment and growth in the sector.

Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Promotion Manusha Nanayakkara, Minister of Tourism and Lands Harin Fernando, State Minister Mohan Priyadarshana de Silva, State Minister Geeta Kumarasinghe, Members of Parliament Vajira Abeywardena, Sampath Athukorala, Southern Province Governor Dr. Willie Gamage, Galle District Governor Shantha Weerasinghe and other officials attended this event.

YouTuber Sepal Amarasinghe today (21) tendered an apology in open court over his disrespectful remarks on the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

After Amarasinghe apologized to the Mahanayake Theras, Buddhist community and complainant, Ven. Aguruwelle Jinananda Thera of the Buddhist Information Centre and others, Colombo chief magistrate Prasanna Alwis concluded the case.

Earlier, additional solicitor general Dileepa Peris, who appeared on behalf of the attorney general, said the case could be ended if the defendant Amarasinghe tendered an unconditional apology.

New Chairmen have been appointed to the Parliament Committees of Public Finance and Public Enterprises.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Mayantha Dissanayake has been appointed as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF).

He replaces former COPF Chairman and SJB Parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Prof. Ranjith Bandara has been appointed as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).

MP Ranjith Bandara defeated SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne in a vote (16 to 7) to be appointed as COPE Chairman.

Peacekeeping troops of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) on Thursday (16) formally presented a military salute and bid farewell to the late Lance Corporal M.G.L Deshapriya (42) of the 6 Sri Lanka Army Service Corps who had passed away on February 11 following a sudden cardiac arrest upon admission to the MINUSMA Bamako Level - 3 Hospital.

In conformity with UN traditions, MINUSMA troops presented a salute lowering flags and honoured their comrade during the formal military parade before floral tributes were made to the coffin, draped in the UN flag by Daniela Kroslak, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and Deputy Chief of MINUSMA Operations in the presence of a gathering of MINUSMA Officers and Other Ranks, including the Commanding Officer of the Sri Lankan Combat Convoy Company (CCC) of the MINUSMA.

The remains of late Lance Corporal M.G.L Deshapriya (42), a father of two children, resident in Medawachchiya is to be brought to Sri Lanka shortly for final funeral arrangements.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament today (23) that he had sent a message to SJB’s Mujibur Rahman not to resign from his parliamentary seat to run for Colombo mayor.

“I am the one who brought MP Mujibur Rahman to politics. Therefore, I sent him a message not to resign from parliament.”

“Now, some say I postponed the election. I am asking them if there is an election to postpone.”

“The opposition called for a debate not on essential services, but about a postponement of the election. The election has not been postponed. There is no election to postpone.”

“I am not in this debate. I said previously too that I do not want politics involved.”

“The Election Commission too, has gone to court over this election and says it cannot be held. I thought of speaking a few words because of that affidavit given,” the president added.

Army and police personnel have been deployed around the premises of the Department of Government Printing (Government Press) in Borella to provide special security.

Accordingly, a special battalion consisting of nearly 100 army personnel and nearly 50 police personnel has been deployed around the premises.

During an event held this morning (22) at Royal College, Colombo, President Ranil Wickremesinghe urged all citizens, including politicians, professionals, teachers, those engaged in agriculture, the business community, and members of the security forces, police and civil servants, to work together to overcome the current economic crisis and promote reconciliation efforts.

The event was held to honour President Wickremesinghe, who is an alumnus of Royal College. The President called upon the present generation of Royalists to dedicate themselves to serving the country and transforming it into a place where they would like to reside. He urged young Royalists to take up the challenge and shape the future of the nation.

President Wickremesinghe also highlighted that Royalists are trained to live in harmony with all races and religions, emphasizing that the country cannot be divided on the basis of race or religion. He invited all politicians who are also Royalists to collaborate with the government in its efforts to revive the country’s failing economy, emphasizing that it was not a political invitation, but rather a call for a collective effort to address the economic crisis.

The statement made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe is as follows:

“I have come here on the invitation of the Prefects of Royal College to address you. I know that you’re going to stand in the sun. I won’t make my speech long. I myself have stood in the sun like this and said when they will shut up so we can go back to the classroom. And I don’t want that to happen to me. Knowing that the Prime Minister has already said that he will not speak, but he will be the Chief Guest at the prize giving, where you will be under a hall.

Before I start to say a few words, I must thank the principals who moulded me and the Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. Mr Disa Bandaranayake, Mr H.D. Sugathapala, headmasters of the Royal Primary, Mr Dudley Silva and Mr Bogoda Premanath. We must thank them for all the influence that they and the other masters and lady teachers had on us in moulding our character.

I must also thank another member of the former Royal College Union Council, Mr Dian Pieris, who, together with me, stood up to save the name of Royal College and for all the other members of the Council who supported us. Otherwise, you would have had another name. But we honoured the intention that the country must have a school named after the President.

President Jayawardene in 1978 inaugurated the President’s college in Sri Jayawardhanapura, Kote, the new capital. I come here together with the Prime Minister to address you while we have also established another achievement of Royal College, where the President and the Prime Minister are from the same school and from the same class.

Royal’s history in politics goes back to about 1860 onwards. A few years after the Colombo Academy started when some of its outstanding students became members of the Legislative Council. They are, as you see in some of their portraits, C. A. Lorenz, and James De Alvis both of who wanted more power in the council. Sir Richard Morgan, the first Asian to be knighted, member of the Executive Committee, acting Attorney General and also Acting Chief Justice and Sir Muthukumarasami. The four of them dominated the politics of Ceylon for the first few years of our modern history. We have Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan the first member to be elected by the Sri Lankans. His opposing candidate who lost, Sir Marcus Fernando was also a Royalist. It was a question of deciding which Royalists you are going to vote for.

1915 was the turning point in our history when we decided after the 1915 riots that we will become an independent nation. It was Henry Pedris, a young old boy from this school who was executed by the British and we started the whole campaign. Sir Ponnamabam Rahmanathan pleaded for him in the legislative council, since he was also a Royalist. E.W. Perera and Sir James Pieris went to England to plead the cause of the Sinhala Buddhist leaders. They were also Royalists. Then all the key players on the Sri Lankan side in the 1915 riots were Royalists. After independence, we had Sir John Kotalawala as the first Prime Minister after whom the Defence University is named, and we had President J.R. Jayawardene. It was actually about, I would say nearly 44 years ago when we assembled at the quadrangle to felicitate him.

So, Royal College today has in its records, four Prime Ministers and two Presidents. This is an outstanding record for any school. We also have a Sultan of Maldives who was also a Prime Minister, Muhammad Fareed Didi and the man who modernized the Maldives, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom spent a year or more at Royal College. I think the disease of modernization, he must have gotten from Royal College. Now, we are here as the Royalists from the same class.

There is another record. The first republican constitution was drafted by Dr. Colvin R. de Silva, an old Royalist. The second republican constitution was drafted by J.R. Jayawardene, his classmate. Royalists have done it so well that no one else can change it. Now I think we have equalled that record, when the Prime Minister and I, together with the late Mr Anura Bandaranaike and Mr Malik Samarawickrama established another record. Between us, two of us have held the presidency, some Prime Ministers and one has become the Speaker, two of us have been Leaders of the House and two of us have been Leaders of the Opposition.

So this is what education at Royal has brought us and I hope you will do even better than us. That is my hope. Records are meant to be broken and not to be kept. Are any of you willing to break that record?

So, I have come here to address you at a very difficult time. A situation we have not seen in the last 400 years. A complete collapse of the economy. I won’t talk in general economic terms, but it affects all of you. In all our households, we didn’t have fuel, and electricity and those who were farming didn’t have fertilizer, we have to pay a lot of taxes and prices have gone up, inflation has come and every household has had to face the consequences. There was a total collapse of the country and when I took over the country, Mr Dinesh Gunawardane became Prime Minister, as I mentioned it was our duty to put the country first. I thought that I will take whatever decision that has to be taken to bring the economy back to at least be recognized in the world as no longer being bankrupt, within one year.

It was a tough call, but I did not want it to go on for much longer. I don’t want you’ll to suffer. We want to start fighting back and we want to have an economic resurrection. So I took all the decisions we had to take and the Prime Minister supported me. I knew the decisions I take are going to be unpalatable. It will make me unpopular. But, without those decisions, the country could not come right. And that’s what I learnt in Royal College, do what is correct and do what is good for your country. Remember that. Every decision I have taken I have thought twice or thrice on what is the burden it will impose on us. How unpopular should I become? Should I even take this decision? And when I felt that it was in the country’s interest, I took it because my first task and our first task is to bring the economy back in order. We can’t be a bankrupt country. We can’t be a beggar nation, so we have to learn that there are hard decisions to be taken in life and those decisions have to be taken. And I assure you we will by this year, see a very good improvement in our economic condition and then we will set the stage for the economic recovery of this country, not to go back to an old system which brought us down, but to a new system.

When I first came here and I came along, it was not even a ten-minute walk for me to come from there to here and we stood here in the hall, I realized one issue that all of us knew at that time. We thought we were in one of the best countries in the world because when we became independent, we were second to japan and the London Times said, we will be another Switzerland. So we were here at that time. Today, we are a country which has only Afghanistan below us. We don’t know what the future is. So when we build this future, it’s an economy that must last for 25 years. It must be a new Constitution that must last for 100 years. It must be a society not for us. None of us here are going to live for 25 years. It’s country for you’ll. Most of you here, in the first row, I don’t think you will be even 45 years old in the next 25 years.

And those in the back rows, the seniors will be around 50-55 years. That is the country you will have to live in and I want you’ll to decide what country we will live in. Not for us. That is the challenge you must take. I want you’ll to take that challenge and decide the future of the country. Just as much as President Jayawardane told us in 1977, you’ll decide what your future should be. So, I want you to be there and most of you here are living in a time when young people want to go abroad. They don’t see a future. They want to go away. But, we are Royalists and we must fight back. That’s what we have learnt to do. As you know, we have to fight both alone and with many to uphold the values that we are committed to.

So many of you will go abroad for studies and some of you will stay here. But, you must remember that this school made you a man and come here. I studied at Royal and I could have gone abroad to a university but I didn’t. My father wanted me to go abroad but I stayed here because I valued what I had. And after I passed out I did not go abroad, I stayed here because I owed my education to the state which paid for me and which sentient to the Royal College.

The Prime Minister went abroad and studied there but he remembered his obligation to the country, so he came back. And that is what you have to do. All of you come here to this school and for each of you selected, there were another 100 that were left behind. The country chose you to come here. The school chose you to come here. Then, you have the responsibility to come back to your country or stay in your country and build a new Sri Lanka.

Are you as Royalists, willing to do that? That is your task, you should come back. You should fight the odds and go ahead because we have two difficult tasks in this country. One is to put the economy into order and the other is reconciliation. We can’t be divided by race or religion. Royalists are not. So let us not do that and let us all get together. For all of you who come back, take your place in society and do your best. Whether you are at the highest level or whether you are running a normal business that’s what you have to do.

So, first I would like to ask all the old Royalists, to forget the differences and join together in bringing this country up. I am in no way telling all those in politics to join me, I am only asking all of them to get together to get over this economic crisis. I am asking those in the business world, those who are doing a small business, those who are carrying on their agriculture, and those who are in professions to join us to get over this crisis. I am asking those who are in the military services, police, public service and teaching services to join us in getting over the crisis. That is to get over it now.

But, I want you’ll to come back and ensure that you build the country again to a developed economy in 25 years. That is the task that you have.

I will not speak to you anymore but I would like to conclude with the words which we know of the oath taken by the young men of Athens, which we all had to learn in our days. I don’t know whether you learn it now. But, I would like to repeat the commitment that they gave there which we also have to follow. “We will transmit this city not only, not less but greater, better and more beautiful than when it was transmitted to us.” That is the duty of all Royalists.”

The welcome speech was delivered by the Principal of Royal College R. M. M. Rathnayake while the vote of thanks was delivered by Head Prefect of Royal College Kavisha Ratnayake.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister Vidura Wickremanayake, , Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, State Minister of Justice and Prison Affairs Anuradha Jayaratne, Members of Parliament Rauf Hakeem, Gevindu Kumarathunga, Priyankara Jayaratne, Duminda Dissanayake, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Dilan Perera, Yadhamini Gunawardena, Kavinda Jayawardena, and Senior Adviser to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayake, were also among those present at the occasion.

President instructs to finish the Minipe Left Bank Canal Rehabilitation Project (MLBCRP) work before the upcoming Maha Season

President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed the officials to speed up the Minipe Left Bank Canal Rehabilitation Project (MLBCRP), which has been delayed for over three years owing to various reasons, and to provide its benefits to the farmers before the next Maha Season.

The President provided these instructions yesterday afternoon (19) while joining an observation tour of the Minipe Anicut construction site.

President Wickremesinghe, after inspecting the plan of the project, also inquired from the engineers about the operation of the project.

In response to the President, Site Manager Kasun Gunawardena made an introduction about the project.

The President also pointed out the possibility of obtaining the support of the students of engineering faculties in Sri Lanka for the future work of the project.

The existing anicut is not sufficient to release water to the left and right bank canals when water is released twice a day from the Rantambe Hydro Power Plant during peak demand for electricity. Due to this, in order to provide more reliable and continuous water supply to Minipe agricultural lands, the Minipe Dam was raised by 3.5 meters and the renovation of the 74 kilometers-long main canal on the left bank of Minipe, was commenced.

After the reconstruction of the Minipe Anicut, constant water supply to farmers will be ensured and the cultivation land on both sides of the left bank of Minipe could be cultivated without obstruction in the Yala-Maha Seasons while providing benefits to 15,000 farmer families.

The cost of the project is Rs. 3,000 million and the construction work is carried out by China Gexhouba Group Company Limited (CGGC).

Minipe Anicut, which was built in 1948, was last renovated in 1980. The specialty is that the renovation work is happening again after a lapse of 40 years.

Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff of the President Sagala Ratnayake, Director of Minipe Left Bank Canal Rehabilitation Project (MLBCRP) Management Division Engineer D.B. Wijeratne, Project Director Indika Valisundara and other officials attended this event.