News

The former minister said that it is pointless to ask struggling entrepreneurs to obtain bank loans since many find it difficult to provide adequate collateral or sustain viable revenue streams.

Karunanayake pointed out that the country's economy was in bad shape even before the pandemic but has been hit worse since. Under a UNP government, he said they would focus on building a conducive environment to bring back business confidence.

He also pointed out that the businesses will need to be protected by the financial support of the Central Bank. "The Central Bank will have to take the risk factor and ensure that the businesses are made viable once again," he said.

One of the biggest problems the bankers face is the inability by loan applicants to present a sustainable payment plan which would result in the loan being not approved. "This is where, if it's a viable company, the government steps in to do that," he added.

Karunanayake, a former foreign minister, also pointed out the need to capitalise Sri Lanka's relationships with the international community.

"We need to embrace our friendly nations, to ensure investments or loan facilities to the government, which in turn could be recycled back as funds to the people," he said.

"We must understand that human lives are more valuable than elections. According to the prevailing situation the lives of the public and election officials should not be put at risk due to the election campaign,” Dissanayake said.

Dissanayake said this while addressing a rally held in Yosorapura, Additiya on Friday.

The JVP Leader also said that Sri Lanka has become a playground for countries like India, China and America. “The national resources of our country have been already sold to these countries. There were 14 islands in our country and two of them have been already sold to foreign companies,” he said.

Earlier, the Department of Examination said applications to re-scrutinise the GCE Ordinary Level Examination 2019 results should be sent to the Department of Examinations on or before 17 July.

Students are urged to send in their applications for re-scrutiny via registered post to reach the Commissioner General of Examinations, National Evaluation & Testing Service, Department of Examinations - Sri Lanka, P. O. Box 1503, Colombo on or before the deadline.

Further information can be obtained from the official website of the Examinations Department at www.doenets.lk

High quality river sand is widely sought by the construction industry.

A two-judge bench ruled that the government had no powers to remove tight controls established under a 1992 law to protect the environment and eco systems along rivers across the island.

Court of Appeal president A. H. M. D. Nawaz ordered police to enforce controls over the transportation of sand and other construction aggregates despite the government waiving the strict licensing for sand mining and transport.

“The court instructed the police chief to implement the law as the government had not changed the law despite verbal instructions not to prosecute offenders,” a court official said.

The activist Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) petitioned the court to stop the free transport of construction material arguing that it had led to widespread mining and caused serious damage to rivers and other water bodies.

“This is a victory for the environment,” CEJ spokesman Ravindranath Dabare told AFP. “We hope the police will carry out the court order and implement the existing laws to protect our environment.”

The law provided for fines up to two million rupees ($10,000) and six months in prison for those transporting sand without permits which are usually issued under strict environmental considerations.

Rajapaksa, who won a landslide at November elections, lifted the permit requirement, bowing to the demands of the construction industry.

The latest court action came three weeks ahead of the August 5 parliamentary elections at which Rajapaksa’s party is hoping to consolidate their hold on power with a two-thirds majority. (AFP)

The shocking information based on complaints to police in 2019 was made public by Director of Crime and Organized Crime Division Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Priyantha Jayakody.

5292 child abuses and 1642 rapes were recorded last year. DIG Jayakody warns that the actual number could be higher as many abuses go unreported to police.

He said that the women and child bureau has established a unit in each of the 44 police divisions and that any complaint can be lodged locally or dialing the 1929 hotline.

The national child protection authority has received 8500 complaints last year according to its chairman Muditha Vidanapathirana.

He added that the authority has received 3500 complaints by mid-June this year.

The Ministry issued a gazette on Friday outlining several health guidelines that must be adhered with regard to the parliamentary election. However, the PHI Union said the gazette has not vested them with any powers to monitor the implementation of these guidelines.

The PHI Union stepped away from all COVID-19 control duties with effect from Friday (July 17), as a mark of protest over a statement made by Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi.

 The Sri Lanka Public Health Inspectors Union points out that its officers have no legal protection when performing their duties if they are not vested with the authority to implement the health guidelines

“We cannot implement the law without being vested with powers,” Chairman of the PHI Union Upul Rohana said.

He further noted that with the strike action, containment measures of communicable diseases have also been hampered.

Mahela Jayawardena played for the SSC in 1997 as a schoolboy cricketer and was selected to represent the national team the same year. In 2006, Jayawardene was named as the best international captain in 2006 and was nominated in 2007 as the best Test cricket player of the year by ICC. Jayawardene was a key member of the team that won the 2014 ICC T2- World Cup and was part of the team that made it to the final of 2007/2011 Cricket World Cup, 2009/2012 ICC World T-20.

The delay in the clearance of ethanol tankers imported by local manufacturers placing orders and opening LC’s before the government’s ban on rectified spirit on January 01 will hit mainly the local liquor manufactures as well as the personal care industry, paints, coatings, printing inks, fragrance and flavour industries.

The government will also be deprived of much needed tax revenue due to the enforcement of this ban as the liquor industry would cut their production, which would result in a significant loss of revenue to the state coffers.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the excise revenue target was Rs. 130 billion, out of which Rs. 68 billion was expected from the taxation of ethanol imports.

During the financial year 2018/2019, Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka (DCSL) paid Rs. 58 billion in taxes, and Rs. 64 billion in taxes a year ago.

At least 22 licensed importers have been affected by the ban on ethanol imports and a very few of their containers (1 or 2) including 41 tankers imported by Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka  (DCSL) had been cleared by Customs following strict procedure of the department, several importers said.

They pointed out that the directive of the President to allow clearance of the quantity of ethanol shipments arranged before the ban will fulfill the local requirement temporarily but a shortage of ethanol based products and the loss of tax revenue will be resulted in the long run.

The local liquor manufacturers are to be hit badly as the local production of ethanol is inadequate to meet the requirement, Excise Department data revealed.

According to these official data, production capacity of five local ethanol producers is only 42 percent of the local requirement and the estimated maximum production of Pelwatte,Sevanagala, Royal cask, Hingurana and Galoya plantations is in the region of 12 million liters per annum.

He added that this transformation is required to improve the living conditions of the estate sector workers.

Premadasa was speaking at an election meeting in Hatton.

He reminded that it was his father late R Premadasa who granted citizenship to  more than 1.2 million estate workers.

“That endeavour will be complete when each and every estate family gets the ownership of a land and a house,” he added. He said that he would establish a Development Task Force under the purview of the Prime Minister to alleviate poverty among the plantation community.