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Aon, a global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, has launched a blockchain platform for agricultural insurance policies for smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka.

The blockchain platform, which has been developed in partnership with Oxfam in Sri Lanka and InsurTech startup Etherisc, will reportedly deliver micro-insurance to smallholder paddy field farmers in Sri Lanka who are at risk of losing their crops due to extreme weather. The platform will automate the insurance products to directly address major barriers that prevent farmers from utilizing insurance, including the lack of affordable and reliable insurance products, a lack of understanding about how insurance would help a farmer survive, and when and how a claim would be paid.

“Strong collaboration, such as this initiative with Oxfam and Etherisc, allows us to broaden the potential positive impact we can have on people, families and small businesses around the globe,” said Hugo Wegbrans, the Chief Broking Officer of Europe, Middle East & Africa for Aon. “At the heart of our work is a mission to empower economic and human possibility – and that is exactly what we are doing here.”

According to the firms, blockchain’s ability to automate the insurance products eliminates the need for farmers to submit a claim, and, at the same time, the insurer does not need to send a claims adjuster into the field.

“Farmers represent a third of the workforce and account for almost 20 percent of the economy, yet very few have insurance,” said Michiel Berende, the Chief Inclusive Officer at Etherisc. “This made Sri Lanka a perfect candidate to feel the benefits of decentralized, collaborative and automated insurance. This alliance is really a cooperation between all and showcases blockchain for social good.”

In addition to simplifying the claims process, the blockchain platform will also help reduce administration costs and, subsequently, a higher percentage of premiums will be used for claims payment and immediate, fully trusted pay-out.

“Allowing farmers to access the blockchain platform is an important milestone that is bringing an effective and affordable risk transfer mechanism to a large portion of the Sri Lanka economy,” said Bojan Kolundzija, the Country Director of Oxfam in Sri Lanka.

President Maithripala Sirisena is facing fresh legal challenges in his attempt to end a 43-year moratorium on capital punishment and start executing drugs convicts, officials said today.

Two petitions were filed in the Court of Appeal on Friday (28) seeking an order quashing any move by Maithripala Sirisena to resume executions, which have not been carried out since the last hanging in June 1976.

The Court of Appeal will have a preliminary hearing next week. In the meantime, the prisons commissioner has given an assurance to court that there will be no hangings," AFP quoting a court official said.

On Wednesday, Sirisena said he has completed formalities to resume hangings by signing the death warrants of four condemned drug convicts. He did not say when the executions would be carried out.

Justice ministry sources said they were yet to fill the vacancies for two hangmen, although more than a dozen candidates had been shortlisted for the job. Although the last execution was more than four decades ago, an executioner was in post until his retirement in 2014. Three replacements since have quit after short stints at the unused gallows. There has been a mounting chorus of international criticism of Sirisena's announcement. Justice ministry sources said, however, there would have to be a lengthy administrative process before an execution took place.

A High Court judge who condemned a convict would have to make a fresh recommendation whether to carry out the death penalty or not. The condemned prisoner also has the option of making a clemency plea to the president. "I have signed the death warrants of four," Sirisena told reporters at his official residence on Wednesday.

"They have not been told yet. We don't want to announce the names yet because that could lead to unrest in prisons." An official in Sirisena's office said the president wanted the hangings to send a powerful message to the illegal drugs trade.

Sirisena said there were 200,000 drug addicts in the country, and 60 per cent of the 24,000 prison population were drug offenders. Criminals in Sri Lanka are regularly handed death sentences for murder, rape and drug-related crimes, but since 1976 their punishments have been commuted to life imprisonment.

The issue of political prisoners in the country is to be taken up by the Cabinet of Ministers shortly.

Accordingly, a Cabinet paper on the matter is to be submitted to resolve the issue over Tamil political prisoners arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Minister of National Integration, Official Languages, Social Progress, and Hindu Religious Affairs Mano Ganesan has said that he will submit the relevant Cabinet seeking approval to rehabilitate the Tamil political prisoners and release them.

The Cabinet paper is now being drafted and is to be presented for approval over the next couple of weeks.

According to the Minister, he is to propose that the Tamil political prisoners be wither released or rehabilitated for a period of six months before releasing them.

He has added that the Tamil political prisoner issue needs to be addressed urgently as it is a very sensitive one and that a Tamil political prisoner had died after spending 15 years in prison.

Sri Lanka has recruited two hangmen as it prepares to carry out four executions – the first in 43 years.

It follows the president’s announcement that four prisoners convicted of drug offences are to face the death penalty.

The hanging will end a moratorium of capital punishment that has been in place since 1976.

Over 100 candidates applied for an advert posted in February for executioners with “strong moral character”. They needed to be Sri Lankan, male, aged 18-45 and possess “mental strength”.

State-owned media Daily News said two Americans and two women had also applied.

A prisons spokesman said the two successful candidates needed to go through final training which would take about two weeks. The last hangman resigned five years ago after seeing the gallows and going into shock.

Another was hired last year but did not show up to work.

The SriLankan Airlines management has come under fire for its plans to relocate its marketing department currently based at the World Trade Centre (WTC) in Colombo to Katunayake as part of its cost-cutting exercise.

SriLankan Airlines sources have said they believe the decision would result in a decline in productivity and efficiency in day-to-day operations.

According to reports, the airline’s marketing department was shifted to Colombo in 2011 with the aim of increasing its promotional activities and thereby, increasing revenue.

The airline had in 2011 decided to base its marketing office in Colombo since all the clients and agencies dealing with the airline’s marketing department were based in Colombo, and also that the necessary facilities to carry out promotional activities and advertising were not available at the Katunayake office were also considered.

After shifting the marketing department to Colombo, a considerable rise in efficiency in routine activities had been recorded, and clients were in a position to fulfill their tasks with ease.

However, according to airline sources, the decision to shift the department back to Katunayake had been taken by the management due to the high rent cost at WTC.

Explaining further, an airline employee who wished to remain anonymous has pointed out that cost-cutting decisions should be made in a skilful manner, minimising the effect on the day-to-day activities of the department and the level of service given to its clientele.

SriLankan Airlines has recorded a loss of Rs. 40 billion in the financial year 2017/2018, the highest annual loss since Emirates’ departure from its management in 2008.

For the nine months ended 31 December 2018, the national carrier’s losses have grown to its highest level in 11 years, eclipsing the previous record of Rs. 32.4 billion recorded in 2014.

The loss incurred in this period was a negative growth of 27.7% from the Rs. 28.9 billion in losses incurred in the financial year 2017/2018.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) have reportedly decided to contest separately at the forthcoming presidential elections.

It is learnt that both sides have reached this decision following several rounds of talks.

Furthermore, the two parties are looking at contesting provincial council elections and general elections as an alliance.

However, both parties are to part ways during the presidential election with the SLFP fielding a candidate and the SLPP also announcing their candidate on 11 August at the party convention.

The political biography of Minister Mangala Samaraweera covering his political career spanning three decades will be launched at 3.00 pm on July 7 at thhe Rabindranath Tagore Auditorium at the University of Ruhuna.

The book has been compiled by veteran writer Nihal Jagathchandra based on the Minister’s life.

The keynote address will be delivered by veteran political critic and journalist Victor Ivan centered on the theme - “30 years of Sri Lankan Politics”.

It is also noteworthy to mention that the favoured presidential candidate of the United National Party (UNP), its deputy leader Sajith Premadasa, as well as a number of Muslim and Tamil political leaders, have been invited to attend the book launch.

The event had previously been scheduled for April 21 to coincide with the Minister’s birthday. However, it was postponed following the Easter Sunday attacks.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is likely to run out of fuel shortly following a decision by the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) to suspend fuel supplies to the former.

CPSTL has said that the CEB has an outstanding payment of over Rs. 90 billion and is also indirectly blocking the construction of a new pipeline to transfer fuel from vessels at sea to the Kollonawa oil storage facility.

CPSTL Managing Director Raj Abdeen has said that the current pipeline which transfers oil from the ship to Kollonawa has been experiencing daily breakdowns.

“The current line is nearly 50 years old, and there are leakages. We are in the process of laying a new pipeline. However, squatters in the area through which the pipeline is placed, are not allowing us to complete the project,” he has said.

Abdeen has noted that one-and-a-half kilometers of the pipeline has already been completed and only another 160 metres remains.

He has alleged that Minister of Power Energy and Business Development Ravi Karunanayake was involved in preventing the project from being completed.

A total of Rs 1.7 billion has been allocated for the new pipeline, Abdeen has said.

However, Minister Karunanayake has said that innocent people have been wrongfully bereaved of their homes.

“Innocent people have been displaced because of this pipeline and this incident took place in my electoral district. I cannot allow this to happen. It is my job to provide security for the people in my district and I will not allow the CPSTL to jeopardise that,” he has said.

As for the Rs. 90 billion debt owed by the CEB to the CPSTL, Karunanayake has said that it is not his responsibility but the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s fuel capacity in case of an emergency currently stands at 13 to 14 days, Abdeen has said.

Parliamentarian Mavai S. Senathirajah has been reappointed as the leader of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK).

The 16th general meeting of the party was held in Nallur, Jaffna today (29).

Former Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of Eastern Province Krishnapillai Thurairajasingam was appointed as the general secretary of Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi.

Leader of Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian R. Sampanthan currently serves as the patron of Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi.

Meanwhile, the upcoming programmes of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi party are to be launched tomorrow (30).

Former Chief Justice Asoka De Silva yesterday filed a petition on behalf of Gotabaya Rajapaksa before the District Court of the Western division of Central California, requesting dismissal of Ahimsa Wickrematunge’s civil action against his paymaster, the Colombo Telegraph reported.

The petition was filed by Silva on June 27, 2019 where he very clearly states he was a Supreme Court Judge since August 2001 and thereafter became the 42nd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka in June, 2009, retiring in May, 2011.

The former CJ has blatantly violated the Constitution of Sri Lanka, by filing a petition on behalf of Gotabaya as it has been expressly prohibited in Article 110 (3) of the Constitution for any Supreme Court Judge or a Judge who held office in the Court of Appeal to ‘appear, plead, act or practise’ in any court, tribunal or institution as an Attorney-At-Law without the written consent of the President.

Daughter of slain Editor Lasantha Wickremetunge filed an action against Gotabaya Rajapaksa in California on April 7, 2019 requesting a Jury trial and compensation for the assassination of her father.

This bold move prompted and encouraged many victims who suffered during the ruthless Rajapaksa regime to come forward and file an action against the former defence Secretary and current presidential hopeful Gotabaya.

The salary increment and other allowances for public servants proposed by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera in his budget 2019 is effective from today (July 01), the spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance, Ali Hassen said.

Accordingly, all public servants will receive an additional monthly allowance of Rs 2500.00, the allowance for security forces will be increased, anomalies of 500,000 pensioners will be removed, allowance for the differently abled will be increased and the number of recipients of the kidney patients’ allowance will be increased. The government has allocated a total sum of Rs. 40,000 million for this purpose.

Under the public servants’ salary increment, 1.1 million public servants are entitled to receive an Interim Allowance of Rs. 2,500 effective today. The government had bourne Rs. 20,000 million to pay this allowance. Although the payment of this Interim Allowance is implemented effective today, the cost of living allowance of Rs.7, 800 currently being paid to the public servants will be continued as it was.

Tri Forces allowances increased - some after 20 years!

Meanwhile, another step of increasing payment of allowance for tri forces officers and members of other ranks is implemented from today (July 01). The government took measures to increase the monthly quota for the tri forces officers and members of other ranks effective last January. Accordingly, approval was given recently to increase the monthly ration quota for officers up to Rs.23, 231 and for members of other ranks up to Rs.19, 350.

In addition, the house rent being paid for the tri forces members will be doubled effective today. Simultaneously, the commando allowance for the members in parallel ranks of Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air force will be increased up to Rs.5, 000 from Rs.1, 000 effective today. The government will spend Rs.1, 175 million for this purpose, the Finance Ministry said adding that certain allowances that have been increased for the members of the tri forces effective July 1st were stagnated at the same point for the last 20 years.

 Pensioners' salary anomaly rectified

In addition, the budget proposal to remove the pensioners’ salary anomaly will be effective from today. Accordingly, the pensions of over five hundred thousand public servants who retired before December 31, 2015 will be increased by a minimum sum of Rs. 2,800 and a maximum amount of Rs.20,000.

At the same time, the cost of living allowance of Rs. 3,250 being paid to the pensioners will be paid continuously. The government has allocated Rs. 12,000 million to settle this salary anomaly of pensioners.

Differently abled allowances increased

In addition, the proposal by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera to increase the monthly allowance of differently abled persons to Rs. 5,000 from Rs. 3,000 will also be implemented from today. Accordingly, in addition to the 32,000 differently abled persons who are already entitled to receive this allowance, another 40,000 on the waiting list will be added to this scheme with a total number of 72,000 differently abled persons becoming eligible to receiving this monthly allowance Rs. 5,000 from today. The government has allocated Rs. 4,350 million for this purpose.

Kidney patients not overlooked!

The government has already been paying a monthly allowance of Rs. 5,000 each to 21,000 chronically ill kidney patients. A large number of similar patients are on the waiting list to receive this monthly allowance. As such, another 5,000 patients will receive this allowance effective today with the government allocating Rs. 1,840 for this purpose.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Sri Lanka had revealed that the post attributed to Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne as WHO Vice Chairman, was not based on individual performances but a post attributed to the country, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said.

GMOA Secretary Haritha Aluthge said Minister Rajitha Senaratne was misusing his Vice Chairmanship position for political gains.Rajitha has been flattered that he was granted this position because of a special service rendered to the health sector.

Senaratne was also awarded with Suwapathi Kirula to coincide with his WHO Vice Chairmanship.

GMOA lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Office of the WHO asking it to clarify on what grounds the WHO had spent over Rs. 1.5 million for the felicitation ceremony organised when Minister Rajitha Senaratne was awarded with the “Suwapathi Kirula” title.

Dr. Aluthge said the WHO Representative in Colombo has not yet responded to us in this regard. However, expressing his views on this matter to an English Newspaper, he has said the post was not based on individual performances.

The WHO Representative has also said that the WHO posts are rotated and offered to the countries based according to their locations,” Dr. Aluthge added.

(Daily Mirror)