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A proposal calling for the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to conduct a comprehensive study into the 1983 Black July tragedy and its impact has been submitted to Parliament.

The proposal was presented by National People's Power (NPP) MP Thanura Dissanayake and seconded by fellow NPP MP Bhagya Sri Herath.

The proposed committee is expected to examine the events surrounding Black July and submit its findings to Parliament, together with proposals and recommendations aimed at promoting national reconciliation and providing relief to those affected by the tragedy.

A widespread LP gas shortage has plunged low and middle income Sri Lankan households into fresh operational distress, prompting severe criticism from the main parliamentary Opposition over state inaction.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva publicly challenged the government over its handling of the crisis, highlighting the compounding financial burden placed on families already battling elevated prices for staple items including bread, wheat flour, and fuel.

Addressing the persistent failure to resolve distribution bottlenecks, the former minister pointed out that reliance on commercial food delivery applications is a luxury out of reach for ordinary citizens reliant on domestic cooking.

He noted that while state-backed Litro cylinder distribution remains accessible to a segment of consumers, private distributor Laugfs Gas continues to face severe operational paralysis.

The logistical shortfall has been further complicated by international regulatory scrutiny, including reported United States trade sanctions targeted at a Dubai-registered subsidiary of Laugfs over alleged transactions tied to Iranian petroleum products.

The Opposition representative noted that the government possesses the administrative capacity to clear such straightforward supply impediments quickly, taking a side swipe at the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna by saying they would have mobilised street demonstrations over the identical grievance had they remained on the Opposition benches.

The Colombo High Court has ordered the removal of Daisy Forrest, the grandmother of Yoshitha Rajapaksa, from the money laundering case filed against both of them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The order was issued after the court considered submissions indicating that Forrest was not in a mental condition suitable to stand trial.

Accordingly, the court ordered that she be released from the proceedings in the case.

The case against Yoshitha Rajapaksa will continue separately.

Reports that new solar power applications have been suspended have brought the government's renewable energy policy under sharp scrutiny.

The United National Party (UNP) working committee member Dinouk Colombage raised the issue after the Royal Colombo Golf Club informed its membership on 01 November that its planned rooftop solar initiative had been halted on state instructions.

This development occurred following management attempts to carry out pre-approved roof refurbishments and solar installations.

Colombage questioned if the administration was abandoning the target to generate 70 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, a goal established under former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He stressed that private sector investment remains vital for expanding green capacity across the island.

Grid capacity limits

The National System Operator revealed that Sri Lanka's installed solar capacity exceeded 3,070 megawatts by September 2026, including over 2,542 megawatts of rooftop installations.

It noted that solar power currently generates between 15 per cent and 25 per cent of daily electricity needs based on weather conditions.

The operator explained that rooftop solar additions planned for 2026 were surpassed ahead of schedule, necessitating temporary monitoring of approvals to prevent national grid instability.

It confirmed that applications under the Net Plus scheme would proceed while zero export connections remain exempt from restrictions. These developments follow September directives from the

Ministry of Energy that discontinued Net Metering and Net Accounting for new rooftop setups, transitioning all new agreements strictly to Net Plus.

Industry concerns over investment targets

Industry leaders warned that abandoning previous rooftop solar frameworks risks discouraging prospective investors, disrupting business operations, and threatening employment.

The Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority said that integrating roughly 600 megawatts of fresh solar capacity annually is essential to achieve the national 2030 target.

Meeting these objectives requires parallel investments in battery energy storage alongside grid infrastructure modernisations.

Confusion surrounding the Royal Colombo Golf Club suspension underlines growing demands for policy transparency from energy authorities.

Stakeholders say that official clarity is needed to determine whether recent delays reflect deliberate investment curbs or a misinterpretation of existing rules.

Sri Lanka's parliamentary opposition has accused the government of undermining democratic governance by blocking a debate on a motion of no-confidence against the Speaker.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa issued a special statement in Colombo condemning the decision of the Committee on Parliamentary Business to dismiss the resolution without allowing floor time.

He noted that although a formal privilege motion will be submitted regarding constitutional violations, legislative supremacy, and the chair's partiality, there is little expectation that parliamentary authorities will allow the matter to be heard.

Restrictions on legislative speech

The Opposition Leader said that constitutional guarantees securing freedom of expression within the house have been systematically undermined by the governing coalition.

He noted that under Article 3 of the Constitution, national sovereignty resides with the public, while Article 4b dictates that legislative power must be exercised exclusively through elected representatives.

Parliament remains a constitutional mechanism designed to execute popular sovereignty rather than an instrument governed by the political preferences of any single party. Article 74 grants the assembly explicit power to establish standing orders, providing a binding legal framework intended to safeguard collective legislative authority, he said.

Impartiality of the chair

The Opposition Leader Pointed out that the office of the Speaker represents a constitutional role created to preserve the dignity, authority, and democratic function of the entire legislature rather than advance party agendas.

Drawing on Westminster traditions, absolute political neutrality remains the defining obligation of the chair, who must guarantee equitable floor time for members across the chamber.

Authentic parliamentary democracy requires protecting the right of minority and opposition groups to scrutinise executive actions, express alternative opinions, and challenge government policies.

Rejection of no-confidence motion

Suppressing legitimate parliamentary actions through majority power violates the foundational principles of representative democracy, the Opposition Leader noted.

He said that a resolution detailing 50 specific charges against the Speaker, bearing the signatures of 44 opposition members, was formally submitted to the Secretary-General of Parliament on 9 October and placed on the order paper on 12 October.

He also said the subsequent decision by the Committee on Parliamentary Business to reject the item prevented any debate, effectively insulating the head of the assembly from answering public allegations.

Breach of parliamentary privilege

The refusal to allow a floor debate raises fundamental questions over the independence of the legislature, the neutrality of the chair, and the constitutional protections afforded to lawmakers, he said.

Standing orders and constitutional provisions impose a clear duty on presiding officers to maintain established procedures without creating artificial barriers to speech.

A formal investigation must now determine whether suppressing the resolution constitutes a direct breach of parliamentary privileges guaranteed to elected representatives, he added.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has arrested a former Secretary to the Ministry of Cooperatives and Internal Trade over alleged corruption in the procurement of chairs for the Mahinda Rajapaksa Auditorium in Polgolla.

The suspect was taken into custody by investigating officers at approximately 9.45 a.m. today (02), according to the Bribery Commission.

The arrest relates to allegations that the former Ministry Secretary influenced the procurement process by facilitating the purchase of chairs from a private company other than the bidder that had submitted the lowest quotation while meeting the required standards.

The alleged decision is said to have resulted in a financial loss of Rs. 7.97 million to the government while providing an undue benefit to another party.

The former official has been accused of committing an offence of corruption in connection with the procurement process.

He is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has pleaded not guilty to charges brought against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

He entered the plea before the Colombo High Court today (03), after the charges were formally read out to him in open court.

The case will proceed through the Colombo High Court in accordance with the relevant legal proceedings.

The government has initiated a programme to develop the country and provide benefits to the public within a short period of just two years since assuming power, Minister Samantha Vidyarathna said.

However, he pointed out that during the tenure of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the then government advised waiting until the year 2048 for national development activities.

He said that in 2026, measures are underway to increase nutritional aid, raise Mahapola university scholarships, provide cultivation assistance, expand coconut cultivation, as well as create new jobs and increase salaries.

The Minister alleged that individuals who engaged in corruption, drug trafficking, and those involved in illegal activities dislike these changes occurring in the country, adding that such elements are levelling various criticisms against the government.

Requesting the public not to be misled by false propaganda carried out against the government across certain media and social media platforms, the Minister appealed to the public for their support to successfully execute this programme aimed at building a beautiful country for future children.

He emphasised that since only about two years have elapsed for the young government, a far greater volume of work will be accomplished within the country by the end of its five-year term.

Former Central Bank Deputy Governor Dr. W.A. Wijewardena has urged the Sri Lankan government to moderate its revenue collection targets in the upcoming 2027 Budget, saying that excessive taxation combined with deteriorating public services is eroding public trust and economic productivity.

Delivering the 28th Annual Tax Oration of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka in Colombo, the veteran economist warned that the state's aggressive fiscal consolidation measures had become counterproductive for the country.

The former central banker pointed out that government revenue as a percentage of gross domestic product had climbed rapidly from 12.3 per cent in 2021 to surpass the International Monetary Fund's 15 per cent target.

He explained that while official fiscal targets were met ahead of schedule, the underlying extraction of capital from households and businesses was suppressing private consumption and essential investment.

According to the top economist, a series of policy adjustments, including lowering the personal income tax threshold to Rs.100,000 before settling at Rs.150,000, expanding the maximum marginal tax rate to 36 per cent, enforcing mandatory Taxpayer Identification Numbers for all adults, and raising Value Added Tax to 18 per cent while lowering registration thresholds to Rs.36 million, had pulled smaller enterprises into a complex compliance framework.

He highlighted that indirect levies on essential goods created a regressive burden that hit lower income earners disproportionately hard, compounding the double pressure of direct taxation and inflation.

Dr. Wijewardena also criticised the structure of IMF prescriptions, asserting that relying primarily on revenue expansion while ignoring expenditure reform prioritises creditor repayments over taxpayer welfare.

He noted that although the government achieved a primary budget surplus of nearly 4 per cent against an IMF target of 1.5 per cent in 2025, it did so by failing to spend a quarter of its allocated capital expenditure budget.

Capital spending execution remained similarly sluggish into 2026, with only 28 per cent of the annual allocation deployed by the end of September.

He stressed that suppressing public investment directly weakens long-term national economic growth, creating a systemic cycle of fiscal decline.

Pointing to severe delays at police stations, overcrowded hospital wards, and widespread reliance on private tuition, he said that the fundamental social contract between the state and its citizens had been broken, further worsened by technical failures in tax filing systems like the Inland Revenue Department's digital infrastructure.

Sri Lanka has reached a stage where it can successfully conclude the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme by next year, Professor Seetha Bandara of the Department of Economics at the University of Kelaniya said.

Addressing the national convention of the ruling National People's Power (NPP) affiliated National Intellectual Organization, she said that the country has currently managed to maintain a positive economic growth rate of 5 per cent while driving foreign remittances beyond USD 8 billion.

She pointed out that the present government inherited an economy akin to a patient in an intensive care unit, struggling to import essential food and medicines or even secure a week's supply of fuel, but has now built foreign reserves past USD 7 billion.

Expressing views on the role of the National Intellectual Organization following the election of the government, she said that supporting the government does not mean rubber stamping every official decision.

Prof. Bandara emphasised that while endorsing correct policies, actively intervening to rectify erroneous decisions remains a historic responsibility of the academic and intellectual community.

Noting that the only group in the world possessing expert knowledge is within the National Intellectual Organization and that the unique and deep knowledge possessed by those intellectuals should not be limited merely to academic research papers, books, or lecture halls, she pointed out that this expert knowledge should be directly applied practically for state governance and policy formulation.

She added that although not every member can enter Parliament, intellectuals from the organization are actively guiding the state machinery onto the right trajectory through roles in Parliament as well as chairpersons and board members of public institutions.

A multi-billion rupee Chinese grant for emergency bridge reconstruction has exposed Sri Lanka's chronic dependence on foreign aid and critical gaps in national disaster preparedness.

Work officially commenced on 1 November near the Yakkala Seventh Bridge in Gampaha for the first phase of the China Government Emergency Assistance Project, which will see nine disaster-damaged bridges rebuilt across six districts.

Attended by Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake, Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, and Chinese Ambassador Wei Huaxiang, the launch marks the initial step in a two-phase scheme targeting 14 vital crossings island-wide.

The initial phase is backed by a 79 million Chinese yuan grant, equivalent to approximately Rs. 3.93 billion, jointly managed by the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, and the Road Development Authority.

Operations began with the Bemmulla Bridge on the Aluthgama to Wigoda Road, spanning damaged sites across Gampaha, Kegalle, Ampara, Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa, and Batticaloa districts.

While the bilateral assistance addresses immediate structural failures that sever rural transport routes and isolate communities, it leaves broader policy vulnerabilities unaddressed.

Questions remain over whether the chosen sites stem from a systematic national risk assessment or merely fixed bilateral selections.

Furthermore, authorities have yet to release critical project parameters, including individual financial allocations, completion timelines, and independent engineering standards designed to withstand future climate shocks.

Without transparent project data and a comprehensive national inventory of vulnerable assets, recurring environmental disasters will continue to trigger costly emergency interventions.

The government has not yet made a decision regarding the sale or transfer of the Eastern Container Terminal at the Colombo Port, said Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation.

He made these remarks in response to questions from journalists concerning media reports suggesting plans for the privatization of the facility.

With an annual revenue nearing USD 200 million, critical strategic institutions like these are expected to be safeguarded by the current government, raising questions among reporters about the government's commitment to maintaining control over such lucrative assets.

Addressing these inquiries, Rathnayake clarified that as he is not the Minister directly overseeing port operations, detailed statements about administrative matters should ideally come from the relevant authority.

Nonetheless, he assured that no decision has been taken by the government regarding the privatization of the terminal.

"The Eastern Terminal is a highly valuable national asset. Managing it entails significant responsibility. It’s pertinent to recognize that the port industry is one of the most competitive sectors globally, which demands modern technology. However, the government has yet to make any decisions regarding the privatization of this terminal. I am unsure how such news reaches the media," he added.

Highlighting the potential for misinformation stemming from misleading reports, Rathnayake pointed out that it is imperative for the media to fulfill its primary responsibility of conveying accurate information to the public.