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The price of fuel will come down from midnight today, Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said in Parliament.

Samaraweera said that he will reintroduce the fuel pricing formula when he assumed duties as the new Minister of Finance at the Treasury, yesterday (20).

The new price of fuel is listed below.

• Price of 92 octane Petrol reduced by Rs 10 (New price Rs 125)
• - Price of 95 octane Petrol reduced by Rs 10 (New price Rs 149)
• - Price of Auto Diesel reduced by Rs 5 (New price Rs 101)
• - Price of Super Diesel reduced by Rs 10 (New price Rs 121)

The illegal administration of Mahinda Rajapaksa had temporarily suspended the fuel pricing formula with the Rupee falling from 173 to 180 against the US dollar during the coup.

Krishantha Cooray, Chairman - Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. returned to Lake House today after a hiatus of over one month. He was forcibly removed when Sri Lanka Podhuajana Peramuna Party Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa grabbed power in a political coup in October. Later Wasantha Priya Ramanayake replaced Cooray as Acting Chairman while the MR faction attempted to consolidate power. Dinesh Dodangoda was appointed as Director Editorial. 

However, Cooray, who remained the rightful Chairman returned to Lake House today amidst cheers of the employees who greeted him and escorted him. Cooray and his Predecessor Kavan Ratnayake made significant changes in Lake House during their tenures especially attempting to modernize the institution by introducing modern editorial concepts and forming a new media department. But in weeks Ramanayake and the new appointees dismantled the new introductions taking the institution back to its known archaic concepts and methods.

Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera has instructed relevant authorities to reinstate the State Media Heads that were in office before the constitutional coup. The then illegal government had replaced all media heads immediately after October 26th.

Accordingly, Thilaka Jayasundara (ITN), Siddik Farook (SLBC), Inoka Sathyangani (SLRC) and Krishantha Cooray (Lakehouse) are to be reinstated as chairpersons of State media institutions.

Journalists and activists took to social media today to voice their dissent against President Maithripala Sirisena barring the media yet again by denying them permission to attend the swearing in of the cabinet ministers today. The President in just the last two months not only barred the media from the illegal swearing in ceremony of MP Mahinda Rajapaksa as the country’s de facto Prime Minister but also blocked them from attending the swearing-in of Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe over the weekend. 

Writer Nalaka Gunawardene was seen questioning why the President is afraid of the media and what he is trying to hide. Others reminded that it was the same person who promised to uphold media freedom at all times. 

Meanwhile, though the Ministry of Mass Media has been handed over to Minister Mangala Samaraweera sources say the President has expressly requested that Rupavahini Corporation and Lake House remains in his control.

UPFA MP Ranjith de Zoyza, who recently joined the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, has been arrested on charges of assaulting a person, Police media spokesperson said.

Police said that four others were also arrested in connection to the assault that had taken place in Godakawela.

After being produced before the Pelmadulla Magistrate’s Court, the suspects were ordered to be remanded until the 01st of January.

The swearing in of the new Cabinet of Ministers commenced at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena, a short while ago. 

Accordingly, the following parliamentarians were appointed as Cabinet Ministers.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe - Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, Northern Development, Vocational training and Skill Development, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, and Youth Affairs

John Amaratunga - Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Affairs

Gamini Jayawickrama Perera - Minister of Buddha Sasana and Wayamba Development

Mangala Samaraweera - Minister of Finance and Mass Media

Lakshman Kiriella - Public enterprise, Upcountry Development and Kandy Heritage

Rauf Hakeem - Minister of City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education

Thilak Marapana - Minister of Foreign Affairs 

Rajitha Senaratna - Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Kabir Hashim - Minister of Highways, Road Development and Petroleum Resources Development

Ranjith Maddumabandara - Minister of Public Administration and Disaster Management

Gayantha Karunatilake - Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms

Sajith Premadasa - Minister of Housing Construction and Cultural Affairs

Arjuna Ranatunga - Minister of Transport & Civil Aviation

Ravi Karunanayake - Minister of Power, Energy and Enterprise Development

Akila Viraj Kariyawasam - Minister of Education 

Malik Samarawickrama - Minister of Development Strategies, International Trade and Science, Technology and Research

Vajira Abeywardena - Minister of Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government

Patali Champika Ranawaka - Minister of Megapolis and Western Development

Navin Dissanayake - Minister of Plantation Industries

Palani Thigambaram - Minister of Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure and Community Development

Chadrani Bandara - Minister of Women and Child Affairs and Dry Zone Development

P. Harrison - Minister of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development.

Hon. Harin Fernando - Minister of Telecommunications, Digital Infrastructure, Foreign Employment and Sports 

Daya Gamage - Minister of Labour, Trade Union Relations, and Social EmpowermentAbdul Haleem - Minister of Postal Services and Muslim Religious Affairs

Sagala Ratnayaka - Minister of Ports and Shipping and Southern Development

Mano Ganesan - Minister of National Integration, Official Languages, Social Progress and Hindu Religious Affairs

Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen, who has been given a bigger Ministerial mandate on 20 December, welcomed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s entry to the Northern development work-and vowed to re-instate IDP funds wrongfully slashed by the recently dismissed administration.

"These long term IDPs, most of whom are Muslims in Northern Province, have suffered for the longest period since the war times. Resettlement and welfare support by the government is vital since there is no one else to spend for them. Before our former Cabinet was replaced by the illegal government of October 26 with its new Cabinet, the former Cabinet had approved funds for resettlement of these old IDPs. The approval was a thorough process, and it was also cleared by the policy Planning Ministry of previous Cabinet. Using these approved allocations, resettlement work already started from August 2018. It is unfortunate that the disputed PM slashed Rs 250 Million from this ongoing allocations, leaving these IDPs in great difficulty," he said. 

"Despite leading an illegitimate government, he has even instructed to divert this Rs 250 million for other work away from IDP resettlement. This is an illegal action and harms the ongoing resettlement process of IDPs," Bathiudeen added.

After his re-appointment today Minister Bathiudeen now heads Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce becoming the only Cabinet Minister to hold this portfolio for the fourth term.

Former ministers of the good governance regime, D.M Swaminathan and Thilak Marapana, have decided not to accept any Cabinet portfolios, informed sources said.

According to sources, the decision taken by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to limit the number of Cabinet ministers to 30 has prompted the two senior parliamentarians to refrain from accepting Cabinet positions.

It was also reported yesterday (19), that former minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, Malik Samarawickrama, had informed the UNP leadership that he would not be seeking a Cabinet portfolio this time around.

TPA Leader Mano Ganesan tweeted yesterday that he and ACMC Leader Rishard Bathiudeen volunteered to their Cabinet posts at the UNF parliamentary group meeting in a bid to support Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's efforts to restrict the Cabinet to 30.

The investigation into the allegation that Chief of Defense Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne threatened the main witness in the case of abduction of 11 youths has been taken over by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD).

It was informed to court yesterday that the investigation into the incident conducted by the Fort Police had been taken over by the CCD on the orders of the Senior DIG in charge of the Western Province. The OIC of the Colombo Crime Division also made a request to fix a date to present the progress of the investigation in a B report.

Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered the Colombo Crimes Division to appear before the court with the Fort Police on January 19 regarding the incident.

The Chief of Defense Staff was arrested and remanded last month for assisting Navy Lieutenant Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi alias Navy Sampath, the main suspect in the abduction and disappearance of 11 Tamil youths to evade court.

The main witness of the case, Lieutenant Commander Galagamage Laksiri Geethal has lodged a complaint in the Fort Police that he was attacked by the CDS and his aides at the Navy Headquarters in Colombo last month.

Tourism consultant Srilal Miththapala, a regular eTN contributor from Sri Lanka, is the livewire of an eight-day program designed to familiarize post A/L students from the Nuwara Eliya area on the modern tourist industry.

The Private Sector Tourism Skills Committee (TSC) in partnership with The Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya and YouLead held a second program under the Young Tourism Ambassadors Initiative pilot. This transformational program introduced 16 young men and women to the sector through an intensive one-week internship exposing them to the many diverse career opportunities available in the industry.

Youth Ambassadors being trained in culinary art

The individual sessions were led by over 10 different external industry experts and internal resource persons from the hotel. The young tourism ambassadors studied everything from housekeeping to horticulture. They observed how to conserve Sri Lanka’s natural heritage and promote nature tourism as well as how to engage a visitor and to entertain them. Other modules under the internship included chauffeur and tour guiding as well as CSR. Evidence shows that young people with practical experience often find more secure and better paid jobs, easier and more quickly than their peers. 

Parents too are brought in and given an overview of hotel and the training the youth will get. At the end of the two weeks parents were brought in again and the youth presented some of their newly acquired knowledge and skills. A key challenge of ensuring parental perceptions and mindsets were addressed with feedback that many parents were totally won over to the idea of allowing their children to take up jobs in the hospitality and leisure sector. 
Youth Ambassadors being trained in Front Office Management

The program was specifically tailored to the location and facilities of The Grand Hotel and its success was largely due to the enthusiasm of the staff who exposed the young students to the unique qualities of their hotel and shared their own passion for their careers in tourism. 

Srilal spoke emotionally of the pleasure of transcending existing cookie cutter programs for something as intense and customized as the internship initiative has turned out to be. “It is game changing,” he said with a noticeable break in his voice. “I’m delighted that the TSC is taking aim at changing youth perceptions and attitudes through this unique, innovative program. These kids are really pumped up with a desire to come into the industry. They can really soar high with this level of motivation and attention.” 

The Grand Hotel General Manager Refhan Razeen, speaking on behalf of the management and staff of The Grand Hotel said, “I wish to profoundly thank you for conducting the YouLead program in such an exemplary manner. I am confident that the youth who attended this program would have received wide exposure in the arena of the hospitality industry. Programs such as these give fresh, talented and multi-skilled youngsters, get exposure into the gamut of career choices in the industry and in turn the industry benefits from going back to their communities and schools and discussing this curated experience.” 

YouLead Youth Ambassador Praneepa Pereira who took part in the Nuwara Eliya program said, “You can join this program and learn different perspectives that you didn’t know about this field. Actually, when I came here, I knew nothing about this field. I didn’t know what tourism was. I didn’t know what hotel management was. But here they teach us everything. Each and every thing. So, according to me, this is one of the best fields which a youth can succeed in their lives … when you come to this field you will know how to succeed!” 

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is at a crossroad. It is well situated to take advantage of the dramatic growth in tourism from Asian markets; it has a wealth of natural and cultural assets that that are well aligned with the fastest growth segments in the industry (e.g. health and wellness, sustainable cultural and nature-based travel); its people are hospitable and the climate is suitable for year-round travel. Industry analyses all highlight the fact that the 21st century traveler is seeking authentic experiences rather than just beautiful sights and sandy beaches. The takeaway for the TSC, therefore, is that our workforce is the most important asset we have. This is because quality visitor experiences come from interacting with local people. 

Chaired by Resplendent Ceylon Managing Director Malik Fernando, the TSC is an informal association of 10 private sector tourism leaders from the hotel and travel sector. These leaders came together based on a mutual desire to take action on an issue that endangers the growth of their industry- the lack of youth taking up jobs in tourism. The TSC launched an eight-point plan on 25 June and has proceeded to implement those initiatives one-by-one. Already the group has developed or revised eight vocational curricula to make it more relevant to the needs of the industry, and circulated a short documentary showing the impact of Sri Lankan women in tourism. 

Tourism Consultant Srilal Miththapala 

The Young Tourism Ambassadors Initiative is a key deliverable in the recently launched ‘Sri Lanka Tourism and Hospitality Workforce Competitiveness Roadmap’ which was prepared by the Private Sector Tourism Skills Committee (TSC) with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), Sri Lanka Institute for Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), and YouLead – a project funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by International Executive Service Corps (IESC).

The members of the TSC include Malik J. Fernando, Shiromal Cooray, Angeline Ondaatjie, Jayantissa Kehelpannala, Sanath Ukwatte, Chamin Wickramasinghe, Dileep Mudadeniya, Timothy Wright, Steven Bradie-Miles, and Preshan Dissanayake. Ex-officio members included nominees from the Ceylon Chamber, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), and the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC). 

(eTN)

Assuming duties as the Minister of Finance and Media at the Treasury today, Mangala Samaraweera said that a vote account will be presented in parliament tomorrow to cover the expenditures of the first four months of 2019.

Samaraweera said that the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the vote of account, today (20).Accordingly, LKR 1,765 billion have been allocated for expenditure from which LKR 970 billion have been allocated for debt servicing.

Furthermore, LKR 480 billion rupees have been allocated for recurring expenditure while LKR 310 billion have been allocated for capital expenditure.

President Maithripala Sirisena has extended the term of office of the Presidential Commission to inquire into allegations of large scale frauds and malpractices in SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka, to February 15, 2019.

Sirisena appointed the commission on February 14, 2018 to inquire into allegations of large scale frauds and malpractices in relevant institutions during the period of January 01, 2006 to January 31, 2018, and the official term of the commission was to expire on December 31, 2018. It has now been extended till the 15th of February 2019.

President Sirisena meeting the members of the commission today (19) at the Presidential Secretariat inquired into the progress of those investigations.

The members of the commission, including its Chairman, Retired Supreme Court Judge Anil Gunarathna participated in this meeting.