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Indicative of the Army’s sustained endeavours for the promotion of reconciliation, co-existence and ethnic harmony in the North and East, a crowd of 26 Tamil youths in Batticaloa town area, perhaps for the first after the war ended, voluntarily came forward to donate their blood on account of the 69th Army Anniversary during a programme, held at the 231 Brigade Headquarters in Kallady, Batticaloa on the 'Army Day'.
 
The 26 donors walked straight to the 231 Brigade Headquarters on their own and lined up with other Army personnel, expressing their solidarity with the Army during its milestone anniversary, and enthusiastically donated their blood to the programme, Army Media Unit said. 

122 Army personnel including Officers of the 231 Brigade, 4 Gemunu Watch, 10 Gajaba Regiment and 11 (v) Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment also gave away their blood to the Blood Bank at Batticaloa Teaching Hospital during this mobile arrangement, supported by the Batticaloa Lions Club and the medical team of the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital.

The Colombo High Court ordered the case against Former President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and three others to be postponed until October 23. The case was taken up before a Trial-at-Bar consisting Justices Sampath Abeykoon, Sampath Wijeratne and Champa Janaki Rajaratne today (15).
 
The Attorney General had filed the case against the defendants under the Public Property Act for allegedly misappropriating Rs 500 million funds belonging to Litro Gas Lanka by investing in ventures including the Grand Hyatt hotel project, from February  1, 2014 to January 20, 2015.

Sanath Jayasuriya, charged with two counts of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, has been given 14 days from 15 October 2018 to respond, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a media release today.The ICC has charged Jayasuriya with two counts of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. 

Accordingly, Jayasuriya, the former Sri Lanka Cricket Chair of Selectors, has been charged with the following offences under the Code:

1. Article 2.4.6 – Failure or refusal, without compelling justification, to cooperate with any investigation carried out by the ACU, including failure to provide accurately and completely any information and/or documentation requested by the ACU as part of such investigation.

2. Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing or delaying any investigation that may be carried out by the ACU, including concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence or may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code.

Jayasuriya has 14 days from 15 October 2018 to respond to the charges. The ICC also said that they will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage.

A team of 30 Sri Lankan Police Officers participated in a comprehensive training program on Industrial Security at the National Industrial Security Academy (NISA) in Hyderabad, India. The course was organised from 24th to 28th of September.

NISA, an Academy of international repute, was founded in 1990 and it has been recognized as “Center of Excellence in Industrial Security”. NISA is renowned for producing well-trained personnel in the field of Industrial and Critical Infrastructural Security & Management, Aviation Security & Disaster Management and has helped to develop professionals imbibed with highest standards of physical and mental fitness, in-depth knowledge and skills.
 
The training programme was fully-funded by the Government of India, with a sponsorship of over 5 Million Sri Lankan Rupees. The 30 officers, ranging from ranks of Chief Inspector of Police, Inspector of Police and Sub-inspector of Police, participated in the programme. Besides lectures conducted by subject matter experts, the trainees also had first hand exposure to the latest gadgets used in the field. The Government of India provided full hospitality as a gesture of strengthening people-to-people contact between India and Sri Lanka.  

Several other training programmes such as Crime Scene Management and CCTV Analysis, Expert Testimony on Criminal Trial, Forensic Science, Cyber Forensics, VIP Security, Traffic Management and a seminar on Financial Crime, have been organised by India for Sri Lanka’s Police Force this year.

The elite Police unit, the Special Task Force (STF) will handle prison security from today Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Prison Reforms, Bandula Jayasinghe said.
 
In the first stage 300 Special Task Force personnel will be deployed in three prisons. Accordingly, 200 STF personnel will be attached to the Welikada and Magazine prisons and 100 will be attached to the Angunakolapelessa Prison from October 15.
 
Jayasinghe says the measure has been taken to prevent illegal items from entering prisons, enhance security and curb racketeering operations and other illegal activities in prisons.
 
Deployment of STF personnel was scheduled to commence on October 1, but due to a delay in repairs of their barracks the deployment to prisons was postponed until October 15, the official said.

Sri Lanka has been ranked at the 99th position along with Ethiopia and North Korea in the Henley Passport Index among 106 countries.

The ranking was based according to the number of countries their holders can travel to visa-free, Henley & Partners, a residence and citizenship advisory firm, announced recently. 

The ranking is supplemented by exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information, and is further enhanced by extensive in-house research. 

The index is updated in real-time, as and when visa-policy changes come into effect. With the Henley Passport Index, air passengers can assess where they lie on the spectrum of global mobility and discover how to maximise their travel freedom through citizenship-by-investment, the media release revealed. 

Japan has overtaken Singapore as the world's strongest passport, clinching the top spot on the 2018 Henley Passport Index. After gaining visa-free access to Myanmar earlier this month, Japan now enjoys visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 190 destinations, compared to Singapore’s total of 189, pushing Singapore into second place on the index. 

This quarter, Germany which was ranked as the second best passport fell down a notch to third to be shared with South Korean and France. 

Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden and Spain were ranked -fourth, with 187 destinations accessible to their citizens. Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom slid down a spot from fourth to fifth place.

Police have tightened the security in Jaffna and stepped up operations following the death of a woman in Kopay last night. The 58-year-old woman was killed when she intervened in a clash between two groups of youth near the Development Center in Urelu. Clashes between the Aava group and its various fractions have increased in the recent past. 

Just last week, the Senior DIG of Jaffna Roshan Fernando dismissed concerns regarding the security in Jaffna claiming no deaths have occurred due to Aava group activities. “These are small incidents and not grave crimes” he had said. However, now with the recent death, the Police appear to have stepped up their operations in the area now residents say.

Refuting media reports of him together with State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe requesting a commission of USD 25 million from an investor to set up a high speed train manufacturing plant, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrema said yesterday in Parliament that the allegations are unfounded as he has never even met this person or spoken to them.

"While I was in Germany, about 10 days ago, I was made to understand that a Director of Ceylon High Speed Railway Limited, a Company who had sent a proposal to the Board of Investment (BOI), to produce and export high speed trains, has accused the State Minister and myself of requesting for a commission of USD 25 Million to have the project proposal approved.  This is a totally false allegation.  In fact, I have never met this party, nor have I spoken to them or even seen the colour of them", the Minister said.

Samarawickrama responding to the media reports that LKR 150 milion had been received to be credited to his bank account and the Central Bank had frozen the funds, yesterday urged the CID to investigate this matter at its earliest and take action against any Cabinet Minister if such funds have been received.

Text of the Minister’s speech is as follows:

"I wish to inform you that there seems to be a targeted attempt by certain sections of the social media and an electronic media channel in particular, to discredit me.

While I was in Germany, about 10 days ago, I was made to understand that a Director of Ceylon High Speed Railway Limited, a Company who had sent a proposal to the Board of Investment (BOI), to produce and export high speed trains, has accused the State Minister and myself of requesting for a commission of USD 25 Million to have the project proposal approved.  This is a totally false allegation.  In fact, I have never met this party, nor have I spoken to them or even seen the colour of them.

I do not wish to delve into the details of the  process through which the BOI  and the Single Window Investment Approval Committee approves the investment proposals submitted to the BOI, since the BOI Officials have given a detailed description of how the proposals are evaluated and approved.  At no stage do the Ministers get involved in the approval process. However, I have requested for and received a report of this proposal from BOI which I would like to table.

I would like to highlight some elements of the proposal  submitted, so that  Hon. Members of this House  can see for themselves whether the proposal should be approved or not; (refer annexure 1)Again last week, the same media institutions alleged that a sum of LKR 150 million (LKR 1,500 lakhs) had been received to be credited to my Bank Account and the Central Bank had frozen the funds.

This is a totally false allegation.  I have checked with the Central Bank and I am informed that no such funds had been received to be credited to anyone of the Cabinet Minister’s Accounts.  However, I have written to DIG – CID, to investigate into this matter at his earliest convenience and take necessary action against any Cabinet Minister, if such funds have been received.  I am tabling the letter I have sent to the DIG.

Hon. Speaker, is this the media freedom that we wanted?  This is nothing but freedom of the wild ass.

I request you to kindly take necessary steps to prevent Members of Parliament being insulted and defamed by the irresponsible media, coming out with fake news. If not, no decent person will want to enter Parliament."

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says that the government will also successfully face the economic crisis due to the rising global fuel prices as it successfully faced the other economic challenges such as the country's massive debt burden and the prevailing drought.
 
Speaking at the opening of a new building complex for Ehetuwewa Divisional Secretariat in Galgamuwa, Kurunegala on Sunday, the Prime Minister said the fuel prices are expected to rise further in the coming months due to the prevailing oil crisis in the global market.
 
Accordingly, the fuel prices in Sri Lanka will also fluctuate along with the global price and therefore prices may need to be revised weekly in the future instead of just monthly.
Referring to the criticism against the newly introduced fuel pricing formula, the Premier said it will be a benefit for the masses in the long run.
 
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe opened the two-storied building complex of Ehetuwewa Divisional Secretariat constructed at a cost of Rs. 22 million. He also opened the new two-storied administrative building of the Ehetu weva, Bandaranayake Maha Vidyalaya and the aesthetic unit of the school.
 
Addressing the gathering the Prime Minister said that the economy of the country would be strengthened by developing the export economy. He said that the national economy as well as the economy of the citizens need to have some respite and export-oriented economy should be strengthened further in order to face global economic challenges.
 
Furthermore, the Premier pointed out that the strengthening dollar is a boost for the exporters and urged the exporters to increase their export volumes.
 
He added that the government was focusing on developing the tourism, fisheries, garments and Information Technology sectors as well as growth in the exporting of gems, tea and rubber. (Colombopage)

Parliament has approved the appointment of three members from the civil society to the Constitutional Council. 

Accordingly, following members have been appointed to the Constitutional Council: 

Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala - Senior Special Advisor on Foreign Relations to the PresidentAhamed Javed Yusuf – Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Saudi ArabiaNaganathan Selvakumaran – Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo 

The nominations were made by the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader inline with the powers vested in them through the Parliament.

Papua New Guinea’s government is under mounting pressure to account for a purchase of 40 luxury vehicles for next month’s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the capital of Port Moresby. Shipments of the Maserati sedans from Italy arrived in Port Moresby last week, to be used for ferrying around APEC leaders and other dignitaries at the summit on November 17-18.

APEC Minister Justin Tkatchenko said the Maseratis were “being committed to be paid for by the private sector” where demand was so keen they would sell “like hot cakes”.

Putting the value of each car at a little over US$100,000 (NZ$150,000), Tkatchenko initially said the Maseratis were being paid for with “no overall cost to the state”. 

One of the 40 Maseratis imported by Papua New Guinea for APEC 2018 ... threatened two-day strike looms. Image: EMTV News

Amid a public outcry about the Maseratis, the opposition Madang MP Bryan Kramer said the deal could be illegal if the vehicles have been bought by the private sector without any cost to the government.

With PNG’s Public Finance Management Act requiring any state assets to be acquired or disposed of by calling for public tender, Kramer said the government must reveal when the public tender was called.

Strike looms

Opposition MPs have called for a nationwide strike later this week in protest against the government’s Maserati deal, which has been criticised as being excessively extravagant for a government struggling to fund basic health services.

“While the country faces a polio outbreak, failing health and education systems, systemic corruption, and escalating law and order issues, prime minister (Peter) O’Neill appears to be more concerned about impressing world leaders,” Kramer said in a statement.

He has linked the purchase to an invoice for US$6,357,684 to PNG’s government from a Sri Lanka-based auto spare parts and sales company, Ideal Choices.

Since his earlier statement, the minister admitted to Australian media that the government paid a deposit for the purchase. But he has not explained how it would recover its costs after on-selling cars at what is expected to be a depreciated price tag. 

Papua New Guinea APEC Minister Justin Tkatchenko … facing calls to be sacked. Image: Koroi Hawkins/RNZ

Facing calls to sack Tkatchenko and step down himself, O’Neill said yesterday that the vehicles would be sold to the private sector in a public tender. 

Disastrous ‘optics’

But the Maserati deal has made for disastrous “optics”, triggering global media attention and outrage among Papua New Guineans.

“The Italian automobile manufacturer must now come out publicly to explain why they agreed to sell 40 Maseratis destined for PNG APEC to a small dealership based in Colombo, Sir Lanka,” said Kramer.

The outspoken MP said he could not envisage world leaders agreeing to be ferried in luxury vehicles that appear to be procured through a small backyard dealership.

However, Tkatchenko continues to defend the import, saying the kind of service provided through Maserati was standard for APEC summits.

Concern over rising risks to emerging market economies were center stage this week as global Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors gathered this week in Bali, Indonesia. Bali hosted both the biannual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Twenty-Four (G-24) developing countries and the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group officials.

“Global growth continues broadly but risks are rising for developing economies with higher oil prices, rising interest rates, high debt levels and the threat of trade war as top concerns,” said Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Finance and Media for Sri Lanka and Chairman of the G-24. “We urge major powers to reform and reinforce rather than discard the rules-based global trading system,” Samaraweera said.

Volatile capital flows, foreign exchange pressures and higher borrowing costs have buffeted emerging markets as major economies have begun rolling back the very low interest rates that have prevailed since the 2008 global financial crisis. “There is no avoiding the fact that the market for capital is global, which means policies and interest rates in advanced economies affect emerging and developing economies,” said Julio Velarde, first vice-chair of the G-24 and Governor of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru.

“Emerging markets that restrain debt levels and maintain prudent macroeconomic policies may weather volatility better but all emerging markets are adversely affected by excessive capital flow volatility,” Velarde said.

G-24 and IMF/World Bank delegates discussed debt vulnerabilities that are rising in some developing countries, particularly low-income countries. According to the IMF, debt as a percentage of GDP has risen from 33 percent to 47 percent in the last 5 years for low-income countries. “Such a rapid rise in debt and rates should be a concern to both creditors and debtors, which share a responsibility to foster debt transparency and sustainability,” Samaraweera said.

In the context of recurring volatility, there are multilateral actions that could mitigate this damage to developing countries. The G-24 reiterated the importance of a strong Global Financial Safety Net, with an adequately resourced, quota-based IMF at its center, which has the resources needed to act decisively when needed. One-third of the IMF’s lending resources will disappear next year when bilateral financing arrangements expire. Delegates said it is important that International Monetary Fund surveillance continues an even-handed and context-based assessment of macro-prudential and capital flow management measures, affording countries the latitude to implement appropriate measures to ensure financial stability.

G-24 delegates also agreed on the following of key measures to deal with the interrelated challenges of growth and debt:

1)   Trade uncertainties and financial and monetary conditions compound rising debt vulnerabilities. Improving debt sustainability depends on a supportive external trade and financial environment, timely contingency financing and the adequate flow of concessional financing for LICs – which, let us remember, has been down by almost 20 per cent if we compare figures from 2013 to 2016. 
 
2)   We called for action from the IMF, WBG and multilateral partners and donors on capacity building for fiscal and debt management and sustainability and debt transparency.
 
3)  We need to recognize the issue and try to improve the transparency around borrowing and recognize that both borrowers and lenders bear responsibility for ensuring sustainability. 
 
4)   On sovereign debt resolution, we have recognized that, with greater reliance on market-based finance, the challenges of maintaining debt sustainability and resolving sovereign debt crises evolve, and that we need a better framework to deal with such challenges.