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Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera says law will be strictly enforced against errant traders who are raising prices of essential items arbitrarily.

He said the government has decided to strictly enforce the law against traders who use the revision of fuel prices as a justification to raise prices of essential items and services.

Accordingly, the government will take steps to introduce a strong new bill to overcome the shortcomings in the existing Consumer Affairs Authority Act to protect consumer rights, said the Finance Minister addressing a media briefing recently.

According to the fuel pricing formula introduced by the government on 11th May, the fuel prices will be revised in line with the market price on the midnight of the 10th of every month.

When asked whether the government has a plan to protect the consumer if the traders decide to raise the prices of other goods and services related to fuel prices, the Minister said that fuel prices alone cannot be used to raise prices of goods and services.

"In our country not only fuel prices, if the prices of all goods and services are increased, the prices in the market will be increased immediately but if the prices are reduced the benefits are not passed on to the consumers," he pointed out.

"Therefore we need to create moral qualities in traders. We need to train them to do the same when the prices are reduced as when they are raised," he added.

Minister Samaraweera said the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen is taking measures to draft the new laws required to protect the consumers from unscrupulous traders.

The Minister explained that a number of factors decide the price hikes on goods and services, and the prices cannot be raised based on fuel prices.

He said the price of goods and services should be increased carefully and fairly and the government is carrying out this responsibility with great care.

Source : Colombo Page

JO MP Kumara Welgama says he has no need to answer to Rtd. Major Ajith Prasanna. “Why should I answer to a man known by the whole country as insane” he questioned. 

The MP made these comments following a public meeting held recently. 

According to Welgama, Ajith Prasanna is a person who had to leave his residential area and contest in a different area in the election. The MP pointed out that he is a crazy person who was not even able to gather 5000 votes. “Why should I talk to someone like that?” he asked. 

Recently Ajith Prasanna had claimed that Welgama is being blackmailed by the government and he is therefore now leaking information regarding the JO to it. 

Speaking at the event, however, Welgama continued to voice his dissent against Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the next possible presidential candidate of the Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna.

Releasing a gazette the Registrar of Pesticides has lifted the ban on glyphosate for all crops throughout the country. 

In a gazette notification dated July 11, 2018, Registrar J.A. Sumith said that on the advice of the Pesticides Technical and Advisory Committee, he was rescinding the order made under Section 11 of the Control of Pesticides Act No.33 of 1980 and published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 1937/ 35 of October 23, 2015 which cancelled every licence issued in respect of pesticides containing the chemical glyphosate.

The Government imposed the glyphosate ban in 2015 over fears that this chemical was one of the causes for the kidney disease epidemic in the North-Central Province and elsewhere.

However, the recent move has now outraged Minister of Health, Rajitha Senaratne. He says the registrar cannot lift the ban contrary to cabinet decisions. While in 2017 the ban imposed in 2015 was lifted only for tea and rubber crops the Minister says the registrar cannot lift the ban on all crops. According to him, the new gazette is contrary to the cabinet decision made and he stressed that no public officer can act against them. 

Accordingly Minister of Agriculture, Mahinda Amaraweera says a new Gazette will be issued today once again lifting the ban of glyphosate use for tea and rubber as other industries are now managing without glyphosate and have not requested the use of it.

Thailand is proposing the use of the early harvest scheme (EHS) during the first round of free trade agreement (FTA) talks with Sri Lanka to accelerate implementation, as discussions began on Friday (14).

Deputy Commerce Minister of Thailand Chutima Bunyapraphasara said the EHS will help the FTA Sri Lanka to accelerate the negotiations faster as it usually takes 2-3 years at the soonest before a pact is settled.

President Maithripala Sirisena and Thai Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha, jointly announced the first round of FTA talks on Thursday after meeting in Colombo.

Sri Lanka is the fourth-largest trading partner of Thailand in South Asia and during 2013-17, bilateral trade between Thailand and Sri Lanka averaged US$ 491 million (16.4 billion baht) per year.

Ms. Chutima said Sri Lanka wants Thailand to open imports for Sri Lankan products, particularly for agricultural products such as tea, fruit, textile, jewellery, while Colombo is calling for more investment from Thai investors.

Thai companies are set to invest in Sri Lanka in the sugar and sugar cane, furniture, cement and agricultural industries, she said.

The new charge sheet for traffic spot fines will be in effect from today (15), according to the police. Police Media Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara stated that the new charge sheet will include 33 traffic and motor offences.
 
Previously there were only 23 offences and 3 of them have been removed from the new list, he further said.
 
Additionally, the minimum fine for an offence has been increased from Rs. 20 to Rs 500 in the new charge sheet, he added.

Deputy Minister Dunesh Gankanda has suggested that former Secretary of Defence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa should take up one out of the two existing vacancies for an executioner at the Department of Prisons. 

He made these comments while attending a public meeting held in Ratnapura. 

According to him, the other vacancy could also be filled by a Rajapaksa. “They can take a pick as to who can be given the post from the family” he added.

One of the most admired War Heroes in contemporary Sri Lanka, Corporal Hasalaka Gamini Kularatne of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR) who exactly 27 years ago laid his life for defence of his Elephant Pass camp was recalled to memory in front of his Elephant Pass statue premises during 13 - 14 July in fitting commemorative arrangements, organized by the 66 Division of the Security Force Headquarters - Kilinochchi (SFHQ-KLN).

Commemorative arrangements began with an all-night Pirith chanting ceremony on Friday (13) night, followed by an offer of alms (Heel Daana) to the members of the Maha Sangha. Organized on the instructions of Brigadier Deepthi Jayathilaka, General Officer Commanding, 66 Division with the support of the 662 Brigade Commander, Colonel Champika Ranasinghe and his troops, the commemorative event was attended by the mother of late War Hero and a gathering of civilians, in addition to Officers and Other Rankers.

On the following day (14), Major General Nishshanka Ranawana, Commander, Security Forces - Kilinochchi (SF-KLN), attending the second phase of the memorial ceremony as the Chief Guest set light to the eternal lamp near the statue and revered the heroic memory by placing a floral wreath at the foot. The War Hero’s mother, Mrs S.G Juliet, together with the General Officer Commanding, 66 Division, 662 Brigade Commander and several of her relatives paid their respects to the monument by placing wreaths.

Hundreds of coconut oil lamps were lit around the premises afterwards in memory of this great soldier as the dusk fell before the ‘Last Post’ was sounded for the culmination of the day’s proceedings in keeping with military traditions.

Source : SLR

Writing to President Maithripala Sirisena regarding the government’s recent decision to re-introduce the death penalty the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has stressed that imposing the punishment is a human rights violation. Chairperson of the Commission Dr Deepika Udagama said having written to the President on January 1, 2016, the commission had made recommendations to remove the death penalty from the country’s legal system, the HRC is dismayed at the recent decision taken. 

She also said in the letter that the commission does not feel implementing the death penalty can address the issue of drug trafficking. According to them implementing the death sentence will only contribute negatively to a society where the public has lost faith in the justice system.

Udagama also reminded the President of a set of recommendations issued in 2016 which called for the abolition of the death penalty in Sri Lanka in keeping with Sri Lanka’s commitment to a more humane society consonant with human rights principles and values.

Full text of the letter :

Despite widespread reports that the Sri Lanka Army is preparing to remove a large number of its troops and camps from the North, releasing a statement today the Army has refuted these reports. “The Sri Lanka Army as a responsible one will not close down any Army camp as alleged in those misleading reports” the communique read. 
 
Going on further it said that certain media organizations operating under disgruntled politicians who are unhappy about the various development projects, being undertaken by Army troops island-wide are trying to mislead the public with false propaganda. “We urge the public to not be misled by these reports,” the Army release said adding that under any circumstances it will not resort to any decision that would pose a threat to national security
 
Explaining the situation the communique said the right-sizing process of the Army after the war is being distorted by parties with vested interests.  
 
“Rightsizing process has always been happening in the Army. Through the process, the troops who are mainly deployed for administrative duties are relieved and mobilized for field duties to gain better productivity, thereby doubling their efficiency” it further said. 
 
However this process does not allow any Army camp to be closed, but it instead enables the majority of troops in those camps to be deployed for emergency disaster needs and nation-building tasks in an effective manner. 
 
“Nevertheless, some false media reports try to claim that this process has led to a large let-up in the security arrangements in the North and East. It certainly is not a disbanding of battalions but is only a restructuring with the intention of distributing human and material resources equally among other battalions” it further said.

An undergraduate of the University Kelaniya has gone missing after falling over the ‘Asupini Ella’ in Aranayake the Police said. The victim has been identified as a male. Search operations are being conducted.

IGP Pujith Jayasundara says he is prepared to introduce the national suit to the Police as a uniform instead of the current Khaki uniform. Once it is done, all police officers will conduct themselves like him, the IGP is claimed to have said. 

Sources say he had made these comments during a friendly discussion between, Minister of Law and Order Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara and Northern Province Chief Minister C.V Wigneswaran.

Prices of all bakery products except bread will be increased by Rs 5, stated the All Island Bakery Owners Association.

According to them the rise in diesel prices has warranted the increase as many machines in bakeries run with fuel.  The price increase will be in effect from midnight Sunday (15).