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Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe says Sri Lanka Navy has been advised to emphasize on anti-submarine warfare. According to him the number of shore patrol vessels are also being increased. 

Attending an event in Colombo today Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe said the Hambantota port is being given far more publicity than deserved in recent times due to claims that the port could become a Chinese naval base. “But the agreement with China Merchant is that the security of the Hambantota port will be with the Sri Lanka government and the Sri Lankan armed forces,” he said adding that this was accepted. The Prime Minister said the government has now taken steps to move the Naval Southern Command from Galle to Hambantota as well as a result. 

According to him, the Indo-pacific concept put forward by the USA is being seen by China as a mechanism to contain China in the Indian and Pacific Oceans thereby increasing its strategic vulnerability. According to him, Sri Lanka also appears to have become entangled in the issue due to partnerships with Chinese organizations for the construction of the Hambantota Harbour and the Port City. 

The Prime Minister said discussions are now being carried out with the India Airport Company for a Private Public Partnership between them and the Civil Aviation Authority to manage the Mattala international airport.  According to him, therefore, no one can accuse the government of handing over projects to only China.

The World Bank Board of Directors has approved a USD 200 million loan to help increase the use and the quality of Sri Lanka's primary healthcare services.

The Primary Healthcare System Strengthening Project builds on years of experience and lessons in Sri Lanka's health sector and will focus on detection and management of non-communicable diseases in high-risk population groups, responding to the needs of the poorest of the population, a press release said.

Sri Lanka's health system has demonstrated remarkable performance in achieving universal coverage with maternal and child healthcare services and effective control of infectious diseases. But the country has the fastest ageing population in South Asia, with the population over 60 expected to double in the next 25 years. This demographic transition has an impact on Sri Lanka's health profile: 87 percent of deaths in Sri Lanka are caused by non-communicable diseases. Out of pocket spending on health is at 38 percent of the total health expenditure, which is most burdensome for the poor.

"People are at the center of this project which aims to bring better healthcare services, particularly to the poor and the vulnerable," said Idah Z. Pswarayi-Riddihough, World Bank County Director for Sri Lanka and Maldives. 

"It is designed to detect symptoms and provide remedial measures, including the promotion of healthy lifestyles to better manage the burden of non-communicable diseases at the community and primary health care levels," she added.

The Ministry of Health will implement the project, which is designed around the recently released positioning paper 'Reorganizing Primary Health Care in Sri Lanka: Preserving Our Progress, Preparing Our Future'. The World Bank will provide technical and financial support to implement the primary healthcare system reorganization and strengthening and provide implementation support through innovation grants.

"The project should serve as a catalyst for revitalizing Sri Lanka's Primary Health Care system and preparing the country to address the future health sector challenges," Senior Health Specialist and Task Team Leader Kanako Yamashita-Allen said.

The project, financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development loan, with a maturity of 33 years including a grace period of 6 years, will be implemented during a five-and-a-half-year period.

Former Chairman of Sri Lankan Airlines Nishantha Wickremesinghe, the brother in law of Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa came into the board of Sri Lankan Airlines in 2008 and thereafter was made Chairman in 2010, where he demanded a monthly remuneration of Rs. 500,000.

At the Commission on Wednesday, the company secretary Dalrene Thirukumar produced what is called the Cost Center Document for the Chairman’s office which lists out the expenses of Nishantha Wickremesinghe excluding his salary and allowances. As per the witness’s testimony, the Chairman’s salary and allowances are handled by the office of the company secretary.

The Chairman’s Office consists of only the Secretary to the Chairman and the Executive Secretary.

From 2008 – 2009 the basic salary for the Chairman’s office staff was Rs. 288,000, however, after Wickremesinghe was made Chairman in 2010, that figure rose to Rs. 557,000. This is just for two employees serving in the Chairman’s office. In 2013 – 2014, the basic salary for the Chairman’s office staff reached Rs. 3.812 Million and dropped top Rs. 2.977 Million for the next financial year.

The entertainment expenditure reimbursements in the Cost Center Document notes, from 2009 to 2010 the figure was just Rs 46,000.

However, in the following year, that figure rose to Rs. 496,000 and was above Rs 150,000 each year until 2014, where it was Rs. 473,000.

Then we come to the “Duty Travel Overseas” column in the Cost Center Document. These numbers include the expenses of the Chairman as well. Let’s have a breakdown as follows.

2008 – 2009: Rs. 532,000
2009 – 2010: Rs. 184,000
2010 – 2011: Rs. 1,306,000
2011 – 2012: Rs. 3,133,000
2012 – 2013: Rs. 5,109,000
2013 – 2014: Rs. 6,346,000
2014 – 2015: Rs. 9,028,000

So in the latter part of his career as Chairman of the national airlines, his cost centre document for overseas travel shows a staggering number of just over Rs 9 Million.

The commission of inquiry also drew its attention towards the “Telephone Rentals” listed in the cost centre document. These number include chargers and trunk calls.

2008 – 2009: Rs. 22,000
2009 – 2010: Rs. 337,000
2010 – 2011: Rs. 460,000
2011 – 2012: Rs. 692,000
2012 – 2013: Rs. 873,000
2013 – 2014: Rs. 1,468,000
2014 – 2015: Rs. 1,056,000

So, when looking at those numbers, one would actually question who were they talking to for the airlines to incur such a cost.

Another key highlight in the proceedings on Wednesday was the Sales Related Pax Cost which can be defined as the cost for excess baggage. According to the witness, Commercially Important Passengers get their excess baggage cost waived off as per a policy and this revenue is usually lost by SriLankan Airlines.

According to the witness, this cost is shown in the cost centre document because Nishantha Wickremesinghe had waived off the cost for someone’s excess baggage and wants the airline to pay for that.

2008 – 2009: Rs. 32,000
2009 – 2010: Rs. 703,000
2010 – 2011: Rs. 00.000
2011 – 2012: Rs. 2,652,000
2012 – 2013: Rs. 1,986,000
2013 – 2014: Rs. 1,837,000
2014 – 2015: Rs. 516,000

In total from 2008 to 2015, Nishantha Wickremsinghe had waived off a sum of Rs. 7,726,000.

Speaking to News 1st an expert in ticketing and airlines baggage handling said, the usual rate for excess baggage carried by a commercially important passenger per kilogram would be between Rs. 2500 and Rs. 3000.

If we do the match, Rs. 7.7 Million would have been for around 03 tonnes which is equal to the combined weight of 36 grown men.

According to the witness, only the Commercial Department at SriLankan Airlines would be able to say who the Commercially Important Passengers were for these particular flights.

Source: Newsfirst

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) had incurred a loss of more than LKR 400 million in the past four days due to the order given by the Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Arjuna Ranatunga to revert to previous prices, CPC sources said.

Ranatunga had disregarded the fuel price hike announced by the Ministry of Finance as per the fuel pricing formula.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera had introduced the fuel pricing formula after detailed discussions and gaining cabinet approval.

State Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, Dr. Harsha de Silva in a twitter message said that the pricing formula will 'certainly help in managing macro variables plus the demand side management' and called it a ‘positive development’ for Sri Lanka.

It is learnt that the CPC had sold 25.4 m litres of diesel, 1.42 m litres of super diesel, 2.71 m litres of octane 95 petrol and 18.5 m litres of octane 92 petrol during the period at old prices.

Addressing the Subhaga Scholarship Awards Ceremony held at the Temple Trees yesterday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the New Education Standard Act comprising all the changes required to enhance the quality of the country’s education will be introduced in the near future.Wickremesinghe underscored that during the past three years, the government had implemented several programmes for the improvement of facilities in schools. But, the qualitative development of education in Sri Lanka is not up to the mark.

“Paying our attention towards quality education is an important factor. We have to provide scope and ensure quality education.

I have already instructed Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam to take necessary measures to develop national standards for education,” the Premier said.

The Prime Minister further said that the quality of education will improve the learning process. But, improving the quality of education is not an overnight development.

“Qualified and trained teachers, better infrastructural facilities, up-to-date curriculum and regular assessments of the students are the main tools of ensuring quality education,” the Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that education inspectors in England is considered as a very important profession and they care called Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education. They are responsible for the inspection of public and independent, primary and secondary schools, higher education colleges, community learning, Local Authority Education Departments and teacher education.

“The contribution of teachers is significant in ensuring the quality of the country’s education system. Therefore,it is essential to engage trained teachers in all schools to strengthen the teaching and learning process,” the Prime Minister said.

“The government has focused special attention towards all teacher requirements such as teacher recruitment to schools, training, national policy on teacher transfers, grading and promotions of teachers, teacher salaries and welfare services,” the Prime Minister said.

“Measures would be taken to make teacher training compulsory within the next four to five years. So the teachers who have not yet undergone training should complete their training by then,” the Premier added.

The development which has been confined to the Western and Southern provinces would flow to the Eastern Province with the implementation of Trincomalee District Master Plan, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said. 

The Premier made these remarks at an event held at the Temple Trees yesterday to unveil the Master Plan for the Development of Trincomalee District prepared by the Western Development and Megapolis Ministry jointly with the Singaporean Surbana Jurong company.

Wickremesinghe also said that the master plan would help achieve the Vision 2025 goals, adding that it would complete the development plans for the entire country. 

He said the Colombo - Trincomalee Economic Corridor would connect the East with the rest of the country.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe identified the Colombo, Hambantota and Trincomalee ports as the three major ports that required high priority. The master plan envisages developing Trincomalee as the East hub of exports, tourism and logistics by 2050. The Prime Minister, commending the dedication of Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka over the Western Megapolis Project, thanked him for showing similar enthusiasm on the Trincomalee Development Project.

“There will be a number of ministries involved, and coordination is important. It is a long-term plan. First, we will have to see the results of implementing the Western Megapolis Plan. It does not mean you have to wait until it is over. You can begin now,” the PM said. Strategic Development and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama, Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan and Eastern Province Governor Rohitha Bogollagama also participated.

President Maithripala Sirisena and the visiting Prime Minister of Thailand, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, held bilateral consultations yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat and discussed matters of mutual interest to deepen cooperation between the two countries. 

Both leaders commended the cordial relations between the two countries, especially since both nations were nourished by the theravada Buddhist philosophy and discussed ways to further strengthen such ties, the President's Media Division said. They also discussed ways and means of reducing the trade deficit between the two countries reduce the trade deficit between the two countries.

President Sirisena welcomed the progress made by Thailand in the agricultural and technical sectors and solicited Thai assistance to develop these sectors in Sri Lanka. 

The two leaders also witnessed the signing of the following MoUs; 

Treaty on the Transfer of Offenders and on Co-operation in the Enforcement of Penal SentencesMemorandum of Understanding on Strategic Economic PartnershipMemorandum of Understanding on Technological Collaboration Related to Value Addition of Primary ProductsJoint Action Programme for Cooperation on Sustainable Community Development Model Based on the Application of Sufficiency Economy Philosophy in Sri Lanka.Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will host the visiting Prime Minister at breakfast today (13), followed by discussions focusing on economic cooperation, trade and investments between the two countries.

A woman has received a life sentence for throwing a tennis ball containing heroin at an inmate in the Welikada prison.
 
The verdict was passed by the Colombo Magistrate Judge Champa Janaki Rajaratne, on to a married 33-year-old woman named Hiruni Alwis, living in Seevali Mawatha, Borella.
 
The convicted had been accused of throwing a tennis ball over the wall of the Welikada Prison, in January 2011, to get the heroin concealed in the ball to a prison inmate. There had been 3.15 g of heroin concealed in the ball.
 
After a lengthy trial, Judge Jayarathna decided that the accusations against the defendant have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
Accordingly, the convicted was sentenced to a life imprisonment.

Source : Ada Derana

Japan has agreed to provide concessional loan amounting to Japanese Yen 10,639 million ( approximately LKR 15,500 million) under the Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP) of  Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the implementation of the Health and Medical Service Improvement Project.

Non Communicable Disease (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular diseases have increased in the recent past in Sri Lanka due to apparent epidemiological, socio- economic and demographic transitions.

According to the statistics of the World Health Organization 75% of the mortality in Sri Lanka is caused by NCDs and cardiovascular diseases in particular are the leading cause of mortality accounting for 40% of the total.  

To address the issue, Sri Lanka has decided to implement the Health and Medical Service Improvement Project to prevent NCDs by improving the facilities of tertiary care hospitals in Anuradhapuura, Kandy, Kurunegala, Badulla and Trincomalee.

This project will expect to improve the diagnosis and treatment of non- communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases by improving the medical facilities and equipment in tertiary hospitals. 

The facilities of the Bio Medical Engineering Services Unit of the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine (MOH) and the training institutions for the Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLT) will be upgraded with new technologies

Releasing a communique regarding the country’s recent decision to implement the death penalty, Amnesty International says that Sri Lanka must pull back from any plans to implement the death penalty and preserve its longstanding positive record on shunning this cruel and irreversible punishment.

“By resuming executions after more than 40 years, Sri Lanka will do immense damage to its reputation. The government must immediately halt plans to carry out any executions, commute all death sentences, and establish an official moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty as a first step towards its full abolition,” Dinushika Dissanayake, Deputy Director for South Asia at Amnesty International said. 

“Sri Lanka has been a leader in the region, with an enviable record of shunning this cruel and irreversible punishment at a time when many other countries persisted with it. Now, when most of the world has turned its back on the death penalty, it risks heading in the wrong direction and joining a shrinking minority of states that persist with this horrific practice.”

Amnesty International is absolutely opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances, regardless of the crime or the method of execution she said adding that executing people for drug-related crimes is a violation of international law – which says the death penalty can only be imposed in countries that are yet to abolish it for the “most serious crimes”, meaning intentional killing– and would brazenly defy Sri Lanka's international commitments, including its repeated votes in favour of a moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty at the UN General Assembly, including most recently in 2016.

“There is no evidence that the death penalty has a unique deterrent effect against crime. Executions are never the solution and, for drug-related offences, constitute a violation of international law. Sri Lanka should choose a more humane and just path,” said Dinushika Dissanayake.

As of today, 142 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. In the Asia-Pacific region, 19 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes and a further seven are abolitionist in practice.

In 2017, as recorded by Amnesty International, executions were carried out in an isolated minority of countries (23), and only 11 of these – or 6% of the world's total –carried out executions every year in the past five years.

India-made Renault Kwid which is a popular car in Sri Lanka has scored a Zero Star safety rating in a recently conducted crash test by the New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries a.k.a. ASEAN NCAP. The Renault Kwid achieved a total score of 24.68 points in which it is rated as Zero-Star. The Kwid's score can be broken down into 10.12 points for adult occupant protection (AOP) category, and 14.56 points for child occupant protection (COP) category. However, considering the fact that the model was not equipped with any safety assist technologies like - ABS, ESC, seat belt reminders, and more, ASEAN NCAP did not get any score for SATs category.

ASEAN NCAP Secretary-General, Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim said, "We are truly disappointed to find that there are still cars out there that do not offer a high degree of safety levels to its occupants in the ASEAN region. What is more disappointing is that these cars are sold in countries that recorded one of the highest numbers of road fatalities; in which WHO published Thailand with 14,059 fatalities while Indonesia had 26,416 number of road fatalities."

In terms of safety equipment, Renault Kwid tested by the ASEAN NCAP featured a driver's side airbag and pre-tensioners and load limiter for the driver-side seatbelt alone. Commenting on the Renault Kwid's poor performance and lack of safety features, David Ward, Secretary-General, Global NCAP, said, "It's very disturbing to see such a poor result for the Kwid. Renault has shown that they can make a much safer version in Latin America, so why not in South East Asia too? Different regions and double standards from Renault is deeply disappointing!”
Earlier in May 2016 the India-made car also scored zero stars safety rating in the crash test conducted by the Global NCAP. Post that Renault made some safety updates to the Kwid, which garnered it a 1-star rating in a second crash test that was conducted in September 2016. The India-spec model too gets only driver's side airbag and pre-tensioners and load limiter, but unlike the Indonesia spec model, the come as an optional feature on the top-spec model.

Plans have already been formulated and the necessary foundation laid to transform Sri Lanka into a fully developed country by 2050, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

“Undoubtedly this is a challenging task which ought to be carried forward with patience and prudence by working with a group of people with divergent views,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister expressed these sentiments participating in a Question and Answer session of the Sri Lanka-Singapore Business Conference organised by the Trade and Industry Ministry of Singapore in association with the Singapore Business Forum on July 10. The large number of Sri Lankan and Singaporean Businessmen and Entrepreneurs attended the conference held at the Jan Tanglin Hotel in Singapore.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that since Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean has been clearly understood the longtime target is to develop the country into an Economic, Financial and Social Centre. “Sri Lanka is taking dedicated efforts to create a society based on the export economy by inheriting new technology. Pointing out that friendship and co-operation with all countries in the world is the avowed policy of Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister added that it would strive to further strengthen friendship and co-operation with Asian counties such as India, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and China.

Explaining the Economic, Industrial and Tourist Zones to be set up locally in future, he pointed out the investment opportunities available to target 9 million people living around the Expressway network linking Colombo-Kandy and Hambantota.

Singapore’s Trade and Industries Minister S. Iswaran also spoke on this occasion.

Here are some of the questions asked the answers given by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during the occasion.

QUESTION:- What are the plans available in Sri Lanka for entrepreneurship development?

ANSWER: At the outset an entrepreneurship culture should be promoted in the country. Traditionally we have been a trading nation and that tradition is still existent in the country. There is a large group of youth entrepreneurs in the country but their main problem is finding financial basis. The country’s banking institutions are still operating with caution and traditional basis. However much the government assisted small and medium scale ventures the assistance received from Banks is inadequate. As such the government has introduced relief measures to support entrepreneurs who have launched business ventures.

Loan facilities for medium scale business ventures should be expedited. Banks in Sri Lanka should become project based institutions. The export culture should be introduced to small and medium scale business ventures.

QUESTION: What is the impact of the Colombo Port City Project on the Economy of Sri Lanka?

ANSWER: The Colombo Port City Project was started for property trade development. But under our government it has been planned to transform it into a financial city. Land filling in it will be completed by next year and thereafter building construction would begin. Already several financial cities have been set up in the Indian Ocean area. As such we should think of new services to be set up there. This is a project with a 10 year plan.
The Prime Minister said during his visit to England a few weeks ago, he discussed possibilities of implementing the English laws in the financial city. Authorities in England agreed to discuss about the implementation of English laws and lend all possible support in this direction. Already plans are underway to introduce several new legislations relating to the financial city in Sri Lanka.

The first step is to institute a Financial Commission. After discussing the matter and attendant problems and issues with the Attorney General a Cabinet paper would be submitted for setting up the financial commission of the Port Financial City within the next two months.

QUESTION: How will the data collection and analysis process take place correspondent to the future vision?

ANSWER: Data collection work is already in progress. An analysis in made on the impact made on the country’s economy.

Data collection and analysis will be undertaken in cooperation with other countries in the future. This will be the final step towards making Sri Lanka the economic hub of the Indian ocean the Prime Minister said. Development strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama who delivered the inaugural lecture at the session said the Sri Lanka-Singapore FTA will provide a positive message about Sri Lanka’s development goals to the whole world. The government is committed to make Sri Lanka an economic hub in the Indian Ocean. The necessary internal reforms are now underway to make this possible laying emphasis on the Asian supply network and the environment would be created to link with it through export industries. For this Free Trade Agreements would be signed with several other countries.

Deputy Minister Anoma Gamage, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Singapore, Nimal Weeraratne and Colombo’s Mayor Rosy Senanayake were also present on the occasion.

Source : Daily News