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The Government has cancelled the Public and Bank Holiday falling on May 1, 2018. This has been done due to the Vesak Week being held from April 26 to May 2.

The relevant Gazette notification has been issued by Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena by virtue of the power vested in him under the Holidays Act, No. 29 of 1971.

The government has declared Monday, May 7 as a Public and Bank Holiday to celebrate International Labour Day.

Source : Daily News

UNP MP Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne says that two main political parties of the country should continue to run the government together.

 Despite the numerous obstacles faced, continuing the National Government would be better for the country, he pointed out at a press conference of the United Left Front.

The Director-General of World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Sri Lanka's health service is one of the best not only in Asia, but in the world.

Ghebreyesus made these remarks when he visited Sri Lanka to celebrate the World Health Day on April 7. He further said that the reason Sri Lanka had such a high-quality health service was due to its free availability as well as the country's political leadership which provided clear guidance to the health service.

Sri Lanka, which was earlier ranked as a low-income country, had now emerged as a middle-income nation and under this situation, the island's health sector was excellent, Tedros said.

Sri Lanka’s Anusha Dilrukshi Koddithuwakku claimed the bronze medal after losing to India’s M C Mary Kom in the semi-finals of the women’s 48 kg boxing event in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast today.

Mary Kom, also a sitting MP in India, prevailed 5-0 in a contest where clean punches were few and far.

Despite the height advantage Koddithuwakku struggled to connect for most part.

She picked up pace in the final three minutes but Mary Kom drew from her own well of experience to thwart her.

The five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist Indian is competing in her maiden CWG and assured herself of at least a silver medal.

Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, Dr Rajitha Senaratne says that by 2020, the e-Healthcare Card will be given to all Sri Lankans.

He was speaking at the 'Nelum Pokuna Theater' at the World Health Day which was held on the 7th of this month when the announcement was made.

All person's health records will be included in this e-health card the Minister said.

It will also include other details such as the patient's blood type. “This would facilitate faster ICU services” he added.

The Ministry has appointed Dilruwan Rajapakse as the acting Basnayake Nilame of the Ruhunu Kataragama Devalaya.

The appointment comes after the Buddha Sasana Ministry temporarily suspended D. P. Kumarage from the post claiming it has received a large number of complaints against him. However Basnayake Nilame D.P. Kumarage said he had not received any written intimation to the effect that he has been removed from the post.

He said he was legally elected to the post through a formal election process and he has two more years to complete his official term. He said will not relinquish his post until then without any allegations against him.

Kumarage said the Buddhist Affairs Commissioner had suspended the Devalaya’s Bank transactions and he was unable to pay worker salaries during the New Year season.

However he had paid their salaries with personal funds and he planned to institute legal action against the order.

In August, a crisis situation emerged among the Basnayake Nilame and the officiating priests over the Devalaya keys. Minister Gamini Jayawickreme appointed a retired Judge to probe this issue.

The official term of a Basnayake Nilame is five years and 17 people cast votes to elect the Basnayake Nilame.

New ambassadors and high commissioners representing Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Poland, Austria, and Tanzania presented their credentials to President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat, yesterday (11).

The newly appointed envoys are as follows.

1.​ Mr. Mohamed Maliki – Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco

2.​ Mrs. Brigitte Oppinger Walchshofer – Ambassador of the Republic of Austria

3. ​Mr. Sheikh Ahmed Hamad Al Mualla – Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates

4.​ Mr. Adam Burakowski – Ambassador of the Republic of Poland

5.​ Mr. Baraka Haran Luvanda – High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania.

The Commissioner General of Motor Traffic A.H.K. Jagath Chandrasiri said that the Sri Lankan Motor Traffic Department is planning to introduce an E-motoring system for the registration of vehicles through an online system by 2020.

He said the project would be introduced to save the time of people who seek registration of their vehicles. Chandrasiri said the project would include the introduction of the Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) for motor vehicles.

According to the Department, Sri Lanka introduced two new classes of vehicles -- quadricycles and motor-homes -- in recent times for registration. Sri Lanka's registered vehicle population stands at 7,376,268.

The High Commission of India, Colombo announces the offer for the following ICCR scholarship for 2018-19 academic sessions:

Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme: Five (05) slots for PhD Degrees in all subjects except Medicine/Paramedical (Nursing/Physiotherapy/anesthesia etc.) fashion courses.

The Government of India selects meritorious Sri Lankan nationals for award of this Scholarship. Selection of candidates is done in consultation with the Ministry of Higher Education & Highways, Government of Sri Lanka, to pursue PhD Degrees in some of the topmost universities in India.

All scholarships cover full tuition fees for the entire duration of the course, monthly sustenance allowance and annual grant for books, stationary. The Selected Candidates would also be provided hostel facility inside the campus. Besides, all ICCR scholars in India are provided full healthcare facilities, air fare to the nearest destination in India and an annual grant for educational tours to various parts of the country, apart from several other auxiliary benefits.

The eligible candidates can download the application forms from the website of Ministry of Higher Education & highways at www.mohe.gov.lk the last date for submission of duly filled up application forms for PhD courses at Ministry of Higher Education & Highways, Government of Sri Lanka is April 23, 2018.

Prospective students are advised to approach the Ministry of Higher Education to learn more about the eligibility criteria and selection procedure. Interested candidates can also direct their queries to High Commission of India or visit our website for further details on the scholarships.

Sri Lanka received 707,924 tourists in the first three months of this year, an increase of 17.1 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year, a minister said on Monday.

Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga told Xinhua news agency that the country could have attracted more tourists in March if not for the outbreak of communal violence in Galle and the subsequent declaration of the state of Emergency.

India, China, Germany, France and the UK are the biggest tourist markets for Sri Lanka.

Quoting the latest statistics released by the Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority, he said the country received 233,382 tourist arrivals in March.

A new Cabinet of Ministers will be sworn in within the next two days after the Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) informs its decision today, says Co-cabinet spokesman Dr Rajitha Senaratne.

Responding to question at the weekly cabinet press briefing in Colombo today (11), he stated that it will not be a Cabinet reshuffle, and that a new Cabinet will be sworn in before April 14.

He also stated that there will be no change in the number of members in the Cabinet and that it will remain as 45.

He stated that although it is a new Cabinet, not all ministerial portfolios will be changed. The subjects have been prepared scientifically and most ministers have already been placed in them, but it will be sworn in as a new Cabinet.

He clarified that although the there will be no change to the subjects, they will be sworn in once again.

Responding to another question, he said that the President had initially stated that a group will be leaving and that those vacant positions will be filled while creating a new Cabinet.

“Our stance is that those who went against the Prime Minister cannot stay in this Cabinet,” Senaratne said.

He stated that the Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is expected to deliver its decision today.

The Health Minister said that after the said group of ministers leave, the six vacant positions in the Cabinet will also be filled from the remaining members of the SLFP.

The Central Committee of the SLFP is scheduled to meet later today to decide on its future with the national government as well as the ministers who voted in favour of the no-confidence motion against the PM.

Source : Ada Derana

Moody’s Investors Service yesterday said the new Inland Revenue Act (IR Act) developed to build weak state revenues would help to gradually bridge the massive hole in the fiscal account and reduce the external vulnerability marred by heavy public debt in the medium term.

Moody’s, with the new act coming into place, estimates an increase in state revenue of 0.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019—the first full fiscal year since the new tax law in effect. 

According to the Finance Ministry estimates, the new IR Act will bring additional Rs.60 billion per annum by way of removing various tax exemptions and introducing new taxes such as Capital Gains Tax.

“With a very large debt burden and weak debt affordability weighing on its credit profile, successful implementation of revenue reforms will help foster fiscal consolidation,” Moody’s said. Along with the IR Act, Sri Lanka will also introduce a new taxpayer identification number system.

 “In conjunction with an automation of tax administrative efforts, such initiatives will help to raise tax compliance, broaden the current narrow tax base and improve the composition of the revenue base by raising the share of direct taxes,” Moody’s noted.

The new IR Act is expected to increase the share of direct taxes to 40 percent of GDP from the existing 20 percent.

Moody’s has a B1 speculative credit rating on Sri Lankan sovereign and the rating agency said the new IR Act is credit positive.

Sri Lanka is currently in an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme in which reforms that contribute to fiscal consolidation are central to meeting the IMF targets.

 The next tranche from the IMF of its US $ 1.5 billion three-year extended fund facility is now overdue. While several of the IMF’s monetary, fiscal and reserves targets are on track, the Sri Lankan government has delayed in delivering on the promised energy pricing formula and the reforms into loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs) due to political challenges.

While the government has just announced its restructuring plans to the debt-laden national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, other SOEs remain a massive drag on the path to fiscal consolidation.

The higher oil prices in the global markets have already unsettled the state utility providers and the absence of a cost-reflective pricing formula has unnerved the government. Moody’s estimates the government revenue to rise 0.4 percentage point to 15.2 percent of GDP in 2018 and increase a further 0.8 percentage point to 16 percent of GDP in 2019 with the new IR Act.

“Meanwhile, we expect government expenditures to remain flat at 20 percent of GDP. As a result, we forecast the fiscal deficit to narrow to 4.8 percent of GDP this year and shrink to 4.0 percent of GDP in 2019, from 5.2 percent in 2017,” the rating agency stated.

Sri Lanka aims to reduce the fiscal gap to 3.5 percent of GDP by 2020, which is possible on stronger economic growth and higher revenue.

Moody’s also expects the economy to grow by 4.7 percent this year, picking up from 3.1 percent in 2017. As weather conditions normalize, a rebound in agriculture production and exports will boost growth this year.

A rebound in real GDP growth will be essential to help support future revenue gains.

Meanwhile, the rating agency also estimates Sri Lanka to reduce its public debt burden to about 74 percent of GDP by 2021 from 79.3 percent of GDP in 2017.

“Still, the government debt will remain well above the median of about 55 percent of GDP for B-rated sovereigns and will remain high for an economy of Sri Lank

Source: Daily Mirror