Odds & Ends

The previously announced doubling of lottery ticket prices from this month has been put off till at least next January. The reason, a little bird whispers, is not due to the love of lottery buyers, but more to do with some greedy elements in the Development Lottery placing massive orders for lottery tickets with their Indian printers. The result has been that it is stuck with enough lottery ticket stocks with the Rs. 10 price tag to last till at least the end of the year. As a result of this over exuberance for printing large stocks of lottery tickets even the National Lotteries Board is unable to revise the prices of its tickets from this month. The NLB, of course, prints all its tickets locally.The real loser ultimately is the cash strapped Government, which could have raked in hundreds of millions of rupees in additional revenue from the sale of lottery tickets from this month if not for the DL folly.

Bubble has burst

Lanka’s real estate prices, which had hit astronomical heights in recent years, sometimes as high as those in places like Tokyo or New York appears to be petering out.

The cause for the unprecedented rise appears to be the reason for its down turn as well - the expatriate Tamil buyers from places like Canada, Australia, USA, UK etc., With no sign of peace, they have suddenly become wary of investing here. As a result the fast changing Colombo skyline too may take a break with a sudden slowdown in new apartment complex constructions.

Friend in need is a friend indeed.

The Government and specially the President suddenly remembered last week to congratulate Israel’s former Prime Minister and Labour Party Leader Shimon Peres on being made the new President of the Jewish state days after his induction and Foreign Secretary Dr Palitha Kohona made a special trip with the congratulatory message from the Sri Lankan President. Then even before the Foreign Secretary left Tel Aviv, Foreign Employment Promotion Minister and Government Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella too was in Israel.

Poor students victims of cuts

With deep cuts in university funding by as much as 65 percent, one of the biggest casualties are likely to be Arts students who passed the A/Levels in 2005 and 2006 and are yet awaiting entry to the Colombo University. This backlog was to be cleared with a double intake later this year, but with these unkind cuts, it may not materialize.

Enhanced personal security was offered to top bureaucrats in the North and East Provincial Councils in the aftermath of the daring assassination of Eastern Province Chief Secretary Herath Abeydeera recently within the High Security Zone in Trincomalee. Most had apparently been reluctant to take up the offer as they would automatically become targets by going around with police guards. Besides it would be easy for the state to keep a close tab on them. They certainly are not boorucrats