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Home » NewsWomen MPs unite to curb Gender-Based Violence
With worldwide movements being set up to promote women’s rights and gender equality, Sri Lanka’s Parliament took a step in this direction when female MPs and staff clad in orange sarees launched a 16-day campaign to create awareness on Gender-Based Violence and related issues. Accordingly, a wristband with the message “Let’s Unite to end Gender-Based [...]
Debt-ridden CEB to be split into 15 companies
Cabinet approves sweeping reforms proposed by experts’ committee By Namini Wijedasa The Cabinet-Appointed Committee on Power Sector Reform has recommended the division of the debt-ridden Ceylon Electricity Board into 14 companies, with a fifteenth entity to take over any residual functions and activities. The nine-member group has also said that to attract serious investors into [...]
Colombo Port City: Regulations gazetted to register offshore companies
The Government has gazetted regulations to fully permit the registration of offshore companies in the Chinese-built Colombo Port City but the promulgation of a framework allowing incentives and exemptions to “businesses of strategic importance” (BSIs) is still overdue, official sources said. The enactment of enabling legislation to allow for widespread activities within the Port City [...]
Mannar wind-power project may be delayed due to impact on birds
The environmental impact assessment report for a proposed 34-turbine wind power plant to be built by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) at Mullikulam in Mannar has proposed a further one-year study to gauge the project’s impact on the area’s rich bird population, particularly migratory species. The EIA was conducted by the Sri Lanka Programme for [...]
Committee rejects move to increase retirement age of Parliament Secretary General
By Ranjith Padmasiri A proposal to increase the retirement age of the Parliament Secretary General Dhammika Dassanayake from 60 to 63 has been turned down by the Staff Advisory Committee in Parliament, a senior official said. Mr Dassanayake is due to reach the retirement age of 60 in March next year. Another proposal to absorb [...]
Election Com. to check candidates’ campaign expenses
The Election Commission will determine the maximum expenditure by each candidate at an election depending on the number of registered voters in the respective electoral area, after regulations on Election Expenditure are approved in Parliament. The regulations were gazetted this week ahead of approval in Parliament and implementation. The maximum expenditure will be decided by [...]
Long-term residence visas for big-time investors in stocks, Treasury bonds and other ventures
By Damith Wickremasekara Long-term visas are to be granted for foreigners who invest in the Colombo Stock Exchange, Treasury Bonds, condominium apartments, and other local investments, bringing in US dollar investments or deposits to the country, the Cabinet has decided. Those applying for this Residence Visa scheme will be required to obtain Defence Ministry clearance [...]
One-stop unit: UDA project cost doubles from Rs. 350mn to Rs. 700mn
An ongoing Urban Development Authority (UDA) project to establish a “one stop unit” for development approvals has doubled in cost from Rs. 350mn to Rs. 700mn–reportedly owing to the depreciation of the rupee, a senior official said yesterday. The project is in three phases, the first of which has now been completed at the cost [...]
President’s fifty-year milestone in journey with law
President Ranil Wickremesinghe was felicitated last evening in completing 50 years since taking oaths as a lawyer at a gala event at the Shangri La Hotel in Colombo. Speaking at the occasion, the President said he practised law for five years and then joined the ‘chambers’ of President J.R. Jayewardene, where he then became a [...]
Robbery suspects on the prowl to sustain narcotics habit
By Senuka Jayakody Several robberies recently reported appear to be linked with suspects who are trying to sustain their addiction to dangerous narcotics such as ‘ice’ and heroin. The Nawagamuwa Police recently arrested a suspect addicted to ‘ice’, (methamphetamine), involved in a series of robberies of garment factories in Nawagamuwa, Mount Lavinia, Pugoda, Kosgama, Avissawella [...]
Shortages, cost pressures make eggs crisis a hard one to crack
By Kasun Warakapitiya The festive period is approaching and families are having to bear a shortage of eggs and a price tag of up to Rs 68 each, that makes the source of protein a luxury when the cost of living is at dizzying levels. Retailers are disregarding price controls for white and brown eggs [...]
By air and sea: Talks on to resume ferry services and flights between North and Tamil Nadu
By Chris Kamalendran Negotiations are to begin between the Ports and Shipping Ministry and Indian authorities to resume ferry services between the Northern Province and Tamil Nadu, a senior official said. Under this proposal, facilities will be available to transport around 500 passengers at a time. The move comes amidst plans to resume direct flights [...]
Data collection officials to be paid allowance for using personal mobile phones
By Damith Wickremasekara Public officials who use personal mobile phones for data collection and application processing are to be paid an allowance at the rate of Rs 150 per application, and this will cost the government millions of rupees. The scheme, approved by the Cabinet, will apply to Grama Niladharis, Samurdhi, and other development [...]
Healthcare near collapse, but Keheliya downplays crisis
By Chrishanthi Christopher Sri Lanka’s healthcare services are reeling from a continuing shortage of a variety of essential pharmaceutical drugs and hospitals are depending on the generosity of Sri Lankans overseas and other donors. Sri Lanka imports the bulk of its pharmaceutical drugs and the inventory is nearly empty. Supplies from the Health Ministry’s medical [...]
Tourism stakeholders hopeful of a brighter 2023
But voice concern over continuing protests By Wasantha Ramanayake A slow but gradual increase in tourists from European countries can be expected next year, industry stakeholders said, adding that major foreign tour operators were, however, concerned about the political situation and continuing protests in the country. Around 1.5 million tourists who will include more high [...]
An increase in numbers, says SLTDA
The number of tourist arrivals has been rising since September according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). Tourist arrivals recorded in September was 29,802 while in October the arrivals rose to 42,026. In November, the number had increased to 59,759 while statistics also show that this year’s year-end tourism has fared better than [...]
Customs release detained milk powder; importer points to documentation delay
By Sadisha Saparamadu The milk powder stock detained for 30 days in the Colombo Port by Sri Lanka Customs has been released, the importing company said. Anods Cocoa Pvt. Ltd chairman Dr Lukshman Weerasuriya told the Sunday Times the 400 metric tonne stock was detained due to a documentation delay. However, in response to a [...]
Bloemendhal land dispute: Court of Appeal summons Minister and top officials
By Yoshitha Perera The Court of Appeal on Friday, issued summons for Tourism and Lands Minister Harin Fernando, the Urban Development Authority (UDA) Director General, and the Colombo District Secretary to appear in Court on January 10. The decision was reached by the Appeal Court after considering the petition filed by three private firms opposing [...]
Pest devastation will drive coconut price ever higher
By Wasantha Ramanayake The price of coconut will likely soar further next year unless a national programme to eliminate whitefly pest and fertiliser are not made available at reasonable prices for growers, the industry warns. A coconut now sells for up to Rs 100. “We may need to import coconuts next year to bring down [...]
CRI shows the natural way to fight the whitefly
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe The Coconut Research Institute (CRI) has turned to organic solutions and traditional methods to eradicate the whitefly pest destroying coconut cultivations. CRI Director Nayanai Arachchige told the Sunday Times that they use high tech sprayers to spray non chemical solutions to coconut tree. She said chemical pest repellents that are usually [...]
A/L cut-off marks: Arts at the heart
By Senuka Jayakody Arts stream candidates comprised more than 25% of students who gained university admission according to the cut-off marks for the 2021 GCE Advanced Level exams released on Friday. The university admission cut-off points were given four months after the exam results were released. The 2021 A/L exams were postponed repeatedly, and were [...]
Exam candidates frown on school attendance diktat
By Sohan Vipulananda Students, teachers, unions and principals have raised concerns about the Government decision to reimpose the compulsory 80% attendance rule after a lapse of two years. The Ministry of Education has announced that it will reintroduce the requirement for GCE Advanced Level examination candidates. Students sitting for the GCE A/L examination in 2022, [...]
Flocks of visitors at the dump
The area around the Kerawalapitiya waste disposal plant and garbage dump has become a favouite stop for a large number of migratory birds that take wing to warmer climes to escape the harsh winters in parts of Europe and beyond. Ornithologists, bird watchers and bird photographers who visited the area in the past few weeks [...]
New farm animal and equine hospital opened in Peradeniya
By L B Senaratne The only farm animal and equine hospital in the country, which took seven years to build at an estimated cost of Rs 85 million funded by the University Grants Commission, was declared open by Professor M D Lamawansa, Vice Chancellor – University of Peradeniya, at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The [...]
Historic hospital abandoned for over a decade
Governor Lalith U Gamage recently visited the dilapidated hospital at Perattasi in the Nuwara Eliya District, which had been closed for eleven years. This hospital is where it is said that the “Nightingale of Sri Lanka” – Rukmani Devi – was born. It is recorded that the birth certificate of Rukmani Devi was among the [...]
Microplastic pollution increases risks for urban fishing cats
By Yoshitha Perera Plastic pollution in freshwater habitats endangers not only the species at the base of the food chain, but also those at the top. Fishing cats, one of the four species of wild cat, is closely associated with marshes, wetlands, and other areas with running water. They can also be seen in urban [...]
Manhole covers create havoc for motorists
Text and pix by Sarath Siriwardena Unrenovated manhole covers on the Aluthgama to Wadduwa stretch of the Galle-Colombo main road are causing difficulties for motorists, residents of these areas have claimed. The manhole covers were fitted into the carpeted road as large concrete tanks were erected underneath, to preserve water and protect telephone pipes. But [...]
Housemaid mum flown back from Kuwait after children abandoned by father
Pix and text by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa Two girls who were left alone to live in a ramshackle clay house at Melsiripura in Kurunegala were reunited with their mother on Friday. The two girls were left to fend for themselves after their father left them following their mother’s departure to Kuwait to make some earnings to [...]
International legally binding instrument on plastic pollution in the works
By Tharushi Weerasinghe The inter-governmental negotiating committee to develop an international legally binding instrument for plastic pollution, including issues found in the marine environment, started its negotiations this week. Earlier this year, countries at the United Nations Environment Assembly agreed to work toward an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. Delegates finalised the [...]