Mar 16 (TM) Govt of SL is to discuss the amendments to the existing Personal Income Tax (PIT) law presented by the trade unions with the IMF at the first review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) provided to the country, Prez Wickremesinghe has promised to the GMOA. GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said that GMOA had received a letter from Prez Secretariat under the instructions of the Prez, informing that the Prez will present the PIT proposals by trade unions to the IMF more..

Mar 16 (ST) A severe shortage of cosmetics caused by months-long import restrictions has opened the door to informal and illegal channels for these products. This week the navy seized 680 packs of cosmetic products and 2,930 bars of soaps inside two dinghies in an operation in the coastal waters of Mohoththuwaram, Kalpitiya. The cosmetics were hidden among smuggled dried sea cucumber and cashew. SL Customs Spokesman Sudattha Silva said there has been a significant increase more..

Mar 16 (TM) Chief Prelates of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters of the Siam sect have informed Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe that it is the responsibility of the Govt to hold LG elections as scheduled, as the postponement of the same has created unrest among the public. Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera and Ven. Warakagoda Dhammasiddhi Sri Gnanarathana Thera, the Mahanayakas of the Malwathu more..

Mar 16 (FT) Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka have exceeded 50,000 in the first 13 days reinforcing the industry�s optimism. From 1 to 13 March, Sri Lanka received a record 53,838 tourists, whilst also pushing the year-to-date arrivals to 264,022 which is a significant rebound from 2022. A total of 27,573 travellers arrived in the first week, and 26,265 in the second week. The boost in arrivals was largely influenced by the Russian tourist, maintaining the lead ahead of India. more..

Mar 16 (Island) Many trade unions staged a one-day general strike yesterday, demanding that taxes, tariffs and interest rates be reduced. The organisers of the strike said they would intensify their trade union action unless the govt heeded their demands. More than 40 trade unions, in several sectors, joined the strike, organised by the trade unions of professionals. Many other state and semi-state trade unions also supported the strike. The Trade Unions Collective, which organised the strike, more..

Mar 16 (TM) The islandwide token strike launched yesterday by the Professionals� Trade Union Alliance (PTUA) against the Govt�s recent tax policy hikes, increased electricity tariffs and interest rates, and anomalies in salaries, crippled a multitude of essential services affiliated with many crucial sectors including health, ports, postal, banking, transport, education and higher education, and water supply. more..

Mar 16 (FT) The SLR has suddenly appreciated against the $ in the past two weeks by about 16-18%. This sudden appreciation (and vis-�-vis the depreciation of the $ against the LKR) has had a severe impact on all export earners and above all to the hotel industry. Equivalent LKR earnings have dropped drastically almost overnight, which will have a great impact on the already beleaguered hotel industry. This year Sri Lanka tourism was just recovering slowly after a triple whammy. more..

Mar 16 (FT) An article was published in the Daily FT on 3 March, titled The IMF Trap written by Devaka Gunawardena, Niyanthini Kadirgamar and Ahilan Kadirgamar. This is to inquire into the arguments raised by that article. The authors brought arguments to prove that the present IMF program is a trap. This program is not yet disclosed to the public and hopefully would be disclosed by 20 March 2023 if the approval of the program would be approved by the Board of Directors of IMF on the same day. more..

Mar 16 (AD) A person who was admitted to the Polonnaruwa Teaching Hospital with critical head injuries in an attack has died last night. The man in question had tried to assault his wife during an argument that ensued after he came home in a drunken state on the night of March 14. As the man attempted to attack his wife with an iron rod, his son and daughter intervened to save her. However, during the commotion, the 16-year-old son had snatched the iron rod from the father and hit him on the head, the police said. more..

Mar 16 (AD) Sri Lanka is likely to see further increase in beef prices as the island nation�s Northern province has banned the transportation of cattle to other provinces and slaughter houses owing to lump disease identified in the herds in that area, officials and industry stakeholders say. �The disease is also slightly spreading to other provinces in Sri Lanka,� S. Vaseeharan, the Provincial Director at Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) told EconomyNext. more..

Mar 16 (TM) Several Tamil politicians and civil society representatives have sought an audience with the Buddhist clergy including the Chief Prelates (Mahanayakas) of the Buddhist Sects, on the full implementation of the 13th Amendment. It is learnt that the group led by TMTK MP C.V. Wigneswaran is awaiting an appointment to meet the Buddhist religious leaders. According to Wigneswaran, the need for the discussion had arisen after Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe had stopped talking about more..

Mar 16 (DM) Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has appointed a team to investigate air accidents in Sri Lanka's airspace for the first time. Accordingly, letters of appointment were given today to the first batch of Air Accidents Investigators and thereby, seven Air Accident Investigators received letters of appointment from the Minister. This is the first time in history SL aviation services sector Air Accident Investigators were appointed to identify accurate information, investigate more..

Mar 16 (DN) High Court Trial-at-Bar has mentioned that the Court of Appeal has issued a Writ Order that the Attorney General cannot pursue other charges against former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, who was acquitted of the charges under the Public Property Act related to the CB Bond incident. After considering a petition submitted by Karunanayake, the Court of Appeal Bench consisting of Justice Sobitha Rajakaruna and Justice Dhammika Ganepola announced this decision on Feb 28 more..

Mar 16 (MB) The fishers in Illuppaikadawei village in the northern district of Mannar mostly use fence fishery, where they erect a series of poles and tie a net around them during high tide. When the tide retreats, the fish get trapped in the net. �We prefer to set up these traps near the seagrass beds, as there are more fish, crabs and squids,� says Angie Thomas, a fisher who practices fence fishery, a family tradition. more..

Mar 16 (AD) Public Health Inspector�s Union suspects that the recent deaths of four persons who had gone on pilgrimage were due to food poisoning. Chairman of the Union, PHI Upul Rohana stated that 10 more persons who were diagnosed with food poisoning or bacterial infection have been reported thus far. Meanwhile, he urged all those on pilgrimage to Sri Pada and other sites to remain cautious and to follow safe food practices while on pilgrimage. He also requested pilgrims to boil drinking water more..

Mar 16 (Island) Plans are underway to establish new Range Offices and station Veterinary Surgeons, in the Wet Zone, particularly targeting Adam�s Peak and Nallathaniya, where leopard attacks are taking place frequently- Wildlife Conservation Dept said, following an attack on a veterinarian by a leopard a few days back. It was not a serious attack and all officers were covered under a government insurance scheme and the officer would be entitled to relevant compensation for it. more..

Mar 16 (FT) Sri Lanka is currently in a better position in terms of food and crop security, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative for SL and the Maldives Vimlendra Sharan. In this interview, he also says the agriculture sector in SL needs several sustained initiatives to fully recover. Here are excerpts. Q: What is the status of food and crop security in SL? Is Sri Lanka in a better position now than it was in 2022? A: Short answer is Yes. Let me elaborate a bit. more..

Mar 16 (EN) Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) representing export firm welcomed an upcoming program with the IMF but said vital reforms have to be carried out. �As the country�s largest foreign exchange earner, JAAF sees these important steps in the recovery process for the SL economy,� group said. �Good governance, and a recognition of the democratic process is key. It is also imperative that the country makes progress on other reforms required to get the country back on a growth agenda. more..

Mar 16 (DM) Supreme Court today granted leave to proceed with a Fundamental Rights petition filed challenging the failure and refusal of several govt departments to take the necessary steps to hold the Local Govt Elections. Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Gamini Amerasekera and Janak De Silva granted leave to proceed with the petition under Articles 10, 12(1) and 14(1)(a) of the constitution. The CPA and its Executive Director more..

Mar 16 (DM) State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe said the verification of 1.1 million welfare benefit applications that were received from 334 Divisional Secretariats across the island has been completed. �The highest verification rate of the 1.1 million welfare benefit applications is in the Kalutara District at 46%, followed by the Badulla District at 34% and the Galle District at 32%. All 1.1 million applications have been verified across the island,� more..

Mar 16 (NR) The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has not responded positively to a request made by importers to grant permission to resume vehicle imports. A request in this regard was made when a group of vehicle importers including representatives of the Vehicle Importers Association of Sri Lanka met with the Governor of the Central Bank Nandalal Weerasinghe. Vehicle imports have been restricted for a considerable period of time due to the foreign exchange crisis. more..

Mar 16 (EN) Sri Lanka is likely to see $7 billion inflows in multilateral and bilateral fundings within 48 months once the island nation unlocks the IMF deal for a $2.9 billion loan, State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe said. Sri Lanka is on a recovery path from its unprecedented economic crisis with the island nation having secured essentials including fuel, cooking gas, and medicines. However, that recovery has been slow as the country�s govt revenue is far below more..

Mar 16 (AD) The Supreme Court today (March 16) issued an interim order preventing the Local Govt Election for the Kalutara Pradeshiya Sabha from being held. A three-member Supreme Court bench delivered the interim order, granting leave to proceed with a petition challenging a Returning Officer�s move to reject a nomination paper submitted by the New Lanka Freedom Party (NLFP). Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Gamini Amarasekara and Janak de Silva sat for the hearing. more..

Mar 16 (AD) A writ application has been filed before the Court of Appeal seeking to ensure the safety of the drug kingpin and criminal figure Nadun Chinthaka Wickremeratne alias Harak Kata, who was arrested in Madagascar and repatriated to SL by the CID last morning. A group of individuals including the Minister of Public Security, the Defence Secretary, IGP, Senior DIG in charge of the Western Province and the Director of the CID have been named as the respondents of the petition. more..

Mar 16 (TM) PM Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday (15) urged Ministers to listen to trade unions (TUs) when making decisions. He expressed these views in a discussion held with trade union leaders at the Temple Trees. The Premier said that since the trade unions would feel the impact if the values of a particular institution are deteriorating, the Ministers in charge of the subjects should discuss with the trade unions of the respective institutions before making important decisions. more..

Mar 16 (AD) Printing of ballot papers for the postal voting of the upcoming LG election is held off as required funds are yet to be received, Dept of Govt Printing says. Govt Printer Gangani Kalpana Liyanage said the department intends to inform this in writing to the election body today. The postal voting ballot papers can be printed within six days after receiving the funds, and the remaining printing work pertaining to the election can be completed within a month, more..

Mar 16 (DM) Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka were on Thursday, suspended from voting during FIFA elections. This was as close to 2,000 delegates including top football executives from world football governing body (FIFA) met in Kigali for the long-awaited 73rd FIFA Congress. FIFA Congress, the supreme legislative body of FIFA, brings together top executives from FIFA, confederations and representatives from 211-member associations and other football stakeholders. more..

Mar 17 (Island) The Royal-Thomian or the Battle of the Blues, the world�s second oldest uninterrupted cricket battle, will unveil for the 144th consecutive year this week. The encounter pits the boys bearing the crests of the Elephant and Palm Tree against those bearing the Cross and Dove. The Royal-Thomian is in many ways greater and more epic than the three matches that can be most favorably compared to it: St Peters � Prince Alfred in Australia, Eton � Harrow in Britain, and the Ashes. more..

Mar 17 (ST) So�.Sri Lanka has cleared the final hurdle! I am referring to the much-awaited US$2.9 billion bailout package from the IMF. But wait, I must refer dear readers to a phone call this Thursday morning with the topic being the IMF financial package. The conversation was with Arthika, my nonsensical economist friend also known as good-for-nothing Somey, who despite his nickname is a good friend. �I say�..so we are getting the IMF funds, finally,� he said after exchanging more..

Mar 17 (TM) When individuals become public representatives with the public�s vote, some of their personal information becomes public. When it comes to information pertaining to their assets and liabilities, especially those that were earned during their tenure as public representatives, there is an undeniable public interest aspect to such information. Therefore, although public representatives have a right to protect more..

Mar 17 (DM) These are days where Sri Lankans are sinking into the possibility that LG Polls would not be held after all. This govt- unelected by the citizens of the country �doesn�t have to please the people. But if you analyse who comprises the govt some shocks could be revealed. According to Ajith Jayasinghe who writes for Anidda the three categories of people �forming� the true govt are the politicians, govt servants and individuals who undertake contract work for the regime via businesses they run. more..

Mar 17 (TM) The long drawn-out concerns and controversies surrounding the 13th Amendment to the Constitution (13A) appears to receive more attention recently, as the Govt is seeking to implement certain political reforms in parallel with the ongoing economic, policy, and legal reforms. Even though there are different opinions about the Govt�s motives in this regard, if implemented, the political reforms pertaining to the 13A could be a turning point in Sri Lanka�s history. more..

Mar 17 (TM) CEB decision to introduce a new price formula for solar energy has raised concerns about the sustainability of the domestic renewable energy industry. This, while SL has set an ambitious target for renewable energy to provide 70% of the national power supply by 2030. It is learnt that if a new price formula is introduced for solar energy-based power generation, difference between unit cost of solar & other fossil fuels more..

Mar 17 (CT) Even its adversaries would admit that the NPP has emerged as the most successful force in the post-aragalaya political scene. A recent opinion poll conducted by the Institute for Health Policy (IHP) indicates that the NPP would have a significant lead over the main opposition SJB in terms of voter preference if elections are held. Having polled only 3% of votes in the last general election, and having been considered a fringe political party hitherto, NPP has succeeded more..

Mar 17 (Island) SL politics is characterised by unbridled machismo. Macho men of all stripes are full of themselves and consider politics as a male preserve although this country takes pride in having produced the world�s first female PM. Election Commission (EC) Chairman Nimal Punchihewa has told these manful worthies some home truths, the most important being that women are far superior to them, and the most effective way of cleansing SL politics is to increase female participation more..

Mar 17 (DM) March 15 came and went. None celebrated the Ides of March. Also on March 15, the first-ever United Nations Day to combat Islamophobia, too, came and went. There was very little awareness campaign apart from perfunctory UN statements which received little media attention, though Islamophobia is one of the pressing global issues. On March 15, last year, UNGA adopted Resolution 76/254, designating the date as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. more..