Nov 14 (DM) Amidst the recent dispute between Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe over the appointment of an interim committee for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Cabinet has decided that any future interim committee appointments for SLC must receive Cabinet approval. Previously, the Sports Minister appointed an interim committee led by former cricketer Arjuna Ranathunga for SLC. more..

Nov 14 (AD) MP Rajitha Senaratne states that the 2024 Budget, which was presented yesterday, is a UNP budget and that only SLPP can oppose it. �This budget is a UNP budget. Most of these [proposals] are the things that the UNP was unable to do [in the past]. Only the Pohottuwa members can oppose it [the budget].� Senaratne also took note of the fact that there had been similar budget proposals in the past as well, noting that what is important is the proper implementation of these proposals. more..

Nov 14 (EN) Sri Lanka has collected 134.4 billion rupees in personal income tax with the major portion coming from advance taxes on wage earners. Pay-As-You-Earn/Advanced Personal Income Tax was up 497.8% to 107 billion rupees, higher than the full year target of 100 billion rupees. SL reduced the tax-free allowance to only 100,000 rupees (about US$ 300) and started to tax everyone earning above US$ 10 a day after the country defaulted on its foreign debt after the country defaulted more..

Nov 15 (DM) Now that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket�s membership over political interference in its administration, the fate of the Interim Committee on which the Court of Appeal has issued a 14-day Stay Order, the Cabinet Subcommittee appointed to resolve issues about cricket and the report that was submitted by the Justice K.T. Chitrasiri Committee for a new constitution for Sri Lanka Cricket is not clear. more..

Nov 15 (CT) Prez Wickremesinghe�s announcement of establishing a new technology university in Kandy, during his Budget 2024 speech and expanding existing higher education institutions in SL is commendable in its pursuit of providing higher education opportunities to all. However, as we delve into the practicalities of this ambitious objective, concerns arise regarding the shortage of human capital and resources needed to sustain the existing universities, let alone initiate new ones. more..

Nov 15 (TM) Covid-19 pandemic severely impacted the business operations of nearly 80% of surviving micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Sri Lanka, while the economic crisis of last year similarly impacted 89% of them. Employment contracted by one-fifth in the surviving firms during the multiple crises leading to small- and medium-sized enterprises downsizing. In addition, in the context of these crises, more..

Nov 15 (TM) Does Sri Lanka really need another international airport? At least in the short-term? Yesterday, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe declared that Rs. 2 billion will be allocated for 2024 for the preliminary work of the construction of the Hingurakgoda Int'l Airport. Given the performance delivered by the Mattala Rajapaksa Int'l Airport (MRIA) and Jaffna Int'l Airport (JIA), formally known as the Palaly, it is clear that Sri Lanka needs to rethink the urgency of another int'l airport. more..

Nov 15 (ST) Even though the Parliament rose unanimously with both hands raised to support SJB�s motion to dissolve SL�s Cricket Board, and even though Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe called for the Chitrasiri Report for a new SLC constitution to be enacted to completely revamp SLC, both Parliament resolution and Presidential intent have been rendered ineffectual by writs for stay orders granted to the Cricket Board�s President Shammi Silva by Prez of Appeal Court Justice Nissanka more..

Nov 15 (CT) We were beaten by a 30-year-long civil war, tidal terror, communal riots, here and there and drowned in an economic crisis due political corruption and mismanagement. The only solace we had so far was cricket. When we see our players hit a massive six we forget that we had missed a few meals. Aiyoh�! Only solace we had is no longer there. We lose our minds when seeing the irresponsible manner in which our team more..

Nov 15 (DM) Mohideen Ifthikar from Maligawatta makes a living as a kitchenware vendor. His daily income ranges between Rs. 1500-2000. Having left his previous job as a site supervisor, Ifthikar worries about not being able to save enough money for his future. This is a common story shared by a majority of Sri Lankans who are facing hardships to survive the prevailing economic crisis. The govt imposed multiple taxes on people to meet the conditions laid out by the IMF. more..

Nov 15 (Island) President Ranil Wickremesinghe, on Monday, spiced up his budget speech with some political statements. Expressing deep concern about rampant corruption, he flaunted the new anti-corruption laws as a silver bullet while asking the public not to forget those who had �stolen the country�s future� by nationalising successful ventures and opposing the garment factory programme, the leasing of the Trinco oil tank farm and port development projects. more..

Nov 15 (DM) Livestock farmers and families of the disappeared staged a peaceful protest in Batticaloa last month against land grabbing. The demonstration aimed to address issues related to illegal colonization, government action and inaction and occupation of lands by the SL Army. The Mayilathamadu Madhavanai region in SL grapples with a pressing and multifaceted issue � the unlawful occupation of vital grazing lands. Situated on the border of the Batticaloa and Ampara Districts, more..

Nov 15 (SO) The inaugural Presidential Cinema Awards Festival took place 44 years ago, on July 27, 1979, under the auspices of President J. R. Jayewardene. The event was hosted at the BMICH, Colombo. This year�s event will be held on Tuesday (14), at the same venue with President Ranil Wickremesinghe as Chief Guest. The idea of introducing Presidential Awards was initially conceived by Anton Wickramasinghe, who served as chairman of National Film Corporation (NFC). more..

Nov 15 (TM) Shortage of medical specialists, which was around 400 in the first few months of this year, has now increased to approximately 800. There were 2,350 medical specialists serving in Govt hospitals islandwide as of Jan 2023. By the end of the first quarter of the year, the sources said that an initial shortage of around 400 medical specialists had emerged in the country due to several factors such as medical specialists leaving SL, more..

Nov 15 (ST) The Chinese government officially handed over 26 RANOMOTO motorcycles and 100 LENOVO desktop computers to the SL Police Dept in a ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday. Based on a request made by IGP C.D. Wickramaratne Mr. Sagala Ratnayake, the Senior Adviser on National Security and the President�s Chief of Staff, had coordinated with the Ambassador to China, Qi Zhenhong, aimed at enhancing the operational capabilities of SL Police Dept. more..

Nov 15 (Island) The 2023-24 domestic rugby season is set to commence in December (2023) and the good news that supersedes all rugby news is that World Rugby (WR) has lifted the ban placed on Sri Lanka Rugby. SL�s rugby community or fraternity was forced to endure much tension and uncertainty during the current year due to the political interference in rugby. As a result of the ban the national team was not allowed to contest some of the major overseas tournaments. more..

Nov 15 (DN) SL Masters athletes who won 25 gold, 34 silver and 25 bronze medals with a total of 84 medals to win overall eighth place at the 22nd Asian Masters Indoor Games held in the Philippines arrived at BIA on Monday. This championship was held in Manila, from Nov 8 to 12 with the participation of 1,884 athletes from 26 Asian countries. Dilip Ekanayake, who competed in the age group of 50-54 years, set up a new Asian Meet Record by completing 800 meters in 2m54s more..

Nov 15 (SO) Maharagama Central College (Madya Maha Vidyalaya or MMV), in the Maharagama Education Division within Sri J'pura Education Zone, has a unique and distinct history when compared to other educational institutions. Maharagama Central College, established in 1936 as an affiliated educational institution at the location of the present Thurstan College, underwent a significant move following the Second World War. It then relocated to buildings constructed on the site of more..

Nov 15 (CT) Doctors lashed out at the Budget saying that there was a yawning gap between what had been promised to medical professionals and what was read by the President when presenting the Budget for 2024. Secretary to the GMOA, Dr. Haritha Aluthge said there was no explanation from the authorities regarding that gap and deficiency seen by medical practitioners. �We do not see at first sight that 2024 budget proposals have provided more..

Nov 15 (FT) A heightened emphasis on lending has seen the Commercial Bank Group increase gross loans and advances by Rs. 51.40 billion in the third quarter of 2023 at a monthly average of Rs. 17.14 billion, growing its loan book by 4.33% over three months to Rs. 1.239 trillion and reversing the trend of the first half of the year. The Group�s deposits crossed the Rs. 2 trillion milestone in the same period, growing by Rs. 79.808 billion or 4.07% to Rs. 2.038 trillion as at 30 Sept 2023, more..

Nov 15 (FT) Sampath Bank yesterday announced a profit before tax (PBT) of Rs. 22 billion and profit after tax (PAT) of Rs. 12.3 billion for the nine months ended 30 Sept 2023, recording a growth of 136.4% and 71.5% respectively against the subdued financial figures reported during the corresponding period in 2022. Sampath Bank reported gross interest income of Rs. 153.4 bil for the period under review, up 44.6% from Rs. 106.1 bil recorded in the corresponding period of previous yr. more..

Nov 15 (TM) Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that just over Rs. 36 million out of the total amount of Rs. 311 million due to be paid in compensation to the victims of the Easter Sunday bombings by the respondents of the FR petitions filed over the 2019 carnage as per the orders of the SC, has been received by the Office for Reparations. He mentioned that former Prez Maithripala Sirisena has deposited Rs. 15 m out of the Rs. 100 m more..

Nov 15 (DM) Those who are not fit to be MPs can be removed once the proposed Parliament Standards Bill is enacted, Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. Minister came up with this remark after arguments flared up in the House after SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri raised a privilege issue on an allegation against him by MP Samanpriya Herath on an earlier date. �We will present the Standard Bill to Parliament soon, but before that PM Dinesh Gunawardene will speak to party leaders more..

Nov 15 (DM) COPE rebuked SLC for following weak processes in performing its activities. It was highlighted that these weak processes had led to the current crisis in cricket. COPE Chairman Ranjith Bandara made this observation after SLC was probed by the committee. MP Bandara made this declaration several times during the probe. It was revealed that SLC officials have visited Australia to view the T20 World Cup matches without proper approval by Minister in charge of sports. more..

Nov 15 (DN) SL apparel sector will benefit from the 2024 national budget proposal to create four more export processing zones. The current operating BOI zones are full and the country needs more zones, said Managing Director, Brandix Group Hasitha Premaratne, at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of SL (CA SL) organised Annual Budget Seminar. He however said that the govt must also look at developing the Eravul Apparel Zone which is progressing at a very slow pace. more..

Nov 15 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce yesterday in a statement said it considers the 2024 Budget as a crucial step in continuing the macroeconomic stabilisation measures that began in late 2022, as a response to the economic challenges faced by SL. The Chamber acknowledges that one of the main challenges faced by SL�s economy has been macroeconomic mismanagement. National Budget 2024 takes a resolute approach to address these past missteps. more..

Nov 15 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed confidence in making the 2024 Budget a success as it was an important change for the better to usher economic prosperity and good governance. �We can implement this Budget,� Wickremesinghe told editors of print and electronic media yesterday during a post-Budget discussion. Prez�s remark was in response to a question on ambitious revenue more..

Nov 15 (CT) Following Ceylon Today�s query about 20 Senior Commissioners going on leave to attend a batch get-together today, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) cancelled the leave of all Senior Commissioners. Twenty out of the 23 senior commissioners of the IRD had planned to take leave today for a batch party at a hotel in Kadawatha. These officials considered as top management have taken leave from their daily duties and organised the event at a famous hotel in Kadawatha. more..

Nov 15 (FT) SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne criticised President and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe�s Budget for 2024, labelling it a fun trip to disneyland. MP opening the debate on the second reading of the budget yesterday said the Prez�s statement about the country being bankrupted by the politics of promises holds some truth. �However, it is the current govt that has contributed to the country�s financial troubles, and they continue to be part of the current administration,� more..

Nov 15 (Island) JVP-led NPP demanded to know from the govt whether it could bridge the budget deficit without selling state assets. During the Second Reading stage debate on Budget 2024, its national list MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya asserted that the govt has failed to devise meaningful ways to address the budget deficit of Rs 2,851 billion. The proposals presented to the House on Monday primarily focus on selling more national assets and further taxing individuals already severely more..

Nov 15 (Island) Civil Soceity activist Oshala Herath has appealed to the Supreme Court against the determination made by the lower court in respect of State Minister Diana Gamage�s citizenship issue. Herath, a one-time media aide to Prez Maithripala Sirisena and defeated UNP candidate at the last general election held in Aug 2020, has moved the Supreme Court in terms of Article 128 of the Constitution against the judgment of CA in the high profile case. The original case has been filed more..

Nov 15 (FT) Verit� Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel shared a critical assessment of Budget 2024, describing it as another fairytale with promises of revenue that lack grounding in reality. Speaking at CA SL�s Budget Seminar he urged private sector associations to take the lead in professionalising tax compliance, budgeting and planning processes to break away from past practices to rebuild the economy. more..

Nov 15 (DM) A 7-year-old girl was abducted by a man from a residence in Moragahahena where he later used the child as leverage to force his former girlfriend to meet him. Moragahahena Police launched an investigation after the mother of the abducted girl filed a complaint on Monday. According to the mother, the suspect forcibly took her daughter from their home in Godigamuwa, Moragahahena. They said the complainant resides in the house with her mother, husband, two children and more..

Nov 15 (FT) In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court yesterday determined that the arrest and subsequent detention of political commentator Mohammad Ramzy Razeek in April 2020 under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act constituted a violation of his fundamental rights. Razeek was arrested over a social media post on his personal Facebook account regarding misconceptions being disseminated about Muslims during the Covid 19 pandemic. more..

Nov 15 (FT) In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court yesterday determined that ex-Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa, along with former Finance Ministers Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, bear responsibility for SL�s severe economic crisis and had thereby violated the fundamental rights of the people by mismanaging the economy between 2019 and 2022. Apex court found that the 13 respondents, which also included CB Governors more..