Aug 26 (SO) Sri Lanka must strengthen measures against money laundering and terrorism financing to avoid being grey listed, Chairman of Seylan Bank, Buwaneka Aluwihare told a seminar organised by the National Issues Committee of the OPA recently. Aluwihare said that many criminals, particularly those involved in narcotics, have built vast empires, often operating from overseas. He pointed out that their substantial financial gains empower them to run their operations with seeming impunity. more..

Aug 26 (ST) The Inland Revenue Department has cautioned the people that a suspected organised group is collecting the outstanding tax arrears, targeting businesspeople in the guise of Inland Revenue Officers in Colombo and the suburbs, a senior official from the department said. Inland Revenue Commissioner General W.A.S. Chandrasekara said that soon after she was alerted about such incidents, the department complained to the CID to probe the scam. more..

Aug 26 (DN) We made mistakes in the first innings and that cost us the first test match against England said SL skipper Dhananjaya de Silva after Sri Lanka � England first test at Old Trafford which was England won by five wickets with a day to spare. SL captains further said. �Lots of good individual performances. There are positives here and there. But we were off-target too much and you hav came to England with massive reputation having hit more..

Aug 26 (FT) A 22-member SL business delegation, organised by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Pakistan High Commission in Colombo, attended FoodAgro 2024 in Karachi. Consulate General of SL in Karachi facilitated the visit. The delegation comprised prominent SL business leaders, officials from the Dept of Animal Protection and Health, Pakistan High Commission in Colombo Trade Development Officer Asela Rangana, & SL-Pakistan Business Council more..

Aug 26 (DN) We made mistakes in the first innings and that cost us the first test match against England said SL skipper Dhananjaya de Silva after Sri Lanka � England first test at Old Trafford which was England won by five wickets with a day to spare. SL captains further said. �Lots of good individual performances. There are positives here and there. But we were off-target too much and you have to be 100% here to win test matches. more..

Aug 26 (AD) Minister and Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara invited the NPP and SJB to a debate on their energy polices, the govt�s energy policy and allegations of corruption in the energy sector. In a post on �X�, Wijesekara pointed out NPP�s presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake�s recent statement that he will reduce the fuel prices by removing the Rs 50 per liter tax on fuel which was imposed in 2022, to recover the debt taken over by the Treasury. more..

Aug 26 (Island) We cannot expect that IMF will always be there to support Sri Lanka if the country begins tinkering with the set of economic policies and reforms it needs to implement in exchange for financial assistance from the IMF, Priyanga Dunusinghe, a Professor in Economics in the Department of Economics at the Uni of Colombo said on 24th Aug. He said so in response to a question posed at him during Paththaren Eha discussion televised live on ITN. more..

Aug 26 (FT) Spices and Allied Products Producers� and Traders� Association (SAPPTA) Chairman Christopher Fernando insisted on the need for targeted reforms and Govt support to boost the country�s spice production and export to over $ 1 billion. Fernando, who was re-elected for the 2024/25 term during SAPPTA�s 40th AGM, outlined the industry�s goals and challenges, urging stakeholders to take proactive measures more..

Aug 26 (Island) Ericsson, a global leader in telecom technology and services, recently signed a MoU with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) SL and Industrial Safety (Pvt) Ltd. This strategic partnership aims to elevate occupational safety standards and foster a safer working environment across SL. This collaboration underscores Ericsson�s commitment to leveraging its technological expertise to support and enhance occupational safety measures in SL. more..

Aug 26 (FT) The private sector is urging for a reduction in water tariffs for industrial users to remain competitive. This call by a collective of trade associations, including the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in SL (FCCISL), European Chamber of Commerce in SL (ECCSL), Exporters Association of SL (EASL), International Chamber of Commerce SL (ICCSL), and National Chamber of Exporters (NCE), more..

Aug 26 (DN) In a show of unified support, ten major transport associations, including the Private Bus Owners� Association, have pledged their backing to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe for the upcoming Presidential Election. This announcement was made during a meeting held on Friday at the Prez�s campaign office in Flower Road, Col 7, where Prez Wickremesinghe was joined by Private Bus Owners� Association�s Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne, and other association heads and representatives. more..

Aug 26 (DN) SL promising all-rounder Dunith Wellalage has been signed by Barbados Royals for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League 2024. The 21-year old Wellalage will be playing under the guidance of SL Cricket Legend Kumar Sangakkara who will be working as the Director of Cricket at Barbados Royals. Wellalage the former St Joseph�s and National under 19 skipper really performed well at the recently concluded India ODI series also named as player of the series. more..

Aug 26 (FT) SL�s budget deficit plunged 52% to 515.7 billion rupees in the six months to June 2024 while revenues went up 42% to 1,860.6 billion rupees, interim budget data shows. Tax revenues were up 43% to 1,709.3 billion rupees, with non-tax revenues up 30% to 151.3 billion rupees. Current spending was down absolutely by 5% to 2,218.4 billion rupees, held by good monetary policy of the central bank which kept more..

Aug 26 (FT) Sri Lanka Customs Director-General Sarath Nonis expressed confidence that the Department is on track to achieve a historic revenue milestone of Rs. 1 trillion by mid-September. Nonis highlighted the significant progress made in tax revenue collection this year. �We have already reached a high of Rs. 973 billion in tax revenue up-to-date and I am confident that SL Customs will see its tax revenue reaching Rs. 1 trillion for the first time in its history by next month,� he added. more..

Aug 26 (TM) The ballot paper for the Prez Election will be in the single column making it 27 inches in length including the countable section and five inches in width, making it the longest ballot paper issued for a Prez Poll. �It will be a single leaf where all the candidates are listed in a row and it will be a long one,� Govt Printer Gangani Liyanage said. �It will be a similar ballot paper as the last time; however, it will be longer by an inch or two.� Despite the long ballot paper, Liyanage opined more..

Aug 26 (EN) With three serious contenders in Sri Lanka�s 2024 Presidential election, there is a strong possibility that no candidate will cross the 50% mark to win outright, but the country could still have a new president. Since the presidential system was introduced in line with the 1978 Constitution, every presidential election has produced a winner who secured more than 50% of the valid votes, thus avoiding the need to count second and third preferences. more..

Aug 26 (EN) SL�s demand for loans from banks had continued to increase in the second quarter of 2024, backed by lower interest rates and exchange rate stability, central bank survey showed. Loan demand had increased in retail, corporate and small and medium enterprise sector, while demand from state enterprises had reduced. The outlook for the fourth quarter was also positive. �Reduced interest rates, economic growth, improvements in the business environment, relatively stable exchange rates more..

Aug 26 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday issued a public challenge to Opposition Leaders Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, calling on them to engage in an open virtual discussion with the IMF. Prez proposed this move during a speech at the Special Convention of the UNP held yesterday at the party headquarters Sirikotha. Wickremesinghe believes such a discussion would allow the entire nation to more..

Aug 26 (TM) Amidst allegations made that the Police Department has moved forward with recruitment despite limitations placed on such by election laws, Dept stated that all appointments have been made in compliance with regulations set by the Election Commission (EC). SDIG Lalith Pathinayake, stated that the said recruitments were based on interviews concluded prior to the announcement of the Prez Election. He stressed: "These recruitments have been conducted with the approval of the EC, more..

Aug 26 (Island) Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) across the country had been assigned to report incidents of distributing artificial toddy among voters by electoral organizers in an effort to attract people to meetings and rallies of prez candidates, PHI Union President Upul Rohana said. He said that PHIs were aware of polls monitors� complaints that some political parties and electoral organisers supporting major prez contenders were distributing illicit toddy at their rallies. . more..

Aug 26 (CT) The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has issued approximately 900 notices to freeze the bank accounts of tax defaulters in an effort to recover outstanding taxes, the Parliamentary Committee on Ways and Means revealed. This was mentioned in the third report of the committee during the Fifth Session of the Ninth Parliament. According to the report, this action was necessary due to a significant loss faced by the Treasury, more..

Aug 26 (FT) In the previous two parts, we emphasised that if SL is to deliver prosperity to its people, economic strategies should be designed to ensure economic growth of above 8% annually over the next 25 years. To attain such a high growth, the country needs to go for new technology which should be borrowed from outside in the short to medium term and develop its own technological base in the long run. To attain this goal, SL should use ideas as raw materials and more..

Aug 26 (FT) Sri Lanka goes to a Prez election on 21 Sept. Since the people-led protests in 2022, NPP, a political coalition led by the JVP has become an alternative and has dominated polls for the past two years. However, the latest polling by the Institute of Health Policy shows that the NPP is no longer in the lead. Instead, the SJB, a centre-right political party composed of former UNP members, is leading, with 43%. The NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) stands at 30%. more..

Aug 26 (EN) SL is exploring opportunities in the Central Asia region with a focus on economic diplomacy, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The ministry, together with the Geopolitical Cartographer, hosted the Central Asia Forum 2024 last week which explored �the potential for future cooperation between SL and Central Asia, a region with increasing geopolitical and geo-economic significance� it said in a statement. �The success story of SL�s pioneering investment by LOLC more..

Aug 26 (AD) The bodies of the mother and her youngest son, who were reported missing along with her eldest son while bathing in Deduru Oya, have been recovered this morning (26). A 36-year-old mother and her two sons were reported missing and were believed to have drowned while bathing in Deduru Oya in the Bogamuwa area last afternoon. The body of the 9-year-old son was recovered yesterday and that search and rescue operations had continued, to locate the mother and more..

Aug 26 (EN) The NPP in its election manifesto has revealed its approach to re-negotiations with the IMF if the party wins presidential election. The proposals made by the NPP with regard to IMF negotiations are as follows: 1. Discussing again with the IMF the inclusion and implementation of a stronger and more correct programme to salvage people who have been subject to poverty and vulnerability. more..

Aug 26 (SLN) Three Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy warships; HE FEI, WUZHISHAN and QILIANSHAN arrived at the port of Colombo on a formal visit this morning. The visiting ships were welcomed by the SL Navy in compliance with naval traditions. The HE FEI is a 144.50-meter-long destroyer, crewed by 267 personnel under the command of Captain Chen Junfeng. WUZHISHAN is a 210-meter-long Landing Platform Dock, manned by 872 crew members and commanded by more..

Aug 26 (CT) During a rally held by the SJB in Akurana in the evening of Friday, residents strongly protested and prevented MP Rauff Hakeem from addressing the crowd. Notably, this protest occurred in Akurana, against a Leader of a SLMC. Political sources suggest that the main reason for the protest was �MP Hakeem�s involvement in divisive, racially charged propaganda.� As a result of the protest, MP Hakeem was unable to address the rally and his speech was limited to approximately 1 minute more..

Aug 26 (AD) Catholic Bishops� Conference in SL states that the nation needs a wise and courageous leader to make the long awaited system-change to eradicate corruption and its related ills. Issuing a statement pertaining to the 2024 Prez Election, Catholic Bishops� Conference expressed that the prez election candidates are solicited to desist from deceiving the voter by offering allurements, favours, making false promises, more..

Aug 26 (AD) Police said it is seeking public assistance in tracking down a suspect connected to the recent shooting and killing of an individual in Gemunupura, Sripura. The shooting had been carried out using a T56 assault rifle by two gunmen who had arrived on a motorcycle on Aug 16. Police have also released photographs and details of the suspect in question. Accordingly, the public is requested to provide any information regarding the relevant suspect through the following more..

Aug 26 (DM) Various institutions which purportedly conduct opinion polls and surveys, and publish results in a manner adversarial to some candidates and advantageous to others will come under scrutiny by the Election Commission. Commission has directed its division monitoring social media activities to keep a tab on such organizations and individuals conducting purported opinion polls. Its Chairman R.M.L.A. Rathnayake said that he asked for a probe into such activities. more..

Aug 26 (TM) The final report of the internal investigation conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture on the alleged controversial nanofertiliser transaction with an Indian company is expected in two weeks, according to Ministry Secretary Janaka Dharmakeerthi. CID and CIABOC are currently conducting two other investigations into the alleged deal. However, the Ministry Secretary said: �If it is proved that there has been any corruption, I don�t have to wait for CID report; I can take action.� more..

Aug 26 (NW) Australian MP Jason Wood has raised concerns over the controversial ball exchange on the third day of the first Test between England and SL at Old Trafford recently. A controversial ball change in SL�s second innings drew criticism from commentators and players. The incident occurred after the 41st over when the umpires, Chris Gaffaney and Paul Reiffel, agreed to England�s request to replace a worn-out Dukes ball. Commenting on the incident, Australian MP Jason Wood said more..

Aug 26 (TM) Electricity Consumers� Association (ECA) warned of legal action against the Minister of Power and Energy and the General Manager of the CEB for allegedly acting contrary to the decision of the Cabinet regarding the revision of tariff rates paid for new rooftop solar and renewable energy projects. General Secretary of ECA Sanjeewa Dhammika said that the Cabinet decision to revise the relevant tariff rates was taken more..

Aug 26 (DM) All Ceylon Fireworks Manufacturers Association (ACFMA) today claimed that there is a higher demand for fireworks in view of the 2024 Presidential election. Association chairman Dinesh Fernando said that the sale of fireworks has seen a considerable increase. There is a higher demand for the production of large-scale fireworks (mal vedi) used for election rallies and events, he added. Chairman claimed that the demand for fireworks may increase on days following the election. more..