Category: News

Bid to scuttle probes alleged

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Bid to scuttle probes alleged By Shamindra Ferdinando The reappointment of two key parliamentary watchdog committees, COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) and COPA (Committee on Public Accounts) has been further delayed for want of a consensus among political parties on who should head them.In spite of earlier indications that the ruling SLPP might go ahead with the original plan to give leadership of COPE and COPA, in addition to that of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) to the Opposition, the government seems to have second thoughts, political sources said.…

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CBK to open Nawa Lanka Nidahas Pakshaya HQ today

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CBK to open Nawa Lanka Nidahas Pakshaya HQ today Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will declare open the new party head office of the Nawa Lanka Nidahas Pakshaya (New Lanka Freedom Party) in Battaramulla today (5- 9-2022) morning. The new political party is led by Parliamentarian Kumara Welgama. He said the party is set to implement programs to train youth under the age of 40 and take steps to establish a corruption-free youth-led political movement in the future. Welgama formed the Nawa Lanka Nidahas Pakshaya on 6 March 2020, claiming…

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IMF agreement gives confidence, grateful to India, says envoy Moragoda

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IMF agreement gives confidence, grateful to India, says envoy Moragoda The preliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), under which Sri Lanka nation stands to receive $ 2.9 billion to tackle the ongoing economic crisis, is a “first step” in the long haul of economic recovery but will provide the country and investors “confidence” to attract increased investments and remittances, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda said on Thursday. Speaking at the Indian Express Idea Exchange, Moragoda said that with the IMF agreement taking shape, Sri Lanka…

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UK ready to engage with international partners to support Sri Lanka: PM Johnson

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UK ready to engage with international partners to support Sri Lanka: PM Johnson British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has commended the efforts of President Ranil Wickremesinghe for establishing an inclusive government which will bring the stability needed to address issues for the Sri Lankan people. In a congratulatory message to President Wickremesinghe on his appointment as the Head of State, the British Prime Minister said that upholding democratic principles and seeking democratic consensus will be vital to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s success. Reiterating the British Government’s sincere commitment to Sri Lanka,…

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Exclusive-Japan seeks to organise Sri Lanka creditors’ meeting on debt crisis-sources

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Exclusive-Japan seeks to organise Sri Lanka creditors’ meeting on debt crisis-sources (SWI Swissinfo.ch August 26, 2022 – 02:17) By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Takaya Yamaguchi TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is seeking to organise a Sri Lanka creditors’ conference, hoping it could help solve the South Asia nation’s debt crisis, but uncertainties cloud the outlook for any talks, three people with knowledge of the planning said. Tokyo is open to hosting talks among all the creditor nations aimed at lifting Colombo from its worst debt crisis since independence, but it is not…

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Committee on Public Finance new Chief Harsha promises transparency; holds first meeting

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Committee on Public Finance new Chief Harsha promises transparency; holds first meeting The first Committee meeting of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) for the Third Session of the Ninth Parliament was held yesterday under the chairmanship of SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva. In accordance with the Standing Order 121, the Committee of Selection appointed Dr. de Silva as the Chairman of the Committee recently. The Committee considered and approved the Appropriation (Amendment) Bill to amend the Appropriation Act No. 30 of 2021. Furthermore, the Social Security Contribution Levy…

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Remittances continue to crash

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Remittances continue to crash Worker remittances, Sri Lanka’s largest foreign-exchange earner, posted a decline, for the 14th consecutive month in July this year, as migrant workers only sent home USD 279.5 million during the month, down 38.3 per cent from USD 453.3 million a year earlier. According to data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), during the first seven months of this year, migrant workers sent home USD 1,889.4 million, down 50 per cent from USD 3,777.6 million sent during the same period last year. In June this…

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Police fire tear gas to disperse the protest; Wasantha Mudalige arrested 

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Police fire tear gas to disperse the protest; Wasantha Mudalige arrested  AFP: Sri Lanka Police fired tear gas and water cannon on a small protest yesterday to break up the first demonstration since the crisis-hit island nation lifted a state of emergency. This year, an unprecedented economic collapse has often sparked massive anti-Government rallies after months of hardship caused by shortages of essential goods, rolling blackouts and spiralling inflation. The Government has curbed dissent by imposing a State of Emergency giving security forces sweeping detention powers, but the ordinance lapsed overnight.…

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Govt. ramps-up visa process to boost tourist arrivals

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Govt. ramps-up visa process to boost tourist arrivals SLTPB to kick off 3 road shows in India next month By Charumini de Silva Ahead of the much-awaited tourism roadshows in India, the Government has ramped-up the visa processes to boost arrivals thereby enable a faster recovery of the triple-hit leisure industry. The Tourism Ministry yesterday announced that the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a host of measures to extend longer visa visas.  As per the Tourism Ministry, it has been decided to permit tourist visas for up to 180 days…

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Occupy Galle Face ‘aragalaya’ no more

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Occupy Galle Face ‘aragalaya’ no more RanilGoGama’ activists vacate site; pledge to continue fight against Ranil, emergency law/PTA, Executive Presidency  Alleges theft of most tents put up at the location, ‘GotaGoGama’ library taken to Panadura temple   Protestors withdraw writs filed in Court of Appeal seeking prevention of removal of site  BY Dinitha Rathnayake  Protestors of the “aragalaya” (struggle) attached to the “RanilGoGama”, formerly “GotaGoGama”, at the Galle Face – whose protest site at the Galle Face Green was vandalised on multiple occasions, and whose activism led to the resignation of…

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