News Archive for Feb 2023

PRESIDENT NEEDS TO CONCENTRATE MACROECONOMIC ISSUES IN THE COUNTRY
BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS
Macroeconomic issues strongly associate with living condition of ordinary people in Sri Lanka. Population, unemployment, economic growth, budget deficit, terms of trade, trade balance, investment such as many others could be given as examples and the pathetic situation in the country is macroeconomic issues and the influence of them to ordinary people has clearly not identified for policy making purpose, and the way these issues influence on the living condition of ordinary people have not studied and developed policies consistent with the issues giving benefits to ordinary people. The macroeconomy is directly associated with day... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Origin of Tamil and Sinhala languages – its relevance  
Prof. N.A.de S. Amaratunga DSc
Tamil is one of the languages in the Dravidian family of languages which include Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and also several minor languages numbering more than twenty. Dravidian languages have been spoken through out India from North to South and East to West for centuries long before the arrival of Aryans. It is beleived that the language in use in the Harappan period (3300 – 1300 BCE) of the Indus Valley Civilization was Dravidian. Dravidians were the major inhabitants even in the North-West regions. With the decline of the Indus Valley culture... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Law & Order, Crimes, Rowdism, among the Tamils
By Engr. Kanthar Balanathan DipEE (UK), GradCert (RelEng-Monash), DipBus&Adm (Finance-Massey), C.Eng., MIEE, Former Director of Power Engineering Solutions Pty Ltd, Consulting Electrical Engineers
Since its Independence in 1948, Sri Lanka had been a peaceful crime-free country until 1971, when the country became a republic. Since LTTE gave birth, Law & Order, Crimes have been on the accent. In some sectors LTTE maintained discipline, however, they were involved in killing civilians In Jaffna and the South, specially Anuradhapura etc. The Tamil terrorist groups attempted to kill themselves and between groups tensions were on the rise. LTTE attempted to kill Hon... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION - THE MAIN ENEMY OF A NATION
Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel and President Ambassador’s Forum
Bribery and Corruption spread as air This is a current and a hot topic that will not be stale anytime anywhere as the issue continues worldwide in different degrees in different eras. Bribery is current with historical significance prevalent in all generations due to excessive greed of the human that defines in various ways with no clear definition today due to the complex nature in today’s context, most simple definition for bribery being the ‘’gift offered to influence a... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

High Commissioner Moragoda meets External Affairs Minister of India to review the status of bilateral relations
Media Release Sri Lanka High Commission in India
Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda met with the External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar today (31) at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi to review the current status of the relations between Sri Lanka and India. The External Affairs Minister of India and the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka also discussed the way forward and follow-up action, emanating from Dr. Jaishankar’s recent bilateral visit to Sri Lanka.   On 20 January, Dr. Jaishankar concluded an official visit to Sri... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Public Lecture-“ What are the external factors that helped Sri Lanka to gain independence? ”-by Senaka Weeraratna
Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka
Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka Public Lecture “ What are the external factors that helped Sri Lanka to gain independence? ” by Senaka Weeraratna Attorney-at-Law & RASSL Council Member on Friday, 03rd February 2023 at 7.00 p.m. All are Welcome Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89845416149?pwd=UU1pNThHTmJqZkhtbUxaWE5vbE5EUT09                 Meeting ID: 898 4541 6149                                Passcode: 052915 YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/ZKXux2QAtD4?feature=share                         Visit-www.royalasiaticsociety.lk/monthly-lectures/ Lecture Medium – English Sri Lanka won freedom not in isolation but in step... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Reparations Sri Lanka
Senaka Weeraratna
Independence Day - Demands An accountability process for these colonial crimes is warranted through an apology, catharsis, and adequate reparations. An Apology must be particularly directed to the descendants of the Sinhala Buddhist Kandyan people who were singled out as victims of colonial brutalities. These are the descendants of a highly oppressed group of people who were also deprived of their inheritance by the colonial rulers planting thousands of indentured Indian labour of Malabar descent in their traditional homelands without their consent. 19th-century British official documents reveal how the freedom struggles against British colonial... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Should only private sector employees pay income tax?
By Sanjeewa Jayaweera Courtesy The Island
File photo of a recent protest against tax hikes Who currently amongst those who receive a salaried income is not on the streets protesting against the need to pay income tax? The obvious answer is only those working in the private sector. The private sector is often slammed for its reluctance to criticise the government for everything wrong with our country. So their reticence may once again result in only private sector employees paying income tax if the government caves into the demands of the public sector... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Sri Lanka opposition leader says future government under him is not obliged to back IMF and other deals
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Colombo, January 30 (Economynext): A future Sri Lankan government under the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is not obliged to support deals with the International Monetary Fund or any other international funding agency as the current government does not have a mandate to sign such agreement. President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government is in discussion to obtain $2.9 billion IMF loan once the sovereign debt-defaulted country agrees with all its bilateral creditors. Wickremesinghe government has already implemented many IMF demands that are required to be fulfilled before the global lender’s approval. The Opposition and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Brazen hypocrisy of the Lankan professional elite and the lost promise of a welfare state
By Ranga Jayasuriya Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Colombo, January 31 (Daily Mirror): Sri Lanka’s professional elites are the greatest beneficiaries of the Sri Lankan welfare state, and many would not have been in their elevated places without the public tax-funded free education. However, as much as they want, rightly so, the welfare state to succeed, they are unwilling to pay their share Though Gotabaya should not be credited for his fallacies, the resultant exogenous shock on the economy due to his policies has compelled his successor to rare and decisive systemwide reforms – though how many... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Whose Idea is this Anyway?
By Shivanthi ranasinghe Courtesy Ceylon Today
It was an act of cruel irony that forced the supporters of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to witness him resigning from Office on 14-07-2022 and hand over the reins to the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. President Gotabaya won with an overwhelming majority and was given a rare two-third government precisely to save our country from Ranil Wickremesinghe’s anti-national policies. This majority did not come from the traditional vote bases of the SLFP and its allies. For the second time in Sri Lanka’s contemporary history, the country united as one. Voters... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Reliance announces tie-up with Lanka-based biscuit brand
Courtesy Financial Express
RCPL launched its packaged consumer products brand, ‘Independence’ in December 2022 and is creating a distinct and dedicated retail distribution network for its fast-expanding FMCG portfolio. RCPL’s vision is to bring to Indian consumers a bouquet of domestic and globally recognised consumer brands and product choices, the company said. (File) Reliance Consumer Products (RCPL), the FMCG arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures has entered into a strategic partnership with Sri Lanka-based Maliban Biscuit Manufactories. Maliban is a biscuit manufacturer in Sri Lanka for the past 70... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

IMF Keeps Sri Lanka, Pak Waiting, Approves $4.7Bn Support Package for Bangladesh
Courtesy News18
Sri Lanka and Pakistan are facing a major energy crisis like Bangladesh, but Dhaka has been able to secure a package to address the issue The International Monetary Fund has signed off on a $4.7 billion support loan package for Bangladesh to help it cope with soaring energy and food costs that have sparked huge protests. Bangladesh and other South Asian countries dependent on fossil fuel imports were hit hard by sharp cost-of-living increases following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Nationwide blackouts of up to 13 hours a day hit the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Westminster event declares support for Canadian action against Rajapaksa brothers
Courtesy The Island
Foreign Secretary, Aruni Wijewardane, with UK’s Permanent Under Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Sir Philip Barton, at the Foreign Ministry, in Colombo, on January 17 (pic courtesy Foreign Ministry) As a result of sheer negligence, Sri Lanka has ended up being categorized as a perpetrator of war crimes, and those who had fought for the country are mercilessly targeted. There cannot be a better example than Air Marshal Sumangala Dias who suffered due to Sri Lanka’s failure. Canada refused to accept Dias as Sri Lanka’s High... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

‘Ape Amma’ identified as SL’s highest revenue-generating YouTube channel
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Culinary YouTube channel ‘Ape Amma’ has been identified by CashnetUSA.com as the largest revenue-generating handle in the country on the social media platform.  A worldwide survey by the top online lender revealed that Ape Amma is among the list of all-time top-earning YouTube channels in the rest of the Asia and Oceania region.  Ape Amma has generated a revenue amounting to US $ 962,386 and as of January 30, 2023, the channel has about 2.72 million subscribers. The channel took off on April 15, 2016 and has over 495 million... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

RW gets stern on Public officers - ’Do not take goods, services on credit’
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a note to the Cabinet, has stressed that public officers should refrain from obtaining goods and services on credit basis, and any officer who violates this will be held personally responsible for such expenditure. The President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, has said that the Government revenue at present (January 2023) is far below the monthly expenditure for the month of January 2023 and that the Government expenditure will have to be curtailed further and postponed until planned revenue to be raised on the recent... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

US-India military base in Sri Lanka? Vasu questions
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara charged that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution is in spotlight once again due to the impending visit of the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland to Sri Lanka. He said that a conspiracy is afoot to establish a US-India military base in Sri Lanka.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Self-retirement for inefficient public sector employees: Bandula
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Steps were being taken to reduce the number of public sector employees in all government institutions and a self-retirement mechanism would be introduced for that effect, Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawradena said today. He told the weekly Cabinet briefing that inefficient public sector employees would be removed through this self-retirement mechanism. The Minister said the decision was taken in accordance with the instructions given by the Treasury to all Ministries to curtail their expenses in all departments and added that all the Ministry Secretaries are bound to adhere to the circulars... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

President’s Media responds to Daily Mirror article on Treasury allocations
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
In reference to the article carried in the Daily Mirror today titled 'Despite Economic Crisis Treasury Allocates Billions for Offices of President, PM, Ministers', the President's Media Division has issued the following clarification. Writer's note - The article clearly exposes figures from a Treasury report which has been allocated for the Offices of the President, Prime Minister and Cabinet of Ministers under a 'Special Spending Unit' for 2023. It reveals to the general public, the allocations made by the Treasury for these offices under this unit for 2023 which runs... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Maithripala says he will contest next presidential election
Courtesy Adaderana
Former President Maithripala Sirisena says he expects to contest the next presidential election with the support of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).  Joining a media briefing today (Jan 31), the SLFP leader expressed confidence about winning the election race. “I am not the type of person to move backward. I am not scared of the conspiracies [against me]... Despite being harassed, I will contest the next presidential election with the support of my party. No matter how many votes I receive, I am confident that I can win the election.” ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Sri Lanka’s export earnings in 2022 hit record high of USD 13 billion
Courtesy Adaderana
Earnings from exports in 2022 surpassed USD 13 billion per year for the first time, recording an increase of 4.9% from the previous highest recorded in 2021, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) says. This improvement was a result of increased earnings from industrial exports, including garments, gems, diamonds and jewellery, machinery and mechanical appliances and petroleum products. Meanwhile, total import expenditure in 2022 amounted to USD 18,291 million, recording a decline of 11.4%, year-on-year, resulting from measures to restrict non-urgent imports and liquidity constraints that prevailed in the market for... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Easter Attacks: Catholic Church refuses to accept Sirisena’s apology
Courtesy Adaderana
Father Jude Chryshatha, the National Director for Social Communication, has asserted the Catholic Church’s refusal of former President Maithripala Sirisena’s recent apology for the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019. https://youtu.be/85EKyAAB1z4 Accordingly, Father Chryshantha noted that the Catholic Church will not accept the apology made by the former President. Speaking at a press conference earlier today (31 Jan.), Sirisena publicly apologized to the Catholic community of Sri Lanka for the 2019 attacks, which took place during his tenure as President. He also assured that he is... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

CCPI-based inflation further drops to 54.2% in January
Courtesy Adaderana
he Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) inflation based on the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) decreased to 54.2% in January 2023 from 57.2% seen in December 2022, the Department of Census and Statistics reported. Meanwhile, Y-o-Y inflation of Food Group has dropped to 60.1% in January 2023 from 64.4% in December 2022, it said quoting the latest data. https://youtu.be/5_Bfkv5H5p4 According to the department’s report, Y-o-Y Non-Food Group inflation decreased to 51% in January 2023 from 53.4% in December 2022. The CCPI for all items for the month of January... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

Over 80,700 candidates contesting LG election
Courtesy Adaderana
Over 80,700 candidates from 58 registered political parties and 329 independent groups are due to contest the upcoming Local Government (LG) election, the Election Commission of Sri Lanka stated. https://youtu.be/PGnDNr5Y6SM Accordingly, a total of 80,720 candidates will be contesting for 339 local bodies in the election. The 2023 LG election is scheduled to be held on 09 March. Meanwhile, all relevant documents received from District Returning Officers to hold the election have been sent to the Government Printer to be gazetted, the Chairman of the Commission... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/02/23)

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