Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe opened the three storied building of the Karandeniya Central College to mark its 75th anniversary celebrations held yesterday. The PM views an exhibit of a student at the event. Minister Vajira Abeywardene, MPs Wijepala Hettiarachchi, Bandulal Bandarigoda and area Organiser Jayantha Jayaweera were present. Picture by Prime Minister’s Media Division.

 Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera will leave for Washington on Jan 11 to get the IMF External Fund Facility (EFF) back on track. He will be meeting Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Deputy Managing Director, Chanyong Rhee, Director, Asia Pacific Department, Manuel Goretti, Team Leader and other members of the IMF Sri Lanka Team.

Minister Samaraweera is expected to signal the Government's intention to continue with IMF reform program. A key objective will be to negotiate the trajectory of continued fiscal consolidation while accommodating policies to support growth and strengthen the social safety net.
The Finance Minister's delegation to IMF will include the Governor of the Central Bank, Secretary to the Treasury and other key officials of the Central Bank and the Treasury

 The approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted to the Appropriation Bill-2019, submitted by the Finance and Media Minister, Mangala Samaraweera. Accordingly, this year’s state expenditure will be Rs 4,470 and the budget deficit will be 4.8 % of the GDP.

The State revenue which was 11.5 % of the GDP in the year 2014 was gradually increased after the present government came in to power in 2015 and, it is expected to be increased to 15.% of the GDP this year.
This year’s National Budget is prepared under the Medium Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) by adopting the performance based budgeting approach with the aim of strengthening the on-going fiscal consolidation programs. The government is also aiming to achieve the target of increasing the State revenue to 17 % and limiting the recurrent expenditure to 15 percent of the GDP in the year 2021.

Rs.2, 200 billion has been allocated for debt servicing in 2019. This is the highest; a government in the history of this country is compelled to bear for debt servicing. The recurrent expenditure include Rs 1,425 billion while the Capital expenditure will cost Rs 838 billion.

The Appropriation Bill will be presented in the Parliament on February 5th and the Budget proposal will be presented by the Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mr. Mangala Samaraweera on 5th March.

 Mahanayaka’s of Buddhist nikayas commended the services rendered by the President Maithripala Sirisena for the propagation of Buddha sasanaya.

President Maithripala Sirisena said that he has made the Tripitaka as a national heritage and he will work towards declaring it as a World Heritage.
The President also said that he will continue to mediate in making the Tripitaka as a World Heritage.
The national ceremony to officially proclaim the sacred Tripitaka as a National heritage for thousands of years was held at the historic Aluvihara temple in Matalewith the blessings of the Most Venerable Maha Sangha and under the patronage of the President 05th January.The Maha Sangha expressed gratitude and the blessed the President for the historic achievement of proclaiming the Tripitakaya as a national heritage.

Anunayaka of the Malwathu Maha Vihara of the Shyamopali Maha Nikaya, the Most Ven. Niyangoda Vijithasiri Thero made a special discourse at the ceremony today. The Maha Sangha stated that the great work done by the President to the Buddha Sasana was praised by the Maha Sangha.
In an era where dharma is distorted, the task that the President performed, during his term, is a noble cause, said the Chief Incumbent of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya Aggamaha Panditha Ven. Kotugoda Dhammawasa Thero.
The Mahanayake Thero also praised the President’s great noble deed to name the national hero of the 1818 rebellion and to include them as patriotic national titles in the National Heroic List, removing them from the Colonial list of traitors.
Addressing the celebration at Aluvihare temple, the President further stated that this historic task will save the Tripitaka from distorted interpretations and provide legal protection. From here, no one is allowed to use the translation, conversion, or misuse of the Tripitaka or issue any text without approval from the Government. Now, the Tripitaka can be translated and edited only by a statutory academic council. In this way, the government intervened to prevent any attempt to damage or distort the Tripitaka, the President said.
Through securing the Tripitaka, its tansparency, is assured and it has been properly established in accordance with Buddhist tradition to understand the word of the Buddha, said the President. The President added that with the expectations and the guidance of Mahasangha he has come to this decision with heartfelt respect and love for the Buddhist order. He added that he considers this a great privilege for him to accomplish this virtuous deed within his tenure and gain merits, said the President.
President Sirisena who went to historical Matale Aluvihare Temple unveiled the commemoration plaque and marked the declaration of the Tripitaka in written form as a national heritage.
The declaration of Tripitaka in written form was officially presented to Mahanayake at the event.
Chief Incumbent of Aloka Vihara Ven. Dr. Inamaluwe Nandarathana Thero presnted the Ola leaf manuscript that composes Dhamma Chakka Pawaththana Sutra as a special token of appreciation.
A collection of articles were presented to the President
A postal stamp was issued to mark this historical event and it was presented to the Mahasangha by the President.
The Mahanayake Thero of the Asgiriya Mahavihara of the Shyamopali Maha Nikaya Ven. Warakagoda Gnanarathana Thero, Ven. Niyangoda Vijithasiri Anunayake Thero, the Anunayake of the Malwathu Chapter of the Shyamopali Maha Nikaya, The Chief Incumbent of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya, Most Ven. Aggamaha Panditha Kotugoda Dhammawasa Maha Nayaka Thero and thousands of Maha Sangha who came with their greetings from whole country and Buddha Sasana Minister Mr. Gamini Jayawickrama Perera and Ministers, Governors, public servants and a large number of people also participated in this ceremony.

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 Two European Union Parliamentary Members, Lord William Dartmouth and Geoffrey Van Orden, who visited Sri Lanka as members of the “Friends of Sri Lanka Group”, paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, at the latter’s office on 2nd January. During the call both the parties exchanged views on matters of mutual interests and agreed to enhance bilateral trade and tourism cooperation, maximizing the benefits for Sri Lanka under the EU’s GSP+ facility.

Mr. Malik Samarawickrema, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, Dr. R.H.S.Samaratunge, Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance and Mass Media and Mr. Mano Tittawella, Senior Adviser to Finance Minister were also present.

 President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Mister Ranil Wickremesinghe congratulated Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday on her party’s victory in Bangladesh’s general election.Both of them separately called PM Hasina over phone and congratulated her, said Ihsanul Karim, the Bangladeshi PM’s press secretary.

They also greeted the Awami League and the people of Bangladesh for the party’s overwhelming victory, he said.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Sri Lankan leaders hoped the bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries would be strengthened in the coming days, the press secretary said.
Awami League, led by Hasina, won a landslide victory in the December 30 national election. The party alone secured 259 out of 299 parliamentary seats that went to polls.“My heartiest congratulations to Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, on her resounding victory at the elections.
“The people of Bangladesh have placed unwavering trust in your leadership. Sri Lanka looks forward to increasing bilateral relations with Bangladesh,” President Sirisena tweeted.

 Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera assumed duties yesterday morning at the traditional ceremony held in the ministry. State Minister of Finance Eran Wickramarathna, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury A.R. Deshapriya, Additional Secretary Ministry of Finance and Mass Media R. Semasinghe and the staff also participated in this occasion.

 The special train on a humanitarian mission, that carried relief items for the flood victims in the North, commenced its journey from Matara in the South on December 31, reached Kilinochchi Railway Station on January 01 around 2.30 p.m.

When the people in the South were affected by the floods, extending the hands of the brotherhood of the Northern people, the humanitarian train from North to South arrived and this mission was organized by the ‘Purawesi Athwela’ programme of the Presidential Secretariat and at the time of people in the North faced a catastrophe situation, the people in the South also extended their hands of brotherhood to the people in the North.
The ‘Purawesi Athwela’ programme of the Presidential Secretariat and the President’s Media Unit participated in this mission with the blessings of President Maithripala Sirisena.
The train that carried relief items commenced its journey from Matara around 2.30 p.m. on December 31 and the relief items collected under the guidance of the Galle District Secretary as well as the voluntary activists of the ‘Purawesi Athwela’ programme were handed over to the train at the Galle Railway Station.
The train that carried relief items reached the Colombo Railway Station at 6.30 a.m. on January 01 and the relief items were collected at the Ragama, Gampaha, Veyangoda, Meerigama, Polgahawela, Kurunegala, Ganewatta, Mahawa, Galgamuwa and Anuradhapura railway stations.
Many donated items including dry rations, drinking water, school equipment, dresses, sanitary items and medicines were carried in this train to distribute among the people in the North. All those donations were officially handed over to the Kilinochchi District Secretary at the Kilinochchi Railway Station.
Many private institutions and entrepreneurs joined hands with this meritorious task.

President’s New Year’s Message

 Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his New Year message states as 2019 dawns with new hopes and goals, it is his pleasure to wish all Sri Lankans a prosperous year ahead. The New Year will be a challenge for Sri Lanka.

Nevertheless, the government is committed to making a better society for our future generations, the Premier states. “As 2019 dawns with new hopes and goals, it is my utmost pleasure to wish all Sri Lankans a prosperous year ahead. It was a real victory for all of us to ensure sovereignty of the people’s rule in the country to begin the New Year.
“I am glad and thankful to everyone who strove in the name of reclaiming democracy setting ethnic, religious and party differences aside.“The New Year will be challenging for Sri Lanka.
“Nevertheless, we are committed to making a better society for our future generations.“I look forward to your encouragement, commitment and cooperation”.

 Kilinochchi District Secretary Suntharam Arumainayaham said that all the District Secretaries, have taken immediate steps to help the victims of floods in accordance with the guidance given by President Maithripala Sirisena. He pointed out that facilities have been provided already to all the persons sheltered in welfare centres. 

Even though the flood levels reduced in the Kilinochchi District, the people have returned to the welfare centres because of heavy rains. At present, nearly 18,000 families have been affected and all the essential requirements, including cooked food, dry rations and health facilities are being provided for them.
The President has instructed to provide all the essential facilities for the people without any shortage. It was decided to provide Rs.10,000 as an initial payment to a family to reconstruct their damaged houses and after estimating the damage, maximum of Rs. 250,000 each will be provided as compensation. The houses affected due to floods, market places, water wells, and toilets, were cleaned under the instructions of the President in collaboration with the state institutions.
The districts which were being affected and the crops were washed away completely will be provided compensation. It has been estimated that 8,000 fields were destroyed and Rs.40,000 per acre will be paid as compensation.
While resettling the people whose houses were not damaged, they will be provided with necessary utensils and equipment for making food.
The armed forces also have been deployed to provide cooked food and assist in resettlement activities and providing medical assistance to the people that are in flood affected areas. The Army media division announces that 300-400 soldiers have been assigned in 57 divisions for flood relief activities.
The Sri Lanka Navy has also deployed 6 teams to provide assistance to flood affected persons. The armed forces are working on rescuing people stranded in marooned areas in Mullaitivu district. The Sri Lanka Air Force planes make aerial identification of marooned persons and provide assistance to the Armed Forces rescue teams. They also assist distribution of flood relief.