Be the leader in presenting a 10-year development plan - The President tells the Colombo University Alumni
Be the leader in presenting a 10-year development plan - The President tells the Colombo University Alumni
The Australian Government has announced that it will gift a former Royal Australian Air Force Beechcraft KA350 King Air aircraft (registration A32-673) to the Sri Lankan Government. The aircraft will be used to enhance Sri Lanka's sovereign aerial maritime surveillance capability.
This was conveyed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe when an Australian delegation led by the Australian High Commissioner HE Paul Stephens met the President at the Presidential Secretariat May(12).
The gift of the aircraft is part of the Australian Government's commitment to strengthening and enhancing the cooperation and collaboration that is the foundation of the strong bilateral relationship between Australia and Sri Lanka. A key focus of this relationship remains the continued cooperation on countering all forms of transnational crime, including drug smuggling, as well as strengthening border management through intelligence sharing and the deterrence, disruption, interception and return of maritime people smuggling ventures under the border security operation known as Operation Sovereign Borders.
The Australian Government greatly values this cooperation, which has led to the disruption of a significant number of maritime people smuggling ventures, and has protected the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable people by preventing criminal exploitation, dangerous sea voyages and loss of life at sea.
Following the Australian Minister for Home Affairs' visit to Sri Lanka in June last year, the Department of Home Affairs has driven forward a number of new initiatives in these areas, in partnership with a number of Sri Lankan Government departments. In pursuing these initiatives, Australia has emphasised the importance of supporting Sri Lanka to develop sovereign capabilities.
As part of the gift of the aircraft, the Australian Government will also provide sustainment support for a period of 12 months, after which sustainment will become the sole responsibility of the Sri Lanka Government.
The Australian Government is confident that this gift will further strengthen the strong bilateral relationship between Australia and Sri Lanka, and will help to enhance Sri Lanka's ability to counter transnational crime and protect its borders.
Deputy High Commissioner Ms Lalita Kapur, First Secretary Mr Brett Zehnder and Defence Advisor Captain Ian Cain were also present at this meeting.
President’s Media Division (PMD)
A meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Nations was convened in London yesterday (05), with the presence of King Charles III and President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
During the event, President Wickremesinghe extended his congratulations to King Charles III and engaged in a cordial conversation. Prof. Maithrie Wickramasinghe was also in attendance.
During the gathering, President Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of the Commonwealth playing a more significant role in supporting education reforms that encourage youth involvement. He also called on the Commonwealth to bolster connectivity through digitization.
In addition to this, President Wickremesinghe held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, to discuss ways of strengthening relations between their countries.
Meanwhile, Prof. Wickramasinghe participated in the Fireside Chat program, which was organized as a parallel event to the Leaders Meeting. The Fireside Chat program provided a platform for discussions on various topics and issues related to the Commonwealth and its members.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe also met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in London to discuss potential areas of cooperation between their countries. The meeting was held yesterday (05), and both presidents expressed their interest in exploring opportunities for collaboration, particularly in the agriculture and healthcare sectors.
President Wickremesinghe proposed an exchange of visits by relevant ministers, which would enable officials from both countries to explore potential avenues for cooperation. The two leaders also discussed the possibility of further military cooperation, with President Wickremesinghe offering to provide training by Sri Lanka’s defence forces for rapid responses to natural disasters.
The meeting was attended by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to London, Ms. Saroja Sirisena, and the President’s Director of International Affairs, Mr. Dinouk Colombage.
This thrice blessed day of Vesak being most important in the Buddhist calendar, dawns with sacred significance.
While commemorating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing away, it is a revered occasion, to venerate his Teachings based on the concept of compassion, by participating in activities of piety and giving of alms, through devotion to service of humanity.
At this juncture of the country’s unprecedented economic crisis, the timeless philosophy of the Buddha becomes a source of solace. Therefore during these troubled times, it is imperative to rise above all differences and join together in unity and service as espoused by the Buddha, to overcome the dangers in pursuing a life of normality. This path should be guided by the four Noble States of loving-kindness (Metta), compassion (Karuna), sympathetic joy (Mudita) and equanimity (Upekkha), as upheld in the Buddhist philosophy.
On this hallowed day, let us seize this instance of religious sanctity, and pay tribute to the Buddha’s sagacity, by uniting in solidarity to rebuild an affluent Sri Lanka. May the full moon today remove the darkness of ignorance from our lives, and guide us on the path of Sri Lanka’s renaissance.
May all beings be happy and content, as we unite to commemorate this blessed day of Vesak.
LABOUR DAY MESSAGE
On International Workers' Day, it is important to recognize the significant role that the working people play in the economic progress of a country. In Sri Lanka, they have been a driving force behind the country overcoming challenges and leading the nation forward throughout history.
Last year, the country endured a severe economic collapse. The workers played a crucial role in patiently and courageously supporting the country as we waited to take the difficult initial steps in stabilizing the economy. As we celebrate this year's May Day, we should take the opportunity to show the world the pride of the workers of Sri Lanka.
It is crucial that we put the country first and not fall prey to narrow political interests at this critical juncture. The government has always worked to secure the rights of the working public. By ensuring their rights and privileges, we hope to create a brighter future where the value of labour is recognized.
The government is committed to protecting the Employees' Provident Fund, which was established for the benefit of the working people. Despite attempts by some parties to create undue fear regarding the Provident fund, I give my assurances that we will not allow it to be misused.
We invite all the working people of Sri Lanka to join hands as we undertake a new reformist path of building a prosperous Sri Lanka by 2048. We congratulate them on this meaningful International Labour Day where their rights are secured. The working people are a social force that can exert a stronger influence on the entire economic process of the country, and we must continue to value and support their contributions.
Ranil Wickremesinghe
President
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
30-04-2023
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka in its Annual Report 2022 released yesterday said that the Policy measures and reforms implemented by the Government and the Central Bank have yielded notable success.
The report said that Inflation returned to an impressive disinflation path following a historic peak in September 2022, and the exchange rate remained stable and registered an appreciation in early 2023, having depreciated sharply during the first half of 2022.
This report consisting of four main parts was presented to Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies Minister and President Ranil Wickremesinghe by CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe at the Finance Ministry yesterday. It highlighted that the external current account deficit remained modest alongside the gradual accumulation of official reserves, thereby enabling the reinstatement of exchange rate flexibility.
“The envisaged normalisation of foreign exchange flows and the completion of the debt restructuring process during 2023, and the sweeping reforms in the public sector, are expected to pave way for the country’s progress towards improved and sustainable economic prospects”, the report said.
The Central Bank in its report insisted that the consistent and well co-ordinated policies, including those outlined in the IMF-Extended Fund Facility supported programme, should be executed in a timely manner to avert another crisis in the period ahead in the country’s efforts to emerge from the current crisis.
“The Government initiated measures in early 2022 to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after months of indecisiveness. The IMF had already assessed that Sri Lanka’s public debt had reached unsustainable levels, hence, any funding assistance from the IMF needed to be preceded by efforts to restructure public debt”, the report said.
“When it reached a critical point of inability to service debt payments, the Government announced a debt standstill in mid-April 2022, thereby suspending the servicing of external debt, mainly bilateral and commercial debt, as an interim measure, while soliciting support from official and private creditors to restructure outstanding debt.
The CBSL report outlined how steps were taken to enhance enhance government revenue, curtail expenditure, introduce reforms to major State Owned Enterprises (SOE), implement import controls, and ration energy supply, while exploring bridging finance from bilateral and multilateral partners for essential expenditures as well as supporting the most vulnerable segments.
“With a multitude of goals to be achieved under the IMF-EFF arrangement, restoring public debt sustainability through the debt restructuring process will be one of the key milestones in the path towards attaining a sustained growth in the economy.
However, debt restructuring could pose near term challenges in the financial sector that need to be addressed proactively by the Government and Central Bank, thereby reinforcing the financial system stability in the period ahead.
“Having run an unsustainable macroeconomic model in tandem with the longstanding deficits in the budget balance and the external current account, the economy had fully exhausted its buffers by early 2022 as it was straddled by a myriad of vulnerabilities that emanated from both global and domestic sources”, the report said.
The first part of the CBSL report consists of eight chapters and 30 sub-chapters explaining the state of the economic affairs of the year, while the second part consists of a collection of gazettes and circulars related to various policy measures taken by the Government and the CBSL. The third part of this report explains the departments of the CBSL and their related roles and the
fourth part includes a list of laws and ordinances related to the banking system connected to the Government and the CBSL.
In accordance with Section 35 of the Monetary Law Act, the Monetary Board of the CBSL is required to produce an annual report on the economic conditions and the policies taken for that year and submit it to the Minister of Finance within four months after the end of the relevant year.
Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director of the Economic Research Department of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. P.K.G.Harishchandra, Additional Directors of Economic Research Dr. Mrs.S.Jegajeevan and Dr. L. R. C. Pathberiya participated in this event.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe urged the Opposition to unite and disregard political differences to assist in carrying out the IMF agreement, which will aid in the development of Sri Lanka’s economy. The President emphasized that his duty is not to condemn previous administrations but to concentrate on the development of the country.
He also declared his dedication to constructing a better future by creating laws and frameworks that prevent the recurrence of past errors.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivered this message in a special address to Parliament yesterday morning (22) regarding the receipt of the Extended Credit Facility from the International Monetary Fund.
He stated that despite allegations being levelled against him, that his objective was not to rescue the country from an economic crisis but to safeguard the Rajapaksa family, the international community had acknowledged his efforts to carry the country across the economic vine bridge.
The President further said that he had faith in rebuilding the beloved country where he was born, brought up and educated, and said that many past experiences were the reasons for confirming that faith.
He pointed out that getting the IMF agreement was an opportunity to raise the motherland again and said that a new path has been opened to build the future of the country’s youth.
The President acknowledged the societal pressure caused by inflation and claimed to possess a comprehensive understanding of it. He reassured that the ongoing challenges are temporary and the public will soon reap the rewards of the current efforts and commitment. The President also took this opportunity to pay tribute to all the people of the country who persevered with all the difficulties and pressures to get the IMF agreement.
The "Satarawa Deepani" Felicitation Ceremony, which was organized at the behest of Minister of Transport, Highways, and Mass Media, Dr. Bandula Gunawardena was held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) Yesterday afternoon (16). The event, presided over by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, was held on a grand scale.
During the event, tributes were paid to a group of artists who had contributed to the artwork created by Dr. Bandula Gunawardena. Veteran artists such as Dharmasiri Bandaranaike, Parakrama Niriella, and Cyril Wickramage were awarded by the President in recognition of their contributions.
Veteran artists such as Professor Ariyaratne Athugala, Kumara Thirimadura and Sarath Kothalawala were also appreciated during this event.
The book "Subandhu Cinema Watha," which chronicles the cinematic career of Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, was launched at the event. The book was edited by esteemed media professionals including Prof. Praneet Abeysundara, Ranjith Kumara, Aruna Gunaratne, and Dinusha Kudagodage.
During the event, a token of 25 scholarships was awarded to 25 out of the 251 students who are currently pursuing the G.C.E. (A/L) Technology stream this year. The scholarships were given under the "Pragna Bandhu" scholarship program, a concept introduced by Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena. The scholarships were presented by distinguished individuals such as Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Mithripala Sirisena, as well as Education Minister Susil Premajayantha.
Mr. Gamini Weragama, a seasoned film critic, delivered the keynote lecture at the event.
The event was attended by a diverse group of individuals, including the Venerable Maha Sanga such as Most Ven. Iththapane Dhammalankara Thera, the Maha Nayaka of Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha, foreign diplomats, ambassadors, and high commissioners, politicians from both the governing and opposition parties including ministers and parliamentarians, artists, heads of media organizations, journalists, professionals, and other guests.
Director of the Mental Health Department of the Ministry of Health Dr. Rohan Ratnayake, yesterday said that 3,406 suicides had been reported last year and one suicide is reported every four hours.
He also stated that suicides can be prevented if mental health is improved.
He said this yesterday (16) while participating in a workshop held jointly by the Ministry of Media and the Ministry of Health at the Sri Lanka Administrative Development Institute.
He said that 2,832 of the suicides reported last year were men and the remaining 574 were women. Accordingly, the number of cases of male suicides is higher than female suicides.
Dr. Rohan Ratnayake also said that people resort to suicide due to chronic illnesses, impotence, mental illness and drug addiction etc.
The Director of Mental Health said that more suicides had taken place in Gampaha and Kurunegala Districts while suicides in the Gampaha District had increased irregularly last year.
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka organized a felicitation dinner at the Oak Room, Cinnamon Grand Hotel Colombo Yesterday evening (12), to honour those who have completed fifty years at the Bar.
During the Felicitation Dinner, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has also completed fifty years at the Bar, was honoured and presented with a plaque by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC.
The Felicitation Dinner was organized by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) to honour 26 individuals who have served at the Bar for 50 or more years. The event coincided with the two-day National Law Conference 2023, also organized by the BASL, which is held on the 12th and 13th of March.
Juliana Margaret Coswatte, Walter Leslie de Silva, Ratnasabapathy Arumugam Jegatheson, Upali A. Gooneratne PC, Kanagaratnam Kaneshayogan, M. M Zuhair PC, Vijaya Niranjan Perera PC, Vernon Manilal Fernando, Justice J. Asoka Nihal de Silva, W. D. J. Seneviratne, Justice D. J. De S. Balapatabendi also were felicitated at the ceremony.
Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC, Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam PC, BASL President Saliya Peiris, Chairman of the Felicitation Committee Janaprith Fernando and Convener of the Felicitation Committee Chamath Fernando addressed the Felicitation Dinner.
Decisions taken by the Cabinet of Ministers on 07.03.2023
1. Identifying the boundaries of the Sri Lankan continental shelf
In 2009, Sri Lanka submitted technical and scientific data and other information to the
Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf for the establishment of the outer limits of
the continental shelf beyond Sri Lanka's Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 nautical miles
under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Commission has appointed a
sub-commission to consider Sri Lanka's entitlements. The National Ocean Affairs Committee
under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been stablished with the Cabinet approval to work
with this sub-committee to identify the limits of the continental shelf claimed by Sri Lanka.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs
to call for expressions of intent for the reconstitution of the National Oceanic Affairs
Committee with a view to identifying its outer limits with supporting evidence for the
establishment of Sri Lanka's continental shelf.
2. Construction of a water treatment plant for Horana Export Processing Zone
Water is supplied to the Horana Export Processing Zone and the Wagavaththa Industrial Zone
through a water supply scheme with a production capacity of 3000 cubic meters of water per
day implemented by the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. Since the daily water requirement
of the investors in Horana and Vagawatta zones is about 4350 cubic meters, the Water Supply
and Drainage Board has prepared plans to construct a new water treatment plant with a
capacity of 2000 cubic meters per day. The Board of Directors of the Board of Investment has
agreed to secure provision for this. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the
proposal presented by the Hon. President in his capacity as the Minister of Investment to build
and operate the new water treatment plant in the Horana Export Processing Zone using the
provisions of the Investment Board.
3. Sri Lanka's contribution to the “Commonwealth of Learning “ Organization
“Commonwealth of Learning “ is an international organization established by the leaders of
the Commonwealth of Nations to strengthen their capacity to develop the human resources
necessary for economic and social development in member countries. This is the education
section of the Commonwealth of Nations fund. As a member country, Sri Lanka contributes
to the “Commonwealth of Learning “ organization through the education section of the
agreement reached by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Commonwealth Fund.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of
Education to continue the membership of the “Commonwealth of Learning “ Organization by
paying the relevant contributions
04. Amendment of National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Act No. 38 of 2009
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Act No. 38 of 2009 has been
instituted with the objective of establishing an institute on national occupational safety and
health for the purpose of declaring a national policy for the preparation of standards for
occupational safety and health as well as creating an occupational safety environment that
ensures the safety of the two parties namely the employer and employee. It has been
recognized that this act should be revised according to the present requirements. Accordingly,
the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution submitted by the Minister of Labour and
Foreign Employment for instructing the Legal Draftman to draft statue to amend the National
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Act.
05. Establishment of finance sector crisis management committee
It is important to prevent any impact of the financial crisis that take place in the finance sector
due to public finance, credit and payment balance difficulties and minimize the cost of a
financial crisis if occurred as such. Accordingly, it is vital to execute decisive crisis
management and take timely decisions. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted their
consent to the resolution furnished by the Hon. President as the Minister of Finance,
Economic Stabilization and National Policies to establish the finance sector crisis
management committee as well as the finance sector crisis management technical committee
which coordinate the preparation and management of the financial crisis between the Central
Bank of Sri Lanka and the subject Ministry of Finance and to include required provisions in
the banks (special provisions) act.
06. Review of the 6 th periodical report of Sri Lanka under the International Convenant on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
Review of the 6 th periodical report of Sri Lanka under the International Convenant on Civil
and Political Rights (ICCPR) is scheduled to take place in Geneva during the two days of 8 th
and 9 th March 2023. The Cabinet of Ministers took into consideration the facts furnished by
the Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding the steps taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
for the said review.