Dec 24 (FT) The tea sector weathered a difficult year with revenues slumping by Rs. 12.43 billion to Rs. 209.02 billion while production dropped by 27.3 million kilos to 241.6 million kilos in the first 11 months of 2019, brokers said, but rupee prices reached an all-time high of Rs. 80 per kilo due to COVID-19 impact. Following the final auction for the year, which was met with fair demand due to holidays being around the corner, more..

Dec 24 (CT) Senior SL Administrative Service Officer, Anusha Palpita, has been appointed as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Industries by Prez Rajapaksa. His appointment is with effect from 1 Jan 2021. Pelpita had previously served as the Director General (DG) of the Govt Information Department, the Chairman of the SLBC, the DG of the SL Rupavahini Corporation, DG of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, and as the CEO of the Lotus Tower Project. more..

Dec 24 (DN) The Sri Lankan Cricketers cleared the second health hurdle after they were tested negative in their second PCR test held last Tuesday. They were granted permission to use the center wicket at the grounds and the players have had a practice session in different aspects of the game under their coaches. As per team sources, they have a further PCR test today followed by another training session before they embark on the Boxing Day Test at the Centurion. more..

Dec 24 (Island) Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara thera couldn�t have received the National List slot secured by AJBP at the Aug 5 general election though he was on its Kurunegala District List, Election Commission (EC) Chairman Nimal Punchihewa said. He said that Ven Gnanasara thera wasn�t eligible to receive NL appointment under any circumstances. Such an appointment would have been contrary to both the Constitution and more..

Dec 24 (MFA) Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena met with Ambassador of the Netherlands Tanja Gonggrijp and Ambassador of Turkey Demet Sekercioglu on 22 Dec and discussed several areas of ongoing cooperation. The Foreign Minister appreciated the generous assistance provided by the Government of the Netherlands to upgrade hospitals in the Northern Province and Kalutara District. Discussion also took place on ongoing assistance from the Netherlands more..

Dec 24 (FT) Minister Dullas Alahapperuma has instructed top officials of the CEB to extend a grace period till 31 Dec to settle outstanding bills and to refrain from disconnecting power for hotels registered with the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). Tourism industry is the worst hit by COVID pandemic. Considering the difficulties the industry stakeholders have had to face, Minister has instructed CEB�s Board of Directors to extend the support to the tourism industry. more..

Dec 24 (DN) The CID has launched an investigation into the forged registration of 700 vehicles through the computer system of the Department of Motor Traffic, State Minister Dilum Amunugama revealed. He also said that the Department has already provided information on those vehicles to the CID. Amunugama also said that there are several officers in the department who know the passwords of the computer system more..

Dec 24 (DN) Bamboo Timber Training and Development Center was declared open on Dec 21 at the Laksala premises in Katubedda by Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa. Bamboo Timber Training and Development Center was established with the sponsorship of UNIDO by the Industrial Development Board (IDB) with the objective of strengthening the Industry Chain Line associated with bamboo, The main objectives of this center are to popularize growing bamboo, more..

Dec 24 (Island) The Lanka Fruit and Vegetable Producers, Processors and Exporters Association (LFVPPEA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Agriculture Sector Modernisation Project (ASMP) on Nov 27 in Jaffna. ASMP is a World Bank Project under the Ministry of Agriculture with wide objectives within the Sri Lankan agricultural field. Acknowledging the intention of the two parties in establishing a framework for co-operation and more..

Dec 24 (CT) MP Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe sent a letter to the President�s Secretary, requesting an explanation in regard to the donation of Rs 920 million given by the Muslim World League to the relatives of the victims of the 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday bombings. Dr. Rajapakshe has pointed out in the letter that since money of that donation has been received for the welfare of the victims & injured of Easter Sunday bombings, more..

Dec 24 (FT) Cabinet this week approved a proposal by the Minister of Tourism to expand the BOI Industrial Park in Kandy, using 5.55 hectares of adjacent State land. Under the proposal, Ministry of Tourism will hand over the land to the BOI as a free grant. Kandy Industrial Park, established in 1994, currently covers 195 acres. 120 acres of the park have been allotted for 26 industries. Govt has earlier expressed its interest in developing or expanding investment zones to promote exports. more..

Dec 24 (Island) Creating history and proving its dominance in the cable industry once again, ACL Cables PLC announced it had been awarded the SLS 1504-3-31 certificate under the product marking scheme for its fire rated � Low smoke Halogen Free (LSHF) non � sheathed single core cables by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) recently. SLSI is the highest local authority that awards quality standardizations for products sold locally. Upon complying with the requisite standards more..

Dec 24 (Island) The JVP says that there are reasons to suspect that the proposed deal to handover the operations of Colombo Port�s East Container Terminal to India�s Adani group is a corrupt one. It intends to complain to the CID seeking an investigation. JVP leader Anura Kumara Disssanayake said that India�s Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd and its owner Gautam Adani were notorious for questionable more..

Dec 24 (AD) The program of making the country self-sufficient in all sectors should be implemented in order to have hope for the future of the country, said PM Rajapaksa. He mentioned this speaking at an event held to mark the opening of the new hormone pills and capsules manufacture plant State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC) in Ratmalana. During the event, Flucloxacillin 500mg capsules, the new drug produced locally by the SPMC, was also unveiled at the event. more..

Dec 24 (CT) Since the majority of the three-Judge Bench agreed with the Attorney General�s explanation that there was no injustice to the students who sat for the Physics subject at the GCE A/L Examination in 2019 under the new syllabus, due to the procedure followed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in selecting students for admission to universities, six Fundamental Rights Petitions filed in that connection were rejected by the Supreme Court yesterday (23). more..

Dec 24 (AD) Another 231 individuals have tested positive for novel coronavirus in the country. Reportedly, all new cases are identified from the Peliyagoda cluster. Accordingly, a total of 579 cases have been reported within the day so far. As per Epidemiology Unit data, the total number of Covid-19 infections confirmed in the country to date now stands at 38,638. Recoveries from the virus meanwhile climbed to 29,882 more..

Dec 24 (DN) Minister Johnston Fernando said that construction work on the extension of Marine Drive from the Kollupitiya junction to Ranmuthu Hotel will be expedited on the instructions of Prez Rajapaksa. Minister yesterday made an inspection tour of the construction site. He added that work from the strech between Kollupitiya railway station to American Embassy premises was halted due to security reasons. However, the matter was solved following the discussion held with more..

Dec 24 (TM) Govt is yet to take a final decision on the issue of allowing burials for Muslims who die of Covid-19, as the discussions held at the recent Cabinet meeting led to the matter being referred to the Expert Committee once again, according to Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. The Cabinet did not take a final decision at this week�s meeting and the Expert Committee will look into the matter. Meanwhile, on Tuesday (22), sources at the Health Ministry said that a final decision would be more..

Dec 24 (TM) Trade unions attached to the Colombo Port are agitated over a clause in the Memorandum of Contract (MoC) of the East Container Terminal (ECT) which leaves room for the Govt to increase the shareholding of its private partner following the signing of the partnership agreement. India�s largest port developer Adani Group is the frontrunner to become the partner of the ECT of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), more..

Dec 24 (FT) Dr. Waqar Rashid, Consulting Neurologist and MS specialist writes poignantly: �We appear to be attempting to stop all transmission of a respiratory virus that is already widespread. We are doing it with draconian measures which have little or no evidence of net benefit, and we are doing it in mid-winter. I have never seen anything like it.� Indeed, neither has anyone else. If there were a Lanka version of the above, it would read: �We are attempting to stop all transmission of more..

Dec 24 (FT) The notion that a sovereign govt can print money to repay its debt without any financial limit has gained increased popularity in recent times, particularly in the US, based on a new approach to macroeconomics, known as Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). It was developed in a small corner of academia and it became famous when some US politicians endorsed it, reinforcing their own accommodative monetary policy viewpoints. MMT is now gaining attention in developing countries more..

Dec 24 (DN) Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said the Mattala Rajapaksa Int'l Airport (MRIA) will be developed as a logistic hub for air cargo import and export services in the future. He added that special attention will be paid to this while making the MRIA an active contributor to SL�s aviation operations. The MRIA will also be developed as one of the best tourist destinations in the world. Ranatunga said that a special plan had been put forward to convert MRIA as an active airport more..

Dec 24 (CT) The janitorial workers attached to the Kalmunai Municipal Council (KMC), who found Rs 150,000, had returned it to a house owner to whom it belonged, the Chief Medical Officer of the KMC, Dr. Arshad Kariappar said yesterday (23). He said the incident took place at the MC Road, Kalmunai, on 22 December. He added that janitorial employees had been engaged in solid waste collection from door-to-door on the day, along the road as usual, when the incident took place. more..

Dec 24 (AD) Isolation status on Laksanda Sevana in Wellampitiya has been lifted with effect from 6 am today. In the meantime, Abhayapura Grama Niladhari Division and Dinanagar area in Trincomalee were placed under isolation effective from 6.00 am today. He urged the members of the public to restrict travels during the festive season in order to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. There is no intention to impose more..

Dec 24 (DM) Rohan Pallewatta, who contested the previous Presidential Election under the Social Democratic Party, called on Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today and decided to continue his political activities with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). The SJB said that Mr. Pallewatta will also be appointed to the Working Committee of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and will be tasked to be a head of the SJB�s Foreign Policy and Foreign Trade Policy Development Council. more..

Dec 24 (CT) The Govt of Sri Lanka (GoSL) will pay a premium of Rs 2 for each dollar remittance converted into rupees. The Finance Ministry, on 21 Dec, said �The GoSL, in recognition of the role of Sri Lankans employed overseas and their contribution to the economy amidst the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, proposed in the Budget 2021 an incentive to pay Rs 2 per dollar when such employees or their beneficiaries convert such remittances of earnings into SL Rupees. more..

Dec 24 (LBO) Export earnings in Nov 2020 amounted to US$ 748.58 Mn, which was 20.97% lower than Nov 2019 and 11.84% lower than Oct 2020, the Export Development Board (EDB) announced. As per the Customs statistics, earnings from merchandise exports recorded a negative growth of 20.97% in Nov 2020 to US$ 747.58 Mn as compared to the value of US$ 978.80 Mn recorded in Nov 2019 due to the adverse impact of more..

Dec 24 (DM) Govt should make a final decision on the last rites of those who succumb to COVID19 without further delay, NMSJ said. NMSJ Prez Karu Jayasuriya said the govt should follow the guidelines of WHO and ensure that last rites of those who succumb are done in a dignified manner. �Govt seems to be dragging the issue without making a proper decision with regard to the issue. A considerable number of bodies of some Muslims remain in freezers is ample proof for this more..

Dec 24 (Island) Burial was the absolute right of Muslims and they believed in the Quranic saying �From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you", said Ven. Galabodatte Gnanasara Thera recently. �They are demanding their right to burial and nothing else. But the politicians are trying to create a nightmare similar to July 83 using the burial issue. They say Buddhists monks are opposing burial and we ultimately earn the hatred of Muslim community. more..

Dec 24 (AD) A member of Hatton-Dickoya Urban Council has contracted the Covid-19. Results of the PCR test performed on the said urban councillor had confirmed that he is positive for the virus. He was self-isolating after being identified as a contact of the coronavirus-positive Agarapathana PS Chairman Kadir Selvam, Medical Officer of Health (MOH) of Hatton-Dickoya Urban Council Ramayya Balakrishnan said. more..

Dec 24 (NR) The number of coronavirus recoveries in SL today crossed the 30,000 mark. 686 individuals who contracted the virus recovered and were discharged during the past 24 hours raising total recoveries to 30,568. 90 individuals were discharged from the Punani treatment centre, 51 from the Dambadeniya treatment centre, 46 from the Weligama treatment centre, 42 from the Padiyathalawa District Hospital, 38 from the Karadiyanaru District Hospital and more..

Dec 24 (TM) Sampath Bank decided to discontinue the credit rating services they obtained from Moody�s as they do not foresee themselves going to int'l markets to raise capital in the near future as they are well capitalised at present, according to the bank. A senior official of Sampath Bank said that the financial cost of Moody�s services was also a factor in the decision. �When the CB announced their decision to increase minimum capital requirements for licensed commercial banks in 2017, more..

Dec 24 (CT) The festival loan facility ordered by Prez Rajapaksa has not reached those who have accounts in private banks, thus discriminately barring them from obtaining it, lamented the Joint Secretary of the Free Trade Zones and General Service Employees Union, Anton Marcus. In a letter to President�s Secretary, P.B. Jayasundera, Marcus noted: �We would like to point out that the loss of festival loans to private sector employees more..

Dec 24 (AD) The IGP has ordered SPs, ASPs and OICs of all police stations to provide special security measures to churches in their respective areas today and tomorrow. Christmas will dawn in several hours and therefore the IGP this evening issued a special directive to implement special security arraignments near Catholic churches and other places of worship. The direct was issued to Superintendents of Police (SPs) in charge of divisions, Assistant Superintendents (ASPs) more..

Dec 24 (DM) The Health Ministry today issued a series of special guidelines to all the traders and consumers who are visiting the Economic Centers around the country. They said the guidelines were issued as per advise of Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi to the 16 economic centres across the country. The decision was taken after a special meeting held at the Ministry today to brief the managers of economic centres islandwide on the current COVID-19 pandemic. more..

Dec 24 (EN) The central bank said it would aggressively to bring the rupee to 185 to the US dollar as the currency weakened towards 193 to the US dollar in forex markets in the wake of unprecedented money printing. �The Central Bank is of the view that the recent increase in volatility of the exchange rate is unwarranted and unacceptable,� the monetary authority said. �Accordingly, among other measures, the CB will take appropriate more..

Dec 24 (DM) The virus strains in Sri Lanka are continued to be sequenced in order to pick up unusual sequences and to pick up possible new introductions from other countries, Prof. Neelika Malavige, Head of Dept of Immunology and Molecular Medicine and Director of the Centre for Dengue Research, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Uni of Sri J'pura said. �Our laboratory has been continuously sequencing the viral strains in SL to find out if there are any significant changes,� more..

Dec 24 (NR) Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa says at a time that COVID-19 is rapidly spreading in the world, the govt is inflicted with the Power-19 illness. He likened the symptoms of the illness to deceiving the public with false claims. MP accused the present administration of being power hungry, as they continue to deceive the masses. He said the rulers were hungry for more control and therefore put their needs before the public. He also said the govt should understand more..

Dec 24 (AD) State Minister Jeevan Thondaman and several others are self-isolating after being identified as contacts of a Covid-19 infected person. Regional Director of Health Services in Nuwara Eliya Dr Imesh Prathapasinghe said the state minister was placed under isolation at his residence at CWC headquarters in Kotagala yesterday (23). The state minister had been a contact of Agarapathana PS Chairman Kadir Selvam, more..