Jun 15 (DN) Sampath Bank PLC has successfully raised USD 45 million via a medium-term syndicated facility. The amount was disbursed in March 2020 and it is the first tranche of a USD 100 million signed facility. It is envisaged that the second tranche would be raised during the fourth quarter of this year. Facility was provided by a consortium of banks in the Middle East and South Asia. Alpen Capital (ME) Limited, an investment banking advisory firm based in UAE, acted as the sole financial advisor more..

Jun 15 (AD) The Election Commission has now taken the people for a joke by postponing elections, said SLPP Colombo District Candidate Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara. He says that by not setting proper conditions to hold elections, the public has now become confused. He added that this is a result of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Addressing a conference in Colombo, Weerasekara said that he is glad that he objected to the 19th Amendment even by himself. more..

Jun 15 (MB) Bouts of panic buying quickly cleared supermarket and store shelves with each lifting of SL�s COVID-19 curfew to allow residents to stock up on essentials. For some of those who waited in the long lines in the southern district of Galle, the shopping list was a single line: fresh milk. Not for themselves or their families, but for the animals in their care at the Hiyare wildlife rescue center. SL is now easing out of the lockdown more..

Jun 15 (TM) Brown planthoppers are currently affecting paddy cultivations in the country, Director-General of Agriculture Dept Dr. W.M.W. Weerakoon said. He said the pest is rapidly spreading in paddy cultivations in the Ampara district. �The Agriculture Department has taken measures to control the spread by informing farmers and providing relevant advise on how to kill the insects. �There is a possibility of heavy infestations, hence the farmers must implement all control measures more..

Jun 15 (AD) Department of Posts has decided to discontinue the process of delivering clinical medicine from govt hospitals and govt pharmacies to respective persons, with effect from tomorrow (15). Post Master General Ranjith Ariyaratne said necessary actions will be taken to develop a proper mechanism for this as the health sector and consumers have made requests for the continuation of this process. Postal Dept took over the task of handing over clinical medicines issued by more..

Jun 15 (AD) PCoI investigating the incident of political victimization has issued summons to 17 individuals over a complaint lodged by Chairman of Avant-Garde. Chairman of Avant-Garde Nissanka Senadhipathi had lodged on the alleged loss incurred by his company due to arbitrary takeover. Seventeen parties have been asked to appear before the Presidential Commission on June 17, a spokesman said. more..

Jun 15 (AD) The 15 suspects arrested for allegedly vandalizing several Buddhist statues in the Mawanella area have been further remanded until June 29. Mawanella Magistrate delivered the order when the suspects were produced before the court today. During today�s hearing, the magistrate had granted permission to the request made by the CID to probe the SIM cards used by the suspects, in this case. 15 suspects including 3 women were taken into custody following the investigations more..

Jun 15 (DM) Sithum Alahapperuma, the 22-year-old Police Constable attached to the State Intelligence Services (SIS), who died following an accident in Bambalapitiya on June 11, has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Alahapperuma died on Sunday morning while receiving treatment at the ICU of National Hospital following the road accident in Bambalapitiya. He foiled the recent robbery at the National Hospital where cash worth over Rs 7.9 million was robbed at gunpoint from cashier more..

Jun 15 (NR) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says state banks must directly contribute towards rebuilding the economy. Speaking during a discussion at Presidential Secretariat this afternoon Prez Rajapaksa said a country�s expectations cannot be fulfilled by having a double-digit loan interest rate. The Head of State therefore highlighted the need to support development by reducing the loan interest rate to a single digit. more..

Jun 15 (AD) A total of 712 Navy personnel have regained health following having contracted the novel coronavirus infection so far, stated the Sri Lanka Navy. Currently, all SL Navy personnel who have been identified to have the COVID-19 infection have been directed for medical care. SL Navy Spokesman said that 172 Navymen are still receiving treatment for the COVID-19 infection. 33 Navy personnel have been discharged from their relevant hospitals yesterday more..

Jun 15 (DM) Vinavi Mapitigama (41), the daughter of veteran film Director Chandrarathna Mapitigama, was killed and two others were injured when two cars collided head-on at Wellawatta on the Old Havelock Road yesterday. Police said the accident involving a Wagon R vehicle and a sports car occurred at around 5.30 p.m. yesterday opposite the Institute of Accounting Studies (IAS) at Pamankada. They said the deceased Vinavi and her husband were travelling in the Wagon R. more..

Jun 15 (Island) With the gradual relaxation of curfew imposed in March as part of overall measures to curb coronavirus, some brothels that had been operating in the guise of spas were back in operation, police said. Police, on Friday night, raided such a place at Katukurunduwatte, Ratmalana in the Mount Lavinia police area. Police headquarters said that acting on a tip-off, law enforcement officers around 8.15 pm arrested more..

Jun 15 (NR) The departure terminal at the BIA has been reopened from today. Vice Chairman of the Airport and Aviation Services Limited Rajeewasiri Sooriyaarachchi said the terminal was reopened from noon today. Accordingly, a maximum of three persons arriving at the BIA with a passenger will be allowed to enter the departure terminal. He said over the past few months due to the coronavirus pandemic only passengers were allowed to enter the terminal. more..

Jun 15 (AD) Six new cases of Coronavirus have been identified increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the country 1,901. The six new cases include 05 returnees from Kuwait who are at the Trincomalee quarantine center and a returnee from Bangladesh who is at the Diyatalawa quarantine center. Accordingly a total of 12 new Covid-19 positive cases were reported so far today. The other six are returnees from Maldives. According to the Ministry of Health more..

Jun 15 (Xinhua) The SL govt is aiming to open its international airports before August 1 as no community transmission of the COVID-19 has been reported since late April, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga was quoted by local media as saying on Monday. "We will be ready to receive all international tourists into the country after the repatriation of all SL citizens stranded overseas is concluded," the minister said, more..

Jun 16 (CT) The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Sri Lanka�s migrant workers, the source of the country�s single largest conduit of foreign exchange earnings, resulting in sharp declines in labour income and/or remittances as a result, the World Bank (WB) in a publication released on 4 June said. It further said that remittances are equivalent to eight per cent of Sri Lanka�s gross domestic product (GDP), where many of these sources of income are informally employed. more..

Jun 16 (CT) In his novel The Plague existentialist philosopher novelist Albert Camus writes about a virus that destroys half the population of the very ordinary money centric town of Oran in French Algeria. During the two-months of a total lock down I fetched my ancient copy of the novel and read it and reread it. In several essays I wrote during the lockdown I referred to some of his trenchant observations. It is considered one of the finest pieces of post-world war French Literature. more..

Jun 16 (Roar) On Jan 27, 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in SL. By that time, the virus, which is believed to have had its origins at a wet market in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019, had already begun to spread to other countries�but there seemed very little to be overly concerned about. Just days before, the govt had installed thermal scanners at the main int'l airport and the Ministry of Health had warned more..

Jun 16 (CT) Sunil Jayawardene was a representative for three-wheele drivers. He who went to make a representation to a finance company on behalf of one of the vehicle owners, whose three-wheeler had been taken by agents of that company. Sunil was assaulted by eight or more people in front of the company and murdered. This story is quite well known and being talked about in the country at the moment. The whole amount related to the dispute in this incident is about Rs 35,000. more..

Jun 16 (GV) In an on-going series of podcasts with individuals in Sri Lanka, I caught up with economist Anushka Wijesinha to talk about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Sri Lanka as well as the rest of the world. Anushka�s an Economist with work in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, as well as previous work in the Maldives and South Korea. He specialises in international trade, investment and economic competitiveness. He also serves on the board of 3 financial services companies in Sri Lanka. more..

Jun 16 (FT) Last week, I was contacted by the digital man in my bank. That was the first time that my bank had had any communication with me at least for three years. He wanted to know whether I was using the bank�s internet banking facilities. He gave me a detailed list of new benefits that I would get if I rely on the internet for banking instead of visiting bank branches in person. In parting, he gave me an email contact more..

Jun 16 (DM) Former Chairman of the COPE and veteran leader of the Communist Party of SL, D.E.W. Gunasekara said a few days ago that only a handful of members in the last Parliament were qualified to be called lawmakers. He listed four qualifications that a Parliamentarian should possess. They are the capability in contributing to law-making, policymaking, monitoring of public financing and representation of people who elect them to the legislature. more..

Jun 16 (DM) SL is at the risk of relapsing to that dangerous old habit. In one of the crowning politically instigated blunders, the govt has informed the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) that it would not proceed with the Colombo Light Rail Transit (LRT) project for the next five years, i.e. the entirety of its current term. The rationale is the govt does not have the fiscal space to finance its part and it would rather do other urgent economic projects. This should be further looked into. more..

Jun 16 (Island) Cabinet has recently decided to accept a proposal to manufacture single super phosphate (SSP) fertilizer from Eppawela rock phosphate and the arrangement is to have it as a Public-Private Proposal (PPP). Prof. O.A. Ileperuma (Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, University of Peradeniya who has researched on Eppawala rock phosphate) in his article to The Island on June 6, 2020 on Phosphate Fertilizer from Eppawela says "this is certainly a most welcome move more..

Jun 16 (Island) People seem to have forgotten burning issues such as the high prices of essential commodities like rice, and the politically backed Millers� Mafia making unconscionable profits through market manipulations. They have directed their anger at finance companies much to the relief of the gov, which has drawn criticism for its failure to bring down the cost of living. The govt announced a moratorium on lease payments and the repayment of term loans for the benefit of debtors more..

Jun 16 (Island) Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust WWCT Leopard Project has been working to improve the understanding of the leopard here for the past 15 years. Their research has created and maintains an on-going database of leopard distribution data in the country and has highlighted the importance of unprotected areas and especially small, seemingly isolated forest fragments, to future leopard conservation. more..

Jun 16 (Island) It is a great joy to come across someone who loves this country passionately. In the case of Lord Naseby the joy is enhanced by the practical aspects of his devotion, his unceasing efforts to promote SL�s interests and to combat what he sees as unremitting and vicious hostility to SL on the part of successive govts. The joy is however limited by the fact that he has not been able to achieve much in these last efforts, and also because he has received so little practical support more..

Jun 16 (Island) The death occurred on Thursday of S.K. Wickremesinghe, 93, the eldest son of Martin Wicremesinghe, the best known Sinhala writer of his generation whose books are still in print and widely read. SK (Sarath Kusum) as he was best known, was a business leader who was the first Sri Lankan to head CIC (Chemical Industries Colombo), successor to the British ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries). Chairman of CIC for a long period, he was persuaded by then Foreign Minister more..

Jun 16 (FT) The US will support a strong and sustainable economic recovery for Sri Lanka in what has been a challenging year, US Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz said. Addressing a round table discussion with journalists, Ambassador Teplitz said that how the SL economy recovers from the pandemic and a combination of shocks, including the Easter Sunday bombings of last year, will be key in the coming months. more..

Jun 16 (FT) The delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK) yesterday said that economic engagement between SL and Germany has improved significantly over the past few years and has a huge potential to strengthen it further. �Germany has played a significant role in business development in Sri Lanka over the past two years,� AHK Sri Lanka Chief Delegate Andreas Hergenroether told journalists on Friday. He noted that the German businesses already more..

Jun 16 (FT) Life would not function without air and water. Access to clean drinking water is a basic need of all human beings. Just think about it for a minute: How many people have gotten kidney disease from drinking contaminated water, in Sri Lanka and actually all over the world? What if there actually is an easy solution that is available right here and now? On 11 June, the M. H. Omar Foundation generously donated a 1000 litres per day atmospheric water generator (AWG). more..

Jun 16 (FT) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday renewed his call to State banks to lead revival of the economy and the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Continuing from where he ended last week, the Prez began a fresh week with an emphatic message to the banking community that it was their responsibility to spur the economy with speedier financial support. more..

Jun 16 (EN) Sri Lanka�s will return vehicles taken seized by police during a curfew clamped to stop the spread of Coronavirus to their owners, the President�s office said. �A decision has been taken to return vehicles which were taken into custody for violating curfew regulations imposed to prevent spread of COVID-19 pandemic, to their owners,� the President�s office said. �The Govt had directed the Acting IGP C D Wickremaratne to take necessary steps with this regard.� more..

Jun 16 (AD) Sri Lanka is currently witnessing an eclipse season where three eclipses will occur within the span of 30 days, stated Prof. Chandana Jayaratne. On June 5, SL was able to witness a penumbral lunar eclipse. On June 21, an annular solar eclipse will take place while another penumbral lunar eclipse could be witnessed on June 04 and 05. The annular solar eclipse on June 21, which is a partial eclipse, will be the last solar eclipse Sri Lanka will be able to view for another 2 years. more..

Jun 16 (CT) Chinese entities invested almost US$ 12 billion in Sri Lanka between 2006 to 2019, stated Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI), govt think tank, in a recent publication released on Saturday. However, according to a recent report released by Chatham House, a London-based think tank, there are significant environmental and labour implications of Chinese investment in Sri Lanka, more..

Jun 16 (TM) Colombo Dockyard PLC, the largest and oldest shipbuilding company in Sri Lanka, has started receiving new inquiries for its shipbuilding, ship repairing, heavy engineering, and general engineering segments after a standstill of over two months, the company said. Dockyard COO Benny Fernando and CFO Gihan Ravinatha, in a disclosure to the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) noted that the company has also started production work of four of its ongoing shipbuilding projects. more..

Jun 16 (CT) SL�s ace powerlifter Ransilu Jayathilake has been appointed Fitness Trainer of the Men�s National Football team, President of Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) President Anura de Silva said. Commenting on Ransilu�s appointment the President said: �The appointment of experienced Ransilu Jayathilake as the Fitness Trainer for the men�s team is on a temporary basis. He has been the Fitness Trainer for many rugby teams as well, and is a well experienced trainer.� more..

Jun 16 (TM) Several large companies have reduced their office space utilisation in a bid to cut rental costs and save on overheads, which are a significant portion of a company�s expenses. This trend is due to the work from home (WFH) concept that both the private and public sectors have been following since the local spread of Covid-19 in March and the resultant prolonged curfew. Interestingly, these space-cutting measures more..

Jun 16 (FT) Airlines have expressed readiness to resume flights to Sri Lanka by mid-July, two weeks earlier than the Govt�s announced planned reopening of the country to int'l travellers. The willingness to resume operations by 15 July was conveyed by airline representatives during a travel industry meeting with PM last week. The sentiments were expressed by members of Board of Airline Representatives (BAR). Govt of SL recently said it plans to reopen BIA from 1 Aug more..