Oct 2 (CT) Govt of SL�s face value money printing (FVMP) debt increased by 0.01% (Rs 237.6 million) to a new record high of Rs 1.6692 trillion on Friday (1) due to a sustained lack of revenue. Friday�s Rs 237.62 million FVMP increase was non-inflationary causing. Govt�s FVMP debt has been over Rs 1 trillion for a record 51 consecutive market days to Friday (1). In related developments, the Govt�s highest to the twenty fourthhighest FVMP debt, has been registered in 24 consecutive market more..

Oct 2 (Island) Vehicle prices in Sri Lanka had reached an artificially high level creating a price bubble as a result of import restrictions, CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal told Hiru TV recently. �The lack of foreign currency has compelled us to take this decision. But I know that this is not an acceptable trend. We need to bring these bloated prices down. For this, we need to find a different methodology to import vehicles and sell them at the right price. more..

Oct 3 (SO) Why is the current frenzy in certain quarters focusing allegedly on the true perpetrators of the Easter Sunday attacks, such a disservice to the cause of fighting just the kind of terrorism that took place on the day of the Easter carnage? It�s because those seeing terrorism as a fruit salad of causative factors do not know the first thing about how so called Islamic fundamentalist terrorism operates. The so-called Islamist radical terrorists are not Wahhabis for instance, more..

Oct 3 (CT) There has been a news blackout on the liquid natural gas (LNG) deal that Basil Rajapaksa�s Ministry has entered into with the American company New Fortress Energy (NFE). The Island Editorial last week expressed concern about lack of transparency of facts and secrecy in negotiations. The deal is a response to an unsolicited bid is the official line but how much soliciting and wheeler-dealing went on between a US company and a US citizen no one will never know. more..

Oct 3 (ST) As the Covid-19 daily fatalities and infections dropped drastically, the Education Ministry began making preparations to resume physical classes in schools, with the final go ahead by the health authorities to be issued any day. Nevertheless, the teacher trade unions threatened to continue their strike which would shatter all hopes of an early resumption of schools. Their action will further deprive children�s education more..

Oct 3 (CT) Prez Rajapaksa was out of the country for only less than a few weeks, to attend the 76th UN session in New York, reportedly among other house keeping matters as a former US citizen. But many things have gotten worse by the time he got back home, namely, SL that is now entirely in his executive charge. The only redeeming change for the country, touch wood, has been the declining numbers of Covid-19 infections and deaths. Not by a whole lot, but enough for a national breather. more..

Oct 3 (Roar) The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) will hold its next webinar in the LSEG Tech Talks series on October 01 2021. With four webinars successfully conducted, the series aims to equip seasoned veterans and newcomers in the field of finance and technology with the knowledge needed to face the challenges of tomorrow. The upcoming webinar will focus on Building a Great Career in Software Engineering, led by Lilan Priyashantha. Carrying 15 yrs of experience in the industry, more..

Oct 3 (SO) State Minister Dilum Amunugama said SL�s main Opposition party is the only such party in the world, which attempts to take undue advantage even from a trivial mistake made, especially during the time of a pandemic. The State Minister said when India faced a crisis with the Covid-19 pandemic, their Opposition was not asking the Govt to quit. Sri Lanka is the only country where this happens and that is very unfortunate. more..

Oct 3 (Island) Almost exactly a month after the govt imposed emergency regulations on essential food items, it capitulated to rice mill owners who just happen to be led by the brother of a former president. In doing so, it got itself mired in a crisis of legitimacy; if all the memes on social media are anything to go by, its critics are celebrating this setback. Yet what happened should be seen for what it is: a democratically elected govt, enjoying a 2/3 parliamentary majority and more..

Oct 3 (Island) My father, Sam Wijesinha from Getamanne, a village in Hambantota District, took pride in his Southern heritage. He knew D.M. Rajapaksa (DM), his brother, D.A. (DA) and their families well. Sam was Secretary General of Parliament for almost two decades till 1981, and the first Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman) for 10 years thereafter. He worked closely with several political leaders during that time. Always courteous, he respected MPs who more..

Oct 3 (ST) Sri Lanka will lodge a complaint with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after a controversial penalty allowed Bangladesh to win the SAFF Football Championship curtain-raiser match 1-0 at the National Stadium in Maldives on Friday. Referee Feras Taweel of Syria awarded a penalty to Bangladesh in the 56th minute after SL defender Duckson Puslas accidentally handled the ball inside the box on a chip from Biplo Ahmed. However, referee Taweel believed otherwise and more..

Oct 3 (ST) SL�s white-ball plans suffered a setback when three of their top players got suspended over discipline but head coach Mickey Arthur says that, although it�s a massive blow, it has opened doors for others to come in. Speaking ahead of the team�s departure to Oman today to play two T20 games before heading to UAE for the World Cup, Arthur said the incident in Durham that led to the suspension of Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka was more..

Oct 3 (ST) Serious concerns have been raised over the transparency of the process that selects franchise owners and the broadcaster for Lanka Premier League (LPL) following recent developments. The Innovative Production Group (IGP), the tournament rights holder for franchises and broadcasters, this week announced the signing of a multimillion dollar TV rights deal with the little-known local channel Supreme TV as local more..

Oct 3 (ST) If the Police want to deploy the long arm of the law, their Chief and one of their agencies � the CID, must surely not only know what laws exist, but what don�t. Its foray into newspaper offices this week to record statements from editors of mainstream newspapers, reminiscent of the bad old days of not so long ago, was halted in the nick of time. The Trade Minister who set the process in motion over a garlic scam in a state institution under his supervision also seems to be suffering more..

Oct 3 (ST) The country is moving rapidly closer towards mass deprivation of food, petrol, gas, medicines and bare necessities owing to a severe shortage of foreign currency and inappropriate policies. A worsening of the current crisis is inevitable unless foreign assistance is secured immediately. The rapidity of the deteriorating external finances was such that last Sunday�s discussion of it in this column was outdated by the news report in the same paper that more..

Oct 3 (ST) A senior-level delegation led by the CEO of a leading telecommunication services provider � Dialog Axiata Group met Mayor of Jaffna V Manvannan on Friday to brief him of concerns raised over the installation of lamp posts within the city limits. This was after a coordinated misinformation campaign was carried out by certain council members about the lamp posts being equipped with 5G � the fifth-generation � more..

Oct 3 (SO) Two of SL Cricket�s heavyweight decision makers, Mahela Jayawardena and Tom Moody are having their franchise teams in the money-making IPL struggle to qualify or miss out for the play-offs. Jayawardena�s Mumbai Indians lost as many as six matches before yesterday�s match against the Delhi Capitals while Moody�s Sunrisers Hyderabad have already being knocked out as they occupy the last position in the eighth team championship with nine defeats from 11 games. more..

Oct 3 (Island) At the age of 28, Pulina Tharanga is on the verge of representing SL. A leg-spinner, who is handy with the bat and excellent on the field, will soon make the headlines all over the world. His Steve Waugh like guts, the never say die attitude, is what that has impressed the coaches most. Like most southerners, he has inherited it by birth. Or perhaps he has developed the toughness more than the other southerners. Life threw challenges one after the other at him. Here�s his story. more..

Oct 3 (ST) SL�s Budget 2022, to be unveiled in November, is to introduce several measures giving priority to livelihood development and including a long-delayed wealth tax, Finance Ministry sources said. Ministry is contemplating to introduce a temporary COVID-19 cess at the highest income-tax slab, and the much-delayed wealth tax. Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has directed National Budget Department officials to devise public, market & business-friendly proposals in consultation more..

Oct 3 (Island) While the relaxing, not lifting, of the quarantine curfew which ran for an extended period of six weeks was compelled by socio-economic rather than preventive imperatives, it is obvious that the country cannot let down its guard. Cognizance of this reality by the decision makers is demonstrated by the fact that the lockdown, as it was commonly called, has not been totally lifted. The night curfew continues to be in force from 10 pm to 4 am and inter-provincial travel is still not possible. more..

Oct 3 (Island) As a lawyer and human-rights champion who led the first-ever national study of prisons in SL last year, Ambika Satkunanathan is vocal against the violence that is an endemic part of prison systems, and the retributive and vengeful nature of state justice that creates worse problems in society and creates criminals rather than rehabilitating them. �Violence is used to maintain order, which robs person in prison more..

Oct 3 (ST) All seven members of the Appeal Advisory Committee in the Ministry of Sports have tendered their resignations, giving three months notice. The committee chaired by Justice K.T. Chitrasiri includes eminent lawyers in Dinal Philips PC, Chandaka Jayasundara PC, Attorney-at-Law Dr. Arittha Wickremanayake, Attorney-at-Law Ms. Roshani Kobbekaduwa, former SL cricketer Sidath Wettimuny and former champion sprinter Damayanthi Darsha. more..

Oct 3 (EN) SL�s organic tea prices may have to rise 75% to offset a hit from a fertilizer ban which will drive up production costs and reduce yields, which could take at least three years to achieve, an industry official said. It will take up to three years for a field used to chemical fertilizer to be converted to organic and cost of production goes up sharply due to higher labour and lower yields. Organic tea farming is an extremely challenging niche sector where plantations already have experience. more..

Oct 3 (CI) The year hasn't been ideal for SL in terms of World Cup preparations. Three of their premier white-ball batters have been handed year-long suspensions, and another is just feeling his way back from injury. But head coach Mickey Arthur believes his side is coming together nicely, even if the batting remains a work in progress. "I think the good thing with squad we've got at the moment is that we can be flexible, more..

Oct 3 (MoD) Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops serving the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were awarded medals in a brief event organized at South Sudan-based hospital premises recently. The occasion was graced by UNMISS Deputy Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Main Ullah Chowdhury as the Chief Guest and staff members at the Force Headquarters (HQ) in the Sector East HQ, SLA sources stated. The Contingent Commander of the SRIMED Level 2 hospital more..

Oct 3 (Island) Unilevers Horana facory has recruited its first ever female work force with 23 new women employees joining the production line at its personal products and baby cologne plants currently run entirely by females, the company announced last week. The 23 new women employees possess vocational qualifications with some having degrees in various specializations. It said that in SL, 55% of Unilever�s management committee are made up of women; 31% of its workforce are females. more..

Oct 3 (Island) Prez Rajapaksa would soon elevate the ranking of the Central Bank Governor to be on par with a cabinet minister, Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said. When asked if this has not been done yet, Cabraal replied, �No, It will be done soon.� �The issue here is: where really is the Central Bank Governor positioned in terms of precedence? In the near future it will be equated to that of a cabinet minister together with more..

Oct 3 (TM) Expo 2020 Dubai, the first major global event open to visitors since the coronavirus pandemic, kicked off last week with much fanfare, and is seen as an opportunity for industries and countries to showcase their offers and help boost tourism. However, the launch of the Sri Lanka pavilion at the event, built by the UAE at a significant cost, was not attended by any senior government figures, The Sunday Morning learnt. Most countries had a relevant minister present to open more..

Oct 3 (ST) The COVID-19 death toll has shown a sharp drop during the week but health authorities have urged the people to adhere to health guidelines and support efforts to curb the spread of the virus after the country was reopened on Friday. The weekly death toll came down from about 1000 several weeks ago to 300 this week with an average of 50 deaths a day compared to 200 a day in the previous weeks. The daily death toll as announced yesterday was 55 while the total death toll more..

Oct 3 (TM) Govt of SL is to reach an agreement with the Govt of Oman to secure a funding line of $ 3.6 billion to finance SL�s oil procurements. Highly placed govt sources said that the Govt of Oman had agreed to the funding line and that both countries agreed in principle to proceed with the programme. Accordingly, the agreement is to be presented to the Cabinet of Ministers within two weeks, as the relevant document was more..

Oct 3 (ST) Sri Lanka has turned to China for more fuel purchases on long-term credit as the country continues to face serious issues in raising funds for oil imports. Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila, who returned to the country after talks with West Asian oil exporting countries to purchase fuel on long-term concessionary rates, told the Sunday Times that Sri Lanka was having discussions with China through the Chinese ambassador to purchase fuel for six months on a Sovereign Bond � more..

Oct 3 (Island) Chief Govt Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said last week that the CID has opted to harass and hound the media that exposed the alleged garlic scam instead of probing it and taking legal action against the perpetrators. �This is a classic example of shooting the messenger. The CID should have gone after the officials involved in alleged scam at Lak Sathosa. Instead they have gone after the media personnel who reported it. more..

Oct 3 (ST) It was a power struggle of a different kind, rarely seen in the country. It was not political. It was not a trade union struggle. It was not an armed struggle. An Executive Presidency, a two-thirds parliamentary majority, a 20th Amendment that gave more powers to the President, even a state of emergency and the appointment of a military officer as the Commissioner General of Essential Services seemed no match to the power of rice mafia more..

Oct 3 (ST) The Right to Information Commission (RTIC) held its final public sitting this week at the Kandy District Secretariat as the majority of its members completed their five-year terms of office on Thursday (30). Among the Commissioners who will be stepping down due to the ending of their terms are its Chairman Mahinda Gammampila, Ms Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena and S G Punchihewa. Justice Rohini Walgama and Ms Selvy Thiruchandran had sent in their resignations earlier. more..

Oct 3 (ST) Two Pettah businessmen who were arrested over their alleged involvement in the Lanka Sathosa garlic scam were remanded in custody till October 5 after being produced before the Wattala Magistrate�s Court on Friday. The two suspects, identified as Velayutham Sridharan and Sinnaiah Kamalakumar, were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over their alleged role in the illegal transaction of 56,000 kilograms of garlic from a Sathosa storehouse in Welisara. more..

Oct 3 (ST) Heavy monsoonal downpours failed to dampen spirits as people finally went out in public this week following a 40-day lockdown, and sweeping, dusting and purification rituals such as sprinkling of turmeric and incense burning were a common sight in many shops. Permitted public activities, according to the Director-General of Health, Dr. Asela Gunewardena, include the reopening of wholesale economic centres more..

Oct 4 (CT) We as journalists are appalled at the CID summoning fellow journalists who reported on the infamous Garlic Scam. This is a democratic country and citizens have all the right to know what their representatives are doing with their tax money. Though apologies came pouring from the Govt assuring that media freedom will be protected in SL, after what transpired the Media fraternity is highly apprehensive of this cavalier behaviour shown by one of the most trusted law enforcement units more..