Aug 6 (AD) An eight-member committee was appointed yesterday (Aug 05) to propose recommendations to restructure the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Minister of Power & Energy Kanchana Wijesekera says. The committee is tasked with submitting recommendations within a month from their appointment to restructure the state-owned institution. On August 01, the Cabinet of Ministers green-lighted the commencement of restructuring the electricity board. more..

Aug 7 (Island) Where the country is headed remains very much in the air as this is being written. The frightening fuel queues remain a fact of life although there was some respite after the QR code became effective from last week. The long lines have by no means evaporated and it is obvious to the simplest mind that whatever scheme is enforced � be it the last digit of the registration number for a small entitlement on specific days of the week or the newest method now in operation � more..

Aug 7 (SO) Statesmen think of the next generation but politicians think of the next election. This is a universal truth. SL had so far lacked leaders who belonged to the former category, but Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has shown to the world that he is a true statesman in every sense of the word with his recent speech to Parliament which was well received even by the Opposition. Prez Wickremesinghe spoke in terms of a 25-year plan titled the National Economic Policy (NEP) to more..

Aug 7 (SO) Parliament is responsible for the economic crisis. According to the constitution, Parliament is responsible for the finances of the country. Therefore, Parliament is responsible for govt revenue expenditure, budget gap and borrowing and debt settlement. Parliament prepares related ordinances and authorises the establishment of relevant institutions for this purpose. If MPs do not accept any proposals more..

Aug 7 (CT) The five big Rs in my title all serve a purpose. Remember, recalls past experience which is that Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) is a Risk to democratic Rights and some say that he in prone to be Revengeful. Therefore, we have to remain on guard for another 2 � years till the constitutionally legitimate term of the current presidency expires. Unfortunately, circumstances are more complex and dangerous; I will deal with that anon, but first I must say upfront that RW is Prez legitimately and more..

Aug 7 (Island) The massive crisis that has affected the lives of nearly all classes in our society, specially the poor and middle, in Sri Lanka is not new to us or to most other countries. It is an inherent cyclical feature, occurring at about seven year intervals, due to boom and bust nature of the global market driven capitalist economic system brought on by over production. Periodically it may get out of control, like the Asian crisis of 1997 when a whole region was badly affected. more..

Aug 7 (TM) The tasks that lie ahead for the Govt of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe are no easy ones, with the ongoing diplomatic quagmire with India and China over a controversial Chinese vessel that was to dock in SL this week undoubtedly making things worse for the administration. The diplomatic fallout from the issue is likely to be felt by SL with the Govt being compelled to rescind the permission granted to controversial more..

Aug 7 (TM) That SL is at the crossroads is an acknowledged fact. It has to decide which way it must turn in order to overcome the challenges that lie ahead and that decision is now in the hands of the nation�s new Chief Executive. Whichever way he chooses to turn, the road ahead is bound to be a bumpy one. It is in this context that many are wondering as to whether the Prez has made the right turn, given the events that have unfolded since he assumed office, notwithstanding more..

Aug 7 (Island) One of the occupational hazards of the Planning Ministry was that one is obliged to serve on boards of corporations as a member. By statute and by practice, Planning Ministry was represented on many governing boards. I represented the Ministry on several of them, and serving on these boards was interesting and instructive. Whether I contributed to the work of these organizations is something I cannot say. I had a busy schedule of my own, and more..

Aug 7 (ST) Prez Wickremesinghe lost no time since assuming the high office he now holds in presenting his vision for the future of Sri Lanka. His plans went as far as 2048 when this country is expected to celebrate, not just mark, 100 years of independence from 450 years of foreign rule. That it should have taken that long for a country which received its political independence nearly 75 years ago and has now become a bankrupt nation to become a developed country speaks for itself. more..

Aug 7 (ST) My dear Sajith, Anura, Champika, the Field Marshall and Aiyo Sirisena, I thought I should write to you this week after hearing that Uncle Ranil had extended an invitation to all of you to join him in an �all-party government�. He has been saying this for some time. He repeated this in Parliament on Wednesday. Most of you met with him this week to discuss this issue. From what I hear, none of you had been very eager to respond to Uncle Ranil�s invitation. That is understandable. more..

Aug 7 (ST) Businessman and diplomat Velupillai Kana Kananathan, our man in Nairobi is going places, well he�s not going anywhere, but he has been selected to be a member of an elite group of former Presidents and other high profile African and European persons as an Election Observer at the forthcoming general elections in Kenya next week. Kenya�s general election is scheduled for Tue (9) & ambassador Kananathan joins more..

Aug 7 (Roar) On 29 July, World Bank (WB) announced that it does not plan to offer new financing to SL until the country has an adequate macroeconomic policy framework in place. WB said SL needed to adopt structural reforms that focus on economic stabilisation and tackle the root causes of its crisis, which has starved it of foreign exchange and led to shortages of food, fuel and medicines. "WB Group is deeply concerned about the dire economic situation, its impact on people more..

Aug 7 (ST) Two weeks after being elected to office by Parliament, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday delivered a wide-ranging policy statement to the legislature where he outlined a series of political and economic reforms. He also renewed his appeal for parties in Parliament to come together to form an all-party govt to resolve the prevailing crisis and establish stability. Prez�s first statement of govt policy was largely well received by both the govt and opposition. more..

Aug 7 (CT) Following a 22-day operation to end gas cylinder queues and implement a new price formula for Liquefied Petroleum (LP) Gas, Litro Gas Lanka made the decision to lower the price of LP Gas as the first step of their programme. After failing to meet market demand for LP Gas for at least five months, Litro was finally able to quickly turn the situation around and make the cylinders freely available throughout the island. more..

Aug 7 (Island) The national cricket team has been served by some two dozen Head Coaches in the last two decades and having seen cricket from close quarters since the days of Dav Whatmore to that of the incumbent Chris Silverwood, you can safely say that the knowledge of local coaches is as good as those of foreigners. We have had some brilliant local coaches over the years like Roy Dias, Marvan Atapattu, Chandika Hathurusinghe overseeing the national team. more..

Aug 7 (TM) GMOA has written to the Health Ministry last week, seeking for the now-disbanded National Covid-19 Coordination Centre to be reinstated due to an increase in hospitalisation of children from the viral flu, dengue & Covid-19. According to Dr. Vasan Ratnasingam, the body of medical professionals is concerned about the increase in the rate of children being admitted to hospitals at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children and other State hospitals islandwide. more..

Aug 7 (Island) Rootcode, one of SL�s leading tech companies, recently took home the People�s Choice Award in addition to being bestowed with the Startup of the Year title at the SAARC Startup Awards 2022. This regional recognition marks a significant milestone for the SL tech space and workforce. Rootcode�s mission to build great tech is well underway, and it is gaining traction faster than ever. This is the first time a SL tech company has made a name for itself in the regional competition, more..

Aug 7 (ST) The cold weather in Birmingham could spoil Sarangi Silva�s attempt to earn a podium finish in the women�s long jump on the penultimate day of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The 25-year-old Sri Lankan is among a star-studded line-up of 12 jumpers, rearing to go in search of a medal at the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games. The temperature is set to hover around 22 Celsius when the event starts at 19 hours in England but is expected to drop as low as 15 Celsius. more..

Aug 7 (ST) While SL�s medals tally reached four, a silver and three bronzes, at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, notably earning the island nation its best achievement in track and field, the number of deserters too reached four after a boxer fled the camp on Friday evening. Vittalis Niklas, who skyrocketed to fame of being the first pugilist from SL�s northern region of Tharmapuram, Kilinochchi, competed in the Men�s Over 67kg-71kg more..

Aug 7 (DM) Rajitha Dissanayake�s new play Juli Mase Dawasak (A Day in July) starts with a familiar setting; the drawing room of a middle class house with a couple in it. They start with commonplaces, but you sense something is about to explode. But the dramatist takes us in a new direction this time. What starts as his trademark exploration of man-woman turmoil extends to a probing examination of our society and the strong racist, xenophobic elements which form the bulwark of more..

Aug 7 (AD) SL�s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, PC, has met with his several of his counterparts including Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers on the sidelines of the 29th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting in Cathis week. The ARF took place on August 05 in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The forum was hosted by the current chair of ASEAN, Prak Sokhonn, the Deputy PM & Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia. more..

Aug 7 (TM) The long-delayed restructuring of the CEB may see some divisions of the utility provider, with the enterprise being divided into separate business units. It is understood that the newly-appointed committee to oversee the restructuring may push the CEB to follow the business unit model which created LECO � a more efficient and non-loss-making entity. The CEB has been debt-ladened and inefficient in more..

Aug 7 (SO) The number of people vanishing from the Games Village seems to be outnumbering the three medals SL has won so far at the XXII Commonwealth Games. At least four members of SL�s 160-strong contingent have decamped with the latest being boxer Niklas Vittalis after his bout on Tuesday night. The first to make the Houdini act was 21-year-old judoka Chamila Marappulige who virtually eloped with the manager of the team Asela de Silva, president of SL Judo Association. more..

Aug 7 (SO) In yet another bout of violence in an ever growing list of mayhem at schools rugby, Isipathana College�s players became the victims of after-match hooliganism when they were set upon and manhandled by a boisterous crowd at Nittawela last week at a game against Vidyartha College. What has become more frightening is the fact that the so-called keepers of the cradle of rugby, SL Schools Rugby Football Association, has done absolutely nothing to deter or stamp out the menace more..

Aug 7 (SO) SL�s tennis team is pumped up and well prepared to meet all challenges that will arise at the Asia/Oceania group IV Davis Cup by Rakuten tie to be played at the SL Tennis Association (SLTA) clay courts from August 8 to 13. Only seven teams will visit SL this time with Oman, Qatar and Macau pulling out due to reasons best known to them. The teams that will be appearing are Maldives, Brunei, Yemen, Kyrgystan, Bangladesh, Iraq and SL. �SL got down three Indian players to spar against more..

Aug 7 (SO) Finance Ministry has decided to give a one-month grace period to deposit in licensed commercial banks any amount of undisclosed foreign currencies including US Dollars and UK Sterling Pounds earned by SL citizens through various channels without any legal impediment or restrictions. This measure was referred to Prez and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe�s approval on Friday (5). An opportunity will be given to people to deposit any amount of foreign currencies more..

Aug 7 (ST) SL has overlooked fuel security with the closure of the Sapugaskanda oil refinery for at least 120 days in 2021/22 due to the suspension of crude oil imports triggering an energy crisis that has led to island-wide rolling power cuts, several CPC engineers complained. This refinery is used to produce naphtha and furnace oil to run the thermal power plants specially the Kelanitissa and Sapugaskanda Power Plants in addition to more..

Aug 7 (ST) China�s state-owned Exim Bank has put on hold a US$ 51 million loan required for the construction of the first phase of the Central Expressway, throwing the Govt into a fresh crisis over the project. Govt sources said that as an immediate result some 2000 jobs held by locals were in jeopardy while some 500 Chinese employed in the project covering a span of 37 km between Kadawatha and Mirigama had started leaving. The release of the funds from Exim Bank of China more..

Aug 7 (TM) CPC has made part payments for two fuel shipments, which are expected to arrive in SL within 10 days. According to CPC sources, one of the two shipments, carrying 31,000 MT of petrol, is expected to arrive by the end of this week. The other, carrying 40,000 MT of diesel, is expected to arrive off the Colombo Port within the next 10 days. Ministry of Power and Energy Secretary Mapa Pathirana confirmed that part payments had been made for both consignments. more..

Aug 7 (ST) Chinese Embassy will consult Beijing before responding to SL�s request on Friday that the scheduled docking of the Yuan Wang 5 tracking vessel at the Hambantota Port be postponed, SL was told. Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong conveyed this to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe during a brief meeting held at the diplomat�s request yesterday, authoritative sources said. The docking of the ship has turned into more..

Aug 7 (TM) SLFP is to make a final decision this week on joining the all-party govt proposed by Ranil Wickremesinghe. A senior SLFP source said that a majority of the party�s parliamentary group believed that the SLFP should join the all-party govt and lead the initiative. �There are only one or two MPs who are not yet supportive of joining the govt,� the source said. However, the party�s parliamentary group is to meet with Party Leader Maithripala Sirisena this week to make a final decision on joining govt. more..

Aug 7 (ST) The BIA expansion project funded by the JICA has been suspended temporarily as the Govt is not in a position to repay the loan. The project drew controversy recently over allegations that a minister was involved in a bribe, a charge hotly denied by Japanese authorities. JICA has decided to halt the funding of US$570 million for the Terminal-2 construction of the BIA Development Project (BIADP) Stage 2 compelling the contractor Japanese Taisei Corp to suspend the work more..

Aug 7 (ST) President Ranil Wickremesinghe is spending most of his time sitting against the backdrop of two national flags mounted on poles on either side of his shoulder, in a room in the Presidential Secretariat that has been the scene of many historic moments in recent months. It is from here that his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, presided over the bankruptcy of SL. That showered misery on the people and more..

Aug 8 (DM) Images of death, destruction and millions of refugees pouring out of Ukraine still live with us. The US and its NATO allies having egged Ukraine on to challenge Russia into attempting to join the NATO military alliance are now fighting a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine in a conflict that that has sent thousands of Ukrainian refugees into neighbouring countries and has threatened Europe�s gas supplies. On July 1, the BBC reported over 10,000 Ukrainians had died, more..

Aug 8 (TM) From the terra firma of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution to the malfeasance and derangement of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution and thence again towards the terra cognita of the 19th Amendment through the terra incognita of the proposed 22nd Amendment, SL seeks to map out the no man�s lands of the 1978 Constitution. This article seeks to play the holy fool that transgresses the panacea of the 19th Amendment and its brave new world. more..