Mar 20 (Island) The point has been made that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in his address to the nation last Thursday had not only argued the case for his defence over the dire predicament now confronting the country, but had also left a great deal unsaid. We begin this comment complimenting the president on the tone and tenor of his delivery. As is usual with him, he made his pre-recorded address without oratorical flourishes or rhetoric, obviously reading from a teleprompter, more..

Mar 20 (TM) Did you know that SL had one of the longest Covid-19 school closures in the world? Really, it did. You can check for yourself on the UNESCO interactive school closure monitoring map (1). Seventy-one weeks in total. Interestingly, the USA also has an average of 71 weeks, making it by far the highest in the developed world. But 71 weeks for an average US child is not the same as 71 weeks for the average SL child. Research by UNICEF shows that only 8% of teachers in SL public more..

Mar 20 (ST) Some months back she may have been considered as just another brick in the wall, but during the recent weeks, Sarangi Silva is experiencing a twist in fortunes. 25-year-old long jumper, who is attached to SL Army for the past 7 years, may have had something special in her as a youngster, but the justification of the claim and to prove her capabilities, Sarangi had to gulp in more portions of what she was utilising since more..

Mar 20 (SO) As all ears will be waiting to find out who walks out the winner at today�s crucial first round inter-club Nippon Paint League rugby match between Kandy SC and Havelocks at Nittawela, all eyes will be focused on the referee after questions were raised over the standard of refereeing in the 2022 season. Already one club official, army Major Tanesh Dias who is the convener of CH and FC has lashed out at the standard of refereeing in the country. more..

Mar 20 (ST) Sri Lanka Golf (SLG) became the first sporting body to be hit due to the ongoing crisis in the country, when they were forced to postpone the � 132nd Sri Lanka Amateur Open and the Ladies Amateur Open Championships � which was all set to start tomorrow (21), at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Course. This postponement, came in as a last-minute announcement yesterday, owing to the multiple crisis of gas, fuel, and electricity shortages firing in on all fronts. The organisers claimed, more..

Mar 20 (SO) Praising the achievements since privatising the plantation sector, the Planters� Association of Ceylon (PA), the umbrella organisation for Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) justified the privatisation move that turned a loss-making sector into a profitable venture, at a media briefing at the Sri Lanka Tea Board last week. The poorly run state-managed sector in the 1970s reached a milestone this year marking more..

Mar 20 (SO) Former Navy SC and SL rugby captain Yoshitha Rajapaksa has decided to hang up his boots after playing one more game this season. In 2005 he commenced his senior rugby career at S. Thomas� College and in his final year (2006) captained the team. �I have played for 15 years now and I think it is time to call it a day,� said Rajapaksa at an impromptu meeting with the SO. �No, I cannot do any coaching in rugby,� was his reply when asked whether he will take to coaching now. more..

Mar 20 (ST) Newcomer to the field, MGMR Credit & Investments, made a dream debut by winning two of the five races while Hasanga Jayaratne�s Another Ace dominated the show by claiming the plum of the day at the horseracing season opener, the RTC Spring and Summer Cup Raceday 2022 at the Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya on Saturday. Royal Turf Club had aptly dedicated the day to honour the legendary trainer, the late Dr. Rashid R. Byramji with a memorial trophy offered to the winner of more..

Mar 20 (DM) A person waiting in a queue to buy kerosene (paraffin) in Kandy has died after collapsing, a media report said. The 71 year old person was believed to be a resident of Wattegama, off Kandy. The report broadcast comments of a by-stander saying the person had collapsed while in the queue and police had called an ambulance and taken the person to hospital. SL is facing a fuel crisis after forex shortages were caused by money printed to keep interest rates low in a bid to build more..

Mar 20 (Island) Former PM, Ranil Wickremesinghe, spoke to Pasindu Gunaratne, about the current economic crisis facing the country and the measures that should be taken to help move the country forward. As many in the country have concerns and questions over the current economic crisis confronting the public, the UNP invited questions from young people on this subject for the former prime minister to answer. Responding, Wickremesinghe highlighted the need of more..

Mar 20 (Roar) My mum never referred to Salon Naresh by its actual name, so I only ever knew it as Shobi�s. She would go to get her nails done at Shobi�s, or call and schedule a haircut at Shobi�s, or take me to get my fringe trimmed at Shobi�s. From the age of four, I sat in a black leather swivel chair, flipping through piles of imported fashion and beauty magazines, watching women be transformed into whomever they wanted more..

Mar 20 (TM) A shipment of 20,000 Metric Tonnes (MTs) of furnace oil and kerosene will be unloaded tomorrow, The Sunday Morning learns. The arrival of the fuel consignment was confirmed by Minister of Energy Gamini Lokuge, who said that it would be unloaded on Monday. �On Monday we will unload [the cargo] from the ship which will include 20,000 MT of furnace oil and jet fuel, the latter of which can be used as kerosene. This shipment will be sufficient for around five days,� Minister said. more..

Mar 20 (Island) Ceylon Federation of Labour (CFL) has lodged its objections with Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva over the proposed mild amendments to the EPF Act urging that the EPF, being the sole retirement benefit available to private sector �is best treated as a closed scheme and workers encouraged to avoid using moneys lying to their credit for current expenditure.� CFL General Secretary TMM Rasooldeen in a letter to the minister has pointed out that proposed amendment more..

Mar 20 (ST) The multimillion-rupee racing bike and SUV rally that caused public outrage this week comprised at least 600 fuel-guzzling vehicles speeding in procession with police escort, by admission of its organiser, Spin Riders� Club Founder Sajina Sithmal. Mr Sithmal denied any ruling party patronage for the event but grudgingly acknowledged that members with political ties may have joined the convoy. more..

Mar 20 (DM) Public protests continued in SL on Saturday evening with an increasing number of people lining up on the roads holding candles in Kelaniya, Kohuwala and Mount Lavinia against the ongoing economic hardships. Several people lined up outside the Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara, and on the streets of Kohuwala and Mount Lavinia against the govt's failures and urging an immediate solution to the present crises. Protestors held placards calling on the govt to go home if they are more..

Mar 20 (Island) Asini Wijewardane, Director of Uwill, was selected as one of the Boston Business Journal�s 40 under 40 honorees. For the last 24 years, the journal has published a list of the top 40 business people under 40 to recognize and showcase the best young business professionals in Massachusetts, United States of America. Boston Business Journal is one of the most respected business publications that have won regional and national journalism awards in America. more..

Mar 20 (TM) Govt will not be importing fertiliser from Russia and Belarus due to international sanctions imposed on the two countries consequent to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and will look for alternative suppliers. National Fertiliser Secretariat said that this week�s bidding process for the 38,000 Metric Tonne (MT) tender for fertiliser was likely to indicate which alternative sources may be viable. �At the moment we don�t know who the supplier will be, as anyone producing KCl (potassium chloride) can bid. more..

Mar 20 (TM) CPC will today temporarily shut down SL�s only refinery � for the third time in the past few months � due to soaring crude oil prices triggered by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. CPC Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe said that the price of Brent crude oil in the international markets had influenced the decision to temporarily close the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery. According to him, shipments of crude oil that were planned to be shipped to Sri Lanka rose in price from about $ 45 million more..

Mar 20 (ST) The IMF has emphasised the urgent need for Sri Lanka to implement a credible and coherent strategy to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, while protecting vulnerable groups through strengthened, well-targeted social safety nets. This was stated by IMF Director, Communications Department Gerry Rice in response to questions raised by the Business Times via email when more..

Mar 20 (TM) A request to increase the unit price of diesel-fired electricity generators owned by private and State sector bulk customers who generate their own power during peak hours has been submitted to the Ministry of Power by the CEB last week, according to CEB Chairman M.M.C Ferdinando. The price of a unit of electricity generated by diesel-fired generators owned by the State and private institutions had been increased from Rs. 42 to Rs. 58, and the relevant Cabinet paper seeking more..

Mar 20 (ST) SL Govt is grappling to service loans taken from major Chinese banks amidst the dwindling foreign reserves and US dollar crisis. As SL is entangled in a foreign exchange crunch, at least two key banks in China have been pressurising the Treasury demanding the repayment of loan installments this month without delay. China Development Bank and China Exim Bank have been ignoring the request made by the govt to restructure their loans and delay the recovery of more..

Mar 20 (TM) The CEB has requested a 50% tariff hike from the Govt for the purpose of minimising the losses incurred by the Board following the recent fuel price revisions made by the CPC. CEB is currently losing Rs. 9 per unit, as the production cost of a unit has dramatically increased to Rs. 29, from the earlier rate of around Rs. 15. Prior to the recent fuel hike, the CEB had sought a 35% increase in electricity tariffs, it is learnt. more..

Mar 20 (ST) Contracts for private vehicles that were obtained by govt agencies under the operational leasing method will not be extended in future once existing agreements for five years lapsed, a circular from the Treasury said. Issuing a circular to ministry secretaries, provincial councils chief secretaries, departments and state institution heads, Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle has said the decision not to extend the vehicle contracts was taken in keeping with the Jan 18 Cabinet memorandum. more..

Mar 20 (EN) SL is expecting severe fuel shortages to ease with shipments from an Indian credit line beginning to come, CPC Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe said, as the island nation reels from forex shortages triggered by money printing. �From the Indian credit line, we get all the finished products, such as petrol, diesel and Jet fuel,� he said. �We have already received jet fuel on the last 13 and 14. We received another diesel ship which will start unloading tomorrow.� more..

Mar 20 (ST) After many weeks of foot dragging, Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) added its might to protest the worsening economic turmoil, delivering multiple blows to the ruling coalition last Tuesday. Creditably, the party was able to muster more than 25,000 to gather outside the Presidential Secretariat, the first major public show of dissent. That was a filtered crowd from different parts of the country, including North & East. more..

Mar 21 (ST) A lazy Western media narrative on how and why SL came to be inflicted by a catalogue of financial, social and Rule of Law catastrophes, most recently reflected in Bloomberg�s opinion piece by Ruth Pollard on How Four Powerful Brothers Broke an Island Nation (Mar 18th, 2022), is significant in what it omits more than what it says. Pollard may have been better served by titling her writing, How SL�s Greedy & Incompetent Politicians of all Shades Destroyed a State or more to the purpose, more..

Mar 21 (ST) With nothing left to offer or lose but their blood, toil, tears and sweat, people took to the streets on Tuesday to converge at the Galle Face Green to demonstrate their outrage at the terrible curse that had swept the land and made living in Lanka an act of raw courage. The massive throng came from all walks of life, from all social ranks: the rich and poor, the grassroot and urban, the high and low; they came in their thousands, in one swirling mass of unrest, to protest against more..

Mar 21 (TM) While some measures have been taken by the Govt in the recent weeks to address economic challenges, ongoing crises certainly won�t end overnight, asserts SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, noting that it all depends on how long the Govt takes to appreciate the problem and start acting on it meaningfully. �Say you start today and you say, look we accept that we are insolvent � which is a very tough thing to do, it hurts our national pride more..

Mar 21 (TM) Divided we stand, united we fall, the less hackneyed iteration of the united we stand, divided we fall proverb, is more than likely to prove apt, on the basis of both the balance of probabilities and beyond a reasonable doubt, when the all-party conference convened per invitation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, upon request by one of the main constituent parties of the ruling SLPP-led Govt alliance � SLFP � is scheduled to be held on Wednesday (23). more..

Mar 21 (DM) Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24 this year and the war is entering its 26th day. Whilst one may sympathize with Russia�s anger at Ukraine and the Western countries led by the US for their attempts to expand NATO to Russia�s doorstep, and despite assurances that this would not take place by the NATO bloc, the invasion of one country by another cannot be condoned. During its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been accused of bombing civilian targets including hospitals, schools more..

Mar 21 (TM) SL needs to build a national consensus on fiscal policy and move to bring in urgent reforms needed to make national debt sustainable, reduce the borrowing threshold and budget deficit, and shrink the balance of payment deficit, Trade Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena said. In an interview about the ongoing economic crisis, Minister blamed long-standing issues, such as the poor collective understanding of economics more..

Mar 21 (CT) Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa met a top IMF official last week, as the nation seeks a desperate remedy to its plunging foreign reserves, a sliding rupee and skyrocketing inflation. Rajapaksa flew to New Delhi to sign a fresh bailout package with India for USD 1 billion. Last month, the country bought 40,000 MT of diesel and petrol from India�s oil major Indian Oil Corporation to meet the urgent energy requirements in the economic crisis worsened by depleted foreign reserves. more..

Mar 21 (Island) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena has embarked on an anti-corruption campaign, once again. Speaking at a recent party convention, he reportedly lamented that no Sri Lankan politician had ever been incarcerated for corruption. The veracity of his statement cannot be questioned, but he seems to think Sri Lankans are so intellectually challenged that he can hoodwink them. He ought to explain why he failed to make corrupt politicians pay for their sins when he was the President. more..

Mar 21 (DM) Most of us, having spent over a decade growing with schools as much as we did with our families, are constantly reminded about the importance of school education. And in Sri Lanka, the social vision forged by free education policies lasting eight decades is what translated into overwhelming support for teachers during their strike actions last year. However, there is a gaping hole in our educational system that goes right to the foundation of a child�s development. more..

Mar 21 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 19,209 persons on Saturday and 77.48% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose to date. The second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to 65.5% of the population and the third dose has been administered to 34.91% of the population. Among the population over 20 years, 96.1% has received the second vaccine dose and 52.37% has received the third dose. T96.2% of the population over 12 years has received more..

Mar 21 (FT) Had SL a parliamentary system of governance, Rajapaksas would have been out by now. Thanks to the executive presidency, a political resolution is impossible despite the churning crises, and the national nightmare is unlikely to end this side of 2024. As Nihal Jayawickrama reminds us in his recent piece, a presidential election is constitutionally impossible until Nov 2023 and a parliamentary election until Mar 2023. more..