By Shamindra Ferdinando Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, declared in Parliament that the winners of LPL (Lanka Premier League) 2023 B-Love Kandy had been sponsored by an enterprise that was banned in the country. The statement was made in Parliament on 24th August. The one-time President of the Bar Association found fault with SLC […]

Tuesday 15th August, 2023 The Professional Chef’s Association Sri Lanka (PCASL) made a fervent appeal over the weekend on behalf of everyone engaged in tourism. Pointing out that unfortunate instances abounded where foreign tourists faced exploitation at the hands of various persons, it stressed that the foreign guests helped boost the country’s economy and deserved […]

Tourism is bouncing back after the Easter attack, Covid-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the economic stake holders are optimistic and working hard towards a better future.The General Manager of Shangri-la Hambantota Refhan Razeen welcomed 2023 with a positive note with much expectations this year. having overcome the challenges of the past years. We Sri […]

Thursday 4th May, 2023 Government politicians, save perhaps a few, and their backers are still cock-a-hoop over the IMF bailout which they naively think is a kind of economic panacea. They went so far as to paint the town red when the IMF approved the much-awaited extended fund facility, in March, lighting as they did […]

By Jehan Perera Slowly but surely the ruling party is beginning to reassert itself.  An indication is the removal of Prof G L Peiris from the chairmanship of the ruling party.  In the aftermath of the economic collapse last year he has been one of the few members from the SLPP to have adopted a […]

By SHIHAR ANEEZ Sri Lanka expects to present an anti-corruption bill to the parliament in coming days, Cabinet Spokesman said, as the island nation has been urged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reduce corruption. The IMF has urged Sri Lanka to reduce corruption vulnerabilities through improving fiscal transparency and public financial management, introducing a […]

Wednesday 1st March, 2023 Sri Lanka finds itself in the same predicament as a gang rape victim being forcibly kept in the custody of her rapists. Those who are responsible for stealing public funds, mismanaging the economy and bankrupting it continue to be in power. Worse, while living high on the hog at the expense […]

Reforms to be introduced to end ‘media abuses’ President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that the government was not in a position to lower the taxes. Delivering his second government policy statement to inaugurate the Fourth session of the Ninth Parliament, the President said: “Some people say that the primary taxable income should be raised from […]

By Jehan Perera The passage of the budget by a comfortable majority confirms that the government’s parliamentary majority is holding in the face of adverse circumstances. The ruling party has lost over twenty of its members who no longer follow the party line. But the rest of them appear to be staying together despite the […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando Narendra Fernando, Sergeant-at-Arms of the crisis-ridden Parliament, has declared that the largest number of students, in the post-independence era, visited the House on Thursday (Dec. 01). Director, Legislative Services, Janakantha Silva, who is also the Acting Director of Communication, quoted Fernando as having said that approximately 5,000 students, from 32 schools, rec...

Senior lawyer S. A. Cader sayas that it was the responsibility of Parliament to enact legislation to enable the country to seek UN support for the recovery of stolen public assets.Cader, senior partner at Julius & Creasy emphasised the urgent need to address the issue at hand as part of the overall efforts meant to […]

GL asks govt. to secure int’l assistance to recover stolen money By Shamindra Ferdinando Former Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday (07) suggested that the government seriously consider securing UN support for the recovery of stolen public assets. Addressing the media at the Nawala Office of ‘Nidahasa Jathika Sabhawa’ consisting of 13 rebel SLPP MPs, Prof. Peiris said […]

By Krishantha Prasad Cooray In many ways, the economic collapse of Sri Lanka became a near certainty in the weeks after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected President. In hindsight, it is clear to all that his government’s number one priority was consolidating their power and punishing those it saw as its enemies. Their next priority was […]