News
Enactment of key finance bills: Govt. not following due process – Opposition
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Opposition MP Prof. Charitha Herath yesterday took exception to the inclusion of the controversial Economic Transformation Bill (ETB) and the Public Financial Management (PFM) Bill in the first week’s agenda of Parliament in June, in spite of the Bills not being subjected to due process yet.
Parliament meets on June 4, 5 and 6. Declaring that the ETB and PFM had been included in the June 5 and 6 agenda, respectively, the dissident SLPP MP pointed out the irregularity in doing so in the absence of the Supreme Court determination on the two Bills.
Chief Government Whip Minister Prasanna Ranatunga on May 22 presented the two Bills to the House.
Responding to The Island queries, Prof. Herath said that those opposed to the Bills could challenge them in the Supreme Court within two weeks. The first entrant to Parliament Herath asked as to why Parliament included them in its agenda before the SC decided on their constitutionality.
The JVP-led NPP would move the SC against the ETB, according to top spokesman Vijitha Herath, MP.
Herath, a former Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), asked what would happen if the Supreme Court ruled that many sections of the ETB were flawed and remedial measures required.
MP Herath said that the two Bills hadn’t been discussed at the Committee on Public Finance headed by Dr. Harsha de Silva. Alleging that the government was in an indecent hurry to enact these controversial laws, lawmaker Herath said that the relevant Sectoral Oversight Committee or committees were yet to examine them.
Prof. G. L. Peiris, MP, told The Island that legislation, with such far reaching repercussions, should not be enacted by a government without a popular mandate within its last 100 days. The former External Affairs Minister and one-time SLPP heavyweight said: “ETB purports to bind future Parliaments and to thrust upon them the economic policy of President Wickremesinghe which is at variance with the publicly expressed convictions of the SLPP which commands a majority in the current Parliament.”
Recently Prof. Peiris switched his allegiance to the SJB. Claiming that President Wickremesinghe was blatantly exploiting the situation to push ahead with his much-disputed agenda, MP Peiris said: “Local entrepreneurship which needs to be nurtured and strengthened, is placed at a distinct disadvantage by the Bill. An unelected President, by virtue of his power of nomination to controlling mechanisms, is able to concentrate more and more authority in his hands, at the expense of broad-based institutions. The degree of detail set out smacks of intolerable arrogance: it purports to deprive succeeding administrations of legitimate decision-making capability. Changes of this magnitude are compatible with the tenets of representative democracy only in the aftermath of fresh national elections, due very shortly.”
Asked about planned legal action, Prof. Peiris said that proposed legislation would certainly be challenged vigorously by various parties. The ex-Minister said that the SC determination was not a solution in itself. The Court could only determine whether particular provisions were inconsistent with the Constitution, and therefore required a special majority or a referendum for enactment. The Court’s constitutional function would not enable it to examine broader aspects from a policy perspective, he added.
The Island sought State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe’s views on the proposed laws against the backdrop of SLPP Chairman Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent declaration in respect of government economic strategy. The Anuradhapura district lawmaker said that since July 2022, President Wickremesinghe and the SLPP had worked according to a certain framework. Therefore, there was no likelihood of the SLPP withholding support for these laws.
The former President while calling the present government an interim arrangement formed to run the country for the remainder of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term, declared: “Even the pro-privatization lobby should realize that the hasty divestiture of state owned assets at a time like this will not produce the best outcome for the country. Furthermore, the next Presidential election is only a few months away. Hence, as a measure to ease the widespread discontent over the government’s divestiture drive, I wish to propose that all moves to sell off state owned assets or enterprises be postponed until a new government is formed after the next Presidential election. The new government will then be able to deal with state-owned properties and enterprises in accordance with the mandate they obtain at the election.”
State Minister Semasinghe said that the Opposition shouldn’t follow destructive strategies meant to reverse the economic revival. The MP stressed that in addition to the much-discussed ETB and PFM, there was another crucial Bill aimed at addressing the challenges the country faced. “We’ll take the Public Debt Management Bill on June 4,” lawmaker Semasinghe said, claiming that the three Bills were intended to provide much needed stability at all levels.
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Landslide RED warnings issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions of Ududumbara, Nildadndahinna and Walapane
The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued RED warnings to the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours effective from 0900 hrs today [09th January].
Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district.
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya district.
LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Badulla, Meegahakiwula, Hali_Ela, Passara and Lunugala in the Badulla district, Minipe in the Kandy district, Ambanganga Korale, Ukuwela, Rattota, Naula and Laggala_Pallegama in the Matale district, and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district.
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A Policy is being formulated to ensure Child Protection in the use of Technology — Prime Minister
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that a policy is currently being formulated to ensure child protection in the use of technology.
The Prime Minister made this statement on Thursday (08) in Kandy while briefing the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theros of the Asgiriya and Malwathu Chapters on the issue that has arisen regarding the Grade 6 English module. Thereafter, printed copies of all modules were presented to the Mahanayake Theros.
Earlier on Thursday (08), the Prime Minister visited the Malwathu Viharaya in Kandy and met the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Nayaka Thero, the Mahanayake of the Malwathu Chapter, where she explained the error that had occurred in the first print run of the English module for Grade 6 .
The Mahanayake Theros emphasized that education is a sensitive subject and that such matters should be handled with greater sensitivity and proper oversight. They further advised that a formal investigation should be conducted and that education reforms should be carried forward in a systematic manner.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister visited the Asgiriya Maha Viharaya and met the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, where she clarified the error related to the English module.
The Mahanayake Thero noted that education reforms are a timely necessity and should be implemented with due oversight and careful review and also pointed out that there are broader issues in Sri Lanka regarding the use of technology, which are evident in the manner in which modern tools such as AI technologies are being used on social media.
Clarifying the issue Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated,
“We have appointed a committee to look into this issue, and based on the recommendations of the National Institute of Education (NIE), steps were taken to remove the relevant lesson. In addition, all printed copies of the relevant module have been stamped, and no module has been distributed to schoolchildren. A formal investigation into this matter has been initiated by the Ministry, and a complaint has also been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department.
At the same time, we are in the process of formulating a policy on child protection in the use of technology”.
Thereafter, addressing the media and responding to the’ questions raised by journalists, the Prime Minister stated:
“The Opposition is attempting to use this national task for their own political advantage. However, many in society have expressed their views on the issues that have arisen in a positive manner, with the objective of identifying and correcting mistakes. The government has decided to move forward with education reforms by recognizing the error that have occurred and rectifying them. We will take the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition as an opportunity to further advance dialogue on education reforms”
The occasion was graced by the Most Venerable Anunayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Narampanawe Ananda Nayaka Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Muruddeniye Dhammarakkhita Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Malwathu Chapter, Venerable Mahawela Rathanapala Thero; Members of Parliament Thushari Jayasinghe and Thanura Dissanayake; Mayor of Kandy Chandrasiri Wijenayake; Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa; and Secretary to the Ceylon Teachers’ Union in Central Province D. D. Wimalaweera.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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The deep depression to the South-east of Sri Lanka is likely to intensify in to a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours
A RED warning for a deep depression to the South-east of Sri Lanka has been issued at 01.00 a.m. on 09 January 2026 for the period until 01.00 a.m. 10 January 2026 by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre, of the Department of Meteorology.
The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal to the southeast of Sri Lanka (At 01:00 a.m. on Jan 9th, 2026 located about 200 km East of Pottuvil) is very likely to intensify further and move west-northwestwards towards the coast of Sri Lanka between Pottuvil and Trincomalee in the evening today (9th January 2026.) The system is likely to intensify in to a cyclonic storm
during the next 24 hours.
Hence, showery, and windy condition over the island, particularly in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces is expected to enhance.
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