News
FSP questions efficacy of Indian vaccine
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The frontline workers who are being vaccinated have not been told the period in which the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine would last, Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Pubudu Jayagoda yesterday told The Island.
Jayagoda said that it was important for these frontline workers as well as other citizens to know how long the immunity given by the vaccine would last.
“We need to vaccinate people as soon as possible. For vaccines to work properly a significant majority of the people have to be vaccinated.
Jayagoda pointed out that the government had not ordered vaccines against COVID-19 apart from the consignment donated by India to Sri Lanka free of charge and the lot promised by China. The government had sought to exploit the vaccination programme to gain political mileage, he added.
“We need to vaccinate millions of people. The government has not placed any orders; it has not told us how it will find the money to procure the vaccine.”
The FSP Education Secretary said the government had given up trying to control the pandemic and was now only interested in increasing opportunities for the private sector to profit off peoples’ misery.
“On Sunday, we revealed how the government was deliberately neglecting the quarantine and treatment centres it maintained so as to make people pay large sums for being quarantined at private facilities. It will be the same with vaccines. People will be compelled to pay private institutions to get the jab.”
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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M/s South Asian Technologies awarded contract to supply vehicle number plates
A new act for National Lotteries Board to be introduced
Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 to be amended
Mrs. P. K. L. S. Panduwawala appointed to the post of Surveyor General
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