News

JVP inspires calls for protests against rising cost of living

Published

5 years ago

2021/12/22

By Saman Indrajith

The JVP yesterday called on people to take to the streets against the government that cannot control market prices of essential items.

Addressing a press conference held at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, the party’s national organiser and former MP Bimal Ratnayake said that yesterday’s fuel price hike was unjust and it would result in further increases in prices of all goods and services in the coming days, sending the pandemic-hit economy from the frying pan into the fire.

“This is the highest ever price hike in fuel in the country’s history. As per an announcement by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Octane 92 petrol price has been increased by Rs 20, Octane 95 by Rs 23, diesel by Rs 10, Super diesel by Rs15 and kerosene by Rs 10. The reason for the price revision has been attributed to the world market price change of fuel. It cannot be accepted. There had been many previous occasions when the world market price of fuel increased more than this. In 2013 the price of a barrel of oil was at USD 97. For years the price was at USD 100 a barrel. There had been some increase in price in the world market but following the spread of the Omicron variant there were travel limitations in Europe and price of fuel decreased. There is a presumption that the price of an oil barrel would be around USD 60 owing to the Omicron effect. Then the truth is that the government jacked up fuel prices at a time when the world market prices are going down.

“The CPC and Petroleum minister have become puppets of the ruling cabal. Discussion for fuel price increase started by the government on Dec 13 soon after the budget. Yet Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa did not allow the prices to increase while he was still in the country. He wanted to show that the price increases took place in his absence. His intention was to apportion the blame on the petroleum minister and the acting finance minister. Yet the truth has come out and now it is a known fact that the CPC increased the prices last night on a directive from the Finance Ministry. It is clear that the finance minister plotted to place the blame on others. This is a well-known tactic of Rajapaksa family. The rest of the ministers are used by them as puppets.

“Government spokesman Minister Dullas Alahapperuma says that the fuel prices were increased to save the foreign exchange reserves. We cannot understand how the government could save dollars by increasing the fuel prices in the local market. The government could have instead asked people to stay at home to save fuel.

“Bakery owners are planning to increase the prices of their products. Three wheel operators say that they would increase their starting price per km from Rs 30 to Rs 80. Bus owners demand to increase the minimum fee to Rs 25. Likewise, the prices of various services and goods would go up in the coming days. The government has lost control of prices and the market. There are shortages of various items. The standards of available consumables are questionable. Traders fleece consumers at will. While the government is fleecing people it has let several big-time companies fleece money from the people. People can identify those companies because it was they who recorded unprecedented profits in the third quarter of this year. Some banks recorded 312 percent profit in the said period. There are two main companies running supermarket chains. One says it received a Rs 3,500 million profit after tax and the other has raked in Rs 1,387 million profit in the third quarter. These profits came at a time when the economy was down. They have earned profits by increasing the prices at their will. Rice prices in the market are decided by the millers. The government has lost control of the prices in the market. We call on people to raise their voice and stand with us against this government”, Ratnayake said.

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News

Bangladesh bank on bowlers in bid to bring India down

Published

2 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Bangladesh will look to curb Shafali Verma's aggression [cRICINFO]

If Bangladesh take the route of seeking inspiration from the past to bring down heavyweights India on Thursday, they will have to squint their eyes and go back to pre-Covid times for their last victory against them in the Women’s Asia Cup. India have had the better of their neighbours over their last eight meetings, and last lost to Bangladesh in a T20I three years ago, when a very similar-looking Indian batting line-up was kept to 102 for 9.

Before that, Bangladesh had shocked India with back-to-back wins that culminated in their maiden Asia Cup title, by again stifling India to an underwhelming 112 for 9.

The Bangladesh team of today – as their recent fights have shown over the last two World Cups – is a version far improved from the ones of 2018 and 2023. They have scared teams like Australia and England (ODI World Cup) and India (T20 World Cup) in the last 12 months and they recently beat the higher ranked Pakistan in the UK by keeping them to 100 for 8.

It is this bowling strength that Bangladesh must bank on to try and bring down India, whose batting has stuttered every now and then, including a collapse of 8 for 46 against Thailand earlier in the tournament. India have had middle-order issues for a while now – it’s one of the things that kept them from a knockout berth in the last T20 World Cup – and Bangladesh will be itching to strike while the iron is hot.

They have laid the foundations in the last 10 days by routing Indonesia for 58, making Sri Lanka sweat in a chase of 115, and suffocating UAE’s batters to 69 for 9 with semi-finals qualification on the line.

Pratika Rawal, India’s No. 3 for this tournament in place of the injured Jemimah Rodrigues, hasn’t quite shown the promise in this format that she has in ODIs. Her 36 runs in three innings have come at a strike rate of just 109.09, against some of the lower-ranked teams in the world. Now into the knockouts, the time is ripe for Rawal to step up against one of the stronger bowling attacks of the tournament, especially if one of the openers doesn’t get going.

Swing bowler Marufa Akter is doing Marufa Akter things at this Asia Cup. She has struck in her opening spell in each of her three games so far – including the big scalp of Chamari Athapathuthu for 1. She has made the ball talk with her prodigious swing, and is the top wicket-taker in this Asia Cup among pace bowlers, with an economy rate of 3.27. She will hold the key for Bangladesh as they come up against a top order comprising Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Rawal.

Team news

After constant chopping and changing during the T20 World Cup in the UK, India have gone unchanged in the three games of this tournament. They will be expected to field the same XI again.

India (probable): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma.

Bangladesh have used 14 players, in comparison, including a debut for 17-year-old allrounder Farjana Easmin. They may not make too many changes this time as the two players who came into the XI on Tuesday – Rabeya Khan and Sharmin Akter – played starring roles in beating UAE.

Bangladesh (probable): Juairiya Ferdous, Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), Sobhana Mostary, Dilara Akter, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sharmin Akter, Nahida Akter, Sultana Khatun, Marufa Akter, Fahima Khatun.

[Cricinfo]

News

Establishment of National Trade Negotiation Committee (NTFC) and Trade Policy Consultation Committee.

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 24-08-2026 to implement the recommendations submitted by the committee appointed to review Sri Lanka’s current Free Trade Agreements and future course of Free Trade Agreements in Sri Lanka.

Taking into account these recommendations, it has been
recognized the necessity of establishing a National Trade Negotiation Committee and Trade Policy Consultation Committee enabling Sri Lanka to follow a more targeted, sequential, and evidence-based approach in conducting negotiations for Sri Lanka’s future Free Trade Agreements and to ensure a sustainable and meaningful stakeholder consultation process.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commercial, Food Security, and Cooperative Development to act as follows.

• Establishment of a National Trade Negotiation Committee to guide trade discussions conducted with potential bilateral or regional trade partners
• Appointment of the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development as the Chairman of the National Trade Negotiation Committee and
the Chief National Trade Negotiator.
• Establishment of 12 subject specific sub- committees with the required technical working groups under the National Trade Negotiation Committee
• Appointment of Trade Policy Consultative Committee comprising of trade experts, researchers engaged in research relevant to trade field, business community, unions, civil societies and relevant public officers to instruct the National Trade Negotiation Committee on active and technical sectors, to submit the policy recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the matters relevant to the trade agreements, to inquire sustainable ideas regarding the Free Trade Agreements, and to ensure the communication mechanism.
• The Minister in charge of the Subject international trade and the Minister in charge of the subject of Industry to serve as Co-Chairpersons of the Trade Policy Advisory Committee.

News

Justice Minister hits back at CLA

Published

13 hours ago

2026/09/9

Sahan Weerasooriya

Harshana Nanayakkara

By Saman Indrajith

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara yesterday told Parliament that the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association (CLA) was not an organisation officially recognised or registered under the Commonwealth Secretariat, but a fee-levying private association.

Responding to a question by Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa on why he had failed to meet CLA representatives, who recently visited Sri Lanka, Nanayakkara said he had offered them a date and time for a meeting, but they had been unable to attend.

The Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) has questioned procedural fairness and other matters of concern in a report that deals with the Supreme Court hearing petitions against the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. Among the issues raised by CLA President Steven Thiru, is the composition of the five-member bench.

The Minister said the CLA representatives subsequently requested another date, but he had already scheduled official engagements for the proposed day.

Nanayakkara said it was, therefore, incorrect to claim that he had refused to meet the CLA delegation.

“The CLA is not an official body accepted or admitted into the Commonwealth of countries. It is a private club whose members pay fees for membership,” he said.

However, the Minister said he was not suggesting that the organisation was “a bad organisation”, adding that the accuracy of several statements made by CLA members during their visit to Sri Lanka had yet to be established.

Nanayakkara identified lawyer Upul Jayasuriya as the CLA’s local representative and said Jayasuriya had sought a meeting with him.

“I gave him the opportunity, but he came up with the excuse that he could not make it as he was not in Colombo. Therefore, it is wrong to state that I did not give them time,” the Minister said.