News

Time for home-grown solutions over; Seek international support immediately – Dr. de Silva

Published

4 years ago

2022/02/23

SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva told a media briefing on Monday that the country was in complete disarray. Fuel was rationed, there were daily power cuts, shortage of dollars was preventing import of essentials, including medicine, and food would be rationed next.

“Economic collapse is imminent if we continue to go this way and it is almost similar to a broken car rumbling along before it completely comes to a halt,” he said.

“The government has no idea what they are doing, on one side Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa states that he is ready to engage with the creditors but on the other hand, the Governor of the Central Bank reiterates to international media that there is no need to engage with the IMF. Independent economists and the opposition have repeatedly stated that home-grown solutions will not fix this and we need to seek international support immediately. As far back as November 2020, in my response to the budget speech, I stated that we need to engage with the IMF, in order to restructure our debt due to artificially created problems. Beginning with the tax cuts, that resulted in almost LKR 600 bn losses, followed by the ban of chemical fertilzer, exacerbated our economic situation. In the 2019 December Article 4 report by the IMF, they highlighted that we had substantially recovered from the crash due to the 2018 constitutional Coup as well as the Easter Attacks in 2019, therefore our debt was still sustainable. However, they also stated that if drastic changes were made to our government policies, our debt would be unsustainable, as it is today.

“At this juncture, even the IMF alone will not be able to solve this problem. There are three ways in which one can look at this type of crisis. First, one being if Sri Lanka’s debt was sustainable, we would not have to restructure our debt. We could have chosen to stabilize our macro-economy by bringing in crucial economic reforms while paying our debt. Secondly, in the case that our debt sustainability was uncertain, we could have opted for a light-restructuring or short-term reprofiling, at which we would put off our interest payments for a short time. In the third scenario, which I believe we are currently in, our debt would be deemed unsustainable, thus we will not be able to reprofile and would need to make drastic reforms as well as initiate a debt-restructuring programme with our creditors. In this scenario, there are three types of creditors that we would need to engage with including; senior creditors (World Bank, ADB, IMF),

bilateral creditors (China, India, Japan, Paris Club) and private creditors (Insurance funds, hedge funds, mutual funds, etc). We will not be able to initiate any debt-restructuring programme with bilateral and private creditors without engaging with the IMF first and gaining their confidence.

The government’s reluctance to engage with the IMF is an ideological difference. Statements being made that the IMF will impose rules and regulations are unfounded. They will only agree or deny the working plan submitted by the government. If we don’t agree with the terms they propose, we should be able to present a better plan. It is almost similar to an individual seeking a loan from a bank. The bank manager will not give you the plan to pay off your loan, instead, they will review your finances and deem its feasibility. Moreover, the government’s reluctance also stems from the fact that they know the IMF will not approve their political programme for local council elections. Initially, they tried to print money to fund their political activities, however, due to high inflation rates they are constrained. Subsequently, they decided to tax the EPF and the ETF to pump LKR 100 bn to their local councillors but we were able to block that initiative. If they have a little bit of decency and sympathy for the people of this country, they will abandon this electioneering programme and most importantly abandon corruption to save the little bit of money we have left!

“On the 25 February, the IMF will present its analysis of the Sri Lankan economy in Washington, DC. According to publicly available stats and figures of the government, we believe that our debt is unsustainable and thus no home-grown solution nor the tourists queuing up to get into bars in the South will be able to solve this. The shortage of dollars has resulted in a shortage of oil, which has translated into a power shortage. We cannot go on much longer, as these problems have also led to instability within the local banking system. A certain government minister has stated that we should establish a ‘Thel Potha’ similar to the ‘Hal Potha’, where are we heading without any sustainable solutions? We urge the government to present the IMF Article 4 report to Parliament for us to have a constructive debate and come to a working plan, regardless of political affiliations. Moreover, GSP+ may be in jeopardy as well due to actions taken by this government. The vital export sector is the only thing that is holding us above water. We have to go beyond political biases and find a solution to this economic mismanagement immediately.”

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News

Current El Niño Status in Sri Lanka

Published

8 hours ago

2026/07/16

Priyan

At present, El Niño conditions have developed and are classified as being at a weak level. Forecasts indicate a 63% probability of a very strong El Niño event developing during the period from November 2026 to January 2027. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is approximately a one-third probability that El Niño will remain below a very strong intensity.

Typical Climatic Conditions Associated with El Niño
Based on analyses of past El Niño events that occurred between 1950 and 2025:
• Rainfall during July and August may be below normal, particularly in the dry zone areas.
• From October onward, rainfall is generally expected to be above normal.
• If a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) develops, enhanced rainfall conditions may continue until December.

Sectors Requiring Attention
• Appropriate measures should be taken for water resource management during July and August.
• Increased rainfall expected from October onward may lead to floods and landslides, requiring preparedness and close monitoring. The forecasts are important for sectors such as, Agriculture /Water management /Livestock /Health /Energy /Other climate-sensitive sectors
• Attention should be paid to official information issued by the Department of Meteorology.

Actions by the Department of Meteorology
The Department of Meteorology continuously monitors the evolving situation and issues:
• Weekly and monthly seasonal forecasts and Monthly analyses of rainfall data to monitor meteorological drought conditions.
As weather conditions are influenced not only by El Niño but also by other climatic factors, updated forecasts and advisories are regularly shared with relevant stakeholder organizations (Irrigation/ Water Management Committee /Department of Agriculture/National Building Research Institute/Disaster Management Centre (DMC)/Ministry of Health /Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation…etc). The Department also provides technical support to the committee established through a Cabinet decision to address climate-related impacts. The Department’s monthly rainfall outlook for July to September 2026 is attached

Monthly Rainfall Forecasts for July, August and September 2026
Month Rainfall forecast
July 2026

During July 2026, there is a higher probability of having near normal rainfall across most parts of the Western and Southern Provinces. The remainder of the country is expected to experience below normal rainfall.

August 2026

There is a higher probability of having below normal rainfall across most parts of the country during month of August 2026.

September 2026

There is a possibility of above-normal rainfall across most parts of the Western and Southern Provinces, while near-normal rainfall is expected in the Sabaragamuwa Province. Below-normal rainfall is likely in the remaining areas during September 2026.

Note: These long-range forecasts may change due to strong day-to-day atmospheric variability associated with the movement of weather systems such as atmospheric disturbances, low-pressure areas, and depressions, as well as intra-seasonal oscillations such as the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO). Therefore, in addition to the weekly and monthly forecasts, it is important to pay attention to the Department’s official announcements, weather advisories and warnings, as well as the daily weather forecasts issued by the Department of Meteorology.

News

Govt. move to extend retirement ages of top judges: Opp. complains to UN

Published

9 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prof. Peiris addresses the media outside the UN compound in Colombo on Thursday on the controversial government move to extend the retirement ages of Superior Court judges, while former MPs Thalatha Atukorale, Dr Suren Raghavan and Premanath C. Dolawatta look on.

Former External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (15) briefed the UN Resident Coordinator in Colombo, Marc-André Franche, on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s move to extend the retirement ages of the superior court judges and the delay in filling the vacancies in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

Prof. Peiris, the convenor of the People’s Joint Opposition, led the delegation that included UNP General Secretary and former Minister Thalatha Atukorale, former UPFA National List parliamentarian Suren Raghavan and ex- SLPP MP Premnath C. Dolawatta.

Having met the top official here, Prof. Peiris briefed the media on their decision to bring the developing situation to the notice of the UN.

Referring to the opposition of the legal fraternity to the NPP government’s plan, Prof. Peiris emphasised that the civil society, too, had opposed the politically motivated initiative.

Prof. Peiris said that instead of addressing the burning issues affecting the public, the government was creating new problems.

News

Dengue surge pushes hospitals to the brink as cases near 70,000

Published

9 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

A week-long crackdown to begin in 11 districts

Hospitals are coming under mounting pressure as the country’s dengue epidemic gathers pace, with nearly 70,000 infections and 48 deaths reported so far this year, prompting health authorities to launch an intensive week-long mosquito control campaign in 11 districts.

The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) said 69,951 dengue cases had been reported by July 13, with 14,572 new infections recorded during the first 13 days of July alone. June saw the highest monthly caseload of the year, underlining the rapid spread of the mosquito-borne disease during the southwest monsoon.

Acting Director of the NDCU, Dr. Kapila Kannangara, warned that the hospital system was facing severe congestion due to the unprecedented influx of dengue patients.

“We are seeing an alarming increase in admissions. Hospitals are under tremendous pressure, and public cooperation is essential to bring the outbreak under control,” he said, announcing that a special one-week dengue control programme would be implemented across 11 high-risk districts.

Health authorities have identified 175 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions as high-risk dengue zones. Public Health Inspectors will conduct inspections, eliminate mosquito breeding sites and initiate legal action against those maintaining mosquito-infested premises.

The Western Province continues to account for the largest share of infections, with Gampaha and Colombo among the worst-affected districts. Several hospitals are already operating beyond capacity as the number of admissions continues to climb.

Health officials attributed the surge to intermittent rains, poor waste disposal, stagnant water collections and inadequate community participation in vector control programmes.

The Ministry of Health has appealed to local authorities, schools, workplaces, religious institutions and households to inspect their premises regularly, clear blocked drains and roof gutters, cover water storage containers and remove discarded tyres, cans, bottles and other containers capable of collecting rainwater.

Medical experts urged the public not to ignore symptoms such as persistent fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, vomiting, abdominal pain and bleeding manifestations, stressing that early medical treatment is critical in preventing severe dengue and deaths.

Officials emphasised that eliminating mosquito breeding sites remains the single most effective way of controlling dengue, warning that unless communities actively participate, the outbreak could worsen during the ongoing rainy season.

With daily case numbers continuing to rise and hospitals struggling to cope, health authorities said the coming weeks would be crucial in determining whether the country can curb one of its worst dengue outbreaks in recent years.

By Ifham Nizam