News
As country scrapes barrel for seven days to pay, two Russian ships finally unload badly required coal
By Ifham Nizam
The second shipment of coal is scheduled to be unloaded at the Norochcholai Coal Fired Power Plant Complex today despite rough seas; it is the first of the two shipments of 120,000 metric tonnes. However, despite Energy and Power Minister Kanchana Wijesekera’s twitter statement that USD 38 million had been settled as payment for two shipments of 120,000 metric tonnes of coal, only a part of it had been paid for, according to sources.
Fortunately for Sri Lanka both coal shipments had come from Russia, sources said.
Power and Energy Ministry officials said that only USD 14 million had been paid and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) top management was doing its utmost to provide rupees to the Central Bank.
Officials also said that the People’s Bank could not go on providing overdraft to the CEB.
The CEB is very badly hit with daily loses of Rs. 500 million, while being saddled with nearly Rs. 50 billion in unsettled electricity bills of its customers, a senior official said.
Minister officials also said that Minister Wijesekera had held discussions with the Indian High Commission and it was understood that India would help Sri Lanka with further fuel credits.
“Two vessels carrying 120,000 MT of Coal began unloading after the payment of USD 38 million,” Minister Wijesekera maintained.
“With these two vessels the Coal requirement before the monsoon deadline is fulfilled.”
Officials pointed out that the Southwest monsoon was expected next month, and coal could not be unloaded onto barges due to rough seas. Coal could be next imported in September.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka on Monday agreed to pay for ships carrying coal. A senior CEB official stated that the Central Bank had informed that it would provide the required dollars for the ships.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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