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Eran dismisses budget as highly politicised without any inputs from professionals

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By Saman Indrajith

The 2023 Budget was akin to a castle in the sky and it was unlikely that the government had listened to any smart bureaucrat when preparing it, Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) MP Eran Wickramaratne said in Parliament on Thursday.

“This is a highly politicised budget. This is not realistic at all, and I wished the government listened officials and experts. Sometime back the tax on a kilo of sugar was reduced to 25 cents and this is still the tax we charge. We lose 57 billion in tax because of this alone. What about taxing tobacco, apparently most of the tax income does not go to the government. Therefore, we need a price formula for tobacco,” he said.

Wickramaratne said that tax revenue is important for the government to maintain the welfare state and manage other expenses. However, this should be done scientifically and that steps should be taken to ensure that the government collects what it is due.

“If we implement a proper formula for tax, the state could easily make another 45 billion rupees. If we increase the withholding tax, the government can make another 200 billion. The state can easily make a lot of money by taxing sugar, tobacco and amending withholding tax rates. This won’t really hurt the people a lot too. We spend 56 billion rupees a year on food and uniforms of the security forces. We must work together to overcome this crisis, or we will become another Argentina,” he said.

In response the state minister for finance, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that Sri Lanka for decades has bridged its budget deficits through debt.

“However, we no longer can access debt because we have defaulted. We have to think of new ways to keep going,” he said.



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Heat Index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the North-central and Eastern provinces and in Mannar, Vavuniya and Monaragala districts during the daytime

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Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 08 May 2026, valid for 09 May 2026

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the North-central and Eastern provinces and in Mannar, Vavuniya and Monaragala districts during the daytime

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on the human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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SLPP expresses concern over death of former SriLankan CEO

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Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary, Sagara Kariyawasam, yesterday raised serious concerns over the death of former SriLankan Airlines CEO, Kapila Chandrasena, questioning whether the incident was a suicide, murder, or a case of being compelled to take his own life.

Addressing the media, Kariyawasam claimed that Chandrasena had recently become a controversial figure after allegedly submitting an affidavit to court detailing threats made against him.

According to Kariyawasam, the affidavit stated that Chandrasena had been taken to the office of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), where he was allegedly threatened by its Director General, Ranga Dissanayake.

Kariyawasam alleged that Chandrasena had claimed he was warned to comply with certain demands or face consequences similar to those experienced by another individual, linked to a case involving former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

He also claimed that Chandrasena’s affidavit referred to alleged attempts to implicate former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and MP Namal Rajapaksa in legal proceedings.

Kariyawasam questioned how Chandrasena, who had reportedly been in remand custody, was able to secure two bail guarantors, and called for an immediate investigation into who introduced the guarantors and whether any prison or CIABOC officials had been involved.

He urged the courts to examine CCTV footage and conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the provision of the guarantors.

Claiming that public suspicion surrounding the death was growing, Kariyawasam said the incident could not be dismissed as a straightforward suicide.

He alleged that several recent incidents involving complainants and suspects had raised broader concerns over the rule of law and the protection of suspects’ rights in the country.

Calling for an independent investigation, Kariyawasam urged authorities to disclose the truth to the public, stressing that even suspects are entitled to legal safeguards and protections in a democratic society.

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SC orders fresh notice on Gotabaya in compensation case

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The Supreme Court yesterday directed the petitioning party to take steps to reissue notice to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has been named as a respondent in a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition.

The petition had been filed seeking an order to recover compensation funds allegedly paid unlawfully to former Ministers and Members of Parliament whose houses were set on fire or damaged during the countrywide violence that erupted following the purported attack on the “Aragalaya” protest site on May 9, 2022.

The Supreme Court issued this order during the hearing of the Fundamental Rights petition, which was filed seeking a declaration that the payment of such compensation was unlawful.

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