News
Hashim had phone conversation with suicide bomber’s brother two days prior to carnage, PCoI told
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Former minister Kabir Hashim had had a telephone conversation, two days before the Easter Sunday attacks, with Abdul Latheef Hakeem Mohamed, brother of Abdul Latheef Jameel Mohamed, who blew himself up at Tropical Inn lodge, in Dehiwala, the Attorney General’s Department revealed, on Thursday, before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.
The call had lasted for 147 seconds, the AG’s representative said.
The Senior State Counsel (SSC), who led evidence asked the witness Kabir Hashim whether he had received a call from one of the suicide bombers two days before the attack.
“I was summoned to the CID in December 2019 and I was told I had received a 147-second call from a man named Hakeem two days before the Easter attack. At that point I said I did not remember. I was then told Hakeem was the brother of the man who blew himself up at Tropical Inn lodge in Dehiwala.”
However, Hashim said that he did not remember receiving such a phone call. The Commission also drew his attention to the vandalising of Buddha statues in Mawanella area during the period December 23 to 26, 2018 and the attempt to kill his Coordinating Secretary, Mohammad Tasleem in early 2019. Tasleem had tipped off investigating officers about extremists and it was with his information that CID discovered explosives at the Jihadist training camp in Wanathawilluwa.
Hashim said that he had got Tasleem to assist the CID in its investigations into Islamic extremism.
“Only people who knew that Tasleem was helping in the investigations were CID officers and I. However someone shot Thasleem after the Wanathawilluwa operation and I informed the Cabinet of ministers of this. I also pointed out that it was a threat to my life as well.”
Former President Maithripala Sirisena had then informed Hashim that he would be invited to the National Security Council (NSC) one day, because it was important for national security.
“However I was not invited to the NSC,” Hashim said.
As per the provisions of section 51 of the Public Finance Managaement Act No. 44 of 2024, the public should be issued with a report on the final budgetary situation for each year and, the report is then published in the official website of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
Thereby the report has to be submitted to the Parliament. The final budgetary situation report (Annual Report) – 2025 has been prepared by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and published. The report contains the Public Finance Policy, strategies and challenges, economic trends in 2025, macro – economic and socio – economic indicators covering all sectors of the economy as well as description on the global economic growth.
Furthermore, it accompanies a detailed description government revenue and expenditure, cash flow management, financing the budget deficit and the loan structure.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to submit the Report on the Final Budgetary Condition (Annual Report) – 2025 to Parliament.
Business
Cabinet nod to accept increased Loan Grant provided by the Asian Development Bank under Policy Based Loan Facilities – 2026
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 16.03.2026 to obtain United States Dollars 380 million from the policy – based loan facilities of the Asian Development Bank in the year 2026.
United States Dollars 100 million out of it is allocated for Trade, Investment and Industries Development Programme – Sub Programme 1. However, amidst the economic uncertainty resulting from the current Middle East crisis and the climatic tragedies, the Asian Development Bank has agreed to assist
by increasing a supplementary financing package of United States Dollars 100 million so that it will beMincreased up to United States Dollars 200 million.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to take further measures to obtain the said loan grant.
News
Submission of Revenue Protection Order Prepared under the Provisions of the Revenue Protection Act No. 19 of 1962 to the Parliament for its approval.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was given at the meeting held on 23.02.2026 to impose the custom import duty amounts under four (04) categories as 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% which had been executed only under three (03) categories in order to increase the target export income of the country, to execute the
recommendations of the national customs duty policies committee, and to implement new national sub division customs codes for promoting the local agricultural and industrial sector.
Imposing provisions in relation to the above, the Revenue Protection Order – No. 01/2026 under the Revenue Protection Act No. 19 of 1962 has been published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2478/03 of 03.03.2026.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to submit the said revenue protection order to Parliament for its concurrence.
Report on the Final Budgetary Condition (Annual Report) – 2025 submited to parliament
Cabinet nod to accept increased Loan Grant provided by the Asian Development Bank under Policy Based Loan Facilities – 2026
Submission of Revenue Protection Order Prepared under the Provisions of the Revenue Protection Act No. 19 of 1962 to the Parliament for its approval.
Resettlement of unauthorized settlers affected by the Land Acquisition process for the implementation of Phase III of the Baseline Road Extension Project
Cabinet approves project to modernize school hostel facilities during the 2026–2028 period at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,008 million
New National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Management to be drafted
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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