News
AAC launches road safety campaign focusing on using mobile phones while driving
The Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC) the largest motoring organization in the country advocating Road Safety in Sri Lanka has launched a new concept to improve the quality of driving by introducing awareness among motorists on the danger of “distracted driving” using mobile phones while driving on the theme “Drive in the Moment”.
A press conference publicizing this initiative was held in the AAC Auditorium recently. The Association with the assistance of FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile – FIA) Grant Program has participated in the UN Decade of Action since year 2010 to reduce road fatalities and injuries. But police statistics show that the accident rate and road fatalities here have increased annually.
The AAC has identified that driving under the influence of liquor and the widespread use of mobile phone while driving was a major contributor to increasing traffic violations in Colombo and in the suburbs.
In an effort to combat this, the Association together with the National Council for Road Safety and the police have begun a driver education program under the slogan “Don’t Drive Blind” to minimize bad driving habits. It is proposed to educate not only motorists but also the general public about the dangers of using mobile phones while driving or even walking on the road, an AAC news release said.
FIA is supporting the AAC’s the Road Safety Project for this year on the theme “Distracted Driving”. This strives to create awareness of the danger of using mobile phones while driving. The Association plans to gather data and create a platform to reduce in-vehicle mobile phone use specially, among young drivers.
The Association urges Lankan drivers to join in this mission of reducing mobile phone use while driving by taking its quiz at https://driveinthemoment.ord/lk/ and answer few questions to correct driving errors.
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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