President Anura Kumara Disanayake convened a high-level meeting on Friday (28) at the Presidential Secretariat with senior officials from the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, as well as the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing.

During the discussion, the President instructed the relevant officials to expedite the construction of the Mirigama-Kadawatha section of the Central Expressway.

The meeting also focused on the Colombo Port Access Elevated Highway project, with deliberations on strategies to swiftly integrate its benefits into the national economy. Furthermore, the meeting also explored both short-term and long-term solutions to address associated challenges.

Addressing the urgent need to mitigate traffic congestion in Colombo, discussions centred on upgrading the railway system and standardizing bus and road transportation service. The implementation of a pilot project in the Colombo District was proposed as an initial step toward these improvements.

Furthermore, discussions were held regarding the development of multimodal transport hubs in Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala and Moratuwa, aimed at improving urban mobility and streamlining public transportation.

The meeting also included extensive discussions on identifying underutilized lands belonging to the Railway Department that do not contribute to the national economy and implementing proper management strategies to optimize their use.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Urban Development, Construction, and Housing Anura Karunatilaka, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Gunasena, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and other senior officials from the relevant Ministries.

Religious and civil society leaders have called upon Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera to share whatever information he claims to possess with regard to the Easter Sunday terror attacks and their masterminds.

Addressing the media at the Centre for Society and Religion in Colombo, Lawyer Manoj Nanayakkara said Ven. Gnanasara Thera claimed to have information related to the terror attacks and the masterminds behind them.

“The question is why he does not go to the law enforcement agencies and share the information he claims to possess. There is no purpose in making such statements at press conferences. As a citizen, his duty is to share this information with the investigating authorities. Therefore, we believe that Gnanasara Thera is engaging in a political ploy at the behest of someone else. He should be aware that intentionally withholding information about a brutal massacre and failing to share it with the investigating authorities is an offense punishable under the Penal Code,” Nanayakkara said.

Nanayakkara mentioned that 71 months had passed since the Easter Sunday attacks, yet justice has not been served for the victims.

He called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to begin implementing the recommendations outlined in the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry that investigated the Easter Sunday terror attacks, without further delay.

“We are approaching the sixth anniversary of this heinous crime, which claimed nearly 275 lives and injured twice as many others. President Dissanayake promised to conduct a fresh investigation into this crime. In the meantime, he could implement the recommendations of the Special Presidential Commission that probed the Easter Sunday terror attacks. This would demonstrate that the current government is keeping its word to deliver justice to the victims,” Nanayakkara said.

Rev. Fr. Julian Patric Perera, Rector of St. Joseph Vaz Deva Dharma Niketanaya, also addressed the press conference.

By Norman Palihawadane

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the economic recovery is gaining momentum in Sri Lanka but it remains vulnerable, making it critical that the reform momentum be sustained to ensure that macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability are durably achieved.

Speaking during the IMF’s weekly press briefing, IMF Spokesperson Julie Kozack stated that the fourth tranche of $334 million was made available to Sri Lanka to support its economic policies and reforms, immediately after the Executive Board approved the Third Review.

“On Friday, February 28th, the IMF Executive Board approved the Third Review under the EFF (Extended Fund Facility) arrangement for Sri Lanka. And this provided the country with immediate access to $334 million of support.”

“So, yes, once the Board approved that Third Review, the $334 million was made available to Sri Lanka to support its economic policies and reforms.  And with this $334 million, it brings total financial support from the IMF to Sri Lanka to $1.34 billion”, Kozack confirmed.

Furthermore, the IMF Spokesperson said that reforms in Sri Lanka are bearing fruit and that the economic recovery is gaining momentum.

She noted that inflation remains low in Sri Lanka, revenue collection on the fiscal side is improving, and international reserves are continuing to accumulate.

Economic growth reached 5 percent in 2024, and that was after two years of economic contraction, she added, highlighting that the IMF do expect the recovery to continue in 2025.

“These are all very positive developments for Sri Lanka and for the people of Sri Lanka”, Kozack expressed.

Meanwhile, the IMF Spokesperson also mentioned: “All of this said, the economy still does remain vulnerable, and, therefore, it is critical that the reform momentum be sustained to ensure that macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability are durably achieved.”

In response to a question raised by a journalist on the IMF’s take on the proposal to list Sri Lanka’s State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in the Colombo Stock Exchange given that the programme also calls for extensive reforms in SEOs, Kozack denied a comment, stating, “I don’t have anything for you on that regarding the SOEs, but we’ll come back to you bilaterally.”