News
Boat of Rohingya marooned in South Asian waters for weeks
Nations urged to intervene
Human Rights groups have urged ASEAN member states and other countries, including India, to rescue a boat, carrying nearly 160 Rohingya refugees, who escaped from camps in Bangladesh, and are believed adrift off the coasts of Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Thailand for weeks, foreign media reports said.
Since late November, the vessel has been adrift on the high seas and several passengers have died, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The surviving passengers have no access to drinking water, food or medication.
“Reports indicate those onboard have now remained at sea for a month in dire conditions with insufficient food or water, without any efforts by States in the region to help save human lives,” the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said in a statement. “Many are women and children, with reports of up to 20 people dying on the unseaworthy vessel during the journey.”
Politicians from Southeast Asia have urged ASEAN members and other countries to launch search and rescue operations and allow the disembarkation of the refugees.
“It is disgraceful that a boat filled with men, women, and children in grave danger has been allowed to remain adrift. Neglecting the people on the boat is nothing short of an affront to humanity,” said Eva Sundari, Board Member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), and former Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives.
APHR chairperson and former Malaysia MP Charles Santiago said that the delay in rescuing has caused untold suffering and loss of lives. Human Rights organisation Amnesty has urged India to coordinate and cooperate with other governments on the search and rescue operations of stranded Rohingya refugees.
“We urge the Government of India to urgently coordinate and cooperate with other regional governments on the search and rescue operations of Rohingya refugees who are currently stranded in Indian waters with no medical support, food and water,” the Amnesty International said.
This is not the first time that boats carrying Rohingya refugees have been adrift at sea. On Dec 8, the Vietnamese oil service- Hai Duong 29- rescued 154 people from an adrift boat in the Andaman Sea and handed them to Myanmar’s Navy. Sri Lanka Navy also rescued 104 refugees on December 18 and disembarked at Kankesanturai Harbour.
Originally from Myanmar, Rohingyas have been suffering persecution for decades. After targeted military operations in 2017, they fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. Nearly a million Rohingya are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. There are around 40,000 Rohingya Refugees, including 16,000 registered with UNHRC, in India.
In order to seek a better life in ASEAN countries like Malaysia, many Rohingya refugees take the help of human smugglers to undertake dangerous journeys through the Andaman Sea.
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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