News
China, Lanka in upbeat mood
Colombo seeks Beijing’s help to boost foreign investment
China and Sri Lanka yesterday (28) reiterated their commitment to building stronger relations between the two nations, during separate talks the visiting Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe had with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
A brief communique issued by the President’s Media Division quoted General Fenghe as having said that bilateral discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa were extremely fruitful and the relations were further strengthened by the visit.
Chinese Ambassador in Colombo Qi Zhenhong, Deputy Chief of staff of Joint Staff Department under the China’s Central Military Commission Lieutenant General Shao Yuanming, Major General Ci Guowei and Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera participated in the discussion.
A top-level delegation led by the Chinese Defence Minister arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Tuesday night (27). Defence Secretary Gen (retd.) Kamal Gunaratne, Army Commander Gen. Shavendra Silva, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne and Air Force Chief of Staff Air Vice Marshal Prasanna Payoe welcomed the delegation. Ambassador Qi Zhenhong, too, was there to welcome the delegation.
At the onset of talks with General Fenghe, Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa appreciated China going ahead with the visit in spite of the fresh Covid-19 eruption. Having thanked China for donating 600,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine and Personal Protective Equipment, PM Rajapaksa assured that in spite of the increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, the Government wouldn’t declare countrywide lockdowns due to the impact such lockdowns would have on the economy and society.
The Prime Minister’s Office quoted the PM as having told General Fenghe: “I’m sure you’ll agree that there is still a lot that needs to be done for post-pandemic economic recovery. One of our main priorities in this effort is to attract investments from around the world. I look forward to your support in rebuilding investor confidence in Sri Lanka.”
Among those ministers present were Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris.
Both statements issued by the President’s Office and the Prime Minister’s didn’t make reference to the biggest China funded project in Sri Lanka, Colombo Port City.
The Supreme Court over a period of five days beginning April 19 heard 19 petitions filed against the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill. The SC is expected to inform the President and the Speaker of its ruling soon, as per constitutional requirements.
General Fenghe’s visit follows high level talks senior Chinese leader and top foreign policy official Yang Jiechi had in Colombo in the third week of October 2020. Jiechi was followed by then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who asked Sri Lanka to decide whether it wanted to continue relationship with China as if in an ultimatum. (SF)
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.
The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.
Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
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Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.
The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.
According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.
Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.
The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.
In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.
The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.
The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.
Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.
By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️
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