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Debt crisis: 33 NGOs target some creditors

Published

4 years ago

2022/09/8

By Ifham Nizam

Thirty three orgnisations yesterday joined hands urging the government to `Cancel Illegitimate Debt of Sri Lanka’, obviously referring to borrowings from China and other creditors.

Representatives hinted that due to whims and fancies of some political giants, the Central Bank top brass is also facing numerous pressures from all quarters.

Senior Environmental Scientist Hemantha Withanage stressed that transparency is of paramount importance when taking loans. At least when taking such loans, it should be discussed in parliament.

However, he said that successive governments had failed and often been on the path of illegitimate debt, criminal debt or unfair debts.

He said that although all the Debt, Sri Lanka owes is taken by the democratically elected governments, they may have not spent in a transparent way.

Some of the projects implemented with loans have created many social and environmental impacts. Some projects have not achieved any ground work even though money is borrowed and spent or Costs are exaggerated, he added.

“These loans would do nothing for the development or progress of the country,” he told a media briefing yesterday in Colombo citing many examples, particularly how four billion rupees were allocated for a Chinese company with regard to the Nilwala and Gin Ganga Project.

He said that two billion rupees have gone missing according to the Auditor General’s report on the Lotus Tower Project.

Withanage also said that the current crisis in Sri Lanka is food, fuel, medicine and other essentials

causing severe scarcity of materials, thereby pushing more people into deep poverty.

He said that for some nine million of Sri Lanka’s population getting food and drink every day is becoming impossible.

“The worst consequences of the current economic crisis and solutions to it, the poorest sections of the country have to experience. Those people will be more affected by the plans presented by the government. We are afraid of being burdened with unbearable and illegitimate (illegal) debt,

Claiming to have the cooperation of the people of all the other countries, the people of Sri Lanka has designated tomorrow as the protest day for “Illegitimate Debt”, they said

Thilak Kariyawasam of FIAN Sri Lanka said that Colombo Port City is a similar questionable project in Sri Lanka which is claimed to be developed as a financial hub. The land reclamation stage has been completed.

Colombo Port city construction was begun arbitrarily without having a genuine Environmental Impact Assessment study or feasibility study and against the public opinion.

“Although they have done some EIA studies at a later stage, the intention was only to justify the ongoing construction. Relevant government agencies have denied access to the Tri Party agreement between China and Sri Lanka to date,” he added.

Withanage also said that the project cost is estimated at USD 1.35 billion, and the construction was started in 2012 by China Harbour Corporation and the proposed year of completion is 2045.

The project used almost USD 4 billion worth of sea sand and rocks that comes from Sri Lanka’s natural resources free of charge.

According to the auditor General’s report “A sum of Rs. 625,731,680 had been deprived of to the Bureau due to the failure in obtaining the fee of Rs. 68,000,000 relating to the license no. IML/A/HO/8328 dated 16 September 2014 issued to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority for mining sea sand for the Port City and failure to taking action to recover the royalty of Rs. 557,731,680 recoverable for 3,485,823 cubes of sea sand mined prior to the year 2016, recoverable in terms of Section 35 and 44 of the Mines and Minerals Act, No.33 of 1992.

Movement of Land and Agriculture Reforms (MONLAR) Executive Director Chinthana Rajapakse, activist Herman Kumara of the National Fisheries Cooperation (NAFSO), and Law and Society Trust (LST) Sadun Tudugala also spoke

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Thileepan rembered on 39th death anniversary

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/26

Priyan

(Pic by PRIYAN DE SILVA)

A commemorative service was held in memory of Rasaiah Parthipan commonly known by the nom de guerre ‘Thileepan’ in Nallur Jaffna this morning (26).

Parthipan a revolutionary member of the LTTE and a student of the University of Jaffna, commenced a hunger strike on 15th September 1987 untill his death on 26th September 1987. He was 23 years old at the time of his demise.

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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura

Published

19 hours ago

2026/09/26

Priyan

The National Building Research Institute has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 16:00 hrs on 25.09.2026 To 16:00 hrs on 26.09.2026

Accordingly,
LEVEL III [RED] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Neluwa, Nagoda, Niyagama and Thawalama inthe Galle district, Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa and Pasbage Korale in the Kandy district, and Kothmale West, Ambagamuwa, Kotmale East and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL II [AMBER] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Elpitiya, Baddegama and Karandeniya in the Galle district, Walallawita in the Kalutara district, Deltota, Udunuwara, Gangawata Korale, Yatinuwara and Panvila in the Kandy district, Aranayake, Dehiowita, Mawanella, Deraniyagala and Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district, Thalawakelle in the Nuwara Eliya district and Ratnapura and Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura district.

LEVEL I [YELLOW] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colombo district, Attanagalla and Mirigama in the Gampaha district, Katuwana and Walasmulla in the Hambanthota district, Ingiriya and Bulathsinhala in the Kalutara district, Hatharaliyadda, Poojapitiya, Medadumbara, Kundasale, Ududumbara, Thumpane, Akurana, Pathadumbara, Harispattuwa and Pathahewaheta in the Kandy district, Warakapola, Bulathkohupitiya, Galigamuwa, Kegalle and Ruwanwella in the Kegalle district, Mallawapitiya, Alawwa, Polgahawela and Mawathagama in the Kegalle district, Pitabeddara, Kotapola and Pasgoda in the Matara district, Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Elapatha, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Kuruwita and Kalawana in the Ratnapura district

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22A, Judicature Amendment Bills passed with 2/3 majority

Published

21 hours ago

2026/09/26

Thilina Walpola

Parliament yesterday passed the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill with two-thirds majorities, with 158 MPs voting in favour and 63 against each Bill.

The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) voted with the SJB against the Bills.

NDF MPs Ravi Karunanayake and Faizer Musthapha and SJB Badulla District MP Nayana Wasalathilaka were not present when the votes were taken.

The final vote on the Judicature (Amendment) Bill was announced at around 8.08 p.m. after Opposition MPs called for divisions on its clauses during the Committee Stage.

The votes followed a two-day debate which commenced on Thursday (24), after Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the Bills for their Second Reading.

The Supreme Court’s determination on the Bills was presented to Parliament on Tuesday (22) by Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne. The Court determined that the 22nd Amendment Bill did not require approval at a referendum and could be passed by a special two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The amendment provides for raising the mandatory retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 and that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65. It also provides for the Chief Justice to retire at 67 or after completing six years in office, whichever comes earlier.

The Speaker informed Parliament that the Judicature (Amendment) Bill could be passed by a simple majority.

The SJB opposed the legislation and its MPs attended Parliament dressed in black yesterday. The party also staged a protest at Polduwa Junction, Battaramulla, under the theme “No to 22, which destroys democracy”, with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several SJB politicians participating.