News
Economic Transformation Bill endorsed by Speaker
The Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardanaendorsed the certificate on the Bill titled “Economic Transformation Bill” on Friday (09.08.2024).
The Bill with the objective of providing provisions for National Policy on Economic Transformation, was presented to Parliament on the 22nd of May 2024. Thereafter, on the 25th of July 2024, the debate of the Second Reading for the Bill was held in Parliament. The Bill was passed in Parliament with amendments and without a vote.
Accordingly, this Bill will be known as the Economic Transformation Act No. 45 of 2024.
Director General of the National Transport Commission (NTC), Nilan Miranda, yesterday said that bus fares wouldn’t be increased, in spite of a hike in diesel price.
Fuel prices were substantially increased at midnight Monday (09).
Miranda said that there wouldn’t be revision of bus fares for the time being. The revised fuel rates are as follows:
Auto Diesel – Rs. 303 (increased by Rs. 22)
Super Diesel – Rs. 353 (increased by Rs. 24)
Petrol 92 Octane – Rs. 317 (increased by Rs. 24)
Petrol 95 Octane – Rs. 365 (increased by Rs. 25)
Kerosene – Rs. 195 (increased by Rs. 13)
The Navy took into custody two suspects and 18 dinghies loaded with illegally mined sand during a search operation conducted on 06 Mar 26, near the Upparu Bridge along the Mahaweli River in Trincomalee, navy said.
The operation was carried out by personnel from SLNS Gokanna, belonging to the Eastern Naval Command. They detected the suspicious dinghies as part of their efforts to curb unauthorised sand mining activities.
The suspects were identified as residents of Kinniya. They along with the dinghies and illegally mined sand were handed over to the Kinniya Police Station for further investigation and necessary legal action.
The Customs yesterday thwarted an attempt by a Canadian couple to smuggle in a consignment of ‘Kush’ cannabis into the country through the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) at Katunayake.
The estimated street value of the seized consignment of ‘Kush’ is around Rs. 32.15 million, Customs sources said.
Responding to The Island queries, sources identified the apprehended couple as a 25-year-old man and his 29-year-old wife, from the Alberta region in Canada. Sources said that the man is an employee of a private security firm in Canada.
The couple had arrived at the BIA at around 10.45 a.m. yesterday morning aboard SriLankan Airlines flight UL-403 from Bangkok, Thailand.
During routine examination, Customs officers found 32 kilograms and 159 grams of ‘Kush’ cannabis concealed inside 23 sealed packets hidden in two pieces of their luggage.
Sources said that the suspects, along with the seized narcotics, were handed over to officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) at the BIA for further investigations.
No increase in bus fares for time being
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Navy takes into custody two suspects and 18 dinghies with illegally mined sand
Drug smuggling bid foiled, Canadian couple arrested
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