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Excise Chief orders liquor manufacturers to install CCTV cameras by 30 Sept.

Published

3 years ago

2023/09/1

But unions say Madras Security Printer the number one culprit

Excise Commissioner General Saman Jayasinghe has ordered liquor manufacturing companies to install CCTV cameras by 30 Sept., in their factories allowing centralised observation by the Excise officials as a measure to prevent the use of forged revenue stickers on bottles of liquor. He has warned that noncompliance would lead to the cancellation of their licences.

The directive was given by Jayasinghe during a meeting with the heads of liquor producing companies at the Excise Headquarters at Rajagiriya on Monday.Jayasinghe told the liquor manufacturers that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had personally instructed him that severe action should be taken against those involved in forged sticker scam irrespective of their position and rank in the Department.

President Wickremesinghe had pointed out that this scam cannot go on without the knowledge of both liquor producers and retail sellers and their actions continue to drain the excise revenue due to the government, Jayasinghe said.

Meanwhile, the Unity of Excise Trade Unions issuing a statement following the directive of Excise Commissioner General said that the responsibility for the crisis caused by the forged revenue stickers should be apportioned on few Excise officers and the Madras Security Printers who supply the stickers to the Department to be distributed among the liquor producers. “It is our understanding that not all the Excise Department officials should be held responsible for this scam. There are a handful of senior officers who protect the MSP continuing with the supply of these stickers.

Even if the Excise officers seize liquor bottles with forged stickers, the MSP has not provided the department with the technology needed for subsequent legal processes. The agreement with the MSP was finalised during the Yahapalana rule in 2019 but the date of commencement is considered as Jan 03, 2022 so that the agreement is to continue till Jan 02, 2027. Since 2019, the MSP sympathizers put the blame on excise officers while a huge sum of money being taken to India, because the MSP charges 5.99 USD for 1,000 stickers whether they are paper or digital,” the statement signed by Nirosh Jayakody, Co-Secretary of the Unity said.

It said that the MSP is a blacklisted Indian company for notorious violations of agreements and contracts with many countries around the world. “We are aware of the invisible hand that made it possible for the entering of this contract with the MSP and we are ready to reveal the names and positions of those who were involved in this affair. Cause of most problems pertaining to the fool-proof revenue stickers was the MSP’s dubious conduct and its ability to get away without accountability,” Jayakody said, adding that the Unity may be compelled to make many revelations in the coming days if those with vested interests continue to hold excise officials responsible for the revenue sticker scam.

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Cabinet aporives recruitment of Nursing Instructors for Nursing Schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media on Contract Basis

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

There are 17 nursing schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media including the postgraduate primary nursing school.

There are 142 vacancies in the posts of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) as on 31.03.2026 in those schools while 24 officers are to be promoted to the special grade on 31.12.2025 owing to the vacancies existing in the post of Special
Grade Nursing Officer (Education). Therefore, the number of vacancies is to be 166.

In addition, there are 24 vacancies in the post of Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).

Although at present action has been taken to upgrade the nursing schools to nursing colleges and upgrade the nursing diploma course to nursing degree course, no action has been taken so far to carry out recruitment for the training relevant to the appointment for the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to recruit retired nursing instructors and nursing instructors who served in the nursing schools belonging to the three armed forces and are retired or have resigned legitimately from service to the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) on contract basis.

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Signing agreement for the establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Sri Lanka

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

It has been decided to establish a BIMSTEC technology transfer facility in Sri Lanka by entering into a Host Country Agreement at the second leaders’ summit of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) held in New Delhi, India, in 2008, with the objective of enhancing regional cooperation.

The relevant cooperation agreement was signed by the member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC summit on 30-03-2022 in Colombo.
The prime objective of this technology transfer facility is to provide technology, capacity building, and management of intellectual property for the micro, small, and medium-scale
enterprises of the BIMSTEC member countries.

According to the cooperation agreement, an agreement should be entered into between Sri Lanka, as the host country, and BIMSTEC Secretariat for formalizing the legal status, privileges, and immunities of the technology transfer facility.

The drafted agreement has received the relevant institutional approval and legal clearance.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Science and Technology to sign the proposed agreement.

News

The cabinet approves agreement on mutual legal cooperation in criminal matters between the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 11-12-2023 to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka regarding mutual cooperation
in criminal matters.

However, according to the aforementioned approval, the relevant agreement could not be signed between both parties.

Through this agreement, opportunities will be provided
for mutual assistance to other countries in handing over judicial documents and collecting evidence for the use of criminal case matters.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution provided by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate in criminal matters.