News
FAO and China launch US $1.5 Mn project to strengthen fruit value chains in Lanka
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) initiated a 1.5 million USD project via funding from China as part of the South-South Cooperation (SSC) program, to improve the quality and value of Sri Lankan fruits in the global market by improving the production and commercialization of fruit value-chains in Sri Lanka.
The project initiation was marked with a workshop held in Colombo. The interventions, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, will focus on practical field-based training programmes including the establishment of model fruit farms, and improving post-harvest handling, marketing, and commercialization of the selected fruit varieties. The project which will be implemented in Kalutara, Gampaha, Monaragala, Anuradhapura, and Kilinochchi districts will focus on productivity, production, and commercialization of the fruit value-chains of three main Sri Lankan fruit crops – banana, mango, and pineapple.
Director of FAO’s South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division, Anping Ye appreciated the strong support by the Chinese government and the concerted efforts made by all stakeholders in the project preparation and implementation. He also highlighted the important role of national ownership and strong leadership of the Government for the project success.
A team of nine Chinese technical experts have begun working alongside their counterparts from the Fruit Research Development Institute (FRDI) and the National Institute of Post-Harvest Management (NIPHM) of Sri Lanka to implement the program over the next two and a half years.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Director General of the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center (FECC) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), Lin Huifang, said the South-South Cooperation provides a fantastic approach to build partnerships. She asked the expert team to comply with the Tripartite Agreement (TPA) and give their best performance in providing technical support to Sri Lanka.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Shiromani Edirimanne, Additional Secretary (Agri-technology), of the Ministry of Agriculture said, “This project has been designed to address the present issues of Sri Lanka’s fruit value chains through consultations with all relevant partners. This program represents a significant milestone in the development of Sri Lanka’s fruit production sector and is a testament to the strong partnership between Sri Lanka and China through FAO Sri Lanka.”
“All stakeholders including farmers, processors, and traders have a shared interest in improving the quality of fruit produced in Sri Lanka. Prioritizing interventions such as these will lead to more efficient, resilient, and sustainable fruit value chains that are able to withstand not only environmental shocks but market uncertainties as well,’ FAO’s Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Vimlendra Sharan said speaking at the event.
Sri Lanka has a rich diversity of fruits with approximately 100 edible fruit crops. However, the fruit sector remains underdeveloped. As a result, the sector suffers from poor cultivation and high post-harvest losses leading to low yield and inadequate adherence to international quality standards. This project aims to address such concerns and strengthen the fruit value chains in the domestic as well as export markets.
COPF final report on USD 2.5 mn cyber fraud recommends action against all responsible
The US$2.5 million loss incurred during Sri Lanka’s foreign debt repayment to Australia was a clear case of a cybercrime and theft, Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva told Parliament yesterday.
Presenting the COPF final report on the cyber fraud, Dr. de Silva said the incident amounted to a serious financial crime and called for a comprehensive investigation, by law enforcement authorities, to identify and prosecute all those responsible.
The report revealed serious governance, procedural and operational failures that enabled the fraudulent transfer of public funds, while recommending sweeping reforms to strengthen cybersecurity, financial controls and public debt management systems.
According to the report, officials of the Treasury and the Central Bank bore responsibility for governance lapses that contributed to the failures. It also highlighted the fact that the Ministry of Finance was operating an outdated Microsoft Exchange Server after security support had ended, while basic safeguards, such as multi-factor authentication, had not been implemented.
The COPF said suspicious payment instructions linked to debt repayments involving India, the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium had also been detected, preventing further losses. However, the US$ 2.5 million fraud materialised only in the repayment transaction involving Australia.
The report has noted that officials had failed to verify lender email domains, relied on unverified email communications and lacked adequate internal controls, allowing the fraud to continue for months.
Although the investigation uncovered system-wide weaknesses across several institutions, only four mid-level Finance Ministry officials had been suspended so far, the report said.
The COPF has recommended a special audit of the foreign debt repayment process, strengthened cybersecurity measures across state institutions, updated financial regulations and improvements to public debt management systems.
by Saman Indrajith
News
Opposition signs no-confidence motion against Justice Minister for dereliction of duty over Negombo Prison deaths
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, together with Opposition MPs, yesterday signed a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) in Parliament against Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara.The move comes in response to the unrest at the Negombo Prison, where both prison officers and inmates were killed.
Opposition members said the Minister had failed to fulfill his responsibility and accountability regarding their safety.According to the Opposition group, the NCM seeks to hold the Minister directly accountable for lapses in ensuring protection within the prison system.
The Attorney General yesterday informed the Supreme Court that the government has decided to review the legality of agreements entered into by the previous administration to hand over the country’s electronic visa issuance operations to private companies.
Additional Solicitor General Viveka Siriwardena, appearing for the Attorney General, made the submission when the Supreme Court took up the fundamental rights petitions filed by former MPs President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, Patali Champika Ranawaka, and Rauff Hakeem, challenging the previous Cabinet’s decision to outsource the e-visa system.
The petitions were heard before a three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli and Arjuna Obeyesekere.
The Additional Solicitor General informed court that the current Cabinet had appointed a subcommittee to examine the legality of the agreements with the private companies and requested time to report on its findings, stating that the review was still underway.
President’s Counsel Sumanthiran, appearing as one of the petitioners, told the court that although the present government had indicated its intention to cancel the transaction, the petitioners wished to proceed with the case.
He noted that members of the current Cabinet had been named as respondents in the petitions.The Supreme Court directed the petitioners to issue notice on the members of the current Cabinet, named as respondents, and fixed September 29 for further proceedings.
Spain leave it late to book semifinal date with France
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US$ 2.5 mn cyber heist exposes system failures
Opposition signs no-confidence motion against Justice Minister for dereliction of duty over Negombo Prison deaths
AG informs SC of e-visa agreement review
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