News
Former Defence Secy. contradicts ex-SIS chief: Any cop can make arrests
By Rathindra Kuruwita
All Police officers were considered peace officers, according to the Criminal Procedure Code and they were authorised to arrest individuals who commited offences, former Defence Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne, on Tuesday, told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.
Waidyaratne made the above observation when he was asked by Commissioners about former SIS Director SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena’s statement on arresting individuals. SDIG Jayawardena earlier told the PCoI that the SIS could not arrest individuals and that the SIS was performing a civilian job.
Waidyaratne said that the former SIS Director was repeating a traditional view held by intelligence officers but according to the law all police officers were authorised to arrest individuals.
During his tenure as the Defence Secretary he had not received any weekly intelligence report from the former SIS Director, Waidyaratne said.
“When I was questioned by Commission’s police unit they showed me 18 intelligence reports that were supposed to be weekly intelligence reports. However I remember that I had only signed three intelligence reports during my tenure as the Defence Secretary,” he said.
Earlier the former SIS Director said he had sent 40 weekly intelligence reports to Waidyaratne during the latter’ss tenure as the Defence Secretary.
News
Amendment of the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted at their meeting held on 19.05.2025 in order to introduce amendments to the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017 including the proposed tax revisions to enhance the tax structure paving way for state financial integrity based on revenue.
Accordingly, the revised draft bill has been prepared by the legal draftsman and clearance of the Attorney General has been received.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for
the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Policy Planning and Economic Development to publish the aforementioned draft bill in the government gazette notification and subsequently, forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
News
Cabinet nod for “National Mineral Policy” – 2026
The National Mineral Policy was prepared for the first time in the year 1999, and the aforementioned policy has been amended in 2023 to cover matters such as preparing an updated data system related to mineral resources, adding value to the export of minerals, encouraging mineral-related industrialists, extracting mineral resources and managing the environment sustainably, and resolving the issues related to the ownership of the land arising in extracting mineral resources.
The revised National Mineral Policy has been reupdated in line with the manifesto “A Sustainable Resource Utilization – Generation of the Highest Benefit” under the policy statement of the current government” A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life.”
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution presented by the Minister of Industries and
Entrepreneurship to implement the so-formulated “National Mineral Policy—2026.”
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