News
Interim relief will cause havoc counsel for gas company maintains
By Chitra Weerarathne
Additional Solicitor General, Farzana Jameel, PC said that the Consumer Affairs Authority had been directed to recall the old cylinders of gas from the market and to introduce new cylinders with a new colour wrap in future.
Nagananda Kodituwakku told the Court of Appeal that the day before yesterday a mother of four children had died. Public safety should be taken into account. The Attorney General should not be allowed to abuse his office.
Attorney-at-Law Harsha Amarasekera, PC said that the petition filed against the LP gas companies, did not give a proper picture.
The Court questioned whether the gas producing institutions would introduce a label indicating the composition of the gas, etc.
HAmarasekera replied that he needed to get instructions from his clients on that subject. He appeared for the producers of Litro Gas Pvt. Limited. He explained that a chemical was to be introduced to the LP gas so that a smell would emanate if there was any leak. Incidents of accidents this year were less than last year.
Social media have highlighted the events.
The President had instructed the police to produce a report on incidents of explosions, counsel Amarasekera said.
The Counsel asked for time to ascertain the composition of the LP gas as regards propane and methane.
Additional Solicitor General Farzana Jameel, PC said that directions had been given by the authorities to recall old sealed cylinders from the market. The Consumer Affairs Authority would have a new colour wrap on the cylinders in the future.
The Committee appointed by the President had submitted the report on the issue, Counsel Amarasekera said.
Petitioner Naganada Kodituwakku said that the Minister himself had admitted in Parliament there was a danger to people. The composition in Litro Gas containers was wrong as regards propane-butane ratio.
The petitioner requested for interim relief against the distribution of cylinders of gas.
Amarasekera PC said that the interim relief sought by Kodituwakku would create havoc. The Government Analyst had said that most of the media reports as regards the composition and explosion were false.
The petitioner was asking for interim relief only to get publicity and not to protect the people, counsel Amarasekera alleged.
Interim relief would affect everyone using gas. Only a very small percentage of gas consumers had been injured, he added.
Counsel Suren de Silva appearing for Laugfs Gas Pvt. Limited said that social media had created havoc. The problem was not with the composition of the gas, not even with the cylinders, but might be with the new accessories introduced.
The bench comprised Justice K. Priyantha Fernando (President of the Court of Appeal) and Justice Sampath B. Abeykoon.
Hearing is to be resumed today (15).
As per the provisions of section 51 of the Public Finance Managaement Act No. 44 of 2024, the public should be issued with a report on the final budgetary situation for each year and, the report is then published in the official website of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
Thereby the report has to be submitted to the Parliament. The final budgetary situation report (Annual Report) – 2025 has been prepared by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and published. The report contains the Public Finance Policy, strategies and challenges, economic trends in 2025, macro – economic and socio – economic indicators covering all sectors of the economy as well as description on the global economic growth.
Furthermore, it accompanies a detailed description government revenue and expenditure, cash flow management, financing the budget deficit and the loan structure.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to submit the Report on the Final Budgetary Condition (Annual Report) – 2025 to Parliament.
Business
Cabinet nod to accept increased Loan Grant provided by the Asian Development Bank under Policy Based Loan Facilities – 2026
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 16.03.2026 to obtain United States Dollars 380 million from the policy – based loan facilities of the Asian Development Bank in the year 2026.
United States Dollars 100 million out of it is allocated for Trade, Investment and Industries Development Programme – Sub Programme 1. However, amidst the economic uncertainty resulting from the current Middle East crisis and the climatic tragedies, the Asian Development Bank has agreed to assist
by increasing a supplementary financing package of United States Dollars 100 million so that it will beMincreased up to United States Dollars 200 million.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to take further measures to obtain the said loan grant.
News
Submission of Revenue Protection Order Prepared under the Provisions of the Revenue Protection Act No. 19 of 1962 to the Parliament for its approval.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was given at the meeting held on 23.02.2026 to impose the custom import duty amounts under four (04) categories as 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% which had been executed only under three (03) categories in order to increase the target export income of the country, to execute the
recommendations of the national customs duty policies committee, and to implement new national sub division customs codes for promoting the local agricultural and industrial sector.
Imposing provisions in relation to the above, the Revenue Protection Order – No. 01/2026 under the Revenue Protection Act No. 19 of 1962 has been published in the extraordinary gazette notification No. 2478/03 of 03.03.2026.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to submit the said revenue protection order to Parliament for its concurrence.
Report on the Final Budgetary Condition (Annual Report) – 2025 submited to parliament
Cabinet nod to accept increased Loan Grant provided by the Asian Development Bank under Policy Based Loan Facilities – 2026
Submission of Revenue Protection Order Prepared under the Provisions of the Revenue Protection Act No. 19 of 1962 to the Parliament for its approval.
Resettlement of unauthorized settlers affected by the Land Acquisition process for the implementation of Phase III of the Baseline Road Extension Project
Cabinet approves project to modernize school hostel facilities during the 2026–2028 period at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,008 million
New National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Management to be drafted
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