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Japan supports project to improve facilities of Special Needs Children’s Centre in Buttala

Published

6 years ago

2020/12/2

Japanese Ambassador SUGIYAMA Akira and President of the Surangani Voluntary Services Wickramage Nalin Vipulendra.

The Government of Japan provided a grant of US$ 83,692 (approx. Rs. 15 million) for “The Project for Improving Facilities of Centre for Disabled Children in Buttala, Moneragala” through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). The grant contract was signed on 30th November 2020 between Japanese Ambassador SUGIYAMA Akira and President of the Surangani Voluntary Services Wickramage Nalin Vipulendra at the former’s residence in Colombo.

Given that 2 percent of children aged between 5 and 14 years have some form of disability and are excluded from mainstream education with participation declining with age, the Government of Japan remains steadfast to help the country achieve inclusive education through enhancements to ancillary services so that no one is left behind.

The Little Tree Special Needs Children’s Centre in Buttala is home to 35 differently abled children and youth aged between 4 and 21 years and has provided educational opportunities and vocational training since its inception in 2010. It is also the only institution to offer a dedicated service for the entire Monaragala district. Surangani Voluntary Services started this center in response to requests from parents in Buttala where there had been no educational service for children with special needs back then.

This project aims not only to enhance educational facilities and uplift the quality of the vocational training environment but also to include the provision for a collective organic farm, sanitary facilities, a sick room, and a school van to increase attendance of students with special needs.

Upon receiving the grant, Mr. Vipulendra in his remarks stated;

“The Little Tree Special Needs Children’s Centre since its launch has grown by leaps and bounds especially with the support of the Japanese people. The Government of Sri Lanka is focusing on supporting persons with special needs and we at the centre continue to work with the objective of improving the quality of services provided especially, since both parents and children rely on us wholeheartedly. As a consequence of this valued service, we have not only attracted the attention of the community which holds this centre in high esteem, but also observes a recent influx of student enrollment which has been recognized by government officials. It was also an honour for the parents to have met with the Ambassador at the centre on his last visit in September to see the activities carried out in the snack processing factory and the resource centre which intends to generate education and employment opportunities for the children. We are undoubtedly grateful to the people of Japan for their continued support and pledge to provide high quality services towards this worthy cause.”

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US$ 2.5 mn cyber heist exposes system failures

Published

13 hours ago

2026/07/11

Thilina Walpola

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

Published

13 hours ago

2026/07/11

Thilina Walpola

Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa signing the no-confidence motion against Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara in the presence of Opposition MPs at the Parliamentary complex yesterday

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.

News

AG informs SC of e-visa agreement review

Published

13 hours ago

2026/07/11

Thilina Walpola

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.