News
LSSP unhappy over being cold shouldered on Cabinet portfolio
BY SURESH PERERA
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) expressed bitterness over the denial of a Cabinet portfolio to its leader in recognition of the role the Trotskyists played in the hustings to ensure the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) cantered home with an overwhelming majority.
“We actively supported the SLPP’s hectic parliamentary polls campaign in anticipation of a Cabinet slot just as much as the other constituent parties”, LSSP sources said.
“While the other partners in the alliance have been rewarded for their efforts, we have been left out in the cold”, the sources complained.
The LSSP was targeting the Science and Technology Cabinet portfolio for the party’s leader Prof. Tissa Vitarana, a position he held during the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa presidency.
Though there is speculation that Vitarana will be absorbed into the Cabinet later as the portfolio still remains vacant, LSSP sources said there has been no official intimation so far on a pending appointment.
Asked why the LSSP, as a constituent party of the alliance, was not considered for a Cabinet portfolio, Vitarana said that he was unaware of the reason, but was optimistic that justice would prevail.
“We threw our weight behind the SLPP and worked hard with the other parties to ensure its victory at the last parliamentary election”, he said.
Founded in 1935 by Leslie Goonewardene, Dr. N. M. Perera, Colvin R. de Silva, Philip Gunawardena and Robert Gunawardena in then British Ceylon, the LSSP is the oldest political party in Sri Lanka.
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.
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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