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LTTE banned in every country in Europe as it has not given up violence and terrorism – FM Dinesh Gunawardena

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Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena Monday (30) told the Consultative Committee meeting on foreign affairs that the LTTE remained banned organization in every country in Europe as it had not given up on violence and terrorism, the Department of Communication of Parliament said in a statement issued yesterday.

The following is the text of the statement:

The Minister stated that the Ministry and the government are fully aware of the matter and is acting with a diplomatic outlook. He stated this in expressing his views pertaining to concerns raised by the Members of Parliament Suren Raghavan and Gamini Waleboda.

Addressing the committee, the Foreign Secretary Admiral Professor Jayanath Colombage stated that there is no ban on repatriating Lankans stranded abroad. He pointed out that the process had only slowed down due to the emergence of the Peliyagoda and Minuwangoda COVID clusters as there was a dearth of facilities in the quarantine centres. Furthermore, the Secretary stated that the process has now gained momentum and relevant measures are taken to bring down citizens back to Sri Lanka. He further pointed out that 47, 000 from 126 countries have been repatriated to-date.

The Secretary stated the above in response to a concern raised by Member of Parliament Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam when he disclosed that many Sri Lankan nationals who have travelled abroad prior to the closure of the airport are now stuck in foreign soil as they are barred from returning.

MPs Charles Nirmalanathan and Sivagnanam Shritharan disclosed that almost 100,000 sought asylum in South India during the war and 80% are now registered and recognized by the government. However, they pointed out that there are 20% unregistered Sri Lankan refugees in South India wanting to return to Sri Lanka but the Indian Government is demanding the Visa fee amounting to the number of years they have been residing in India in order to grant leave.

 Responding to the said concern, the Minister stated that discussions have also been held with leaders such as S.C Chandra Hasan and the President has approved looking into the issue when the COVID crisis hit the country in March. Furthermore, the Foreign Minister stated that the Ministry acknowledges this issue and they have already intervened to bring down the Sri Lankan refugees back home in due course.

 Member of Parliament Diana Gamage raised her concerns pertaining to the safety assurance of Sri Lankan labour force in the Middle East at the committee.

In response the Foreign Secretary emphasized that 40% of such labour in the Middle East have not entered its borders following proper procedures. Acknowledging the concern raised, the Secretary stated that the Ministry and all respective authorities are working on finding a solution to the issue.

MP Diana Gamage also questioned the status of the under aged Japanese girl, who it has been claimed, to have been kidnapped. Foreign Secretary Admiral Professor Colombage stated that the matter should be left for the course of law to take charge but they too are keeping an eye on the development in that regard.

 The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was attended by State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya together with more than 20 MPs including (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardana, Suren Raghavan, Gamini Waleboda, Yadamini Gunawardena, Charles Nirmalanathan, Udayakantha Gunathilaka, Sivagnanam Shritharan, Udayana Kirindigoda, Diana Gamage, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and many officials representing the respective authorities.


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Noritake Company Limited donates Rs. 20 million to the Government’s disaster relief programme

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4 hours ago

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2025/12/19

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Noritake Company Limited of Japan has donated Rs. 20 million to the Government’s disaster relief programme.

The cheque was presented to Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya by the Managing Director of Noritake Lanka Porcelain (Pvt) Ltd, Mr. Kenji Obara, at the Parliament Complex on 18 December.

Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government  Chandana Abeyratne, Director and General Manager of Noritake Lanka Porcelain (Pvt) Ltd, Ms. Sujatha Egodagedara, and Assistant General Manager Captain M. M. Athula Rohan Senarath also participated in the event.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division].

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GovPay Concludes 2025 with Rs. 2 Billion in digital transactions, marking a major milestone in Sri Lanka’s digital transformation

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2025/12/19

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GovPay, Sri Lanka’s Government Digital Payment Platform concluded the year 2025 by surpassing Rs. 2 billion in total digital transaction value, marking a major milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey. Notably, GovPay doubled its collections from Rs. 1 billion to Rs. 2 billion in just 45 days, reflecting rapid adoption, growing public trust, and strong institutional uptake across the public sector.

Since its official launch on 07 February 2025, GovPay has processed over 69,000 digital transactions, enabling payments for 3,372 government services across 215 government institutions. This accelerated growth underscores the increasing reliance on secure, convenient, and transparent digital payment mechanisms by both citizens and government institutions.

Implemented under the strategic leadership of the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Information Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) in collaboration with LankaPay, GovPay has emerged as a key pillar of Sri Lanka’s national digital public infrastructure. The platform plays a critical role in advancing financial inclusion, improving service efficiency, and strengthening transparency in public service delivery.

A key milestone in 2025 was the launch of the Online Traffic Fine Payment System through GovPay on 10 April 2025. Since its introduction, the system has facilitated over 50,000 digital traffic fine payments, generating more than Rs. 66 million in revenue. The service is currently operational across the Western, Southern, Northern, North Western, and North Central Provinces, including the Southern, Katunayake, and Central Expressways. While the island wide rollout planned for December 2025 was postponed due to adverse weather conditions and disaster-related challenges, ICTA, in coordination with the Sri Lanka Police and with the support of LankaPay, has agreed to complete the nationwide rollout in January 2026, with a landmark launch in the Central Province.

GovPay has continued to expand its reach across local authorities, including Divisional Secretariats, Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas, significantly enhancing access to government services in citizens’ day-to-day activities. The platform has enabled digital transactions for all local authorities in the Northern Province and all Divisional Secretariats in the Southern Province, with a national target to digitize all local authorities by 2026.

Institutions such as Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka Police, the Department of Technical Education and Training, the University of Moratuwa, and the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board emerged as some of the highest contributors to GovPay in 2025. Strong adoption by the education sector in particular highlights the readiness of younger generations to embrace digital transformation and demonstrates the platform’s scalability and reliability.

Beyond routine government services, GovPay also supported national disaster response efforts. Since 30 November 2025, the platform facilitated digital donations to the Rebuild Sri Lanka Disaster Relief Fund, collecting almost Rs. 14 million across 909 transactions, including contributions from Sri Lankans living abroad, ensuring transparency and ease of contribution during a national emergency.

As GovPay continues to grow, ICTA is working on revamping www.govpay.lk with enhanced features to support institutional onboarding, service management, and reporting capabilities. With Rs. 2 billion in digital collections achieved within its first year of operation and the last Rs. 1 billion reached in just 45 days, GovPay stands as a strong testament to the impact of coordinated digital transformation, reinforcing Sri Lanka’s vision of achieving a USD 15 billion digital economy by 2030.

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Swift restoration of Religious, Cultural and Archaeological sites damaged by the disaster

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7 hours ago

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2025/12/19

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A discussion on the restoration of religious, cultural and archaeological sites affected by Cyclone Ditwah was held on Thursday (18) afternoon  at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, with the participation of the Most Venerable Mahanayaka Theras of the three Chapters and other religious leaders.

Addressing the meeting, the Minister stated that more than one thousand religious, cultural and archaeological sites across the country had sustained damage due to the disaster. He assured that prompt measures would be taken to commence restoration work and reinstate these sites to their original condition without delay.

The Minister further stated that all restoration work is expected to be carried out while preserving the historical and cultural authenticity of the sites, under the guidance of the Most Venerable Maha Sangha and other religious leaders, with the active participation of all relevant stakeholders.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs,  Prince Senadheera, noted that arrangements are currently underway to mobilize the required human resources and financial assistance for the restoration process. He also stated that steps have been initiated to recruit the necessary technical officers on a contractual basis to conduct technical assessments of the affected sites. In addition, plans are in place to involve officials of the Ministry as well as officers of its affiliated institutions in carrying out these restoration activities.

The Secretary to the Ministry further stated that generous financial contributions from donors are currently being received to the fund established under the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs for the reconstruction of damaged religious places of worship.

The meeting also considered continuing the gathering as an interfaith committee to oversee the restoration activities. Accordingly, it was agreed that the progress of construction work would be regularly reported to the committee and that the committee would be entrusted with mobilizing support for the fund in a transparent manner, including assistance from foreign donors, international organizations, Buddhist organizations and other religious institutions.

It was noted that the Central Cultural Fund has identified eight sites that were severely damaged by the disaster and are difficult to restore through conventional construction methods, requiring the specialized expertise of archaeologists, mural conservation specialists, and architects. The cost of restoring these sites has been estimated at over Rs. 500 million.

It was further decided that the committee would meet once a month to review and discuss the progress of these restoration activities.

Religious leaders commended the Government’s intervention in providing relief to those affected by the disaster and in restoring livelihoods, expressing appreciation for the effective management of the response. They also praised the Government’s prompt action in initiating restoration work at damaged religious sites.

The event was attended by several eminent religious leaders, including the Registrar of the Asgiri Maha Viharaya, Venerable Dr. Medagama Dhammananda Nayaka Thero; the Registrar General of the Amarapura Siri Saddhammawansa Maha Nikaya, Venerable Balapitiye Siri Seevali Nayaka Thero; the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya, Venerable Attangane Sasanarathana Nayaka Thero; the Chief Secretary of the All-Ceylon Shasanarakshaka Board, Venerable Professor Mugunuwela Anuruddha Nayaka Thero; and the Tri-Nikaya Maha Sangha, led by the Chairman of the National Bhikkhu Front, Venerable Wakamulle Uditha Thero.

Also in attendance were Hindu religious leaders, including Venerable Swami Aksharatmananda, representatives of the Catholic Church and the National Christian Council, including Father Alec Roy Samantha Fernando, All-Ceylon Muslim religious leaders, including the General Secretary of the Jamiatul Ulama Organization, Ash-Sheikh Arkam Nooramith, Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs,  Mohamed Muneer , as well as senior officials of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs and relevant line institutions.

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