News
Mother, daughter graduate as chemists from ICC more than three decades apart
The Institute of Chemistry Ceylon yesterday announced the graduation of Sachinie Goonetilleke as a chemist following in the footsteps of her mother Kumudinee Goonetilleke, who had graduated from the same institute a couple decades ago.
A press release issued by the ICC said: Kumudinee Goonetilleke began her academic journey at the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon (ICHEMC) in 1981. She graduated in 1985. After completing her degree, she took on a role as a temporary demonstrator at the Open University of Sri Lanka. Over the years, she built an impressive academic career, earning a postgraduate diploma and an MA in Distance Education from the Indira Gandhi National Open University, and an M.Phil degree in Chemistry from OUSL. With four decades of experience, she now serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, at the Open University of Sri Lanka. She successfully served as the Head of the Department of Chemistry for a three-year term, commencing 2015, perhaps the first graduate from the Institute of Chemistry to serve as a Head in the Department of Chemistry; that is indeed a unique achievement.
As a full corporate Member and Chartered Chemist, Kumudinee has served the ICHEMC with distinction in various capacities over the last three decades or so; she continues to be closely associated with the ICHEMC activities.
Sachinie Goonetilleke, Kumudinee’s daughter, is a proud graduate of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon having successfully completed the Graduateship in Chemistry (GIC) programme in 2018. She first enrolled for this programme in 2015. Upon her graduation in 2018, she joined Intertek as a lab analyst. Since 2020 she has worked as an executive at Stretchline in Biyagama. She is planning to continue her post graduate studies in Australia.
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
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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