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‘Prez exploiting bankruptcy status to pursue his agenda’

Published

3 years ago

2023/04/6

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government brazenly exploited the latest IMF intervention here to advance its agenda to further weaken the parliament, Prof. Charitha Herath, MP, alleged on Wednesday (04).

Addressing the media at the Nawala Office of Freedom People’s Alliance (FPA), the former Chairman of parliamentary watchdog COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) said that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Bill very clearly reflected the current dispensation’s strategy.

Prof. Herath stressed that President Ranil Wickremesinghe as well as some of his ministers claimed that the government was implementing the agreement it reached with the IMF.

Sri Lanka recently received the first tranche of USD 2.9 bn IMF bailout package granted over a period of four years.

The SLPP National List MP said that government members so often made reference to the IMF, the Washington headquartered lending body, seemed to be governing Sri Lanka. Perhaps the IMF hadn’t been a party to the disputed strategies of the current dispensation, lawmaker Herath said, stressing that he didn’t oppose the government seeking IMF intervention.

Prof. Herath, who switched his allegiance to the Opposition in the wake of the SLPP declaring its support to UNP leader Wickremesinghe in July last year, said that they urged the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration to seek IMF’s help. “We have had IMF bailout packages on 16 previous occasions,” Prof. Herath said, adding that the current political-economic-social crisis could have been averted if assistance was sought at that time.

The first time entrant to parliament was among 82 lawmakers who voted for Dullas Alahapperuma, MP at the vote to elect a new President from among members of parliament to complete the remainder of ousted Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term.

Prof. Herath accused the government of taking advantage of the country’s bankrupt status to pursue Wickremesinghe’s highly dangerous agenda. The MP explained that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Bill and the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act were in line with the President’s strategy.

The privatization of profit making enterprises such as Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) and Lanka Hospitals, too, was pursued on the basis of their agreement with the IMF, the MP alleged.

The current dispensation should be condemned for its irresponsible actions and certainly held accountable for the dire consequences, the rebel SLPP MP said.

MP Herath dealt with the controversial Central Bank of Sri Lanka Bill that received the approval of the Supreme Court. The SC on Tuesday (04) informed Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena that the Bill could be enacted with a simple majority in parliament.

Reiterating the need to thwart undue political interference in the decision making process in the Central Bank and the Monetary Board, Prof. Herath said however the government shouldn’t be totally deprived of an opportunity to make interventions. One-time Media Ministry Secretary said that he believed the Secretary to the Finance Ministry shouldn’t be allowed to run the operation. But, the removal of the Finance Secretary from the five-member Monetary Board shouldn’t be the answer, Prof. Herath said, warning the government that the Central Bank shouldn’t be totally independent as envisaged in the Bill.

Commenting on the relevance of the country’s supreme law in respect of the controversial Bill, Prof Herath warned the government of dire consequences in case the parliament was deprived of its power over public finance. It would be pertinent to examine how the new Bill impacted on Article 148 of the Constitution. “Article 148 dealt with public finance. Therefore, how could a particular Bill be acceptable if it contravened the Constitution,” the MP told The Island.

Prof. Herath suggested that the proposed arrangement should be subjected to the approval of the all-party Committee on Public Finance (COPF), thereby ensuring the parliamentary role in the process.

Referring to Section 47 of the new Bill, Prof. Herath expressed serious concern over the Central Bank superseding the Parliament in respect of the use of foreign currencies here. Perhaps, interested parties could be thinking of utilization of USD at the Colombo Port City, Chinese currency at Hambantota Port and Indian Rupee somewhere else, the MP said.

He said that such a decision could be made but that should be the prerogative of the Parliament, not the Central Bank as envisaged in the new Bill.

The move to enact a new Anti-Terrorism Act, he pointed out that it should be examined against the backdrop of the growing opposition to the government’s agenda. Declaring that the new Bill sought to suppress legitimate political dissent at all levels and aimed to neutralize social media platforms which the government considered hostile, Prof. Herath warned that the passage of the new law would create an extremely dangerous situation.

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Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

5 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.

The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.

News

CEB demands 11.57 percent power tariff hike in first quarter

Published

7 hours ago

2026/01/3

Thilina Walpola

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.

According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.

Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.

The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.

In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.

The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.

The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.

Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.

By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️

News

Health Minister sends letter of demand for one billion rupees in damages

Published

7 hours ago

2026/01/3

Thilina Walpola

Ondansetron controversy

Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr Nalinda Jayatissa has sent a letter of demand for Rs. 1 billion in damages from YouTube content creator Dharmasri Kariyawasam, accusing him of disseminating false and defamatory material linking the Minister to the importation of Ondansetron and inciting public unrest.

The notice, sent through the Minister’s lawyers, states that investigations are currently under way into 10 medicines, including Ondansetron Injection, manufactured by India-based Maan Pharmaceutical Limited.

Ondansetron Injection was among nine injectable drugs recently suspended by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) following reports of patients administered with the drug suffering adverse complications.

Despite the ongoing investigations, Kariyawasam allegedly aired a widely viewed programme on his YouTube channel titled “The hidden story of the Indian drug that claimed lives, Mayor Balthazaar’s relative, and Minister Nalinda’s cover-up.”

According to the letter of demand, the programme falsely portrayed Minister Jayatissa as being directly responsible for importing the drug, colluding with the supplier, and attempting to conceal the issue, while depicting him as indifferent to public suffering.

The Minister’s lawyers maintain that these allegations are entirely false and defamatory, citing passages in which Kariyawasam allegedly accused Jayatissa of lying about the supplier, concealing facts related to PTC Medicals (Pvt) Ltd., the actual importer, and showing a lack of concern over deaths purportedly linked to the drug.

The programme also claimed links between the directors of PTC Medicals and family members of Colombo Mayor Vraîe Cally Balthazaar, implying political favouritism.