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Project to distribute smart boards for 1,000 schools with the goal of enhancing education has completely failed to meet its objectives and the investment of LKR 1.7 billion has been underutilized -PM

Published

1 year ago

2025/03/17

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the project to distribute smart boards for 1,000 schools with the goal of enhancing education has completely failed to meet its objectives and the investment of LKR 1.7 billion has been underutilized.

The Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya made these remarks in the Parliament complex on Saturday [March 15, 2025] while discussing the project to establish networked classrooms by facilitating smart boards to the school system.

The Cabinet Memorandum No. AMP/24/0385/601/027 and the Cabinet decision dated March 4, 2024 has been presented for the approval of the provision of digital smart boards and other related equipment to 1,000 selected schools, with the objective of enhancing education through the establishment of a systematic network of smart classrooms within the school system funded by the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRCSL).

Subsequently, an additional Cabinet Memorandum, No. AMP/24/0978/630/009, dated May 14, 2024, was presented, proposing the implementation of this project in alignment with the project proposed by Chinese government for digitalizing Schools. Under this Chinese-funded project, plans were made to establish a centralized control center and a studio facility, along with the provision of an additional 500 smart boards. Accordingly, the integration of both projects was proposed to create a network of smart classrooms across 1,500 schools.

The cabinet decision has been presented requiring Sri Lankan Government to purchase smart boards with specifications identical to the smart boards which were proposed to be distributed by the Chinese Government.

In line with the Cabinet decision of May 14, 2024, the procurement for the 1,000 smart boards began in July 2024. However, at the time of purchase, the project proposed by the Chinese Government was still at the discussion stage, and no official agreement had been reached regarding the technical specifications of the smart boards.

However, the procurement was carried out through the Sri Lanka State Trading (General) Corporation without a competitive bidding process, relying on price quotations obtained from a single supplier based on unclear sources that were not officially verified by the Chinese government. The Sri Lanka Telecommunications Regulatory Commission incurred the full cost of LKR 1.7 billion, with an additional LKR 430 million allocated for services and installation.

The aforementioned procurement appears to have been conducted at an unusually accelerated pace when compared to the standard procedure typically followed for high-value procurements. Specifically, price quotations were requested on July 5, 2024, opened on July 15, 2024, and by July 16, 2024, the Technical Evaluation Committee had completed and submitted the report. Subsequently, the report was reviewed by the Standing Procurement Committee appointed by the Cabinet on July 17 and 18, 2024, with recommendations being provided on the same day. These recommendations were then submitted to the Cabinet on July 23, 2024, and approval was granted on July 30, 2024. Followed by this, the purchase requisition was issued to the supplier on August 5, 2024. Accordingly, the entire procurement process was completed within a span of one month.

As part of this procurement, a Letter of Credit was opened to facilitate the payment of USD 3,135,392.50 for 1,000 smart boards to Intelligent Express Limited Hong Kong, which has been identified as a representative of Huawei. While the relevant Cabinet paper indicated Huawei as the designated manufacturer supplying the smart boards under the Chinese funding project, the Chinese government has not yet confirmed the selection of such a supplier for this project.

According to aforementioned purchase requisition, the purchased smart boards and related equipment were delivered to the Ministry of Education in October 2024 and are currently stored at Pattala Gedara Teacher’s Training College. Although the procurement of the aforementioned Smart boards by the Sri Lankan Government has been finalized, the relevant project, which was intended to be implemented under the funding of Chinese government, has not yet commenced and a final agreement regarding its implementation has not been reached.

Prior to reaching a final agreement on the network integration facilities and centralized system proposed by the Chinese government, the procurement of these smart boards has resulted in the inability to utilize the equipment for the intended purpose. It is expected that the Chinese aid project is at the discussion stage, and the implementation may extend until the end of this year. Further, no official decision has been made regarding the selection of a supplier for the project.

Given this situation, if the 1,000 smart boards and other equipment currently stored in warehouses are to be distributed to schools, school principals must be provided with clear instructions on their proper use. However, due to the delay in implementing the project under the funding of the Chinese government, specific guidelines on the installation and utilization of the equipment cannot yet be issued.

Since network integration cannot be carried out at this stage, these smart boards can only be used as standalone classroom units. As a result, the objectives of the project will not be met, and the investment of LKR 1.7 billion made might be considered to be underutilized.

A formal investigation has been initiated to determine whether financial and procedural irregularities have occurred in this procurement. Additionally, discussions are currently continued with the Chinese government, and efforts are being made to secure the proposed facilities from China at the earliest convenience.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

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Netanyahu says Israel ‘acted alone’ in attack on Iranian gas field

Published

2 mins ago

2026/03/20

Priyan

The Israeli prime minister claims "Iran is being decimated" in the war (BBC)

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel “acted alone” in attacking an Iranian gas field, as tensions mount over strikes on energy infrastructure across the region.

Israel hit Iran’s South Pars – part of the world’s largest natural gas field – and Tehran retaliated by striking an energy complex in Qatar and attacking other energy targets in the Gulf.

The attacks led to a spike in energy prices and US President Donald Trump later posted he had not known about them in advance.

The fallout has raised questions over how united Israel and the US remain in their war aims.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, the Israeli leader said Trump had requested that there be no further such attacks on energy targets.

Earlier on Thursday Reuters news agency quoted three unnamed Israeli officials as saying that that attack on South Pars had been coordinated with the US in advance but that they were not surprised by Trump’s reaction.

Netanyahu also denied that his country had dragged the US into the war or “misled” Trump, saying that no one could tell the US leader what to do.

The attacks on energy infrastructure marked an escalation in the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran, which had already responded by restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

About a fifth of the 100m barrels of oil that the world consumes every day usually travels via the Strait of Hormuz, which runs along part of Iran’s coast.

Following the Iranian attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial area, which includes the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing plant, QatarEnergy said about 17% of its export capacity would be affected.

Qatar’s prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdurrahman Al-Thani, warned the attack would have “significant repercussions for global energy supplies” and called it a “very dangerous escalation”.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran would show “zero restraint” if its infrastructure was struck again.

Gas prices, which had already been rising since the start of the conflict, surged in response to the Iranian attack on Qatar. The UK benchmark peaked briefly at almost 183p per therm on Thursday before easing back to 154.8p, an 11.3% increase from Wednesday’s level. European prices also rose by more than 10%.

Meanwhile the US is weighing lifting sanctions on some Iranian oil, as it scrambles to contain the impact on energy markets.

At his news conference, Netanyahu insisted that Israel was inflicting massive damage on Iran’s military capacity and had attacked Iran’s navy in the Caspian Sea.

He said Israel was working to weaken the Iranian regime but said it was up to Iranians to act if they wanted to overthrow their government.

“We can create the conditions, but they have to exploit those conditions at a certain point,” he said.

“If [the regime] survives it will be a lot weaker, shorn of industries it built over decades.”

Also on Thursday verified footage showed fire and smoke at an oil refinery in Haifa in northern Israel after a reported Iranian missile attack. Israel’s energy minister Eli Cohen said damage to the country’s electricity grid in the north was “localised and not significant”.

(BBC)

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Heat Index likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-central, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts

Published

12 mins ago

2026/03/20

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
at 3.30 p.m. on 19 March 2026, valid for 20 March 2026.

The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at
some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-central, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.

Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.

Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.

Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.

Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well.

For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

Latest News

Oil nears $110 a barrel after gas field strike

Published

23 hours ago

2026/03/19

Priyan

Facilities on the South Pars gas field pictured in 2016 [BBC]

Oil prices leapt to nearly $110 a barrel after Iranian media reported an airstrike hitting a facility on the world’s largest natural gas field.

The Brent crude oil benchmark hit $109.91 a barrel just after 14:30 GMT, more than 5% higher than Tuesday’s prices, but has since fallen slightly.

The benchmark UK gas price also jumped by 6% to 143.53p a therm before falling back below the 140p mark.

The surge followed reports Iran’s petrochemical complex on the South Pars gas field had been hit. Several hours later, Qatar reported that there was “extensive damage” at the Ras Laffan industrial site following threats from Iran.

While the price of both oil and gas spiked, they remained below highs seen earlier in the conflict.

Oil reached $116.78 a barrel on 9 March, while UK gas reached 162.55p a therm on 3 March.

Iran’s oil ministry said a fire at the petrochemical complex was under control, according to Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iran’s military warned it would take “decisive action” in response to the strike on its energy infrastructure.

“As previously warned, if the fuel, energy, gas, and economic infrastructures of our country are attacked by the American-Zionist enemy, in addition to a powerful counterattack against the enemy, we will severely strike the origin of that aggression as well,” the military said in a statement published by Tasnim.

“We consider targeting the fuel, energy, and gas infrastructures of the countries of origin legitimate and will retaliate strongly at the earliest opportunity.”

Qatar also operates facilities on the gas field, which it calls North Dome.

But the country, which produces a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas, had halted production earlier in March in response to the conflict.

Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said strikes against energy infrastructure “constitutes a threat to global energy security”.

Just after 1815 GMT, the Qatari interior minister said it was responding to “a fire in the Ras Laffan area following an Iranian targeting”. Qatar’s petrol firm QatarEnergy later said there was “extensive damage” at the site.

The interior minister said just after 1900 GMT that it had “initially brought the fire in Ras Laffan under control, with no injuries reported”.

Ras Laffan was among the sites listed by Iran in a warning that it would take “decisive action” after its South Pars gas field facilities were reportedly hit by Israeli strikes.

‘Energy markets will likely remain volatile’

AJ Bell’s head of financial analysis Danni Hewson said the attack and retaliation by Iran had “helped dial up the temperature once again and put renewed upward pressure on oil prices”.

“Any solution to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz looks pretty distant at this point and until there is progress on that front, energy markets will likely remain volatile,” she added.

The White House on Wednesday responded to the rising oil price by saying it was suspending the Jones Act — a 1920 law that says only American-made ships can be used to transport goods between US ports.

US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the 60-day waiver of the rules, which are intended to boost shipbuilding, will allow “vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertiliser, and coal to flow freely” as non-American-made ships can now be used.

However, maritime groups in the US said the effect would be minimal, noting that oil prices, not shipping costs, are behind rising prices at the pump.

Experts say earlier efforts by world leaders to ease price pressures, including an unprecedented release of oil reserves, have done little to reduce oil prices.

Meanwhile, Iran has also suspended the flow of gas to Iraq to shore up domestic supplies, a senior Iraqi official told Reuters.

The vast majority of Iran’s gas supply – 94% – is used domestically, according to data from the Gas Exporting Countries Forum.

[BBC]