News
RW lists debt restructure benefits at Kurunegala deed award function
President Ranil Wickremesinghe Friday announced that the debt restructuring process will include USD 5 billion in loan interest relief from bilateral creditors and a USD 3 billion debt write-off from commercial creditors providing the country with a total relief of USD 8 billion.
Addressing the ‘Urumaya’ Freehold Land Deed Ceremony held in Kurunegala, the president emphasized that true socialism lies in granting free land rights to the people, dismissing mere talk about socialism, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
He highlighted that his government, credited with rescuing the country from bankruptcy, is actively addressing public issues. He pointed out that an additional 200,000 individuals will benefit from the “Urumaya” freehold land title initiative.
The President underscored these initiatives speaking at a ceremony held at the North Western Provincial Council Auditorium in Kurunegala, where deeds were presented to 463 beneficiaries out of 73,143 eligible in the district under the “Urumaya” national programme.
He said that he assumed leadership during a period of uncertainty. Emphasizing the nation is now recovering from economic turmoil due to effective economic management, he highlighted plans for inclusive development in Kurunegala district as part of advancing the country’s new economy.
“When I took office, it was a time of great uncertainty. Leaders were scarce, but I stepped up to lead. We formed a government by uniting different parties, and together, we’ve made significant strides in addressing the people’s concerns.
“I’ve had to make tough decisions to rebuild our economy. Raising VAT wasn’t easy, but it was necessary to stabilize our economy. Some leaders urged people to protest and even burn houses, urging them not to support the government. Farmers were told to come to Colombo, but without fuel and fertilizers, they couldn’t come. We provided essential fuel and fertilizers to support them. Eventually, they were asked to come to Colombo without planting crops,” he said.
State Ministers Shantha Bandara and D.B. Herath, along with MP Johnston Fernando, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, MPs Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Asanka Navarathna, Manjula Dissanayake, Sumith Udukumbura, Kurunegala District Secretary R.M.R. Rathnayake, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Chandra Herath, Mahaweli Authority Director General Mahendra Abeywardana, and several other guests were present at the event.
A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.
Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.
Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.
It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.
Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.
Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions
• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981
News
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 JUNE 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 June 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m.
Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expectedat times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Munoz sends Colombia into World Cup knockouts with 1-0 win over DR Congo
Animal Welfare Draft Bill to be Gazetted
Legal provisions on marking voters using indelible ink during elections removed
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
Court vacancy row throws Parliament into turmoil; sittings disrupted
Climate, pollution, forest loss now hitting economy: BASL chief
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News6 days agoCreditor receives USD 2.5 mn as Lankan public bears loss from theft of Treasury funds
-
News5 days agoCreditor not yet paid
-
News5 days agoConsumers bearing 22% tax burden despite 18% VAT claim: Dr. Harsha de Silva
-
Opinion7 days agoBeyond diagnosis: A strategic design for 7% growth by 2029 (Part I)
-
Features4 days agoNanda Pethiyagoda Wanasundara as three generations of family saw her
-
Features3 days agoSri Lanka developing independent hydrographic capabilities
-
Opinion6 days agoSriLankan Airbus struck by lightning
-
Latest News3 days agoSooryavanshi thumps fastest List A fifty as India A win tri-series