News
SJB proposes free transport for teachers, SOE reforms, and support for working women
By Saman Indrajith
A Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) government will allow teachers to use state transport services free of charge, SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne said in a televised interview.
“During the past 20 years we have done a lot of infrastructure development. We have built highways, etc. We the SJB believes that we now we need to focus on our human capital. In many countries teachers receive high salaries and they have significant social prestige. We need to make this happen in Sri Lanka,” he said.
By ensuring that teachers have high social prestige, Sri Lanka can attract better qualified and motivated persons into the profession, Wickremaratne said. Sri Lanka needs to increase teachers’ salaries by 300 percent, he stated.
“However, we can’t do this in the short term. What we propose is a minor step only,” he said. The World Bank and UNODC employ the Stolen Asset Recovery Assistance (StAR) system in their joint efforts to retrieve stolen assets. StAR serves as a collaborative initiative between the World Bank Group and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, focusing on preventing the laundering of corruptly acquired funds and facilitating the prompt and systematic return of misappropriated assets. MP Wickramaratne said the SJB will make these laws a part of Sri Lankan laws.
Wickramaratne said that the SJB government will establish a parent company for all state owned enterprises (SOEs). There are hundreds of SOEs and these are under various ministers.
“These have separate director boards. Ministers appoint their friends and family members to these director boards. Often their qualifications are not considered. By establishing the said company, we will manage these appointments centrally,” he said.
The SJB MP added that their administration will also provide medical checkups once in three years for senior citizens. “A lot of Sri Lankans visit the doctor after they become sick. Sometimes, you can prevent these diseases if you can detect them early. Creating a healthier nation also reduces state expenses,” he said.
The SJB MP said that Sri Lankan women were outperforming men academically. Most university students were female, he said. However, female labour force participation remained low, he added.
Wickramaratne said some organisations were hesitant to hire women because they were entitled to maternity leave. “Some countries pay private companies to compensate for the time women take off from work for childbirth. We looked at this proposal about five years ago and it was estimated that this would cost the government about four billion rupees. Now, it will cost the state about seven billion rupees annually,” he said.
The High Court has convicted 14 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people.
The three-judge bench read out its decision on Tuesday after a five-year trial and said sentencing would take place later, the AFP news agency reported.
The charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism.
Nine others were acquitted, while another defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges, the court said.
[Aljazeera]
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The ruling NPP yesterday (21) dismissed claims of a widening rift, within the government, over the proposed 22nd Amendment. Asked whether the NPP was concerned over a section of the Opposition alleging Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and two dozen MPs taking a view contrary to that of the party in this regard, authoritative party sources said some persons were propagating speculation for their own interest.
Declaring that there was absolutely no issue regarding the controversial Amendment, sources emphasised once it was tabled in Parliament, it would be passed with 2/3 majority.
Sources dismissed claims that out of its 159-member parliamentary group a section of NPPers was opposed to the government move. According to an influential Opposition activist, there are 57 JVPers and 66 NPPers in the government group and the rest contested the last parliamentary polls, having aligned with the JVP.
Ministerial sources told The Island that the government was confident of going ahead with the 22nd Amendment and Judicature (Amendment) Bills. Sources said that the NPP was not bothered about the Opposition protests in and outside Parliament.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne is expected to disclose the confidential ruling that he received from the Supreme Court in respect of more than 65 petitions for and against the 22nd Amendment and Judicial Amendment Bills. The enactment of the 22nd Amendment would pave the way for extending the retirement age of Supreme Court judges, from 65 to 67 years, and Court of Appeal judges, from 63 to 65 years.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Court of Appeal Judge Mayadunna Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.
The appointment has been made as President’s Counsel Nalin Rohantha Abeysuriya, who currently serves as President of the Court of Appeal, will be overseas until the 24th.
Accordingly Justice Mayadunna Corea was sworn in as Acting President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential secretariat last morning (21).
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the occasion.
High Court convicts 14 over deadly Easter bombings
Mandhana, Shafali and Ghosh lead dominant India to Asian Games gold
Fatima Sana and Umm-e-Hani secure bronze for Pakistan in Asian Games
India bat first in Asian games womens cricket final
Showers about 100mm will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts
Govt. confident of 2/3 majority despite NPP split speculation
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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