Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya yesterday (17) informed Parliament that three committees had been appointed to address the economic challenges Sri Lanka was facing due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with steps already underway to implement necessary measures.

Addressing the House, the PM said one committee had been tasked with ensuring the uninterrupted supply of essential goods and services to the public while overseeing their management.

She said that a second committee had been appointed to handle services related to maintaining the functioning of the public service.

In addition, the Prime Minister noted that a third committee had been established to meet the country’s energy requirements.

Customs at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesterday (17) thwarted an attempt made by five Chinese passport holders to smuggle into the country a consignment of foreign-manufactured cigarettes and used mobile phones valued at around Rs. 18 million.

The suspects, who had arrived in Sri Lanka as tourists, were subjected to searches upon their arrival at BIA from Shanghai on a China Eastern Airlines flight, MU-6017, at 12.10 a.m.

Customs found 497 cartons of Chinese-manufactured cigarettes, containing a total of 99,400 sticks, along with 422 second-hand Chinese-made mobile phones concealed in their luggage.

The suspects have been detained by Customs officers at BIA, and further investigations into the incident are currently underway.

Nuwara Eliya District Member of Parliament V. Radhakrishnan has warned that if the government does not act with a proper understanding of the current global crisis situation regarding essential supplies including fuel and food, public life in Nuwara Eliya will be completely disrupted during the upcoming spring season when tourists visit, and there is also a risk that tourists will not travel to Nuwara Eliya. He made these remarks during a press conference held yesterday (17th) at his office in Nuwara Eliya to comment on the current situation in the country.

Member of Parliament Velayudhan Radhakrishnan said:

“The fuel quotas have dealt a fatal blow to the Nuwara Eliya tourism industry, and if this situation worsens, that sector will collapse, leading to public unrest.”

“As the people of the Nuwara Eliya District are a group who earn their livelihood based on the tourism industry and agriculture, the government should pay more attention to providing the necessary facilities for them to carry out their daily activities. However, the government has not focused on such a programme thus far.”

“In the face of the current war atmosphere in the world, we are always pointing out how the government should face it.”

“Our group of MPs, including Opposition Leader Mr. Sajith Premadasa, is by no means trying to gain political advantage in the face of such a global war situation.”

“What we always point out is the reals situation. Because the government has a large majority, it does not listen to the voice of the opposition. The government does not possess enough wisdom to understand the real situation we are pointing out. If, in some way, they do not heed the voice of the Opposition in the face of this crisis, the country will fall into a great abyss.”

By S.K. Samaranayake