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Sri Lanka no longer a functioning state – Karu

Published

4 years ago

2021/12/3

Sri Lanka is no longer a functioning state because of the shortcomings in the administration and the continuous changes in policy decisions, former Speaker and the President of the National Movement for a Just Society, Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday addressing a press conference.

Jayasuriya said that the only thing that the country had got right in the last year was the vaccination drive that has put Sri Lanka in a better position than other countries in Asia to tackle COVID-19.

“We are pleased that the President has taken immediate steps to look into the accidents related to LP gas by appointing an expert committee. This is a timely intervention. If the advice of intellectuals were similarly sought to resolve other issues faced by the country, the problems that have cropped up in the agriculture and other sectors would have not arisen,” he said.

Jayasuriya said that experts in the agriculture sector are of the opinion that there will be a large-scale (about 30%) drop in production as many farmers have given up farming due to lack of fertilizer. However, importation of rice is not a solution to this problem, he said.

“Can a country not able to import medicines, milk powder, sugar and other essentials due to the lack of foreign exchange, afford to waste foreign reserves on the importation of rice? In addition, about 1000 containers of food items at the port are stuck due to lack of dollars. We must make our management systems stronger to face the looming forex crisis,” he said.

The people are facing severe food shortages and the cost of living has skyrocketed. There are a large number of people in the country who cannot afford to have three meals a day, he said.

The former Speaker insisted that had the President taken necessary advice from intellectuals before introducing the fertilizer ban, the chaos the country is currently facing today would not have arisen. The government needs to understand that listening to experts is a very important factor in governance. The farming families today are in a very helpless state and that they are deeply frustrated and angry at the current regime, he said.

“It is with regret that one must point out that our country was not invited to the Summit for Democracy to be held in the United States. This can be considered as a great dishonour to Sri Lanka. As we have repeated many times before, it is an honour for our country to be recognised in the democratic world. This is an essential element in attracting investors and boosting trade. However, it will be difficult to earn that recognition and respect once again until the democratic mechanism functions in a proper manner,” he said.

Jayasuriya added that one of the reasons why the country was not invited to the summit is that at present the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka is not functioning as new members had not been appointed. In the recent past, the Human Rights Commission in our country has been highly recognized internationally.

“In the past the members were independent from political parties. At that time they were selected by the members of the Constitutional Council. Therefore, we should not be surprised that Sri Lanka was not invited to the Democratic Summit. We request that these errors be rectified without delay. Meanwhile the killing of prisoners in Police custody has also brought our country into disrepute. Therefore it must be noted with great regret that the ‘One country, One Law’ policy has still not been implemented in Sri Lanka. In a country where this concept is correctly implemented, veteran artists like Ranjan Ramanayake would not be in prison. We hope the above matters will be brought to the notice of the relevant authorities,” he said.

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Heat index likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ in the Sabaragamuwa, Northern, North-central, North-western, Eastern provinces and in Hambantota and Monaragala districts during the daytime

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/8

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 07 May 2026, valid for 08 May 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on the human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Sabaragamuwa, Northern, North-central, North-western, Eastern provinces and in Hambantota and Monaragala districts during the daytime.

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.

News

Renewable energy producers left high and dry as CEB prioritises spending on oil-fired power plants

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/8

Thilina Walpola

Sri Lanka could face a serious electricity supply crisis if outstanding payments owed to renewable energy producers are not settled urgently, industry representatives have warned.

According to renewable energy sector sources, the National System Operator (Private) Company has not paid more than Rs. 10 billion due to renewable power producers for electricity supplied to the national grid between December 2025 and April 2026.

The Federation of Renewable Energy Developers said the prolonged delay in payments had placed severe financial strain on producers and threatened the continued supply of renewable power to the national system.

Speaking to The Island, Federation Vice President Prabath Wickramasinghe said the payment crisis had emerged as authorities prioritised expenditure on diesel and furnace oil generation to offset a daily electricity shortfall of nearly 150 megawatts caused by inefficiencies in coal power generation.

He said the escalating conflict in the Middle East had sharply increased global fuel prices, resulting in a steep rise in thermal power generation costs, estimated at close to or above Rs. 10 per unit.

“In this situation, greater focus on renewable energy has become essential,” Wickramasinghe said.

He noted that the issue affected not only large-scale renewable projects but also ground-mounted solar power plants, mini-hydropower projects, wind farms and biomass power stations operating across the country. According to the Federation, 389 renewable energy plants with a combined installed capacity of 1,073.9 megawatts were currently affected.

Wickramasinghe warned that continued non-payment could lead to plant owners defaulting on bank loans and other financial obligations, while also undermining investor confidence and destabilizing the renewable energy sector.

He further cautioned that the crisis could ultimately contribute to future electricity shortages if renewable energy suppliers reduce or suspend generation.

When contacted by The Island, Chairman of the National System Operator (Private) Company Dr. B.L. Pradeep Priyadarshana Perera acknowledged delays in payments and said discussions were underway with the Ministry of Finance to resolve the issue promptly.

By Sirimantha Ratnasekera

News

PM reveals move to introduce higher education sector reform

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/8

Thilina Walpola

PM Amarasuriya

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament on Wednesday that the government was planning to reform the higher education sector in line with the ongoing transformation of the primary and secondary education systems.

Responding to questions raised by Digamadulla District NPP MP Manjula Sugath Rathnayaka, the Prime Minister said a special expert committee appointed to review the higher education sector had been functioning over the past six months and was expected to submit recommendations aimed at addressing long-standing structural and administrative issues.

“A special expert committee appointed for this purpose has been in operation over the past six months, and based on the report of this panel, existing issues in the higher education sector will be identified and the necessary reforms will be implemented,” she said.

Providing details on university admissions, Dr. Amarasuriya said 281,810 students had sat the 2025 GCE A/L Examination, and out of them 176,538 were qualified for university admission. However, only 42,937 students could gain admission to state universities.

The Prime Minister said the highest number of qualified students was from the Arts stream (58,269) candidates, followed by Commerce stream (39,608), Biological Sciences (32,935), and Physical Sciences (23,012). In addition, 12,472 students were qualified in the Engineering Technology

stream, 6,043 in the Bio-Systems Technology, and 4,199 in the General Stream.