News
Tea production down by 18% in first 9 months of this year
The country’s Tea production has dropped by 7.8 percent last month from a year earlier to 20.9 million kilos, while the total output for the first nine months of 2022 dipped 18 percent from the previous year, according to industry data published by Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers.
From January-September 2022, the total production is 192.37 million kilos compared to 234.72 million kilos for the same period in the previous year.
“This would be the lowest recorded for the period under review since 1996 where it recorded 188.40 million kilograms for the corresponding period,” says the data published by Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers.
“On a cumulative basis, all elevations have shown a decline over the corresponding period of 2021.”
In September 2022, high grown teas moved up 14.05 percent to 4.6 million kilos, medium grown fell 3.6 percent to 3.4 million kilos and low-grown were down 14.5 percent to 14.7 million kilos.
The national average tea price in the month of September was 5.52 US dollars or 1,981.63 in rupees.
Lankan tea has been earning higher prices for tea exports in rupees after the currency was depreciated in March against the USA dollar in 2022.
September tea exports too dipped 8.11 percent to 21.54 million kilos Even in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the country produced 201.43 million kilos for the period.
Members of the Civil Security Department have donated a day’s salary to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by cyclone Ditwah.
Accordingly, a cheque amounting to Rs. 40,870,686 was handed over on Thursday (22) at the Presidential Secretariat by the District Officer of the Civil Security Department G.Y.B. Perera to Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne and Director General of the Civil Security Department, Major General Palitha Fernando (Retired), were also present on the occasion.
The Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) has contributed LKR 25 million to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund.
The cheque was handed over to the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake by the Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange, Dimuthu Abeyesekera, the Chief Executive Officer Rajeeva Bandaranaike and Senior Vice Chairman Kusal Nissanka at the Presidential Secretariat.
News
Karu argues against scrapping MPs’ pension as many less fortunate members entered Parliament after ’56
Former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressing concerns over the proposed abolition of MPs’ pensions.The letter was sent in his capacity as Patron of the Former Parliamentarians’ Caucus.
In his letter, Jayasuriya noted that at the time of Sri Lanka’s independence, political participation was largely limited to an educated, affluent land-owning elite. However, he said a significant social transformation took place after 1956, enabling ordinary citizens to enter politics.
He warned that under current conditions, removing parliamentary pensions would effectively confine politics to the wealthy, business interests, individuals engaged in illicit income-generating activities, and well-funded political parties. Such a move, he said, would discourage honest social workers and individuals of modest means from entering public life.
Jayasuriya also pointed out that while a small number of former MPs, including himself, use their pensions for social and charitable purposes, the majority rely on the pension as a primary source of income.
He urged the President to give due consideration to the matter and take appropriate action, particularly as the government prepares to draft a new constitution.The Bill seeking to abolish pensions for Members of Parliament was presented to Parliament on 07 January by Minister of Justice and National Integration Dr. Harshana Nanayakkara.
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