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Transport minister says public can force tuk-tuk fare drop

Published

4 years ago

2022/10/30

By CHANKA JAYASINGHE AND NESHELLA PERERA

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lankans can force a drop in tuk-tuk fares by refusing to hire threewheelers to reduce demand, Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena said, a suggestion that tuk drivers say is nonsensical as they stick to their guns despite a reduction in petrol prices. Speaking at the weekly cabinet press briefing on Wednesday October 26, Minister Gunawardena said when prices are decided by the market, consumers are the ultimate authority in price control.

“Consumers have the power to revise prices based on their consumption. There was a hike in vegetable and fruit prices recently. There was a drop in buyers and, since vendors are unable to keep non-perishable goods for long, the prices came down,” he said.

“Similarly, if the public can’t afford extreme threewheeler fares, they have the right to be informed, to be protective and to make a choice.”

Earlier in the week, President Ranil Wickremesinghe approved a proposal to increase the weekly fuel quota allocated to threewheeler drivers to 10 litres from the current five-litre limit with effect from November 05.The first phase of the quota increase will commence in the Western province and threewheel drivers will be required to follow a registration process that will commence on November 01.

The All Island Threewheeler Drivers’ Association, however, is refusing to budge.The association’s chairman Lalith Dharmasena said his union will not reduce tuk taxi fares despite the doubling of the petrol quota. Their demand is for a weekly quota of at least 30 litres.Though there have been a reduction in tuk fares overall since the height of Sri Lanka’s fuel crisis, due to increased living costs and spare part prices, fares have remained at a significantly higher level despite the recent drop in petrol prices. Consumers complain that many drivers charge them arbitrarily decided fares, while tuks associated with Dharmasena’s association charges 100 to 140 rupees for the first kilometre and 110 to 130 rupees a kilometre from the second kilometre onwards.

Responding to Minister Gunawardena’s remarks, Dharmasena said the government should appoint a fare revision committee instead of distracting from the issue with what he called ‘crazy talk’. (Dharmasena’s actual words are too colourful for publication).

“[Opposition MP] Kumara Welgama in 2013 was the first person to gazette a fare revision committee. In 2017, [then minister] Nimal Siripala de Silva amended this proposal twice and the gazette which was to be implemented in 2013 was reversed in 2017 and there were no fare review committees after that,” said Dharmasena.

“The National Transport Commission is only in charge of private buses. We have been asking for years for the proposal to be accepted but there has been no response,” he added.

Dharmasena said the income of families of commercial threewheeler drivers has reduced since early this year with people reducing the use of threewheelers for transportation due to inflation hitting everyone hard.Due to the absence of a fare revision committee, he said, different rates can be seen among tuk drivers, driving consumers further away from the service.

“The government should step in and set a rate, but instead they are making obnoxious statements,” said Dharmasena.

Ride-hailing platforms like Uber and PickMe do not have price issues because they have a set rate that people trust, he added.Dharmasena also claimed that import controls imposed by the government are useless due to the cut paid by local Uber drivers to the Uber headquarters overseas, which he said is an outflow.

“When things go south because of their own decisions, the government tells the public to reduce threewheeler demand. I’d like to see how they win the election this year,” he said.

“If that’s what a leader is supposed to say, then all I have to say is there are no leaders in the country. Since we gained Independence, we haven’t had leaders. We only had rulers. Not everyone is a leader, because even a shepherd is a leader,” he added.

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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/26

Priyan

The National Building Research Institute has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 16:00 hrs on 25.09.2026 To 16:00 hrs on 26.09.2026

Accordingly,
LEVEL III [RED] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Neluwa, Nagoda, Niyagama and Thawalama inthe Galle district, Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa and Pasbage Korale in the Kandy district, and Kothmale West, Ambagamuwa, Kotmale East and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL II [AMBER] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Elpitiya, Baddegama and Karandeniya in the Galle district, Walallawita in the Kalutara district, Deltota, Udunuwara, Gangawata Korale, Yatinuwara and Panvila in the Kandy district, Aranayake, Dehiowita, Mawanella, Deraniyagala and Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district, Thalawakelle in the Nuwara Eliya district and Ratnapura and Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura district.

LEVEL I [YELLOW] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colombo district, Attanagalla and Mirigama in the Gampaha district, Katuwana and Walasmulla in the Hambanthota district, Ingiriya and Bulathsinhala in the Kalutara district, Hatharaliyadda, Poojapitiya, Medadumbara, Kundasale, Ududumbara, Thumpane, Akurana, Pathadumbara, Harispattuwa and Pathahewaheta in the Kandy district, Warakapola, Bulathkohupitiya, Galigamuwa, Kegalle and Ruwanwella in the Kegalle district, Mallawapitiya, Alawwa, Polgahawela and Mawathagama in the Kegalle district, Pitabeddara, Kotapola and Pasgoda in the Matara district, Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Elapatha, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Kuruwita and Kalawana in the Ratnapura district

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22A, Judicature Amendment Bills passed with 2/3 majority

Published

8 hours ago

2026/09/26

Thilina Walpola

Parliament yesterday passed the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill with two-thirds majorities, with 158 MPs voting in favour and 63 against each Bill.

The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) voted with the SJB against the Bills.

NDF MPs Ravi Karunanayake and Faizer Musthapha and SJB Badulla District MP Nayana Wasalathilaka were not present when the votes were taken.

The final vote on the Judicature (Amendment) Bill was announced at around 8.08 p.m. after Opposition MPs called for divisions on its clauses during the Committee Stage.

The votes followed a two-day debate which commenced on Thursday (24), after Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the Bills for their Second Reading.

The Supreme Court’s determination on the Bills was presented to Parliament on Tuesday (22) by Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne. The Court determined that the 22nd Amendment Bill did not require approval at a referendum and could be passed by a special two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The amendment provides for raising the mandatory retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 and that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65. It also provides for the Chief Justice to retire at 67 or after completing six years in office, whichever comes earlier.

The Speaker informed Parliament that the Judicature (Amendment) Bill could be passed by a simple majority.

The SJB opposed the legislation and its MPs attended Parliament dressed in black yesterday. The party also staged a protest at Polduwa Junction, Battaramulla, under the theme “No to 22, which destroys democracy”, with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several SJB politicians participating.

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TIN mandatory for key transactions from Nov. 1

Published

8 hours ago

2026/09/26

Thilina Walpola

A valid Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Certificate will be required for a range of key transactions in Sri Lanka from November 1, 2026, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has announced.

The requirement, introduced under the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2026, applies to transactions specified under Section 102(3) of the Inland Revenue Act.

Accordingly, individuals will be required to produce a valid TIN Certificate when opening an account at a bank or financial institution, obtaining approval for a building plan, registering or renewing the licence of a motor vehicle, registering land or title to land, registering a business, transferring shares in a company incorporated in Sri Lanka or obtaining a credit card.

In the case of share transfers, both the transferor and transferee will be required to provide TIN certificates.

The IRD said officials handling such transactions had been instructed to ensure that a valid TIN Certificate was submitted before processing or completing the relevant transaction.

The Department advised those who do not already have a TIN to obtain one in advance through its e-Services platform.

It said a printout of the TIN verification result showing the applicant’s National Identity Card number and TIN could also be accepted instead of the certificate.The IRD also reiterated that obtaining a TIN is mandatory for resident individuals aged 18 and above under the applicable provisions.