News
A working majority in Parliament will not help tackle crisis – Ranil
Urgent action needed to prevent collapse of banking system
By Chaminda Silva
A working majority in Parliament would not help solve the present crisis and therefore the leaders of political parties should not worry about securing 113 seats there, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.
Addressing the UNP’s Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya May Day ceremony at New Town Hall in Colombo Wickremesinghe said that the rulers, instead of worrying to secure numbers in Parliament, must talk to the international community and seek its assistance to get the country out of the present crisis. “Having 113 MPs in Parliament is no longer the solution for the present problem. The country is facing an economic crisis of unprecedented proportion. The national economy has almost collapsed. Agriculture is in death throes without fertilisers. Fishers have no diesel. Many have lost their jobs. Companies are downsizing at the expense of their workers. Some have already been closed down. Thousands of more jobs are likely to be lost. Medium scale enterprises have collapsed and small-scale enterprises are facing the same predicament. The value of money deposited in the banks has been lost by around 50 percent. The value of the savings in the EPF and ETF has decreased by around 50 percent. There are protests and demonstrations all over the country. People are asking the government to go home. The government has lost its mandates received at the 2019 and 2020 elections.
The government is divided on who should go—whether it is the President or the Prime Minister. Priority should be given to solve the economic crisis.
“The prevailing problems cannot be solved by mustering 113 seats in Parliament. The problem, however, could be solved. For that purpose, income taxes have to be increased. Fuel prices and electricity prices would have to be increased. The value of the US dollar which was at Rs. 185 rupees is likely to reach Rs 400. Therefore, the government expenses have to be cut down. In the meantime, the government should talk to the international community to secure its assistance.
“The government should take immediate action to control the prices of essential goods. It should pay attention to saving the banking system from collapse. We saw how the banking sector collapsed in Greece and the same happened in Indonesia in 1998. The government should speak to India, China, Japan and South Korea to seek help,” Wickremesinghe said.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint Ms. P. M. Jayadeera (Engineer) in the Special Grade of Sri Lanka Engineering Service serving at present as the Additional Secretary (Water Resources Development) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to the post of Director General which will be vacant from 06.10.2026.
Approval has been granted at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 08.06.2026 to prepare a draft bill for restructuring Sri Lanka Cricket.
Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has formulated Sri Lanka draft bill providing legal provisions for the administration of Sri
Lanka Cricket, control, regulation, promotion, establishment of Sri Lanka Cricket for the development and administration, through the concepts of better governance, integrity, transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and providing equal opportunities for the betterment of the cricket sport, establishment of Sri Lanka Cricket for securing the wellbeing of all participants and securing cricket from corruption and other mal practices.
Clearance of the Attorney General has been received for the said draft bill. Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been received for the resolution furnished by the Minister of
Youth Affairs and Sports to publish the said draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
The Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation performs vitally important functions such as minimizing the risk of inundation in urban and lowland areas, maintaining drainage systems efficiently, carrying out urgent operations during inundation events, and maintaining canals.
The need to strengthen the capacity of the corporation’s internal
operations has been identified by the corporation to perform the aforementioned functions efficiently and expeditiously.
The corporation has planned to purchase small -scale machinery that can be used to clean small canals, which significantly contribute to urban inundation.
The General Treasury has agreed to grant 625 million rupees as an equity contribution for purchasing the relevant machinery.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution submitted by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to purchase the relevant machinery by the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation, following formal procurement procedures at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,233
million, utilizing the aforementioned amount granted by the General Treasury and the funds of the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation.
Ms. P. M. Jayadeera (Engineer) appointed Director General of Irrigation
Sri Lanka Cricket Draft Bill to be gazetted
Cabinet approves purchase of machinery for the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation
Cabinet approval for Project to Build Secure, Skilled, and Empowered Community for families resettled at the at Kalinga Mawatha, housing scheme
Appointment of Cabinet Sub-Committee for the Organization of 79th Independence Day Commemoration
Establishment of New Management Framework for the Dr. Nevil Fernando Hospital
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News6 days agoUS embassy won’t comment on IGP’s probe into joint drug raid
-
News4 days agoShanakiyan urges urgent action over reported death sentence for Lankan in Saudi Arabia
-
News5 days agoBid for Basil’s extradition nears final stage: Police
-
Business6 days agoAll-new Bolero MaXX unveiled in Sri Lanka
-
News3 days agoNamal Rajapaksa Buddhist gambit fails, bail denied
-
Features3 days agoWhy the spelling Sri Lankan names in English vary
-
Opinion6 days agoA journalist who wrote across the divide
-
Features3 days agoThree bands, a new identity: Sri Lankan wolf snake recognised as distinct species