News
CB Governor: It is too late to suspend pay hike for March
By Saman Indrajith
Appearing before the COPF (Committee on Public Finance) recently, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said the Central Bank (CB) had no issue with COPF recommendations but it was not possible to implement the COPF recommendation that salary increases at issue be suspended immediately.
“The salaries of CB employees for March have already been processed in the system and they are to be paid on Monday (25). If we are to go back to the earlier one, we will have to revise the system completely.
This will take considerable time,” Dr. Weerasinghe said, adding the second issue was that if the salaries were reverted to the previous levels, some take-home salaries of CB staffers would be in the negative.
“They have obtained loans, etc. We have to address this. We have to get their consent on how to address negative take-home salaries. What we seek from you, while respecting what you have recommended, is guidance on implementing them,” he said.
Head of the COPF, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP, Dr. Harsha de Silva said the two sides should work to find an amicable solution to the problem.
“I want to refer your request to the Committee to decide whether to allow CB to go ahead with the March salaries. After March you can hold off payments until we arrive at an acceptable resolution,” he said.COPF member, SLPP dissident Chandima Weerakkody said that the Committee was not against CB officials getting a reasonable salary hike.
News
Cabinet nod to appoint Mrs. Tharani Kumaradasa to the Post of Commissioner of Cooperative Development / Cooperative Society Registrar
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal
furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development to appoint Mrs. Tharani Kumaradasa, a Grade I officer in Sri Lanka Administrative Service, serving in a post of Senior Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development to the post of Commissioner of Cooperative Development / Cooperative Society Registrar
News
Cabinet nod to hold 28th joint Asia Pacific Regional Social Workshop from 18-21 November in Sri Lanka
It has been planned to conduct the 28th Joint Asia-Pacific Regional Social Workshop from 18th November 2025 to 21st November 2025 in Sri Lanka, and 13 local representatives and 104 foreign representatives from 30 countries will participate in the said summit.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security,
and Community Empowerment to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Social Development Institute and the Society of Professionals engaged in Sri Lankan social services to conduct the aforementioned workshop in Sri Lanka and obtain the necessary institutional support to
conduct the said summit.
As per the current national policy of the government to make public transport in Sri Lanka efficient and streamlined, the necessity of establishing multi-modal transport hubs with required facilities has been identified to enable efficient public transport services to be initiated from transit cities and main cities through the interconnection between transport modes.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved in principle the proposal presented by the Acting Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to develop the following multi-modal transport hubs on a priority basis, with the objective of upgrading the interconnection of transport modes such as buses, trains, and taxi services by integrating bus stands and railway stations identified as having a growing passenger circulation on the island, subject to a formal feasibility study.
• Kandy Multimodal Transport Hub (Construction work has already been started under world bank financing)
• Anuradhapura (South) Multimodal Transport Hub (Constructions are about to be completed under the Anuradhapura combined urban development project)
• Anuradhapura (North) Multimodal Transport Hub (feasibility study has been performed and preliminary work completed)
• Multimodal Transport Hub centered around the Fort Railway Station (as proposed by the ComTrans Master Plan, which has been prepared for urban transport in Colombo and suburbs)
• Moratuwa Multimodal Transport Center (proposed by the ComTrans Master Plan)
• Ragama Multimodal Transport Center ( identified through a study conducted by the Japan International Coorperation Agency)
• Avissawella, Galle, Katunayake, Kurunegala Multimodal Transport Centers (identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority)
• Gampaha Multimodal Transport Center ((identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority and railway electrification of the Colombo Suburban Railway Project)
• Katunayake Multimodal Transport Hub (identified under the Airport Development Plan)
• Kaluthara Multimodal Transport Center (identified as a proposal of the District coordination Committee)
• Kankasanthure Multimodal Transport Center(identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority)
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Israel parliament passes first reading of death penalty for ‘terrorism’ law
Cabinet nod to appoint Mrs. Tharani Kumaradasa to the Post of Commissioner of Cooperative Development / Cooperative Society Registrar
Cabinet nod to hold 28th joint Asia Pacific Regional Social Workshop from 18-21 November in Sri Lanka
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