News
COPE demands report on imported milch cow controversy
Ridiyagama farm lost Rs. 173 million in 2017 and 2018
The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has directed the Secretary to the State Ministry of Livestock and Farm Promotion and Dairy and Eggs Related Industries to review the controversial milch cow project, under the previous government, and submit a full report urgently.
Under a subsidy scheme to introduce high-yielding imported pregnant cows from Australia in 2017, the last government distributed 3,030 substandard cows, imported from there, and distributed them among dairy farm investors.
The COPE uncovered that the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) owned Ridiyagama farm that holds cattle imported in 2015 had incurred a loss of Rs. 173 million in 2017 and 2018.
The COPE has found out that feed worth Rs. 508,793,160 had been purchased for cattle, from 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2018 in violation of the guidelines given by the Procurement Committee.
The Chairman of COPE Prof. Charitha Herath pointed out that many issues had arisen due to the improper financial decisions of the NLDB.
The COPE has also instructed the NLDB to carry out its functions within the legal framework.
State Minister Susil Premajayantha, MPs Eran Wickramaratne, Premnath C. Dolawatte, and Shanakiyan Rasamanickam were present at the COPE Committee meeting, held to review the Auditor General’s reports for the years 2016 and 2017 and the current performance of the NLDB.
The COPE also said that the Annual Reports of the NLDB from 2017 to 2020 had not been tabled in Parliament. Prof. Herath said that the inability to table the annual reports at the proper time prevented the COPE from determining the progress made in more recent times. He directed the Ministry Secretary to expedite submission of the reports to Parliament.
The COPE also found that 166 vacancies had been left unfilled at the NLDB for some time. Several executive posts have also fallen vacant. It observed that the NLDB had to create a legal officer’s post.
The NLDB, by 31 December 2016, had constructed buildings worth Rs. 194,565,192 and structures worth Rs. 701,358,733 in 24 farms. Although the NLDB had been running these farms from 1974 and 1992, the land where they are located had not been formally acquired by the NLDB, the COPE noted.
The COPE also found that three institutions, the NLDB, the Mahaweli Livestock Enterprises Ltd., and Sri Lanka Poultry Development Company (Pvt) Ltd., owned 12,617.43 hectares of land. But by the end of May 2019, 2,311.35 hectares of those lands had remained unutilised.
The COPE also found that the NLDB possessed machinery capable of producing 3.75 tons of cattle feed at a time, but these machines had not been utilised properly. Farms at Menikpalama, Dayagama and Ridiyagama which keep the imported cattle cannot even cover their minimum direct expenses, the COPE has noted.
The NLDB should look into the matter immediately, Prof. Herath said.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (07) presented its flagship publication, the Annual Economic Review for 2024 (AER 2024), to President and Minister of Finance, Anura Kumara Disanayake, highlighting the steady progress of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery following the country’s most severe downturn in recent history.
The report was officially handed over by Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank, during a special ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat.
AER 2024 comprises four main chapters: Macroeconomic Developments, Conditions of the Financial System, Review of Central Bank’s Policies and Macroeconomic Outlook.
According to the Review, the Sri Lankan economy showed significant signs of recovery in 2024, following the deep economic crisis experienced two years ago. The recovery trajectory, though challenging, has been notably faster than that of many other debt-distressed countries.
Improvements in economic activity, a partial resurgence in purchasing power and reduced uncertainty are among the key positive indicators noted in the report.
The event was attended by Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, K. M. Mahinda Siriwardena, Secretary to the Treasury, Mrs. K. M. A. N. Daulagala, Senior Deputy Governor, Dr. C. Amarasekara, Assistant Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) S. Jegajeevan, Director of Economic Research and Dr. L. R. C. Pathberiya and Additional Director of Economic Research at the Central Bank Dr. V. D. Wickramarachchi.
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