News
Efforts to facilitate Indo-Lanka rupee trade underway
The Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi yesterday (14) said that regulations needed to facilitate the rupee trade between the two countries were formulated.
High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda has thanked India, and Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharama for the assistance provided to Sri Lanka in the present economic recovery phase, in particular for the necessary regulations and approvals that were being set in place to facilitate the Rupee trade between the two countries. This was taken up at a meeting held in New Delhi where they focused on the ways and means of utilising the available resources in the one billion USD Indian line of credit to import urgently required essential pharmaceuticals, which are in short supply in Sri Lanka.
It was the latest of a series of meetings he has had with her since November 2021.
The meeting between the Finance Minister of India and the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka took place, just ahead of the first meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers, scheduled to be held, from 24 to 25 February, 2023 in Bengaluru, chaired by Minister Sitharaman.
During the discussion, High Commissioner Moragoda, once again, thanked Minister Sitharaman for the unprecedented emergency assistance that India has extended to Sri Lanka and for the timely issuance of India’s financial assurances to the International Monetary Fund, concerning the country’s debt restructuring process.
High Commissioner Moragoda briefed Minister Sitharaman on Sri Lanka’s ongoing discussions with the International Monetary Fund to obtain the Extended Fund Facility and the present status of the country’s debt restructuring process. While appraising the Minister of the drastic impact the present economic contraction is having on the population of Sri Lanka, High Commissioner Moragoda expressed his appreciation to Minister Sitharaman for her efforts in garnering international support for Sri Lanka’s case, including at the G20 forum.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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