News
Extend the lockdown – Ranil
By Saman Indrajith
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday urged the government to extend the lockdown in keeping with the advice of health experts.
The entire nation would support an extension if it was done properly, he said. Health experts had made a number of recommendations on what to do during a lockdown, including a significant increase in testing, he said.
“Mangala Samaraweea, Raja Mahendran, President’s Counsel D. S Wijesinghe and eminent personality Gowri Thawarasa have passed away due to COVID. Six people whom I know also passed away recently. There is a rapid spread of COVID. There have been 5000 COVID related deaths since 07 August. 3,000 deaths have taken place within the last 20 days. This is a high rate of deaths,” he said.
Wickremesinghe said that COVID-19 statistics had to be inaccurate and these inaccuracies hide the real spread of the disease. The government must not only think of treating people that are detected, it should increase random testing to identify and isolate emerging clusters.
“We have to reduce the spread. The government declared a 10-day lockdown. It has received everyone’s support but is not a sufficient as per the medical advice. Another two-week lockdown is required,” he said.
The UNP leader said that the economic damage caused by a lockdown is immense. The country is facing a great decline in its foreign currency reserves. However, as a large number of garment workers had contracted Covid-19 in the coming weeks it would be impossible to continue operations due to crippling manpower shortages.
“Most daily wage earners had no work even before the lockdown. If you want to help them, reduce the spread of the virus. The remedy for this is to go immediately to the IMF. We have already received $ 720 million from the IMF for COVID control,” he added.
Power sector workers shouldn’t be granted year-end bonuses
Leader of the Eksath Janaraja Peramuna (EJP) and former Power Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that CEB workers shouldn’t be granted year end/Christmas bonuses as they had not contributed to the much favourable current financial status of that state-owned enterprise.
Ex-parliamentarian Ranawaka said that the CEB had earned massive profits solely by implementing extremely unfair tariff structure, therefore workers shouldn’t be paid bonuses.
The former Minister was addressing the media at the EJP Colombo office. Referring to official records, the EJP leader said that the CEB had earned a profit of Rs. 6161 mn in 2023 and also saved Rs. 36 bn. So far this year (January to November), the CEB had recorded Rs. 263 bn profit but the government continued to fleece consumers.
Ranawaka also questioned the failure on the part of the government to provide electricity consumers relief as decided by the Cabinet during the previous government that there would be quarterly revision of pricing formula.
Ranawaka said that the government should explain why it couldn’t decrease fuel prices by a significant amount. The NPP administration should at least admit that it couldn’t do away with the current unbearable tax regime. The ex-parliamentarian asked the NPP to acknowledge that the government feared collapse in case of abolition of heavy taxes on fuel.
The ex-Minister challenged the NPP to prove accusations that had been directed at ministers of previous governments without propagating allegations. According to Ranawaka, both diesel and petrol prices remained high as the government levied Rs 50 and 72 on diesel and petrol, respectively, in addition to 18% VAT (Value Added Tax).
Ranawaka pointed out that in addition to Ceypetco, IOC and Sinopec had been levying taxes heavily with diesel (Rs 88-94) and petrol (Rs 110-117) imports per litre (SF)
A person who had been apprehended by protesting Development Officers during a noisy demonstration outside the Education Ministry at Isurupaya and handed over to police was subsequently identified as a member of the Military Intelligence.
Police said that those demanding they be made permanent in the teaching service alleged that the apprehended man allegedly caused injuries to policemen deployed at the scene.
A Sub-Inspector of Police (SI) and two constables were injured. (HR)
Muhammathu Saali Naleem was sworn in as a member of the Tenth Parliament yesterday before Speaker Dr. Asoka Ranwala.
Following the oath taking, Naleem signed the Members’ Roll in the presence of Secretary General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadeera, marking his formal induction into the legislative body. Naleem was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament, representing the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).
The inaugural session of the Tenth Parliament took place on November 21st, 2024, with members taking their oaths the following day. On November 22nd, the Election Commission issued a gazette notification confirming Naleem’s appointment to the National List of the SLMC, paving the way for his oath-taking ceremony yesterday.
Before entering Parliament, Naleem served as the Chairman of the Eravur Urban Council, bringing valuable local governance experience to his new role as a lawmaker.
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