News
Godahewa sounds alarm over attempts to privatise profitable Insurance Corporation
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The government was all out to privatise profit-making government institutions on the pretext of restructuring Sate Owned Enterprise (SOEs) Dr. Nalaka Godahewa said on Wednesday night following a meeting with representatives from the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) unions.
“A large number of people now believe loss-making SOEs must be restructured or privatised. The government is using this sentiment to privatise profit making entities. If we do this, the state will lose its income while continuing to be burdened with loss making enterprises,” he said.
Dr. Godahewa, a former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation said that the President and some ministers were speaking about privatising the SLIC. By misdirecting public sentiment to get rid of profit-making state assets, the government might be trying to sell them to political allies.
“SOEs must be reformed, but we must have a proper plan on what needs to be done.
Meanwhile, E.W.U.R. Diwakara of the Rakshana Podu Sewaka Sangamaya said the SLIC should not be privatised and they would launch union action if that is attempted.
H.L. Sugath, President of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sewaka Sangamaya said that SLIC was a profit making entity and made a profit of close to 10 billion rupees in the last financial year.
“SLIC also helps vulnerable groups. We get very little profit from that. A private company will never accept such low profit margins. The privatisation of the SLIC would be a disaster for the vulnerable people,” he said.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
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.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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