News
Govt. to ban liquor in quarter bottles unless manufacturers get their act together
Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera on Tuesday vowed to ban liquor being sold in 180 ml (quarter) bottles considering the damage they inflicted on the environment.
Minister Amaraweera addressing officials of the Central Environmental Authority when he visited the CEA office in Battaramulla, after assuming duties, said the liquor companies sold liquor in 180 ml bottles made of glass or plastic. The consumers discarded them haphazardly after use. “The liquor companies do not collect them. They should be banned or the companies should collect those bottles for reuse or recycling. We can introduce a high tax under the polluter-pays-principle so that the companies will not get a profit by selling them.” Minister Amaraweera said that environment authorities and municipal cleaning agencies had pointed out that the need to introduce a new system to minimise environmental pollution caused by the discarded empty liquor bottles.
As per the available records over 300 million quarter liquor bottles had been purchased in 2019 from liquor shops, the minister said.
We should introduce a new system that encourages liquor consumers to return empty bottles instead of discarding them on the roadside.
As the first step under the new system, the liquor companies would be requested to provide a refund for every empty 180 ml alcohol bottle returned to any liquor outlet.
In addition to the quarter liquor bottles, the sachets containing shampoo, sauce and other products and small plastic bottles containing some products such as liquid blue used on white cloths too have become a threat to environment because the consumers discard them in a haphazard manner.
Secretary to the Ministry Dr. Anil Jasinghe was also present.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
Trump cancels US-Iran meetings, urges protesters to take over institutions
Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
AKD: Govt. agenda on track despite Ditwah disaster
SL to receive 10 helicopters from US
Foreign couple held over alleged biopiracy at Horton Plains
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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