News

Govt. urged to act fast against moves by India to stake claim to Lankan cobalt deposit

Published

2 years ago

2024/07/29

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The government must immediately convene the National Oceanic Affairs Committee (NCAC) and seek its advice on India’s bid to carryout research at the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount, an area that is claimed by Sri Lanka to be a part of its continental shelf, Dr. Ravindranath Dabare, Attorney-at-Law and Chairman, Environmental Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has said.

Dabare has said that regional powers are using our economic woes to stake claim to Sri Lanka’s resources and as a sovereign nation Sri Lanka must protect its interests. The Sri Lankan public needs to be aware whether politicians and bureaucrats are doing the bidding of other nations, he said.

The Afanasy Nikitin Seamount is a 400-km long and 150-km wide undersea mountain range located in the equatorial Indian Ocean. It features a main plateau that rises 1,200 meters above the surrounding ocean floor, which is at a depth of 4,800 meters. Additionally, there are secondary elevated sea-mount highs, with two notable peaks situated at water depths of 1,600 meters and 2,050 meters.

“We are the closest to Afanasy Nikitin Seamount which is 1,050 kilometers from Sri Lanka. The Seamount is 1,100 kilometers from Maldives and 1,350 kilometers from India. There is speculation that there is USD 80 billion worth of cobalt deposited there. Our total debt is about 100 billion dollars,” Dabare said, adding that on 08 May 2009, Sri Lanka had presented a submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS), seeking the extension of the country’s continental shelf beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Usually, a country’s EEZ only extends to 200 nautical miles from its shores.

“We submitted our claims in 2009. The UNCLES started studying our submission in 2016 and in March 2024, India applied to the International Seabed Authority (ISBA), Jamaica, for rights to explore Afanasy Nikitin Seamount. This isn’t a part of India’s jurisdiction. The problem is what have we done after making the submission in 2009, it has been 15 years. We have waited while other regional powers are making moves into what is ours,” Dabare said.

Dabare said that under normal circumstances the EEZ was an area 200 nautical miles from a country’s shore. However, Sri Lanka’s geological features granted it special characteristics. Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) describes how a state can define its continental shelf, he said.

According to UNCLOS a country has “special characteristics” if the; a) the average distance at which the 200 metre isobath occurs is not less than 20 nautical miles; (b) the greater proportion of the sedimentary rock of the continental margin lies beneath the rise; (c) the mathematical average of the thickness of sedimentary rock along a line established at the maximum distance permissible in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 4(a)(i) and (ii) of Article 76 as representing the entire outer edge of the continental margin would not be less than 3.5 km; and (d) that more than half of the margin would be excluded by the application of such a line.

“Sri Lanka fulfils these, and we can seek the extension of the country’s continental shelf beyond the EEZ. The reason countries like us are given this chance is that when the seabed becomes suddenly deep a country will find it difficult to access the resources available. Apart from article 76, we can also use annex 2 of UNCLOS, i.e., Commission on The Limits of The Continental Shelf to stake a claim,” he said.

Thus, Sri Lanka is authorised to: ‘‘Establish the outer edge of its continental margin by straight lines not exceeding 60 nautical miles in length connecting fixed points, defined by latitude and longitude, at each of which the thickness of sedimentary rock is not less than one kilometer.”

“As mentioned above we made a submission to UNCLCS in 2009 based on these provisions. India, Bangladesh and Thailand objected to Sri Lanka’s claim back then. We should remember that 08 May 2009 was the day before the deadline set by UNCLES for countries to make these submissions. This is how we do things,” he said.

Dabare said that in March 2024, India placed a 500,000-dollar deposit at the ISBA and requested the ISBA to grant it the right to explore Afanasy Nikitin Seamount for 15 years.

“Now we are facing a great risk. Sri Lanka has access to great resources, but it is also bankrupt. Because of our situation, those who have no right to claim our resources have started to make their moves. In the end, we might have to share these resources with everyone who is now objecting. We don’t know how many people in Sri Lanka are experts on laws of the sea, we also don’t know how many of them are working with the state. We don’t know if our politicians and bureaucrats are aware of what’s going on. How many of them are under the control of other nations? We may be small, but we don’t need to be lackeys of so-called regional powers,” he said.

Dabare said that Sri Lanka must officially object to what India is doing and take the necessary procedural steps.

“We must lobby our officials to protect our resources. Should we bow down to other countries because they have given us some dry rations? I know regional powers want to influence us, but we too are a sovereign nation. The officials need to stand for people’s rights,” he said.

Dabare said Sri Lanka needs to come up with a clear foreign policy and a national policy on agreements with other countries.

“When there are no policies, rulers and bureaucrats take decisions that benefit them, not the country,” he said.

Sri Lanka has a National Oceanic Affairs Committee, but this has not met in years. The government needs to convene this committee and seek advice.

“This is an independent committee, but we urge the committee to tell the nation what the recommendation is. We shouldn’t be opaque and secretive when we take decisions that affects millions of people,” he said.

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National SME Strategy Framework 2026 is critical because it brings policy consistency and stability to the sector – PM

Published

7 hours ago

2026/05/15

Priyan

The Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in the 2nd day of the dialog on “National SME Strategy Framework 2026” organized by the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development held on Thursday [14th of May].

The official launch of the “National SME Strategy Framework 2026” to empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), was held on Wednesday (13) under the patronage of the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Sunil Handunnetti, and Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe.

The Framework has been developed by the Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry, with input from the SME Advisory Committee and key system stakeholders in line with the national manifesto of “A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life.”

This framework creates the opportunity for the entrepreneurs to easily register their businesses, access modern technology, and obtain specialized financial facilities along with the advisory services that directly support the growth of entrepreneurs, departing from the traditional method free of charge.

The second day marks the dialog on the “National SME Strategy Framework 2026” focusing on the discussion into implementation and strategy to action featuring series of panel discussions.

During the event National SME Strategy Framework 2026 was presented to the Prime Minister by the Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe.

The Prime Minister stated that the country is implementing its transformative agenda during a period of global instability and disruptive global context stressing the importance of adaptation, sustainability and building resilience, particularly within the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector in such context.

Underscoring the importance of the SME policy framework, the Prime Minister further stated that the government’s role is to ensure consistency, stability and collaboration within the sector.

The event was attended by the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Sunil Handunnetti, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Australian Deputy High commissioner to Sri Lanka, Ms. Ruth Baird and Secretary to the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Mrs. J.M. Thilaka Jayasundara and develop and develop partners and representatives from business community.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

Opposition accuses govt. of weaponising tax laws

Published

9 hours ago

2026/05/15

Thilina Walpola

Sajith

… calls for modernising Inland Revenue Dept.

Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday criticised the government’s proposed amendments to the Inland Revenue Act, claiming that a new provision in the draft legislation could unfairly lead to criminal action against ordinary citizens and small business owners over administrative tax-related matters.

In a statement, Premadasa said the public was “not angry about paying taxes” but was frustrated by what he described as unfair treatment under the proposed law.

He alleged that Section 185A of the proposed bill could make delays in filing tax returns or registration-related issues criminal offences, warning that struggling small-scale entrepreneurs could be treated in the same manner as individuals deliberately evading millions of rupees in taxes.

“That is wrong,” the Opposition Leader said.

Premadasa further accused the government of resorting to criminal action against people instead of reforming and modernising the Inland Revenue Department and simplifying tax compliance procedures.

He also questioned the government’s commitment to tackling corruption and financial crimes, asking why stronger measures had not been taken against money laundering, financial fraud and those accused of misappropriating public funds.

“Go after the corrupt. Punish real fraudsters. But do not weaponise the law against the common man,” he said.

Premadasa added that the Opposition would continue to resist legislation that undermined “fairness, proportionality, and the constitutional rights of the people.”

News

Floods, landslides affect 3,475 people

Published

9 hours ago

2026/05/15

Thilina Walpola

Adverse weather conditions prevailing across the country have severely affected 3,475 persons belonging to 1,113 families in seven districts, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).The DMC said 1,310 individuals from 489 families had been relocated to eight temporary safety shelters due to the deteriorating weather situation.

The DMC also confirmed one death from the Koralepatthu South area in the Batticaloa District.

As of 10 am yesterday (14), a total of 88 houses and one business establishment had sustained partial damage as a result of the adverse weather conditions.

Authorities have urged the public in vulnerable areas to remain vigilant and follow safety instructions issued by disaster management and local officials as heavy rains continue to affect several parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) yesterday extended landslide warnings for several districts across the country due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions.

According to the NBRO, Level 2 landslide warnings have been issued for Neluwa in the Galle District; Agalawatte, Baduraliya, Matugama, Horana and Walallawita in the Kalutara District; and Ratnapura and Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura District.

Level 1 landslide warnings remain in effect for several areas in the Badulla, Galle, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura districts.

The warned areas include Bandarawela, Passara and Hali Ela in Badulla; Thawalama, Elpitiya and

Niyagama in Galle; Ingiriya and Bulathsinhala in Kalutara; and multiple Divisional Secretariat areas in the Kandy District, including Poojapitiya, Deltota, Udunuwara and Pathahewaheta.

Warnings have also been issued for Bulathkohupitiya, Mawanella, Kegalle, Aranayake, Yatiyanthota, Warakapola and Rambukkana in the Kegalle District; Ridigama in Kurunegala; Rattota, Naula and Ambanganga Korale in Matale; and Wellawaya, Badalkumbura and Bibile in Monaragala.

In the Nuwara Eliya District, the warning covers Norwood, Ambagamuwa Korale and Kotmale, while Eheliyagoda, Kalawana, Kuruwita, Godakawela, Kiriella and Ayagama in the Ratnapura District have also been placed under alert.

The NBRO said the warnings were extended in view of further rainfall forecast by the Department of Meteorology and urged residents in vulnerable areas to remain vigilant and follow instructions issued by authorities for their safety.

Meanwhile, the water levels in several major river basins that had risen due to recent heavy rainfall are now receding following a decline in rainfall over the past 24 hours, the Department of Irrigation said.

Director of Irrigation (Hydrology and Disaster Management) L.S. Sooriyabandara said water levels in the Nilwala River, Gin Ganga, Kalu Ganga and Attanagalu Oya basins were showing a downward trend as rainfall eased.

He noted that water levels were declining in most areas, with the exception of the Millakanda area in the Kalu Ganga basin.

However, Sooriyabandara warned that the current improvement could be temporary, as the Department of Meteorology has forecast further rain in the coming days.

According to the Department, 18 of the country’s 73 major reservoirs are currently spilling over, while another 18 medium-sized reservoirs are also discharging water.

He stressed that the release of water does not indicate a major flood situation at present, but urged the public to remain vigilant and follow future advisories issued by authorities.

By Norman Paliahwadane and Chaminda Silva