News

Harsha flays govt. over plan to pass coal, Treasury losses to public

Published

4 months ago

2026/06/1

Harsha de Silva

Chairman of the Public Finance Committee Dr. Harsha de Silva, MP, yesterday (31) said that the National People’s Power (NPP) government was going ahead with a controversial move to pass on the massive losses caused by the coal scam to the public. The government also intended to recover USD 2.5 (approximately Rs 800 mn) lost by the Treasury from the people by introducing an amendment to the Budget, the Opposition lawmaker alleged.

Dr de Silva said that the government had been compelled to increase the supply of diesel for the oil-fired power plants to meet the Norochcholai generation shortfall due to the use of substandard coal.

Responding to The Island queries, the former State Minister said that regardless of repeated assurances that electricity consumers wouldn’t be burdened for the lapse on their part, the government, in writing, has assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to recover the losses from the public. This came to light after the IMF released the Letter of Intent submitted by the government following the completion of the combined Fifth and Sixth Reviews under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme to receive USD 695 mn.

Commenting on the specific assurance as regards the upward revision of fuel prices and electricity tariffs, MP de Silva pointed out the government’s assurance of its commitment to cost-recovery pricing for fuel and electricity meant that subsidies provided to ease the burden on households and businesses would remain within budgeted limits and be phased out by the end of September 2026.

Welcoming the USD 695 mn IMF loan, MP de Silva said that in terms of the agreement between the government and the IMF, the relief would end once Rs 100 bn allocated to provide relief was spent on subsidies on fuel (Rs 57 bn), electricity (Rs 15 bn) and the rest on ‘Aswesuma’ social welfare scheme and fertiliser.

MP de Silva said that the crisis should be examined taking into consideration that Sri Lanka paid very high prices to procure fuel in the wake of the continuing turmoil in West Asia. He noted that having perpetrated a coal scam the government could not under any circumstances absolve itself of responsibility for the skyrocketing electricity tariffs.

Commenting on the Sri Lanka-IMF agreement, lawmaker de Silva lambasted the government for utterly chaotic and poor management of the economy. Severe criticism was directed at the government over the rapid depreciation of the rupee against the USD and the NPP’s pathetic performance. Amidst speculation that De Silva may switch allegiance to the NPP, the MP also posted a video in which he flayed the government alleging the NPP couldn’t take forward measures taken by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

MP de Silva explained how the people would end paying for the theft of USD 2.5 by way of an amendment to the Budget. The MP told The Island that assurance meant that the government acknowledged that there was no hope of recovering USD 2.5 mn though they talked of investigations and progress being made. De Silva called for a combined Opposition effort to pressure the government to act responsibly in the face of growing challenges.

The government couldn’t lie as the relevant IMF report and the government letter of intent were in the public domain, Dr de Silva said.

by Shamindra Ferdinando

All News Advertisement

News

Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

12 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

12 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

12 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.