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Mano asks UK backing for upcountry Tamil community to achieve their rightful place here

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MPs Mano Ganeshan and Jeevan Thondaman meet BHC Hulton and FCDO official Maya Sivagnanam

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader Mano Ganesan, MP, has urged Maya Sivagnanam, Deputy Director of the South Asia Region Department of Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and High Commissioner Sarah Hulton to facilitate their full integration into what he called the Sri Lankan national mainstream polity as ‘full citizens’. The former National Integration Minister said that Britain should use its good offices with the government here to help us to achieve this Sri Lankan goal”.

“The element of British responsibility begins from the fact that the British crown government started bringing us into this country from South India 200 years ago. Since then our people had put in unprecedented hard work and developed the most profitable plantation export industry in then Ceylon and now Sri Lanka.”

TPA leader Ganesan told, Maya Sivagnanam, the FCDO’s Deputy Director of the South Asia Region Department and High Commissioner Sarah Hulton when he and Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) general secretary minister Jeevan Thondaman met British Diplomats at Westminster house, Colombo.

Mano Ganesan also said:

“But in return, our citizenship and franchise rights to vote were taken away in 1948. Our people were forcibly sent to India from 1964 by Sirima- Shasthri Pact.”

“Hence, His Majesty’s government of Britain today has a moral responsibility towards the wellbeing of our community”

“Please don’t leave it to GoSL and Gov of India only. Indians too have their obligation and responsibility towards us. India is using its good offices, alright, but that’s not enough. We suffer being sidelined from the national mainstream. We require British support too. We strive to achieve just sociopolitical lost grounds within an undivided Sri Lanka.”

“Not less than one third of our community lives in the plantations. They are the most under privileged vulnerable segment of Sri Lanka. The surveys done by UN organizations, WB, ICRC and UNHRC special Rapporteur confirm this sad reality. We request the Government of UK to support our vulnerable segment on Affirmative Action principles.”

“All what we want is for you to help us to become more into Sri Lankan national polity. We wanted to become full citizens. Please use your good offices with GoSL on our behalf.”

The former minister said that British policy should recognize the underlying fact that Sri Lanka is Incomplete without our community.



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National Trade Facilitation Committee Secretariat to be established

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The NTFC review meeting in progress

In an effort to accelerate trade facilitation commitments and bolster the business landscape in Sri Lanka, a high-level review of the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) was conducted at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday (7).

The review focused on assessing the progress of trade facilitation commitments and scrutinizing the performance of the NTFC Secretariat. The private sector also voiced their views on expediting actions to ensure the completion of measures ahead of the projected timeline of 2025-2030.

In order to streamline compliance and optimize performance, several directives were issued during the meeting. Firstly, it was decided to establish the NTFC Secretariat under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance. Secondly, immediate measures to be taken to address the staffing requirements of the Secretariat and lastly, the budget allocated for the NTFC Secretariat in 2023, currently under the Department of Customs, was to be transferred to the Ministry of Finance to prioritize pending actions such as the development of the NTFC website and progress reporting system.

During the meeting, deliberations took place concerning the proposed National Single Window, a system aimed at simplifying and expediting trade processes. The participants agreed to expedite the submission of the proposal in a sequential manner to ensure its swift implementation.

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22 injured in bus – lorry crash at Embulgama

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More than 22 persons have sustained injuries when a Sri Lanka Transport Board bus plying from Akkaraipattu to Colombo crashed head on with a lorry at Embulgama on the Colombo – Avisawella Road this morning (09)

The injured had been rushed to the Homagama and Nawagamuwa hospitals. Hanwella Police are conducting investigations.

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PM discusses ADB future projects in Sri Lanka with ADB DG and new Country Director

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Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Director General for South Asia Kenichi Yokoyama and newly appointed Country Director Takafumi Kadono held discussions with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Thursday (June 8) at the Temple Trees in Colombo.

The Prime Minister, while welcoming the new Director General thanked the outgoing DG, Chen Chen for the support extended to Sri Lanka during the height of Covid pandemic and the economic crisis. He thanked the ADB for extending short term, immediate contingency support which has helped Sri Lankan economy to recover from the unprecedented crisis within a short period of time. ADB loan funds amounting to USD 380 mn were targeted for enhancing fiscal space and efficient public financial management system as well as strengthening the SME sector with access to finance. Further USD 250 mn was obtained as budgetary support to develop Capital Market.

The Prime Minister made a special mention about ADB’s US$ 333 million emergency assistance to support import of essential items such as fertilizer, medicines and chemicals for water treatment, working capital support to SMEs, and cash transfer to most poor and vulnerable to mitigate the impact of economic crisis.

ADB Director General for South Asia Keinichi Yokohoma, praised the recovery made by Sri Lankan economy and briefed the Prime Minister about the ADB’s mid-term and long-term projects for economic progress and infrastructure development.

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