News
Over 500 containers carrying essentials stuck in port as authorities combat illegal fund transfers
By Shiran Ranasinghe
More than 500 containers carrying essential items have been stuck in the Colombo Port since the banning of open accounts in May to reduce illegal underground Undiyal and Havala payments for imports.Essential Food Importers and Traders Association (EFITA) Spokesperson Nihal Seneviratne said that Trade Minister Nalin Fernando told them that the government might relax the ban for some food imports.
“They were to issue a gazette on this on 20 June. However, nothing has happened. Right now, we are even importing rice. The government must encourage exports and earn some dollars,” he said.
Seneviratne said that it was extremely difficult to limit the import of consumer items like sugar, potatoes, coriander, dhal, big onions, fennel, cumin, salmon and sprats.
“It’s difficult to make people cultivate small plots of land. It’s usually not worth the effort. We need to promote farming but we have to also realise that if we stop the import of essential commodities, market prices will double or triple,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Trade Minister said they were planning to relax restrictions on food imports and having discussions with the Central Bank to obtain release of containers stuck in the port.
The Minister told Parliament that he had held a discussion with the Central Bank Governor on releasing essential food items that were brought in before the gazette banning open accounts was passed.
He said that he was planning to use 180 million dollars from the Indian credit line for releasing essential items.Open account imports allow food to be cleared on suppliers’ credit which can be settled later through official or unofficial means.
Members of the South Asian Journalists Forum have gathered at the University of New Delhi for a two day conference themed ‘Peace and Co-operation’.
Journalists from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India are attending the conference hosted by the University of Delhi in collaboration with the India Chapter of SJF, and will deliberate on how the media can act as a catalyst for regional stability and mutual coexsistence.
A tree plantation campaign was also held at the Ghandi Bhawan premises of the University to mark the event and symbolize growing regional ties.
The Sri Lanka delegation is led by President of SJF’s Sri Lanka Chapter Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi.
The Governor of the of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, along with the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghvi, met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Thursdy [February 05] at the Parliamentary Complex to discuss the arrangements related to the exposition of the Devnimori Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, which have been brought to Sri Lanka under the patronage of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India.
These sacred relics of Lord Buddha were discovered during archaeological excavations conducted in the 1960s at the historic Devnimori site in Gujarat, the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Until now, these relics had never been taken outside India. As a result of discussions held between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, the people of Sri Lanka have been granted this rare opportunity to venerate these sacred relics.
The exposition of the relics is being held for a period of seven days, from February 05 to February 11, at the Gangaramaya Temple in Hunupitiya, Colombo. Discussions were held between both parties regarding the arrangements related to this event.
The discussion was attended by Samar Nanda, Joint Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Culture; Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, Acting High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka; Abhijit Halder, Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation; along with several others.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) GHARIAL made a port call in Colombo for operational turnarounds on 04 Feb 26. The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in compliance with naval traditions.
Commanded by Commander Gaurav Tewari, INS GHARIAL is a vessel with a length of 124.8 meters.
During this visit, ten (10) Bailey Bridges, brought by ship, through the coordination of the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, will be handed over to the Disaster Management Center. These bridges will provide temporary transportation links while bridges damaged across the island by adverse weather conditions are repaired.
The crew’s itinerary features scheduled goodwill activities with the Sri Lanka Navy, alongside visits to several tourist attractions across the island.
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