News
Overdue payments could delay printing of school textbooks
The distribution of school textbooks in the current years could be delayed as private printers have not been paid by the Education Ministry.
Managing Director of Softwave Printing and Packaging (Pvt.) Ltd, Chamida Kariyawasam, asked for comment, told The Island that the Ministry of Education had not made any advance payment. It had not paid them for the books they had already printed, he added.
“We have printed some books using the material we have and we have not been paid for that either. Some printers have imported paper and other inputs by using bank facilities. The shipments have arrived in ports but printers do not have money to secure their release from Customs. Now, they have to pay late payments,” he said.
Kariyawasam said they had received the print order on 15 December and the printing was to end on 15 March.
“If the Minister steps in to ensure that we are paid, we can print the books,” he said.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) sources said that plans were afoot to file charges in connection with 15 major fraud and corruption cases in the near future.
The Commission sources said that these cases stem from thorough investigations into complaints that had previously gone unexamined, with recent file reviews prompting the decision to proceed with legal action. The forthcoming charges are based on detailed inquiries that uncovered substantial evidence pointing to serious misconduct.
To date, CIABOC has initiated inquiries into over 300 complaints received during the recent period, reflecting an expanded commitment to tackling corruption at multiple levels of governance.
Commission sources said that several former ministers and political affiliates from past administrations are among those implicated in the ongoing investigations, though specific names have yet to be disclosed.
Despite global shifts toward digital transactions, Cash on Delivery (COD) remains the dominant payment method for online shopping in Sri Lanka, according to the Digital Outlook Sri Lanka 2025 Report by the Asia Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing (APIDM) and the University of Kelaniya.
The report reveals that 52 percent of Sri Lankan online shoppers prefer COD, up from 48 percent in the previous year, underscoring persistent consumer caution toward digital payments.
While debit/credit card usage has dipped slightly to 35 percent (from 39.5 percent last year), newer digital payment methods such as e-wallets/e-money apps lag at 1 percent or less. Installment-based “Buy Now, Pay Later” options account for 3 percent, reflecting modest traction. Online bank transfers, meanwhile, accounted for 8 percent (down from 9 percent last year).(aayubo.com)
The Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education has launched a recruitment initiative aimed at addressing critical shortages in university academic staff across the country.
Deputy Minister Dr. Madura Seneviratne said that the recruitment process is being implemented at the university level to ensure that pressing needs are addressed efficiently and in alignment with institutional priorities.
The move comes in response to growing concerns raised by the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA), which has pointed out that nearly 2,000 essential faculty positions remain unfilled across the country’s public universities, potentially impacting the quality of higher education and research output.Deputy Minister Seneviratne said that the recruitment process will be prioritized based on the urgency and significance of vacancies within individual universities and departments.
By Chaminda Silva
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