News
PB critical of import restrictions
By Shyam Nuwan Ganewate
President’s Secretary P. B. Jayasundera yesterday said that imports should be relaxed instead of imposing restrictions, in a manner that it would not be harmful to the government policy framework.
Dr. Jayasundera, the Secretary to the Treasury at the height of the war and former top Central Banker, was responding to a query about the CBSL proposal to restrict non-essential imports.
He said he was against the policies adopted by the Central Bank.
Explaining his views on restriction of imports, Dr. Jayasundera said, the importation of certain commodities had to be restricted and one was fuel for which a price mechanism had to be adopted.
“If the government does not ration fuel to the consumer, the country will have to soon change to renewable energy,” the President’s Secretary said.
Dr. Jayasundera asked why a country which spent USD 5,000 mn annually on oil imports could not commission a number of projects to generate renewable energy.
Jayasundera said that hence a certain component of imports such as raw material would be used to re-export as finished products, the imports shouldn’t be restricted and if we are to develop our economy based on information technology, then all imports required to achieve the objective should be allowed.
“The Central Bank has to take the necessary steps for the proper management of foreign exchange reserves and win the confidence of the foreign capital market, manufacturers and specially exporters,” the one time Treasury Secretary said.
He said in the current year, it was expected to increase the exports relating to information technology to reach USD 1.7 billion and increase it further in the future.
The officials of the Central Bank and members of its Monetary Board should change the country to an export oriented economy.
Jayasundera, whose expertise had been used even by previous UNP and SLFP regimes and even by former Treasury Secretaries R. Paskaralingam and A.S. Jayawardena during Presidents Premadasa and Kumaratunga, said that he proposed to the central Bank to introduce a Green Financial facility of Rs. 50 billion and “we must encourage the local banks to adopt such measures”, he said.
“The Central Bank should act as a catalyst in this connection instead of attending to the day to day functions of the bank”, he said.
Dr. Jayasundera said he had sent a set of proposals to the Central Bank in that connection and believed that there would be a positive response from it.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
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Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
AKD: Govt. agenda on track despite Ditwah disaster
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Foreign couple held over alleged biopiracy at Horton Plains
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