News
Ranil has not been stabiliser of economy; he’s the wrecker: AKD
By Saman Indrajith
Most of the International Sovereign Bonds (ISB) were issued by a government led by Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose economic decisions had played a significant role in the current financial crisis, National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Wednesday (11), addressing a rally in Kandy.
Dissanayake highlighted what he called the irony of Wickremesinghe claiming credit for stabilising Sri Lanka’s economy, given the latter’s involvement in the policies that had precipitated the crisis. He assured that an NPP-led government would revitalise the economy through a carefully structured development drive, harnessing the country’s human capital and resources.
He criticised past governments for consistently pledging to boost exports, while the share of exports had either stagnated or declined over the years. “Take a look at our export performance during the last two years. It’s been in decline. Has Ranil taken steps to study the economy, identify our strengths, seize opportunities, and develop industries to leverage these opportunities?” Dissanayake questioned.
The NPP leader accused Wickremesinghe and his associates of being primarily focused on enriching themselves at the expense of the nation, neglecting development priorities. He said some people still believed that Wickremesinghe had a master plan up his sleeve, but history suggested otherwise. “He has no plans. He will lose the election and go home. Some fear that the government might attempt to manipulate the vote count, but with 80 percent of state officials on our side, we are confident in the integrity of the process,” he said.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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M/s South Asian Technologies awarded contract to supply vehicle number plates
A new act for National Lotteries Board to be introduced
Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 to be amended
Mrs. P. K. L. S. Panduwawala appointed to the post of Surveyor General
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