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Sajith cries foul over allocation of stalls at new Manning Market

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By Saman Indrajith

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday told parliament that there were serious issues pertaining to the allocation of stalls in the new Manning Market at Peliyagoda. There had been instances of a single shop being given to two traders.

Taking special permission from the Chair, the Opposition Leader said: “When it was planned to construct the new Manning Market at a cost of Rs 6.9 billion we provided a list of all the rightful owners of the old Manning Market. There were 1,192 of them. We promised to lease the shops at the market for a monthly rental of Rs 2,000-3,000 and did not intend to ask the shop owners to place any deposit. The new government completed the construction work and we are told that the traders have been asked to deposit Rs 200,000 to 500,000 per stall. In addition they have been informed that they would be required to pay a monthly rental of Rs 15,000. This is unfair.”

Premadasa said that those traders had found that the same space had been allocated to two people in some cases. “How are you going to lease the same space to two persons simultaneously? The original list of 1,192 traders registered in 2017 had the names of those who had stalls at the old Manning Market. We included the names of all traders who had been there. So, the new list must be having the names of some outsiders.”

He requested the government to stick to the original list of names and to lease a stall at a monthly rental of Rs. 3,000.



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Navy seize 03 Indian fishing boats poaching in Sri Lankan waters north of Mannar

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The Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard seized 03 Indian fishing boats and apprehend 33 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, during special operations conducted in the sea area north of Mannar on 25 and 26 Jan 25.

The seized boats (03) together with Indian fishermen (33) were brought to the island of Iranativu and they will be handed over to the Assistant Directorate of Fisheries, Kilinochchi for onward legal proceedings.

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Election campaign finance laws must be tightened, says PAFFREL

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Rohana Hettiarachchi

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The election campaign finance laws should be amended to allow the automatic disqualification of candidates who fail to submit expense reports on time, without requiring separate legal action, Executive Director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), Rohana Hettiarachchi proposed.

Currently, the Election Commission must pursue legal action against non-compliant candidates through the Police and the Attorney General’s Department, a process Hettiarachchi described as cumbersome and inefficient.

“This is a major issue concerning the campaign finance laws. During the 2024 presidential election 13 candidates, along with their party secretaries or nominators failed to submit their expense reports. Similarly, over 100 candidates at the Elpitiya Local Council poll and more than 1,200 who contested the November 2024 general election did not submit their reports,” he said.

Hettiarachchi explained that under current laws, legal proceedings must be initiated to penalise such individuals. “The Election Commission lodges complaints with the Police, and the Police, after consulting the Attorney General’s Department, take legal action against those who fail to submit their expense reports on time. This is a lengthy and unnecessary process as there is no investigation required. It is a straightforward case of failing to comply,” he said.

He warned of the administrative challenges this could pose at the upcoming Local Council elections. “If, for example, 10,000 candidates fail to submit their expense reports, the Election Commission, Police, and Attorney General’s Department will be overwhelmed. They would have no capacity to focus on anything other than filing cases. Similarly, the courts will be burdened with hearing these cases, leaving little room for other judicial work.”

Hettiarachchi highlighted the current penalties under campaign finance laws: a person found guilty of failing to submit expense reports loses their civic rights for three years and is required to pay a fine of Rs. 100,000.

He called for stricter reforms, proposing an extension of the civic rights suspension period from three to seven years and the immediate loss of civic rights for individuals who fail to submit their reports on time. “These measures will not only simplify enforcement but also ensure greater accountability from candidates,” he said.

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Switzerland will help SL to recover stolen assets

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Dr Siri Walt

Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and Ambassador-designate to the Maldives, Dr Siri Walt, on Friday pledged Switzerland’s support in recovering assets that have been moved out of Sri Lanka, the President’s Media Division said.

Dr Walt gave this undertaking during a meeting held on Friday at the Presidential Secretariat with the Secretary to the President, Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

During discussions, Ambassador Walt outlined the international measures required to reclaim such assets and expressed Switzerland’s willingness to provide essential resources and assistance whenever necessary.

The discussion also focused on leveraging Switzerland’s expertise and technical knowledge to support Sri Lanka’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts.

The Swiss government reaffirmed its commitment to offering technical and financial assistance for Sri Lanka’s priority initiatives, including the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme.

The Ambassador further reiterated Switzerland’s dedication to aiding Sri Lanka in addressing social challenges, promoting national reconciliation, and supporting the development of the Northern region through targeted aid and resources.

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