News
SJB MP sees flaws in President’s policy statement
The country had been plunged into darkness with power cuts within four hours of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa vowing to allow the importation of electric vehicles, SJB Matale District MP Rohini Kumari Wijeratne said in Parliament yesterday.
“Since then, we have been experiencing intermittent power cuts daily,” MP Wijeratne said, participating in an adjournment debate on President Rajapaksa’s policy statement on Tuesday to commence a new session of parliament.
“Electricity generation is now hampered. Coals stocks are sufficient for only three months. We have to come to a situation without food, without coal, gas, sugar, coconut oil and fuel, yet there is no lack of boasting,” she said.
MP Wijeratne said that the President in his policy statement missed speaking of the problems faced by the people.
“There are three main problems; the first is the cost of living problem, the second is the collapse of
agriculture and third is the deterioration of democracy and the rule of law. None of these was addressed by the President. After shutting down parliament for more than one month, the President came here to tell us that for the past two years he gave fertilizer free of charge to farmers. Is it true? I am telling you all to go and ask from the farmers whether they received fertilizer free of charge during the past two years. Farmers are on the streets demanding fertilizer. The government decreased importing of fertilizer by May 2020. In many places of the country fertilizer was not available even at the time of the 2020 Maha Season. The President said that he gave a certified price of Rs 50 a kilo of paddy. In Tissamaharama a kilo of paddy is being sold at Rs 110. In Akkaraipattu paddy sold at Rs 95 for a kilo wet weight. These are the results of the agricultural policy of this government. Paddy is being harvested at Ampara these days. The usual experience is that prices of paddy go down when the harvest is coming. But today the prices of paddy are increasing. The President could utter those words in this Parliament complex surrounded by the Diyawanna Lake and his security. I ask him to say the same if possible, during one of his sessions at Gama Samaga Pilisandara so that he would get the right answers from the farmers.
“The President also mentioned 16 crops including green gram, Undu and Cow Pea. These crops are cultivated in lands in the Matale District which I represent. They could not be grown without agrochemicals. Farmers complain that they cannot grow those crops without agrochemicals. We cannot fathom why this government cannot understand these facts.
This government’s agriculture policy is built on three main pillars: fraud, boasting and removing secretaries. The government very soon will establish a record by removing secretaries”, she said.
(Ms.) Nina P. Cainglet, Ambassador of the Philippines to Sri Lanka based in Dhaka, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at the Prime Minister’s Office on May 16, 2025.
The Prime Minister welcomed Ambassador Cainglet and extended her congratulations on the new appointment. The discussion focused on expanding cooperation in trade and tourism, with both sides expressing their commitment to exploring new opportunities in these key sectors. The meeting also addressed consular matters relating to the Filipino community in Sri Lanka. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured continued dialogue and necessary support on relevant issues.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Judienne Capiz, Vice Consul of the Embassy of the Philippines in Dhaka, Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. S.S. Premawardhane, Additional Secretary, Bilateral Political Affairs (East); and M.R. Keegel, Deputy Director, Southeast Asia & Central Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division].
The Bribery Commission on Friday filed a corruption case against former Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and ex-BOI Director General Jayantha Edirisinghe, accusing them of misusing public cash for a lavish newspaper ad campaign back in 2014.
They stand accused of siphoning Rs. 1.7 million in state funds to publish 11 newspaper supplements marking the second inauguration anniversary of then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 19, 2014.
According to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), the move amounted to a clear breach of anti-graft laws, with five formal charges now filed before the Colombo High Court.
The case, centred around alleged misuse of Board of Investment (BOI) funds, is backed by 21 pieces of documentary evidence and testimony from 15 witnesses.
The Bribery Commission maintains that the ad blitz had no official sanction and led to a direct loss of Rs. 1,748,877.76 to the state.
Inspector General of Police T.M.W. Deshabandu Tennakoon is set to face formal questioning tomorrow (May 19) over serious allegations of misconduct and abuse of power, parliamentary sources said on Friday.
A special committee appointed to investigate the claims will commence formal proceedings next week, following several rounds of preliminary discussions held within the parliamentary complex in recent weeks.
The IGP has been officially notified to appear before the committee and is expected to face the inquiry for the first time at 2:00 PM in Committee Room No. 8.
The committee, which met again on Thursday (15) to finalise arrangements, is investigating allegations that Tennakoon misused his official powers in a manner deemed severe and improper.
Relay team dropped from Asian Athletics Championship
IPL2025 : Nehal Wadhera and Harpreet Brar take Punjab Kings closer to playoffs
Massimo Stano smashes world 35km race walk record in Podebrady
-
Features24 hours agoSearching for George Keyt
-
Features7 days agoChampioning Geckos, Conservation, and Cross-Disciplinary Research in Sri Lanka
-
Midweek Review5 days agoBronze statue for P’karan, NPP defeat in the North and 16th anniversary of triumph over terrorism
-
News3 days agoChikungunya spreading rapidly in Colombo and suburbs
-
Features24 hours agoThe Strategic Imperative:Why Sri Lanka Could Transform Indo-Pacific Security Through Space
-
News6 days agoExpert: Mismanagement of CEB hydro resources increases costly oil-powered electricity generation
-
News5 days agoFrench Navy Ship ‘BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE’ sets sail from Colombo
-
Business2 days agoHameedia launches ‘We Create’ – Sri Lanka’s first-ever online tailoring platform