News

SLFP ready to go alone – Sirisena

Published

2 years ago

2021/01/1

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is ready to contest the coming Provincial Council elections alone if the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) doesn’t give it a fair share of the candidates, former president Maithripala Sirisena has told The Hindu newspaper.

The former President has said that the SLFP was treated unfairly when candidates were selected for the August 2020 parliamentary election.

“We were treated unfairly when the candidates were picked for the general elections in August 2020. Our party didn’t get a slot in either Kalutara or Nuwara Eliya districts. In Gampaha, we were given only one. In Kurunegala, we were given only two slots. In the districts we are strong, we weren’t given a fair number of slots. We asked for 30 candidates. Had we been given 30 slots at the last general election, we would have got at least 25 in Parliament.”

Sirisena added that the SLPP candidates had carried out a campaign against the SLFP candidates during the election period. While the SLFP looks forward to contesting the coming provincial council election with the SLPP, it is also ready go solo “if there is no fair treatment. Our party will decide on a solo journey. We are ready for both options.”

Sirisena has also said that he did not like the abolition of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and that if he had been the President, he would have only amended 19A.

“And I gave away my superior powers as Executive President. The powers until then were almost monarch like. The powers I parted with went to the Prime Minister, the parliament and the independent commissions. So how did some wrong people get into those institutions? It is because the powers given to the Prime Minister were abused. So, there was a lot of criticism of the commissions that were supposed to be independent. One example is the Election Commission, that lot of people found fault with. That is why I said the 19th Amendment could have been amended in a way that strengthens democracy. I didn’t vote for the 20th Amendment.”

All News Advertisement

Business

National Trade Facilitation Committee Secretariat to be established

Published

4 hours ago

2023/06/9

Priyan

The NTFC review meeting in progress

In an effort to accelerate trade facilitation commitments and bolster the business landscape in Sri Lanka, a high-level review of the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) was conducted at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday (7).

The review focused on assessing the progress of trade facilitation commitments and scrutinizing the performance of the NTFC Secretariat. The private sector also voiced their views on expediting actions to ensure the completion of measures ahead of the projected timeline of 2025-2030.

In order to streamline compliance and optimize performance, several directives were issued during the meeting. Firstly, it was decided to establish the NTFC Secretariat under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance. Secondly, immediate measures to be taken to address the staffing requirements of the Secretariat and lastly, the budget allocated for the NTFC Secretariat in 2023, currently under the Department of Customs, was to be transferred to the Ministry of Finance to prioritize pending actions such as the development of the NTFC website and progress reporting system.

During the meeting, deliberations took place concerning the proposed National Single Window, a system aimed at simplifying and expediting trade processes. The participants agreed to expedite the submission of the proposal in a sequential manner to ensure its swift implementation.

News

22 injured in bus – lorry crash at Embulgama

Published

6 hours ago

2023/06/9

Priyan

More than 22 persons have sustained injuries when a Sri Lanka Transport Board bus plying from Akkaraipattu to Colombo crashed head on with a lorry at Embulgama on the Colombo – Avisawella Road this morning (09)

The injured had been rushed to the Homagama and Nawagamuwa hospitals. Hanwella Police are conducting investigations.

Business

PM discusses ADB future projects in Sri Lanka with ADB DG and new Country Director

Published

7 hours ago

2023/06/9

Priyan

Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Director General for South Asia Kenichi Yokoyama and newly appointed Country Director Takafumi Kadono held discussions with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Thursday (June 8) at the Temple Trees in Colombo.

The Prime Minister, while welcoming the new Director General thanked the outgoing DG, Chen Chen for the support extended to Sri Lanka during the height of Covid pandemic and the economic crisis. He thanked the ADB for extending short term, immediate contingency support which has helped Sri Lankan economy to recover from the unprecedented crisis within a short period of time. ADB loan funds amounting to USD 380 mn were targeted for enhancing fiscal space and efficient public financial management system as well as strengthening the SME sector with access to finance. Further USD 250 mn was obtained as budgetary support to develop Capital Market.

The Prime Minister made a special mention about ADB’s US$ 333 million emergency assistance to support import of essential items such as fertilizer, medicines and chemicals for water treatment, working capital support to SMEs, and cash transfer to most poor and vulnerable to mitigate the impact of economic crisis.

ADB Director General for South Asia Keinichi Yokohoma, praised the recovery made by Sri Lankan economy and briefed the Prime Minister about the ADB’s mid-term and long-term projects for economic progress and infrastructure development.