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Sri Lanka thwarts bid to alter vital maritime route – Foreign Minister Sabry

Published

1 year ago

2023/12/9

Thilina Walpola

Ali Sabry

By Saman Indrajith

Sri Lanka had managed to thwart an attempt by various international agencies, driven by geostrategic motives, to alter Sri Lanka’s Vessel Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), as Foreign Minister Ali Sabry informed Parliament on Thursday (07).

The TSS, positioned south of Dondra Head, stands as a crucial trade route and one of the world’s busiest maritime trade corridors. Minister Sabry emphasized that any changes to this scheme would have undermined the significance of Galle and Hambantota Ports.

“We collaborated with China, Egypt, Algeria, India, and Pakistan to defeat this proposal. We successfully removed it from the agenda of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Only Canada opposed us, driven by political reasons. The support we receive from the Global South reflects our commitment to the right path,” he stated.

Minister Sabry highlighted Sri Lanka’s primary challenge: to refrain from being perceived as aligned with any single power.He further noted the operational constraints within the Foreign Ministry, citing the recent diplomatic tension between India and Canada, revealing that the Indian High Commission in Canada maintains a staff of over 70.

“Yet, across 55 countries and within Sri Lanka, our staff totals 168. While India remains crucial, we have merely six personnel there. Our sanctioned workforce is 264, and we haven’t recruited since 2018. We’ve now initiated a recruitment campaign and need an ongoing mechanism for yearly hires. We strive to make the most of our resources,” he emphasized.

In 2020, the Ministry was inundated with requests to authenticate 125,000 documents from Sri Lankans seeking to depart the country.

“We allocated 100 million rupees for this service. By 2022, we authenticated 527,000 documents, generating 400 million rupees in revenue, all accomplished with the same staff,” Minister Sabry added.

He also highlighted the implementation of a digital mechanism in 2022, eradicating the long-standing queues at the Foreign Ministry. Now, individuals can upload educational documents online for authentication without the need for physical visits. “This achievement owes credit to our officials and my State Minister,” he acknowledged.

Additionally, Minister Sabry addressed concerns about the arrival of Chinese research vessels. “To allay these concerns, we’ve formulated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), approved by the Cabinet and distributed to countries that have sent ships over the past decade. A structured mechanism is now in place,” he assured.

Following the speech, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harsha de Silva attributed the establishment of the Extension of Electronic Document Attestation System (e-DAS) to the previous government in 2018. Therefore, credit for instituting the online document certification system must be given to those who introduced e-DAS, he remarked.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya acknowledged that the e-DAS system was indeed initiated by the previous government. Their contribution lay in integrating several relevant institutions into the system.

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Our government has reaffirmed its commitment to breaking barriers that limit women’s full participation in the economy, recognizing their vital role in national development. – Dr. Harini Amarasuriya

Published

2 hours ago

2025/03/15

Priyan

“Women play a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s economic and social development. Yet, despite their immense contribution, structural barriers continue to limit their full participation in the economy. Our government is committed to breaking these barriers by fostering an inclusive economic environment where women can thrive as business leaders, entrepreneurs, and exporters.” Said Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya

The Prime Minister made this statement while addressing the launching the She Trades Sri Lanka Hub funded by the UK’s She Trades Commonwealth+ Program held at Galle face Hotel in Colombo on March 14 organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).

While addressing the audience, the Prime minister stated, the government has reaffirmed its commitment to breaking barriers that limit women’s full participation in the economy, recognizing their vital role in national development. Emphasizing gender-inclusive policies, financial inclusion, and access to global markets, authorities are prioritizing support for women-led businesses in key sectors such as ICT, agribusiness, and engineering.

A new initiative will establish 200 women-led cooperatives, fostering supportive environments for female entrepreneurs. Additionally, efforts to strengthen childcare, elderly care, and disability services aim to reduce the burdens that limit women’s economic participation.

A dedicated platform has been launched to provide women entrepreneurs with knowledge, networking, and international trade opportunities. Strengthening public-private partnerships and expanding global market access are key strategies to create an inclusive and sustainable trade ecosystem.

By equipping women with the necessary skills, financial resources, and digital trade access, the government aims to ensure that women entrepreneurs become key drivers of economic growth, aligning with broader policies for inclusive and sustainable development.

The event was attended by Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Center, His Excellency Andrew Patrick, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Officials from the International Trade Center and the British High Commission in Sri Lanka, Chairman of the Export Development Board Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe and Officials from Export Development Board and International Trade Centre and woman Entrepreneurs.

(Prime Minister’s Media Division)

News

Batalanda Commission report tabled … finally

Published

8 hours ago

2025/03/15

Thilina Walpola

by Saman Indrajith

TheBatalanda Presidential Co-mission report was tabled in Parliament yesterday (14) by the Leader of the House and Transport Minister, Bimal Ratnayake.

Minister Ratnayake announced that the government has decided to forward the report to the Attorney General for legal advice. Additionally, a Presidential Committee will be appointed to provide guidance and recommendations on how to proceed with the findings of the report.

Ratnayake said that the Cabinet-of-Ministers, along with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has made a policy decision to take necessary action in response to the report. He reassured the public that steps are being taken to ensure that such a dark chapter in the country’s history is never repeated.

Minister Ratnayake said that a two-day debate on the Batalanda Commission report will be scheduled in Parliament at an appropriate time, allowing for a detailed discussion on the report’s findings and recommendations.

The report, which will be printed in all three official languages—Sinhala, Tamil, and English—will be made available to the public in the near future. Ratnayake confirmed that printed copies would be provided to Members of Parliament, as well as the general public, for review.

The Leader of the House revealed that there are 28 evidence volumes associated with the Commission’s work, which will be submitted to Parliament at a later date for further scrutiny.

Ratnayake said that as the entire country is concerned about the findings of the Batalanda Commission, the government’s commitment to addressing the issues raised, and preventing future atrocities, stands clear. The next steps, including legal action and policy recommendations, will be shaped by expert advice and informed parliamentary discussions, he said.

News

COPE finds fake documents submitted for emergency procurement of drugs

Published

8 hours ago

2025/03/15

Thilina Walpola

The Parliamentary watchdog Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has found that there were fake documents regarding the importing of medicines under the emergency procurement system in 2022 and 2023.

This was revealed during a COPE meeting held at Parliament probing the transactions of the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA).

NMRA CEO Saveen Semage told the Committee that several fake documents have been found due to the lack of registration of medicines.

Stating that six such fake documents were found last year alone, Saveen Semage said he had recorded statements regarding each of the documents with the Financial Crimes Investigation Division.

He revealed that, however, no investigations have been conducted yet into the incidents.

“We have documents with confessions from a woman accepting that fake documents had been made. However, a statement has not even been recorded from that woman yet,” he said.

Meanwhile, COPE member MP Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana also revealed that the highest number of waive-off registrations (WOR) for medicines had been obtained in 2022 and 2023.

He said 656 waive-off registrations (WOR) had been obtained in 2022 and 261 in 2023, adding that this proves that discrepancies have taken place during the emergency procurement of medicines during these periods.

Furthermore, Deputy Director General of the Medical Supplies Division of the Health Ministry, Dr. G. Wijesuriya, said discussions are underway on allowing the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) to directly import essential medicines.He pointed out that it was essential to take a policy decision in this regard as a solution to mitigate such discrepancies.