Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Food Security and Agriculture, Member of Parliament  D. Weerasinghe during a media briefing held on Tuesday (05) at the Presidential Media Centre under the theme ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’ said that the SOC have already proposed a National Policy for Agriculture to regulate the usage, quality […]

Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Food Security and Agriculture, MP D. Weerasinghe said that they have already proposed a national policy for agriculture to regulate the usage, quality and price of chemical fertilizers and seeds imported to the country based on experimental data carried out for several decades.

Tuesday 5th September, 2023 A poor man who recently walked along a road, carrying a jackfruit, in Gampola, while President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s motorcade was passing through the area is reportedly in trouble. Media reports say the police have initiated an investigation, claiming that he did so by way of protest. Even if he had protested […]

by Jehan Perera The increase in the price of petrol and diesel has been accompanied by the removal of the QR Code quota system for the purchase of fuel.  The elimination of long lines of vehicles, and people, outside of the fuel stations that existed a year ago is one of the signs of normalisation […]

India has been greatly sensitive to the needs of its valued neighbour, Sri Lanka, during their tough times, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. In an exclusive interview with PTI late last week, the PM said the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable, a joint initiative of the IMF, World Bank and the G20 Presidency was launched […]

A proposal, set to take effect from October 1, 2023, stipulates rates of USD 130 for 5-star hotels, USD 100 for 4-star hotels, and USD 80 for 3-star hotels within the city of Colombo. While the authorities argue that this measure aims to counter underpricing by higher-tier hotels, this policy threatens to undermine the growth […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando The rebel SLPP group yesterday (04) urged the ruling SLPP not to protect Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella at the vote on no-faith motion against the Kandy District lawmaker. Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera said the vote would be held on Friday (08) following a three-day debate, commencing on Wednesday (06). SLPP National […]

by Rathindra Kuruwita If the current crisis in the public health sector persisted for a few more months, those living in the provinces would have to travel to Colombo for treatment, Secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) Dr. Haritha Aluthge told The Island yesterday (03

Monday 4th September, 2023 Sri Lankans with a predilection for gratuitous violence or wanton brutality no longer have to spend money to watch western gangster movies. Local television news bulletins are full of actual scenes of violence; they are in fact scarier than taut Hollywood thrillers such as Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. Sicarios of local gangsters […]

The crushing economic crisis in Sri Lanka last year has left more than half of the island s population Âmultidimensionally vulnerableÂ, according to a national citizens survey led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Sri Lanka’s troubled construction industry remains depressed with hardly any new work and companies are shedding employees at a higher rate, according to the latest figures released by the Central Bank. However, a gradual decline in raw material costs provided a “conducive environment for the limited ongoing projects,” the bank said while releasing its Purchasing […]

ECONOMYNEXT –The QR code-enabled fuel rationing system that was in operation Sri Lanka for well over a year is to be suspended effective September 01, Power & Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said on Friday. The minister told reporters that consumers can purchase fuel without scanning their QR code from now on.In the wake of Sri […]

AFP:Sri Lanka’s police force said Friday it had sacked an officer who entertained protesters with an impromptu piano performance after they stormed the island nation’s presidential compound last year. Constable R. M. D. Dayaratne was deployed to help protect the colonial-era residence on the day it was taken over by protesters who forced then-president Gotabaya […]

A recent series of statements made by high-ranking officials, including the President and the Speaker, as well as some parliamentarians, aiming to erode the autonomy of the judiciary, has raised significant alarm, according to the Civil Society Collective for Democracy (CSCD). The organization emphasizes that although the 21st Amendment to the Constitution has reinstated independent […]

The newly appointed United Nations Resident Representative, Marc-Andre Franche has commended Sri Lanka s economic recovery from an unprecedented crisis and assured continuous support for the development process.

By Shamindra Ferdinando Two specialist doctors, Ajith Amarasinghe and Nilupul Perera, on behalf of the Eksath Janaraja Peramuna, have urged all MPs to sink their difference and vote for the no-faith motion against Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. Addressing the media at the party office, they emphasised that if the no-faith motion was passed that would […]

The government yesterday (01) increased fuel prices again and announced the cancellation of the QR code system that was in place to restrict fuel supply in the retail market. The QR code system was meant to drastically drop fuel consumption due to the financial crisis that throttled the economy

Debt, a lack of education, and the ability to adapt to disasters are factors that make most Sri Lankans feel vulnerable, says a new report, released yesterday (01 Sept.) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Oxford’s Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). The Policy Report, titled ‘Understanding Multidimensional Vulnerabilities: Impact […]

Sri Lanka has repaid USD 100 million more to Bangladesh, which had lent USD 200 million to the crisis-hit island nation two years ago.