Author: TELO Admin

India is in talks with Sri Lanka to accelerate the implementation of a smart classroom project in the Galle District, the Indian High Commission in Colombo says.

Education Secretary M.N Ranasinghe and Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay exchanged diplomatic notes on Monday (June 19) to discuss the expedition of the implementation of ‘Establishment of Modern Computer Labs and Smart Boards with Customized Curriculum Software in 200 Schools in Galle District’.

Minister of Industries and Plantation Industries Dr. Ramesh Pathirana was also in attendance. Deputy Indian High Commissioner, Vinod K. Jacob and officials from the High Commission of India and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education also participated.

The exchange of notes is expected to further streamline and expedite the implementation of the Project, by aligning the procurement processes in accordance with the framework prescribed by Government of Sri Lanka.

The project, implemented through Government of India grant assistance, aims to improve digital literacy amongst students attending schools in the lesser privileged areas.

This is one among several grant projects undertaken by Government of India in the education sphere in Sri Lanka.

India’s overall development assistance to Sri Lanka currently stands at around USD 5 billion with nearly USD 600 million being in grants. Close to 65 grant projects have already been carried out across the 25 districts in the country and over 20 grant projects are at various stages of implementation.

The U.N. human rights chief called on Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of the mandate-holders of the UN Human Rights Council, which include special rapporteurs, independent experts and working groups.

The 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council convened on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.

Under the agenda Item 2 of the Council the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk presented the Human Rights Global Update.

In his statement, the U.N. human rights chief stated that although the Sri Lankan government has regrettably rejected aspects of the UNHRC’s resolutions related to accountability, it has continued to engage with the rights body’s presence on the ground.

He said that Sri Lanka has received a dozen visits by mandate-holders in the past decade, and encouraged Sri Lankan authorities to implement their recommendations.

“In Sri Lanka, although the Government has regrettably rejected aspects of the Council’s resolutions related to accountability, it has continued to engage with our presence on the ground. Sri Lanka has received a dozen visits by mandate-holders in the past decade, and I encourage the authorities to implement their recommendations,” he said.

Volker Turk, who took over as high commissioner in late 2022, used his opening speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday to urge greater cooperation and singled out states such as Syria, Iran, Israel and Russia that should do more.

“We would now like to scale up engagement,” he told the Geneva council at the opening of its four-week session, saying the world was at a “critical juncture” 75 years after adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“I also believe that it is important for us to establish a presence for the first time in China and India – two countries which together comprise more than one-third of the world’s population.”

More broadly, Turk had voiced concern about a “strangulation of civil society in several countries”, without naming them.

Turk said he would like to double his office’s budget to step up global monitoring although this may prove challenging given that many countries oppose further scrutiny on sovereignty grounds.

Turk also called on the United States to act urgently on racial discrimination and to ratify six human rights treaties, including one on child rights.

–With agencies inputs

Chairman of the National Committee on Delimitation of Divisions for Local Government Bodies Mahinda Deshapriya said the Sri Lankan Government must reach a decision on the Local Government Election before the 15th of September 2023.

He said in order to proceed with the Local Government Election, Sri Lankan authorities would either have to opt to the old system, or appoint a review committee for the purpose of holding an election.

The Former Election Commission was hopeful that either the Local Government Election or the Provincial Council Elections will be declared before the 15th of September 2023, and for voting to take place before Christmas.

Sri Lanka’s Hambantota International Port Group, run by China’s CMPorts said it was investing 8 million US dollars to expand parking space for its vehicle transshipment business.

The yard will be expanded by 68,000 square metres adding 5,000 slots to its existing 28,000 slots.

Nine main shipping lines are now using the port for vehicle transshipment.

As the global economy gradually improves, we expect to see a further increase of our volumes,” Tissa Wickramasinghe, Chief Operating Officer of Hambantota International Port Group said in a statement.

” In order to give confidence to its customers, HIPG will continue to make investments in areas of strategic importance to the long term development of HIP.”

The expansion is expected to be completed within the next 7 months, and will have a yard to berth distance of 55 meters.

Up to May 2023, vehicle volumes have reached 271,000.

UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme is going live from June 19 giving tax free entry to 92 percent of traded goods, the British High Commission in Colombo said.

“The UK is Sri Lanka’s second largest export market and the DCTS demonstrates the UK’s continued interest in strengthening this trade relationship,” British High Commissioner Sarah Hulton said in a statement.

“We hope that Sri Lankan exporters will broaden their opportunities with the UK by making use of the wider number of products for which tariffs have been removed.”

The DCTS replaces the GSP+ trade access that was offered to Sri Lanka when the UK was part of the EU.

“Sri Lanka is well positioned to supply the UK due to increasing demand for sustainable, fair-trade, and healthier products,” the statement said.

“With more flexible rules of origin it is easier for least developed countries to trade with Sri Lanka without losing tariff-free status, increasing the potential for supply chain development.”

UK’s Trade Partnerships programme (UKTP) will also provide technical assistance to almost-ready-to-export small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by the International Trade Centre (ITC).

The programme will provide trade promotion technical assistance to a selected number of Sri Lankan SMEs, preparing them to participate successfully in international trade fairs,” the statement said.

The UKTP is expected to improve th visibility of Sri Lankan producers, equip exporters with the necessary tools and knowledge, and facilitate their entry into new markets.