Author: TELO Admin

The President’s Media Division announced that the President has removed the governors of the Northern, Eastern, and North Western Provinces.

It was recently reported that the President’s Office had requested the governors of the Sabaragamuwa, Uva, Northern, Easter, North-Western, and Western Provinces to step down.

However, the governors in response said that as no official communication was delivered to them, they would continue to function as governors.

On Monday (15) evening, the President had taken measures to remove Northern Province Governor Jeevan Thiagarajah, Eastern Province Governor Anuradha Yahampath, and North-Western Province Governor Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda.

The President’s Media Division said the new governors will be appointed on Wednesday (17).

The Hambantota International Port (HIP) launched its Duty Free Complex with the opening of 2 duty free shops within the port’s premises. The complex is designed to grow the duty-free business catering to the vessels calling HIP.

The first two operators to set up at HIP’s duty free complex are Royale Electronics and United Life, both organizations with over 30 years of experience in the duty free trade. They offer a wide array of international duty free goods ranging from imported liquor, confectionery, perfumes, tobacco, etc.

As HIP gears itself to facilitate an increased number of passenger cruise vessels calling at the port, both Duty Free Shop operators will be an essential value addition to overseas passengers and crews.

Apart from contributing towards uplifting tourism in the country by promoting cruise liner calls, the port is rapidly progressing in its development of port services, such as the industrial park, marine services, energy hub and integrated logistics; which will automatically increase tourist and investor footfall and require more end-to-end services to be offered.

The port’s duty free complex which is of international standards is housed under HIP’s International Commercial Centre will provide integrated support to all of the port’s business platforms. Chairman of China Merchants Group (CMG) Miao Jianmin who was on an official visit to Sri Lanka recently, also toured the HIP duty free complex.

Royale Electronics (Pvt) Ltd., a Sri Lankan company incorporated in 1997, envisions expanding its network across all connecting & international airports and seaports in Sri Lanka. Their operations in the country currently extend from the Colombo Port, Bandaranaike International Airport, Mattala International Airport, Jaffna International Airport and now to HIP.

United Life, in business since 1982, is one of the oldest private bond license holders in Sri Lanka. The company has now expanded into international markets with its presence in the Maldives and will also expand its products range at their duty free shop at HIP.

COO, Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) Tissa Wickramasinghe, was chief guest for the opening of Royale Duty Free, and Raymond Mu, Chief Financial Officer, HIPG was Chief Guest at the opening of United Life Duty Free and representatives from Sri Lanka Customs, Royale Electronics, United Life and HIP Staff also participated.

Vavuniya Headquarter Police says that an army soldier was arrested on suspicion of stealing a brass idol of Nataraja from the Ganadevi Kovil in Vavuniya.

The arrested suspect is a 21-year-old soldier attached to the Akkarayankulam Army Camp.

The suspect was caught by a group of drivers at the Vavuniya van parking lot and handed over to the Vavuniya Headquarters police when he was taking the statue stolen from the Hindu temple in a bag to sell.

The priest of the temple is said to have told the police that the idol is worth 55,000 rupees.

The President’s Office has taken steps to remove four provincial governors who have refused to resign from their positions. Sources from the President’s Office have stated that state officials will be informed not to consider these governors as the President’s representatives.

The President’s Office is also focused on appointing a committee headed by a judge to remove the governors from their positions and appoint other people to take their place. The governors who have been notified to resign will also not receive any money.

According to sources, the relevant governors are not prepared to resign, so measures have been discussed to remove them from their positions. The governors of Eastern, Northern, Sabaragamuwa, and North-Western provinces were informed to resign by the President’s Office.

A senior spokesperson from the President’s Office explained that it is a normal tradition for governors to resign when a new president is appointed, similar to the abolition of the Cabinet of Ministers when the prime minister resigns. However, since these governors did not resign when the current President Ranil Wickramasinghe took office, the President waited for some time for them to resign voluntarily.