Author: TELO Admin

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Deputy Leader and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Nuwara Eliya District Opposition MP Velusami Radhakrishnan yesterday (6) pointed out in Parliament that his party is ready to extend their support to President Ranil Wickremesinghe if he ensures a daily wage of Rs. 3,000 to estate workers and promises to resolve their housing and land-related issues.

“We are not against the President, but if he agrees to resolve the issues of the estate workers, the TPA is ready to extend its support to him,” he added.

While addressing Parliament during the Budget debate on the Ministry of Agriculture head of expenditure yesterday, he welcomed the move initiated by President Wickremesinghe to resolve the ethnic issue.

“He should not only be confined to the issues in the North and the East, but also resolve issues of plantation Tamils and Muslims as well,” he added.

He further said that tea, vegetables, and flower cultivations have been profoundly affected in the Nuwara Eliya District due to a shortage of fertilisers and pesticides.

“The flower export industry, the tea industry, and vegetable cultivations have been thoroughly affected in the Nuwara Eliya District due to a shortage of fertilisers and pesticides. I urge the Ministry to look into these issues. This issue has affected the people living in the estates,” he further added, while also noting that the Ministry should take the necessary steps to bring the affected industries back to normalcy.

“I urge that the cultivation of these crops be increased. The ban on chemical fertilisers has led to various issues. You neglected the agricultural sector by banning chemical fertilisers and such decisions have caused a setback in this country,” he added.

“The upcountry people are suffering, as they’ve not even been granted a salary increment of Rs. 1,000. They are facing serious issues. They do not have housing facilities or lands. Plantation companies have grabbed the agricultural lands of the upcountry people. These activities have badly affected the agriculture of the upcountry people. The laws relating to plantation companies are quite stern on the people.”

Meanwhile, on an earlier occasion, speaking to The Morning, TPA’s Leader and SJB MP Mano Ganesan expressed disappointment over the Budget 2023 speech by President Wickremesinghe, claiming that Wickremesinghe’s apparent ignorance has shattered the hopes of hill-country Tamils.

“This has shattered the hopes of our people. We are disappointed at the ignorance of Wickremesinghe on the issues of the plantation sector and the urban poor. The World Bank, the United Nations agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Sri Lanka Red Cross have identified that food insecurity and poverty rates are high in plantations and also amidst the urban poor,” he added, claiming that President Wickremesinghe has failed to implement the expected affirmative action relief plans for these underprivileged segments.

The mandatory requirement to produce a COVID-19 vaccination certificate upon entry into Sri Lanka has been lifted, with effect from today (07 Dec).

Further, all overseas arrivals are no longer required to produce a negative PCR or Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), done either prior to boarding or on-arrival, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena stated.

In the event a foreign national tests positive for COVID-19 during their stay in Sri Lanka, they will be required to self-isolate for a period of seven days at their residence, a private hospital, or a hotel, and bear all related costs, he added.

Sri Lanka mandated the carrying of a negative COVID-19 test and proof of vaccination when it opened its borders to foreign arrivals amidst the COVID crisis in 2021.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition MP Rohini Kumari Wijeratne Kavirathna brought the concerns of the parents of 11 youths who were forcibly disappeared to the notice of Parliament on Monday (5).

Addressing Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms President’s Counsel (PC) Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, she said: “You are well aware that a case has been filed against certain parties in the alleged abduction of 11 youths during the period of 2008 and 2009. A total of 667 charges, 126 witnesses, and 64 documents were filed along with the indictments against the accused persons.

“You are aware that former Navy Commander Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda and 14 other personnel attached to the Navy were indicted. However, some of these officers have received honourary titles and retirement. So, I am asking what happened to those 11 youths. One of the mothers told me that she has been taking to the streets to seek justice. Dr. Rajapakshe, I believe you can understand the pain and suffering of these parents.”

In August 2018, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrested Lieutenant Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, alias “Navy Sampath”, as the main suspect with regard to the incident. The CID accused former Navy Commander and Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne of shielding one of the main suspects, while the court further ordered his arrest.

In February 2019, Karannagoda was named the 14th suspect in the case and was implicated for having known about the enforced disappearances by Naval personnel that he had command responsibility over and choosing to take no action. Subsequently, the Attorney General (AG) filed a case against the defendants under 667 separate indictments which include the abduction of 11 youths from Kotahena and the surrounding suburbs between 25 August 2008 and 21 March 2009, committing murder, demanding a ransom for their release, and aiding in the crimes.

The AG’s Department decided to temporarily suspend proceeding with the charges against Karannagoda as the Court of Appeal had, in connection with a writ petition filed by Karannagoda, issued an interim order halting the hearing of the charges levelled against him. The AG informed the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar of the same on 4 August 2021. The case was taken up before judges Champa Janaki Rajaratne, Amal Ranaraja, and Nawaratne Marasinghe on 4 August 2021. Karannagoda was named a defendant in the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar case filed against a group of Naval intelligence officers pertaining to the alleged abduction and enforced disappearance of 11 youths in Colombo in 2008 and 2009. However, the case is still being heard and a decision with regard to the incident is yet to be determined.

The World Bank on Monday approved Sri Lanka’s request to access concessional financing from the International Development Association (IDA).

This type of financing, which is offered at low interest rates, will enable the country to implement its Government-led reform program to stabilise the economy and protect the livelihood of millions of people facing poverty and hunger.

The request is the result of Sri Lanka’s sustained deterioration in economic and social conditions, which have reduced income levels, reversed poverty gains, and affected its access to financial markets. This approval means Sri Lanka now becomes an IDA country.

“We are committed to helping the Sri Lankan people at this time of dire need so their country turns around and restores its economic well-being,” said World Bank Vice President for Development Finance Akihiko Nishio. “The World Bank is ready to support Sri Lanka as it implements reforms that will reduce poverty and rebuild the economy, creating the foundation for sustainable growth.”

Through IDA support, the World Bank will provide concessional financing, technical assistance, and policy advice as Sri Lanka implements reforms to drive recovery and enhance the country’s economic prospects, especially measures directed towards the poor.

Access to IDA’s concessional financing would also alleviate existing debt service pressures given the more favourable terms IDA financing carries. As an IDA country, Sri Lanka will also be subject to IDA operational policies.

“At this time of critical need in Sri Lanka, we appreciate the World Bank’s rapid response and its vision as the first development partner to respond in record time through repurposing existing operations to help preserve Sri Lankan institutions for basic service delivery,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry.

“The reverse graduation to IDA will enable us to access resources to help sustain institutions to become more resilient and responsive to the needs of the people of Sri Lanka.”

Since 2017, when it first graduated from IDA, Sri Lanka has been creditworthy for lending from the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). To date, in response to the country crisis, the Bank has repurposed $ 325 million from IBRD and a further $ 71 million from other regular Bank operations towards crisis response for basic service needs.

This has also helped leverage support from other multilateral development institutions, bilateral donors, and UN agencies around a common crisis response mechanism. Sri Lanka’s reverse-graduation brings the total number of IDA countries to 75.

The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) is one of the largest sources of funding for fighting extreme poverty in the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries. IDA provides grants and zero or low-interest loans to countries for projects and programs that boost economic growth, build resilience, and improve the lives of poor people around the world. Since 1960, IDA has provided about $ 496 billion for investments in 114 countries.

While acknowledging the need to divest certain State-owned assets to re-build the country’s foreign reserves, Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media Bandula Gunawardana said the Cabinet is yet to discuss on offering Colombo Port’s East Container Terminal (ECT) to Japan.

The President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday announced that ECT had been offered to Japan. “We have given the first offer to Japan. If Japan does not take it will be open to others, Wickremesinghe said.

However, Gunawardana noted that no decision or discussion has so far taken place at the Cabinet on the matter.

During Yahapalanaya regime, the government entered into a US$ 500 million tripartite agreement with India and Japan to develop and operate the ECT. However, the agreement was terminated by former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2021 amid mounting opposition by trade unions affiliated with the Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA). Later, the West Container Terminal (WCT) was handed to India’s Adani Group-led consortium.

Meanwhile, Gunawardana stressed that the country needs to divest some of the State assets to attract foreign investments. Otherwise, he cautioned the country could yet again not be able to finance essential imports such as fuel, LPG and other goods.

“If we don’t dispose state assets, we would remain out of the international payment system and we would not be able to sustain essential imports. Most foreign suppliers don’t accept letter of credit facilities opened with our banks. That’s the reality. We need to rebuild our foreign exchange reserves at least to US$ 3 billion in order regain access to the international payment system,” he went on to say.

At the end of October, the country’s foreign exchange reserves slipped to US$ 1.70 billion from US$ 1.77 billion the previous month. However, the usable foreign reveres were around just US$ 50 million.