Author: TELO Admin

Sri Lanka’s cabinet has approved a proposal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between China’s Chongqing Transmission Corporation Limited and the state-run Rupavahini Corporation to promote mutual understanding, strengthen cooperation, and exchange training opportunities in the field of media, the government said.

The approval comes four months after President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s official visit to China where he signed 15 MOUs including related to media.

The government said the will create opportunities for exchanging programs between the People’s Republic of China and Sri Lanka, promoting academic and training opportunities, producing joint television programs, and obtaining necessary publicity for the tourism industry.

“The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal…. to sign the Memorandum of Understanding between Chongqing Transmission Corporation Limited of the People’s Republic of China and Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation,” the government said in its latest cabinet decision.

Before Dissanayake’s visit to China in January, the cabinet approved proposals to enter into agreements with Chinese media institutions for capacity building including training for officials from the Ministry and Department of Government Information as well as journalists from state media institutions for capacity building.

The Ministry of Health and Mass Media in January was also given cabinet approval to sign an MoU with National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) of China, while the Associated Newspapers Ceylon Limited (Lake House) will sign with Chinese state-owned Xinhua News Agency.

Similarly, the Department of Government Information was given cabinet approval to sign an MoU with Xinhua News Agency, while state-run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation was given approval to sign the MOU with China Media Group.

Details of around 40% of the members elected to local government bodies following the conduct of the 2025 Local Government (LG) election have not been submitted to the respective District Returning Officers, Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake has stated.

Accordingly, all political parties and independent groups have been requested to immediately submit the names of members to be appointed from their respective additional nomination lists.

The names must be submitted in writing to relevant District Returning Officers, by adhering to official procedures, Saman Sri Ratnayake added.

The Elections Commissioner General noted that it is the responsibility of all political parties and independent groups contested at the election to provide the names of members without further delay.

Members are appointed to local government bodies in accordance with the ward system and the proportional representation system, based on the number of votes each party or group obtained.

Returning Officers are vested with powers to confirm the appointments based on the officially communicated vote counts and allocations for each party under the proportional representation system.

Saman Sri Ratnayake noted that Returning Officers are currently in possession of details of 60% of individuals who secured seats for various local government bodies.

Accordingly, leaders and secretaries of political parties and independent groups have been requested to send the names of the remaining 40% of the members.

Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake stated that since the terms of local government bodies are scheduled to begin on June 2, relevant political parties and independent groups must compile the lists by adhering to instructions provided to them, promptly.

The Oluvil Port, another loan project implemented in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, has now turned out to be another white elephant remaining idle for a dozen years, and the current government is now at a loss to determine ways to make it economically viable somehow, the Daily Mirror learns.

The loan agreement for the Oluvil Port Project was signed between Nordea Bank, Denmark and the Ministry of Finance and Planning of Sri Lanka on May 23, 2008. The total project cost was Euro 46 million, and it was completed in 2013.

Deputy Minister of Ports and Aviation Janitha Kodituwakku told the Daily Mirror that the port now remains unused, and the accumulation of sand dunes at the entrance to the harbour has made vessels inaccessible. The port has a basin for fishing crafts. The commercial port comprises 330 metres of quay with a water depth of eight metres, and the fishing port 200 metres of quay with a water depth of three metres.

Kodituwakku said that the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is now studying how the Oluvil Port can be turned around.

“We are now doing a research about the port and its viability,” he said.

The port was originally meant to cater to the needs of the eastern region of Sri Lanka and was given priority under the Nagenahira Navodaya Programme earlier.

Sri Lanka has five seaports, with two of them – Trincomalee and Oluvil – being on the eastern coast of the country. The successive governments have talked about making Sri Lanka a maritime hub, making use of its strategic positioning in the region with easy access to key markets such as India.

The Oluvil Port project is part of the long list of underutilised foreign-funded projects in Sri Lanka, with past governments failing to use them for the benefit of the nation. Several foreign diplomats in Colombo have been critical towards the political leaders either for not maintaining a conducive environment for foreign-funded projects to enter or creating the same for those projects which are yet to realise their full potential due to bitter political rivalry or corruption. Some examples are the Colombo Port City, the Lotus Tower and the Mattala International Airport.

The Colombo Port City project was launched in 2014, but even more than a decade later, the project is yet to reach its full potential. With 100 per cent foreign ownership allowed for businesses to operate in Port City Colombo, a robust regulatory framework, and world-class infrastructure, it showcases the instrumental facets to attract foreign capital.

Bureaucratic stagnation, slow progress in passing regulations, and a lack of government-led promotion have often led to prospective investors looking at regions other than Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, India has offered US $ 62 million grant assistance for the development of the Kankesanthurai Port. However, the government has not yet decided finally on the project. Currently, a feasibility study is underway.

The United States Embassy in Colombo has issued an online safety advisory, warning the public to beware of fake social media accounts impersonating U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung.

The Embassy clarified that Ambassador Chung is not on Facebook, and urged users to follow only her verified X (formerly Twitter) account, @USAmbSL, for official updates.

In a statement shared online, the Embassy highlighted key indicators to help the public identify fake accounts.
“First clue: We list our official social media accounts at the bottom of our Embassy website here, if you ever want to verify: https://lk.usembassy.gov/contact/,” the advisory stated.

It also warned that Ambassador Chung will never send direct messages regarding visa matters, emphasising that any such messages are likely to come from fraudulent sources attempting to exploit or mislead individuals.

The Embassy urged social media users to exercise caution and report any suspicious accounts. Officials reiterated their commitment to online safety and transparency, noting that all official communications will be made through verified channels only.