Author: TELO Admin

The UK is keen to see Sri Lanka reduce market access barriers and improve ease of doing business and enhance transparency which will further boost the UK – Sri Lanka trade and investment relationship.

The UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Sri Lanka, Lord Hannett of Everton, is visiting Colombo from 25th-28th May. This is his first visit to Sri Lanka since he was appointed in January 2025.

Lord Hannett will meet with the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, Deputy Minister for Industry and Entrepreneurship Chathuranaga Abeysinghe and representatives from Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board to discuss Sri Lanka’s trade and investment landscape, opportunities for and challenges faced by UK companies, and plans on reforms and improving ease of doing business to support the shared economic growth of both countries.

Lord Hannett will be engaging with wide-ranging representation from across the business community. This will include senior UK and Sri Lankan business personalities, UK transnational education providers, women business leaders, members of the committee of the Council for Business with Britain, and visits to UK companies in the market namely London Stock Exchange Group, De La Rue, HSBC, and the Haleon factory. He will also be visiting the MAS Silueta factory.

In partnership with the International Trade Centre and Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board, Lord Hannett will be launching the SheTrades webpage on the EDB website. This is a follow up to the launch of the SheTrades Sri Lanka Hub in March this year.

Lord Hannett shared the following thoughts ahead of his visit:

“I’m excited to be visiting Colombo for the first time in my capacity as the UK’s Trade Envoy to Sri Lanka. I look forward to insightful conversations with the Government and the business community about strengthening the UK-SL trade relationship. It will also be great to witness first-hand the operations of some of the UK companies in the market.
Having recently met some of the beneficiaries of UK-funded programmes supporting Sri Lankan exports to the UK, it will be a great privilege to co-launch the SheTrades webpage, alongside Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board, a resource which will be a great support to women-led businesses in Sri Lanka looking to access international markets.

“The strength of the UK-Sri Lanka educational partnerships is particularly impressive with Sri Lanka being the second largest market for UK transnational education. I look forward to my discussion with education providers to explore how we can continue to contribute to the growth of Sri Lanka’s skilled workforce.

“The UK government is committed to supporting UK companies, both first-time exporters to the region and also companies looking to grow their existing business with Sri Lanka. Through my engagements, I hope to explore ways of strengthening the UK-Sri Lanka trade relationship to enhance economic growth in both our countries.

Sri Lanka is a valuable trading partner for the UK, with bilateral trade worth approximately £1.6bn. The trade balance is skewed in Sri Lanka’s favour with the UK as Sri Lanka’s second largest export market.

Legal action will be taken against Local Government (LG) election candidates who fail to submit their financial disclosures in line with the provisions of the Election Expenditure Regulation Act No. 03 of 2023, Chairman of the Election Commission R.M.A.L. Rathnayake has said.

Chairman Rathnayake noted that according to the law, expense reports must be submitted within 21 days after the conclusion of the election.

These reports must be handed over to the Returning Officers of the respective electoral districts before midnight today (27). Elections Chief R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said expense reports can be submitted in person, and if that is not possible, a special website has been set up by the Commission for this purpose. Furthermore, he stated that all election offices across the country will remain open until midnight to facilitate the submission of these expense reports.

Chairman Rathnayake stressed that the deadline will not be extended under any circumstances.

The Chairman of the Election Commission noted that every candidate and political party is required to submit the relevant expense reports, whether they incurred any expenses or not, and if no expenses were made, a note to that effect must also be submitted.

The Chairman of the Election Commission further stated that information about those who fail to submit the reports by midnight will be forwarded to the relevant police stations.

Accordingly, the Election Commission will take legal action against them in the future under the provisions of the election law, Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake further noted.

A Private Member’s Bill is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament to amend the Provincial Councils Elections Act (No. 2 of 1988).

The motion is scheduled to be tabled by Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) Batticaloa District Member of Parliament Shanakiyan Rasamanickam.

The bill is expected to eliminate the existing impediments to hold the delayed Provincial Council Elections.

Parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rasamanickam stated that the relevant bill will be presented in the forthcoming in parliamentary session.

The recent resignation initiated by MP Chaminda Wijesiri on Saturday (24) has escalated into a broader exodus within the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), with five more electoral organisers stepping down by the evening of Sunday (25).

The resignations come amid growing dissatisfaction with the Party’s handling of appointments to local government bodies following the recent Local Government Elections. Those who have tendered their resignations include: MP Chaminda Wijesiri, organiser for the Bandarawela electorate; Anura Buddhika, organiser for Horowpothana; Attorney-at-Law Champaka Wijerathna, organiser for Dambulla; Ranjith Aluvihare, organiser for Rattota and Deputy National Organiser; Anagipura Ashoka Sepala, co-organiser for Nuwara Eliya District; and Bandulal Bandarigoda, organiser for Galle.

The organisers cited concerns over what they describe as a problematic and opaque selection process for local council representatives, which they believe has intensified existing internal tensions within the Party. Their resignation letters have reportedly been submitted to Party Leader Sajith Premadasa and General Secretary Ranjith Maddumabandara.

Internal conflicts within the SJB have been simmering for months, and the controversy over local government appointments is seen as a continuation of these unresolved disputes. Party sources indicate that dissatisfaction is widespread among other electoral organisers, suggesting that further resignations may follow in the coming days.

Responding to the situation on Saturday (24), SJB General Secretary Ranjith Maddumabandara emphasised that all party members are expected to adhere to the party constitution and internal regulations.

During the party’s daily media briefing on Sunday (25), MP S.M. Marikkar, Deputy National Organiser and a founding member of the SJB, addressed the issue.

“I am one of the original members who founded the SJB.

We will not abandon the party we created.

The resignations stem from issues related to list nominations during the Provincial Council Elections.

The party established a clear procedure to allocate percentages to candidates who secured first and second places in those elections, and this was communicated in writing to all electoral organisers.”

“Additionally, the party has implemented criteria to ensure women’s representation, and appointments to many LG bodies have followed these guidelines.

In a democracy, those with majority public support should be given opportunities, but this process has caused difficulties for seat organisers, preventing some activists from securing appointments,” Marikkar said.

“While criteria for appointments are necessary, disputes over list nominations remain. Not everyone can become a member.

Personally, I believe it is better if electoral organisers do not resign. These organisers have made significant sacrifices for the party.

Politics requires patience and persistence.

We must protect those who dedicate themselves to the party,” he said.

Members will not be able to attend the inaugural sessions of local government bodies as scheduled on 02 June due to parties and independent groups failing to furnish details of their appointed members at non-division levels.

Only the gazetted members can attend the meetings, to be chaired by the local government assistant commissioners, where the administrations of the LG bodies will be formed.

When contacted, commissioner general of elections Saman Sri Ratnayake said no party or independent group has gained a winning majority in 178 LG bodies.

This issue will not arise for the LG bodies in which there are clear winners, and either the mayors or the chairmen will preside at their inaugural meetings.

Certain parties and independent groups had not submitted details of their appointed members by 22 May, he said.

The 60 percent of winners at division level, whose names are with the commission, and the appointed members already named were to be gazetted by 23 May.

However, their names will practically be declared in the week starting on 26 May, added Ratnayake.