Author: Branita

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is to make a final decision this week on joining the all-party government proposed by Ranil Wickremesinghe.

A senior SLFP source told The Sunday Morning that a majority of the party’s parliamentary group believed that the SLFP should join the all-party government and lead the initiative.

“There are only one or two MPs who are not yet supportive of joining the government,” the source said.

However, the party’s parliamentary group is to meet with Party Leader Maithripala Sirisena this week to make a final decision on joining the government.

When asked about the outcome in the event the party leadership did not agree with joining the government, the source said: “We will then have to make a decision since a majority of the party MPs believe that the SLFP needs to join the all-party government.”

The SLFP has so far held two rounds of talks with President Wickremesinghe, with the last being held on Thursday (4).

At Thursday’s meeting, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena had asked Sirisena if the SLFP would be joining the government and the SLFP Leader had responded: “You already have five of our MPs.”

“It seems the party leadership is yet undecided on joining the all-party government, but we need to make a decision fast,” the source noted, adding that such a move would also enable disgruntled Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) members to rejoin the SLFP.

Source: The Sunday Morning

President Ranil Wickremesinghe says proposals of the International Monetary Fund must be implemented to recover from the economic crisis, regardless of whether they are good or bad, and regardless of who likes them or not.

The President said the government has the right to question for alternative proposals if any party opposes the IMF proposals.

The Head of State speaking at a conference organised by Advocata Institute at the BMICH this morning (5) said the old economic model can no longer be implemented adding that innovative thinking is required while paying attention to global changes.

President Wickremesinghe said many hardships will have to be faced during the next six months.

The President added the country must first focus on foreign debt and must refrain from being caught up in geopolitics in the Asian region.

The President also highlighted the importance of reviving school education that has been crippled due to the coronavirus pandemic and the fuel crisis.

President Wickremesinghe is also of the view that economic stability must be established first while subsequently ensuring social stability.

President Wickremesinghe added that trade relations must also be established with Asian countries with large growing markets.

Source: News Radio

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya today engaged in discussions with President Ranil Wickremesinghe pertaining to a way forward for an all-party government programme.

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, including Parliamentarians Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Rajitha Senaratne, Kabir Hashim, Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Mano Ganesan, Rauff Hakeem, Harsha De Silva and several others were present at the talks at the Presidential Secretariat.

MP de Silva taking to Twitter said the 90-minute discussion was positive.

MP Premadasa said he attended the meeting with a positive mind set and wished to see how best they could all work together through Parliament.

The Opposition Leader also requested that the state of emergency be lifted and for protesters who have been part of the people’s struggle, who are currently arrested or remanded to be released and for an end to intimidation.

Source: News Radio

Sri Lanka’s central bank and Finance Ministry has approved four licenses to set up offshore banks in the China-backed Colombo Port City area, its regulatory commission said.

“The Monetary Board and Ministry of Finance have approved full the CPCEC regulated offshore licenses for 4 banks initially,” the Colombo Port City Economic Commission said.

“..[T]he Central Bank of Sri Lanka has created a new class of account available for all banks under its regulatory purview, the Colombo Port City Investment Account designed to facilitate the inflow of funds to be used for investing in Colombo Port City.”

The Port City area reclaimed by China Harbhour Engineering group is to be dollarized area free from the monetary instability and exchange controls coming from rupee open market operations of the central bank.

Six land leases valued at 200 million US dollars have been issued to investors, Colombo Port City Economic Commission said. They are expected to invest 600 million dollars.

The Colombo Port City Commission was also in talks with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) to set up an international commercial dispute resolution centre.

A duty free mall with remote check-in and baggage hauling services is also being set up. Two international operators will run it.

Source: Economy Next

Further strengthening the engagement with the State of Tamil Nadu and as a follow-up to the meeting with its Chief Minister in early June, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda met with Lok Sabha MP for Thoothukkudi constituency, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi in New Delhi.

Parliamentarian Kanimozhi Karunanidhi is the daughter of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi and sister of the present Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. She is in New Delhi attending the monsoon session of the Parliament.

At the outset, the Lok Sabha MP extended a warm welcome to High Commissioner Moragoda. During the very cordial discussion that followed, the High Commissioner thanked the people of Tamil Nadu for the humanitarian assistance that they have been extending to Sri Lanka to help it manage the current economic situation.

The High Commissioner and the Parliamentarian exchanged views on the very close ethnic, religious and cultural affinities between the State of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka and discussed ways and means to further strengthen them.

High Commissioner Moragoda also presented a copy of the Tamil translation of the book containing his parliamentary speeches to MP Kanimozhi. The High Commissioner recalled how he had presented a copy of the same book to her father, the late M. Karunanidhi, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, in 2006.

A senior member of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and a poet, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi functions as the chief of the party’s wing for art, literature and rationalism. She had worked as a journalist before entering politics.

High Commissioner Moragoda was accompanied by Deputy High Commissioner Niluka Kadurugamuwa and Minister Counsellor of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi Gamini Sarath Godakanda to this meeting.

Source: Colombo Gazette