Category: Breaking News

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for a two-day official visit, an airport duty officer said.

He arrived in the country with three other officials.

The group arrived at the airport at around 8.55 p.m today on a flight (IFC-33) belonging to the Indian Air Force from New Delhi, India.

A group of high officials from the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka arrived at the Katunayake Airport to welcome the visiting group.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K Stalin wrote to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar asking for his immediate intervention in getting 15 Tamil Nadu fishermen released from Sri Lanka.

“Through diplomatic channels we can reach an amicable resolution that respects the rights and livelihoods of our fishermen even when maintaining friendly bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka,” Chief Minister’s wrote.

On Sunday, 15 fishermen along with their mechanised boats were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy from Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu.

The Chief Minister wrote that several hundred fishermen are dependent on fishing in deep seas for livelihood and the arrest of these fishermen and confiscating their equipment is creating major difficulties in the coastal areas of the state.

Pertinently, fishermen associations have written letters to the Union government and state government asking to take steps for the release of mechanised fishing boats that are in the custody of the Sri Lankan Navy.

The fishermen associations had in their earlier representations stated that the mechanised boats, which are in Sri Lankan custody, are the main bread winner for the fishermen in the coastal areas of the state.

(IANS)

The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has decided not to renew the money changing permits of 15 money changers (MCs) in the country for the year 2023.

Issuing a statement in this regard, the CBSL explained that the relevant decision was taken due to the non-compliance with a condition of the permits issued for the year 2022.

Thus, the matter was communicated to the respective MCs on 22 June, and they are thereby no longer permitted to engage in money changing activities, including the buying, selling and exchanging of foreign currency.

CBSL further warned that engaging in such activities with said companies will be considered a contravention of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017.

Below are the 15 MCs of which CBSL has decided not to renew the money changing permits:

Aruna Forexc (Pvt) Ltd (No. 22, New Bazaar Street, Nuwara Eliya)

Brescia Grameen (Private) Limited (No. 88/02, Chilaw Road, Kattuwa, Negombo)

Jeya Forex Exchange (Pvt) Ltd (No. 688, Galle Road, Colombo 03)

Kamal Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd (No. 57A, Bristol Paradise Building, York Street, Colombo 01)

Kudamadu Money Exchange (Pvt) Ltd (Main Road, Mahawewa)

Midna Mini Market (Pvt) Ltd (No. 12, Shopping Complex, Wennappuwa)

New Lanka Gold House (Private) Limited (No. 59, Rathnapura Road, Horana)

Rafeek’s Gems (Pvt) Ltd (No. 109, Chatham Street, Colombo 01)

Rimha Jewellers (Pvt) Ltd (No. 4/A, Masjidh Road, Puttalam)

Salaka Trust Investments (Pvt) Ltd (No. 466, Union Place, Colombo 02)

Sharanga Money Exchange (Pvt) Ltd (No. 157/1, Kasturiyar Road, Jaffna)

Sornam Forex (Private) Limited (No. 59, Batticaloa Road, Kalmunai)

Thamasha Forex (Private) Limited (No. 131, Bazzar Street, Chilaw)

Universal Money Changers (Pvt) Ltd (No. 143A, Galle Road, Colombo 06)

Vasanthas International Money Exchange (Pvt) Ltd (No. 56, D S Senanayake Veediya, Kandy)

Sri Lanka is to enact new legislation to curb Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing practices and regulate fisheries resources management as one of the key requirements to regaining the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) concessions from the European Union. The move to introduce fresh legislation to eliminate IUU fishing came in the wake of the new GSP Regulation expected to enter into force on January 1, 2024 for the next ten-year cycle.

Countries such as Sri Lanka which were among the beneficiary countries from the EU trade concessions would have a two-year window to reapply to the scheme.

“These bills are to be enacted to meet the EU concessionary requirements that were already communicated to us. One of them–Fisheries Resource Management–is to ensure a sustainable fisheries industry since we noticed our resources have reduced significantly over the years,” Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda told the Sunday Times.

A fresh bill, published on Wednesday to amend the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act, No. 2 of 1996 declared no person would be allowed to engage in IUU fishing activities in Sri Lankan territorial waters or the high seas.

Penalties for those vessels found to be engaged in IUU fishing would be imposed with fines ranging from Rs 50,000 (10.3-15 metres) to Rs 50 million (45 to 75 metres) depending on the length of the boat.

The Fisheries Department Director General would also be armed with powers to cancel or suspend the fishing permits of those vessels found to be engaged in IUU fishing in the country’s waters.

If the bills were not challenged in the Supreme Court within three weeks of their publication, they would be taken up for the Second Reading in the upcoming Parliament sessions, Minister Devavanda said.

Among the matters that were raised at the 25th session of the Joint Commission between Sri Lanka and the European Union held in May at the Foreign Ministry, issues related to IUU fishing were highlighted and cooperation in the framework of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) were discussed.

Both sides agreed to take follow-up action based on the deliberations of the 25th session, including the identification of a series of action points to make progress on or before the next Joint Commission Meeting in 2024 in Brussels, the Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement following the discussion. The EU also informed that the report of the last EU GSP+ monitoring cycle of 2020-2022 was expected to be released in the coming months as well.

Sri Lanka is discussing 220 million dollars in power sector financing with China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said following a meeting with the lender and India’s National Thermal Power Corporation.

Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Electricity Board and NPTC is building a 130 MegaWatt joint venture solar farm in Sampur, Trincomalee.

“AIIB officials at the meeting communicated the ability to finance” 200 million dollars for transmission & grid development 20 Million for project development, Minister Wijesekera said in a twitter.com message.

AIIB, set up as a multilateral lender is protected from a sovereign default, along with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

Sri Lanka is hoping to complete a default workout by September.

An energy permit for the first phase of the 130MW ground mounted solar park will be also be issued within a week, he said.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena earlier cancelled 500 MW coal plant in Sampur shortly before equipment was set for international tender, de-stabilizing a generation plan of the agency.

The spiritual leader of Tibet – His holiness Dalai Lama has formally accepted an invitation to visit Sri Lanka, says the most Ven. Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thera of the Amarapura Sri Sambuddha Shasanodaya Maha Sangha Sabha.

The Thera said this during the ‘Multilingual Scholarly Symposium’ held at the University of Kelaniya on July 06th as a tribute to the spiritual leader. The event also coincided with his holiness’ 88th birthday.

This event was held with the coordination of the University’s Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, Department of Philosophy and the Department of Sanskrit & Eastern Studies as well as that of the Foundation for Buddhist Brotherhood, International Buddhist Confederation and the Sri Lankan Tibetan Buddhist Brotherhood Society.

According to the Mahanayaka Thera, this invitation was extended in 2022 when His Holiness started his annual visit to Bodh Gaya, where the Mahanayake Thero was also present with a Sri Lankan delegation.

Emphasising the importance of a visit by the Dalai Lama to Sri Lanka, the Mahanayaka Thera pointed out that that such a visit would also mark the arrival of countless Buddhist devotees around the globe which will definitely lead to a revival of tourism as well as foreign investments.

“Damage to Sino-Lanka friendship”

However, in a special interview done with ‘Sri Lanka Mirror’ last January, Mr. Hu Wei, Acting Ambassador of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo, said that a visit by the Dalai Lama could damage the friendship between Sri Lanka and China.

Explaining that the mutual trust between the two countries is based on the ‘One China’ policy, Mr. Hu Wei explained that Jaffna or Kandy is a part of Sri Lanka and Tibet is not an independent country but a part of China.

Mr. Hu Wei had further mentioned that he had discussed this with the Maha Nayaka Theros and monks during his visit to Kandy back then, and was assured that none of them had extended such an invitation.

Meanwhile, during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart – Mr. Qin Gang in Beijing last month, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister – Ali Sabry had assured Sri Lanka’s continuous adherence to the ‘One China’ policy and to build the Belt and Road Initiative.