Category: News

The Ministry of Transport has announced that the new system allowing passengers to pay for bus fares using bank cards will be implemented starting tomorrow. The inaugural program for this initiative, jointly managed by the Digital Ministries and the Ministry of Transport, is scheduled to take place tomorrow (24) morning at the Makumbura Multimodal Transport Center.

Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake is scheduled to preside over the event. The digital payment method is being introduced with the aim of providing a more efficient and convenient service to the commuting public.

Speaking in Parliament recently, Minister Bimal Rathnayake stated that the non-return of balance money after paying bus fares has been a significant and long-standing issue for passengers. He noted that introducing a method to pay bus fares via bank cards is a successful solution to this problem.

Furthermore, the Minister explained that another objective of this new system is to minimize the various frauds and irregularities that occur within the traditional ticket issuance process. He added that this step was taken after considering these factors and the substantial demand from the public to provide an opportunity to pay for bus tickets using bank cards.

Sri Lanka stands ready to deepen cooperation with China based on equality and mutual respect, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath stated.

Amid rising global uncertainties, Sri Lanka is keen to expand ties with China based on equality and mutual respect, so as to deliver greater benefits to the two countries, the Foreign Minister noted.

The foreign Minister made these remarks at a special event held in Colombo.

Meanwhile, foreign Minister Vijitha Herath is of the view that recommendations for formulating China’s 15th Five-Year Plan have set out the direction for China’s next stage of development and injected renewed confidence into the world.

Herath said Sri Lanka attaches great importance to practical cooperation with China and highly appreciates China’s stable economic growth and technological innovation, adding that China’s achievements in poverty reduction, scientific progress and industrial upgrading highlighted the value of long-term planning and policy continuity.

“China’s development successes are not accidental but the result of the high-quality implementation of successive five-year plans, which offer important inspiration for Sri Lanka’s future,” said foreign Minister Herath.

The Northern Province administration had been taken to task by residents and civil society members in the past for being inefficient and lethargic for obvious reasons.

It was a damning moment when Northern Province Governor and former District Secretary N. Vedhanayahan publicly criticised senior officials in the higher rungs of the provincial officialdom, saying they were clinging to their seats without delivering progress at the grassroots level while enjoying perks and privileges.

Addressing a public event in Kilinochchi on Friday (21), the governor said the central government was willing to release funds for development projects in the North, but some senior provincial secretaries were not willing to serve the public by implementing them.

“They are focused on merely securing all the perks and privileges for themselves from public funds. It is very shameful,” the governor said, expressing his disappointment at those officials who are not proactively taking steps to serve the conflict-affected communities in the province.

The governor also questioned the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the north, pointing to the plight of the affected communities. He said some NGOs secure funds, claiming to serve the affected communities, but a significant amount of such funds were utilised “for their own administrative expenses,” he said.

MP Nizam Kariapper yesterday accused the government of breaking its promise to hold Provincial Council elections, criticizing what he called misleading statements and deliberate delays.

“President Anura Kumara Dissanayake once told this House that Provincial Council elections will be held. Not only that, he said the same on every election stage. But this week he came to Parliament and told us with a smirk, ‘how can I hold elections when there is no law, make this law and give it to me…’ I had to wonder if this speech was by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake or President Ranil Wickremesinghe,” Kariapper said.

He questioned why President Dissanayake, with majority control in Parliament, was seeking opposition support to draft necessary laws.

“We made laws. Our MP Rasamanickam drafted a law which was tossed in the bin. Then they came up with a report of their own, saying that a select committee must be formed to create our own mechanism. Isn’t it better to tell the people honestly and directly that you don’t want the provincial council election? Why are you lying to the public with these tricks?” He questioned.

Kariapper alleged that the government is intentionally avoiding elections, not due to fear of losing, but because of opposition to the provincial council system itself.

“You could have told this directly. I wished to vote in favour of the provincial council ministry as a gesture of respect for the minister. But you have destroyed the election. I will tear this report and oppose this,” he said, tearing the report in Parliament.

The party membership of eight Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) local government councilors have been temporarily suspended.

The SLFP has suspended the party membership of eight councilors for supporting the National People’s Power to pass the 2026 budget at several local government bodies, in violation of the party leadership’s guidance.

The SLFP stated that these individuals acted contrary to the notifications, instructions and guidance provided by the party. Accordingly, the matter will be reported at the next Central Committee meeting, and disciplinary action will be taken against the concerned members, the SLFP announced.

The Amarapura Buddhist Sect stated that the newly established Buddha Sasana Council – which brings together the secretaries of all chapters of the Buddhist sects – will compile a detailed report on land related disputes involving Buddhist temples across the country.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Secretary of the Sect, Ven. Balapitiye Siri Seevali Thera said that the secretaries of the three main Buddhist sects – Siam, Ramanna, and Amarapura – have been instructed by the relevant Chief Prelates (Mahanayakas) to prepare a clear plan on resolving land issues faced by Buddhist temples.

He further said that these matters would also be presented before the said Council, which was established under the current Government. “The Council is represented by the secretaries of all the 31 chapters of the Buddhist sects. We are planning to compile a full report on the problems faced by temples and to submit it to the authorities.”

The developments come amid growing criticism from the Buddhist clergy over the removal of a Buddha statue from the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee on 16 November of this year. The statue had been placed at the premises of the Viharaya – a temple registered since 1951 – following a foundation-laying ceremony earlier that day to restart the Dhamma School destroyed in the 2004 tsunami.

Police later informed the Chief Incumbent that the Coast Conservation Department had complained of an unauthorised construction. That night, Police officers removed the statue, resulting in protests from monks and residents. Two monks were later hospitalised, claiming that they were injured during the incident. The Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, addressing the Parliament, said that the removal was a precaution based on information that the statue could be damaged. The statue, which remained under Police protection, was later returned to the clergy and the villagers.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal (CA) yesterday (19) scheduled a hearing on 16 December to consider a petition seeking an injunction to prevent the implementation of an order issued by the Coastal Conservation Department to remove a part of the said Viharaya. The petition was filed by the Chief Incumbent of the Temple, Ven. Trincomalee Kalyanawamsathissa/Kalyanawansathissa Thera. During the proceedings, the Judge noted that it would be appropriate to resolve the matter amicably. Accordingly, both parties – including officials from the Department and their legal representatives – agreed in court that the Department would inspect the site and provide findings, based on which an appropriate decision could be made. The Justice ordered that the progress of the inspection be reported on 16 December when the petition is next heard. Until these procedures are completed, the CA instructed both parties to take measures to maintain peace in the area.

Moreover, the Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs Ministry stated recently that it was working on long-term solutions concerning religious sites built on lands once owned by residents in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The Deputy Minister Gamagedara Dissanayake told The Daily Morning on an earlier occasion the Government should now prioritise returning such lands to their original owners, adding the Government intended to pursue case-specific approaches.

Sri Lanka has entered into a bilateral agreement with Denmark as part of its ongoing external debt restructuring process.

This milestone underscores Colombo’s unwavering commitment to achieving debt sustainability and revitalizing its economy.

The agreement follows extensive bilateral discussions after Sri Lanka concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Official Creditor Committee (OCC). Under the terms, Denmark will extend a debt relief measure by rescheduling outstanding obligations amounting to USD 39 million.

The pact was formally signed by Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, representing the Government of Sri Lanka, and Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Denmark’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The Government of Sri Lanka expressed its sincere appreciation to Denmark for its continued cooperation, noting that such partnerships are vital to rebuilding confidence in the country’s fiscal future.