Category: News

Sri Lanka – Germany Business Council holds 25th AGM

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The 25th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sri Lanka – Germany Business Council (SLGBC) was held recently at Hilton Colombo Residences, Colombo 2.

The Chief Guest, Federal Republic of Germany Ambassador Dr. Felix Neumann highlighted the enduring partnership between the two countries.

Reflecting on his recent discussions with President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Ambassador expressed Germany’s willingness to work together in the path to economic recovery. He emphasised Germany’s readiness to aid Sri Lanka’s efforts in skilled labour migration, noting the longstanding impact of German vocational training initiatives in Sri Lanka, exemplified by institutions like German Tech in Moratuwa and Kilinochchi.

Ambassador Neumann also acknowledged the robust presence of approximately 300 German brands in Sri Lanka, renowned for their reliability and long-lasting value. He emphasised Germany’s long-term commitment, with no German companies withdrawing during Sri Lanka’s recent economic challenges. On tourism, he noted Germany as the fourth-largest source market for tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka, accounting for over 7% of the market share. He underscored the people-to-people connections that drive bilateral relations, calling tourism a vital bridge between the two nations.

Hettigoda Industries Chairman and Managing Director Asoka Hettigoda was re-elected by the Members as the President for the year 2024-2025. In his address, Hettigoda thanked members for their continued trust and pledged to enhance trade and investment ties with Germany.

He provided a historical overview of the Council’s accomplishments and key activities over the past year. Further, highlighting Germany’s importance as Sri Lanka’s fourth-largest export market, he noted that in 2022, Sri Lanka’s exports to Germany – primarily rubber, tea, and textiles – totalled $ 888 million, while German exports to Sri Lanka, consisting of machinery, chemicals, and motor vehicles, amounted to $ 300 million. Germany also stands as Sri Lanka’s second-largest EU investor, with 51 German companies creating approximately 11,700 local jobs since 1951. Highlighting tourism, he noted 121,000 German visitors to Sri Lanka by November 2024, expressing optimism about surpassing the 2018 record of 156,888 visitors. Hettigoda concluded by underscoring the importance of strengthening trade and investment ties with Germany to support Sri Lanka’s economic recovery.

For the last 25 years, SLGBC has been fostering new initiatives and areas of corporation between business communities of the two countries with the exchange of trade missions, delegations, new investments and joint ventures and have extended yeoman service to both countries.

The primary objectives of the Sri Lanka Germany Business Council are; to promote trade, tourism and services between Sri Lanka and Germany, encourage German investment and establishment of joint ventures in Sri Lanka between German and Sri Lanka investors, to exchange information on trade and investment between the two countries, to conduct and facilitate joint meetings with German business organisations and to promote Sri Lankan participation in international fairs in Germany.

Hilton Colombo Residences General Manager Karim Schadlou and C.G.V. Anthony & Sons Ltd., Director Roy Anthony were elected as Vice Presidents. The Member Companies; Air Global Ltd., Aitken Spence Cargo Ltd., Aitken Spence Travels Ltd., Central Bearings and Machinery Ltd., Detroves Travels Ltd., Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC, MAC Holdings Ltd., Malship (Ceylon) Ltd., and Walkers Tours were elected to the Committee.

The outgoing President Ceylon Tours Ltd., Managing Director Surendra Ediriweera will continue to serve on the Committee as the Immediate Past President.

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Sri Lanka solidifies stance on One-China principle

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Ahead of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to China, the Cabinet has approved a proposal presented by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, for Sri Lanka to continue adhering to the One-China principle.

Sri Lanka has reaffirmed its strong commitment to this principle, recognising the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government representing all of China, with Taiwan regarded as an inalienable part of its territory.

Sri Lanka, Maldives recall their envoys from Pakistan

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Sri Lanka and the Maldives are preparing to appoint new envoys to Pakistan after both countries recalled their respective high commissioners in quick succession.

The Maldivian government recalled its High Commissioner, Mohamed Thoha, following a controversial meeting with Afghanistan’s top diplomat in Islamabad. Thoha’s engagement with Ahmad Shakib, Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires, reportedly took place without prior approval from Maldivian authorities.

In a statement, the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had clarified that the meeting was not authorized. “The Maldives is guided by the practice followed by the United Nations General Assembly regarding the representative character of a government. Accordingly, the Maldives recognizes the Government representing Afghanistan at the United Nations as the legitimate authority,” the statement read.

During the meeting, Ahmad Shakib emphasized Afghanistan’s goal of fostering constructive relations with all nations and its ambition to transform the country into a regional connectivity hub through economic policies. Photographs from the meeting were shared on the social media platforms of both embassies, further fueling the controversy.

In response, the Maldives Embassy in Islamabad removed all images of High Commissioner Thoha from its website and social media accounts, although the Afghanistan Embassy retained the photos. Thoha was recalled only a few months after his appointment, marking an abrupt end to his tenure.

Similarly, Sri Lanka has recalled its High Commissioner to Pakistan, Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne, less than six months into his posting. While the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not provided an official explanation, diplomatic sources suggest that political factors may have influenced the decision.

Both recalls highlight unexpected diplomatic challenges for Islamabad as it awaits the appointment of new envoys from the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

(Islamabad Post)

President Summons AG, Expresses Concerns Over backlog of cases

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held an important discussion with the Attorney General and officials from the Attorney General’s Department at the Presidential Secretariat on 6 January 2025, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).

The President expressed serious concerns regarding the significant backlog of cases within the department during the meeting.

President Dissanayake stressed the need for coordinated efforts across all institutions involved in the enforcement of the law. He highlighted the critical role of the Attorney General’s Department in restoring public confidence in the judicial system.

The President also emphasized the importance of changing public perception regarding political interference and assured that steps are being taken to rebuild trust in the legal process. He reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring actions that align with public expectations, aiming to restore fairness and equity within the justice system.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne, Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe PC, and other senior officials from the Attorney General’s Department.

Draft Bill to call for fresh nominations for LG polls gazetted

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The Draft Bill for the amendment of the Local Authorities Elections Act to enable the cancellation of the nominations submitted for the 2023 polls and to call for fresh nominations has been gazetted.

The draft bill is to be presented to the Parliament for approval on a later date.

It is reported that the Draft Bill for the amendment of the Local Authorities Elections Act to cancel the nominations called for the 2023 Local Government Elections has been published in the Government Gazette as per the order of the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government.

According to the said bill, the nomination papers submitted for the Local Government Elections which was scheduled to be held on March 09, 2023 will become invalid.

The bill also provides for the refund of deposits made in respect of candidates nominated by a political party or independent group.

The bill is scheduled to be implemented after the relevant bill is presented to Parliament and passed.

Accordingly, the Election Commission should announce the date for calling fresh nominations for the Local Government Elections and it is noted that that date should be a date 3 months before the date of commencement of the said act.

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MP Archuuna’s fate to be decided after committee probe: Speaker

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A committee is currently probing MP Ramanathan Archuuna, and his fate will be decided based on its findings, Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne told Parliament today.

The Speaker provided this information after MP Archuuna inquired about a complaint he had made against Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, whom he accused of depriving him of his right to speak in the House.

Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunathillake said the Opposition is awaiting the Speaker’s advice on MP Archuuna.

The MP in question is accused of misconduct in the recent past.

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Sri Lanka to Receive Military Aircraft from US, Pakistan

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Sri Lanka is adopting more American Bell 206 helicopters and a Pakistani Chengdu J-7 aircraft to enhance the country’s air force capabilities.

The investment stipulates eight of the 206 systems in their TH-57 Sea Ranger military derivative ordered from Washington DC and a single Chinese-made J-7 in its FT-7 export trainer variant from Islamabad.

Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Commander Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa confirmed that the Bell fleet is scheduled to arrive later this year, Colombo-based news agency Daily Mirror reported.

Meanwhile, Rajapaksa’s recent bilateral meeting with Pakistan allowed the FT-7 order to be delivered as a grant, with the shipment expected “in the near future.”

“By acquiring modern drone security units and advanced air defence weapons, the SLAF has initiated a programme in collaboration with the government to upgrade both the air defence and radar systems,” Rajapaksa remarked.

“As the government aims to boost the economy by enhancing the tourism industry, the Sri Lanka Air Force has also launched several programmes to support these efforts.”

Airborne Fleet Expansion

The SLAF’s latest project follows the service’s induction of a Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft last year as part of a contract signed with US-based aerospace company Textron Aviation in 2022.

Concurrently, the military received a Beechcraft King Air 350 from the Royal Australian Air Force to bolster Sri Lanka and Canberra’s maritime security partnership across the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lanka is also engaged with Tel Aviv’s state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries to upgrade the SLAF’s existing Kfir fourth-generation fighter jets.

The modernized planes will obtain Kfir’s latest C12 configuration, replacing the air force’s older C2 and C3 models by 2025.

Additionally, the South Asian government accepted two Harbin Y-12s from China to bolster its tactical airborne cargo and personnel transportation.

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Chinese Foreign Minister makes brief stopover in Sri Lanka

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a brief stopover in Sri Lanka on Sunday while he was on his way to Namibia.Sri Lankan fashion

Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka (AASL) said that Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport BIA at 1418hrs Sri Lanka time for a transit stopover enroute to Namibia.

The Chinese delegation of 18 members was welcomed by Qi Zhenhong, the Ambassador of China to Sri Lanka, AASL Chairman Rtd. Air Chief Marshall Harsha Abeywickrama, and Vice Chairman of AASL Cyril Wannigama.

The Chinese Foreign Minister and his delegation left Sri Lanka at 1623hrs Sri Lanka time.

Wang Yi is visiting Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Chad, and Nigeria from January 5 to 11 at the invitation of these countries.

Government must work on new Constitution without delay: Cardinal

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The Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith specifically urged the government to introduce a new Constitution which brings in national unity.

“The Government should lay the foundation to a new Constitution immediately without waiting till its term ends,” he stressed.

“It should lay the foundation for a new Constitution now itself without waiting till its term ends,” he told journalists after a meeting he had with Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne who made a courtesy call on him during the weekend.

Speaker Wickramaratne said he will be fully committed to Constitutional reforms.

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President Dissanayake’s Agenda For 2025 By R Hariharan

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The reassertion of democratic polity in Sri Lanka during the year 2024 is the signal achievement of the people of the country, more than its political class. They had shown that the Aragalaya protests, which toppled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Rajapaksa clan from power, mattered in deciding the winners in both presidential and parliamentary elections. They not only elected the National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake (aka AKD) as President, but also gave the NPP two-thirds majority in parliament

These changes in power politics by the end of 2024 has given a new life to the country’s democracy, wilting under the burden of self-seeking politicians. People voted for the neophyte President AKD and the NPP government because they want a change from the way the mainstream parties ruled them. They had voted the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe combine to power in 2015 with similar hopes. But their hopes were shattered when the duo failed to fulfil their promises. Not only that, their endless squabbles resulted in Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

This time the people will probably put the AKD government on probation to ensure the government meets their aspirations. The year 2024 has ended with AKD in power for barely 100 days and it is only 49 days since the parliament came into being. It is probably too early to judge the performance of the government under AKD’s leadership.

But even within this short period AKD has taken some welcome steps on both symbolic and substantive issues. Some of the actions of AKD like shunning official residence, swearing in the smallest cabinet, electing the highest number of women MPs from non- political families and giving representation in parliament to visually challenged person, were symbolic. But they reflected the liberal views of the government.

President Dissanayake in his brief New Year message has spoken of initiating “a transformative political shift, fulfilling our democratic responsibilities to build the good governance our citizens aspire to.” The primary developmental goals include eradicating rural poverty, implementing the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative, and building a digital economy.

The “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative, launched alongside the New Year, aims to uplift society to greater heights through social, environmental, and ethical revival. The program envisions a broad national effort, transcending political and communal differences, to instil attitudinal, behavioural, and qualitative changes among citizens. It focuses on improving living standards, eradicating corruption, and promoting transparency and accountability in every sector.

The initiative also includes a dedicated website and app to enhance public participation and transparency. The goal is to position Sri Lanka among the cleanest nations in the world and ensure a prosperous and beautiful life for all its citizens. This is likely to occupy immediate attention of the government so that visible changes are ushered in the country.

AKD’s agenda is likely to focus on internal issues so that the NPP performs reasonably well in local body elections in 2025. The NPP has a weak footprint on the ground unlike mainstream parties which have traditional strongholds. Issues with a long gestation period like reframing of the constitution and even abolition of executive presidency are likely to be deferred.

This means existing foreign policy initiatives involving India, China and the US are likely to continue. It will also mean deferring controversial issues involving India like the talks on the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) to enhance economic and technological cooperation between the two countries which was resumed with 12th round of talks in November 2023. Similarly, full implementation of 13th Constitutional Amendment giving minority Tamils a level of autonomy, which India had been insisting on, is also likely to go down in AKD’s priority. At the same time the issue of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters is likely to be elevated to the government-to-government level as it can help NPP to garner votes in Northern Province in local body elections.

Other issues likely to figure in AKD’s 2025 agenda are given below.

Good governance issues:

Administrative reforms by digitisation of data to enable timely delivery of relief to citizens is likely to be given priority. To curb wasteful expenditure the government has already undertaken various measures:

* Revising security arrangements for former presidents: Starting from January 1, 2025, the government has decided to withdraw members of the tri-forces from the security details of former presidents. Only police officers will now handle their security. The new norm based on security assessments is expected to save over SL Rs1,000 million annually. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security expenses were the highest at Rs 710 million spent on his protection. Similarly, STF protection will now only be provided to the President and Prime Minister.

* Abolition of the post of Chief of Defence Staff: The AKD government has decided to abolish the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) at the end of the year 2024. This decision comes as General Shavendra Silva, the current CDS, retires after 40 years of service. The CDS post was initially established to coordinate joint operations among the armed forces. However, the new government believes that the post is no longer necessary given the current security landscape, which is perhaps realistic. The AKD government has decided to employ armed forces only in military roles; this may herald the restructuring of the armed forces.

Anti-corruption drive

Since AKD came to power, the anti-corruption drive has been gingered up, resulting in several high-profile cases. The government is to appoint a committee to look for amendments in the Anti-Corruption Act passed in 2023 to block legal and technical loopholes while carrying out investigations. Here are some of the major cases being investigated:

* Central Bank Bond Scam: This infamous case, which has been a focal point of public outrage, involves allegations of large-scale financial fraud during the final years of the previous administration. AKD has revived the investigations.

* Ministerial Malfeasance: Whistleblower Thushan Gunawardena exposed alleged corruption involving high-ranking ministers. His revelations led to a series of investigations targeting corrupt officials.

* Public Procurement Fraud: Several cases of corruption in public procurement processes have been uncovered, involving the misallocation of funds and resources meant for public projects.

* Tax Evasion and Revenue Department Corruption: The IMF recommended immediate anti-corruption measures within revenue departments are likely to continue.

Drive against narcotics trafficking

In 2024, approximately 149,000 individuals were apprehended for drug related offences. During operation Yukthiya, which began in December 2023, led to the recovery of drugs worth over SL Rs 19 billion. With international tourist figures touching two million in 2024, Sri Lanka is likely to further tighten measures against narcotics trafficking with the cooperation of India during 2025.

*Col R Hariharan VSM, a retired MI specialist on South Asia and terrorism, served as the head of intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka 1987-90. He is associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies.