Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

'Many ask why we have not begun military offensives against the Tigers and we said that we have been patient for long,' said the PM.

ethana redi hodanna kiyapu thana. :):)

Cost of living sores in Colombo; appalling in Jaffna, as the major war resumes after collapsed peace talks

November 03: Sri Lanka's inflation shot up to 17.2 percent in October from 15.4 percent in September, the Census & Statistics Dept said Tuesday, due to higher prices of fuel, cigarettes, alcohol and certain types of food. However the figure is lower than the 17.7 percent recorded in June but the sharp increase reported despite a fall in international oil prices.

On a 12-month moving average that is accepted by the government as the official inflation figure inflation for October was 11.8 percent from 11.2 percent recorded in Sept.

Economic analysts predict that inflation would continue to rise despite falling oil prices because of excessive money printing to finance the budget deficit.

Sri Lanka's balance of payments is also under pressure. Central Bank credit to the government in terms of Treasury bill purchases alone had risen from about 20 billion rupees in February to 63 billion in October. In a latest measure to enhance the government debt taking Sri Lanka has liberalised the Treasury bond market so as the foreign investors also can buy them. Analysts say the country will have serious repercussion within the next year if this spree of extravagance is carried on together with the escalation of violence.

A new import cess that came into effect last month on many imported items including food, clothing, electrical goods and motor vehicles sharply increased the prices of many imported commodities. The Customs levy ranges from one per cent to 25 per cent and is also imposed on imported meats, fruits and vegetables, mineral waters, alcohol products and tobacco products. The tax on beauty and make-up preparations, hair products and perfumes is the highest with the cess being 25 per cent or Rs. 50 per kilo. Shoes and sportswear, imported building materials, artificial and cut flowers and foliage, and imitation jewellery have also come under the cess.



While the situation in Sri Lanka is bad the situation in Jaffna is appalling. The government sealed the permanent closure of the A-9 highway by restarting air attacks tempting Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) to retaliate possibly elsewhere in the island.

TamilNet reported on 2nd November, 'Five members of a family were killed when Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets dropped 16 bombs within 500 meters east of the newly built Kilinochchi General Hospital at Anandapuram around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. One was seriously wounded. Around 500 patients warded in the hospital, among others mothers with newly born babies in their hands and severely wounded patients from earlier SLAF bombings, were forced to leave the hospital premises. Explosion shock shattered hospital window-glasses and fans fell down while the patients were having lunch in their beds, doctors told TamilNet. Tension prevailed in Kilinochchi town following the aerial attack.'

Meanwhile the Jaffna people are starving as the food shortages have become an integral part of the day to day life in the peninsula.

Cooperative stores in Jaffna peninsula have stopped distributing diesel and Northern Region Transport Board (NRTB) which runs public transport in Jaffna Peninsula has suspended bus services with effect from Monday.

Electricity supply in the peninsula was also close to total suspension due to shortage of fuel. The diesel-fired electric power station in Chunnnakam supply electricity only for 5-hours a day from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., and then from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The price of a kilogram of rice in Jaffna is around Rs. 140. A kilogram of sugar was Rs. 350 when last found. A kilogram of flour is Rs. 100. A 400 gram packet of milk powder is Rs.400. A cake of soap of any brand is Rs. 70. A bottle of coconut oil is Rs. 440. A kilogram of garlic is Rs.2000. A kilogram of ginger is Rs. 3000. A bottle of petrol is Rs. 500. One Coconut is between Rs.65 to 90. Normal varieties of fish are sold at Rs.700 to 1000, but only small fish. A packet of mosquito coils is Rs. 125. A battery is Rs.130. An egg is Rs. 20. A box of matches is Rs. 20. Spices such as coriander, garlic and pepper are not available and 1 kilo of coriander was last sold at Rs.600. Some essential food items such as salt are not found in Jaffna altogether. Banana, Manioc and vegetables that are grown in the peninsula are the only few items that can be bought at relatively lower prices.

Several shops run by the Army in major towns attract very long queues of people as they sell rice, sugar, wheat flour and mosquito coils at usual prices. Cafeterias thriving before the war broke out have been closed now. The majority of smaller hotels too have put up curtains as people are reluctant to visit towns.

-lankaleft.com

PM has the same dump brain as Colombo dude. No wonder they appreciate each other

the problem i have with Ranil is he is a smooth talker but underneath he is the same. if i was a sinhalese I would MOST definitely vote for him since the man is DEFINITELY good for the majority (a fact i guess roughly half the sinhala population fails to understand!!) , i ma not so sure about the minority though.

November 03: Fishing community in the North Colombo area of Sri Lanka who lost their livelihood due to the strict fishing ban around the Colombo harbour were seen breaking the iron parts of abandoned ship hulks near the Modara fishing harbour situated adjacent to the Colombo Port. They were going to sell the cast iron to junk yards to earn some money to keep the family fires burning.

About two years ago, one Aussie dollar was worth 70 Rupees. Today 1 A$ is worth 80 rupees thanks to MR Chithana. My prediction for Nov 27 is that 1$=100 rupees.