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More Healdine News from Sri Lanka
IMF help to restructure CEB, CPC, SriLankan and Mihin
Sunday, 5 May 2013 - 3:17 AM SL Time
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A high level International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation yesterday pledged its full cooperation and assistance to introduce an extensive tax reform formula to Sri Lanka.
At a meeting with COPE Chairman D.E.W. Gunasekara, the delegation said IMF would help restructure four major loss making state ventures -- the CEB, CPC, SriLankan and Mihin Air.
A spokesman said the delegation listened keenly to Minister Gunasekara when he explained the recommendations of the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) on turning around the loss making state ventures and how state revenue could be increased if the Government could be released from the huge financial constraints it is confronted with.
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Sri Lanka in impunity indexv
Friday, 3 May 2013 - 11:35 PM SL Time
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The US based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has listed Sri Lanka in its 2013 Impunity Index, which spotlights countries where journalists are slain and the killers go free.
Apart from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India are on the index of 12 nations.
CPJ s analysis found that journalist murders have slowed in Iraq, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Colombia, and Afghanistan five Impunity Index countries with long records of deadly, anti-press violence.
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Wimal threatens to break from Govt.
Thursday, 2 May 2013 - 11:47 AM SL Time
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Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) and Minister of Construction, Engineering Services and Housing and Common Amenities, Wimal Weerawansa, yesterday urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to amend the Constitution, to remove land and police powers from the Provincial Councils (PCs).
Addressing the May Day rally of the NFF held at the P.D. Sirisena Stadium in Maligawatte, he vowed to break away from the government, if the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) election held in September 2013, without removing police and land powers from the PCs.
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Internet Marusira remanded
Wednesday, 1 May 2013 - 2:45 AM SL Time
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A local internet hacker, who is alleged to have operated the website www.marusira.com and provided software and codes to his clients to access and hack other websites, was produced in Court and remanded till Thursday .
The suspect Gayan Ushantha Silva of Dharmasoka Mawatha, Kandy was arrested by the CID and produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Rashmi Singappuli.
The arrest was made on April 29 after a complaint was made by the Army Intelligence Unit on March 3.
The investigations had revealed that the suspect had operated the website www.marusira.com and had a list of clients who had registered with him on the payment of a specified fee.
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No Confidence Motion against Pavithra
Tuesday, 30 April 2013 - 6:31 AM SL Time
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The main opposition United National Party (UNP) has intensified its campaign against the electricity tariff hike by handing over a No Confidence Motion in Parliament against Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, informed sources said yesterday.
After last Wednesday s candle light protest in the Well of Parliament, UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake handed over this motion to Secretary General of Parliament Dammika Dissanayake. The motion has been signed by UNP MPs such Lakshman Kiriella, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Ranjan Ramanayake, Dilip Wedaarachchi, Chandrani Bandara, Palitha Thewarapperuma, Ruwan Wijewardene, Rosy Senanayake, Jayalath Jayawardane, Niroshan Perera and R Yogarajan.
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ri Lanka state bus utility loses increase to Rs3.8bn
Friday, 26 April 2013 - 10:48 PM SL Time
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State-run Sri Lanka Transport Board`s losses rose 15.5 percent to 3.8 billion rupees in 2012 and the Treasury had given 3.6 billion rupees in taxes collected from the people for loss making routes, official data showed.
Revenues rose 25.1 percent to 26.3 billion rupees helped by a 20 percent fare increase from February 2012, the Central Bank`s annual report said.
But operating expenses had risen 23.8 percent to 30.1 billion rupees, pushing operating losses up 15.5 percent to 3.8 billion rupees in 2012 from 3.3 billion rupees in 2011.
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Places of religious worship cushioned by Rs. 1.2 billion subsidy
Thursday, 25 April 2013 - 12:14 PM SL Time
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The government yesterday reiterated that places of religious interest will not face the impact of the power tariff hike as their tariffs will not be increased under any circumstances. According to Power and Energy Ministry Secretary MMC Ferdinando, the government provides a subsidy of Rs. 1.2 billion to places of religious interest around the country and this subsidy would remain intact.
Ceylon Electricity Board Chairman W. B. Ganegala said that no changes would take place in the power tariff of religious places. Ganegala added that places of religious worship have to pay a very nominal fee for power usage due to this subsidy amounting to over Rs. 1.2 billion.
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Over 100 Sri Lanka State sector employees probed for corruption
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 - 7:04 PM SL Time
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The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption is conducting clandestine investigations against more than 100 state sector employees who earn money illegally by engaging in fraudulent and corrupt activity while serving in the public service.
The investigations were initiated following complaints lodged against certain employees before the Bribery and Corruption Commission.
As a result of the ongoing investigations, certain public sector employees and staff that engaged in corrupt practices have been transfered from their present posts, with immediate effect without any prior notice. According to Bribery Commission Director General Luckshmi Jayawickrama, the head of the department in which employees engaged in corrupt activities will be notified by the Commission through the Secretary to the Public Administration Ministry for immediate disciplinary action against the employees against whom charges have been proved.
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Sri Lanka to phase out fuel surcharge on power bills from next year: officials
Monday, 22 April 2013 - 7:59 PM SL Time
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A hike in power tariffs has had a minimal impact on low users, and a fuel surcharge will be phased out from early next year as two more coal plants come on stream, officials said.
Power minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said 1.1 million households that used up to 30 units of electricity (kiloWatt hours) a day would only have to pay about 75 rupees extra even with the fuel surcharge.
About 1.3 million households that used between 31 to 60 units had to pay an average of 174 rupees a unit. The percentage increase faced by some households however ranged between to 50 to 100 percent in some cases.
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Sri Lankan Refugees demand Indian citizenship
Saturday, 20 April 2013 - 5:44 PM SL Time
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Sri Lankan refugees at the Anaiyur camp here demanded Indian citizenship as they did not want to be addressed as refugees even after staying in India for more than two decades.
`Our children are abused in schools as refugees, when they make minor mistakes,` said a young mothers_day.jsp' class=black>mother, eyes filling with tears.
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Sri Lankan President assures Islamic countries to take action against religious disharmony
Thursday, 18 April 2013 - 8:30 PM SL Time
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Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today assured the Islamic countries that Sri Lanka is committed to maintain religious harmony in the country and will not tolerate any unlawful activities raising religious tensions.
President Rajapaksa gave this assurance when a delegation of resident heads of 15 Islamic countries in Sri Lanka, met with him at the Temple Trees this afternoon to discuss various matters of mutual interest pertaining to both domestic and international arenas.
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Sri Lanka aims for US$ 4,000 per capita income by 2016
Wednesday, 17 April 2013 - 12:50 PM SL Time
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Sri Lanka, which experienced a moderate positive growth in the domestic economy in recent years even when the global economy was experiencing the worst economic and financial crisis , aims to increase its per capita income with caution to US$ 4,000 by the year 2016.
The country envisages a sustained progress towards a US$ 4,000 plus per capita income and a US$ 100 billion economy within the next three years, the Governor of the Central Bank, Ajith Nivard Cabraal said in his presentation of the Bank`s Annual Report for 2012.
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Sri Lanka`s Heat wave ends
Wednesday, 17 April 2013 - 1:03 AM SL Time
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Showers or thundershowers will develop over most parts of the island during the afternoon or evening. Fairly heavy rainfall is also likely in certain areas, Met Department sources said. Showers can also be expected in the Eastern coastal areas and Hambantota district during the morning. There may be temporary localized fairly strong winds during thundershowers. The public are requested to take adequate precautions to minimise the damage caused by lightning.
The heat wave that seared through most parts of the country, especially Colombo during the past few weeks, will gradually subside within the next few days, Meteorology Department sources said yesterday. The sources said heat levels will drop by a few degrees and the humidity levels too will come down in the next three to four days.
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US State Department proposes to cut aid to Sri Lanka by 20 percent
Monday, 15 April 2013 - 5:14 PM SL Time
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The US Secretary of State John Kerry in his budgetary proposals sent to the Congress last week for approval has proposed a 20 percent cut in US aid to Sri Lanka, a PTI report said Monday.
Kerry has proposed a US$ 11-million in aid to Sri Lanka, which, according to a senior State Department official, is a `drop of 20 percent` from the actual spending in the 2012 fiscal year.
The move to cut aid is believed to be a reflection of the increasingly souring relationship between the two countries following the adoption of the two UN resolutions sponsored by the US against Sri Lanka.
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Foreign policy outsourced at Rs. 500,000 a day
Monday, 15 April 2013 - 2:41 AM SL Time
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Peiris denies any change in policy towards US and its resolution but Central Bank and embassy in Washington hire lobbying firms to woo Obama
US ambassador Sison in a tough speech, insists on reconciliation and accountability but Gota hits back, saying she is not governor of Sri Lanka
By Our Political Editor
Notwithstanding a campaign to bring about a change of heart by the Obama administration towards Sri Lanka, costing the taxpayer Rs. 15 million a month, the UPFA Government will not change its official policy towards the United States. Or so it seems.
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Sri Lanka sends over 10,000 housemaids in 2012
Friday, 12 April 2013 - 2:19 PM SL Time
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Despite calls by various pressure groups to end the practice of sending Sri Lankan housemaids to the Middle Eastern countries, the number of women departed seeking to be employed as housemaids in 2012 increased by 10,735 to 118,235 in 2012, the latest Central Bank Annual Report showed.
Being the largest manpower category headed off for foreign employment in 2012, housemaids account for 42.3 percent of the total departures, up from 40.9 percent in 2011.
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US calls for political devolution in Sri Lanka
Wednesday, 10 April 2013 - 4:32 AM SL Time
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The United States says some of the most important steps in achieving real reconciliation in Sri Lanka have not yet moved ahead and this includes dialogue with the TNA on political devolution.
The US Ambassador in Sri Lanka said the US will continue to push for reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka.
US Ambassador Michele J. Sison, speaking to Foreign Correspondents in Colombo, said that as the US examines the next step, they will renew its consideration of all mechanisms available, both in the Human Rights Council and beyond.
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Low-end tourists dominate Lankan tourism
Sunday, 7 April 2013 - 12:49 PM SL Time
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Sri Lanka`s plans to attract high spending tourists is countered by its own strategy on online marketing, which promotes the country as a low-cost tourist destination, according to Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers (SLINTGL).
Although the government is promoting Sri Lanka to be niche market thriving with high spenders, the online booking is exposing it as an `economical` destination, says Asiri Samaraweera, Secretary General of SLINTGL.
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Indian parliamentary team to visit Sri Lanka
Saturday, 6 April 2013 - 2:17 PM SL Time
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A delegation of six Indian parliamentarians will visit Sri Lanka between April 8 and April 12. They will also visit Colombo and Jaffna during the trip, which is being organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
In addition to meetings with MPs here, the members are likely to meet senior Ministers and political leaders. The MPs will also visit Jaffna to look at work on projects supported by the Indian government, particularly the owner-driven housing initiative, said the High Commission on Friday.
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Fashion Bug stands by its decision
Saturday, 6 April 2013 - 1:08 AM SL Time
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The Management of Fashion Bug says the company withdrew the case against the 17 suspects arrested, including 3 Buddhist monks, in connection to the attack on it s warehouse in Pepiliyana recently as it was the right course of action as a responsible corporate citizen to mitigate any issue in the future and promote unity in the country.
When the case was taken up in court the company informed that it was not necessary to detain the suspects, particularly the clergy, in remand for the purpose of holding an identification parade, as such a situation could further erode national harmony and cause serious damage and prejudice locally as well as internationally. Therefore with the intention to maintain peace, it was informed to court that Fashion Bug will not continue with the action any further.
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