Category: Featured
No decision should be taken outside the Constitution – Maha Sangha emphasise
Apr 27, 2020 (LBO) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa enlightened the Maha Sangha on the measures taken by the Government to control the spread of COVID – 19 virus and their progress during a meeting held recently. President explained about the control of the spread, quarantine process, reliefs granted to people and future measures to revive […]
Sri Lanka COVID cases cross 500 : Island-wide curfew imposed today
Apr 27, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 cases rose to 523 as the Government yesterday cancelled leave of all armed forces personnel and extended countrywide curfew. Meanwhile, issung a statement the Presidents office said the curfew is in order to facilitate officers of the security forces who are on leave to report back to […]
Advocata commends increase in testing: Calls on Govt to review purchasing tests
Apr 27, 2020 (LBO) – The Advocata Institute has previously highlighted the importance of expanding testing capacity with the engagement of the private sector. The government’s decision to increase the country’s testing capacity to 1000 tests a day, by utilising the capacity that exists in private hospitals is commendable. On the 22nd of April, the […]
SL appoints Presidential task force on economic revival and poverty eradication
Apr 23, 2020 (LBO) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a Presidential Task Force in charge of Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication. It has been established under the powers vested in the President by the Constitution. The Task Force is responsible for reviving the economy and eradication of poverty while paying special attention to the […]
‘s three-wheelers
Thisali de Silva and Nisha Arunatilake Sri Lanka has been under curfew since mid-March to contain the spread of COVID-19. As a result, economic activities throughout the country have stalled. A recent IPS blog identified that non-agricultural, informal workers were highly affected by this pandemic. This blog illustrates how the ongoing curfew is impacting three […]
SriLankan Airlines special flights to bring back stranded in India, Pakistan and Nepal
Apr 21, 2020 (LBO) – SriLankan Airlines will operate special flights from India’s Amritsar, Coimbatore, Pakistan’s Karachi, Lahore and Nepal’s Kathmandu to bring home 433 Sri Lankan students who have been stranded overseas due to the prevailing travel restrictions imposed in view of the COVID 19 pandemic. These special flights are being operated as part […]
Opinion: COVID-19 and foreign exchange woes: Can Sri Lanka find a way out?
Bilesha Weeraratne Growing pressure on Sri Lanka’s scarce foreign exchange resources, due to the wide spread of COVID-19 across the globe, is now more real than ever before. To ease this pressure, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has taken many measures to attract as well as retain more foreign exchange in Sri Lanka. […]
Smoking cessation in Sri Lanka: A silver lining in COVID-19 crisis?
Chathurga Karunanayake As the deadly COVID-19 pandemic threatens the entire world, claiming thousands of lives and disrupting economic activities, it would be wise to look at the role smoking cessation could play in the response. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), smokers are at a higher risk […]
Relief measures for tourist guides during COVID -19 outbreak
Apr 14, 2020 (LBO) – Due to the effect of COVID-19 on the tourism industry, the annual renewal of the guide license fee for the year 2021 will be waived for all tour guides. 1. As a relief measure, the annual fee for guide licenses of all four categories – National, Chauffeur, Area and Site […]
South Asia must ramp up COVID-19 action to protect people, revive economies
Apr 14, 2020 (LBO) – Amid the mounting human toll and global economic fallout triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, South Asian governments must ramp up action to curb the health emergency, protect their people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, and set the stage now for fast economic recovery, says the World Bank in its […]
SL weak public finances will exacerbate economic shocks from COVID-19
By Fellows of the Advocata Institute Sri Lanka’s shaky public finances are about to receive another blow from the fallout of Covid-19. The most crucial aspect of a pandemic is always the human cost, but the spread of the virus has important repercussions for the economy. Studies indicate that pandemic impacts a country’s economy through […]
Sri Lanka : COVID -19 update
Apr 08, 2020 (LBO) – According to the World Health Organisation in Sri Lanka 180 people have tested positive with 38 people having recovered and 5 deaths reported. As cases start to climb in the South-East Asia Region, the Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh held a virtual meeting with Health Ministers of the Region […]