Category: Politics
President heads to Cuba to address G77 + China Leaders’ Summit
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to depart for Cuba to address the G77 + China Leaders’ Summit next week. This summit, themed “Current Development Challenges: Role of Science, Technology and Innovation,” is scheduled for September 15 and 16, 2023, in Havana, Cuba. President Wickremesinghe’s participation in the summit comes as a result of an official […]
Tax to 30-pct on EPF is unjust as members end up paying more than corporate sector: Eran W
Eran Wclramaratne stressed that chapter 27 of the Constitution, envisages that the directive principles policy shall guide parliament, President and the Cabinet of Ministers in the enactment of laws and the governance of Sri Lanka to establish a just society. But the government’s Domestic Debt Optimisation programme highlights the government’s discriminatory principles and that the […]
UN HR Commissioner says, Call for historic transformation is far from being realised in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka suffers from a continuing accountability deficit – be it for war crime atrocities, more recent human rights violations, corruption, or abuse of power – which must be addressed for the country to move forward, according to a UN Human Rights Office report published on Wednesday. “More than a year ago mass protests demanded better governance […]
President joins spectators to witness final Randoli Esala Perahara
In a profound display of reverence for Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage, President Ranil Wickremesinghe graced the concluding Randoli Perahara of the esteemed Esala Perahara festival, held at the iconic Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. The auspicious occasion witnessed an international touch as well, with the distinguished presence of US Senator Chris Van Hollen, who […]
U.S. State Department Coordinator on Global Anti-Corruption Richard Nephew to visit Sri Lanka
The United States Embassy in Colombo is pleased to advise of an upcoming visit from the U.S. State Department Coordinator on Global Anti-Corruption Richard Nephew, who will be in Colombo from August 8-9. The visiting delegation accompanying Nephew includes Dylan Aikens, Anti-Corruption Analyst for the U.S. Department of State. While in Colombo, Nephew will meet […]
Indian Foreign Secretary meets the President
Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe during his official visit to Sri Lanka this morning (11). The meeting took place at the Ministry of Defence and focused on enhancing bilateral relations and working towards future economic and social goals that would benefit both countries’ populations. During the meeting, President Wickremesinghe […]
TISL condemns private member’s bill to reconvene dissolved Local Government Authorities without holding elections
Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) condemns the anti-democratic private member’s bills presented to Parliament by SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda to re-convene the dissolved Local Government Authorities (LGAs) without holding elections. TISL believes that this move would be a heavy blow to the people’s sovereignty enshrined in the Constitution. Local Government Members are the grass-roots level […]
President Calls for Urgent Debt Restructuring to Support Middle-Income Nations
President Ranil Wickremesinghe participating in a high-level panel discussion at the Global Leaders’ Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, in Paris yesterday (22), discussed the country’s experience with debt restructuring and the need for a comprehensive approach to address the challenges faced by middle-income nations. He said Sri Lanka faced limited access to financing […]
Proposed anti-Corruption Bill fails in recovery of stolen assets in foreign jurisdiction
Opposition MP Eran Wickramaratne alleged that the government is hiding behind the fact that the country has laws such as the Money Laundering Law of 2006, Financial Transaction Reporting Act of 2006 and Mutual Legal Assistance & Criminal Law of 2002 – without including more comprehensive measures to combat corruption and to recover stolen assets […]
Paradigm shift on government policy to extend moratorium of SME sector imperative: Eran
As the micro, Small, and medium scale Enterprises (mSmE) sector has been among the most affected sectors in the economy during the recent and ongoing economic crises, the government should take a policy decision to facilitate the continuation of the moratorium given to them in the past said Eran Wickramaratne MP speaking on the debate […]
Chinese Foreign Affairs Vice Minister pays courtesy call on President, affirms support for recovery
President Ranil Wickremesinghe received a courtesy call from Sun Weidong, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs from the People’s Republic of China. The meeting took place at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (30) and was attended by officials from both nations. During the discussions, Vice Minister Sun Weidong reiterated China’s steadfast support for Sri Lanka in […]
Building on President’s Call in Tokyo, Harsha Calls for Greater Trade Integration for Debt Sustainability
Harsha de Silva, MP, delivered a poignant speech in Parliament recently building on the speech by President Ranil Wickeremasinghe at the Nikkei Asia Forum in Tokyo. He called for a change of mindset in the legislature and argued for greater trade integration for debt sustainability. He started by acknowledging Japan’s significant contributions during the crisis […]