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Opposition SJB opposes imposing 25-pct tax on EPF funds, says Eran
The Opposition is totally opposed to levying a 25% tax on the EPF Fund, said Parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne at a press conference held at the Opposition Leader’s Office yesterday. “This Government has decided in an unprecedented manner to impose a 25% surcharge on the income of the Employees Provident Fund. EPF has never been taxed […]
“Opposition calls on Govt for urgent dialogue with them,” MP Harsha
Opposition parliamentarians have urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to initiate a dialogue with them to better understand the current economic issues facing the nation and find solutions together. “We are all in this together,” Dr. Harsha De Silva, an opposition member of parliament said addressing a media briefing yesterday. “The Governor of the Central Bank reiterates […]
“Growing sense of insecurity among people despite years of development growth,” UN report
Global development progress does not automatically lead to a greater sense of security, according to a new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report on human security released Thursday. New data and analysis in the report, New Threats to Human Security in the Anthropocene, shows that people’s sense of safety and security is at a low […]
European Union urges Sri Lanka to continue reducing use of PTA
The European Union (EU) has urged Sri Lanka to continue reducing the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and to undertake further practical and administrative steps to release on bail those detained under the PTA without charges. At the EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission held on 8 February 2022 in Brussels, Sri Lanka has […]
VIDEO: Why is it so hard to escape poverty?
Explore the paradox of welfare programs, and learn how they inadvertently reinforce generational poverty, and what we can do to fix them.
Sri Lanka will settle USD 1bn ISB maturing in July; no debt restructuring needed, says CBSL
The Government and the CBSL have already taken necessary measures to secure alternative forex inflows via a number of bilateral and multilateral funding arrangements to meet the upcoming debt obligations, including the US dollars 1 billion ISB maturing in July 2022, the Central Bank said. Releasing a statement, the bank said that with the realisation […]
Mitigating COVID impacts on child development outcomes in SL: World Bank
By Chiyo Kanda , World Bank Country Manager for Maldives and Sri Lanka COVID-19 has resulted in the worst health, social and economic crisis of our time. From the loss of life and its impact on communities, to the widespread economic instability and job loss, the devastating impacts of the pandemic are being felt across […]
Youth Migration: Challenges and Opportunities for Sri Lanka
By Thisuri Ekanayake A great deal of discussion is underway on what appears to be the latest wave of migration from Sri Lanka. These conversations focus on the desire of young people to migrate in search of greener pastures in the face of the soaring cost of living and uncertainty about the country’s future. While […]
SL aims to establish FTAs with most Southeast Asian countries, Min Balasuriya
Significant strides in establishing Free Trade Agreements with Bangladesh and the Maldives, together with existing FTAs will pave the way to initiate FTAs with most Southeast Asian countries by next year, enhancing Sri Lanka’s position as an attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investment, State Minister of Regional Cooperation, Hon. Tharaka Balasuriya stated recently. Speaking at […]
Sri Lanka official reserves down to USD 2.36bn in January; Gold reserves down further
Sri Lanka’s official reserve assets were 2.4 billion US dollars (USD 2,361mn) by the end of January, down from 3.1 billion US dollars in December last year, the latest Central Bank data showed. By the end of January, the foreign currency reserves were 2,078 million dollars while the reserve position in the IMF was 67 […]
President instructs officials to implement new mechanism to expedite release of essential commodities
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed the officials to take steps to immediately release the containers containing essential items at the custody of Customs. The President made this decision with the objective of maintaining a steady supply of essential commodities including food in the market without any shortages. The President also appointed a committee headed by Finance […]
Rapid Assessment on Health Care Waste Management handed over to Ministry of Health
In 2019, the National Audit Report on Health Care Waste Management (HCWM) pointed out that health care waste and solid waste management is a major social and environmental challenge in Sri Lanka which needs urgent attention. Working in 170 countries and territories, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is the technical lead of the UN […]