Category: Local News

United Nations human rights experts on Saturday urged Sri Lanka, which is under scrutiny for its human rights record during the 26-year Tamil insurgency, to implement judicial reforms to speed up prosecutions.

Sri Lanka’s junior finance minister has asked President Maithripala Sirisene to stop officials flying business class as part of government efforts to reduce the country’s ballooning budget deficit.

“Japanese vehicle imports to the country will be suspended for six months due to the present currency fluctuations, Vehicle Importers’ Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL) president Indika Sampath Merenchige said.

State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene said the government’s decision to withdraw the army from the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security division and deploy only the police would not be changed under any circumstance.

Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal made by Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake to instruct the Legal Draftsman to redraft the Inland Revenue Act in par with international standards and improving clarity and transparency as proposed by the budget 2016.

RAJANGANAYA, Sri Lanka – In mid-April, at the same time of year as their families have done for generations, Sri Lanka’s paddy farmers started cultivating their rice fields.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday informed the House that the Supreme Court had informed him that five sections of the Right to Information Bill were inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution and a two thirds majority of Parliament was needed for the approval of the bill.

Fists flew in Sri Lanka’s parliament on Tuesday, leaving several members injured, the speaker said, as lawmakers supporting former president Mahinda Rajapaksa protested against a move to replace his military security guards with police.

Sri Lanka’s deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have averted a crisis, but the bailout may undermine a key source of strength: the country’s impressive economic growth rate.

Value Added Tax (VAT) increased to 15 percent, was operative from May 2, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

The functions of the Police Media Unit has temporary been suspended by the IGP, the police said.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s military security has been removed from today and replaced by police security, MP Namal Rajapaksa says.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the government would create an independent fund to manage all profits made by state owned enterprises, “we will work towards getting these profits back to the people. We will not privatize any state enterprise”, he said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate action to secure the release of 34 fishermen from the state and 88 fishing boats

“We should take a firm determination to fulfill the aspirations of our people with a firm commitment to make the achieved victories a reality in this May Day…

Unions of the labour must ideally give priority to safeguard the rights of the workers instead of focusing on political agendas, emphasized Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.