Category: Local News

The Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery will be closed from today (October 07) due to the shortage in foreign exchange for crude oil cargo, announced Sri Lanka’s Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera.

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is deepening with unsustainable debt and a severe balance of payment crisis on top of lingering scars of the COVID-19 pandemic and debt restructuring and the implementation of a deep reform program are critical for Sri Lanka’s economic stabilization, says the World Bank in its twice-a-year update, underscoring the need for Sri Lanka to build resilience.

Sri Lanka’s president said Thursday his government has started debt restructuring discussions with China, an important step toward finalizing an International Monetary Fund rescue of the island nation from a severe economic crisis.

The new resolution on ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ A/HRC/51/5, that was presented at the 51st regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council has been adopted.

The draft resolution, titled, ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ which has been proposed by a group of states comprising Canada, Germany, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the United States and the United Kingdom, has been tabled at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva today (October 06).

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Professor Ranjith Bandara has been elected as the new chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) today (October 06).

Japan has not yet reached an agreement with crisis-hit Sri Lanka to co-chair a summit on negotiations with creditor nations, a government official with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, brushing aside a statement from Colombo on Thursday.

Sri Lanka hopes to reach a common agreement with creditor nations including Japan, China & India, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

Paris Club creditors reached out to China and India to coordinate Sri Lanka’s debt-restructuring talks, according to a person familiar with the matter, in an attempt to bring major global creditors together to rework the obligations of emerging economies.

Three people were shot dead in the area of Gaman Gedara in Minuwangoda at around 7:00 AM today (October 06).

The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, at its meeting held on 05 October 2022, decided to maintain the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank at their current levels of 14.50 percent and 15.50 percent, respectively.

An extraordinary gazette notification has been issued bringing the Department for Registration of Persons, the Department of Immigration & Emigration and the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) under the purview of the Ministry of Public Security.

Sri Lanka has launched the Tourist Fuel Pass, Prepaid Card system yesterday (October 05), allowing foreign tourists coming to Sri Lanka to be able to get fuel according to their needs, outside the QR Code system.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) does not have the expert knowledge or mandate to dictate terms on economic reforms to Sri Lanka, Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry, PC stressed.

The charges applicable on Telecommunication and Pay TV services in Sri Lanka have been revised again effective from today (October 05) with the introduction of the Social Security Contribution Levy (SSCL).

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Kabir Hashim was unanimously appointed as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) this morning (October 05), Communications Department of Parliament said.