The Parliamentary Group of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has unanimously decided to request Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down from his position, Minister Chandima Weerakkody said.

A special meeting between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is being held at the President’s official residence in Colombo, sources said.

The introduction of the Inland Revenue Act has rationalized the incentive schemes provided to investors, said Minister of Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera.

Leader of the New Left Front, Member of Parliament Vasudeva Nanayakkara says, “If a caretaker government is appointed and action is taken towards holding a General Election, and if Ranil Wickremesinghe comes into the Opposition and tries to obstruct such a caretaker government, I have to mention that we will support such a government.”

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has expressed hope that incumbent Maithripala Sirisena – who was responsible for his ouster in 2015 – will support a no-confidence motion backed by the joint opposition against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The United States’ GSP trade incentive program me for Sri Lanka will become active again on April 22, the US Embassy said yesterday.

The Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanner purchased for the Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama, with public funds collected through a campaign supported by Manusath Derana, was officially vested with the people today (April 1).

According to the Ministry of Finance a new Inland Revenue Act is scheduled to come into effect today (1st April). Following the new Inland Revenue Act, a number of tax amendments will take place with effect from tomorrow (2nd April).

Secretary of the United National Freedom Front and former UNP provincial councillor Maithri Gunaratne, was arrested by the Kadugannawa police with two shotguns, at Pilimathalawa, Police said.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) yesterday said it would, on April 04, vote for the no-confidence motion, moved by the Joint Opposition (JO) against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy met Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran in Jaffna yesterday.

President Maithripala Sirisena emphasized the need of Line Ministries and Local Authorities working together in consensual as well as friendly manner.

The government has invited the power struggle between China and India into the country by handing over national assets to these two countries, former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said.

A programme to distribute 1053 land deeds to the farmers in the Polonnaruwa district, under the national programme to distribute one million deeds, will be held under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at the Royal College in Polonnaruwa, today (30).

The Bank of China has an important role to play in making finances and credit available to Sri Lankan enterprises that operate in the country. Bank of China can bring more and more Chinese investments in to Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

Retired Army Colonel Don Thomas Alfred Wijethunga was arrested yesterday by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the investigation of the floating armoury of Avant Garde Maritime Services Ltd, Police said.