Courtesy Outlook

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday said that he is keen to solve all issues, including land and housing, pertaining to the Tamil minority community in the country’s Northern Province by next year when the island nation celebrates its 75th anniversary of Independence.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday said that he is keen to solve all issues, including land and housing, pertaining to the Tamil minority community in the country’s Northern Province by next year when the island nation celebrates its 75th anniversary of Independence.

Speaking in Vavuniya, a Tamil-dominated district in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka where he opened up the president office’s northern co-ordination sub-office, the president said the move would help in expeditiously dealing with the outstanding issues such as lands, housing, and agriculture-relating to the community.

First we must dispel the people’s mistrust. Once we all start working together this mistrust will fade away,” Wickremesinghe said, commenting on the conflict with a protracted history.

Wickremesinghe said that eight committees would be appointed at the provincial level to resolve the land issues, the Colombo Page reported.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ran a military campaign for a separate Tamil homeland in the Northern and Eastern provinces for nearly 30 years before its collapse in 2009 after the Sri Lankan Army killed its supreme leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

According to the Lankan government figures, over 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts including the three-decade brutal war with Lankan Tamils in the north and east which claimed at least 100,000 lives.

International rights groups claim at least 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the final stages of the war, but the Sri Lankan government has disputed the figures.

During Saturday’s visit, Wickremesinghe said that the government must provide solutions to the problems caused by terrorism.

We must provide solutions to the problems caused by terrorism and the problems of the Northern people. Muslims too have questions about their rights in Sri Lankan society. The upcountry people also have various problems. There is a social opinion that all these problems should be solved. So this is the best time to solve all these problems,” he said, adding that the matter needs to be solved strategically.

These issues must be systematically resolved. I intend to discuss these matters with the Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities. I intend to provide solutions to resolve these issues without dividing the country,” Wickremesinghe added.

During the visit, special attention was focused on the housing problem of the people in the Northern Province, and the officials present with Wickremesinghe pointed out that the housing projects initiated to address the issue in the three districts have reached different stages of construction and an additional sum of Rs 3,000 million is required for its completion.

The president pointed out that many housing projects have commenced across the island and he expected to provide quick solutions to the housing problem of the people in the North.

Wickremesinghe said people who suffered due to war will get solace.

Recalling the anti-Tamil riots in 1983, Wickremesinghe said the country had moved on from that as well as from the time the military conflict ended in 2009.

We have come a long way since 1983. We have also come a long way since 2009. It brings to mind a line from the national anthem which states ‘living as children of one mother. My wish is that we can live as children of one mother at least by the 75th Independence Anniversary,” he said.

Sri Lanka’s efforts to solve the Tamil minority issue through negotiations had historically failed due to political opposition from the majority Sinhala community parties.

Wickremesinghe as prime minister of Sri Lanka between 2015 and 2019 tried a brand new Constitution to incorporate Tamil demands for political autonomy but met with resistance.

Recently, Wickremesinghe also announced the appointment of a committee to find ways to integrate Indian-origin workers in the plantation sector into society.

In 2019, the Sri Lankan government released about 90 percent of the military-acquired land belonging to the minority Tamil community held during the brutal civil war with the LTTE.

At the end of the military conflict 13 years ago, some 84,675 acres of Tamil civilian land were under military control and by the end of March 2019, some 71,178 acres of land were released, according to the Sri Lankan government.

(Inputs from PTI)

By Manohari Katugampala Courtesy Ceylon Today

Nothing is impossible for the brave warrior of the nation who was born to a heroic mother. Several heroic sons were born on this island to eradicate this menace from the ‘suppressed communities’ of terrorism. When the time where the country was passing ‘years of blue’, the region of Pooneryn was not prosperous with the fear of terrorism, which was instilled in every corner of the Northern area.

It was 14 November 1993 and the battle of Pooneryn took its fearsome form with its enemy. LTTE code-named ‘Operation Frog Leap’; was the battle between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan Military against this Pooneryn attack. The LTTE undertook a ‘surprise attack’ in the Pooneryn, invading the garrison and capturing military establishments. In the first phase of the operation, the Army and the Navy troops broadened their presence in the Pooneryn area establishing a permanent base in 1991 to counter LTTE movements across the Kilali lagoon from the Jaffna peninsula, which was under its control. At the time, the Army Camp in Pooneryn comprised troops from the 1^st and 3^rd Battalions of Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Gajaba Regiment, and 4^th Armoured Corps. Due to this security circle, military bases in Pooneryn and Elephant Pass effectively obstructed LTTE movements between Wanni and Jaffna.

On 24 September 1993, the Army troops launched Operation Yal Devi and 108 soldiers were killed during the operation. Several weeks later, the LTTE launched Operation Frog Leap to destroy the isolated military base in Pooneryn. This was the time when the LTTE had begun to launch its brutal illicit activities, day by day. On 11 November 1993, the LTTE launched a massive ‘land attack’ by destroying the Nagathevanthurai naval detachment and the army defence lines in Pooneryn. The LTTE were able to capture the Pooneryn Camp letting the Army soldiers face an unexpected assault from the lagoon and all the defence lines thereby came under the control of the LTTE.

Not only this affected the Army troops but also the naval detachment and its installations, including a radar station, which were destroyed within hours by the brutal terrorists. Heavy fire from LTTE anti-aircraft guns prevented ‘air support’ dispatched by the Sri Lanka Air Force. Within another two or three hours, a vast area of the base was invaded. Due to heavy anti-aircraft fire from the LTTE, it was extremely difficult to provide ‘air support’. However, the destiny of the LTTE was not allowed to keep that ‘happiness’ for long. The Navy executed an amphibious landing on 14 November 1993 enclosing fire from fast gunboats with the support of the newly formed Special Boat Squadron.

Heroes never ‘wait as a mule’ before the threat. They are ready to exhibit heroism at any cost, no matter what. The LTTE withdrew by the evening of 14 November 1993 and the army re-established its base in Pooneryn once again. The military had to suffer heavy casualties. 8 Officers and 225 other ranks were killed, 17 officers and 545 soldiers were wounded, and 302 soldiers were ‘missing in action’ and since presumed dead.

Major T.T.R. De Silva of the 1^st Sri Lanka Light Infantry was given a ‘field promotion’ for preventing the complete fall of the garrison. Two officers, Lt. A.W.M.N.M. De Silva of the 1st Sri Lanka Light Infantry and Lt. K. W. T. Nissanka of the 3rd Gajaba were posthumously awarded the Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya, the second highest award for ‘combat bravery’, in 1996, Nissanka’s award was elevated to the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, the ‘highest decoration’ awarded by the Sri Lankan military. Further, Lt. Nissanka, platoon Commander of the 3^rd Battalion, Gajaba Regiment, which held the forward defence line till dawn, sacrificed himself.

At the time the country was hampered by terrorism that was spreading in every corner of the country taking several lives of innocents, many brave warriors had sacrificed their valuable lives for the sake of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Patriotic sons who descended from the generation of heroes, bade farewell to the nation, but their sacrifices shall forever remain in our hearts.

Courtesy Adaderana

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured immediate solutions to land, housing, health, irrigation, and agriculture-related issues in the Northern Province, the President’s Media Division (PMD) says.

The Head of Stated also stated that 08 committees would be appointed at the provincial level to resolve the land issues.

He pointed out that all the land-related issues in the North and South of the country would be resolved accordingly.

President Wickremesinghe made these observations while participating in the District Development Committee meeting held at the Vavuniya District Secretariat this morning (Nov. 19).

The development committee meeting was called covering Vavuniya, Mannar, and Mullaitivu districts in the Northern Province.

The issues related to the lands, housing, health, irrigation, and agriculture in the province and solutions for them were discussed at length during the meeting.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe assured that all measures would be taken to improve the living conditions of the people by providing prompt solutions to the problems arising in various fields in the Northern Province and said that he expected the supportive hands of the parliamentarians of the Northern Province in this endeavor.

Pointing out that there are many unsolved problems in the North, the President further assured that he would resolve those issues by way of discussions with all parties.

Parliamentarian Charles Nirmalanathan drew the attention of the President to the fact that the Tamil people who settled in the Settikulam area in 1994 have still not been provided with land.

The President instructed the Vavuniya District Secretary to intervene to resolve the land issue in Settikulam within 03 months and added that he would inquire about the matter from the Ministry of Justice as well as the Ministry of Lands.

At the meeting, attention was also drawn to the problems arising due to the acquisition of certain farmlands in the Mullaitivu district by the Department of Archaeology.

Giving special attention to the housing problem of the people in the Northern Province, the officials pointed out that the housing projects initiated to address the issue in the three districts have reached different stages of construction and an additional sum of Rs. 3,000 million is required for its completion.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that many housing projects have commenced across the island and he expected to provide quick solutions to the housing problem of the people in the North.

Parliamentarian Selvam Adekkalanathan highlighted the plight and the needs of the people living in the vicinity of Vavuniya Lake and Thirikkulam Lake and drew the attention of the President at the meeting.

The renovation of the tanks in the districts, solving the fertilizer problem, and streamlining the distribution activities also was the focal point at the meeting.

The President instructed the officials to take measures to provide the necessary solutions to the health sector-related problems and the shortage of doctors in the Northern Province paying special attention to them when the issues were raised during the meeting.

Parliamentarian Rishad Bathiudeen explained various irregularities that the fishermen in the Mannar district have to face in the supply of kerosene oil and the President instructed the officials to initiate an urgent inquiry into the matter.

Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda, Urban Development, and Housing State Minister Tenuka Vidanagamage, State Minister for Rural Development Kader Mastan, Northern Province Governor Jeevan Thiagarajah, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake and public officials including district secretaries were present on the occasion.

Courtesy Adaderana

President Ranil Wickremesinghe says the measures to strengthen the economy under a five-year plan are envisaged in the budget proposal for 2023 which has the potential to bring about a transformative economic change within the period between 2023 and 2027.

He made this observation during the District Development Progress Review Meeting held at the Vavuniya Town Hall today (Nov. 19).

The statement made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe is as follows:

It is clear to us that the government’s program for food security has been implemented in Vavuniya, Mannar, and Mullaitivu Districts. Four officers from each Divisional Secretariat have been appointed for the implementation of the food security program.

The liquid milk industry would be developed in the Northern Province under Indian aid. Particularly, you were called on this occasion to raise awareness of the food shortage in the country and to discuss the implementation of the food security program. We hope to address the imminent food shortage issue in the country. It is planned to continue this program until the end of 2023. We will consider later if this program is required to continue. A global food shortage may be imminent, and this food security program is important to protect Sri Lanka in the face of this imminent danger. Africa is already suffering from food shortages.

The country’s Maha season cultivation is successful and if other crops also achieved similar success, we can face the food shortage easily. Apart from that, we have to control malnutrition and protect the yield. We should take measures to minimize wastage during harvesting. We would strengthen the food storage process and supply them to customers. Vavuniya and Mannar Districts have a big responsibility in securing the available surplus food.

Several issues related to education and health in these districts were revealed during the discussions and we hope to provide solutions to address them soon. We have planned to work with the International Monetary Fund IMF) which would enable us to create considerable growth in the economy. We have to make massive changes in the export economy and move towards to a larger foreign exchange-earning economy.

I have presented proposals in the 2023 budget to achieve this end in which the North too have to play a pivotal role. One should remember not only Jaffna but Vanni too has a significant role in it.

We need to pay attention to a new energy economy of which the main region would be the Northern Province. We can earn a lot of foreign exchange through this project. There is an opportunity to earn foreign exchange by exporting food to the Middle East and Singapore. We would open opportunities for growing new crops including cinnamon.
Vanni has a great responsibility in animal husbandry which has a significant place in the five-year plan from 2023 to 2027.

We are studying the possibilities of transforming the Vavuniya Airport into an international airport and I require the support of the people of the North to realize it.”

The President also inquired from the Divisional Secretaries regarding the progress of the food security program in the Vavuniya District.

Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda, Urban Development and Housing State Minister Tenuka Vidanagamage, Rural Development State Minister Kader Masthan, Parliamentarians Selvam Adaikalanathan, Rishad Bathiudeen, Charles Nirmalanathan, Kulasingham Thileeban, Northern Province Governor Jeevan Jeevan Thiagarajah, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, District secretaries to Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Mannar districts and other government officials were present at the occasion.

Courtesy Adaderana

A new consignment of 1,000 metric tonnes (100,000 packs) of rice donated by China reached Colombo Port this morning (Nov. 19).

This rice consignment will be distributed to island-wide schools, the Chinese Embassy in Colombo said in a tweet.

According to the embassy, China has so far donated 7,000 metric tonnes of rice (700,000 packs) in total to Sri Lanka since June.

Courtesy Adaderana

The CESS tax proposed in the 2023 Budget is not applicable to stationery items and equipment used by schoolchildren, Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says.

He mentioned this while delivering a special statement in the parliament this morning (Nov. 19). He addressed the concerns raised about the increase in the prices of stationery items following the CESS tax revision.

The state minister stressed that the prices of imported textbooks, notebooks, pencils, erasers and paper materials used to produce notebooks have not been revised due to the CESS tax revision which was made effective from November 15, 2022.

Accordingly, the prices of these items – locally-produced or imported – have not been subjected to any changes due to the amendments made to the CESS tax, he explained.

The state minister further stated that the CESS tax is imposed based on the import value, when substitutes for the imported items are produced locally.

Thereby, the CESS tax on imported ballpoint pens, shoes and bags was amended to reflect the USD exchange rate. As a result, the prices of these imported items are likely to see an increase, however, the prices of locally-produced stationery items have not been raised, Siyambalapitiya noted. 

Dr Sudath Gunasekara. Mahanuwara

A nine-member experts’ committee was appointed to draft a new constitution, on the 3^rd of Sept 2020. according to a Cabinet spokesman.

President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva

President’s Counsel Manohara de Silva (the only Constitutional Lawyer in the Committee)

President’s Counsel Gamini Marapana

President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena

President’s Counsel Samantha Ratwatte

Prof. Nadeema Kamurdeen

Prof. G. H. Peiris (only scholar on political and legal history, geopolitics, the culture of the country and the implications of a constitution from an impartial realistic view) 

Prof. Wasantha Seneviratne

Dr. Sarveshwara

It is reported that the Interim Report of the above Committee of experts was handed over recently to the President. The term of reference was to hand over the final report by end of 2021.  It also had been revealed that this Report has cost a staggering cost of Rs 158 million for the taxpayers of this country over two years and 5 months. This Committee was appointed by former President Gotabhaya in September 2020 and he expected the interim report by end of March 2021 and the final report which means the Draft New Constitution by the end of the year. As usual with Gotabaya’s all projects it also never saw the light of day.

Meanwhile, it is now reported that this Report had been handed over to the President 1 year after the due date. Just as what happened to Gotabhaya, it appears the Expert Report will also pass into oblivion having wasted RS 158 million. It was also reported that steps are been taken by the Present government to ignore it and put it into the dustbin of history. Meanwhile, President has declared that steps are been taken to address topics like ethnic reconciliation and the problems of the hill country Tamils, etc as national priories without a word on the recommendations of the Committee Report prepared by experts” on Constitution-making’ as Gotabhaya saw them, at such exorbitant cost. This lackadaisical attitude of the government evinces the fate of the 158 million wasted on this Commission.

Reliable sources have revealed that this report has recommended abolishing the Provincial Councils that have wasted billions of rupees and also have completely, disrupted, disorganized, and destroyed the time-tested district administration in this country headed by Government Agents, once acclaimed as one of the most efficient systems of administration in the whole British Empire. Since the abolition of the Provincial Councils Isn’t on the agenda, the present government also appears to soft-peddle with the 13th A and the Provincial Council to allow Tamils to live in hope of winning their aspirations including realizing their second dream Homeland on this land of the Sinhalese and also to keep India at bay. All in all, it is very unlikely the present government will take up the experts’ report seriously.

The acceptance of the recommendation to abolish the PCC by the committee is also reported to be the result of a long battle waged by Professor Gerald Peiris against all minority members of the Committee who have vehemently opposed his recommendations.  It is reliably known that only two members of the Committee, Manohara De Silva (the only Constitutional lawyer in the Committee) and Samatha Ratwatte have supported the stand taken by Professor Peiris.  Since I myself have not seen the full Report, I am unable to comment on its other recommendations. Prof Peiris is also said to have recommended setting up two new Provinces called North East and South East to make the democratic process more meaningful. This I think is a very good proposition to avert the separate State concept of the separatist Tamil politicians and the EElamists.

 Against this backdrop, I am afraid that this Expert Committee Report will be shelved and forgotten and dumped into the dustbin of history, enabling it to be consumed by silver ants, the logical fate of almost all Presidential Commissions Reports in this country.

This reminds me of a famous saying by a cynic Appointing a Commission or Committee is like going to the loo in the morning. First, there is a sitting, then there is, deliberations followed by reporting and finally the matter is dropped”. This, in short, is really what has happened to almost all presidential Commission Reports in the past.

Therefore, I would like to make a public call for all MPPs in Parliament and the general public at large to demand the Government to table this document in Parliament without further delay. Firstly, for the people of this country to know that this expert legal document they have produced is spending Rs 158 million of their hard-earned money taking such a long time – a period of 2 years and 4 months and secondly, to prevent hurriedly manipulated constitutional coups by self-seeking politicians for personal gain and thirdly, to find out whether there is any meaningful recommendation made therein that could be incorporated in the New Constitution that will be promulgated by a new government that is going to get elected on a future day with a mandate from the people to make such a Constitution in future.

Even though overall the committee was ill-constituted as I have said from the beginning, I understand that emeritus Professor like Gerald Peiris has made a valuable and meaningful recommendation to set up new Provinces namely, The North Eastern Province and the South Eastern Province. This is a novel idea presented since 1897 worth considering seriously as it offers a better political meaning in the context of the demographic and ethnic constitution of this area to make governance more democratic.

In Professor Peiris’s own words I suggest the bifurcation of the present Eastern Province so as to establish a ‘North-Eastern Province’ and a new ‘South-Eastern Province’, achieving thereby a measure of rationality from geographical, demographic and socioeconomic criteria in the demarcation of the units of development administration in the eastern lowlands of the island.” This to me is a very rational political proposal to counter the current claim for a separate State. And also, do away with alleged discrimination against certain people living in these areas.

Therefore, I call upon the government to table this report in Parliament without further delay.

Democracy At Work

In this week’s show, Prof. Wolff talks about a new Congress report on huge US wealth inequality; Angela Merkel on relying on Russian oil and gas, the irrationality of 20,000 immigrants dumped on NYC, and Harvard exploiting its tax-exempt status. In the second half of the show, Wolff interviews Dr. Nomi Prins, former Goldman Sachs director, on the distorted US financial system and its social effects.

By Dr Tilak S Fernando

Rishi Sunak became the first Asian Prime Minister in the UK on 7th November 2022, creating a world record in the history of politics. Liz Truss decided to give up the premiership due to the extreme pressure of the UK’s economic crisis, and she entered the history books as the shortest Prime Minister in the UK. Rishi Sunak was the Chancellor of the Exchequer before contesting for the Premier’s post. More surprising is how approximately over two hundred members of his party supported him to be the Prime Minister. Th Conservative party respects traditional values and shows the diversity and talent of the party.

Rishi Sunak was born in the UK, Southampton, to an Indian family. His father was a pharmacist, and his mother was a General Practitioner attached to the National Health Service (NHS). Rishi Sunak is the youngest Prime Minister in modern history. He entered parliament from the Richmond parliamentary seat. It was William Pitt the youngest premier in the UK age of 24 years old.

Indian Resentment.

Some Indians (Hindus) were critical about the new Prime Minister of UK ” eating beef.  The picture attached shows how Rishi Sunak participating in a Hindu ritual involved with a cow before becoming the UK’s Prime Minister. There is a powerful lobby in India stating, “should we celebrate his Indian origin or be incensed for giving up his Indian passport? “

Dr Manmohan Singh registered a note in his fan club stating: “I do not know why Indians are so excited about this beef-eating Prime Minister! His father was born in Kanya, and his mother in Tanzania. His paternal grandfather was born in Gujranwala (Pakistan), and his maternal grandfather was in Tanzania. He does not hold an Indian passport but still  calls himself  Indian.” He further says: “Should we celebrate his Indian origin or be angry with him for giving up an Indian passport! But now Rishi Sunak works for His Majesty, who oppressed our country for 195 years and stole our riches.”

But the fantastic factor is that most Britishers welcome an Asian (Indian) as their Prime Minister after 400 years! Most of the Tory (Conservative) Party voted for him as the most suitable candidate to be the Prime Minister. The attached picture shows how he is very much a Hindu by religion in participating in an Indian sacred ceremony where the cow is regarded (Hinduism) as holy (before he became the Prime Minister.

Family Background

Sunaks are a Punjabi Khatri family from Gujranwala. Khatri is a caste employed in commercial professions such as artisanal occupations and agriculture. They are found predominantly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to A.R. Desai, Khartis, were traditionally tradesmen and government officials. “Ramdas Sunak worked for His Majesty, who oppressed our country for 195 years and stole our riches.” But the fantastic factor is that most Britishers welcome an Asian (Indian) as their Prime Minister after 400 years! The attached picture shows how Rishi Sunak  is very much a Hindu by participating in an Indian sacred ceremony where the cow is regarded (Hinduism) as holy (before he became the Prime Minister.) Most of the Tory (Conservative) Party voted for him as the suitable candidate to be the Prime Minister.

Family Background

Sunaks are a Punjabi Khatri family from Gujranwala in India. ‘Khatri’ is a caste employed in commercial professions such as artisanal occupations and agriculture. They are found predominantly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to A.R. Desai (Rishi Sunak’s parents) had three sons and three daughters

Ramanlal states that Ramdas Sunak (Sunak Rishi’s paternal grandfather) left Gujranwala to work to be employed as a clerk in Nairobi in 1935. Gujranwala is the birthplace of the founder of the Sikh Empire, Maharajah Ranjith Singh. Akshay Ramanlal Desai’s move to Nairobi was linked to the deteriorating Hindu-Muslim relations. 

Parents

Rishi’s father, Yashveer Sunak, was born in 1949 in Nairobi. Yashveer  (his father) arrived in Liverpool in 1966 and went to study Medicine at the University of Liverpool. He now lives in Southampton.

Sunak Rishi’s maternal grandparents also hail from Panjab. His maternal grandfather, Raghubir Berry, also moved to Tanganyika as a Railway engineer. He married Tanganyikan-born Srakhsa. Their daughter, Srakasha, came to the UK in 1966 with a one-way ticket after selling her wedding jewellery. The Sunak’s brother, Berry, also arrived in the  the UK and worked for many years at the Inland Revenue Department. He became a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 1988. The couple had three daughters, One of whom is Rishie’s mother, Usha. Rishi Sunak’s mother received a degree in Pharmacology from Aston University in 1972. Rishi’s parents ( Usha and Yashveer) met in the UK and married in Leicester in 1977. Rishi was born in1980 in Southampton and attended Winchester College to study study philosophy, politics and economics and also at Lincoln College at Oxford. He earned a MBA from Stanford University as a Fulbright Scholar. 

Comments on Rishi Sunak.

According to Nuwan Jude Liyanage: We are a nation that objected to the appointment of Lakshman Kadiragamar to the post of Prime Minister and are praising to galore for the selection of an Asian, Rishi Sunak, as the Prime Minister in the UK! “We will never espouse a gentleman akin to Lakshman Kadiragamar. Will Sri Lanka be able to find a politician like Lakshman Kadiragamar? Not as a Prime Minister but as a human being….? It is the greatest folly Sri Lanka did to ignore this noble man.

The writer accounts for the family history of the first Asian Prime Minister of the UK, appears anonymous on the internet. Instead, he says: “Be careful before you call Rishi Sunak as Indian because he is one hundred per cent coconut. He emphasises that ‘ coconut is black and as long as any Asian who conforms to European culture at the expense of his ancestral culture, is coconut, who is dark on the outside and white on the Inside.”

tilakfernando@gmail.com

තිස්ස ගුණතිලක 

භාහිරය (ලෝකය) සම්මතයට අයත්ය. එයට ගහකොල සතාසිව්පාවා මෙන්ම විශ්වය හා ස්වාභාවදහමද අයත්වේ. සුලඟ, ආලෝකය, උනුසුම, පීඩනය ආදි ස්වාභාවික සංසිද්ධීන් සියල්ලම සම්මතයේ ඇති භාහිර ලෝකයට අයත්ය. භාහිරය අසත්‍යයක් බොරැවක්බව සමහර දේශකයන් පවසනවිට මේ ස්වාභාව දහමේ සංසිද්ධීන් සියල්ලම අසත්‍යබව ඉන් කියවේ. මෙය සිදුවිය නොහැක්කකි.

රහතන්වහන්සේ පිරිනිවන් මඤ්චකයට එළැබෙන තෙක්ම ස්වාභාවදහමේ ක්‍රියාවලියට ලක්වන සම්මත ලෝකයේ වැඩවසයි. සම්මතය අසත්‍යයක්, බොරැවක්වන විට රහතන් වහන්සේට වැඩසිටීමට භූමියක් සොයාගත නොහැකිවනවා ඇත. තතාගතයන් වහන්සේ තමන්වහන්සේ හමුවට පැමිනි රාහුලයන් ඇතුළු සියළු දෙනාම හදුනාගෙන ඒ ඒ අයට ගැලපෙන සේ ධර්මය දේසනා කලබව කියැවේ.  තතාගතයන් වහන්සේද සම්මත භාහිර ලෝකය පරිහරනය කල බව මෙයින් ගම්‍ය වෙයි. එසේ පරිහරනයට භාහිර ලෝකයක් තිබිය යුතුය.

රෑප හැඩතල වලින් පමනක් සමන්විත, ‘ආස්වාදයක්’ නැති, දෙයක්/යමක් සේ නොදැනෙන, ආත්මීය නොවන, නාමයක් නැති, අපෙන් ස්වායත්ත භාහිර ලෝකයක් පවතී. ඒගැන සැක සංකාවක් ඇතිකරගත යුතු නැත.

භාහිරය ආස්වාදයක්, දෙයක්/යමක් සේ දැනෙන ‘ආත්මීය’ ස්වාභාවයක් වන්නේ එය සම්මුතියෙන් පනවාගත් (ප්‍ර‍ඥප්ති) නාමය එනම් අරෑපය (අරෑප ලෝකය) හා ගැටගැසුන විටයි. මෙය විඤ්ඤාණ පච්චයා නාම රෑප වන අවස්ථාවේ අරමුණ තුල සිදුවේ. රෑපය අරෑපය (නාම) හා එක්ව සාදන චිත්ත රෑපය (නාමරෑපය) සලායතනවල ස්පර්ශට (දැනීමට හා විදීමට) ලක්වී බැසගන්නා ස්වාභාවය නිසා (උපාදාන) දෙයක්/යමක් සේ දැනී (භව) එය දකින/දැනෙන ‘මමෙක්’ සිටිනා (ජාති) ආත්මීය ස්වාභාවය ඇතිකරයි. මෙම ක්‍රියාවලිය අරමුණ තුල මායාවක් සේ දැනෙන ‘සක්කාය දෘෂ්ඨි’ යයි. 

භාහිර ලෝකය තවදුරටත් විග්‍රහ කරන්නේනම් එය අවස්ථා දෙකක පවති: ආපෝ, තේජෝ, වායු, පඨවි (මහා භූත) අවස්ථාව (quantum state) හා මහා භූත ඝණීභවනය වී පංචේන්ද්‍රියන් හා මනේන්ද්‍රියට ගෝචර (ප්‍රසාදවීමට සුදුසු) අවස්ථාවත් (physical state) වශයෙනි. මෙම අවස්ථා දෙකම සම්මතයේ පවතී. මහා භූත අවස්ථාව ප්‍රසාද නොවන අතර එය භාහිරයේ ප්‍රාථමික ස්වාභාවයයි.

බුද්ධ දර්ශනයේ මූලික සිද්ධාන්තය නාම රෑප පරිච්ඡේදයයි. චතුරාර්ය සත්‍ය දැන දැක අවබොධ කරගැනීමෙන් (තිපරිවට්ටය) සිදුවන්නේ නාම හා රෑප වෙන්වෙන්ව දැකීමයි එනම් ස්ඛන්ධයේ සමුදය හා අත්ථගමය (උදය-වය) දැකීමයි. භාහිර ලෝකය අසත්‍යයක් බොරැවක් වන තැන රෑප හටගන්නේ කෙසේද? ප්‍රසාද වන්නේ කිනම් රෑපයක ප්‍රතිබිම්භයක්ද?

අසත්‍යයක් වන්නේ භාහිර ලෝකය නොව ‘ආත්මීය’ භාහිර ලෝකයයි. දේශකයන් පැහැදිලිවම පෙන්වාදියයුතු වන්නේ ‘ආත්මීය’ භාහිර ලෝකයක් නොපවතින බවයි.

මෙය ඔබගේ තර්කයටයි, විමසුමටයි.

මේ ලිපිය පසුගිය නොවැම්බර් මස 03 වනදා සහ 16 වනදා 2022 lankaweb අන්තර්ජාලයේ පලවූ ‘බුදුදහමේ හමුවන භාහිර ලෝකය හා තුන් ලෝකය’ සහ ‘Q & A – බුදුදහමේ හමුවන භාහිර ලෝකය’ හා සම්බන්ධයි.

සුභ පැතුම් 

තිස්ස ගුණතිලක 

2022 නොවැම්බර් මස 18 වනදා

 අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

හදිසි නීති රීති පනවා වගා කිරීම සඳහා ආණ්ඩුව ජනතාවට බලපෑම් නෙකරන බවත් අර්බුදයෙන් ගොඩඒම සඳහා සියලු දෙනා  සාමූහිකව වගා කිරීමට එකතුවන ලෙස ඉල්ලන බවත් අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන මහතා පවසයි.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා හදබිම අධිකාරිය විසින් සංවිධානය කළ ආහාර සුරක්ෂිතතාවය පෝෂණය හා තිරසාර කෘෂිකර්මාන්තය සඳහා ජනතා සවිබල ගැන්වීමේ වැඩසටහන 2022.11.18 දින කොට්ටාව මාකුඹුර ප්‍රදේශයේදී පැවති  අවස්ථාවේදී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා මේ බව සඳහන් කළේය. ආර්ථිකයට බරපැනක් තිරසර ගෙවත්තක් යන මැයෙන් සංවිධානය කොට තිබූ මෙම වැඩසටහන යටතේ තිරසාර ගෙවතු වගාව ප්‍රවර්ධනය කිරීම සඳහා කෘෂි භාණ්ඩ බෙදාදීමක් සංවිධානය කොට තිබිණී.

එහිදී වැඩිදුරටත් අදහස් දැක් වූ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය වරයා –

එකම මහ පොළොවක අපි මෙම ගෙවතු වගා වැඩසටහන එලෙස සංවිධානය කොට ඉදිරියට ගෙන යාමට සියලු දෙනා කටයුතු කළ යුතුයි. ඒ වෙනුවෙන් මහජන නියෝජිතයින්ට සහ රජයේ නිලධාරීන්ට අවශ්‍ය වැඩසටහනක් රජය ඉදිරිපත් කරලා තියෙනවා. ඒ වෙනුවෙන් රජයේ නිලධාරීන් පස් දෙනෙක් යොදා තිබෙනවා.

අපේ රටත්, ලෝකයත් ආහාර අර්බුදයකට මුහුණ දෙනවා. මේ අර්බුදයෙන් ගොඩ එන්න නම් මේ මහ කන්නය අපි සාර්ථකම කන්නයක් කරගත යුතුයි. දරුවන් වෙනුවෙන් මේ අඩිය ඉදිරියට ඉදිරිය තියන්න සහයෝගයෙන් එකමුතුවෙන් වැඩ කරන්න ඕනේ.මේ මහපොළොවේ මොනවා වැව්වත් දවස් 60කදී 70දී ඵලදාව තියෙනවා.

ආදායමක් උපයා ගන්නට පුළුවන් සැලසුම් තමයි මේ ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන්නේ.  මෙය සරල වැඩපිළිවෙළක් මිස මහා පරිමාණ සමාගම් වැඩපිළිවෙළක් නොවේ. හැම තානාපතිවරයෙක්ම ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ගැන විශ්වාසයෙන් කතා කරනවා. ශ්‍රී ලංකාව කොවිඩ් වසංගතයෙන් ආදර්ශමත් ලෙස ගොඩ ආ රටක්. මේ පවතින අර්බුදය ජය ගැනීමට රට පුරාම විවිධ වැඩසටහන් ක්‍රියාත්මක කරනවා. ඊට රටවැසියා දක්වන උනන්දුව තානාපතිවරුන් පැසසුමට ලක් කරනවා. අපේ රටේ ආර්ථික පුනර්ජීවනයේ වැඩකොටසක් ලෙස ආහාර සුරක්ෂිතතාවය හඳුන්වන්න පුළුවන්. මේ ගැටලුව විසඳා ගැනීමට අපේ පළාතට  හදබිම අධිකාරියෙන් උදව් කිරීම ගැන මම ස්තුතිවන්ත වෙනවා.

ජනතාව කතිරේ ගහලා පාර්ලිමේන්තු යවපු මන්ත්‍රී කෙනෙක් හැටියට, මම මොන තනතුරු දැරුවත්,  ජනතාව සමග සිටිමින් බැඳියාව හා යුතුකම ඉටුකරනවා. තරුණයන් සහ තරුණියන් යම් යම් අලුත් ක්ෂේත්‍ර සඳහා පිවිසෙමින් සිටිනවා. ආහාර නිෂ්පාදන වැඩසටහන් වලට උනන්දුව දක්වන සැමට එම වැඩපිළිවෙළ සාර්ථක කර ගැනීමට අවශ්‍ය සියලු සහයෝගයන් රජය ලබා දෙනවා. තරුණ තරුණියන්ට මම ආයාචනා කරනවා. ඔබ වෙනුවෙන් රජය හැකි සෑම පියවරක්ම ගන්නවා. මේක නිකං සල්ලි බෙදන ව්‍යාපෘතියක් නෙවේ. සල්ලි බෙදන ව්‍යාපෘති ඕනතරම් ක්‍රියාත්මක කෙරුනා. ආයෙමත් හැරිලා බලනකොට හිතෙනවා ඒවා හැම එකක්ම සාර්ථක වුණාද කියලා.

ගමේ පාසලේ ඔබේ අපේ දරුවෝ අහරින් ස්වයංපෝෂිත කළ යුතුයි. ගමේ නිෂ්පාදනය කරන දෙයින් පාසලේ එක ආහාර වේලක් ලබා දෙන්න පුළුවන් වෙන්න සියලු දෙනා සාමූහිකව එකතුවිය යුතුයි. ඒ කාලේ සුදු ආණ්ඩුව නියෝග කළේ හැම වත්තකම ගොවිපලක් තිබිය යුතු කියලයි.ඒ වගේම සත්ව ආහාර, කිරි නිෂ්පාදනය සඳහා ඔවුන් නීති ගෙනාවා. එම නීති තවම අවලංගු වෙලා නැහැ. ක්‍රියාත්මක නොකරන පරණ නීති රීති හුඟක් තියෙනවා කියලා ජනාධිපතිතුමා අයවැය ලේඛනයෙන් කිව්වා. ඒ නිසා අපි නීති සංශෝධනය කිරීම අත්‍යවශ්‍ය කාරණයක්. ඒත් හදිසි නීති රීති  පනවලා වගා කරන්න කියලා අපේ ආණ්ඩුව කියන්නේ නැහැ. සාමූහිකව සියලු දෙනා  මේ මහ කන්නය වගා කරන්න එකතු වෙන්න කියලා මම ඉල්ලනවා.

අපි රුපියල් බිලියන ගානක් ඉදිකිරීම් සඳහා වැය කරන රටක්. ඒ ඉදිකිරීම්වලින් හරි ප්‍රයෝජනයක් ගන්නවද කියලා නැවත සලකා බැලිය යුතුයි. අද  මේ අර්බුදයත් එක්ක ඉදිකිරීම් සියල්ල නවත්වන්න සිදුවෙලා තියෙනවා. පොදු ප්‍රවාහනය දියුණු කිරීම යටතේ කැළණිවැලි දුම්රිය මාර්ගය උපරිම ප්‍රයෝජනයට ගතහැකි ආකාරයෙන් දියුණු කිරීමට අපි බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනවා. ඒ තුළින් අපට ඉන්ධන ඉතුරු කරගන්න පුළුවන්. ජනතාවට වෙලාව ඉතුරු වෙනවා. මේ අපිට හැමදේම ඉතුරු කරන්න පුළුවන් කාල පරිච්ඡේදයක්. හැමදේම ඉතුරු කළ යුතුයි. ඉතුරු කළ යුතුමයි.   

ශ්‍රී ලංකා හදබිම  අධිකාරියේ සභාපති සරත් විතාන, කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික් ලේකම් ප්‍රදීප් යසරත්න, ජාතික භාෂා පුහුණු ආයතනයේ සභාපති ජයම්පති බණ්ඩාර, මහරගම ප්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් දිල්රුක්ෂි වල්පොල යන අය මෙම අවස්ථාවට සහභාගි වූහ.

 අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

ලාභ ලබන රාජ්‍ය ආයතන විකිණීමට යෝජනා කරන,මෙවර අය – වැයට” විරුද්ධව ඡන්දය ප්‍රකාශ කිරීමට උත්තර ලංකා සභාගය නියෝජනය කරන පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් තීරණය කර ඇතැයි එම සභාගයේ සභාපති, හිටපු අමාත්‍ය විමල් වීරවංශ මහතා පවසයි.

ඒ මහතා මෙසේ පැවසුවේ බොරැල්ලේ පිහිටි ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ කොමිනියුස්ට් පක්ෂ ප්‍රධාන කාර්යාලයේදී පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකදීය.

එහිදී වැඩිදුරටත් අදහස් දැක් වූ විමල් වීරවංශ හිටපු අමාත්‍යවරයා මෙසේද සඳහන් කළේය.

‘පැරණි මාවතේ පැරණි ආකාරයටම’

අප කාගේත් ජීවිතවලට ඉතාමත් සෘණාත්මක ලෙස බලපා ඇති මේ ආර්ථික අර්බුදය ඇති වීමට ප්‍රධාන හේතුවක් තමයි ඉවක්බවක් නැතිව ණය අරගෙන, ඵලදායී නොවන ආකාරයට වියදම් කිරීම. එය එකම හේතුව නොවුණත් ප්‍රධානතම හේතුවක්. මීට අමතර හේතු ලෙස රාජ්‍ය කළමනාකරණයේ තිබුණු වැරදි, නායකත්වය තුළ තිබුණු වැරදි මෙන්ම ආර්ථික මොඩලය තුළ තිබුණු වැරදි අපට පෙන්වා දිය හැකියි. ‘ණයට අරගෙන – සැපට කකා’ ආපු ඒ නාස්තිකාරී ගමන දැන් දරුණු ලෙස ප්‍රශ්න කෙරී තිබෙනවා. එසේ තිබියදීත් ඒ පැරණි මාවතේ පැරණි ආකාරයටම යළි ඉදිරියට යෑමට සූදානම් වෙනවා නම් ඒක ඉතාම භයානක ඛේදවාචකයක්.

‘අර්බුදයට සරිලන නායකත්වයක් නොමැතිකම’

මෙවැනි අවස්ථාවක ඉදිරිපත් කරන අයවැයෙන් ඕනෑම රටවැසියකු බලාපොරොත්තු වෙනවා, ‘ණය බර තවදුරටත් වැඩි නොකරාවි’ කියා. ‘ණය ගෙවාගත නොහැක’ කියා මහ බැංකුව මගින් ණය හිමියන්ට නිල වශයෙන් දන්වා ඇති රටක, ණය ප්‍රතිව්‍යුහගත කිරීමට ඉල්ලා සිටින රටක අයවැය යෝජනා එන්නෙ තවදුරටත් ණය ගැනීමටයි. රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ජනාධිපතිවරයා මුදල් අමාත්‍යවරයා ලෙස ඉදිරිපත් කළ අයවැයෙන් විදේශීය ණය රුපියල් බිලියන 560ක් සහ දේශීය ණය රුපියල් බිලියන 1844 ක් ලෙස සම්පූර්ණ ණය රුපියල් බිලියන 2404ක් ලබා ගැනීමට යෝජනා කර තිබෙනවා. මේ විදිහට තවත් රුපියල් බිලියන 2404කින් රටේ ණය බර වැඩි වුණාම, ලබන වසරේ ණය ගෙවීම සඳහා යම් හැකියාවක් ලැබුණත් එය අහිමි වෙනවා. මෙමගින් ඉතාම පැහැදිලියි අද මේ රටට ලැබෙන්නේ අර්බුදය පියමං කිරීමට සරිලන ප්‍රශස්ත නායකත්වයක් නොවෙයි, කියා. තවදුරටත් බලන්නේ මෙතෙක් ආපු පැරණි වැරදි සහගත මාවතේම ඉදිරියට යන්න.

‘ලාභ ලබන රාජ්‍ය ආයතන විකුණා දැමීම’

එක පැත්තකින් මේ අයවැයෙන් රුපියල් බිලියන 2404ක් අලුතින් ණය විදිහට ගන්න යෝජනා කරනවා. ඒ වගේම අනෙක් පැත්තෙන් මේ රටේ ලාභ ලබන රාජ්‍ය ආයතන විකුණාගෙන කන්න යෝජනා ගෙනල්ලා තිබෙනවා. ජනාධිපතිවරයා අයවැය කතාවේදී සඳහන් කළ ශ්‍රී ලංකන් ගුවන් සේවය හැර, අන් සියලු ආයතන ලාභ ලබන ආයතන. දිගින් දිගටම පාඩු ලබන, ඒ පාඩුවේ බර මහජනයා වෙත පැටවෙන ආයතන පිළිබඳව පමණයි කවර හෝ පිරිසකගේ ‘කොළ එළි’ දැල්වී තිබුණේ ‘ඒවා විකුණා දැම්මාට කමක් නැහැ’ කියා. කිසිදු රටවැසියෙක් අපේක්ෂා කරන්නේ නැහැ, ලාභ ලබන රාජ්‍ය ආයතන විකුණා දැමීම. පාඩු ලබන රාජ්‍ය ආයතන ගැන කතා කරමින් ඇවිල්ලා, දැන් කරන්න හදන්නේ ලාභ ලබන රාජ්‍ය ආයතන ටික විකුණා දමන්නයි. යම් රාජ්‍ය ආයතනයක් පාඩු ලබනවා නම් එය විකිණීම පිළියමක් නොවේ. ලාභ නොලැබීමට හේතු සෙවිය යුතුයි. නමුත් ‘පාඩු ලබනවා’ කීම උප්පරවැට්ටියක් ලෙස යොදාගන්තා. ඇතැම් ආයතන පාඩු ලබන තත්ත්වයට පත්කර ‘පාඩු ලබනවා’ කියා විකුණා දැම්මා. එක ආකාරයකට ‘පාඩු ලබනවා’ කියා විකුණා දැමීම, කන්න ඕනේ වුණාම කබරගොයා තලගොයා කර ගැනීමක්.

‘දෙපැත්ත කැපෙන ආයුධය’

රාජ්‍ය කළමනාකරණය යටතේ ලාභ ලබන රාජ්‍ය ආයතන පෞද්ගලික අංශයට දෙනවා කියන්නේ ඒවායින් අපේක්ෂා කරන මහජන සේවාවන් සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම නැති වෙනවා, කියන එක. උදාහරණයක් ලෙස පසුගිය කාලයේ අපි දන්නවා මාර්ගගත ක්‍රමය යටතේ පාසල් ගුරුවරුන් හා පෞද්ගලික පංතිවල ගුරුවරුන් උගන්වන විට ඒවා සමග සම්බන්ධ වීමට අවශ්‍ය දුරකථන සංඥා ලැබෙන ආකාරයට ඇතැම් දරුවන් ගස් උඩ නැංගා. බොහෝ රටවල එවැනි සම්බන්ධතා ලබා දෙන්නේ රජයෙන්. ඒ නිසා ගෙවල් 10ක් තිබෙන ගමටත් එම පහසුකම ලැබෙනවා. නමුත් පෞද්ගලික අංශය ගෙවල් වැඩිපුර රාශිභූත වෙලා තිබෙන ප්‍රදේශවලට විතරයි මෙවැනි සේවා පහසුකම් ලබාදීමට උනන්දු වෙන්නේ. තවත් නිදසුනක් ගත්තොත් විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලය ප්‍රධාන මාර්ගයේ සිට කිලෝමීටර් 03ක් පමණ ගිහිල්ලා ගෙවල් දෙක තුනක් තිබෙන තැන්වලටත් විදුලි සැපයුම ලබා දී තිබෙනවා. පෞද්ගලික අංශයට විදුලිය සැපයීම ලබා දුන්නොත් ඔවුන් එම පිරිවැය දරන්නේ නැහැ. දුෂ්කර ගම්මානවලට එහෙමනම් විදුලිය ලැබෙන්නේ නැහැ. මේ ආකාරයට ‘දෙපැත්ත කැපෙන ආයුධයක්’ පාවිච්චි කරලා මෙතෙක් විකුණා ගැනීමට බැරි වුණු ලාභ ලබන රාජ්‍ය ආයතන ටික අර්බුදය අස්සේ විකුණා දමමින් යළි රාජ්‍ය ආයතන විකුණන් කෑමේ ජාවාරම ඇරඹීමටයි රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහත්තයා එයාගේ පොහොට්ටු බලඇණිය සමඟ සූදානම් වන්නේ.

‘අපි අය – වැයට විරුද්ධයි’

මේ තත්ත්වය සැලකිල්ලට ගෙන අපි මේ අය-වැයට කිසිසේත්ම පක්ෂ වෙන්නේ නැහැ. උත්තර ලංකා සභාගය හැටියට ගොනු වෙලා ඉන්න අපේ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් සියලුදෙනා අයවැයට විරුද්ධව කරුණු දක්වලා, ඊට විරුද්ධව ඡන්දය දීමට තීරණය කරලා තිබෙනවා.

අලුතෙන් දුප්පතුන් ලක්ෂ 29ක්!

ලෝක ආහාර සංවිධානය පවසනවා, ‘ශ්‍රී ලංකාව තුළ උද්ගත වී ඇති ආර්ථික අර්බුදය හේතුවෙන් අලුතෙන් දුප්පතුන් ලක්ෂ 29ක් නිර්මාණය වී තිබෙනවා’ කියා. වතුකරය තුළ අලුතෙන් ඇතිවූ දුප්පත්කම 52%ක් පමණ වන බවයි ඔවුන් පෙන්වා දෙන්නේ. ආණ්ඩුව නිෂ්පාදන අපනයනයට දිරි දෙනවා වෙනුවට අපනයනය කරන නිෂ්පාදනවලටත් බදු ගහන්නයි යන්නේ. අපනයනය කරනු ලබන නිෂ්පාදනවලට බදු ගැහුවාම ඒ නිෂ්පාදනවල මිල ඉහළ ගිහිල්ලා ඒවාට ජාත්‍යන්තර වෙළඳපළ තුළ තරග කිරීමේ ඉඩකඩක් නැති වෙනවා. ලෝකයේ ඇතැම් රටවල් තම රටේ අපනයන නිෂ්පාදනවලට ජාත්‍යන්තර වෙළෙඳපොළ තුළ තරග කිරීමේ හොඳ අවස්ථාවක් නිර්මාණය කර ගැනීම සඳහා පිරිවැයෙන් කොටසක් රජය විසින් දරනවා. නිදසුනක් ලෙස අපනයන නිෂ්පාදනයක පිරිවැය රුපියල් 100ක් නම් ජාත්‍යන්තර වෙළෙඳපොළට එහි මිල නියම වන්නේ රුපියල් 120ට නම් ඒ මිලට ජාත්‍යන්තර වෙළෙඳපොළ තුළ තරග කිරීමට නොහැකි නම් රජය ඒ නිෂ්පාදන පිරිවැයෙන් රුපියල් 50ක් දැරුවොත් එම නිෂ්පාදනයට ජාත්‍යන්තර වෙළෙඳපොළ තුළ හොඳින් තරග කිරීමේ අවස්ථාවක් ලැබෙනවා. එවිට එම නිෂ්පාදනය හරහා රටට ඩොලර් ලැබෙන්න පටන් ගන්නවා. මේ විදිහට අපනයන නිෂ්පාදනවලටත් බදු ගැසීමෙන් ලැබෙන සොච්චම් අපනයන ආදායමත් අඩුවේවි. අලුත් දුප්පතුන් තවදුරටත් වැඩිවේවි. රට මානව ඛේදවාචකයක් කරා වේගයෙන් ඇදී යාවි.

‘කරව්! නැත්නම් පලයව්!!’

ඇතැමුන්ට රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා පිළිබඳව ධනාත්මක අදහසක් තිබෙනවා. ඇතමුන් ‘උන්නු හැටියට මළා මදැයි’ කියා සිතනවා. කොහොම නමුත් ඉතාමත් සද්භාවයෙන් අපට මේ අනතුරු ඇඟවීම සිදුකිරීමට වෙනවා. මේ යන්නේ යළි රුපියල් බිලියන 2404ක ණයක් ලබාගෙන ලාභ ලබන රාජ්‍ය ආයතන විකුණන් කන රජයේ නාස්තිකාර වියදම් එලෙසම පවත්වාගෙන යන පැරණි ගමනමයි. ඒ නිසා අපි උත්තර ලංකා සභාගය හැටියට ඒ ගමනට එරෙහිව නොවැම්බර් 19 වැනිදා දැවැන්ත මහජන සමුළුවක් සුගතදාස ගෘහස්ථ ක්‍රීඩාංගණයේදී පැවැත්වීමට තීරණය කර තිබෙනවා. ‘කරව්! නැත්නම් පලයව්!!’ යන සටන් පාඨය යටතේයි එම දැවැන්ත මහජන සමුළුව පවත්වන්නේ. ‘කරව්!’ කියන්නේ ‘කරනවානම් හරියට කරන්න!’ කියන ඒකයි. ‘එහෙම නොකරනවානම් වද නොදී යන්න’ කියලා කියන එකයි ‘නැත්නම් පලයව්!!’ කියන එකෙන් අර්ථවත් වෙන්නේ. හරියට කරන බවක් පෙනෙන්නේ නැහැ. ඒ නිසා අපට ඒ සඳහා බල කිරීමේ වගකීමක් තිබෙනවා. අපි ඒ මහජන සමුළුවේදී ‘අවම වැඩපිළිවෙළක්’ ඉදිරිපත් කරනවා, ‘අඩුම තරමින් මේ ටික කරපල්ලා. එහෙම කරනවානම් විතරයි නුඹලාට සදාචාරාත්මකව බලයේ රැඳෙන්න පුළුවන්’ කියා.

(අනුරුද්ධ බණ්ඩාර රණවාරණ)
මාධ්‍ය ලේකම්,
ජාතික නිදහස් පෙරමුණ

Courtesy The Daily Times

The third round of Pakistan-Sri Lanka Armed Forces Defence Dialogue (AFDD) was held in Expo Centre Karachi from November 16-17 where both sides agreed to continue to support each other at all regional and international fora.

The Pakistan delegation was led by Secretary Defence, Lt General (R) Hamood uz Zaman Khan, Sri Lankan delegation was headed by Secretary Defence,General (R) Kamal Gunaratne, said a news release issued here Friday. The delegations also agreed that the cooperation in the field of defence industry, military training, and joint exercises high level visits would continue.

During the Dialogue, Pakistan and Sri Lanka reviewed the existing scope of bilateral military relations and expressed satisfaction on the progress achieved under the umbrella of AFDD. Both leader exchanged views on regional security and upcoming challenges. It was agreed that Pakistan and Sri Lanka would continue to support each other at all regional and international fora. The cooperation in the field of defence industry, military training, joint exercises high level visits will continue.

In the end, it was agreed that next meeting of AFDD will be convened in Sri Lanka on mutually agreed dates 2023.

Courtesy Energy Voice

Sri Lanka’s offshore wind resource far exceeds the South Asian nation’s energy demand, and its development could help the country’s economic recovery by displacing costly fuel imports, according to the World Bank.

Sri Lanka’s offshore wind resource far exceeds the South Asian nation’s energy demand, and its development could help the country’s economic recovery by displacing costly fuel imports, according to the World Bank.

The World Bank has completed a draft offshore wind development roadmap for Sri Lanka designed to evaluate the potential opportunities. There is an estimated fixed-bottom potential of 22GW and 17GW floating. The resource is based on areas without environmental restrictions and exclusion zones.

Indeed, the World Bank reckons there is huge potential, and it could supply more energy than the country needs – offering an opportunity to produce other fuels, such as hydrogen and ammonia.

The country’s offshore wind resource is good and in areas suited to the development of large-scale projects, noted the World Bank. There is also the potential for collaboration with the Indian offshore wind market and a possible interconnector.

However, there are numerous challenges to developing the sector. Sri Lanka currently does not have a sufficient supply chain to execute the construction of an offshore wind farm with a significant proportion of local content. This provides an opportunity for investment in local content and education of local resources, added the World Bank.

Moreover, the regulatory framework does not currently support the implementation of industrial-scale offshore wind power. The World Bank notes that this does not preclude the construction of a demonstration/first project.

Sri Lanka’s current grid infrastructure will also require upgrades and expansions to support industrial scale offshore wind.

The Offshore Wind Roadmap for Sri Lanka is being finalised and due to be published in early 2023.

Sri Lanka had been forging ahead with plans to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the next few years, but a global supply crunch that has sent prices of the fuel soaring is likely to have dampened enthusiasm for LNG.

By Shirani Ranasinghe Courtesy Ceylon Today

As forex became tight, leading to disruptions in the supply of essentials and other imports, people began to take to the streets. The queues became longer and so did the crescendo of the anti-government protests. In a bid to control the situation, the Gotabaya Administration did a sudden U-turn in its policies. Changing the stance on seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was one such reversal as we commenced discussions for a bailout in mid March. 

The month of March 2022 marked the beginning of one of the most turbulent periods of contemporary Sri Lankan history. Until July, the political landscape was very unstable. In that short period, the country saw three new Cabinets, escalating violence and both the democratically elected Prime Minister and President cornered and forced to resign. Yet, remarkably we continued to stay engaged with the IMF. 

The IMF was insistent that political stability is a must for discussions to proceed. Yet, the country came dangerously close to anarchy. The presidential secretariat, the highest office in the Government, was unable to function for 100 days. When Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the newly-elected President, took steps to remove agitators from this office, they were occupying the building and had caused tremendous damage to the property. Throughout this mayhem, however, the IMF never considered shutting the door in our face. 

Current Economic Status 

Yet, eight months have passed since discussions with the IMF began. Apart from a staff-level agreement that promised a USD 2.9 billion bailout package (though Sri Lanka hoped for a support of USD 4 billion) to be delivered in tranches over 48 months, no other progress has been made. It is a matter of grave concern that our only strategy to emerge from the current economic crisis is this bailout package. 

The only thing that is presently keeping us afloat is our tourism, export markets and remittances from Sri Lankan expatriates, which are slowly recovering after the pandemic. Even so, the speed of recovery is still too slow. According to the Hotels Association of Sri Lanka President M Shanthikumar, tourist arrivals are far below expectations and hence hotels are faring badly. The hotel industry is not expecting the situation to improve this year, even during this peak tourist season. 

Therefore, our economy is currently running with 40 per cent less fuel, daily power outages and signs of another gas shortage. According to Public Utilities Commission Chairman Janaka Ratnayake, we have made payments for five shipments of coal this month. We need another 33 more shipments before end April 2023 to avoid extended power cuts.

It is against these odds that our tourism and export industries work. Interest rates have nearly tripled since April. This is making life harder for the local economy.

Instead of an economic growth this year, we are expecting our economy to contract further and below zero. This is testified by the Central Bank’s need to continue with the excess monetising (money printing) by over 50 per cent than during the height of the pandemic. 

It is not only our day-to-day life that we must normalise. We must somehow find ways and means to pay our creditors and restore our credibility. 

On 12 April 2022, we took the unprecedented decision to default foreign debt repayments, totalling USD 51 billion. At that time it was thought that by doing so we could improve on our dwindling reserves. However, the hard reality is that our official Reserve Assets have dipped further by 4.2 percent to USD 1,704 million in October from USD 1,779 million in September. The forex debts accumulated but unpaid for 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2022 is estimated to be at USD 3.2 billion. 

Why is the IMF Stalling? 

State Minister Shehan Semasinghe stated earlier this month that all main bilateral creditors, including China, participated in the latest debt restructuring talks. He is confident that the process to obtain IMF loan is in final stage and IMF Board approval likely to be obtained by the year end. However, the IMF is not so sure of such a timeline. 

The main problem is Sri Lanka’s inability to fulfill IMF’s main prerequisite. Sri Lanka must first come up with a debt restructuring plan with her creditors. All eyes, including India’s, are on China. 

China holds about 12 per cent of our foreign debt. It is not only to Sri Lanka however that China has lent massively, but to most of the region and beyond. As such, China may not be in a position to accept a ‘haircut’ from Sri Lanka, without upsetting their other bilateral relations. 

Even if they could, China may not want to do so considering the shabby treatment from Sri Lanka since 2015. Yahapalana Government that succeeded the Mahinda Rajapaksa Administration came on an anti-Chinese ticket. Therefore, their stance was as expected. Surprisingly, the Gotabaya Administration in their efforts to woo India, snubbed China. 

Wickremesinghe Government has not committed any such blunders. However, if that alone is sufficient to restore relations is questionable. 

From the time we decided to obtain the IMF’s assistance, India has been extremely supportive. In fact, for the first meeting with the IMF at their headquarters, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with a high level team from the Indian Government joined the Sri Lankan delegation. They urged the IMF officials to provide assistance to Sri Lanka, which is in the throes of an unprecedented economic crisis. 

Notwithstanding this support, India too is waiting to see how the other creditors will respond to Sri Lanka’s appeal for a debt restructure. If China does not come to such an agreement, it is most likely that neither will our other creditors. 

If that remains the case, the IMF will be unable to proceed, even though we have restructured our taxes according to their recommendations. Even the budget for 2023 is modeled after the IMF’s prescriptions, revealed President Wickremesinghe. 

What the IMF Delay will Cost Us

At the time of the default Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe solemnly assured that the domestic debt would not be restructured. However, Verité Research’s Nishan de Mel says Sri Lanka will have to restructure domestic debt if the Government failed to  achieve targets it has agreed with the IMF”. 

By declaring bankruptcy-we burnt bridges with all our creditors. Not a single Government, bank or financial institute would agree to give us loans as we have lost our credit worthiness. 

The Government is in the process of trying to increase the overseas job market. This has met with some success as countries as Saudi Arabia has agreed to open jobs for skilled labour such as nursing. 

Sending our workforce outside will bring about only short term remedies. There are other consequences such as brain drain as well as open channels to import ideologies not conducive to Sri Lankan thinking. 

We thus desperately need a road map to see our way forward. This is the time to encourage our cottage industries and strengthen local economy. Instead of simply waiting for the IMF bailout to come to our rescue, we need to be proactive and creative. 

ranasingheshivanthi@gmail.com

(The views and opinions expressed in this column are writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Ceylon Today)

BY Shivanthi Ranasinghe

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka is in talks for a debt-for-nature” swap deal of up to USD 1 billion in climate-focused finance, a kind of agreement discussed at the United Nations COP27 summit in Egypt, Reuters reported citing people familiar with the matter.

According to the news report, such agreements are part of efforts to address an intractable quandary facing world leaders as to who would pay the bill for the global fight against biodiversity loss and climate change.

Sri Lanka is among several other countries including Ecuador and Cape Verde exploring the possibility of striking debt-for-nature swap deals to ease the debt problems.

A debt-for-nature swap deal is a bilateral agreement, which involves purchasing foreign debt, converting that debt into local currency and using the proceeds to fund conservation activities. The key to the transaction lies in the willingness of commercial banks (or governments) to sell debt at less than the full value of the original loan.

Reuters reported that Ecuador – a serial defaulter and its sovereign bonds are again trading at distressed” levels, or a deep discount to their face value – is now n talks with banks and a nonprofit group in an attempt to teach a deal that would see about USD 800 million of its debt refinanced more cheaply, freeing up the savings conservation efforts.

At that level, it would be the biggest debt-for-nature swap struck to date, yet it could eventually be trumped by others, including Sri Lanka, which has been discussing a deal of up to $1 billion according to people familiar with those talks, the news agency said further.

Cape Verde, an archipelago nation off West Africa, is meanwhile close to a nature swap that could be worth up to USD 200 million, said Jean-Paul Adam, a former Seychelles government official who now works for the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), providing financing advice to governments.

Reuters stated that Ecuadorian, Sri Lankan and Cape Verde governments did not respond to requests for comment for this story, although Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso said in an local newspaper on Oct. 12 that its Galapagos swap deal could be wrapped up in four or five weeks.

The potential deals for Ecuador, Sri Lanka and Cape Verde, reported here in detail for the first time, point to a jump in interest for this form of financial alchemy, which was conceived decades ago but has remained something of a niche area until recently.

Only three of over 140 or so swaps struck over the past 35 years – the first in 1987 – had a value of more than a quarter of a billion dollars, according to global data published by the African Development Bank. The average size was $26.6 million.

The combined value of swap deals to date is $3.7 billion, according to the data. That’s a fraction of the $400 billion of emerging market sovereign debt analysts at Capital Economics recently estimated had fallen to distressed levels.

Advocates say that those current debt problems, combined with the growing political will and the recent successful swap deals in the Seychelles, Belize and Barbados, mean a swathe of other countries are now exploring the model.

-with inputs from Reuters

Courtesy Adaderana

The Criminal Investigation Department has dug up more information about a large-scale human trafficking syndicate that ‘auctions’ Sri Lankan women who were taken to Oman on the promise of jobs in the Arabian country.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry in Sri Lanka had directed to the CID the complaints it had received about the unfortunate situation of Sri Lankan female domestic workers in Oman.

Initiating a probe in this regard, a three-member team of the CID, led by the director of Human Trafficking, Smuggling Investigation and Maritime Crime Investigation Division, flew out to Oman on October 03.

The investigation officers, who recorded statements from a total of 45 Sri Lankan women who are sheltered at a safe house belonging to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Muscat, uncovered that they had arrived in Oman on tourist visa. They also revealed that these women had fled houses they were employed at over various reasons including the harassment they were subjected to.

Further, it was revealed that the women in question are stranded in Oman as their employers have taken possession of their passports.

Eight of them had been brought to Oman unlawfully. Meanwhile, another woman had been auctioned off for prostitution by a female representative of an employment agency in Sri Lanka.

The investigators were told that Sri Lankan domestic workers, aged 22 – 50 years, had been auctioned  off to sultans for bids ranging from Rs. 10 million to Rs. 2.5 million.

To make matters worse, an officer of the Sri Lankan Embassy has sexually harassed the women who are sheltered at the safe house.

Further probes into the matter disclosed that this sex trafficking ring had been operated by a group of officers of the Immigration & Emigration Department through the representatives of employment agencies in stationed in Sri Lanka and Oman.

Their target had been underprivileged local women facing financial difficulties.

Multiple attempts to arrest a women known as Asha Dissanayake, who is directly involved in this set trafficking ring, had been to no avail and she remains in hiding.

Speaking to Ada Derana on the matter, senior official of the Foreign Employment Bureau explained that out of these 45 women, 43 are stranded in Oman without means to make the trip back home as they had arrived there on tourist visa, intending to convert it to work visa.

Meanwhile, the services of the embassy official who is accused of sexually harassing the stranded women, were suspended yesterday.

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Muscat, in a statement, stated that present, at least 90 Sri Lankan female domestic workers are stranded in Oman seeking repatriation assistance. They are unable to afford the repatriation-related expenses such as visa, overstay penalty, air ticket, agent fees, and the cost of recruitment demanded by their respective sponsors.

The embassy said it has also sought the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to assist such victims.

Courtesy Adaderana

Singapore-based renovation and interior design company, Kreate Design Pte. Ltd. today (Nov. 18) signed a USD 1 billion investment agreement with the Colombo Lotus Tower Management Company (Pvt) Ltd.

This investment agreement will see the development of water sports and an entertainment zone at the Lotus Tower in Colombo within the next six months.

The Lotus Tower, considered the tallest self-supported structure in South Asia and the tallest skyscraper in Sri Lanka, officially commenced operations on September 15, 2022 as it was declared open to the public.

Measuring up to 356 metres in height, the Lotus Tower was constructed with a cost to the tune of USD 113 million. A Chinese company granted USD 88.65 million while the rest was borne by the Sri Lankan government. The loan instalments are due to be completed by 2024. USD 66.3936 million of the loan has already been paid.

Colombo Lotus Tower Management Company (Pvt) Ltd. is a company established in March this year under the Treasury and all its transactions are audited by the Auditor General’s Department.

The loan agreement between the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and China was initiated and the work on the Lotus Tower commenced in 2012.

Courtesy Adaderana

Placing the focus only on policies and not on the results is the reason for the crisis that the country is facing at the moment, President Ranil Wickremesinghe says.

He made this remark addressing the post-budget 2023 forum organized by the MBA Alumni of the University of Colombo.

Janaka Perera

A UNICEF study in 2020 revealed that over 40 percent of reported cases of bullying in schools involved physical attacks and fights among peers. Alarmingly, they also found that risky behaviors and activities such as smoking, consuming alcohol, skipping classes, dropping out of school, and considering or attempting suicide, were significantly associated with violence victimization.”

Sri Lanka is by no means an exception when it comes to the prevalence of bullying, either physically or through the internet. School violence and bullying, including cyberbullying, are widespread and affect a significant number of children and adolescents. This led UNESCO Member State to declare the first Thursday of November, the International Day against Violence and Bullying at School, Including Cyberbullying”. What this recognizes is that school-related violence, in all its forms, is an infringement of children’s and adolescents’ rights to education, health, and well-being. It calls upon Member States, UN partners, other relevant international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations, individuals, and other stakeholders to help promote, celebrate, and facilitate the international day.

Brutal ragging has been plaguing Sri Lanka’s state universities since about the 1970s. Since then the appointment of several commissions by successive governments has yielded no results though laws exist in the statute books to prevent them. Within the past five decades, students have become victims of this brutality resulting in several deaths including suicides, and others suffering permanent injuries and disabilities

The Sunday Times (Nov.6) quoting, Higher Education State Minister Dr. Suren Raghavan reported that University marshals have not received any training to manage ragging or to counsel students said.

 This issue has been in the university system for a long time and has gone deep-rooted over the past four to five decades. Such an issue becomes prolonged, of course, it will eventually become a subculture.

The fundamental issue the University Grants Commission and the State Ministry finds is that the students who are harassed and some part of academia who are aware are not willing to make complaints,” he said.

According to Dhanushka Weerasekara, an anti-ragging activist, university administrations are required to take stronger measures under the 1998 law. The administration should establish guidelines and adhere to the Act. It has the same impact as the Prevention of Terrorism Act. According to the Ragging Act, two complaints must be filed: one by the student and one by the university”

Ragging is both verbal and physical, including drug abuse, assault, and sexual harassment. Sri Lankan State Universities have been producing globally renowned individuals in all most all professions. However, in the recent past there has been a growing concern about the prevalence of ragging and sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in State Universities in Sri Lanka”, said, Senior Professor Sampath Amaratunge, Chairman of, the University Grants Commission.

Regarding school bullying, religious organizations in some countries have come forward to guide children who are vulnerable to bullying. A JW.ORG whiteboard animation entitled Beat a Bully Without Using Your Fists” gives the example of a teenager who faced beatings and threats but was able to not only withstand the bullying but also able to win over his tormentors.

However not every situation can be resolved so easily, especially at the university level. It needs the strong intervention of the university authorities and the government with its legal machinery.

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Wigneswaran says that the Budget did not mention any development in the East and specifically north

Only one proposal regarding blue economy-related industry was to consider development over three zones in the Western southern and eastern regions where nautical tourism is to be developed with water skiing etc

A northern peninsula with a waterfront with shallow waters and few islands is ideal for such development and a northwestern area where Kalpitiya is not even mentioned

Trinco and Oluvil are not even considered

So many projects can be implemented in industries related to Ocean fish farming, wave energy projects and also the development of upstream and downstream gas exploration and oil tank development in Trinco which attract FDI is in not even mentioned where many investors can be enticed to come for the development of 20 numbers fishery harbours right around the island to have mini marinas industries coupled with fishery sector development is ignored 

Fish-collecting vessels with offshore bunkering facilities for fishermen are also needed and no benefits are given

Are we only concentrating only on exporting manpower to the Middle East, Green Hydrogen development and diverting state lands for purported agriculture development?

Mineral exploration and value adding and  processing to be done with private investment but  it  cannot be done with unbearable corruption and bureaucratic rules prevailing in the country

Any investor proposing to process minerals is forced to agree on 51/49 % equity with the government hence no one will agree to invest money to develop the industry 

Think tanks are to be appointed and we will be waiting to see who will be appointed with such knowledge 

Quote

Wigneswaran says Ranil ignored North-East 

lack of economic zone in North with diaspora investment

• Slams higher defence expenditure than war years welcomes early military retirement  

BY Mirudhula Thambiah

Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK) Leader MP C.V. Wigneswaran yesterday (15) claimed that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had ignored the North and the East in Budget 2023, adding that proposing an economic zone in the North and asking the diaspora to invest would have been one of the easiest ways by which he could have brought about reconciliation. 

Speaking to The Morning, Wigneswaran noted that from the point of view of the Tamil people, there is nothing worthwhile to talk about in the Budget. 

There are ways by which the Government does not allow the Tamil people to prosper. I don’t see the benefits in this Budget. In fact, they are very much against our interests, especially due to not proposing an economic zone for the Northern Province. As an MP for the Jaffna District, it is from the point of view of the Tamil people that I would be looking at the Budget. I must say that I am frankly disappointed, because there is increased revenue, but how is it going to be spent?”

He also noted that the most glaring error in the Government’s thinking has been the defence as well as the public security expenditure, which had risen from Rs. 427 billion to Rs. 539 billion even after 14 years since the end of the war. 

I just can’t understand why, 14 years after the end of the war, we go on building up our expenditure on defence. Is that what the people want? The people certainly will not be wanting such things; they want benefits for their day-to-day lives. There is so much taxation. They would like these taxes to be decreased, and one of the ways in which taxes could be decreased is by bringing down defence expenditure. The defence expenditure had even gone beyond what was spent during the era of the war. The currency had come down in value and therefore the amount had gone up. But then, that is not the point. Why should it be so much more? What are we trying to do?” 

He also said that from the point of view of the Tamil people, the North has not been identified as an economic zone, whereas Trincomalee, Hambantota, Kurunegala, and the Western Province have been identified as such. 

Trincomalee has been identified because they are going to give jobs to the Sinhalese to drive away the Tamils. Making Trincomalee an economic zone together with Hambantota and other places, and forgetting the Northern Province is irking me, because the Northern Province could have been identified as an economic zone. We could have brought the diaspora to help us. They would have most gladly come and invested,” he added. 

He charged that President Wickremesinghe continues to maintain an ethno-centric philosophy, because he is not being very fair to the Tamil people. 

He is not interested. He is ignoring the North and the East. This casts him in poor light. At the moment, that is one of the easiest things that he could have done, where even more economic activities could have been initiated in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, and he could therefore have made the people of these areas feel at home with the Government. When you go to Colombo and other areas, you see a lot of modernisation taking place but when you come up to Vavuniya and then go up to Jaffna, there is no modernisation. 

An absolutely primitive type of environment is what we are experiencing. The youth want more job opportunities, but there are no new industries and enterprises brought into the North. When I started an enterprise in the Northern Province when I was the Chief Minister, the Government sabotaged it,” he added.

However, he welcomed the retirement prospects with regard to the Army that have been mentioned in the Budget. 

I do welcome the retirement prospects with regard to the Army that have been mentioned in the Budget, where, instead of the earlier 22 years of service, if they engage in 18 years of service, they are entitled to retire. We have 331,000 soldiers in our military, and that is about the 14th largest in the whole world. It is the 14th biggest Army. Great Britain comes after that, because they have only 90,000 soldiers. 

Giving retirement prospects for these people to bring the number of soldiers down is to be welcomed. But they have made it optional. Now, with no jobs available, people will not like to leave the Army, because at least the amount they get there will be worthwhile. They could have made this compulsory, and that is one way by which they could have brought the expenditure of the Army down,” he added. 

President Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of Finance presented Budget 2023 to Parliament on Monday (14), aimed at creating long-term, stable economic growth.

Anup Sinha

The transit issue between India and Bangladesh has long been debated. An agreement was made in 2010 to carry products to India’s northeastern states through the Bangladesh route. Since then, several arguments and complaints have centered on the transit problem, which climax in 2016 when Bangladesh agreed to allow India to use its road in exchange for a nominal tariff. During Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in 2018, an agreement was made to carry products by road to India’s north-eastern states via the ports of Mongla and Chittagong. Since then, products have been transported to Assam and Meghalaya in India on a trial basis utilizing Bangladesh’s transit infrastructure.

Despite extensive negotiations, however, discussions of utilizing India as a corridor for shipping products to Nepal and Bhutan were not making much progress. Finally, in a joint statement issued following Sheikh Hasina’s meeting with Narendra Modi on the second day of her visit to India in September this year, India provided duty-free transit via its territory for exporting products to Nepal and Bhutan via selected land customs stations, airports, and seaports.

Bangladesh would be able to trade more easily with Nepal and Bhutan if transit through India is enabled. Aside from land, Bangladesh may transport products via Indian airports.

Benefits for Nepal and Bhutan:

Nepal and Bhutan may gain the most from this service. India accounts for 90% of its international commerce. The remaining 10% of international commerce is exclusively channeled via Kolkata port, where India generates income.

If the facility is built, Nepal and Bhutan will have additional foreign trade partners as well as another port option in Mongla. They can save up to 30% on imports by using the Mongla port. This will provide an opportunity for both countries to reduce their reliance on India.

Benefits for Bangladesh:

According to authorities, economists, and businesspeople, India’s offer of free transit will broaden the regional and sub-regional market for Bangladesh’s exporters by allowing them to send goods to nations such as Nepal and Bhutan.

Bangladesh has a potential market base in Nepal and Bhutan for textiles, medicines, feed, vegetables, electrical items, and so on. If the facility is adequately deployed, markets in Nepal and Bhutan can be investigated.

Mongla port may be used for commerce with Nepal and Bhutan. This would not only create cash, but it will also alleviate the tremendous burden on Chittagong port.

India’s priorities:

Transit has been a source of contention between Bangladesh and India for a long time. For many years, Bangladesh has constantly requested transit via India to Nepal and Bhutan, to which India has lately reacted positively; nevertheless, India has been enjoying transit privileges from Bangladesh for a few years now.

In Nepal and Bhutan, India holds a monopoly on the market. Giving Bangladesh unrestricted access to those nations will cost India a lot of money. Not only would they lose exports, but they may also lose the cash they earned from the Kolkata port by directing Nepal and Bhutan’s imports.

Though the central government of India was much humbler in embracing Bangladesh’s request to give transit to Nepal and Bhutan, the West Bengal government remained adamant because they do not want to lose revenue from the Kolkata port. Given the West Bengal government’s likely opposition, bringing the transit concept into reality will be difficult.

In this case, the question naturally arises, why India agreed to provide transit facilities?

The Indian offer, on the other hand, is nothing new, as it is specified in the papers of the Motor Vehicle Agreements between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal.

The agreement has yet to be concluded since the Bhutanese parliament has raised objections, and Nepal has also shown disinterest in signing the agreement. It’s easy to understand Bhutan and Nepal’s reluctance to join BBIN. The tourist sector generates the majority of Nepal’s and Bhutan’s revenue. Accepting a BBIN motor vehicle deal might jeopardize their national revenue. If two BBIN members agree on free vehicle movement, additional members will be urged to activate the agreement for increased regional commerce.

Bangladesh already enables commodities to be transported from India’s heartland to its northeastern regions. India’s proposal for a transit facility to Bangladesh is in response to Bangladesh’s offer and to persuade Nepal and Bhutan to join BBIN.

Bangladesh’s bargaining weakness on the transit question has made the transit proposal so long.  When it comes to executing the transportation idea, Bangladesh must hone its negotiation leverage. Furthermore, the exchange receipt, which port to utilize, other expenditure sectors, and how much Bangladesh would profit from it should all be carefully considered.

It may appear that Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh will profit the most from the transit facility, as opposed to India. For India, it is a minor price to pay to convince other parties to join the BBIN free vehicle movement pact. If the BBIN motor vehicle agreement is implemented, India will profit the most in terms of commerce and connectivity. India can only conquer if others enjoy victory as well. If correctly executed, this tax-free transit concept can be a win-win for all stakeholders.

[Author Profile: Anup Sinha is a researcher and freelance columnist specializing in South Asian Affairs with a particular focus on the Rohingya issue, India-Bangladesh relations, water sharing, etc. He has an MSS degree in International Relations from the University of Dhaka. ]

Manusha Media

ජාතික වෘත්තීය සුරක්ෂිතතා හා සෞඛ්‍ය ආයතනය වරලත් ආයතනයක් බවට පත් කිරීමට තීරණය කර ඇතැයි කම්කරු සහ විදේශ රැකියා අමාත්‍ය මනුෂ නානායක්කාර මහතා පැවසුවේය.

එය දකුණු ආසියාවේ විශිෂ්ටත ම සේවා මධ්‍යස්ථානය බවට පත්කිරීමටත් කටයුතු කළ යුතු බවත්, ඒ සදහා ආයතනයට හැකියාවන්, සම්පත් සහ නායකත්වය ඇති බවත් අමාත්‍ය මනුෂ නානායක්කාර මහතා පැවැසීය.

ඒ අද (17) දින පැවැති ජාතික වෘත්තීය සුරක්ෂිතතා හා සෞඛ්‍ය සම්මන්ත්‍රණයේ ප්‍රධාන ආරාධිතයා වශයෙන් සහභාගී වෙමිනි.

සම්මන්ත්‍රණය ඇමතූ අමාත්‍යවරයා එහි දී ප්‍රකාශ කළේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ වාර්ෂික ව වැඩබිම් තුළ අනතුරු 4000ක් පමණ වාර්තා වන බවත්, ඒ හේතුවෙන් වසරක දී වැඩකරන දින ලක්ෂ හයක් පමණ අහිමි වන බවත්, එය වාර්තා වන ප්‍රමාණය පමණක් බවත් ය.

සේව්‍ය සේවක විෂය දැනුම වර්ධනය කිරීම තුළින් වැඩ බිමෙහි ආරක්ෂාව සහ සුරක්ෂිතතාව තහවුරු කිරීමෙන් ඵලදායීතාව ඉහළ නැංවීම අරමුණු කර ගනිමින් ‘වෘත්තීය සුරක්ෂිතා සහ සෞඛ්‍ය කළමණාකරණ පද්ධතිය හරහා ආරක්ෂාව ජයග්‍රහණය කරමු‘ (Win Safety Through OSH Management System ”) යන මැයෙන් මෙවර සැසිය සංවිධානය කර තිබුණි.
ජාතික වෘත්තීය සුරක්ෂිතතා හා සෞඛ්‍ය ආයතනය කම්කරු අමාත්‍යංශය යටතේ ක්‍රියාත්මක වන අතර, වෘත්තීය අනතුරු සහ රෝගාබාධ වැළැක්වීම තුළින් නිරෝගීමත් ශ්‍රම බලකායක් නිර්මාණය කිරීම උදෙසා වන වැඩසටහන් සහ ඒ සදහා අවශ්‍ය පුහුණුවීම් සහ අධ්‍යාපනය ලබා දෙයි.

සම්මන්ත්‍රණය ඇමතූ අමාත්‍යවරයා වැඩි දුරටත් මෙසේ ද පවසා සිටියේ ය.

ඉකුත් සදුදා අපි 2023 අයවැය ඉදිරිපත් කළා. ජාතික ඵලදායීතා කොමිසමක් ස්ථාපිත කිරීම එහි ප්‍රධාන යෝජනාවක්. ඒ වගේ ම සමාජ ආරක්ෂණ ක්‍රමවේදයක් ස්ථාපිත කිරීමත් තවත් වැදගත් යෝජනාවක්. මේ හරහා අපේ ශ්‍රම බලකාය ආරක්ෂා කර ගන්නත්,ඵලදායීතාව සම්බන්ධයෙන් ඇති අඩුපාඩු ගැන සේවා යෝජකයන්ට තියෙන අනවශ්‍ය බරත් ඉවත් කරන්න පුළුවන් වේවි. හැබැයි රැකියා ස්ථානයේ විය හැකි අනතුරු මගහැර අපට මේ කිසි ම ආර්ථිකයක ඵලදායීතාව ගැන කතා කරන්න බෑ.

ජාත්‍යන්තර කම්කරු සංවිධානයේ තොරතුරුවලට අනුව වෘත්තීය අනතුරු සහ රෝගවලින් වාර්ෂික ව මිලියන 2.2ක් මිය යනවා. මිලියන 270ක් බරපතල එහෙත් මාරාන්තික නොවන අනතුරු වලට ලක් වෙනවා. තවත් මිලියන 160ක ප්‍රමාණයක් කෙටි හෝ දිගු කාලීන රෝගීන් බවට පත් වෙනවා. ගෝලීය දළ නිෂ්පාදිතයෙන් 4%ක් මේ අනතුරු සහ අයහපත් සෞඛ්‍ය තත්ත්වයන්වලට වියදම් වෙනවා.

ලංකාවෙත් වාර්ෂික ව වැඩබිමේ අනතුරු 4000ක් පමණ වාර්තා වෙනවා. ඒ වාර්තා වෙන ප්‍රමාණය විතරයි. ඒ නිසා වාර්ෂික ව වැඩකරණ දින ලක්ෂ හයක් පමණ අහිමි වෙනවා. මේ වගේ වාතාවරණයක් ඇතුළේ ජාතික වෘත්තීය සුරක්ෂිතතා හා සෞඛ්‍ය ආයතනයට පැවරී තිබෙන්නේ ඉතා වැදගත් කාර්ය භාරයක්.

ජාතික වෘත්තීය සුරක්ෂිතතා හා සෞඛ්‍යායතනය ආරම්භයේ සිට ම වෘත්තීය ආරක්ෂාව සහ සෞඛ්‍ය සම්බන්ධයෙන් දැනුම සහ පුහුණුව ලබා දීමත්, පර්යේෂණ කෙරෙහිත් යොමු වූ ආයතනයක්. ලංකාවේ සියලු ම කර්මාන්තවල පාහේ සුදුසුකම් ලත් වෘත්තීය සුරක්ෂිතතා සෞඛ්‍ය වෘත්තිකයන් යොදවලා තියෙනවා. ඒ නිසා ම දැන් අපි විදේශ රැකියා වෙළෙදපොළ දෙසටත් අවධානය යොමු කළ යුතු ව තිබෙනවා.

අමාත්‍යංශයට පැමිණි පළමු දිනයේ සිට ම මම කියපු දෙයක් තමයි ජාතික සෞඛ්‍ය සහ වෘත්තීය සුරක්ෂිතා ආයතනය වරලත් ආයතනයක් බවට පත් කිරීමටත්, එය දකුණු ආසියාවේ විශිෂ්ටත ම සේවා මධ්‍යාස්ථානය බවට පත් කිරීමටත් අපි කටයුතු කළ යුතුයි කියන එක. මේක කරගන්න ආයතනය සතුව හැකියාවන්, සම්පත් සහ නායකත්වය තියෙනවා.

ඒ වගේ ම එළැඹෙන වසරේ සිට ඒකාබද්ධ අලෙවිකරණ සන්නිවේදන සැලැස්මක් හරහා ජාතික මට්ටමේ දැනුවත් කිරීමක් සිදුකිරීමටත්, එමගින් ආයතනය පෞද්ගලික අංශයේ ආයතනයක් මෙන් ව්‍යාපාරික සහ කාර්යක්ෂමතාව වර්ධනයටත් කටයුතු කරමු. නූනත ම තාක්ෂණය සමග ඉතා පුළුල් වූ සේවාවක් සපයන, විධිමත් තොරතුරු පද්ධතියක් සහිත වරලත් ආයතනයත් බවට පත් කර ගමු.
කම්කරු හා විදේශ රැකියා අමාත්‍යංශයේ ලේකම්, ජාතික සෞඛ්‍ය සහ වෘත්තීය සුරක්ෂිතා ආයතනයේ අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජෙනරාල්, අමාත්‍යංශයේ සහ ආයතනික ඉහළ කළමණාකාරීත්වය, ප්‍රමුඛ පෙළේ ව්‍යාපාරිකයන්, ආයතන කළමණාකරුවන් සහ වෘත්තීය සුරක්ෂිතතා නිලධාරීහු රැසක් ද මේ අවස්ථාවට එක් ව සිටියහ.

—

By Richard Tanter Asia-Pacific Research, November 17, 2022 The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus 15 November 2022

Abstract

In recent years, successive Australian governments, in coordination with the United States, have responded to the dramatic rise of China with military and economic policies that directly challenge the possibility of accommodation with China.

*

In an arc of militarization across northern Australia, successive Australian governments, in close concert with the United States, have responded to the rise of a newly assertive China in terms that constitute an almost historically irrevocable opposition to any accommodation with China as a regional great power.

From the high-technology bases clustered along the length of North West Cape in Western Australia (including the newly built Space Surveillance Radar and the Space Surveillance Telescope supplying data on the position, behaviour, and character of adversary countries satellites), to the port and barracks and air base of Darwin, to the newly joint RAAF-US Air Force base of Tindal outside Katherine, to the deepening commitment to US global military operations, conventional and nuclear, of a rapidly expanding Pine Gap outside Alice Springs, Australia is joining the United States in preparation for war with China, most immediately over a war over Taiwan.

In part, this is nothing new. Post-1945 Australia, like some other liberal democracies allied to the United States, is a case of dependent, high-technology liberal militarization. This pattern is curiously hard for Australians to recognize – as always for states that valorize their liberal virtues, and especially so for those likely Australia founded on the untranscended, let alone fully recognized, mass violence of settler colonial conquest that is still unfolding.

Full Story

Prepping for a China War: The United States and the New Arc of Militarization Across Northern Australia | Asia-Pacific Research

e-Con e-News

A ‘Chinese’ & an ‘African’ meet in ‘Europe’

‘Chinese’: Xi Hong is my name.

‘African’: Delighted, my name is Emmanuel Noël de Souza.

‘Chinese’: So you’re not African but Franco-Brazilian?

‘African’: Yes, I am African

‘Chinese’: And your name is Emmanuel Noël De Souza?

‘African’: Yes, I owe my parents this pretty name.

‘Chinese’: Even simple names that don’t require any technique, any technology,

you can’t produce them at home? Do you have to import them or have them donated to you? ………….

This ‘African’ could easily well be a ‘Sri Lankan’. Besides, it’s not that Asians & Africans do not ‘know’ about the vital indispensability of modern ‘machine-making’ industry. Ask Japan, China, India, Korea. Ask Zimbabwe. South Africa. Congo. It is just that such ideas and practices are murderously penalized, and creatively sabotaged. Besides, ‘our’ media and schools also simply will not tell! Then again, ‘our’ editors and professors themselves do not know what the culture of modern production entails.

Note the regular paeans to fake local manufacture or assembly parading as industry, announcing Made-in-Sri Lanka. Note the obtuse references, that pop out regularly, comparing Sri Lanka to an Africa, which serves as an imagined benchmark for ‘system failure’. And yet, such references end up being far more revealing about our own studied ignorance about the real world and history.

     This week, it was ‘award-winning’ Professor Rohan Pethiyagoda addressing the 48^th Convocation of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura at the BMICH in Colombo:

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Cuba shot down a US U-2 spy plane flying over its airspace on 27 October 1962,

at the peak of what the US media love to call ‘The Cuban Missile Crisis’ – 60 years ago.

The US Navy also attacked a Soviet nuclear submarine B-59,

which auspiciously, we are told, did not escalate the provocation that day.

It’s another of those ‘most dangerous global moments’ that took place, 17 years

after the latest colonial power dropped atomic bombs on Asia, in Japan in 1945

to announce its arrival…1962 was also the year of that coup…

On Thursday, 20 October 2022, US Central Command chief Michael Kurilla visited the Ohio-class West Virginia SSBN (submarine with ballistic nuclear missiles), which ‘specially surfaced’ at ‘an undisclosed location’ in the Arabian Sea, bordering Sri Lanka. Kurilla is a veteran of the US invasions of Panama, Iraq, Haiti, Kosovo, and Bosnia.

     SSBNs, called the ‘stealthiest’ US submarines, are armed with 24 Trident II ballistic missiles, each of which can carry up to 10 warheads, in total giving the vessel an ammunition supply of 240 strategic nuclear warheads – ‘a vital component of the US nuclear triad’.

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උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

මුදල් අච්චු ගැසීමේ ආදීනව සම්බන්ධයෙන් දිගින් දිගටම අදහස් ප්‍රකාශ කළ මහ බැංකු අධිපති නන්දලාල් වීරසිංහ මහතා මේ වන විට හිටපු මහ බැංකු අධිපති අජිත් නිවාඩ් කබ්රාල් මහතාගේ මුදල් අච්චු ගැසීමේ වාර්තාව ද බිඳ දමා ඇතැයි පිවිතුරු හෙළ උරුමයේ නායක පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී නීතිඥ උදය ගම්මන්පිල මහතා පවසයි.

ඒ මහතා මේ බව සඳහන් කර සිටියේ අයවැය විවාදයට එක් වෙමින්.

එහිදී පිවිතුරු හෙළ උරුමයේ නායකයා වැඩිදුරටත් මෙසේ අදහස් දැක්වීය.

මුදල් අච්චු ගැසීමේ කබ්රාල් වාර්තාව නන්දලාල් බිඳ දමයි

ජනාධිපතිතුමා කෙතරම් බුදු බණ අසා තිබුණත් කතා පුරාවට දහම් පද තිබුණත් ඇසිය යුතුම බණ පදය අසා නැති බවයි අයවැය දෙස බලද්දී පෙනෙන්නේ. ඛුද්දක නිකායේ ඉතිවුත්තක පාලියේ ලෝකාවබෝධ සූත්‍රයේ බුදුන් වහන්සේගේ සුවිශේෂි ගුණයක් පැවසෙනවා. යථාවාදි තථාකාරි – යථාකාරි තථාවාදි කියන මේ ගුණයෙන් පැවසෙන්නේ කියන දේ කරන කරන දේ කියන ගුණයයි. ජනාධිපතිතුමාට වගේම මහ බැංකු අධිපතිතුමාටත් මේ ගුණය නෑ කියන එකයි අපි පහුගිය කාලයේ නිරීක්ෂණය කලේ.

මහ බැංකු අධිපති නන්දලාල් වීරසිංහ මහතා තනතුර භාර ගනිමින් රටට ප්‍රකාශ කලේ තමන්ගේ පූර්වගාමින් දැවැන්ත ලෙස මුදල් මුද්‍රණය කිරීම නිසා රටේ උද්ධමනය ඇති වෙලා රටේ ආර්ථික අර්බූදය තීවුර වෙලා තියෙනවා කියලයි. එහෙම කිව්ව නන්දලාල් මහ බැංකු අධිපති තමයි ඉතිහාසයේ දැවැන්තම මුදල් අච්චු ගැසීම සිදු කර තිබෙන්නේ. මේ කතා වේ ඇත්ත නැත්ත අපි ඉලක්කම් එක්ක අවබෝධ කර ගනිමු.

මහචාර්ය ඩබ්ලිව් ඩී ලක්ෂ්මන් මහතා මහ බැංකු අධිපති ධූරය දරණ විට 2020 මාර්තු 13 සිට 2021 සැප්තැම්බර් 14 දක්වා දින 551ක් තුල රුපියල් බිලියන 1,206ක භාණ්ඩාගාර බිල්පත් නිකුත් කලා. ජනතාවට තේරෙන භාෂාවෙන් කිව්වොත් දවසකට රුපියල් බිලියන 2.18 බැගින් මුදල් අච්චු ගහලා තිබෙනවා. නිවාඩ් කබ්රාල් මහතා මහ බැංකු අධිපති ධූරය දැරූ 2021 සැප්තැම්බර් 15 සිට 2022 අප්‍රේල් 5 දක්වා දින 203 කාලය තුල රුපියල් බිලියන 446ක භාණ්ඩාගාර බිල්පත් නිකුත් කරලා තිබෙනවා. ජනතාවට තේරෙන විධියට කිව්වොත් දවසකට රුපියල් බිලියන 2.2 බැගින් මුදල් අච්චු ගහලා. ඒ කියන්නේ මුදල් අච්චු ගැසීමෙන් මහචාර්ය ලක්ෂ්මන්ට වඩා කබ්රාල් මහතා දශම ගණනකින් ඉදිරියෙන්.

දැන් අපි මුදල් අච්චු ගැසීමේ ආදිනව ගැන මාධ්‍ය පුරා වැදි බණ දෙසූ නන්දලාල් මහතාගේ වාර්තාව බලමු. එතුමා 2022 අප්‍රේල් 6 සිට සැප්තැම්බර් 30 දක්වා දින 175 තුල රුපියල් බිලියන 590ක භාණ්ඩාගාර බිල්පත් නිකුත් කරලා. ඒ කියන්නේ දවසකට රුපියල් බිලියන 3.37ක මුදල් අච්චු ගැසීමක්. නන්දලාල් යුගයේ මුදල් අච්චු ගැසීම 55%කින් වර්ධනය වෙලා. ලක්ෂ්මන් – කබ්රාල් යුග වල දී ඩොලර් බිලියන ගණනින් ණය ගෙවන්න ඩොලර් මිල දී ගන්න යොදා ගත් රුපියල් ද මේ අතර තිබෙනවා. නමුත් ණය නොගෙවෙන පසුබිමක දීත් මෙතරම් රුපියල් අච්චු ගැහුව්වේ ඇයි?

අයවැයෙන් අළුත් ආයතන 11ක් බිහි වේ

ආණ්ඩුවේ ආදායම ඇද වැටුණත් වැටුප් ගෙවන්න අවශ්‍යයි. විශ්‍රාම වැටුප් ගෙවන්න අවශ්‍යයි. සමෘද්ධි වගේ සහනාධාර නවත්වන්නත් බෑ. මුදල් අච්චු ගහලා හරි ඒ වියදම් දරන්න ඕනි. නමුත් මේ අය වැය දිහා බැලුවහම තේරෙන්නේ ආණ්ඩුව හැසිරෙන්නේ හාරලක්ෂය ඇදිච්ච මුදලාලි වගේ කියලයි. ලෝස් නැතිව වියදම් කරන අය වැයක් මේ හදලා තියෙන්නේ.

ලංකාවේ ආර්ථික අර්බූදයට එක් ප්‍රධානම හේතුවක් තමයි ලෝකයේ දැවැන්තම රාජ්‍ය අංශයක් නඩත්තු කිරීම. මේ ගැන ජනාධිපතිතුමා එතුමන්ගේ කතා වල පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට වරින්වර කිව්වා. එහෙම කිව්වත් මෙවර අයවැයෙන් නව රාජ්‍ය ආයතන 11ක් බිහි කර තිබෙනවා. ස්ථිර නොවන කමිටු, ජනාධිපති කොමිෂන් සභා, ජනාධිපති කාර්ය සාධක බලකායන්, පවතින ආයතන ඒකාබද්ධ කර බිහි කරන නව ආයතන මේ 11ට අයිති නෑ.

අලුත් ආයතන එකොළහක් එනවා කියන්නේ අධ්‍යක්ෂකවරුන් වාහන කාර්යමණ්ඩල වලට අලුතින් වියදම් කරන්න වෙනවා. මෙතන තියනවා උපාධි තත්වය සහතික සහ ප්‍රතීනන මණ්ඩලය කියලා අලුත් ආයතනයක්. විශ්වවිද්‍යාල කොමිෂන් සභාවෙන් ඕක කරගන්න බැරිද. ක්ෂුද්‍ර මූල්‍ය නියාමන අධිකාරිය කරන කාර්යභාරය මහබැංකු වෙන්කර ගන්න බැරිද. ඇයි මේ අලුත් ආයතන හදන්නේ.

ණය බර වැඩි කරන අර්බූදය උග්‍ර කරන අයවැයක්

අයවැය හිඟය රුපියල් බිලියන 2,400ක් කිව්වාම ණය ගැනීමේ අවශ්‍යතාවය රුපිනල බිලියන 2,400ක් ලෙසයි ජනතාවට දැනුනේ. දේශීය සහ විදේශීය ණය ආපසු ගෙවීම් මේ තුල නෑ. අයවැය පොතේ දෙවන ඇමුණුමේ දක්වා තිබෙනවා අපේ ණය ගැනීමේ අවශ්‍යතාවය රුපියල් බිලියන 4979ක්. රුපියල් ට්‍රිලියන 5ක්. සමස්ත ණය රුපියල් ට්‍රිලියන 25 ක්. 2023 වසර සඳහා පමණක් ණය ගන්නවා රුපියල් ට්‍රිලියන 5ක්. ඒ කියන්නේ රටේ සමස්ත ණය රුපියල් ට්‍රිලියන 5 කින් ඉහළ යනවා.

මේ ණය දෙන්න කවුරුත් ඉදිරිපත් වෙන්නෙ නෑ. ඇයි රට බංකොලොත්. බංකොලොත් රටකට කවුරුවත් ණය දෙන්නේ නැහැ. මේ ට්‍රිලියන පහේ බර දරන්න වෙන්නෙත් මහබැංකුවට මයි. තවත් ට්‍රිලියන පහකින් මුදල් අච්චු ගහන්න වෙනවා. කබ්රාල් මහත්තයාගේ වාර්තාව නන්දලාල් මහත්තයා කඩනවා මේ වසරේ. නන්දලාල් මහත්තයාගේ වාර්තාව 2023 රුපියල් ට්‍රිලියන 5 ක් අච්චු ගහලා බිඳින්නයි මේ උත්සාහ දරන්නේ.

ආණ්ඩුවත් මහ බැංකු අධිපතිත් කන්දකාඩුවට

මත් කුඩු වලට ඇබ්බැහි වෙච්ච කෙනෙක් කෙතරම් මේකෙ වේදනාව දැනගෙන හිටියත් ආදීනව දැන ගෙන හිටියත් මත්කුඩු අත්හරින්න බෑ. අපි කියනවා ඒකට ඇබ්බැහි වීම කියලා. අපේ මහ බැංකු අධිපතිතුමා මුදල් අච්චු ගහන්න දැන් ඇබ්බැහි වෙලා ඉවරයි. එහි ආදීනව ගැන කෙතරම් කතා කළත් කෙතරම් දැනගෙන හිටියත් මට ඒක නවත්වන්න බෑ. අපේ ආණ්ඩුව ණය ගන්න එකට ඇබ්බැහි වෙලා ඉවරයි. ඒ නිසා මහ බැංකු අධිපතිතුමා අපේ ආණ්ඩුවත් කන්දකාඩු පුනුරුත්ථාපන මධ්‍යස්ථානය ට යවලා මේ ඇබ්බැහිවීම් වලින් පුනරුත්ථාපනය කළ යුතුයි කියල මම යෝජනා කරනවා.

– Media unit

By Hansi Nanayakkara Courtesy Ceylon Today

Colombo Additional Magistrate T. N. L. Mahawatta today (17) ordered Convener of the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) Wasantha Mudalige and IUSF member Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera to be remanded until such time instructions are received from AG Sanjay Rajaratnam.

The duo were detained by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) at its Tangalla Old Prison premises under the Provisions contained in the PTI for close to three months before being produced in Court following a decree to that effect from the Supreme Court.

The two suspects were arrested by the Fort Police last August in connection with the Anti-Government Aragalaya (Protest) Movement that was staged at Galle Face Green.

By Saman Indrajith Courtesy The Island

Budget 2023 has sought to deprive the farming community of their land rights by placing the Mahaweli lands under the purview of Divisional and District Secretaries, SLPP dissident MP Prof. Channa Jayasumana says.

This proposal will take away the farmers’ rights to land. Farmers of Mahaweli lands in 15 districts and their children, will be affected by this move,” Prof Jayasumana said, participating in the debate on Budget 2023.

He said Mahaweli Project encompased 39 percent of the country’s landmass and 55 percent of the lands of the dry zone.

Proposal No: 13 says: Although preliminary activities related to the disposal of government lands are carried out by District Secretaries/Government Agents through Divisional Secretaries/Additional Government Agents, at a later stage such duties were also allocated to Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority and the Land Reform Commission which were established for special requirements. It is reported that there are occurrences of discrimination and malpractice as preliminary activities related to disposal of lands are done in various ways by the respective entities. Therefore, as the aforementioned special requirements have already been met, a programme will be prepared during the next year to enable preliminary activities in relation to the disposal of all government lands, including the disposal of lands under the above two institutions, only by the Divisional Secretaries.’

This will enable the government politicians and their cronies to grab the Mahaweli land, Prof Jayasumana said.

A single call from a politician to the Divisional Secretary would help them grab land, he said.

The proposal would be a threat to national security, Prof Jayasumana said.

Budget 2023 does not offer practical solutions. It is only a concept paper. Instead of an action plan, it offers a theoretical framework. There are some positive proposals, such as amalgamating several public sector institutions working in the same field on the same subjects, is a worthy proposal if implemented properly. It is also proposed to digitize such institutions’ work. That the government has to do with utmost care, because we have the experience of what happened when some public sector institutions digitalized their services during the past 20 years. That process has been given to only a few institutes, known for corruption and frauds. As a result of these digitalization processes some international criminals have obtained Lankan passports. When we go for digitalization, we must understand that we have five cables via this country that receives internet data. These submarine cables come to the country via Colombo Fort, Mount Lavinia and Matara. These five cables are currently owned by Sri Lanka Telecom. It is the very same institute that is proposed to be restructured by this Budget. There is no need for restructuring the SLT. It has already been restructured. As a result of that restructuring, the Treasury owns only 49.2 percent share value, while a Malaysian company, by the name of Maxis, owns 44.5 percent and six percent by the public. There is no need for restructuring what is being planned to do is to sell its remaining shares.

SLT has recorded Rs 2,042 million profit in the first nine months of this year. We know that when SLT is given away the prices from Mobitel to Peo TV will be increased. In addition, the SLT has 3.5 acre land in Colombo Fort, seven acre land at Welikada, 37-acre land in Padukka with satellite equipment too would be sold. If the SLT is sold, we’ll lose our data security and that would affect the country’s cyber security. Selling the SLT off is a serious threat to the national security of the country,” Prof Jayasumana said.

Courtesy Adaderana

A working team of the China Development Bank (CDB), an important supporter of Sri Lanka’s development, is currently on a visit to Sri Lanka.

They have called on State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe and held discussions with the Finance Ministry with regard to the debt-related issues, according to diplomatic sources.