COLOMBO – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is supporting the Government of Sri Lanka with food items and funding to provide school children with take-home rations in lieu of in-school meals.
The emergence of a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka required swift school closures as a preventive measure. While this played a critical role in minimizing the spread of the virus, it means that children are unable to benefit from the nutritious meal they normally receive in school. In response to a request from the Government, WFP stepped in to ensure school children of vulnerable families receive much-needed food assistance.
For many children from low-income families, the food they receive in school is often the only substantial, nutritious meal they have in a day,” says Andrea Berardo, Deputy Country Director of WFP in Sri Lanka. COVID-19 related job losses and reduced incomes are making it harder for families to feed themselves. We want to help ensure that children continue to receive healthy food during these challenging times.”
The Government of Canada redirected US$200,000 (approximately LKR40 million) from its planned projects to assist WFP and the Government of Sri Lanka in procuring one month’s worth of rations for 41,000 school children. The Government of Japan redirected 189 MT of canned fish which was initially donated for the in-school meals and will now be included in the ration packs for 220,000 families, providing children with vital protein in their diet.
Upholding the health and safety of school children has been our foremost priority throughout our COVID-19 mitigation efforts,” says State Minister of Women and Child Development, Pre-school and Primary Education, School Infrastructure and Education Services, Piyal Nishantha de Silva. While measures have been put in place to ensure school children have continued access to education, we want to also ensure that they have access to nutritious food. We thank WFP and the Governments of Canada and Japan for helping us reach families when they are in most dire need.”
WFP has been supporting the National School Meal Programme since 2003 as part of its broader efforts to improve child nutrition. In 2020, WFP augmented its support through the launch of the Home Grown School Feeding project. The on-going project links smallholder farmers with the School Meal Programme and aims to ensure that students receive fresh, nutritious food while smallholder farmers have improved food security through a steady source of income.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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Sri Lanka’s government on Thursday walked back the lifting of an import ban on most chemical fertilisers over fears of a political fallout, despite warnings from farmers of food shortages and severe damage to the massive tea industry.
The South Asian nation has been struggling with a cash crunch worsened by the pandemic, with the central bank imposing sweeping import bans since March last year to reduce the outflow of foreign currency.
The ban on chemical fertilisers — widely used in the tea and rice industries — was opposed by farmers who staged protests after reporting failing vegetable crops as existing stocks began to run out in recent weeks.
Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, the younger brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had lifted the ban on Tuesday.
The president had earlier touted the policy, including on the international stage, as helping Sri Lankan agriculture become “100-percent organic”.
In a briefing to reporters in Colombo, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Udith Jayasinghe, said there had actually been “no change in the government policy shift to organic fertiliser”.
“Some plant nutrients rich in nitrogen will be allowed under strict licensing.”
Urea fertiliser, which will remain banned, is widely used in the $1.25 billion tea industry — the country’s biggest export — as well as in the farming of rice, the staple food.
Jayasinghe said farmers would have to use organic substitutes.
Sri Lanka is among the world’s largest exporters of tea. Ceylon tea is valued for its high quality and flavour.
A report by a group of experts warned last month of substantial crop losses and food shortages unless chemical fertiliser was provided urgently.
A member of a presidential committee that studied the transition from chemical to organic fertiliser, Herman Gunaratne, said the sudden shift could have catastrophic consequences, especially for tea.
“We risk losing our international markets for tea,” Gunaratne told AFP.
Tea plantation executive Sanath Gurunada told AFP over the weekend that the shortages would be felt fully by October.
“For the moment we have stocks (of fertiliser), but it would run out in about a month or two. After that we will not get the crop that we used to harvest,” he told AFP at his Hidellana tea factory in the country’s south.
“With a decline in crop, our foreign exchange earnings will also go down.”
IANSThe health authorities announced on Wednesday that 82 deaths were reported with 4,727 new cases.
With the new figure, Sri Lanka’s overall caseload and death toll stood at 3,18,775 and 4,727, respectively.
With the outbreak of the Delta variant and overflow of patients, the Ratnapura General Hospital and Karapitiya Teaching Hospital have declared emergencies.
Due to the unabated spread of the Delta variant and also an exponential rise in oxygen demand, medical experts have urged the Sri Lankan government to reconsider its decision to lift Covid-19 restrictions.
The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) requested the government to revisit the curfew-style travel restrictions imposed in May and June to control the fast spreading pandemic as the sector’s capacity to treat the growing number of patients has “virtually reached its tipping point” In a statement, the AMS also warned that it’s a matter of days till the demand for oxygen exceeds supply.
“The lack of oxygen, or more importantly the lack of an oxygen delivery mechanism to patients’ bedsides could cause deaths,” the experts warned.
They said further relaxation of Sri Lanka’s Covid-19 restrictions against this backdrop is like adding fuel to the fire.
On Tuesday, international health experts warned that Sri Lanka was going to face the worst-ever outbreak in the months ahead.
Professor Malik Peiris, Head of Virology at the University of Hong Kong said “the Delta variant, which played havoc in India, I’m afraid I have to say it is going to have a major impact on Sri Lanka in the coming weeks”.
The Delta variant of COVID-19 has been found to be spreading ultrafast in the Colombo area, medical experts pointed out.
According to Director of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, 75% of the COVID cases detected in Colombo during the last week of the month of July were individuals infected with the Delta variant.
However, it was recorded in the first week of July as 13%. He said this was detected in lab tests carried out on COVID-19 variants.
The Delta variant was first detected in the Dematagoda area. A number of cases were detected thereafter in several areas of the country.
According to health experts, the Delta variant would become the predominant strain in Sri Lanka in the near future pushing infections and mortality to higher numbers. (Sheain Fernandopulle)
The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health reports that another 784 persons have tested positive for Covid-19 today, pushing the daily count of new cases to 2,669.
This brings the tally of confirmed cases of coronavirus identified in the country to 321,429.
Sri Lanka’s total recoveries stands at 286,365 while over 30,000 covid positive patients are currently being treated at hospitals.
The death toll in Sri Lanka due to the virus is 4,821.
The Director General of Health Services today confirmed another 94 coronavirus related deaths for August 04, increasing the death toll in Sri Lanka due to the virus to 4,821.
Forty-nine of the victims are reportedly males while the remaining 45 are females. Two female victims are below the age of 30.
Nineteen are between 30-59 years of age while 73 of the Covid-19 deaths are persons aged 60 and above.
Both the World Bank and the IMF were founded in 1944 at the
Bretton Woods conference. The World Bank is tasked to aid developing nations in
reducing poverty and increasing their well-being. The IMF’s main purpose is to
stabilize the international monetary system and oversee the world’s currencies.
The World Bank offers financing, policy advice, and technical assistance to
governments, and also focuses on strengthening the private sector in developing
countries. The IMF keeps track of the economy globally and in member countries,
lends to countries with balance of payment difficulties, and gives practical
help to members.” Thus IMF & World Bank are the left & right hands of
the Western economies – the former colonial rulers that inadvertently control
world systems via international entities they indirectly control &
manipulate. Since 1944 how many decolonized
developing countries has IMF transformed into successful economies via their
self-claimed success blueprints & policy decisions or better still how many
countries have become economic disasters after taking IMF advice?
IMF
is NOT a LOAN AGENCY. All loans given by IMF are CONDITIONAL. Countries taking
IMF loans MUST implement its Structural Adjustment Programs & have to pay
back what is borrowed with INTEREST. As of April 2018 IMF member funding
totaled $692billion. This money did not fall from the sky. All money is created
and printed. What gives or who has given certain countries and certain monetary
entities to dictate and determine how much should be given, when &
conditions for its use and deadline for return.
IMF
is funded by quota subscriptions paid by member states. The size of the quota
is determined by the size of the country’s economy. The country having the
larger economies will give bigger quota and will also have a bigger say in the
IMF. So there is no equality in the IMF similar to that seen in the UN where
one country has one vote whatever the size. The US contributes 17.44%
($54billion) to the IMF. Seychelles contributes just 0.005%.
Further
favoritism within the IMF is given to major European economies & the US who
have the bigger say when it comes to voting.
155
smaller members combined have just 36.8% say
The
powerful 28 EU countries get 32% say
US
has 17.4% say & China the most populace country has just 3.7% say
Sri
Lanka has 0.1% say.
Majority
of IMF loans come from the IMF’s General Resources Account funded by
subscription charges of member states.
While
the size of a country determines its weight, the size also decides how much
membership it gives and how much it takes. Bigger the country – bigger the
membership quota but able to take bigger loans! Smaller countries give less and
will get less too! Bigger the country – decision powers within IMF are greater
as well. The quota is calculated by GDO (50%) openness of countries (30%)
economic variability (15%) international reserves (5) – this is known as
Special Drawing Rights (SDR)
Since
1944 IMF has been giving loans almost all of the 195 countries in the world –
the only countries that IMF has not been able to give loans or advice to is –
Cuba, North Korea.
Surely
IMF template should have brought countries out of debt including the major
powers who are in debt – making them the top 10 countries in debt!
What type of loans does IMF
give?
Stand-by-Arrangement (SBA) short term financing of balance
payments (12-24months & not more than 36 months)
Extended Fund Facility (EFF) medium-term financing arrangement
allowing countries to borrow a certain amount over 4-10years. The EFF adopts
structural measures and promotes privatization of public enterprises.
Poverty Reduction & Growth Facility (PRGF) gives loans at
low interest rates & aims to reduce poverty & lay foundation for
economic development
IMF Technical Assistanceaims
to transition economies – change from centrally controlled to market-run
privatized economies.
IMF Emergency Fundsoffers
loans to collapsed economies ex: South Korea in 1997
While
IMF is not an AID agency and all loans have CONDITIONS while the money taken
with interest have to be returned – IMF is nothing but a LOAN SHARK no
different to an ordinary person begging to a lending ‘mudalali’ who happily
gives the amount asked but places a set of conditions if the money given is not
returned! It’s no similar to taking a car lease – inability to pay lease may
result in confiscating one’s car! Govts have no choice in rolling out various
conditions which are always targeting the poor & middle classes only.
Countries
that go to IMF or countries that IMF lobby are already in financial
difficulties – how moral is it to provide a presumable ‘relief’ in form of a
IMF loan which has ‘STRINGS attached’ ultimately landing that country in
greater difficulty? Eventually countries in debt to IMF end up having to
sacrifice benefits to citizens to satisfy IMF demands!
What are the IMF demands?
To
open up local economies for foreign investments, to give greater access to
national resources, to privatize public enterprises, to cut government spending
on health and education to the general public and all this while the IMF main
sharks strategically get their ‘investors’ ready to descend and tap into the
resources, cheap labor, disregard environmental concerns after the IMF do all
the dirty work! The governments of these countries have no power o handle the
situation having committed to the SAPs in taking loans. Thus, Governments end
up becoming unpopular among the citizens having to make up various lies to
cover the agreements made behind closed doors with the IMF.
When
IMF gives a loan IMF self-mandates itself to monitor a country’s economy and
recommends policy changes. IMF visits countries, holds discussions with
Government & others. IMF research teams provide the technical assistance
and training to draft policy changes as per IMF desires. Politicians end up
parroting what the IMF tells them.
Sri Lanka joined IMF on 29
August 1950 – Sri Lanka was IMF’s 50thmember. Sri Lanka’s SDR quota is approximately
$800million. Since 1950 – Sri Lanka has taken 16 IMF loans. On 6 occasions the
full agreed amount was not released citing non-compliance to conditions by Sri
Lanka. Countries like Sri Lanka often get caught in the template and formula
spells of the IMF which is like the insurance covers – the smallest ignored
prints carry the deadliest clauses!
IMF came to play a bigger role
after 1977, Yet,how did Sri Lanka manage development projects (Gal Oya
Development scheme, roads, towns etc done with own funds in 3-4 years) WITHOUT
falling into debt prior to 1977? How
did foreign debt which was $750m in 1977 end up $47307m almost 45 years later?
Is
it correct to say that the decisions the successive governments had to take having
fallen for the IMF trap has brought Sri Lanka to its knees?
Did the IMF decide how Sri Lanka was to use its foreign
exchange, usurping the decision taking handled pre-1977 by local policy makers
with foreign exchange used only for essential suppliers)
Did the IMF task foreign exchange to the banks & based on
exchange rates decided by foreign banks?
Did IMF’s tasking foreign exchange decisions to foreign banks
result in a high interest rate, reduction in import tariffs, abolishing of
subsidies? Is this how IMF sabotaged development in Sri Lanka & other
developing countries?
Did IMF virtually ‘bribe’ our leaders with long grace periods to
take IMF loans & encouraged lavish spending as they knew that the leaders
who took the loans would not be in power when loans had to be paid! It was a
good understanding for the giver & takers of all countries who fell for the
trap!
If Sri Lanka could earn foreign exchange from exports before
1977 – why is it impossible now?
If dollars from tourist arrivals were encashed & pooled to
firstly import essential goods – why can’t a similar methodology be applied
now?
If imports were strictly monitored but satisfied the needs of
the local industrialists prior to 1977 can’t these good practices be worth
repeating?
If pre-1977 government objective was to make Sri Lanka
self-sufficient in textiles who put a stop to that objective?
If the government had set up research and training units to
guide industrialists for this purpose before 1977, why was it stopped and close
to 100,000 handloomers whose products were better than ones overseas were
impacted? Did this not happen on the advice of the IMF – IMF advice being to spend foreign exchange lavishly, import
anything & everything & cover shortage with LOANS & long grace
periods to pay luring politicians with various IMF inducements
This
is how Sri Lanka landed in this soup!
We
are insane to take more advice from the very entity that brought us to our
plight.
Former
GA Gavin Karunaratna proposes that Sri Lanka continue the method that was a
success pre-1977 handling foreign exchange to buy firstly essentials &
secondly to import as per requirement of industrialists & thirdly to
consider applicants for foreign travel etc. To come out of this mess, we have
to adopt some drastic measures but ones that we create and not those imposed
forcibly by foreign lenders.
Should IMF continue to advice
Third World?
It
is good for every country that has become a victim of IMF policy and structural
programs to review where they have gone wrong against what they were previously
doing right. It could be just possible that these global economic institutes do
not wish countries to come out of the woods and wish countries to remain in the
economic ICU/ventilator forever – braindead!
The
question is how many countries has IMF taken out of debt or put into debt? Who
can answer!
Abrogation
of the articles 370 and 35-A in Indian illegally Occupied Kashmir has altogether
changed the demography of the Jammu Kashmir Valley. The helpless people of the
Jammu Kashmir valley, who were already in trouble at the hands of the Indian
troops, now are in a state of more pain and more agony. They are deprived of
their liberty as well as of their identity. The article 370 allowed the state
of Jammu Kashmir a certain amount of autonomy – its own constitution, a
separate flag and freedom to make laws. Foreign affairs defence and
communications remained the preserve of the central government. This article
allowed the people of the valley to make their own rules relating to permanent
residency, ownership of property and fundamental rights. The article 370 also
barred Indians alien to the state from purchasing property or settling there. Most
of the Kashmiris are of the opinion that the BJP ultimately wants to change the
demographic character of the Muslim-majority region by allowing non-Kashmiris
to buy land there. BBC said in an analysis, Kashmir will no longer have a
separate constitution but will have to abide by the Indian constitution much
like any other state. All Indian laws will be automatically applicable to
Kashmiris, and people from outside the state will be able to buy property
there.” The government on the other hand has an altogether different point of
view that this step has been taken in benefit of the people of the valley and
it will bring a lot of development to the region.
When
the Article 35A was in practice, it allowed the legislature of
Indian-administered Kashmir to define the state’s permanent residents. It was
applied to all of Illegally Indian-Occupied Kashmir, including Jammu and
Ladakh, says a report. All identified residents were issued a permanent resident
certificate, which entitled them to special benefits related to employment,
scholarships and other privileges. But the biggest advantage for permanent
residents was that only they had the right to buy and own property in the
state. Both these laws were formulated somewhere in May 1954 and it was decided
that all those who were living in the state that time and those who have lived
in the state for 10 years anytime since, would be ranked as permanent residents. In short this special
status of Jammu and Kashmir had been a continuous pain in the neck of BJP since
long. The BJP leadership was
all time planning to snatch away that special status from the distressed people
of Kashmir; so ultimately the ‘leadership’ did it. Situation after revocation
of these articles is so horrible that no one from the outside world even can
guess the severity.
NDTV’s
correspondent Nazir Masoodi said in a report expressing his feelings of fear
and uncertainty a night before revocation of these articles. It was the most
tense and uncertain night of our life. Troops were in every nook and cranny to
impose a tough curfew. Before midnight, a complete communication blockade was
enforced. Mobile phones, the internet and even landlines were snapped. All the
security measures were in place to quell any public revolt. A massive troop
buildup, contingency orders, the evacuation of non-locals, tourists and Amaranth
pilgrims – for us locals, these were ominous signs. The worst fear was that the
centre would do away with Article 35A which defined special privileges for
permanent residents of J&K in the areas of jobs and land rights. No one had
thought that it may well be the end of J&K state, its Constitution and
Article 370. Next year in 2020, the same correspondent once again said, One
year on, there is no fear of losing anything – because there is nothing left to
lose. The burden of special status is gone. August 5 last year redefined
everything for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370, which enshrined
the relationship between J&K state and the union of India for last 70
years, is gone.”
Last
year on 4th August, a year after the abrogation of Articles 370 and
35-A, an article of Kaisar Andrabi was published in the Diplomat. The writer
said, All modes of communication were cut off, and the region is still without
high-speed internet a year later, causing many difficulties for average
Kashmiris. About 7,000 people were arrested before and after August 5, 2019,
including nearly the entire mainstream political leadership. Before August 5,
2019, Kashmir was a nominally autonomous region. After August 5, it has become
virtually a settler colony in the making. Kashmir thus became an annexed
territory where all existing structures, the majority of them Indian-made, were
dissolved so they could fit into the vision of India held by the ruling BJP,
whose founding fathers were never comfortable with the unique constitutional
status of the only Muslim-majority state.”
Abrogation
of the Articles 370 and 35-A would severely disfigure the whole of social and
economic fiber in the Illegally Occupied Valley of Kashmir which has ever been
the worst victim to the Indian atrocities. Reports say that since 1989, over
100,000 Kashmiris have been killed by Indian forces. More than 7,200 people
have been murdered in the custody of the Indian Army. More than 11,000 women
have been raped by Indian occupation forces. This brutality of the Indian
troops has orphaned more than 110,000 children and widowed more than 23,000
women. Now after brutally successful demographic change, situation of law and
order would get worse and worse with the passage of time.
The Hon.Minister of Tourism and Aviation has instructed this office of the following:
1. For Passengers not arriving via the Sri Lanka Tourism Bio Bubble and who have not been vaccinated or only partially vaccinated can be carried by Airlines only up to a maximum of 75 passengers per flight. (Explanation : This will include passengers arriving for Hotel Quarantine and Government Quarantine)
2. Airlines are permitted to carry fully vaccinated passengers (administered with the relevant doses and 14 days have lapsed) without any limitation of passenger numbers per flight. (Explanation : This will include passengers arriving for Hotel Quarantine and Government Quarantine)
3. Airlines may carry passengers arriving via the Sri Lanka Tourism Bio Bubble without any limitation of passenger numbers per flight.
4. All passengers in (1),(2) and (3) above are to be carried in compliance with applicable Directives of the Ministry of Health and Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka in force at the time of carriage of the passengers.
5. All travellers of two years and above should undergo On Arrival (Day One) Covid-19 PCR test from a Ministry of Health approved laboratory.
6. Quarantine is not required for fully vaccinated travellers if the On Arrival (Day One) Covid-19 PCR test report is negative.
7. Travellers who are not AND partially vaccinated required to adhere to Ministry of Health directives issued on 7th & 15th July 2021 by Director General of Health in adhering to quarantine requirements
8. When discharging Fully Vaccinated Travellers after On Arrival (Day One) negative PCR report, in charge officer of the Quarantine Hotel / Quarantine Centre or Hotel Doctor at Safe & Secure Certified Level 1 Hotel should issue a “Discharge Document” and email the details to the Epidemiology Unit ( chepid@sltnet.lk and samithag@hotmail.com) of the Ministry of Health.
9. If there are children below 18 years, they can be discharged with fully vaccinated parents by adhering to the following measures.
9.1. Children of 2 to18 years should be subjected to an On Arrival (Day One) PCR testing and they should have negative results. 9.2. Children below 2 years will not be subjected to PCR testing after arrival to Sri Lanka and they will be discharged with fully vaccinated caretakers. However, if the On Arrival (Day One) PCR testing of an accompanying traveller of the child is positive for COVID – 19, child below 2 years will also be subjected to PCR testing subsequently
10. Following the Day One negative PCR test result, fully vaccinated travellers should arrange their own transport to travel to residence or point of destination and should not use public transport for this purpose.
11. Throughout the travelling, fully vaccinated travellers should strictly adhere to COVID – 19 preventive measures imposed by Government of Sri Lanka to be provided at the time of Day One discharge.
12. Driver and passengers of the vehicle should properly wear a facemask throughout.
13. Once released from On Arrival ( Day One ) negative PCR test result from Quarantine Hotel/Centre fully vaccinated travellers should travel directly to the destination without any stopovers.
14. Pre departure negative COVID – 19 test report. All travellers arriving in Sri Lanka should mandatorily carry a negative COVID-19 PCR test report in English language done within 72 hours prior to embarkation. Note : Pre departure COVID – 19 Rapid Antigent test report is not accepted.
15. COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate / Card Travellers who have received the recommended doses of COVID-19 vaccine should carry the original vaccination certificate / card ( together with a certified copy of English language translation if the certificate/card is not written in English or if relevant data are not indicated in English in a non – English certificate / card ) or a verifiable evidence of vaccination.
16. Procedure to follow at the arriving airport in Sri Lanka 16.1. Each traveller should submit a completed Health Declaration Form to the staff of the Airport Health Office at the health counters of arriving airport. Separate forms should be submitted for each of accompanying children if any. Travellers who have completed the recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccination and departs from abroad after two weeks of completion of vaccination, should produce the vaccination certficate / Card to Airport Health Officer at arriving airport.
16.2. After completion of formalities at the Airport, all travellers will be transferred to a Quarantine Centre managed by the Government of Sri Lanka or to a hotel designated for quarantine or to a Safe & Secure Certified Level 1 Hotel. Transport shall be provided by the Government authorities or the Hotel Management on a pre-determined manner. Respective Diplomatic Mission / Organization / Agency with permanent offices in Sri Lanka should arrange their own transport (adhering to preventive measures imposed by Government of Sir Lanka) to transport Foreign National Staff members, if undergoing quarantine at an area MOH approve residence. Level 1 Hotel bookings can be pre-booked through a travel agent, direct contact with the hotel while Government services could be provided upon arrival only.
17. Procedures to be followed by fully vaccinated travellers after going to residence / home / hotel (hotel is allowed only for fully vaccinated foreigners exempted from further quarantine).
17.1. All travellers should immediately inform the area Medical Officer of Health (MOH) by telephone or email, soon after their arrival to residence / home.
17.2. Fully vaccinated foreigners (including Valid Resident Visa Holders) should immediately inform the area MOH by telephone or email soon after their arrival to residence / home / hotel. Foreigners could get the assistance of the hotel management / travel agents to find the contact details of area MOH. Sri Lanka Tourism should inform the details of Tourists arriving via Sri Lanka Tourism to area Medical Officer of Health.
17.3. Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Sri Lanka with a negative PCR test obtained within 72 hours prior to departure followed by On Arrival (Day One) PCR report shall not be further quarantined at home / residence / hotel.
17.4. The discharge document issued by the Quarantine Hotel / Centre / Safe and Secure Certified Level 1 Hotel should be submitted to the area MOH upon request.
17.5. If febrile or display COVID – 19 like symptoms, should inform immediately to area MOH.
18. Seafares or Maritime Security Officers (Sea marshals) arriving via airports Fully vaccinated Sri Lankan seafarers arriving via airports.
18.1. Fully Vaccinated Sri Lankan seafarers arriving via airports should undergo quarantine in an Isolation Centre (used to quarantine seafarers) / Quarantine Hotel / Government Quarantine Centre / Safe & Secure Certified Level One Hotel until On Arrival PCR testing is done and the negative PCR report is available.
18.2. No further quarantine is necessary for “Fully Vaccinated” seafarers if the On Arrival PCR test report is negative.
18.3. After verifying the status of vaccination and if completed recommended doses of vaccination, In charge officer of the Isolation Cetre (used to quarantine seafarers)/ Quarantine Holel / Governnment Quarantine Centre should issue a “Discharge Document” and email the details to the Epidemiology Unit ( chepid@sltnet.lk and samithag@hotmail.com) of the Ministry of Health.
18.4. All seafarers should immediately inform the area MOH by telephone or email soon after their arrival to residence / home
19. Travel restricted countries Travellers with a travel history ( including transit ) in the past 14 days to India, South American countries ( 14 countries ) and South African countries ( South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe ) please refer to the directive issued by the Ministry of Health on 15th July 2021 for travel guidelines and approval procedures for travel to Sri Lanka.
Airlines are hereby instructed to strictly adhere to the above.
This guideline will be revised depending on the COVID-19 situation in the country or the global situation
A Presidential Press release, dated 13th June 2021; clearly defines the policy on our Energy Sector. The direction indicated is congruent with the presidential policy declaration Vision for Prosperity and Splendour”. This is not a moment to vacillate and get embroiled in personal or political agendas. The situation in the country is much too precarious with the Covid-19 raging and the spectre of the impact of Climate Change haunting us. The foreign reserves are falling, impacting the rupee and the cost of living. The agitation and indiscipline on the streets, in the midst of a Pandemic are signs of the social and economic instability creeping in. Sri Lanka can overcome the crisis but it needs sound leadership to mobilise and motivate the people to utilise its own resources in a prudent and fair manner.
A country, endowed with talented and educated human resources, abundant sun, wind, fertile soil and water. All these are valuable assets when it comes to opting to renewable energy. Renewable energy will not bring millions to individual businessmen but will give them sound incomes. However, a very large number of people will be become prosumers, that is those actively contributing to producing energy and at the same time using the generated energy themselves. The excess will be sold to the national grid as already practiced by the Solar Roof Top systems.
In this way, the country will save a large amount of foreign exchange, the environment will benefit as no fossil will be used and the consumers will benefit as they will be also producers and earning money as a result. There will also be a change in the economic scenario as power generation will be decentralised. The character of the Ceylon Electricity Board will be totally changed, from being a loss-making Colossus” to becoming a sophisticated research and development unit servicing the entire country with training and back0-up facilities. Singapore has very successfully graduated to this system.
The President, in a recent progress review meeting, left no room for the interpretation of his Policy Target of reaching 70% of Renewable Energy for Electricity Generation by 2030 (unfortunately diluted down from the original 80% RE) that his vision is for Renewable Energy and there should be no attempts to misinterpret this by calls for so called Clean Energy”. There is no such clean energy outside the realm of renewable energy and no fossil fuel can be given that distinction.
This national target has to be formalized now by a Cabinet decision and gazetted; otherwise, the President’s policy could very well be surreptitiously overturned.
Pursuing this goal, the contributions of various forms of indigenous sources of renewable energy have to be harnessed. Of these, Solar Energy holds pride of place with the progress made in recent years, particularly by Roof Top Solar PV systems , aided by the most visionary provision of the Surya Bala Sangraamaya which has to date reached a level of over 350 MW installed and many more in stages of implementation. The most challenging target set by the President however, would call for development of other larger installations both ground mounted and floating in the coming years.
The Ministry, as well as the CEB, have been working on several such projects with a 100 MW Solar Park in Siyambaladuwa for which the required land has already been earmarked and a proposed 150 MW Solar park in Pooneryn to follow shortly.
It is under these circumstances that I am compelled to raise alarm bells as noted in the title of this Paper. Are we to buy our Solar Energy in Dollars?
My article A Fresh Look at Solar Energy -Devoid of preconceptions and bias for and against.(https://island.lk/devoid-of-preconceptions-and-bias-for-and-against/) highlighted the many aspects of this most valuable resource, that mother nature has endowed on us in Sri Lanka and the need for most careful plans and programmes to gain the best advantage to Sri Lanka ,
The objective should be broader than the mere addition of energy to the grid. This would contribute to the national economy much more than what is given by the amount of electricity generated, by way of highlevel employment, development of local entrepreneurs and possibility of upstream and downstream integration not to mention the savings in foreign exchange.
With the current moves to implement the 100 MW Solar Park in Siyambaladuwa, it is most important that the other relevant issues are given due consideration.
Looking at the larger picture
The President’s goal of 80 RE as expressed in the 0Vision for Prosperity and Splendour” is based on a number of far reaching concepts. The reduction of Sri Lanka’s dependence on imported fossil fuels and thereby ensuring the future energy security, is the most apparent and noteworthy goal. But along with it should come the additional spin off benefits which would accrue, whether specifically stated or not. Only by ensuring these spin-off benefits, while reaching the primary goal, that the Splendour” of the vision would be achieved.
I am repeating here these important principles which should not be lost sight of at this critical juncture, and the opportunity be lost forever. These principles to ensure that Sri Lanka truly achieves future energy security and the additional advantages are
* The energy industry must at least now strive to become a National Industry. The competency of our entrepreneurs and technologists this is already well proven.
*The entrepreneurship in the energy sector should be viewed as a major potential contributor to the growth of the GDP, not a mere service in ensuring the energy supply for other sectors in the economy to grow.
*The development of Renewable Energy resources and services is a significant avenue of developing employment opportunities.
*The reduction of the drain on foreign exchange by eliminating the continued use of imported fossil fuels.
*In case of bioenergy the added advantage of multiple spin off benefits to the rural economy, with the added advantage of being a source of firm power, with no drain of foreign exchange
The challenge now is to ensure that the adherence to these principles is held as sacrosanct in the efforts to develop the larger solar and wind projects in the pipe line.
The Pitfalls to be avoided.
I am addressing these remarks on the Siyambaladuwa 100 MW solar project in particular, but similar consideration must be given for any other such solar and wind projects too.
The desire for the CEB to have large power plants in one location is acceptable from their point of view. However, both Wind and Solar Projects have the advantage that any size of project conceived however large, consists of a large number of solar panels currently reaching over 500 watts per panel and a discrete number of wind generators, which too have now reached capacities of 5 MW each. Therefore, the packaging of the number of individual units for a particular project is made purely on economic considerations.
What is important to realize is that such considerations must take into account, the principles outlined above to gain the greatest advantage to the country, which unfortunately seems to be glossed over by the planners, for various reasons. A holistic view in a national perspective would highlight the immense direct financial value and other economic and social benefits and energy security on one hand and the potential dangers in overlooking these on the other hand.
Let us look at the Siyanbaladuwa project as the example before any unwise decisions are made.
The project capacity – 100 MW installed
Targeted Grid Substation – Moneragala
Land Acquisition – Already made
Sri Lankan entrepreneurs and engineers have already proven their capacity of developing projects up to 10 MW. Therefore the logical policy should be to plan this project to be awarded to ten local entrepreneurs, to handle packages of 10 MW, properly structured and managed by the CEB, by National Competitive Bidding, so that the tariff would be in Sri Lanka rupee terms considering that we don’t have to pay for our sunshine. And there would be no drain on foreign exchange except for the initial one-time expenditure on import of the necessary equipment and a limited amount for any minimal spares imports only. The local entrepreneurs and the lending institutions and even the smaller investors in the stock exchange have shown their eagerness to contribute to this form of national venture. So, there is no validity in any argument on the availability of funds or the technical capabilities.
The alternative would be to invite foreign participation, usually couched in arguments of lack of adequate expertise, which as shown above are not tenable in the present situation, and the lure of so called ” Foreign Direct Investment ” and inward flow of Dollars at this critical juncture. But the question must be asked is, in how many such projects approved by the BOI, how much funds were sourced from the local banks limiting the credit available for the local entrepreneurs. The most blatant example is the Korean Investor in the Thulhiriya Textile Mill, who vanished leaving a multibillion loan unsettled for a local bank.
In the present situation the conditions are even worse. Let us assume that the investor would bring in the total capital required. Which may be assumed as US $ 100 Million for the 100 MW by one or more foreign investors. It is clear that they would have the advantage of the currently depleted cost of funds in the global market, which is not available for the local competitors in an open international tender. However, it is certain that the foreign investor in exchange would demand a Dollar Linked Tariff. Using an estimated final tariff of US $ 0.07/kWh, the following interesting numbers emerge.
(See image 1)
So against a dubious inflow of $ 100 Million we would be sending out 260 % , all of which other than the initial capital could have been retained in Sri Lanka. Moreover, with the ever depreciating rupee, this amount of dollar would be costing us much more in rupee terms. Let us be generous to assume that the a mere 3% depreciation of the rupee annually. Therefore this drain would amount to a colossal Rupees 75.8 Billions over the 20 year project life including cost of spares. .
Against this, for an initial foreign exchange cost of US $ 80,000,000 for a group of local companies the entire expenditure over the project period would be Initial capital on US$ . 80,000,000 plus the Import component of spares during project period @ 1.5 % of capital per year. If this is also adjusted @ 3% Depreciation per year the total foreign exchange drain is Rs 23.06 Billion only, against the Rs 75.8 Billion mentioned above.
These differences are illustrated in the chart below. (See images 1 and two)
This is the basis for my question in the title of this article. We will by spending in Dollars for the use of our own sunshine, which we could harness ourselves for a similar or lower cost in rupees and also ensure the much desired energy security and reduction of drain on foreign exchange.
The folly of a similar nature was permitted during the Mahaweli Project downstream development. The project packaging was done in a manner to exclude the local contractors and the awards were made to foreign companies. However, the actual work was done by local contractors on sub contracts very competently. But their experience still remains unaccepted for prequalification of the larger scale of projects. Many decades after, such monumental follies need not be repeated. We must not make the mistake of falling, during daytime, into the pit that we fell into at night, as the local saying goes.
Senior Vice President of the SLFP Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa says the continuing mismanagement of the affairs of the ruling coalition is causing turmoil.
The deepening crisis we are in should be examined against the breakdown in basic discussions at party level,” Prof. Piyadasa, told The Island, underscoring the urgent need to address the issues affecting the coalition.
Due to the absence of a proper dialogue among constituent parties of the SLPP, the government was moving in the wrong direction and conducting its affairs in a messy manner at the expense of political stability, Prof. Piyadasa said.
Prof. Piyadasa warned of dire consequences unless the SLPP took meaningful measures expeditiously to address the grievances of the constituent parties. Responding to another query,
Prof. Piyadasa emphasised that the SLPP shouldn’t treat constituent parties according to the number of seats each secured at the last parliamentary election in August 2020.
The SLFP with 14 seats, including one National List is the second largest party in the SLPP led coalition. The SLPP obtained 116 seats.
Appreciating an opportunity the SLFP recently had to make representations to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as regards problems experienced by the party, Prof. Piyadasa emphasized the need for a mechanism wherein all constituents could take up issues. Noting that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in spite of being the President, didn’t hold a position in the SLPP, Prof. Piyadasa urged the ruling party to take the constituent parties as well as the public into confidence.
Asked to explain, Prof. Piyadasa stressed the responsibility on the part of the government to acknowledge the precarious economic situation. The raging Covid-19 epidemic had caused a debilitating setback to the national economy, Prof. Piyadasa said, drawing attention of the government to take into consideration choking of key revenue sources-remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad, tourism and garment and other exports.
Wouldn’t it be better for the government to take the public into confidence and explain the financial crisis the country was experiencing? Prof. Piyadasa asked.
The academic questioned the rationale in some government spokespersons declaring that the national economy was on a sound footing. Such declarations sounded foolish against the backdrop of Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila warning of banking sector collapse and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa acknowledging the daunting challenge in settling annual foreign debt amounting to USD 4 bn.
Prof. Piyadasa said that the SLFP shouldn’t be expected to blindly throw its weight behind the SLPP. Pointing out that there hadn’t been consultations at party level after the 2019 and 2020 presidential and parliamentary polls, respectively,
Prof. Piyadasa called for a serious re-assessment of the overall coalition strategy.
Asked whether the SLFP was considering future options, Prof. Piyadasa said that party leader Maithripala Sirisena, MP was engaged in consultations with the party at district level. Referring to consultations, the former President had in Galle, Puttalam and Ratnapura, Prof. Piyadasa said that Kandy would be the next venue. At the grassroots level, both members and supporters believed the party shouldn’t hesitate to take a path of its own unless the SLPP changed its style of governance, Prof. Piyadasa said.
The academic however, acknowledged that some of those who represented the party in the government at a higher level felt the need for the continuation of the existing arrangement. But, district level consultations underscored the growing disenchantment among the electorate, the one-time SLFP General Secretary said.
In the run-up to 2019 presidential election, Prof. Piyadasa functioned as the Chairman of the SLFP as the then President Sirisena didn’t want to exercise powers as the leader of the party.
Prof. Piyadasa alleged that the SLPP caused quite a crisis by responding brashly to various situations. There couldn’t have been a better example than demanding Energy Minister Gammanpila to resign over the increase in the fuel prices. All of us were surprised over Minister Gammanpila being attacked over the unpopular decision taken by a committee chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa with the participation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who held the finance portfolio,” Prof. Piyadasa said.
The SLPP shouldn’t make the mistake of trying to intimidate and dominate constituent political parties, Prof. Piyadasa said. The SLFP backed the enactment of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution at the expense of the 19th Amendment though the party remained committed to abolishing of the executive presidential system.
Having informed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of his predicament, the SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena refrained from voting for the 20th as he was one of the architects of the 19th enacted in 2015, the SLFP senior Vice President said.
According to Prof. Piyadasa, the incumbent government deteriorated in a very short period as those in authority acted in an irresponsible and reckless manner.
Prof. Piyadasa said that the government was in a bind though an influential section seemed to be unable to recognize the ground situation.
Commenting on the growing controversy over the recent death of a 16-year-old domestic servant Ishalini as a result of an incident at the former minister Rishad Bathiudeen’s Bauddhaloka Mawatha residence, Prof. Piyadasa emphasized whoever in power would have to inquire into the real problems. Thousands of children wouldn’t have sought employment as domestic servants if their parents could provide for them, Prof. Piyadasa said, urging all political parties represented in parliament to address grievances of the community.
We are in such a desperate situation that no political party can take advantage of the deterioration of the national crisis,” Prof. Piyadasa said.
Colombo, August 4 (DailyMirror) – Sri Lanka is heading for its worst medical tsunami in the coming weeks as there is a risk that the Delta variant is spreading beyond control, leading medical experts told Daily Mirror yesterday.
Senior physicians at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic said that hospitals across the Western Province were filled to its brim and more than 2/3rd of the patients presently were oxygen-dependent.
At the Colombo General Hospital alone, all medical wards had been taken to treat COVID-19 patients and till last morning alone, there were 610 COVID positive patients at the National Hospital.
Initially per ward was equipped with four oxygen-equipped beds, which was later tripled to 12 beds per ward. However, with the influx of patients in recent weeks, these beds are also falling short.
We are struggling to give these patients oxygen not because we lack oxygen, but because we did not expect this much of patients. We were ready with oxygen beds, but this is beyond imagination,” a doctor said.
I foresee in near future we will have more patients who need oxygen and we will not be able to provide them with oxygen,” the doctor added.
Doctors involved in the battle say that with the present variant suspected to be Delta, in another month Sri Lanka may be headed for its worst medical disaster.
To date, the worst medical disaster Sri Lanka has recorded was when the malaria epidemic spread in 1934-1935, killing an estimated 80,000 people. At that time, one in every 20 people in Sri Lanka had died from the disease.
However, with Delta creating global havoc, doctors fear the COVID19 spread in the coming weeks will be worse than the malaria epidemic.
Colombo has been identified as the hotspot for the Delta variant with Professor in Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Neelika Malavige saying that following sequencing of selected samples in Colombo and suburbs, 20 to 30 per cent of the samples tested positive for the Delta variant by the second week of July. By the end of July, this increased to 75 per cent.
She told Daily Mirror that sequencing was now going on from elsewhere in the country as well but this will not reflect the actual situation.
Doctors believe that the sudden rise of patients in the Western Province is from the Delta but presently it is only the University of Sri Jayewardenepura that is equipped to carry out the sequencing of samples. The Health Ministry will soon begin this as well.
Doctors have added that those who have been vaccinated with only one dose are at a higher risk from the Delta variant, and have urged people to get their vaccinations as soon as possible. Presently, Sri Lanka’s record of vaccinating its citizens above the age of 30 is one of the best in the world, with the government confident of vaccinating the targeted population with at least the first dose by end of August.
However, doctors said that with the country now opening up, people from the other provinces who visit Colombo risk carrying the Delta variant back to those provinces which will cause a further disaster. But with Delta having already made its landfall here, doctors said the country will now have to go through the disaster. They have warned of more infected patients and more deaths caused by the virus in the coming weeks and months.
Medical experts have urged people to wear a tight-fitting mask, and avoid the loose ones, and avoid sitting together for meals inside closed spaces. In fact, they have suggested to not remove the mask in closed spaces and even to drink water, they should go out. People have also been urged to restrict their movements as much as possible (Jamila Husain).
August 4 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka paid a $1 billion bond last week, but the alarming state of its finances suggests it may have been just another step towards its first sovereign default.
All the tell-tale crisis signs are there: bonds at nearly half their face value, debt-to-GDP levels above 100%, over 80% of government revenues being spent on interest payments alone and barely enough reserves to cover a few months of spending.
Chances of the island nation soldiering on alone look slim, especially with COVID-19 keeping the tourism industry on its knees and limiting the remittances expats are sending back from overseas.
Reflecting the gravity of its plight, Colombo’s dollar-denominated government bonds are among the most distressed in the emerging market universe.
Yet last week’s bond payment underscored the strong desire of the government to honour its debt and avoid the ignominy of a first sovereign default.
It has also brought it some breathing room – the next major payment is not until January, when it must find $500 million.
But that is followed by a more hefty $1 billion in July and another $1 billion before the end of 2023. On top of an eyewatering fiscal deficit estimated to be around 11%, it could easily run out of rope.
We always felt this was potentially heading for a default,” Axa Investment Managers’ Sailesh Lad said. And in the next 12, 18, 24 months, if nothing changes, we think that is probably going to be the case.”
Most investors see an IMF programme as the only route out of trouble, but the likelihood it will require painful spending cuts means the government remains reluctant for now.
Instead, it appears to be favouring a muddle-through approach. It is leaning on foreign exchange swaps with China and India – which are both vying for influence in Sri Lanka – as well banking on an upcoming $800 million injection of IMF COVID crisis money.
In comments reported by local media last week, State Minister of Money and Capital Markets Ajith Nivard Cabraal said Sri Lanka would make repayments via careful management of its existing reserves, as well as expected inflows.
Cabraal also said that the drop in reserves, which has seen them halve to under $4 billion in the last 12 months, was temporary. He expects inflows of $2.65 billion over the next three months, in addition to a $1.5 billion currency swap with China, as well as the rollover of loans maturing in the rest of 2021.
Analysts are unconvinced, however.
We see the forecasted rise in reserves as overly optimistic,” said Esther Yong, Asia fixed income research at Julius Baer. The current measures undertaken are short-term in nature and not a panacea for its weak debt sustainability and external position.”
There’s also uncertainty about what strings might be attached to any swap deals and whether flows will materialise at all.
With its strategic geographic location and one of the deepest ports in the world, Sri Lanka has been an integral part of China’s Belt and Road plan, and Colombo hopes that will convince Beijing to provide more support.
China can lend enough money for them to muddle through, but … are they willing to throw good money after bad?,” said Carlos de Sousa, a manager of emerging market debt portfolios at Vontobel Asset Management.
My base case is no, especially because India doesn’t seem willing to play ball.”
An ominous sign for Sri Lanka is that the muddle-through approach is rarely a lasting fix in struggling emerging markets.
Goldman Sachs analysts point out that since 2010, only three of the 13 countries where bond ‘spreads’ spiked to distressed levels for several months managed to avoid a default.
And even if Sri Lanka does change tack and opt for an IMF help, the dire state of its finances mean a restructuring would almost certainly be required
Mathematically, it is very hard for it to continue the way it is going,” Mikhail Volodchenko, a colleague of Lad’s at Axa, said. For now it is plugging the hole and surviving.”
The government has not granted permission to import chemical fertilizers for local agricultural purposes and has not made any changes to the decision taken by the President to use only organic fertilizers for local agriculture and will not make any changes to this decision in the future as well, Presidential Media Division (PMD) said today.
The Cabinet has granted approval to the proposal made by the Minister of Agriculture on the 31st of May 2021, to import the plant nutrients which include natural chelated minerals and micro matter.
As the above natural chelated minerals and micro matter were already being imported under the HS Code, but currently prohibited by the Gazette Notification No. 2226/48, and in order to grant cabinet approval to the aforesaid Cabinet paper submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, the Gazette Notification No. 2226/48 was amended.
Therefore, in accordance with the Imports and Exports (Control) Regulations No. 11 of 2021 issued by the Minister of Finance on the 30th July 2021, only the following types of specialized fertilizers are allowed to be imported through the Department of Agriculture and other relevant institutions under a special licensing system. Only the organic fertilizers which are up to the International Organic Fertilizer Standards will be allowed to use for local agricultural purposes.
According to the census conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Department of National Botanic Gardens and other relevant government institutions, licenses have been issued for a period of six months under the direct supervision to the institutions registered for protected agriculture in greenhouses and for hydroponics, aeroponics and floriculture to import nitrogen minerals or chemical fertilizers and chelated minerals and nutrients.
The above licenses also permit packets of compound fertilizers containing the three plant nutrients, namely mineral or chemical nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or capsules containing a mixture of two of them or packets weighing 10kg or less containing such products.
All these fertilizers are allowed to be imported only by the relevant agencies as per the requirements or under special licenses issued only for limited quantities to suit those requirements.
In addition, nitrogen extracts (organic) and mineral potassium can be imported, which are not classified as chemical fertilizers.”The government must ensure the right of the people to a non – toxic diet to produce a healthy and productive citizenry.
By Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Courtesy The Diplomat
COVID-19, an economic crisis, and a majoritarian dynasty at the helm: Sri Lanka’s future hangs in the balance.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was swept into power with 6.9 million votes in November 2019 and subsequently saw his party’s control bolstered with a two-thirds majority in Parliament in the general election of August 2020. Yet by the summer of 2021, the popularity of the Rajapaksa presidency and regime is fast eroding. Social media in particular is rife with criticism of the president and his government, and there have been strikes in the health, education, administration, electricity, railways, and plantation sectors in recent months.
The management of the COVID-19 pandemic is one factor, although there is a prevailing belief that it could have been worse. The real issue is the economic repercussions of the pandemic in terms of the daily lives of Rajapaksa’s base constituency: the ability of people to provide their families three square meals a day, cover their medical expenses, and pay for their children’s education. In addition the government abruptly banned the import of chemical fertilizer, heralding a move toward organic agriculture. The manner in which this is being done has led to serious discontent within the farming community.
Overall, in economic terms, the key issues are the repayment of debt and the foreign exchange crisis. Reserves are at an alarming low, rating agencies have downgraded the economy considerably, and payments mount. Fitch Ratings, for example, estimates that the government will need $29 billion between now and 2026 to meet debt repayments. Currently foreign currency reserves are at $4 billion, sufficient for only 2.7 months of imports. The government nevertheless is adamant about not going to the International Monetary Fund for assistance.
Amid the deepening economic gloom, the government was keen to pass the Colombo Port City Commission Bill, which sought to set up a commission to regulate activity on land reclaimed from the sea by the Chinese. A substantial proportion of this land has been handed over to the Chinese on a 99-year lease.
The Colombo Port City project developments should be viewed in the context of the Rajapaksa regime’s further turn toward China. There were already close relations between the Chinese Communist Party and the ruling Sri Lanka People’s Front (SLPP). Now, via a string of foreign policy decisions, Sri Lanka is being drawn more and more into the Chinese orbit and into opposition with the interests of the Quad countries (the United States, India, Japan, and Australia).
The confrontationist orientation of Sri Lankan foreign policy, backstopped by the Chinese, has also resulted in a severe resolution on Sri Lanka in the U.N. Human Rights Council. The office of the High Commissioner is now tasked with setting up a unit to look at accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka.
The government stated that it has not made any changes to the decision taken by the President to use only organic fertilizers for local agriculture and there will be no changes to this decision in the future as well.
Issuing a statement, President’s Media Division stated that the government has not granted permission to import chemical fertilizers for local agricultural purposes either.
The Cabinet has granted approval to the proposal made by the Minister of Agriculture on the 31st of May 2021, to import the plant nutrients which include naturally chelated minerals and micro matter.
As the above naturally chelated minerals and micro matter were already being imported under the HS Code, but currently prohibited by the Gazette Notification No. 2226/48, and in order to grant cabinet approval to the aforesaid Cabinet paper submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, the Gazette Notification No. 2226/48 was amended.
Therefore, in accordance with the Imports and Exports (Control) Regulations No. 11 of 2021 issued by the Minister of Finance on the 30th July 2021, only the following types of specialized fertilizers are allowed to be imported through the Department of Agriculture and other relevant institutions under a special licensing system. Only the organic fertilizers which are up to the International Organic Fertilizer Standards will be allowed to use for local agricultural purposes.
According to the census conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Department of National Botanic Gardens, and other relevant government institutions, licenses have been issued for a period of six months under the direct supervision to the institutions registered for protected agriculture in greenhouses and for hydroponics, aeroponics, and floriculture to import nitrogen minerals or chemical fertilizers and chelated minerals and nutrients.
The above licenses also permit packets of compound fertilizers containing the three plant nutrients, namely mineral or chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, or capsules containing a mixture of two of them or packets weighing 10kg or less containing such products.
All these fertilizers are allowed to be imported only by the relevant agencies as per the requirements or under special licenses issued only for limited quantities to suit those requirements.
In addition, nitrogen extracts (organic) and mineral potassium can be imported, which are not classified as chemical fertilizers.
The government must ensure the right of the people to a non – toxic diet to produce a healthy and productive citizenry. The production of organic fertilizers should be accelerated to use only organic fertilizer for agriculture in Sri Lanka in the next decade,” is the pledge made in the National Police Framework ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour.’
The Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry reports that another 823 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, moving the daily total of new cases to 2,543.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country to 318,755.
As many as 284,524 recoveries have been confirmed in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The Epidemiology Unit’s data showed that 29,586 active cases are currently under medical care.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has registered 82 more COVID-19 related fatalities on Tuesday (August 03).
The new development has pushed the official death toll from the virus outbreak in Sri Lanka to 4,727.
This is currently the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths reported in a single day.
Sri Lanka has reversed an import ban on fertiliser after farmer protests, forecasts of severe food shortages and worries about the island’s crucial tea exports
Sri Lanka lifted a ban on chemical fertiliser imports Tuesday after farmer protests, forecasts of severe food shortages and worries about the island’s crucial tea exports.
Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa issued regulations replacing the ban with an import licensing scheme which goes into effect immediately.
Fertilisers were added earlier this year to a list of banned imports that includes vehicles and luxury goods in response to an acute shortage in Sri Lanka’s foreign currency reserves.
But farmers staged protests after reporting failing vegetable crops as existing stocks of fertilisers and herbicides began to run out.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had said the ban would help Sri Lankan agriculture become “100-percent organic”.
This was despite a report to the president by a group of experts who warned of “substantial crop losses which in turn would seriously affect the country’s economy as well as result in food shortages”.
In July there was a sharp decline in Sri Lanka’s tea crop, its main export commodity, and growers expect a major impact on the $1.25-billion industry will be felt by the end of the year.
Tea plantation executive Sanath Gurunada, who manages both organic and inorganic tea plantations in Ratnapura, said the impact of the fertiliser shortage after the import ban was already showing in his crops.
“If the ban continues, the crop will start to crash by October and we will see exports seriously affected by November, December,” Gurunada told AFP at his Hidellana tea factory over the weekend.
He said his plantation maintained an organic section as part of a tourism project, but it was not viable on its own.
Organic tea costs over 10 times more to produce and the market for it was limited, Gurunada said.
There was no immediate comment from President Rajapaksa’s office over the government’s U-turn.
Only last week Rajapaksa told a recent preparatory meeting for the UN Food Systems Summit in Rome that he hoped other countries would be inspired by his “bold approach to organic agriculture.”
Why is that the
citizens are expected to stand in mile long queues whiel waiting for the
vaccination? Aren’t we civilized enough to have better system for these people.
Specially since the army, well trained in discipline is supervising the project
and most fo the people standing in the hot sun, and moving at snail pace are
our senior citizens?
I went for my
second injection at Werahara Army hospital. I found the arrangement very well
planned and executed methodically, by ample number of army officers attending,
except that – the people were standing in a queue in hot sun, while there
were many tents put up which were not utilized and there were many chairs which
were not utilized at all.
We often see
queues of people. old and young, sick or with walkers, standing for miles and
miles, waiting for this jab, and no one seems to mind or think better.
Why not follow
a system where –
1.
People are given numbers as they come and asked to sit down on chairs
under the tents
2.
If they are to be informed by SMS, give them a particular time to come
in batches.
3.
Allow people to send someone and get a number for a particular time
according to their convenience
4.
Once they are seated, call them one by one by the numbers and give the
injections.
5.
People should not be asked to walk far soon after the injection to reach
the observation tent. They may have a reaction on the way to the tent. Ideally
the observation tent must be close ot the injection site.
We are living in this 21st
century and we are still behaving like cattle, uneducated, uncivilized people
and the worst thing is, We, the citizens just take it without thinking or
protesting.
When I pointed out this to the officers at Werahara, they
said, Good idea but still carried on the same way letting old people to stand
in queues for a long distance and move at snail’s pace.-
Colombo, August 3 (NewsWire) – 129 Vaccination Centers will be open today for the AstraZeneca 02nd dose administration and 257 Vaccination Centers will be open for other vaccines.
Colombo, August 3 (News 1st) – The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) of Sri Lanka received eight (08) BeachTech Hydro Sweepy beach cleaning machinery worth about US$180,000, donated by Singapore-based global non-profit, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance).
The donation was formally handed over by Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage to State Minister of Coast Conservation & Low-Lying Lands Development Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva, and Chairperson of Marine Environment Protection Authority Dharshani Lahandapura on Monday (02).
BeachTech Hydro Sweepy beach cleaning machines manufactured by Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG, a company in Germany, are capable of effectively and efficiently cleaning up the plastic nurdles and other types of waste.
Another advantage of the machine is that beach clean-up can be done in a safe manner minimizing the human contact with hazardous materials.
These machines are expected to help with the clean-up of plastic waste from the ship X-Press Pearl, which sank off Sri Lanka’s West Coast in May 2021 causing significant environmental damage.
The donation was coordinated by the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore.
The Alliance reached out to the High Commission in June this year as it is a Global Non- Profit that focuses on ending plastic waste in the environment globally and were concerned about the impact of plastic pellets from the X-Press Pearl incident and its possible impact on the marine environment.
The initial discussions on assistance from the Alliance was held virtually with the participation of High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore Sashikala Premawardhane, Director General/ Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change of the Foreign Ministry Hasanthi Dissanayake, the General Manager of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara, and Alliance representatives Vice President of Projects Nicholas Kolesch, Head of Outreach and Education Kim Stengert, and Head, Government and Public Affairs Ravi Alfreds.
The coordination effort of getting the machines to Sri Lanka involved officials from the Sri Lanka High Commission in Singapore, Sri Lanka Consulate General in Frankfurt, Foreign Ministry, MEPA and SriLankan Airlines.
Chairman SriLankan Airlines Ashok Pathirage agreed to transport the machinery from Frankfurt to Colombo on gratis basis and Regional Manager Sri Lankan Airlines Mohan Meegolle supported by coordinating the arrangements of the airlift.
Chairperson/MEPA Dharshani Lahandapura and her team facilitated both the initial discussions and the processes involved in donating of the equipment.
The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore extended its appreciation to President and CEO Jacob Duer and the team from the Alliance for offering assistance towards Sri Lanka’s beach clean-up efforts with the donation of BeachTech Sweepy machines and looks forward to working with the The Alliance to End Plastic Waste”, in furthering partnerships and building networks to protect the marine environment of the country.
Soon after the UAE authorities announced that eligible passengers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other countries will be allowed to travel to/through the UAE from Aug.5, Dubai’s flagship airline Emirates has issued the list of 11 countries from where the stranded residents can return or transit.
The airline said, “The UAE authorities have announced that effective August 5, 2021, eligible travellers from the countries below will be allowed to travel to/through the UAE.”
• India
• Pakistan
• Sri Lanka
• Nigeria
• Uganda
• Nepal (Operated by flydubai)
Eligible customers will only be allowed to transit through UAE from the countries below:
• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Indonesia
• South Africa
• Vietnam
• Zambia
Earlier, the General Civil Aviation Authority and the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said that new categories of travellers from the countries from which entry was prohibited, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Nigeria and Uganda, will be allowed to enter the country as of Aug.5, 2021,
Holders of valid residency who received full vaccination in the UAE and 14 days have passed since receiving the second dose and carrying vaccination certificates approved by the official authorities in the country will be allowed to enter from those countries.
The authorities also announced prior approval from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) is mandatory for the residents wishing to come back to the UAE. Emirates
