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Submit all ‘Aswesuma’ appeals before July 10 – Shehan

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State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe advised all applicants whose names were not included in the list of ‘Aswesuma’ beneficiaries to file appeals before July 10; following the close of the appeal process, a final list of deserving applicants will be compiled.

Minister of State for Finance Mr. Shehan Semasinghe mentioned this while joining the press conference held at the Presidential Media Center (PMC) today (27) on the ‘Aswesuma’ social welfare benefits program.

The State Minister pointed out that this problematic situation has arisen as certain parties attempt to satisfy their political needs by giving the ‘Aswasuma’ program, which was created to aid those in need of economic stability, a political façade. The list of names that has been made public is by no means the final list, the State Minister emphasized.

State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe further said;

As a nation, we had to endure a massive economic depression in the recent past. As a main part of recovering the country from that situation, the ‘Aswesuma’ social welfare benefit program was initiated with the aim of providing the necessary contribution to the people who need economic stability, while protecting the poor and vulnerable groups of the population.

In general, there has always been a tendency in our country to rely on those benefits rather than empowering those who sign up for social welfare programs and boosting the economy. However, it must be noted that this program is one that goes above and beyond that.

The relevant candidates were selected in accordance with the Welfare Benefits Act No. 24 of 2001. The selection of these deserving candidates was done under six sections and related indicators. According to this, a list of the eligible beneficiaries was drafted. However, it should be noted that it is not the final list.

I ask any individual or family who believes they should be eligible for this benefit but whose name is not included in the list that has been published so far, to submit an appeal to the appropriate Divisional Secretariat Offices within the allotted time frame. Additionally, enquiries can be made if it contains the name of an ineligible person.

We request the people not to panic as a result of yielding to political instigation or external influences and not to join the agitation actions to fulfill the interests of certain political groups. Also, I request everyone to work accordingly with the system implemented by the Government.

However, we expect to prepare the final list of social welfare benefits candidates after the appeal period ends. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has advised us to prevent any injustice towards the ‘Aswesuma’ beneficiaries.

Among these, the list of beneficiaries receiving differently-abled, elderly, and kidney support allowances is also expected to be released in the near future.

(President’s Media Division)

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UK’s relaxed trade rules to boost SL exports

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The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has unveiled a package of reforms to simplify imports from developing countries like Sri Lanka after upgrades to the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).

The changes, announced as part of the UK’s wider Trade for Development offer, aim to support economic growth in partner countries, including Sri Lanka, while helping UK businesses and consumers access high-quality, affordable goods.

New measures include simplifying rules of origin, enabling more goods from countries such as Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the Philippines can enter the UK tariff-free, even when using components from across Asia and Africa.

These changes are expected to be in place by early 2026.

This move strengthens Sri Lanka’s position in its second-largest apparel market, supporting exports, jobs, and economic growth.

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick, said: “This is a win for the Sri Lankan garment sector, and for UK consumers. With the UK being the second largest export market and garments making up over 60% of that trade, we know manufacturers here will welcome this announcement.

“We want Sri Lanka to improve the utilisation of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme for a wider range of goods, not just garments. With the Sri Lankan government’s ambition to grow exports, and with the simplification of rules of origin for other sectors too, we strongly encourage more exporters to explore how they can benefit from the preferences offered by the DCTS. The UK remains committed to working towards creating shared prosperity for both our countries.”

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Pakistan police arrest 149 including 2 Lankans in ‘scam call centre’ raid

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Pakistan police have arrested 149 people in a raid on a scam call centre, the country’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said on Thursday.

The agency told the BBC it acted after a tip-off about the network, which was operating in the city of Faisalabad.

It said the centre was involved in Ponzi schemes and tricked people into handing over vast sums of money in the name of fake investments.

Those arrested included 78 Pakistanis, 48 Chinese nationals, eight Nigerians, four Filipinos, two Sri Lankans, six Bangladeshis, two Myanmar nationals and one Zimbabwean national.
Eighteen of the 149 were women, the agency added.

A copy of a police report said victims of the alleged scam would initially receive a small return on their first investments, before being persuaded to hand over larger sums of money.

“The charged individuals ran WhatsApp groups where they lured ordinary people by assigning small investment tasks like subscribing to different TikTok and YouTube channels,” the agency said.

“Later, they shifted them to Telegram links for further online tasks requiring larger investments.”

Pakistani citizen Muhammad Sajid told BBC Urdu that he was added to a Telegram channel with tens of thousands of members and was impressed by the company’s work. He said he gave them more than 3.138 million rupees ($36,600) in various instalments.

The raid, which took place on Tuesday, saw authorities seize hundreds of computers, servers, cryptocurrency exchanges and foreign SIM cards from the site.

On Wednesday, 149 suspects appeared in court, 87 of whom were handed over to the NCCIA on a five-day physical remand.

A further 62 suspects have been transferred to the district jail on judicial remand until 23 July.

The agency said the raid was at the residence of Malik Tehseen Awan, the former head of Faisalabad’s power grid, who has not been arrested.

(BBC News)

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Milk tea price upped by Rs. 10

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The All Island Canteen and Restaurant Owners’ Association has announced a Rs. 10 increase in the price of a cup of milk tea.

Association President Harshana Rukshan stated that the decision was made in response to the recent rise in the price of imported milk powder.

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