News

President’s Secretary refutes EC’s call to halt development programs

Published

9 months ago

July 30, 2024

editor

President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake has informed the Chairman of the Election Commission R. M. L. Ratnayake that since the various development and welfare programmes implemented by the Government are not illegal activities, it is not possible to issue written orders and instructions to government officials to stop those programmes.

This is in response to a letter sent by the Election Commission Chairman to the President’s Secretary noting as the Presidential Election will be held soon, complaints have been received from many parties that party and candidate promotions are being carried through development programmes in the country and all institutions should be requested to stop this illegal practice which is being done in violation of the directives issued by the Election Commission.

In that letter, the President’s Secretary has recalled that two years ago, the country was economically bankrupt and the then government was not able to meet the basic needs of the people and the situation was such that there was no conducive atmosphere either to discuss or hold elections.

The President’s Secretary points out that although the economy has reached a stable state through the economic reform programme implemented together with the IMF, according to the data of the Department of Census and Statistics, one out of every six Sri Lankans is suffering from multidimensional poverty and an agreement has been reached with the IMF to bring them to a full economic recovery and for this purpose it is essential to continue the development programmes and meet revenue targets.

The President’s Secretary emphasises that if there is any obstacle to the programme, the country’s economy will collapse again and it will be inevitable that the country will go into a severe economic crisis. It has also been mentioned that the Government has no intention of making the low-income earners who have been living in the grip of the economic crisis even more miserable.

The President’s Secretary has also stated that he is not able to give written orders and instructions to the government officials to stop the development and welfare programmes as requested since he is not able to interpret the various development and welfare programmes implemented by the government as illegal actions as stated in the letter of the Chairman of the Election Commission.

President’s Secretary Ekanayake has also mentioned in his letter that it is appropriate to give space to all the relevant parties to present their facts while dealing with the complaints received by the Election Commission.

He has also said during the Presidential Election period, the Election Commission should pay due attention to the economy of the country and the living conditions of the low-income people and to the Articles 104b(4a)(a) and 104b(4a)(b) of the Constitution when issuing guidelines to public institutions and officials.

dailynews.lk
(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

News

SLIMFA Media Fest inaugurated (Pics)

Published

4 hours ago

April 26, 2025

editor

Acting High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka – Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, and Minister of Mass Media and Health – Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, jointly inaugurated the first-ever Media Fest organized by the Sri Lanka-India Media Friendship Association (SLIMFA) today at Taj Samudra, Colombo.

Under the theme ‘Navigating the New Media Landscape Together,’ the two-day Media Fest from 25-26 April 2025 will explore contemporary media trends and innovations. Key focus areas include AI in journalism, mobile journalism, media monetisation, data journalism, disinformation and fact-checking, content creation and audio journalism. As the first-of-its-kind in Sri Lanka, it will feature keynotes, panel discussions, breakout sessions and networking opportunities.

The event provides a unique platform for professional development and for fostering collaboration between media professionals from India and Sri Lanka. Experts from India including Ms. Palki Sharma, Managing Editor at Firstpost; Mr. Siddhant Sibal, Assistant Foreign Affairs Editor at WION;Mr. Shailesh Shekhar, Chief Synergy Officer at India Todayand Mr. L.V. Krishnan, CEO of TAM Media Research in collaboration with experts from Sri Lanka will exchange and discuss best practices with the registered participants from the media and business community locally.

SLIMFA, inaugurated in May 2024, under the patronage of the High Commission of India, Colombo is aimed at strengthening media ties between the two countries. Since its inception, the Association has conducted multiple initiatives, including panel discussions and roundtables, focusing on key media-related topics. It is a significant initiative to further bolster the people-to-people connection between the two civilisational twins.

News

Ratnayakes conquer Tri-Nation final

Published

4 hours ago

April 26, 2025

editor

Sri Lanka ‘A’ secured a dominant victory over Ireland ‘A’ to clinch the title in their Tri-Nation Cricket final played at Abu Dhabi yesterday (April 25).

Batting first, Ireland ‘A’ were bowled out for just 200 runs in 47.3 overs.

In reply, Sri Lanka ‘A’ were in dire straits losing half of the side for just 43 runs. However, Pavan Rathnayake and Milan Rathnayake salvaged the innings, adding a match-winning unbeaten partnership worth 160 runs for the 6th wicket, sealing victory with 15.3 overs to spare.

Pavan scored 77 runs off 76 balls with 09 fours and 02 sixes while Milan hit 77 runs off 83 balls with 09 fours and 02 sixes.

Milan Rathnayake was named Player of the Final for his all-round performance, having also claimed 3 wickets for just 24 runs in the Irish innings.

Tharindu Rathnayake also stood out, taking 04 wickets for 33 runs in a key performance.

It is singular that all three Rathnayake players – Milan, Pawan, and Tharindu -were key contributors towards SL ‘A’s victory.

The team was captained by Sadeera Samarawickrama, with Avishka Gunawardene serving as head coach.

(Special reporter from Abu Dhabi ;

Sponsored by: Sri Lankan Airlines)

News

Proposal to directly import 110 medicines

Published

5 hours ago

April 26, 2025

editor

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has reportedly decided to directly procure around 110 types of medicines after discussions with governments of 07 foreign countries.

A special round of discussions regarding this has been reportedly held with diplomatic missions, involving both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the MoH, embassy officials from countries including India, Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh had joined the discussion.

However, it is reported that some of these medicines already have registered suppliers in Sri Lanka. But the MoH had taken the above decision after finding that these suppliers had not participated in recent Tenders for the medicines.

However, the suppliers claim that inefficiencies in the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation Tender boards had caused this issue.

They further point out that nearly a 1,000 Tender processes are stuck in the pipeline.

A recent review meeting chaired by Director General of Health Services – Dr. Asela Gunawardena on April 24 had also discussed the medicine shortage issue.

It was revealed that nearly 200 types of medicines are currently in short supply.

Additionally, it was revealed that the SPC has not signed contracts for about 85 medicines. Although the SPC has completed procurement for 42 medicines, it has not issued Letters of Credit (LCs).

Although concerns have also been raised in Parliament, no concrete action has been taken so far.

Meanwhile, the Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights has highlighted shortages of items like intraocular lenses, heart catheters, and stents in hospitals.

Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa – President of the alliance, had stated that due to the shortage of catheters and stents needed for heart angiograms, patients are being forced to purchase them outside of hospital at a much higher cost.

(Source: Aruna)

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