The first shipment of 20,000 MT of salt from India is expected to arrive next week, according to Lanka Salt Ltd. Chairman – T. Nandana Thilaka.
He stated that this shipment will help end the ongoing salt shortage, ensuring consumers can buy salt from the market without difficulty.
The Chairman added that part of the salt ordered by National Salt Ltd. has already been acquired by the company and is being distributed locally to meet demand.
He stated that recent rains have disrupted the salt harvest in Hambantota and other salterns.
However, with the arrival of the Indian shipment, he plans to sporadically release salt to the market starting next week.
Chairman D. Nandana Thilaka stated that yesterday (May 14), Lanka Salt Ltd. issued 100,000 packets of 400g table salt to Lanka Sathosa, and another 100,000 packets will be issued today (May 15).
SriLankan Airlines has dispatched a special relief flight – UL 302 from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to Medan International Airport on the Indonesian island of Sumatra to transport 101 passengers and crew members of SriLankan Airlines flight UL 306, which was grounded due to a technical fault.Singapore-bound SriLankan Airlines flight UL 306, which departed from BIA in Katunayake for Singapore last evening (June 05), had made an emergency landing at Medan Kuala Namu International Airport due to a technical issue.
Following an inspection by an Indonesian technical team, it was determined that the necessary repairs would require additional time. Therefore, SriLankan Airlines decided to accommodate the passengers in hotels.
Although a complication had initially arisen when Indonesian authorities initially declined to grant permission for hotel transfers, it was later resolved through the intervention of the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Indonesia.
Meanwhile, a technical team from Sri Lanka had departed for Indonesia on a flight bound for Jakarta this morning (June 06) to further inspect the grounded aircraft.
Minister of Trade – Wasantha Samarasinghe has warned that the government will be forced to introduce a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for salt by this week, if importers attempt to sell imported salt at higher prices.
Speaking at a media briefing, he said that a kilo of imported salt will cost Rs. 77, along with the 40% tax imposed by the government.
“Let’s say it has been priced at Rs. 80 a kilo. Then, wholesale traders are allowed to keep a profit of Rs. 10, 20, or 30. But not beyond this margin. However, if importers are trying to use this shortage to create a racket, then I would like to warn them not to engage in such activities. We will be forced to impose a Maximum Retail Price if this continues,” he added.
CEAT OHT Lanka (Pvt) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of CEAT Limited, India, has reassured employees that their jobs are secure following the acquisition of the CAMSO brand’s off-highway construction equipment bias tyre and tracks business from Michelin Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.
The holding company, CEAT Ltd. of Mumbai, India, announced in December 2024 that a definitive agreement had been signed for the acquisition. This includes the Midigama plant. the Casting Product Division in Kotugoda and some parts of other divisions providing central services.
To formalize the transition, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on May 22, 2025, between CEAT OHT Lanka, Michelin Lanka, and the Inter Company Employees Union.
The agreement guarantees 100% job security, preservation of past service, seniority, remuneration, and employee benefits.
However, employees of Michelin Lanka in Midigama, Matara, recently protested claiming that their jobs were at risk due to the sale.
CEAT, operating in over 120 countries, emphasized its commitment to employee welfare and workplace satisfaction, affirming it will honor all obligations under the agreement and actively invest in business growth.
CEAT, listed on the Mumbai Stock Exchange and part of the RPG Group, is a leading manufacturer of tyres for cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, and off-highway vehicles.
CEAT had previously acquired Kelani Tyres, a fully state-owned enterprise in 1993, which was considered as a controversial deal facilitated by Ranil Wickremesinghe.
