In a statement, the the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has said the government is ready to engage with the US administration at the earliest opportunity to explore ways to manage the trade balance in a fair manner.

The statement also reaffirms the government’s strong commitment to deepening economic ties with the US, a longstanding friend and trusted trading partner.

The full announcement is below.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new set of reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday (April 02), arguing that they would allow the United States to succeed.

Under the tariffs, Sri Lanka was slapped with 44% tariffs which will be a significant blow as 25% of Sri Lanka’s exports are sent to the US.

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The National Police Commission (NPC) has stated that the authority granted to the Acting Inspector General (IGP) to transfer police OICs has been removed.

NPC also states that the decision was taken because the Acting IGP has violated the powers of the Police Commission and various provisions of the transfer policy.

It has now been revealed that the Bingiriya Police OIC was transferred on March 25th without informing the NPC and the Election Commission.

This incident has caused a great deal of controversy in the country and therefore the powers granted to the Acting IGP have been removed, according to the NPC.

Meanwhile, the NPC stated that the transfer of the Bingiriya Police OIC has been immediately cancelled.

When an urgent and special need arises to remove an OIC, the Acting IGP was empowered to remove him, appoint a suitable officer and inform the Chairman of the Police Commission about it.

However, the NPC says that the Acting IGP has violated the powers and transfer policy of the National Police Commission by not following the said procedure.

The NPC further states that it unanimously decided to revoke the general decision as it could create a very problematic situation by allowing the Acting IGP to continue to act in accordance with the general decision.

Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Peradeniya Prof. Wasantha Athukorala has revealed that tuition class teachers in Sri Lanka collectively earn Rs.210 billion annually.

The data, based on a recent survey, excludes income from private or small-group classes conducted in urban areas. Prof. Athukorala revealed that tuition masters earn an estimated Rs.35 billion from students in Grades 3 to 5, Rs.94 billion from O/L students, and Rs.80 billion from A/L students.

He also raised concerns about classes being held as late as midnight, warning of their detrimental impact on children’s mental and physical health. Additionally, he pointed out that this massive revenue stream remains outside any taxation framework.