Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna General Secretary – Sagara Kariyawasam says that the party might consider President Ranil Wickremesinghe as their presidential candidate if the latter resigns from the United National Party (UNP) and joins the SLPP instead.

He had said this to the media after a discussion at the SLPP headquarters

Kariyawasam further stated, “For the next presidential election, we are yet to name a specific candidate. We will nominate the right candidate at the right time.”

Yesterday (July 02), the Foreign Ministers of Japan and Sri Lanka Kamikawa Yoko and Ali Sabry, signed the Exchange of Notes for Human Resource Development Scholarship (known as JDS) in Tokyo during his official visit to Japan, marking a new milestone for JDS in Sri Lanka.

Through the Exchange of Notes, the Government of Japan has provided a grant aid worth approximately Rs.578 million (304 million Japanese Yen) for this project. This project aims to train young promising administrative officers in the public sector at various universities in Japan and develop their knowledge and skills in order to qualify them as future national leaders in their respective fields. Under the project, 17 public sector officials will be sent to pursue a 2 to 3 year Master’s or PhD degree programs commencing in 2025. Their research areas include Public Policy, Macroeconomics, Public Finance and Investment Management, Industry Development Policy and Investment Promotion, and Urban and Regional Development.

Since its inception in 2010, JDS project has supported 222 public sector officials from Sri Lanka. The project will contribute not only to enhancing individual capacities but also to improving institutional capacity of the public sector, thereby supporting healthy and sustainable development of Sri Lanka. We sincerely hope that JDS fellows will play indispensable roles in navigating Sri Lanka’s administration towards full-scale economic growth that we all anticipate coming following the recent agreement on the debt restructuring with the official creditors.

‘JDS fellows are also expected to further solidify the foundations of the bilateral relations with Japan as a bridge between both countries by utilizing their human network developed through academic and social activities while in Japan. In this regard, we welcome the launch of the JDS Alumni Association by the JDS returnees in March this year. We have high hopes for the JDS Alumni Association to facilitate the sharing of knowledge they gained in Japan and encourage collaboration among relevant ministries and agencies, thereby promoting ingenuity in overcoming various difficulties and in ultimately achieving Sri Lanka’s prosperous development. We also hope that the JDS Alumni Association will serve as a vital hub for strengthening our bilateral relations,’ a statement issued by the Japanese embassy in Sri Lanka notes.

It adds that with the signing of the Exchange of Note, the commitment to JDS is renewed with the hope of energizing and solidifying the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Customs Spokesman Seevali Arukgoda has said the clearance of imported goods has been delayed due to the work-to-rule campaign launched by Customs officials yesterday (July 02).

The TU action was launched against amendments to be brought to the Customs Ordinance.

President of the Customs Officers’ Association Amila Sanjeewa said the trade union members will strike on Thursday (04) and Friday (05) against the proposed Revenue Authority Bill.