News

English compulsory when recruiting teachers: President

Published

1 month ago

April 26, 2023

editor

Steps will be taken to provide English education in every school within the next 10 years and to make English compulsory when recruiting teachers, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

The President made these remarks while joining the ‘Rahal Siyawas Prathapa’ centenary celebrations held at the school premises yesterday (25).

The President said new subjects, such as climate change and history should be introduced. He also emphasized the importance of science, art, literature, and geography.

“Every student must study a science subject and an art subject.We are currently working to connect all A/L to the internet, and we plan to extend this to the O/L schools as well,” he said.

Addressing the gathering, President Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of education for the future of the country and stated that the government’s programme to build a developed Sri Lanka by 2048 gives special attention to education.

The government’s aspiration is to create a new education system in the country by 2035, and the government is ready to spend to modernize education in the future, he said.

News

CMC’s receivable income exceeds Rs.6,200mn in 2022!

Published

2 hours ago

June 9, 2023

editor

The receivable income of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) for the year 2022 was Rs.6,280.50 million, it was revealed during the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) meeting.

This was revealed when the COPA met in Parliament on June 06 under the chairmanship of State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna to examine the Auditor General’s reports and current performance of the Colombo Municipal Council for the years 2020/2021.

The CMC’s total receivable income of the year 2021 is Rs.5,835.6 million, Rs.5,386.4 million in 2022 and Rs.4,481.5 million in 2019. It was found that these arrears are in the form of assessment tax, rent and other taxes.

Accordingly, the officials who were present pointed out that they are making arrangements to acquire the properties where the taxes are in arrears.

They said that there are issues related to the identification of the owners of certain properties, and that there is also a shortage of CMC officials available to look into these matters.

The COPA member MPs pointed out that assessment numbers have been given for unauthorized constructions as well.

Accordingly, the committee recommended that a programme should be prepared with specific dates to recover the arrears and a full report should be submitted to the COPA by July 06, 2023.

It was also revealed that the private companies contracted to collect parking fees have continued to default on the monthly rent due to the CMC and the amount of arrears to be collected from 38 companies as at December 31, 2021, was Rs. 265 million.

BIZ

Parliament SOC recommends not to privatise SLT

Published

2 hours ago

June 9, 2023

editor

The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security has said that it does not recommend the privatisation of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT).

This was stated in a report issued by the SOC on National Security headed by MP Sarath Weerasekera.

The report said that matters sensitive to national security can be exposed through the privatisation of SLT.

News

Fonseka resigns from SOC on National Security

Published

2 hours ago

June 9, 2023

editor

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka has resigned from the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security, Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakshe announced in Parliament today (09).

He said MP Rauff Hakeem has been appointed to the vacant position instead.