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Imported vehicles must be registered within 90 days – MoF

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During a recent meeting of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF),  officials representing the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development have stated that vehicle imports have been allowed under certain conditions. 

These conditions have been imposed pertaining to importation of vehicles in view of encouraging the revival of normal economic activities and safeguarding the economic stability of the country, while taking into account protecting foreign exchange reserves, discouraging the importation of an excess number of vehicles and keeping away unnecessary stocks of motor vehicles. 

Accordingly, vehicles that have been granted permission to be imported into Sri Lanka must be registered within 90 days. Moreover, if 25% of the total number of vehicles imported by any importer in particular is not registered within 6 months, consensus of importation will be suspended, the officials said. A 3% fine will also be imposed on unregistered vehicles, subject to a maximum of 45%.
These details were disclosed during a CoPF meeting held on March 04 Chaired by Dr. Harsha de Silva. The MP took into consideration the Gazette Extraordinary Nos. 2421/ 04 and 2421/44 published under the Regulation under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, No. 1 of 1969.

The Ministry officials stated that if anyone wished to import vehicles on a personal capacity only one vehicle can be imported whilst a trader does not have such condition.

The Committee also took into discussion regarding an appeal for policy support to safeguard Sri Lanka’s domestic electric vehicle industry. Officials stated that the proposed waiver of CID and surcharge for local manufactures using bonding facilities to manufacture vehicles could be considered favorably going forward.

The Committee also took into consideration the Commercial Hub Regulation under the Finance Act, No. 12 of 2012 and approved the said Regulation. This Regulation was issued to release an additional 9000 MT of LP Gas to the Local market through LAUGFS Gas PLC within a period of 3 months until February 21, 2025 subject to specific conditions.

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Passengers jump from plane’s wing after fire alert on Spain flight, triggers panic

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Wildfires have broken out on an island and in towns near Athens in Greece, with blazes also being sparked in Turkey and Syria.

The Hellenic Fire Service and local authorities said that two villages – Tsakeoi and Limnionas – had been evacuated on the island of Evia after the blaze started late on Friday.

One fire service official said more than 160 firefighters, 46 trucks and five aircraft were deployed in southern Evia to put out the fire.

Southern Evia, to the east of Athens, was one of several regions in Greece placed on high alert for wildfires over gale-force winds forecast for today.

Images from Koropi, a town to the southwest of Athens, also show houses burnt down and helicopters dropping water on burning forests.

It marks the latest wildfires to break out in Greece – where blazes are common during the summer – as it tackles strong winds and dry conditions amid an early summer heatwave in southern Europe.

Officials have linked the conditions to at least nine deaths across the continent.

A wildfire broke out in Achlia on the island of Crete on Wednesday, forcing thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate – with some taken to a nearby basketball arena and hotels in safer parts of the island.

The fire service official told Reuters on Friday that the fire in Crete was largely contained.

Meanwhile, blazes have also broken out on Turkey’s west coast – the latest in a series of blazes which started in late June – as well as its southerly neighbour Syria.

At least five fires have been reported in Izmir after extreme heat, strong winds and low humidity. Two people have been killed by the blazes, while tens of thousands have been evacuated.

Fires also flared on both sides of the Turkish-Syrian border on Friday, with a new blaze reported near the town of Dortyol in Turkey’s border province of Hatay.

According to Syria’s Civil Defence, wildfires have spread across large parts of mountainous areas in the Latakia province.

The government department added that conditions have hampered efforts to bring the fire under control, and noted unexploded ordnance could be in some of the areas affected.

Source: SKY NEWS

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CBSL extends Perpetual Treasuries suspension for six months

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The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has decided to extend the suspension of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) from carrying on the business and activities of a Primary Dealer for a further period of six months.

The extension is with effect from 4.30 p.m. on 05th July 2025, in order to continue the investigations being conducted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The suspension has been extended by CBSL acting in terms of the Regulations made under the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance.

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Kataragama Basnayake Nilame pressured over complaint against Kapuwas’ donation misuse

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It has been reported that Dishan Wickramaratne Gunasekara – the Basnayake Nilame of the historic Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, is facing pressure including from several parties including political circles to withdraw his complaint lodged against the custodians (Kapu Mahattaya) of the devalaya.

The issue had arisen after it was discovered that some custodians were collecting money into their own tills instead of allowing them to be deposited in the official donation box.

Public discussion about the transparency of the temple’s donations intensified after the Basnayake Nilame had begun using a portion of the funds for community projects like hospital construction.

Traditionally, devotees often handed donations directly to the custodians, but the Basnayake Nilame had urged the public via media to place offerings only in the official donation box managed by the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.

He subsequently arranged a proper audit of all such donations for the first time.

In response, some custodians had reportedly begun pressuring devotees near the official box to hand over donations to them instead.

Upon learning of this, the Basnayake Nilame had lodged a complaint with the Kataragama Police, arguing that diverting funds from the official box amounts to fraudulent misappropriation.

Acting on the complaint, police arrested 02 custodians who were collecting offerings near the official box.

However, other custodians then surrounded the police station and pressured the officers to release the arrested individuals, resulting in their release.

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