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No funds from govt. for Poson Festival; Dhammarathana Thera

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Ven. Walahangunavewe Dhammarathana Thera, the Chief Incumbent of Mihintale Rajamaha Vihara, yesterday (21) said that no funds have been received for this year’s State Poson festival due to the government’s strict financial management.

The Thera expressed these views at a special discussion held at the Mihintale Sacred Site with officials including Central Province Governor and Acting Governor of North Central Province Lalith U. Gamage regarding this year’s Poson Festival.

Nayaka Thera said that the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Department of Cultural and Buddhist Affairs, as well as the higher government officials of the North Central Province have avoided the State Poson Festival, which will be held in about 10 days.

Acting Governor Gamage said that arrangements should be made to celebrate the Poson Festival keeping in line with the financial management programme of the President.

After it was said that no funds were received from the government for the Vesak Festival held in the Central Province, the discussion became quite heated.

Ven. Dhammarathana Thera, who spoke first, said there’s only 10 days left for Poson Poya but no executive officer except the district secretary has attended any meeting in this regard.

“No representative of the Governor’s Office or the Chief Secretary of the North Central Provincial Council visited us so far. About 2 million people will come to Mihintale this year. We have to ensure their hygiene and safety and we need to provide them with water and electricity,”

“I am happy that at least the Governor of the Central Province has visited us today. Those inside the Province have no interest in attending these meetings or looking into preparations,” the Thera said.

Governor of Central Province and Acting Governor of North Central Province Lalith U Gamage said;

“We know that the Buddhist culture that exists today in this country was established after the arrival of Mihindu Maha Rahat Thera and it is the responsibility of all of us to preserve it.”

“I came here today to personally ask about the contribution made by the donors including my daughter in the USA to the Mihintala Rajamaha Vihara and its development.”

“For 20 days, I have been appointed by the President as the Acting Governor of North Central Province. Therefore, it is my duty and responsibility to get an understanding of how the Poson Festival is being conducted.”

“We successfully completed the Vesak Festival in the Central Province but we did not spend even one cent from the government. The entire cost was borne by philanthropists, well-wishers and from all the people from non-religious places of worship. Since there is an economic crisis, the President has advised us to manage state funds.”

“If we fail to salvage the country from this crisis, we will not be able to do any of the other activities. The President also wants to conduct the upcoming Poson Festival properly,”

After the Governor’s remarks, Ven. Dhammarathana Thera said;

“Financial management is good, since it has not been done since 1948. We don’t ask for millions of rupees for this Poson Festival. We need to install at least 200 speakers to cover the entire site. People come to worship these sites with much difficulty. We don’t even collect money from the vehicle parks because we have to think about the people as well.”

“The Governor said the government did not fund the Vesak Festival and it was funded by the people from other religions. Let us also send a message through the media today asking them to help us.”

“You said that money was collected from philanthropists, but there are no such philanthropists here like in Kandy. Had Mihindu Maharahat Thera arrived in Colombo, funds could have been collected from philanthropists in Colombo easily. There are no such well-off people in these areas,” the Thera said.

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Rajeev Amarasuriya elected President of BASL

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Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya has been elected as the new President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) for the year 2025-2026 at the election held today (Feb. 19)

He has previously served as secretary of the BASL.

Academically, he holds a Law Degree from the University of Colombo, is an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, and a Fellow Member of both the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK) and the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka.

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Gazette issued on term of newly elected LG members

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A Gazette notification has been issued by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government, Chandana Abayarathna specifying that the term of the members of 337 Local Government Authorities should commence on June 02, 2025.

Accordingly, the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government has issued the Gazette in terms of the powers vested in him by Paragraph (b) of Sub-Section (1) and Section 10 of the Municipal Councils Ordinance, Chapter 252. 

The 337 Local Government Authorities include 27 Municipal Councils, 36 Urban Councils and 274 Pradeshiya Sabhas.

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Budget 2025 lays foundation for a strong economy – President

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President Anura Kumara Disanayake highlighted that due to the mismanagement of public finances by previous administrations, the country had fallen into bankruptcy and is currently operating under a probationary period of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. Given this situation, he emphasized that the Budget 2025 has taken the initial steps towards building a strong and stable economy.  

The President made these remarks while participating in the Post-Budget forum 2025 organized by the University of Colombo Master of Business Administration (MBA) Alumni Association held today (19) at Cinnamon Life Hotel in Colombo.

President Anura Kumara Disanayake stated that the government aims to utilize the three-year debt moratorium granted through debt restructuring effectively and implement proper economic management to regain debt repayment capacity by 2028.  

The President further noted that while many countries in the world have taken decades to recover after facing bankruptcy, Sri Lanka is expected to recover in a significantly shorter period.  

The President also highlighted that this year’s budget proposes to increase government revenue to 15.1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and emphasized the government’s commitment to prioritizing expenditures based on identified national priorities.

The President emphasized that this year’s budget focuses on expanding the economy by driving economic activities to rural areas and integrating citizens as stakeholders in the economy. He expressed confidence that this approach would enhance the economic benefits available to the people.  

The government plans to reintegrate marginalized groups into the economy by establishing small economic units at the village level. As a result, the country aims to foster a surge in Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs), the President stated.  

Highlighting the government’s commitment to supporting industries, the President noted that reducing production costs would ultimately provide relief to consumers.  

To uplift the nation from rural poverty, the highest budget allocation this year has been directed towards education. This investment aims to restructure both human and physical resources within the school system, transitioning from a linear education model to a more diversified, multi-directional approach.  

The budget also prioritizes public expenditure management. Given the high costs associated with delivering public services, the government intends to conduct a comprehensive review of state institution expenditures.  

President Disanayake stressed the importance of maintaining a corruption-free political authority and underscored that fostering a culture where bribery is rejected is a collective responsibility of the citizens.  

To establish an export-driven economy, the government plans to sign new trade agreements and anticipates higher export earnings this year.  

Additionally, the current administration is focused on developing a port-centric economy. The budget has placed special attention on establishing an efficient transhipment hub.  

Tourism promotion initiatives will be further strengthened through City Branding programs, with plans to develop key cities such as Anuradhapura, Yapahuwa, and Jaffna as major tourist destinations.  

 The President also emphasized the need to leverage the country’s diplomatic service to expand economic opportunities for Sri Lanka.  

The event was attended by Duminda Hulangamuwa Chairman, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce & Senior Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs and Finance,President of the University of Colombo Master of MBA Alumni Association Suraj Radampola, along with several experts from academia and the business sector.

(President’s Media Division)

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