News

President’s House & Temple Trees to be moved out to Kotte

Published

11 months ago

June 11, 2023

editor

The President’s House, the Secretariat, and the Prime Minister’s official residence Temple Trees have been earmarked to be moved out of Colombo city to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and may be kept open only as a tourist attraction.

Urban Development Authority (UDA) Director General Prasad Ranaweera told that on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, they were looking for alternative land in the Sri Jaywardenapura-Kotte area to have the administrative complex in one location.

He said that after the identification of the location they hoped to report back to the President to draw out plans for a phased shift of the buildings.

Under a proposed ‘New Colombo Heritage City Plan’, the President’s House, the Secretariat and the Temple Trees building and the Prime Minister’s office on Flower Road are likely to be protected as tourist attractions.

Under the plan, a string of other buildings in Colombo city are to be re-offered for lease to investors.

Accordingly, the General Post Office, the Foreign Ministry building, Police Headquarters, Air Force Headquarters, Navy Headquarters, Visumpaya, Shrvasthi (former MP’s hostel), the Gafoor building, the Irrigation Department building at Jawatte Road, the Welikada Prisons and the old Defence Ministry building at Galle Face have been identified to be leased out.

He said the objective was to lease out the buildings for boutique hotels where the investors would be able to renovate the building while preserving its original identity.

Mr. Ranaweera said they would be looking at leasing out the buildings for more than 30 years with concessionary terms on taxes.

He said that under the Heritage City Plan, they also hoped to have a sheltered corridor between the Gafoor building and the Port City so that the people could make use of the passage.

He said the President had instructed the UDA itself to carry out some of the development activities and hand them over to the investors to avoid delays and issues in acquiring lands.

Urban Development Prasanna Ranatunga Minister told the Sunday Times discussions had begun with potential investors and among them had been investors from Georgia. He said all measures would be taken to preserve the identity of the old buildings.

(sundaytimes.lk)

News

Concessionary vehicle permits: MPs have their way, ignoring economic crisis

Published

4 hours ago

May 13, 2024

nipuni

Despite the cost of living sizzling at red hot levels and the country being cash- strapped, the House Committee of Parliament has endorsed the proposal to offer concessionary vehicle permits for MPs as requested by them, a top source said.

The source familiar with the decision said the committee which looks into the requirements of the MPs positively considered the request by them for such permits in line with the similar facilities offered to executive graders in different categories of the public service.

The MPs , numbering more than 100 and representing different parties, submitted a letter to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena asking for permission to import vehicles with no duty for their use.

Following the approval by the House Committee, the Speaker is expected to write to President Ranil Wickremesinghe who is authorized to execute the decision as the Finance Minister.

After constitution of every Parliament, the MPs are given vehicle permits . However, the MPs elected to the current Parliament at the 2020 general election did not get the benefit due to the economic crisis and the ban on vehicle imports to save foreign exchange.

The government is now mulling the possibility of lifting the ban. The MPs are likely to get permits once the ban is lifted only.

In the past, there were reports about the MPs selling off their permits and earning multimillion rupee revenue each.

(dailymirror.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailymirror.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

News

CAA seizes 176,000 kg of rice unfit for human consumption

Published

4 hours ago

May 13, 2024

nipuni

Officials at the Anuradhapura unit of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) have seized over 176,000 kg of rice unfit for human consumption during a raid.

It has been revealed that the stock was taken to a mill for repackaging with the intention of being distributed among low-income families under a government programme.

CAA officials had conducted the raid when the rice was being mechanically cleaned and repackaged after being taken to a privately owned mill in the Kiriibbewa area by 08 lorries. It is said that the expiry date of the new packaging had been deviously extended by a month.

The rice mill had been sealed while the police had arrested the owner, reports add.

(Source : Aruna)

News

NMRA to introduce ‘security sticker’

Published

5 hours ago

May 13, 2024

nipuni

The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) states that they will introduce a security ‘sticker’ to verify registered medicines in the market.

The move hopes to counter several irregularities in the pharmaceutical field such as the entering of substandard and dangerous medicines entering Sri Lanka through unregistered importers.

Speaking to media yesterday (May 12), NMRA Chairman Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama has said that they hope to implement the new move within a month or so.