All 14 Dedicated Economic Centers (DECs) in Sri Lanka at the present will be brought under a new state company and operating under the proper administration, Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe has said.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday (June 06), he has said, “Currently, there are a lot of problems and shortcomings in this entire process. Farmers do not get the right price for their products and also it takes a long time to transport their product’s to the DECs causing huge losses in harvest”.
“We will bring all these economic centers under a proper management board. This will solve all the problems that have arisen so far. The prices of vegetables and fruits in Dambulla will be displayed on digital boards in all other economic centers. Currently, Dambulla and Thambuttegama are opened in the morning, which is inconvenient for farmers. It takes about two days for vegetables coming to Dambulla to reach Colombo. Therefore, the opening times of the DECs will be changed and transport facilities will also be increased to prevent damage to the products during transportation.

Although Rs.1,400 million of state funds have been invested on these 14 DECs, the government has not received a single cent from them, he adds.

(Excerpts – dailynews)

In accordance with Circular No. PS/SB/Circular/2/2025 issued by the Secretary to the President, the Internal Affairs Unit of the Prime Minister’s Office was officially established yesterday (June 06) at Temple Trees under the leadership of Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Pradeep Saputhanthri.

Accordingly, Additional Secretary (Administration) Mr. Ruwan Jayasundara has been appointed as the Head of the Internal Affairs Unit, and Administrative Officer Ms. K.A.S. Shripali has been appointed as the Compliance Officer.

Internal Affairs Unit has been established with a focus on confirming the integrity of officials and fostering a corruption-free public service in Sri Lanka, alongside placing the top priority on introducing robust anti-corruption measures within the public sector, implementing the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and other international anti-corruption conventions in line with the Article 156 of the Constitution, and the planning of Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023, the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (2025–2029).

The aim is to serve as a key turning point in Sri Lanka’s efforts to eliminate corruption across public institutions by promoting a culture of transparency, accountability, and integrity in enabling the delivery of effective and reliable government services to all citizens.

The expected functions of the Internal Affairs Unit include: preventing corruption within the institution and fostering a culture of integrity; ensuring transparency and accountability in all institutional operations and guaranteeing public access to information related to institutional actions and decisions; promoting ethical governance; encouraging the reporting of misconduct; ensuring confidentiality; establishing a secure reporting mechanism and assist to the enforcement of laws in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.

Two complaint boxes have been placed at Temple Trees and at the Prime Minister’s Office located in Sirimathipaya for receiving public complaints, suggestions, and allegations related to the Prime Minister’s Office. In addition, complaints can be submitted via WhatsApp to 0711130898, by phone at 0114354754, or via email to iau@pmoffice.gov.lk.

On June 04, an Internal Affairs Unit was also established within the Presidential Secretariat premises to receive inquiries and complaints related to the services provided by the Presidential Secretariat. 

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The Meteorology Department says showery conditions are expected to enhance in the southwestern part of the island from June 10th, with strong gusty winds expected over the island and in the sea areas around the island.

Several spells of showers will occur in Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts today (June 07).

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Northern and Uva provinces and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.

Fairly strong winds of about 30-40 kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.