News

Speaker urged not to endorse Online Safety Bill without ensuring SC directives are included

Published

1 year ago

January 30, 2024

editor

A collective of civil society activists and media organizations has urged Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardhana not to endorse the controversial Online Safety Bill without verifying Supreme Court directives have been fully adhered to.

“We, as civil society activists, firmly believe the Online Safety Bill which completely endangers freedom of expression should be rejected outright. As citizens holding the sovereignty of the country, we, the undersigned, express our strong objection to the hasty passage of the bill on 24 January in the parliament, sans discussion with any stakeholder, and ignoring the directives of the Supreme Court,” they have said in a letter addressed to the Speaker.

“MPs of the opposition parties have pointed out that the bill was debated and passed in the parliament without the proper inclusion of amendments and guidelines directed by the Supreme Court. Those amendments and guidelines were issued by the Supreme Court after taking into consideration a record of 45 fundamental rights petitions challenging the draft bill.
We believe, that if what the opposition MPs point out had occurred during the passage of the bill, it clearly violates the Constitution, undermines the sovereignty of the people and has possibly caused contempt of court as well.”

“This letter is also our commitment to continue our fight against regulations that are going to be implemented despite our objections that not only impede our right to free expression but also cause possible harm to the economy,” it adds.

“It is clear that the government is attempting to make the Online Safety Bill into law urgently to counter the opposition against the government ahead of the forthcoming elections… As the Speaker of Parliament who ensures parliamentary orders are followed, we believe it’s your responsibility to guarantee that the Supreme Court-directed amendments are incorporated into the Online Safety Bill before endorsing it,” the letter further notes.

The full letter is as follows :

Letter-to-speaker_English Download

News

Solar power tariffs revised

Published

9 hours ago

June 22, 2025

editor

The Cabinet has approved a revision of tariffs for newly contracted solar energy systems in Sri Lanka, effective from June 16, 2025.

According to a letter issued by the Ministry of Energy dated June 20, the updated rates are as follows:

Rs. 20.90 per unit for systems up to 5 kilowatts (kW)
Rs. 19.61 per unit for systems between 5 kW and 20 kW
Rs. 17.46 per unit for systems between 20 kW and 100 kW

These revised rates will apply to all applicants who pay the system clearance fees on or after June 16, 2025. The new tariffs will also be valid for extension requests submitted on or after that date.

(dailynews.lk)

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

News

Army denies social media claims fraudulent officer removals

Published

9 hours ago

June 22, 2025

editor

The Sri Lanka Army has dismissed recent social media claims suggesting a group of officers is being fraudulently removed using forged documents.

In a statement, the Army said the allegations are completely false stating that such assertions stem from a fundamental lack of understanding regarding military administrative protocols.

The allegations are aimed at damaging the institution’s reputation in the eyes of the public.

While confirming that no removals have taken place without proper procedures or the approval of the President, the statement asserts that the Army is committed to transparency while safeguarding national security.

Army_PR Download

News

A/L top achievers in North, felicitated (Pics)

Published

9 hours ago

June 22, 2025

editor

Three hundred students from the Northern Province who excelled in all subject streams of the 2023 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) Examination will each receive a grant of Rs. 100,000 from the President’s Fund.

As part of a newly launched initiative to honour high-performing students at the district level for the 2023/2024 G.C.E. A/L Examination, the President’s Fund hosted an award ceremony this morning (22) at the Iranamadu Nelum Piyasa Auditorium in the Northern Province.

During the event, 300 students from the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya, specifically 60 students per district, with the top 10 students from each subject stream, were recognised and presented with financial awards for their outstanding academic performance. The President’s Fund has allocated a total of Rs. 30 million for this initiative, which is expected to be extended to all districts in the future.

Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, addressed the gathering and noted that following the formation of the new government, the President’s Fund has been restructured and expanded under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Disanayaka. He emphasised that the Fund now operates with increased transparency, correcting past irregularities to ensure benefits are directed to the truly deserving. Dr. Kumanayake also mentioned ongoing efforts to digitise the Fund and decentralise its services to improve accessibility and efficiency.

He further highlighted that education is the key to a successful life and urged the students to take full advantage of the support provided, pursue academic excellence, become responsible citizens and contribute positively to the country’s development.
Also addressing the event were Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne and Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Ramalingam Chandrasekar.

A vote of thanks was delivered by Abhishek, a student from Jaffna Hindu College, who expressed heartfelt appreciation to the President and the President’s Fund. He described the programme as a valuable opportunity for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher education and achieve their goals.

In attendance at the ceremony were Northern Province Governor Nagalingam Vethanayahan, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Development Upali Samarasinghe, Members of Parliament K. Ilankumaran, Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy and M. Jagadeeswaran, along with other public representatives. Also present were Mr. Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President and Secretary of the President’s Fund, senior officials from the Fund, government officers, heads of security forces, parents and students.

(President’s Media Division)