News

Stops business class travel for top officials

Published

7 months ago

February 19, 2023

editor

The Presidential Secretariat will shortly issue a circular restricting senior state officials, including the President’s and the Prime Minister’s Secretaries from using business class travel on overseas official trips.

Accordingly, several officials who enjoyed the facility so far will have to travel on economy class.

Among those who were entitled to the facility were judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, secretaries to ministries, the Cabinet Secretary, the Central Bank Governor and the Attorney General.

The decision comes after revelations that a delegation from the Foreign Ministry due to attend Human Rights sessions in Geneva next week had been booked on business class with each of the tickets costing Rs 800,000.

Further inquiries had revealed several other state officials had been travelling on business class despite the adverse financial situation in the country.

A senior official said some of the officials had been willing to travel on economy class, but due to previous practices they had travelled on business class.

The circular will also impose restrictions on hotel accommodation during during foreign visits of officials.

The official said the circular would be issued in keeping with the government’s policy of cutting down on expenses.

However, no changes will be made regarding minister’s travel practices.

(The Sunday Times)

News

Rosewood timber stock rots in Customs for 9 years

Published

51 mins ago

September 27, 2023

editor

Sri Lanka Customs has had to store 3,669 logs of confiscated Rosewood weighing 420 metric tons at a cost of more than Rs.80 million as storage fees, a report issued by the National Audit Office said.

Although these logs were planned to be sold, they have been stored for 9 years due to the delay in obtaining the permit from the Wildlife Conservation Department.

The logs have already been damaged by insects.

These logs were sent from Zanzibar in Tanzania for re-export to Hong Kong via Sri Lanka by declaring them as African solid wood.

The audit report said that due to the delay in issuing the license, these logs have been stored in a Customs yard from 2014 until April 30, 2023.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board has to pay more than Rs.30 million to the Customs in the form of port development tax and value added tax for a high-powered radioactive element imported on April 23, 2021.

The report said that the overdue tax amount has not been paid to the Customs by January 1, 2023.

This information was revealed by an audit report included in the 2022 annual report of Sri Lanka Customs.

News

Muthuhettigama released on bail

Published

53 mins ago

September 27, 2023

editor

Former Member of Parliament Nishantha Muthuhettigama was released on bail by the Galle Magistrate’s Court today (27).

He was released on two sureties of Rs.5 million each and a cash bail of Rs 50,000. The next court hearing is scheduled to be held on February 02.

The former MP was arrested and remanded on charges of illegally assembling a luxury car.

News

Raids increased to nab train passengers sans tickets!

Published

54 mins ago

September 27, 2023

editor

Sri Lanka Railways has taken steps to increase raids to nab passengers travelling without tickets.

Frequent inspections to nab errant passengers were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to this, people are more inclined to travel by train without tickets and the initial raids will be based on Maradana and Colombo Fort Railway Stations.

Meanwhile, the Railways Station Master’s Association said that nearly Rs.225,000 was collected from 72 passengers who travelled without tickets from the Maradana Railway Station from August upto now.