News

Cabinet Sub Committee’s report on cricket handed to President

Published

1 year ago

January 1, 2024

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The report addressing issues in Sri Lanka’s cricket realm, prepared by the Cabinet Sub-Committee, was presented to President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (01). Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Ali Sabri, PC, who chairs the committee, handed over the report.

Notably, this report was swiftly completed within a brief span of one and a half months following the establishment of the Cabinet Sub-Committee.

In accordance with the cabinet decision made on November 6th, the Cabinet Sub-Committee, chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Ali Sabri, PC, included other members: Minister of Power and Energy Mr. Kanchana Wijesekera, Minister of Public Security Mr.Tiran Alles, and Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Mr. Manusha Nanayakkara.

President’s Secretary Mr. Saman Ekanayake, appointed the Additional Secretary to the President, Mrs. Loshini Peiris, as the Secretary/Convener of the committee. The committee promptly initiated an investigation into the current situation of Sri Lankan cricket by engaging with relevant parties.

Accordingly:

1. The composition and structure of the Sri Lanka Cricket and proposals for reforms
2. The framework for administering, coaching and overall well-being of cricket players at different levels including the national teams for men and women, the under 19 and under 17 age groups
3. Appropriate good governance and best practices that can be adopted to guarantee transparency, professionalism and accountability in the system benchmarking with well-functioning comparative system in test playing countries
4. Revamping the feeding structure of Sri Lanka Cricket namely schools, district, provincial and club level cricket embracing meritocracy, equality and equity

The committee has resolved to concentrate on the four identified areas.

To comprehensively analyse the root causes of the present crisis, a thorough examination will involve key stakeholders. These include the current Sports Minister, Mr. Harin Fernando, former Sports Ministers, State Ministers for Sports, Secretary of the Ministry of Sports, Sri Lanka Cricket, coaches of the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team (Women’s/Men’s), umpires, cricket selecting committee, coaches of the under-19 cricket team, technical advisory committee, members of the current cricket team led by Vanidu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka umpires Association, Sri Lanka Bar Association, Audit and Accounting institutes, and the committee led by retired Supreme Court judge Mr. K.T. Chitrasiri, which has incorporated recommendations following an investigation of the opinions of the Auditor General, among others.

Attorneys-at-law Mr. Shamir Zavahir and Mr. Samhan Munzir have made invaluable contributions to the preparation of the report and research. Additionally, the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Presidential Secretariat played a crucial role in providing special support for this endeavour.

Upon accepting the report, President Ranil Wickremesinghe conveyed his commitment to implementing the recommendations outlined in the report. He also expressed his intention to present both this report and the draft of the new Sports Act to Parliament in the near future.

The President extended his appreciation to the Cabinet Sub-Committee for the prompt presentation of the report.

Assistant Secretary to the President, Mr. Samith Talakiriya, was also in attendance at this significant event.

(President’s Media Division)

News

Showers expected part of the island

Published

3 hours ago

June 26, 2025

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Showers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Galle and Matara districts today (June 26), the Department of Meteorology said.

Fairly heavy rains of about 50 mm are likely at some places.

A few showers may occur in the Anuradhapura and Matale districts.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva and Eastern provinces during the afternoon or night.

Meanwhile, 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 and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee and Hambantota districts.

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

News

NTC approves 2.5% reduction in bus fares (Update)

Published

14 hours ago

June 25, 2025

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The National Transport Commission (NTC) has approved a 2.5% reduction in bus fares effective from July 01 in line with the annual bus fare revision.

During a discussion between Transport Ministry officials and representatives of private bus associations, the government’s proposal to reduce bus fares by 2% was met by objections raised by bus operators.

(Previous News on 25th June 2025 at 4:51pm)

Bus associations oppose proposal of 2% fare reduction

The government’s proposal to reduce bus fares by a 2% effective from July 01 has led to the strong disapproval of bus associations, reports say.

It was also proposed not to revise the fares of the first two stages.

The announcement was made during a meeting between officials of the Transport Ministry and representatives of private bus associations to discuss the annual bus fare revision, scheduled for July 01.

News

2025 A/L exam dates announced

Published

14 hours ago

June 25, 2025

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The Department of Examinations has confirmed that the 2025 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) examination will be held from Nov. 10 – Dec. 05, 2025,

Accordingly, applications for the 2025 G.C.E. A/L exam will be accepted online from June 26 to July 21, 2025.

It is further stated that students of government schools and government-approved private schools must submit their applications through their respective school principals, while private candidates are required to submit their applications themselves.

A statement by the Department of Examinations noted that private applicants must use their National Identity Card (NIC) number when applying for the examination.

Applicants are advised to visit the official website of the Department of Examinations of Sri Lanka, www.doenets.lk or www.onlineexams.gov.lk/eic, to carefully read the relevant instructions and submit their applications accordingly. After submitting the application, candidates are urged to keep a printed copy with them in case of an emergency.

The username and password required by school applicants to submit their applications have already been provided to the respective school principals.

Applications will not be accepted after 12.00 midnight on July 21, 2025. It is also emphasized that the closing date will not be extended under any circumstances, the statement added.

For further inquiries, applicants are advised to contact the Department of Examinations via the following telephone numbers or email : Tel: 011-2784208, 011-2784537, 011-2785922 / Hotline: 1911 / Email: [email protected]