VAT 0n Jewellery

As of January 1st, 2024, both the import of gold coins and the supply of locally manufactured jewellery are subject to a Value Added Tax (VAT).....

The Prestige And Hope That A-Levels Bring! - EDITORIAL

The General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level Examination began on January 4 (Thursday) with candidates sitting....

Gaza genocide: Lanka’s Jekyll-and-Hyde Palestinian policy

The Cold War had just ended, and the bipolar global order had given way to a unipolar order led by the United States. The euphoria....

Social Justice: Millions Imprisoned In Poverty, Set Them Free

“Let us build a just and fair society” was the New Year wish of our sister paper Sunday Times. Unfortunately, most people, most of the time, do not work towards this vision but instead are selfish and self-centred. Therefore, we prefer to get rather than to give, to obtain wealth, possessions and positions. Spirituality tells us that it is more blessed to give than to get. Freely as we receive, freely we must give. Our care for the other is a mea

The Rise Of The Zombie Firms: The Problem With Recapitalising Banks

The government has announced an allocation of Rs 450 billion from the 2024 budget to recapitalise the banking sector. However, there is a risk that under prevailing banking practices, this recapitalisation will predominantly benefit business owners with insolvent enterprises. This is because the higher capital levels will enable banks to avoid declaring insolvent firms bankrupt and instead, renegotiate and/or extend the terms of their loans. Ins

2024: Challenges And Resolutions

Sri Lanka staggered through much of the last year but emerged better than expected. Considering the challenges of yesteryear....

The Upcoming VAT Price Shock - EDITORIAL

In October 2023, the Sri Lankan Cabinet granted approval to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) to 18% with effect from..

New Year Dawning Atop A Volcano

In spite of various leaders of the government painting a rosy picture about the recovery of the economy from the current crisis and the innocent hopes of the people of the country that the humble normalcy in their life would return very soon, the Department of Census and Statistics had shown last week a bleak picture of the country at present and in the future. The Department had shown the real side of the lives of the people which has been c

Xi Vows To Absorb Taiwan, Centralises Foreign Policy Decision-Making

Gets The Backing Of The Central Conference On Foreign Affairs For An Aggressive Foreign Policy Stance To Face Mounting Challenges. Given the sluggish recovery of the Chinese economy post-COVID, and the increasingly challenging international environment, China’s President Xi Jinping has assumed a tough foreign policy stance, centralizing decision-making in institutions he personally heads. Perhaps he considers 2024 to be ideal for decisive and as

2024 – A Challenging Year: From Drugs & Elections To A Hung Parliament?

Starting the New Year on a positive note is the commendable achievement of Central Bank Governor, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe....

The Vagaries Of SLC And Danushka’s Misdemeanours - EDITORIAL

We, Lankans, it is often claimed, have very short memories. Just over a year-and-a-half ago almost every Lankan took to the streets....

The Tragic Plight of Lionair 602 Flight - 25 Years Ago

The focus of this two-part article is the tragic plight of Lionair 602 flight twenty-five years ago. The first part of this article published last week related how the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) shot down an Antonov 24 carrying 48 passengers and 7 crew on 29 September 1998.

Lifelines And Life Sentences

Prisons are spoken of during the time of a festive season like Christmas and also on a religious occasion like Vesak. These are times when prisoners receive amnesty for wrongs committed in society. This Christmas as many as 1,004 inmates from Sri Lankan prisons were released through a government initiative. There is a trend these days to include scenes inside prisons when teledramas are telecast in Sri Lanka. Otherwise the prison is a subject

Gaza genocide and a world order robbed of humanity greet 2024

Three months of relentless attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip confirm that there is little place for compassion and values in world politics. The world is being robbed of its humanity. The biggest culprit is the Joe Biden administration. It is responsible for aggravating two major wars: the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s inhumane war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The US could have prevented the Ukraine war if only it had

Divestiture of State Owned Enterprises and the TUs

Today, 28th December, all major trade unions – some affiliated to political parties – are scheduled to meet at the postal auditorium to discuss strategies to oppose government plans to divestiture State Owned Enterprises (SOEs). The trade unions are totally opposed to what they see as the government’s attempts to privatise public enterprises and state assets under ‘various guises’. Among the SOEs lined up for divestiture are those in the sectors

Looking At Collective Responsibility Through The Eyes Of ‘Manuwarna’

The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is hell-bent on eradicating the drug menace and the underworld in a hurry. It’s pertinent to see why the regime has suddenly woken up and is racing towards achieving a goal which previous regimes pursued, but left unfinished. The Sirisena government gave a good start to eradicating drugs, but in the end it was more of a big show and amounted to being a media stunt. That programme lost steam early at the start it

Are We Ready To Face The Problem Of Climate Change? - EDITORIAL

Lanka is the second most vulnerable nation to confront climatic change. Roughly, 50 percent of our population lives in low-lying....

Beyond The Media Circus Of ‘Yukthiya’, The Anti-Crime Bust

No wonder the new acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon thought a fresh crime-busting initiative was the way to promote himself for permanency....

THE IMF -A LOAN SHARK; NOT HUMANITARIAN, SYMPATHETIC OR HELPFUL

‘Colonialism has not ended. It has taken only another form: financial’ Part 1 of the financial loan of 2.7 billion the IMF has pledged for the 17th time to Sri Lanka was released last March. The delay in releasing the second tranche of the loan was due to the failure of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to satisfy the agreed policy requirements. However, the IMF released the second tranche a week ago but demanded that the SL government strengthe

Let’s ponder on the proposed Online Safety Bill

The government is going to pass next month the Online Safety Bill which provoked controversy and a wide debate few months ago due to its apparent crude repressive nature. In fact it was a Bill originally drafted apparently with questionable faith professing to be good faith. So many sections of the original Bill seemed to be threatening the freedom of expression. The Bill, in its perambulatory clause said that it is an Act to establish the Onli

The many twists and turns in Sri Lanka-Israel relations

Sri Lanka’s relationship with Israel has been unique. In the past 75 years as an independent nation, Sri Lanka has recognised, derecognized and again recognised Israel, guided by ever changing ideological, geopolitical and domestic factors. But in contrast to Sri Lanka, Israel has been consistent: It has always wanted good relations with Sri Lanka and has helped Sri Lanka whenever its help was sought, irrespective of the official status of the

For Unto Us A Child Is Born - EDITORIAL

Everywhere in the world today children have become unbelievably vulnerable. How could we become more sensitive and committed to their plight? What does the birth of Christ, who was a child once...

Christmas in Bethlehem Subdued by Conflict

“Invite the poor to share a meal with you on Christmas Day,” - His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith. “Colombo Sparkles and Shines …” Streets of Colombo were lit up for the festive season....

When the Tigers Shot Down the Lionair Flight 602 in the Mannar Sea

Twenty-five years ago an Antonov 24 aircraft carrying fifty-five civilians from Jaffna to Colombo was shot down over the Gulf of Mannar by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 29 September 1998.

The Dilemma of the UNP and the SLPP

The solitary member of the United National Party (UNP) in Parliament, Vajira Abeywardena seems to be clever in grabbing and holding media attention but sometimes in wrong ways – in most occasions damaging his own image.

Is The ‘Lion of Ruhuna’ Losing His Mane - EDITORIAL

In Lanka today, the winds of change are blowing. Unfortunately, it is an ill-wind which blows across our country.

The Destroying Of A Vibrant Helpful Culture - EDITORIAL

The citizens of this sun-kissed island are getting ready for a doubtful 2024, but before that they have to celebrate Christmas and the dawn of the New Year. This celebrating habit has continued....

Gaza ceasefire: US is on the wrong side of history

From Tuesday, for three days in a row, the United States, out of its unwavering devotion to its ‘chosen’ ally, Israel, deliberately delayed a highly diluted United Nations Security Council’s....

In A Well-Governed Country, We Should Be Ashamed Of Poverty

Spiritual revelation says that when we bear each other’s burdens, we will fulfill the law of the Truth. We need to deeply ponder on this insight as we consider how and in what way we could assist in the vital area of poverty alleviation. According to the United Nations, this issue should be based on the theme “Decent Work and Social Protection: Putting Dignity in Practice for All”. The world body says, the International Day for the Eradication o

For Sri Lanka, A Governance-Linked Bond Might Just Be The Ticket

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if Sri Lanka under-performs on its governance corrections, it will underperform on its economic recovery as well (with apologies to Jane Austen); the first provides the foundation for the second. Sri Lanka secured IMF board approval for the second tranche of the current IMF programme exactly 102 days after the scheduled date for the first review. It is not normal for a second tranche to be so delayed, a