Bonanza for our Diplomats and Doctors, VAT for the Rest - EDITORIAL

Hooray to the diplomats and doctors of our country. The government has granted diplomats a bonanza for the new year. The government will waive previously introduced austerity measures....

antarctica unveiled: a deep dive into the icy wilderness and scientific marvels of the southern continent

Antarctica, the southernmost and the least-populated continent on Earth, is home to some of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders. However, it is also one of the region’s most vulnerable to climate...

ITAK President Election on Jan 21 will be a Sumanthiran-Shritharan Duel.

“Suma, Shri and Yohes in Triangular Contest for ITAK/FP Leadership” was the heading of my article published in the “Daily Mirror” of 16 December 2024. The article was about the forthcoming election for the party Presidency of the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK). The ITAK known as the Federal Party (FP) in English is the premier political party of the Northern and Eastern Tamils of Sri Lanka. Currently, the ITAK/FP has six MPs in Parliament re

Houthi Challenge In The Red Sea And Lanka’s Battleship

Earlier this month, President Wickremesinghe said, a decision had been taken to deploy a ship from the Sri Lanka Navy to the Red Sea. He was in fact floating a notion of Lanka being part of a US-led multinational force to ‘protect trade in the Red Sea’ from the Houthis (an Iran-backed group), and de facto rulers in Yemen. In actuality, the Houthi action in the Red Sea region is limited to targeting vessels with links to Israel which is conducting

Why So Many Tools For Reconciliation?

Nearly 15 years after the end of the separatist war, the government has taken steps to promulgate a law last Tuesday enabling the establishment of an “Office of National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR).” The office is not entirely a new entity but a re-establishment through an Act of Parliament of an entity that has been in operation under the same name since 2015. Despite it having been passed with the backing of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna

Covering shame in a paradise island - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka can be promoted as a tourists’ paradise or be highlighted as a nation where there is food insecurity and a very unstable economy. Still the majority in this country who has decided....

Gaza genocide and Lanka’s Red Sea mission

Sri Lanka, whose economic independence has been severely undermined due to its economic bankruptcy, has little freedom or external sovereignty to take a principled stance concerning....

“ The Selfish Man” Values, Morality and Economics

This article is part appreciation and part analysis. It is a direct thank you and tribute to the DailyFT’s regular columnist, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. W.A. Wijewardena. I have been reading his columns for almost as long as he has been writing them; Dr. Wijewardena always brings a nuanced perspective to Sri Lanka’s economic matters. In an article published on the 1st of January: “Still Batting and not out yet” that notes his

If You Want Something Said, Ask A Man; If You Want Something Done, Ask A Woman

In Sri Lanka as elsewhere, women need to play a key role in vital areas such as politics and business. We have already passed a law that women need to comprise at least 25% of Parliament and other local bodies. But the number has fallen far short and thereby the country has suffered. This year being an election year women need to agitate for gender equality in politics, business and other important fields or work because in most cases women work

Must Our Future Leader Come In Military Garb?

Sri Lanka has begun a new year with petrol, gas and all essential goods available in the market, but the country’s citizens are still in search of a ‘leader’ who can be trusted. Recently there was a video that went viral on Youtube where a prospective presidential candidate met with one of the chief prelates of a well-known Buddhist chapter in the Central Province, and instead of winning the heart of the saffron robed monk was forced to eat humbl

“What Do We Think About?”

‘Hope springs eternal in the human breast’ is axiomatic, but these days the spring is getting very weak indeed. The trumpet blasting schemes being advocated at the moment seem to be regarded by optimistic Parliamentarians as if Angel Gabriel himself was blowing his horn. We are on the brink of electing a new government (we hope) and this is hardly the time for new committees, new appointments, new education schemes, new ANYTHING to be proposed an

Why Are Our Governments So Scared Of Media People? - EDITORIAL

Other than in the early post-independence era, governments of our country have been extremely wary of media personnel. Such was....

A Separate Common Tamil Presidential Candidate: A Dangerous Gamble

Northern Tamil elites always had a problem. It is not just a gripe with the successive Sinhalese-dominated governments that have ruled....

We Need Good Mechanisms Rather Than ‘Good People’

President Ranil Wickremesinghe had claimed during his Northern Province tour over the weekend there are ample powers awarded to provincial councils to establish a robust local economy, under the provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. He urged provinces to utilize the powers granted by the 13th Amendment for economic development, asserting that devolution should not merely be a political concept but an economic reality. This claim s

Israel To Send Gazans To Congo

The Telegraph of the UK recently reported that Israel is planning to send all the Palestinian residents of Gaza to Congo or any other country willing to take them under what it calls a “Gazan Voluntary Migration Scheme”. It is proposed to implement the scheme after the war ends. And the vacant space in Gaza will be given to Jewish settlers with army protection. Though Israel calls this nefarious scheme a “Voluntary Migration Scheme” it will, in

Can We Bridge The VAT Gap - EDITORIAL

It was the shortage of medicines, the non availability of fuel, the non availability of cooking gas, 12-hour rolling power cuts, the shortage of basic foods, and the ban on agro-chemical fertilisers which....

Sajith Demands ‘No Crossover Pact,’ Despite Welcoming “Tom, Dick & Harry”

Reflecting on the Hysterical Stand-Up by Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean’s) poignant performance in paying tribute to Tom, Dick and Harry, who tragically passed away, after each of them faced unique....

Whither the “Ilankaith Thamizhar” of Sri Lanka?

Had the LTTE transformed its military strength into political bargaining power at the appropriate time, the Tamil people would certainly be in a better position. But this did not happen, and today the Tamils as a people are in a difficult situation

Coming Soon: A Common Tamil Presidential Candidate

Despite none of the major political parties having presented a viable programme to the country to come out of the current economic crisis and to build an economy that would weather future storms, all parties are preparing for the next Presidential Election which has to be constitutionally held in September or October this year.

Migrant Workers Are Not A Commodity - EDITORIAL

Nations around the world issue travel advisories for the protection of their citizens. They (advisories) warn against visiting particular countries for one reason or the other.

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....