What is El Niño effect and how to prepare for its damaging effects
Emeritus Professor I M Dharmadasa and Journalist Saroj Pathirana What is El Niño Effect In a normal year steady winds flow from east to west as shown in the figure below and known as trade winds or equatorial winds. The main reason for this wind is the pressure difference due to the differences in temperatures in different parts of the …
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Sectoral Oversight Committee Discusses Comprehensive Programme to Reduce Prison Overcrowding and Inmate Density
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection held extensive discussions on formulating a systematic programme to reduce prison overcrowding and inmate density in Sri Lanka. The discussion took place when the Committee met recently in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Najith Indika. The Committee extensively deliberated on the key measures currently being …
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Church of Ceylon urges Government to withdraw judges’ retirement age amendment
The Church of Ceylon (Anglican Church in Sri Lanka) has expressed concern and disappointment over the Cabinet decision to proceed with a proposed constitutional amendment to raise the retirement age of judges of the appellate courts. In a statement, the Church of Ceylon said it had hoped that the President and the Cabinet would listen to the powerful arguments of …
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Cabinet approves proposal to extend judges’ retirement age by two years
Cabinet approval has been granted for a proposal to increase the retirement age of judges serving in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and other courts by two years. Accordingly, the proposal will now be referred to the Legal Draftsman for preparation, before being forwarded for the Attorney General’s clearance. Under Article 107(5) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, the …
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Sri Lanka exporters body welcomes US tariff decision
The Exporters Association of Sri Lanka (EASL) has welcomed the decision of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to apply a 10% tariff on imports from Sri Lanka under the recently announced Section 301 measures. “This is a significant and welcome development for Sri Lanka’s export sector, particularly in light of the substantially higher tariff rates that had been proposed …
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Sri Lanka among countries facing 10% US tariff under new forced labour policy
Sri Lanka has been placed in the lower 10% tariff category under a new United States trade measure targeting imports linked to forced labour, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR). The new tariffs, announced by the USTR on Thursday under the direction of US President Donald Trump, impose additional duties ranging from 10% to 12.5% on …
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Speaker Endorses the National Environmental (Amendment) Bill
The Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, today (Jul. 21) endorsed the certificate for the National Environmental (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by Parliament. Although the National Environmental Act, No. 47 of 1980, together with the National Environmental (Amendment) Acts, No. 56 of 1988 and No. 53 of 2000, significantly strengthened environmental protection, this amendment was introduced in recognition of the fact …
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New Chairperson and Members Appointed to the Finance Commission
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Ms N. R. Anees as the new Chairperson and a member of the Finance Commission. J. M. C. J. Wijetunga and K. Karunaharan have been appointed as the other members of the Commission. The letters of appointment were presented to the appointees by the Secretary to the President, Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the …
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Sectoral Oversight Committee Emphasizes the Need for a Comprehensive Agricultural Data System to Meet the Country’s Rice Requirement
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability discussed the paddy purchasing process and the measures taken by the Government to ensure an adequate supply of rice to meet the country’s requirement. The matter was taken up when the Committee met recently at Parliament under the Chairmanship of Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy. During the meeting, the importance …
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Constitutional Council Invites Fresh Applications for Appointment as Members of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
The Constitutional Council invites fresh applications from qualified and interested individuals to be considered for recommendation for appointment to the existing vacancies in the post of Member of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. Applicants are required to submit their applications using the prescribed application form available on the Parliament of Sri Lanka website. The application form can be …
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