FROM BEACH CLEAN-UP TO FUEL PRICE FORMULA
Development News Brief by Ajith Perakum Jayasinghe
Port City CSR project to clean beach south of Colombo
Port City Colombo together with Wana Arana Foundation has launched a CSR project of daily clean-up of a five-kilometre stretch of beach from Wellawatte to Mount Lavinia, south of the capital city Colombo.
More FTAs needed for export development
Market access through new and existing FTAs is also a priority to increase exports from Sri Lanka, said a group of 25 leading exporters who met the market access through new and existing FTAs is also priority to increase exports from Sri Lanka, The Island newspaper reported.
Planters call for a proper study on palm oil cultivation
Sri Lanka Planters’ Association writing a letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa demanded to conduct a proper study on palm oil cultivation rejecting the erroneous study by Central Environmental Authority which has not been approved by some members of the study committee.
Army to curb sand and soil rackets
After abolishing sand and soil transport licenses, the cabinet of Sri Lanka government last week decided to deploy Army to illegal sand and soil mining to curb the menace of environmental degradation caused by the racketeers.
Rice imported to earn commissions
National Organizer of All Lanka Farmers’ Federation, Namal Karunarathna says that officials attempt to import rice to earn commissions while the country has an excess of 1.5 million metric tons of rice. He added that 45-50 metric tons of rice was harvested in 2018-19 crop seasons and the annual consumption is only 3.6 million metric tons.
Fuel price formula to continue
Despite pre and post-election rhetoric, Sri Lanka government has now decided to continue with the fuel price formula. Secretary to the Treasury S. R. Attygalle said to The Morning newspaper, “We have to have a formula anyway to calculate fuel price, so there will be no change in the formula we have now. We will continue with this.”
Fuel price formula was introduced by the Ministry of Finance headed by Minister Mangala Samaraweera as a preliminary policy adjustment related to fiscal discipline ahead of obtaining low-interest credit facility of International Monetary Fund (IMF). The government led by Gotabaya Rajapaksa also indicate the will to go with IMF through the move to continue with the fuel price formula.
Leak in Moragahakanda dam can be stopped in 10 days
Moragahakanda- Kalu Ganga reservoir Project Director P.B. Wijerathna said that the engineers of the Chinese contractor who built the dam have confirmed the leak can be stopped within 10 days.
