Sri Lanka News-updates, as on 7th Dec 2022. – By Dr Harold Gunatillake
Website: www.Doctorharold.com
If golden beaches, rising waves, misty mountains, mighty elephants, stealthy leopards, giant whales, a glorious past, lovely tea and warm smiles could sum up a country, that would be Sri
Lanka.
Why does Sri Lanka attract tourists?
Travel destinations in Sri Lanka provide an array of holiday experiences, from sun-kissed beach holidays to a marathon of wildlife watching, adrenaline-pumping adventure sports and pilgrimage to some of the oldest cities in the world, and lastly, the street foods in Colombo.
What attracts the tourists there?
Tourists’ expectations when visiting a particular place are related to several features of the chosen destination: culture, architecture, gastronomy, infrastructure, landscape, events, shopping, etc. These features attract people to the destination and contribute to the overall experience of the trip in Sri Lanka.
Traditional Sri Lankan food is Spicy!
If you love spicy food, then you are certainly in paradise! This is because Sri Lankan cuisine is instilled with the generous use of chillies in most dishes. Sri Lankans use chillies in many different forms, powdered, dried, fresh and even flaky.
Staggering staff expenditures disclosed during the Mahinda-Maithri periods
The details were obtained through the Right to Information Commission directive. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa deployed a personal staff of 2,578 from 2010 to 2014 at the cost of more than Rs.630 million Former President Maithripala Sirisena had an individual team of 1,317 from 2015 to 2019 at the expense of more than Rs.850 million.
An App for the safety of tourists
Tourism and Lands Minister Mr Harin Fernando said that a new mobile application (App) would be introduced for the safety of tourists coming to Sri Lanka while promoting the tourism industry.
He mentioned it will bring 1.5 million tourists to Sri Lanka, especially in 2023. The minister also said that for the safety of tourists, a tourist police team would be stationed at every coastline with tourist attractions.
Tourists queuing to Yala
Many foreigners have come to visit the beauty of Yala after two and a half years. The country’s tourism industry had collapsed due to the country’s lockdowns caused by the impact of the global covid epidemic and the recent struggles in the country, and these conditions are now being alleviated.
Gas shortage is over – 100,000 per day will be released
Litro Company says that they will release more than 100,000 cylinders of domestic gas to the market today (01), ending the shortage of gas that existed in the past few days. Accordingly, the company announces that it has provided all the necessary facilities to consumers to purchase gas without shortage during the festive season. In the past few days, gas release to the market had been limited. It was due to the delayed arrival of the ordered gas ships to the country. The company says that the requested gas ships are currently reaching the country.
President’s fifty-year milestone
A felicitation ceremony organised by legal professionals to celebrate President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s 50-year-long career as a lawyer was held at Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo
yesterday.
Desultory search for a solution to the Sri Lankan ethnic issue
Reported by By P.K.Balachandran Colombo, December 5: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will meet the Tamil parties of the North and Eastern Provinces on December 11 to resolve the longstanding Tamil issue. Perhaps due to pressure from India and the West, plus the grave economic crisis in the country, the government and the Tamil parties are going for talks once again, despite the utter failure of past attempts. But the chances of reaching an understanding this time round appear as dim as before. While the Tamil parties insist that they will not agree to anything other than a federal setup, preferably in the form of a new constitution, President Wickremesinghe has indicated that he is only willing to consider something less than a national setup. He has also stated that he prefers devolution to districts rather than the provinces.
Devolution to provinces is anathema for the majority of Sinhalese. But it is a must for the Tamils because they see the consolidation of their places of habitation as essential for their survival as a political entity. Devolution to districts will break Tamil unity, they fear. The Tamils also see the Sinhalese as a political “block” and would like to face them as a “block”.
Therefore, if Wickremesinghe proposes the District as the unit of devolution and offers District Councils in place of the present Provincial Councils, the Tamil parties will reject it. But still, there is a sense of keeping the dialogue going. And that is for two reasons: Firstly, the Western nations and India consider discussion necessary for geopolitical stability and keep pressing for it. While India is interested in keeping its southern flank peaceful and secure, the West is interested in co-opting Sri Lanka into its anti-China Indo-Pacific axis. This is besides the West’s human rights predilections regarding Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan Rs. 200 million misappropriated in Tamil Nadu ‘humanitarian aid’ rice
transport
By Buddhika Samaraweera in News in.AsiaColombo, December 6 (The Morning): Although the stock of 40,000 metric tonnes (MT) of rice given to Sri Lanka by the Government of Tamil Nadu as humanitarian aid in June 2022 could have been transported to the relevant districts at a price of about Rs. 6 per kg, the Food Commissioner’s Department has paid a cost of about Rs. 12 per kg to transport the said stock, which has resulted in the misappropriation of about Rs. 200 million,
Christmas cake is being made inside a ship in Hambantota port
The first stage of making the Christmas cake, a tradition from ancient times, was held on a Sri Lanka Navy vessel anchored at Hambantota Harbour.
Hambantota International Port (HIP), Hambantota Shangri-La Hotel has contributed to the Christmas cake mixing process by starting the year-end Christmas season with festivity.
“Since many tourists are coming to Sri Lanka this winter, it is more important that the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) and the Sri Lanka Navy hold this event together. It is a matter of pride to be a part of this effort, and it is a pleasure to welcome two ships carrying more than 2000 tourists to Hambantota International Port during the festival.
China supports solving Sri Lanka’s economic crisis together with the IMF
China says that together with the International Monetary Fund and Sri Lanka, they will support the proper resolution of the current financial situation. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mrs Mao Ning said this at a press conference in Beijing yesterday (5).
A journalist said that it had been reported that a delegation of the International Monetary Fund would visit China this week, where they will discuss with China the debt restructuring of Sri Lanka and other countries.
Mrs Mao Ning stated that China had maintained a good cooperative relationship with international economic and financial service institutions, including the International Monetary Fund.
China has a good understanding of the difficulties and challenges Sri Lanka is facing. She also said that China is asking the relevant countries and international financial institutions to play an active role in reducing the existing debt burden.
These are the current main news from Sri Lanka. Hope it was worthwhile. Stay safe, and goodbye for now.
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