Bandula Gunawardena Archives

Ceylon Cinnamon clinches country’s first GI status Source:ft.lk Major breakthrough for one of Sri Lanka’s iconic spices obtaining European Union Commission awards Geographical Indication (GI) certification Decade-long effort by multiple stakeholders comes to fruition offering Sri Lanka opportunity to differentiate and be competitive against substitutes of lower quality in EU Achievement a major boost for over 30,000 stakeholders involved in cinnamon industry Marking a milestone, Ceylon Cinnamon on Wednesday had received the country’s first-ever Geographical Indication (GI) certification and status from the European Union (EU) Commission. The outcome was a result of a painstaking, decade-long, arduous endeavour led by the Sri Lanka Export Development (EDB) under the Ministry of Trade with the support of numerous public and private stakeholders. The Daily FT on 28 January first reported the impending milestone via a Guest Column by spice industry champion Sarada de Silva (ft.lk/columns/Ceylon-Cinnamon-on-verge-of-obtaining-geographical-indications-a-first-for-Sri-Lanka/4-729756). The Export Development Board (EDB) said yesterday GI ...

SRI LANKA NEWS – (NOVEMBER 2019) – Compiled by Victor Melder. Sri Lanka’s top court on Tuesday effectively blocked a plan by the president to bring back hangings for the first time since 1976 before he leaves office this month. Maithripala Sirisena said in June that he had signed death warrants for four drug offenders — mirroring the Philippines’ no-holds-barred anti-narcotics drive — alarming rights groups and the international community. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court extended on Tuesday a stay order until the hearing of 15 petitions filed against Sirisena’s bid. “The bench extended the stay order till December 9,” a lawyer representing civil society groups, who call hanging a “cruel and degrading”, said after a brief hearing. Sirisena is not seeking re-election and must leave office as soon as a winner is declared after the November 16 election, more than three weeks before the court resumes hearings. There ...