President meets Sri Lankan Diaspora in Australia, outlines plans for economic modernization Source : adaderana President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is in Australia on a state visit, has met with the Sri Lankan diaspora in Perth. During the interaction, the Sri Lankan leader has provided updates on the nation’s recovery efforts, while outlining strategies for economic modernization. In response, the diaspora has expressed their readiness to assist the Sri Lankan government in boosting economic development across various sectors, such as climate change and tourism. Additionally, President’s Chief-of-Staff Sagala Ratnayaka has detailed plans for establishing the Office of Overseas Sri Lankans. He emphasized that this initiative would provide an avenue for the diaspora to engage constructively with the Government. Ratnayaka also underscored the ongoing IMF program, emphasizing the importance of the diagnostics report released last year. He appealed for the continued backing of the Sri Lankan diaspora in carrying forward the reform program. ...

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Crisis-hit Sri Lanka strikes staff-level pact with IMF on loan Source:Dailymirror Sri Lanka and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached a preliminary agreement on an emergency loan to the crisis-hit country and a formal announcement will be made on Thursday, four sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The island nation, struggling with its worst economic crisis in more than seven decades, had sought up to $3 billion from the IMF. Spokespersons for the IMF and the Sri Lankan government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ...

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SRI LANKA NEWS (AUGUST 2022) Compiled by Victor Melder. A Sri Lankan athlete and a senior official have gone missing after the fifth day’s events of the 22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England on Tuesday. Initial reports indicate that a female judoka and the manager of the Sri Lanka Judo Team have disappeared from the Sri Lankan camp soon after she lost her first-round event on Monday. The Sri Lankan Team Management have immediately informed the relevant authorities about their disappearance and the Birmingham Metropolitan Police have started a special inquiry into the incident. As a result, the Chef-de-Mission of the Sri Lankan contingent Maj. Gen (retired ) Dampath Fernando told that he has decided to acquire all passports of the Sri Lankan contingent to avoid further disappearances. Sri Lanka are fielding a 110-member strong contingent and 51 officials for the Commonwealth Games with the Judo Team consisting of three ...

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OUR-DAY WEEK-By Tilak Fernando Employees at work.  In June 2022, the Sri Lankan Government declared a ‘four-day week’ for Public Sector workers for three months, except for the essential services. It started on Friday, June 17th, giving a holiday to public sector employees. Critical services are categorised as the public sector for employees in the health, water supply, power and energy, education, and security; such essential services were exempted from the regulation. The decision to make the four-day week was not in line with the list of other countries in the world that are experimenting with a shorter week following the COVID-19 pandemic. In Sri Lanka, of course, it is due to fuel shortage in the country and to restrict the usage of fuel by millions of public service employees to cut down on the transport and other costs during commuting to work during this period of uncertainty. ...

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SRI LANKA NEEDS FEWER POLITICIANS AND MORE TECHNOLOGISTS – By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando   “There are rumours that Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had to take over the finance portfolio since no member of the Sri Lankan Parliament was willing to take up this challenge of managing the country’s finances. Instead of looking at the scenario negatively, it would be appropriate to think that the Prime Minister taking over the finance portfolio is also a progressive step, as the finance portfolio requires the maximum attention at this stage,” says veteran Indian journalist N.S. Venkataramanin in his latest article, which landed in my email ‘in box’. He further states that ‘when the Sri Lankan Government negotiated with the IMF to obtain financial support, the present scenario appears to be that the IMF is procrastinating the issue and has not given a firm assurance to the Sri Lankan Government. When ...

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SRI LANKA NEEDS LESS NUMBER OF POLITICIANS AND MORE NUMBER OF TECHNOLOGISTS – by N.S.Venkataraman There are rumours that Sri Lankan Prime Minister   Ranil Wickremesinghe  had to take over the finance portfolio also, since no member of Sri Lankan parliament was willing to take up this challenge of managing the country’s  finance.  Instead of looking at the scenario in  such negative manner, it would be appropriate to think that Prime Minister taking over the finance portfolio also is a progressive step , as the finance portfolio requires the maximum attention at this stage. While the Sri Lankan government is negotiating with IMF to get financial assistance , it appears that the decision of IMF is yet to be taken firmly.  Meanwhile, Sri Lankan government approached the World Bank and it is said that the World Bank ruled out any new assistance to Sri Lanka , until an adequate macro economic ...

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The Technopolitics of Dissent in Sri Lanka – By Shakthi De Silva     Source:internationalaffairs.org.au Observers in Australia and elsewhere have covered Sri Lanka’s ongoing protests and accurately teased out the nuances of the situation. However, many underestimate how technology played a key role in instigating this organic social uprising. Web platforms and social media has revolutionised the politics of public dissent. They give new meaning to free expression and empower citizen journalism and activism to take a life of its own outside the traditional domains of private or state-influenced media. Information is now coproduced by people and shared on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, and more. Representative democracies around the world are feeling the pinch as stories, pictures, and posts on corruption and political malpractice become viral sensations. In more ways than one, this has become a feature of the modern-day democratic techno-politic climate we live in. Nowhere is ...

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First cut is the deepest! – By Aubrey Joachim   The magician has spoken. However, he did not pull any rabbits out of a hat. Instead he slashed the body of the damsel (in distress). Is it an illusion or will he be able to put her back and will she rise out of the façade? The newly appointed Prime Minister has spoken to the nation. The message was crisp, clear and succinct. The situation is grave. The patient is on life support. Sri Lankans will face hardships that they have never faced in their lives over the next few months. The stages of recovery will take time. If the patient comes out of life support it will progress through intensive care, critical care and a long period of hospitalisation before some modicum of recovery happens. A mere few months of hardships is the height of optimism. It seems more ...

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 SRI LANKA CAN  QUICKLY BOUNCE BACK IF SRI LANKANS WANT IT – by N.S.Venkataraman Sri Lanka has a population of   slightly more than 22 million.  Sri Lanka’s population is reported to have an adult literacy rate of  more than  92 percent , which is above average by world and regional standards. Computer literacy is more than 30  percent and website users  are  reported to be more than 32  percent of the population.  Certainly, Sri Lankan society  can be considered as .well informed one , as education plays a major part in the life and culture of  Sri Lanka. In such circumstances, people around the world , who have knowledge about Sri Lanka’s history, culture and tradition , are taken aback to see the type of violence that is now sweeping the country ,  which have made many people wonder as to how Sri Lanka would come out of the present crisis. In ...

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WHERE IS THE ROADMAP TO RESTORE SRILANKA’S GLORY? – by N.S.Venkataraman Most people in the world , whether Sri Lankans or otherwise , are concerned  about the present plight of Sri Lanka  due to what appears to be a  sort of economic collapse and consequent unrest amongst the people. Several experts and observers have commented liberally as to how this   country with beautiful  landscape and glorious  culture  have been reduced to this state.  The diagnosis is complete.  But , it appears that the process of evolving prescription to overcome the crisis is yet to be convincingly evolved and crystallized. At present, the focus is on getting loan or aid from abroad ,as if this by itself could sort out the grim issues facing Sri Lanka  in short term or long term. Sri Lanka already has huge debt to service and repay and Sri Lankan government has said that it cannot ...

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