The construction of the world’s tallest Christmas tree at the Galle Face Green, which was halted, had been resumed today, the Ports and Shipping Ministry said.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had informed Minister Arjuna Ranatunga to resume the construction of the Christmas tree.
The Prime Minister and the Finance Minister had met the Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday and the Premier had informed the Cardinal that it was private donations which would be used to construct the tree.
Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa left for the United States on Saturday for medical treatment, a spokesman for the Sri Lanka Podujana Party said.
Rajapaksa whose passport was impounded was recently allowed to go abroad by Court. Rajapaksa, a member of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP), whose passport was impounded by Court in connection with the alleged fraud at the Divineguma Department, sought the Colombo High Court’s permission to temporary lift his travel ban.
High Court Judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena on December 7 ordered to release the former minister’s passport on a surety bond of Rs. 2.5 million with three other sureties. The former minister was further ordered to provide flight travel information including departure and arrival times.
Counsels appearing for the former minister moved Court that their client be allowed to travel to USA for medical treatment since he is suffering from diabetes and hypertension and has to consult his physician in USA.
Rajapaksa was arrested by the FCID on July 18 over an allegation of misappropriating Rs. 36.5 million funds belonging to the Divi Neguma Development Department to purchase and distribute GI pipes during the last presidential election. He was later released on bail.
Government Information Department Director General Ranga Kalansooriya said that the journalist, who was allegedly assaulted during an incident in Hambantota, had violated basic ethical practices when covering sensitive conflict situations.
Issuing a statement said, he said that the government has initiated an inquiry into the alleged assault on a journalist during the protest at Hambantota Port on Saturday.
"It is expected that the journalists adhere to the highest standards of ethical practices when covering these types of conflict situations," Mr Kalansooriya said. The statement also said the navy had pointed out that the physical presence of its commander at the scene was mandatory requirement of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
Seven women and a male doctor were arrested by the Nugegoda Police last evening on charges of operating a brothel under the guise of a spa at a luxury house in Pelawatta.
Police said the arrested women are aged between 18 and 28 and were identified as residents of Matara, Galle, Balangoda, Gampaha and Mathugama.
With pressure mounting on President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to take tough decisions against three Cabinet Ministers who are allegedly causing damages to yahapalana government, several key ministers have demanded the President to go for a Cabinet reshuffle with the dawn of year 2017.
This was suggested at a meeting led by President Sirisena and was attended by Prime Minister and 10 other ministers.
According to a highly placed government source, two close confidants of President Sirisena had vehemently attacked a prominent Cabinet Minister stating the latter's infamous dealings with the former first family and those who were already facing corruption allegations, have caused yahapalana government much embarrassment.
"They had also discussed how this alleged minister had facilitated a top bureaucrat in the previous regime to occupy his house when this official was staying in the USA," he said.
The personal connection that the alleged minister has with the former bureaucrat is said to have gravely influenced to manipulate the ongoing investigations on mega deals of the previous government in a number of occasions.
"During this discussion they were able to identify three Cabinet Ministers who are evidently obstructing government's effort to combat corruption and fraud."
It was suggested from the UNP side that the President and the Prime Minister should then discuss and go for a Cabinet re-shuffle and give these ministers to portfolios where they cannot exert influence or engage in corruption," the sources added.
The Indian Government is planning to print plastic notes and has already started procuring material for them, Parliament was told on Friday.
"It has been decided to print bank notes based on plastic or polymer substrate. The process of procurement has been initiated," Union minister of state for finance Arjun Ram Meghwal said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
He was responding to a question on whether there was a move by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to print such notes.
In 2014, the government had told Parliament that it planned to introduce plastic notes in the denomination of Rs 10, and that one billion plastic notes of this denomination would be introduced in a field trial in five cities.
It had said the primary objective behind the introduction of polymer/plastic notes was to increase the life of banknotes and not to combat counterfeiting. The cities selected for the field trial were Kochi, Mysuru, Jaipur, Shimla and Bhubaneswar.
The RBI had also said that since the proposal was at a trial stage, the decision on the replacement of the notes currently in circulation with plastic ones would depend on the outcome of the field trial.
Polymer banknotes were first issued in 1988 by Australia, which now uses polymer exclusively and launched a new series of notes earlier this year. Polymer is used in over 20 countries as diverse as Australia, Canada, Fiji, Mauritius, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Vietnam, according to an IMF document.
The final vote taken on budget 2017 was passed in parliament with a majority of 110 votes in parliament yesterday.
The vote received more than two third of votes in favour as 165 members voting for while 55 voting against.JVP leader Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanyake called for a division by name.
The JVP, MPs of the Joint Opposition voted against while the SLFP, TNA, CWC, SLMC and EPDP voted with the government. Four MPs were absent. They were Mahinda Rajapaksa, Siripala Gamlath, Premalal Jayasekera and Thenuka Widanagama.
Government members booed the Joint Opposition when Mahinda Rajapaksa’s name was read out for voting.
Winding up the marathon debate that took 25 days, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said: "What we have presented was a national budget. This is neither UNP nor SLFP budget. That is why this budget is appreciated by all. We have increased the VAT with great displeasure as there is no other option. We would bring the percentage of the tax down soon".
The Minister said that there are hoards of currency notes of 5,000 denomination hidden in the possession of some opposition politicians. "We know that those monies are used to bring people for protests. Every protestor is paid Rs 5,000. We would soon do what Modi did in India to place the currency hoarders in trouble. Then people could find those who have hidden stocks of Rs 5,000 notes."
"I recall the words of former army commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka who pledged
that he would finished the war and would not leave that task to his successors. In the same way our government pledge to win the economic war. We would not leave that task to another government", he said.
The Minister thanked President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for their guidance, his ministry officials, parliament staff and the Speaker and media for their contribution to make the budget debate a success.
At the end of committee stage debate Joint Opposition group leader MP Dinesh Gunawardena called for a division on expenditure heads of the Finance Ministry. Speaker Jayasuriya moved the House for a vote which received 164 votes in favour and 55 against.
Budget proposals were presented to parliament on Nov 10 and the second reading debate started the following day. Second reading stage vote was taken on Nov 18 and passed with a majority of two third of votes. It received 162 votes in favour and 55 votes against.
The third reading debate commenced on Nov 19 and continued till yesterday for 19 days except on Sundays.
Electronic voting system was first tested in Parliament yesterday soon after the budget vote was taken.
At the end of the session, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya requested all MPs present to participate in the test voting so that the count could be compared with the results of the normal voting took place couple of minutes back for the budget 2017.
The electronic vote recorder was introduced to parliament several weeks back but could not be used for the second reading vote taken on budget 2017 as some MPs had failed to submit their finger prints to the Secretary General of Parliament.
When the division was called each member pressed a button fixed to their desks indicating their decision within the time period allowed by the Speaker.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) announced it will support a new constitution that will retain the current executive presidential system, but with a greater evolution of power in a unitary state.
The policy-making Executive Committee of the UNP in a major policy decision declared its support to keep the presidency while changing the electoral system in favour of a hybrid of first-past-the-post and proportional representation.
The UNP said it supports a system where the prime minister will be answerable to parliament and the executive exercising the powers already granted by the current constitution.
"...we will support a system where the special powers exercised by President Maithripala Sirisena will be continued," the UNP said in a statement.
It is in line with the UNP’s manifesto for the August 2015 parliamentary election.
It said it was also for a greater devolution of power, but did not say if it would be in line with the 13th amendment to the constitution which established the Provincial Council system.
