TIME LAPSES FOR RS. 70.00 PAGES 84 / SECTIONS 6 VOL. 03 – NO. 19 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021 FOCUS ON CONSENSUAL DEPOSITS TRILATERAL RESTRUCTURING SURPASS RELATIONS TREAD RESOLUTION $ 400 M STORMY WATERS SPORTS SECTOR »SEE PAGES 8 & 9 »SEE BUSINESS PAGE 1 »SEE PAGE 3 »SEE PAGE 11 GENERAL PREVENTIVE GUIDELINES For verified information on the coronavirus (Covid-19) contact any of the following authorities Suwasariya Ambulance Service 1999 Health Promotion Bureau Quarantine Unit 0112 112 705 1990 Epidemiology Unit 0112 695 112 Govt. coronavirus hotline 0113071073 PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL TASK FORCE FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES Telephone 0114354854, 0114733600 Wash hands with soap for 40-60 Wear a commercially available mask/ Maintain a minimum distance Use gloves when shopping, using Use traditional Sri Lankan greeting Always wear a mask, avoid crowded Hotline 0113456200-4 seconds, or rub hands with alcohol- cloth mask or a surgical mask at all of 1 metre from others, especially public transport, etc. and discard into at all times instead of handshaking, vehicles, maintain distance, and wash Fax 0112333066, 0114354882 based handrub for 20-30 seconds times in public places in public places a lidded bin lined with a bag hugging, and/or kissing hands before and after travelling Email [email protected] 2019 TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT ON ECT Govt. scrambles to salvage MoC BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWA z Govt. to renegotiate z Yet to inform India, z New comm. appointed zWCT instead of Sri Lanka will launch trilateral talks with India and Japan to MoC with India, Japan Japan officially of ECT for trilateral talks ECT the agenda officially renegotiate the tripartite agreement signed in 2019 It is learnt that the negotiations new committee as well. that it could be applied to the WCT taken to propose the WCT for joint to jointly develop the East Container Terminal (ECT) at the with the two other governments Speaking to The Sunday Morning, instead. development. He said that the Cabinet’s Colombo Port, based on the Cabinet decision taken last week will commence immediately via a Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and However, in the meantime, Sri Lanka decision to remove the ECT, and to propose the development of the West Container Terminal new Cabinet-appointed committee. Shipping U.D.C. Jayalal said that the Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman propose the WCT instead, was based (WCT) of the Colombo Port instead of the ECT as previously It is further learnt that the members Government would soon renegotiate the (Retd.) Gen. Daya Ratnayake stressed on the reports submitted by the two agreed, The Sunday Morning learnt. of the previous Cabinet-appointed existing memorandum of co-operation that national-level negotiations would Cabinet-appointed committees. committees would be included in this (MoC) with Japan and India in a way be held following the Cabinet decision Contd. on page 2 Japan yet to decide on policy Take this turn... 105 MW KELANITISSA GAS TURBINES zIndia stresses on SL keeping to intl. obligations Tender cancellation BY LAHIRU POTHMULLA the Colombo Port, a decision The Japanese Embassy in concerning which Japan has comes under fire Colombo said that the Government expressed disappointment. z Awardee appeals to Ministry z CEB to re-tender of Japan has yet to decide on its The Embassy said this in Allegations have been levelled led Government to design and policy line concerning the unilateral response to a question posed against the Ministry of Power for manufacture gas turbines supplying announcement made by Sri Lanka regarding Japan’s stance on the the cancellation of a tender awarded 105 MW at the Kelanitissa Power over the development of the East issue. during the tenure of the former Station on the basis of erroneous facts. Container Terminal (ECT) at Contd. on page 2 United National Front (UNF)- Contd. on page 2 MALWATHU OYA BASIN PROJECT 5-year project to be launched z $ 3.34 m UNDP grant z Project to cover 4 districts The Ministry of Environment Malwathu Oya Basin area through is to launch a five-year project a community-based ecosystem- that would focus on the oriented approach, The Sunday integrated management of forests, Morning learnt. agriculture, and tourism in the Contd. on page 2 CONSENSUAL RESOLUTION BY UN CORE GROUP Govt. yet undecided Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MP and Cabinet Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, at the 73rd Independence Day celebrations held in Colombo zDiscussions ongoing z‘It is a political decision’ PHOTO LALITH PERERA The Government of Sri Lanka Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is yet to take a decision on the resolution on reconciliation, PRISON EMERGENCY RESPONSE proposed consensual resolution accountability, and human rights CHANGES TO NAT FLAG with the United Nations (UN) in Sri Lanka, as discussions in Recruitment Core Group on Sri Lanka in this regard are currently ongoing. At ministry level connection with the relevant UN Contd. on page 2 The proposed changes to Sri Lanka’s National Flag remain at ministerial this week LEASING MAHAWELI LANDS level, and have not been brought before BY SARAH HANNAN the Cabinet as of yet, stated Cabinet The Department of Prisons is to commence Top-level multi-stakeholder Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella. the recruitment process to establish the Sri Lanka During a news briefing held early this week, Prison Emergency Response Strategic Force from discussions to commence Defence Secretary General (Retd.) Kamal this week onwards, The Sunday Morning learnt. Following opposition from approval for their release, a series Gunaratne said that proposals have been Speaking to The Sunday Morning, State local farmers and protests from of high-level multi-stakeholder made to amend the lion in the National Flag. Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners environmentalists over the move discussions between the relevant A committee appointed at the Home Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte said: “We called to allot Mahaweli Authority lands governmental authorities are to Affairs Ministry has taken these proposals for applications from eligible persons that served in the Rambakenoya area to commence this week, The Sunday into consideration. in the military, who left the service under the commercial agriculture companies, Morning learnt. Contd. on page 2 early retirement scheme. subsequent to the Cabinet granting Contd. on page 2 Contd. on page 2 RS. 300 B ON FOSSIL FUELS THE MICROFINANCE SCOURGE Complete halt by 2030 A’pura, P’naruwa victims left high and dry The Government is planning to completely stop importing fossil fuel by 2030 by replacing z Relief underway through z Expanding pilot z Moves to provide it with renewable energy, Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma claimed. Samurdhi Bank project in A’pura financial literacy According to the Minister, the country spends Despite numerous pledges to the Victims, especially those who live ongoing economic crisis. Rs. 300 billion annually to import fossil fuel. contrary, millions of microfinance in Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, Speaking to The Sunday Morning, The total expenditure would be cut down to Rs. victims around the country are yet to as well as social activists, claimed Polonnaruwa-based activist T.B. 15 billion, which is 5% of the current expenditure benefit from the special programme that they all are waiting for the Sarath stressed that even though the on fossil fuel, by 2025, the Minister said last week launched by the Government that Government to fulfil its promises in Government widely publicised certain in a special ceremony held at the Matara branch proposed to use the existing Samurdhi this regard. However, the situation relief programmes, these are yet to of the Regional Development Bank (RDB). banking system to provide them relief, of the victims has continued to reach the ground level. Contd. on page 2 The Sunday Morning learnt. grow from bad to worse due to the Contd. on page 2 2 the sunday morning Sunday, February 7, 2021 NEWS Contd. from page 1 to unnecessary legal issues, further delaying response to UN High Commissioner for areas of the country is the same – so much Gen. Gunaratne was not available for Govt. scrambles... the implementation of the project. Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s report so, that if somebody received relief from comment. “We’re currently holding discussions However, when contacted by The Sunday on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. the debt trap, their immediate circles would – Lahiru Pothmulla regarding the development mechanism and Morning, CEB Chairman Eng. Vijitha Meanwhile, Co-Cabinet Spokesperson get to know immediately. the finances for the ECT,” he added. Herath noted that due to the financial Minister Udaya Gammanpila on Wednesday “The situation of these poor people is However, as per highly informed sources, situation of the country, as well as of the (3) said the Government has decided to still similar, and, in some cases, even worse Recruitment... the Government has yet to communicate this CEB, the Board has decided to re-tender the reject the report of the UN HCHR based on than before. There are many people who We will recruit a total of 200 personnel in decision to India or Japan. project. two grounds. have taken several such loans and sold the first intake.” Last week, the Cabinet approved a “We will call for tenders immediately “One reason was that most of the content their properties to repay such loans,” he The initiative is to improve the existing proposal made to develop the WCT via a and the process will be completed soon,” he in the report did not fall under the mandate added. Prison Intelligence Unit that is currently private-public partnership (PPP) with India said. of the UN High Commissioner for Human Sarath noted that the stories of these being manned by prison guards and prison and Japan, by cancelling the decision made – Maheesha Mudugamuwa Rights.