Author: Buzzer Editorial

The Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture M.P.N.M. Wickramasinghe today announced the provision of Rs. 25,000 per hectare allowance to paddy farmers.The decision was reached today during a discussion with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.“This morning, the President visited the Ministry of Agriculture for a progress review with officials. He advised to implement a QR code system for farmers to purchase fertiliser, allowing the necessary information to be captured. Once it is done, the relevant amount will be processed through a banking system,” the Secretary said.“Hence, there is no hindrance to provide the fertiliser subsidy,” he added.

A high-level delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) held discussions with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo today. The meeting, reported by the President’s Media Division (PMD), is part of the IMF’s ongoing engagement with Sri Lanka to discuss the progress of the ongoing IMF programme.The IMF delegation included Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the Asia Pacific Department, and Dr. Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief.The President was accompanied by key Sri Lankan officials, including Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardena, Dr. Harshana Sooriyapperuma, Senior Advisors to the President Prof. Anil Jayantha,…

A high-level delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday (2) to engage with the newly formed government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The primary objective of the visit was to initiate discussions on the progress of the IMF program and necessary steps towards the release of the fourth tranche of the $ 2.9 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), the President’s Office said.The meeting, held at the Presidential Secretariat, featured cordial discussions between the IMF delegation and the economic team of the new government. Both parties reviewed the IMF programme thus far and outlined the way…

The Commissioner General of Excise has announced that all places with licenses to sell alcohol throughout the island remain closed tomorrow.The instructions have been given in view of World Alcohol-Free Day, commemorated on October 03.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned Sri Lanka player Praveen Jayawickrama from all cricket for one year, of which six months are suspended, after he admitted breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.Jayawickrama admitted to being in breach of the following provision under the Code:Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing or delaying any investigation that may be carried out by the ACU, including concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence or may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code.As a result of…

Tim Southee stepped down as New Zealand’s test captain on Wednesday after their 2-0 defeat to Sri Lanka and handed the reins to opening batsman Tom Latham for the India series.Veteran pace bowler Southee has struggled for form since the home summer when he took six wickets at an average of more than 70 against a second-string South Africa and Australia.The Sri Lanka sweep, capped by a humiliating innings and 154-run loss in Galle last week, was the Black Caps’ fourth test defeat in succession either side of the washed-out match against Afghanistan.It left Southee with a record of six…

The former MPs who supported former President Ranil Wickremesinghe are preparing to contest the upcoming General Election under either the ‘elephant’ symbol or another common symbol, political sources told Ada Derana.It is reported that the opinion of the Election Commission has been sought to obtain the ‘Gas Cylinder’ symbol while a final decision is to be taken after the commission’s decision is conveyed. The group of former MPs had gathered at the Election Operations office of the former president at Flower Road in Colombo today (02), in order to reach the final decision regarding the symbol and the alliance they will…

India’s external Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be visiting Sri Lanka this week and call on newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who assumed office on September 23, Indian media reported today. His visit to Colombo would be the first by any foreign minister after the presidential elections last month. Jaishankar’s visit to the neighbouring island nation, which is expected to begin on October 4, will be closely watched as it will include high-level engagement between India and Sri Lanka after Dissanayake came to power. India’s high commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, was the first foreign diplomat to call on Dissanayake after…

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Tel Aviv has issued an announcement to all Sri Lankan nationals residing in Israel in the wake of the Iran missile attacks on Israel. The embassy had yesterday advised Sri Lankans living in Israel to remain in safe shelters during the attacks, while they were also instructed to keep stocks of essential food items and medicines.Iran had launched at least 180 missiles into Israel, the latest in a series of escalating attacks in a yearslong conflict between Israel and Iran and its Arab allies.However, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Israel, Nimal Bandara says that it has…

The Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (02) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.The Ambassador extended his heartfelt congratulations to the President on his recent election victory and expressed China’s continued commitment to supporting Sri Lanka in its future endeavours, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.Ambassador Qi reaffirmed the Chinese government’s continued commitment to enhancing bilateral relations with Sri Lanka, emphasizing the significance of on-going collaborative projects. He highlighted the active engagement of the China Development Bank (CDB) and EXIM Bank in supporting Sri Lanka’s development initiatives, the…