<ul><li> Planters stick to their guns on productivity based wages</li><li> Estate worker unions pledge to push for Rs. 1,700 daily pay</li><li> Planters warn unilateral action can have disastrous consequences</li></ul>Plantation companies say that they are not averse to the overall proposals seeking wage hikes for plantation sector workers, pointing out that what they oppose is the idea of providing such wage hikes without any equal gain in productivity.They said that the long-proposed productivity-based wage model is the best way to achieve wage-related demands.The Planters’ Association (PA) of Ceylon made these remarks in a context where estate sector workers have vowed to intensify their opposition, including through protests, seeking a wage hike at least up to Rs. 1,700. The Association recently submitted a proposal to the Labor Ministry proposing wage hikes under the productivity-based and attendance-based wage models, regarding which the Association is yet to receive a response.Noting that blanket wage hikes will bankrupt the sector if implemented because the productivity should justify wages or wage hikes, the Association’s Media Spokesperson, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai, told The Daily Morning that the proposal submitted by the Association enables workers to earn close to Rs. 2,000, an amount he said many productive workers are already making. With regard to the claims of low wages in the sector, he pointed out that the plantation sector pays the highest wages among the sectors coming under the 45 Wages Boards. This is, in addition to other non-wage facilities.&nbsp;“Any unilateral decision will end up like the fertiliser fiasco,” Dr. Rajadurai said regarding the proposals seeking wage hikes, pointing out the importance of reaching a solution collectively and methodically.Recently, estate sector trade unions alleged that the ongoing efforts, especially discussions with the authorities, seem to be dragging out, and that they remain sceptical about the outcomes of these efforts as well as the employers’ response. Citing the drastic rise in inflation since the last wage hike, trade unions told The Daily Morning that they are planning to intensify the ongoing trade union actions seeking a wage hike.

Tea industry: Planters warn that blanket wage hikes may bankrupt sector

<ul><li> Multiple suspects arrested for involvement in the racket&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>The Ministry of Public Security yesterday (28) stressed that the investigations being carried out into the incidents of trafficking of Sri Lankans for combat in the Russian and Ukrainian battlefields, is continuing, with multiple arrests being made.With concerns mounting about a growing number of Sri Lankans combatants, particularly ex-military personnel, being exploited and sent for front line duties in the warring Russian and Ukrainian armies, the law enforcement authorities are cracking down on the organisers of such scams.When contacted by The Daily Morning to inquire about the issue, the Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles said that several suspects have already been arrested by the Police and Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for allegedly trafficking Sri Lankans to Russia and Ukraine over the past few weeks. "We have paid attention to this issue. Several suspects have already been arrested and investigations will continue to apprehend others involved in this racket."It was recently reported that Sri Lankans who have joined the Russian and Ukraine army have had to face tragic death in combat, an outcome they had not signed up for.&nbsp; In one such recent instance, a Sri Lankan ex-military combatant, together with two other persons, had been killed, while others were injured when an armoured vehicle they were deployed on was struck by an explosive device. The remains of the Sri Lankan who was reportedly killed in action, are yet to be found.Sources in Russia and Ukraine point to over 60 Sri Lankans working in different combat-related roles in the Ukraine, while over a 100 are said to be working in Russia. Recently the Police arrested a couple, including an ex-Army Major for allegedly organising the employment racket.The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 marked a significant escalation of tensions between the countries. The war has resulted in widespread destruction, significant civilian casualties, and displacement of millions of people.

SL fighters in Ukraine/Russia: Govt. probe to continue

Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena acknowledged that while obstacles persist — such as a shortage of committee rooms — the Parliamentary committees continue to operate with as many resources and as much support as possible.Even though Parliamentary committees are appointed from time to time for various purposes, there have been constant allegations that it takes a long time to reach the end of their work.The Daily Morning inquired from the Speaker as to whether the cost of maintaining such committees is increasing due to the delay in completing their work. In response, he said: "A cost does not incur to maintain committees. It is a service that MPs deliver." Explaining the reasons for delays in concluding their work, he said: "There are certain obstacles such as lack of committee rooms, but we facilitate them with maximum possible resources."According to Standing Orders, Parliament, apart from the committee of the whole Parliament, has several types of committees such as parliamentary select committees, sectoral oversight committees, ministerial consultative committees, legislative standing committees, and committees appointed for special purposes.It was recently reported that there aren't sufficient committee rooms for Parliamentary committees to meet, and that their affairs had therefore been hindered. Although it had been proposed to facilitate committees to meet outside Parliament some time ago, the MPs claimed that the proposal had not been implemented.

Parliamentary affairs: Committees given available facilities despite challenges: Speaker

<ul><li> De-miners find skeletal remains with uniforms</li></ul>&nbsp;Following several remains being discovered in Muhamalai in the Kilinochchi district, the Pallai Police Station said that they are conducting further investigations into the matter under the orders given by the Kilinochchi Magistrate’s Court.A group of non-governmental organisation workers engaged in demining activities in Muhamalai in the Pallai Police area have reportedly discovered a uniform along with several human skeletons buried in the ground on Saturday (27).They have reported the findings to the Pallai Police, under whose police division the site is located. The Kilinochchi Magistrate visited the site, conducted a magisterial inspection, and reportedly ordered further excavations to be carried out at the particular site on Monday (29).Against this backdrop, the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Pallai Police Station told The Daily Morning yesterday (28) that further investigations will be carried out into the incident following the instructions given by the Kilinochchi Magistrate. Stating that the court is not functioning in the days to come, the OIC said that further instructions will be given once the court is commenced. He also said that the remains that were discovered were investigated by the Magistrate of Kilinochchi, and he noted that it is still premature to make comments regarding the history and the cause behind the particular site.In addition, last year (2023), another mass grave site was accidentally discovered while municipal workers were laying pipelines for water supply along a 200-metre distance from the Kokkuthoduvai Maha Vidyalayam on the Kokkilai road while digging for such pipes. On 29 June, body parts and pieces of clothing were found, leading to a full-fledged excavation. The investigation into it also continued under the supervision of the Mullaitivu Magistrate’s Court.

 Mass graves: Probe on Kilinochchi site to continue

<ul><li> Cites reports by public of unauthorised fund transfers in state bank accounts</li><li>Charges that CBSL and other authorities are dragging their feet on the issue</li></ul>The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has failed to control and regulate the financial market of the country,&nbsp; Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) breakaway Independent Parliamentarian (MP) Gamini Waleboda charged yesterday (28).When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (28) to query a statement made by him at the Parliament last week, MP Waleboda said that thousands of Sri Lankans have now become victims of various financial crimes taking place in the technological space due to the lack of intervention by the relevant authorities.The MP exposed in Parliament last week that there is a large-scale scam going on in which money is moved from current and savings accounts to multiple other accounts without the account holder’s knowledge. He noted that people have reported that money from their current and savings accounts has been transferred to several other accounts in a single day without notifying the account holder.He told The Daily Morning that&nbsp; several religious leaders had personally informed him about the particular scam and also said that most of the transactions had reportedly been carried out through bank accounts in state-sector banks. Citing that the respective banks are currently denying their responsibility over the matter, he said that this matter cannot be taken lightly since the particular scam took place without any notification from the banks.He further stated that similar scams related to the financial sector, such as those carried out by microfinance institutions, have caused many difficulties to the public, including the indigenous community of the country. Blaming the CBSL and other authorities for their lack of urgency to address the matter, MP Waleboda said that the capital market of the country is now operating beyond the control of those authorities.Moreover, he noted that he has taken measures to inform the Parliament, Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, National Policies, and Telecommunications Regulatory Commission regarding the matter; therefore, it is their responsibility to look into the matter as soon as possible.Attempts to contact the Central Bank and both state ministers of finance regarding the allegations failed.

Financial scams: CBSL has failed to regulate market: claims MP Waleboda

<ul><li> Factions should resolve issues via Court or discussions: Comm. Rathnayake</li><li> Says there is no clarity on fractions and party positions</li></ul>The Elections Commission (EC) stated that given the current turmoil with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), they have no room to intervene in or resolve the crisis situation.With an interim injunction being issued by the Colombo District Court preventing former President and incumbent Opposition Parliamentarian Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the Party Chairperson, a problematic situation arose within the SLFP.The Party has now split into two factions led by Sirisena and former President and incumbent SLFP Patron Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. The two factions have made separate appointments to the Party's key positions such as Acting Chairperson and Secretary, some of which have already been challenged before the court.Since both factions had approached EC, The Daily Morning asked EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Ratnayake as to whether they would make any intervention to bring the problematic situation towards an end. In reply, he said: "We have now stopped engaging in this issue. They (the two factions) should resolve this crisis through judicial proceedings or internal discussions."Noting that injunctions have been issued against its Chairperson, Secretary and Acting Chairperson (who was appointed by the Sirisena-led faction), Ratnayake said that there is no clarity on which faction's decisions should be accepted as Party decisions. "There was no issue with the Party's Secretary post as of last week. It has also changed by now, and an injunction has been issued against the Secretary too."Although there are certain issues within political parties regarding which EC summons the relevant parties and have discussions, he said that the problematic situation within the SLFP is not of such a nature.Considering a complaint lodged by Kumaratunga, the Colombo District Court recently issued an interim injunction, temporarily restraining Sirisena from acting as the SLFP Chairperson. This development resulted in the division of the SLFP into two groups, one led by Kumaratunga and the other by Sirisena.Subsequently, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, in his capacity as the Party's Senior Vice President, convened the SLFP's politburo meeting, during which he was appointed as the Party's Acting Chairperson. Taking a fresh twist, the faction led by Sirisena on 21 April elected Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe as the Party's Acting Chairperson. The Kumaratunga-led faction challenged his (Dr. Rajapakshe) appointment before the court, and an interim injunction was issued by the court preventing Dr. Rajapakshe from functioning in the said position. The court also issued another interim injunction preventing MP Sarathi Dushmantha Mithrapala from holding the post of SLFP Acting General Secretary.

SLFP internal crisis: Fix your own mess: EC to Party

&nbsp;Sri Lanka has reportedly shown a significant drop in the annual birth rate, while the number of annual deaths has increased since 2020, the Registrar General’s Department revealed.The Senior Deputy Registrar General, Attorney-at-Law Lakshika Ganepola, stated that the number of annual births, which was around 325,000 before 2020, has now decreased to 280,000. Meanwhile, the number of annual deaths has increased to around 180,000, compared to 140,000 before 2020, as per reports. The Registrar General’s Department points out that this situation will adversely affect Sri Lanka’s population growth.Meanwhile, according to the predictions of the Asian Development Bank, by 2050, Sri Lanka will go through an unprecedented demographic transition into an ageing population with a lower level of per capita income than other ageing economies. In addition, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) states that population projections show that the proportion of Sri Lankans above the age of 60 will increase from 14% in 2017 to 22% by the year 2037.According to reported statistics, the birth rate for Sri Lanka in 2023 was 14.544 births per 1000 people, a 1.99% decline from 2022, while the death rate is shown as 7.122.

Population: SL’s population dynamics at risk

<ul><li> Constitutional reforms of Exe. Presidency, a secondary priority claims RW</li></ul>President Ranil Wickremesinghe last Friday (26) asserted that Sri Lanka cannot afford to continue to dwell in illusions, and that Economic stabilisation measures must be finalised soon and the island nation pushed towards an export economy, breaking away from the import-dependent economy of the past. He said that the present was a time to be decisive.&nbsp;&nbsp;He emphasised the Government’s aim to create a highly competitive, export-oriented economy based on market economy, expressing full faith in the business community of the country. He pointed out that the current challenge facing the nation is not about maintaining the executive presidential system but rather about building a robust economic framework.The President underscored the importance of allowing the people to decide the country’s economic trajectory, highlighting that this opportunity should not be missed by anyone.These remarks were made during his presence at the International Rotary District Conference 2023/24 of the District 3220 Club for Sri Lanka and Maldives held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo.The district conference featured a keynote address by Minister of Information Technology and Digital Services of Tamil Nadu, India Palanivel Thiaga Rajan.District 3220 Rotary International for Sri Lanka and Maldives, established in 1929, comprises over 17,000 members. The club has been actively involved in numerous community and social welfare initiatives, as well as projects aimed at fostering social and economic development across the country. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been a member of the District 3220 Colombo West International Rotary Club since 1994.&nbsp;“We are living at a time when Sri Lanka has reached a crossroads, deciding which path to take. This decision lies in the hands of the people of this country. Are we moving forward? Are we staying stagnant? Or do we wish to regress? Allow me to recount an incident today when a young person asked me, “What plans do you have for the country? What plans do you have for the educated people? What plans do you have to develop the physical infrastructure?” To which I replied, “I have no fixed plans.” I can only envision a market economy where market forces will determine the course. Within that framework, we can establish policy guidelines, outline three or four-year programmes, and adapt as needed. Thinking of a rigid plan to spur growth seems implausible to me. We must understand how to influence market forces, perhaps even manipulate or direct them. If we aim to progress, we must first decide on the economic system we desire. Do we want a government-led approach, following a five-year plan? We’ve tried numerous plans in the past, yet remained impoverished. Vietnam, once poorer than us, changed its course after the war. The Minister of Industries from Vietnam sought advice on promoting foreign investment, a scenario I now find myself reversing,” the President said.“We often aspire to emulate countries like Malaysia or Singapore, yet hesitate to make the necessary decisions. It’s time to confront our reality. We must decide on the type of economy we want. For me, only one model is viable: a highly competitive, export-oriented economy. Despite lacking the vast markets or mineral wealth of other nations, we’re strategically positioned in the Indian Ocean, regaining significance as an economic hub. We cannot afford to dwell in illusions. Economic stabilisation measures undertaken will soon be finalised. Are we continuing with an import-dependent economy, rendering past efforts futile? This is the decision we must all make; there’s no escaping it. Today’s decision for the country isn’t about retaining or abolishing the executive presidency; those are secondary concerns. “Issues like educational reform are important. What matters most is our future trajectory. If we desire a competitive economy, we must embrace competition. I have faith in Sri Lankan businesses; we can overcome challenges. It’s with this confidence that I advocate for our ability to succeed,” he added. 	(PMD)

Recover trajectory: We cannot afford to dwell in illusions: Prez

&nbsp;It is reported that a decision has been taken to increase the interest rate of the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) from the existing 9% to 13% with effect from 2023.&nbsp;State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was quoted as saying that accordingly, the payment of 13% interest rate will be ensured for the year 2023 due to the good investment performance of the fund.&nbsp;The Daily Morning’s attempts to contact the State Minister to get more information about this decision proved futile.

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