<ul><li>Estate unions note implementation uncertainty due to companies’ likelihood of challenging Rs. 1,700&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>Despite the Government’s decision to increase the daily wage of plantation sector workers to Rs. 1,700, sectoral trade unions remain determined to continue the ongoing protests seeking a wage hike to Rs. 2,000.Even if the Government’s decision materialised without facing any objections, they note, this amount is not sufficient given the rate at which inflation has increased during the past few years and because it is also unlikely that an ordinary plantation sector worker would receive Rs. 1,700 a day without any conditions. The All Ceylon Estate Workers’ Union Secretary, J.M.A. Premaratne, made these remarks to The Daily Morning in a context where allegations are being levelled that many workers do not receive even the existing Rs. 1,000 minimum wage owing to various conditions imposed by employers.“The Gazette notification can be challenged until 15 May. Therefore, if plantation companies present objections, this discussion (on wage-related issues) will continue,” he expressed uncertainty about the implementation of the Government’s decision.Adding that the plantation sector workers expect a wage hike of Rs. 2,000 a day, he opined however that when considering the 33% wage hike proposed by employers, this wage hike to Rs. 1,700 is somewhat satisfactory. He added that even during the period until 15 May where the Gazette can be challenged, protests demanding a Rs. 2,000 minimum wage will continue.&nbsp;“We will continue to fight for a salary that matches the cost of living,” he stressed.The Daily Morning’s attempts to contact the Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) to discuss their opinion about the Government’s decision and whether the PA would object to the same proved futile.However, recently, the PA told The Daily Morning that plantation companies are not averse to the overall proposals seeking wage hikes for plantation sector workers, noting instead that what they oppose is the idea of providing such wage hikes without any equal gain in productivity. Expressing concerns that blanket wage hikes will bankrupt the sector if implemented, because such decisions will not involve productivity that justifies wages or wage hikes, PA Media Spokesperson, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai, said that the long proposed productivity based wage model is the best way to achieve wage related demands.

Plantation sector wage hike: Protests for daily Rs. 2,000 to continue  

Consumer rights activists raised concerns about the continuation of the indicative price range initiative which was recently launched by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA).Claiming that the said programme came to a halt as soon as it started, consumer rights activist Asela Sampath alleged that it was a failure. He further claimed that with the declaration of an indicative price range for many goods, racketeers and intermediaries who had influence over market prices were affected, and that that is the reason for the programme to come to a sudden halt.&nbsp;Sampath further expressed concerns about the effectiveness of such a programme.The Daily Morning’s attempts to contact the CAA about the continuation of the programme were not successful.&nbsp;However, the CAA earlier revealed plans to announce an indicative price range for basic goods every week, and to take steps to ensure a clearer display of such prices in markets. Adding that both these steps are expected to increase competition, thereby paving the way for fair prices, the CAA officials said that these steps also aim to provide consumers an idea about the price ranges that&nbsp;can&nbsp;be expected&nbsp;in the market in a given week.&nbsp;

Indicative price range: Consumer rights activists query prog.’s continuity  

<ul><li>Highlight need to prioritise buyers’ preferences over agents</li></ul>The Vehicle Importers’ Association has insisted on the necessity of a proper regulatory framework for vehicle imports in Sri Lanka.President of the Association Indika Sampath Merenchige emphasised the need for the Government to establish a committee inclusive of their Association’s representatives to make decisions on this matter.“When importing vehicles to Sri Lanka in the past few years, specifically in 2017, 2018, and 2019, 85% of the vehicles imported were used vehicles with only 15% new vehicles being imported. Out of that, 95% of the vehicles were sourced from Japan. In the future, it is imperative to prioritise the preferences of the people when importing vehicles. If the agents prioritise matters that are not aligned with the requirements of the people, there will likely be a decline in demand,” Merenchige said.

Vehicle importers seek committee for regulatory framework  

Opposition Parliamentarian and former President Maithripala Sirisena whose chairpersonship of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has been suspended by way of a Court order, claimed that Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Minister, President’s Counsel Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe will be SLFP’s Presidential candidate in the upcoming election.Joining the commemoration ceremony of the late T.B. Ilangaratne, Sirisena further claimed that Dr. Rajapakshe has the support of the majority of the Party members. “I have previously served as the President and pledged not to contest for the Presidency again. Dr. Rajapakshe will run in the upcoming Presidential Election, and we will offer him our full support. We took a Minister (Dr. Rajapakshe) from the ruling Party (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna), who is now aligned with us (the SLFP). He no longer desires the Ministerial position,” Sirisena added.A Court order has also suspended Dr. Rajapakshe’s recent ‘appointment’ by the Sirisena-led faction of the SLFP as the SLFP’s Acting Chairperson.&nbsp;

Wijeyadasa, the SLFP’s Prez candidate: Sirisena 

The passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam, India, and Kankesanthurai (KKS) in Sri Lanka, which resumed in October of last year (2023) after almost 40 years, only to be stopped days later, is set to recommence on 13 May.&nbsp;Online ticket sales for the service, which will be handled by a new operator, will go live on 6 May.On 14 October 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off the service between Nagapattinam and KKS. The high speed craft Cheriyapani operated by the Shipping Corporation of India under KPVS Private Limited however, stopped the service after about a week, allegedly due to the monsoon. After a gap of six months, the service is set to resume. This time though, a Chennai-based travel operator, IndSri Ferry Services Pvt. Ltd., would handle the international service through the ship, ‘Sivagangai’.“The service will be offered daily. Ticket sales open from 6 May through our website www.sailindsri.com for voyages between 13 May and 15 November,” said IndSri Ferry Services Managing Director S. Niranjan Nanthagopan. A ticket from the Nagapattinam Port to KKS is currently priced at $ 50 plus taxes. The pricing is the same for the return service.Passengers are allowed to carry 60 kilograms of baggage on board without charges. Further, they are allowed to change their date of travel 72 hours before the scheduled trip. Full refund is also available on cancellation only during the said period.(The New Indian Express)

Indo-SL passenger ferry service to resume mid-May

The Young Journalists' Association of Sri Lanka (YJASL) has requested the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) to investigate whether thorough studies were conducted before importing Covid-19 vaccines including AstraZeneca into the country.Several foreign media outlets have reported that pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has, for the first time admitted that its Covid-19 vaccine could cause a rare side effect that could lead to blood clots and death.In a letter addressed to the HRCSL, the YJASL President, journalist Tharindu Iranga Jayawardhana said that in Sri Lanka, there were discussions about a potential increase in heart attacks and seizures following Covid-19 vaccinations during the past few years. While such discussions were swiftly suppressed at the time, he said that the Company has now admitted that severe side effects could occur due to the AstraZeneca vaccine.&nbsp;“During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government made vaccination mandatory, declaring that those without proof of vaccination would not be allowed to enter public places. This policy prompted many people to get vaccinated under pressure. There was also considerable discussion within the health sector about the decision to prioritise a few members of the military, rather than the health authorities, to oversee the implementation of key measures to curb the pandemic,” he said.Jayawardhana said that there are now significant concerns about whether AstraZeneca and other Covid-19 vaccines were properly researched before being imported into Sri Lanka. Claiming that it seems that fundamental rights may have been violated by the Government by pressuring people to get vaccinated and concealing the potentially serious side effects associated with such, he urged the HRCSL to initiate an investigation into the matter.Minister of Health, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana was not available for comment.Covid-19 vaccination in Sri Lanka involved a significant national effort, with the Government implementing mass vaccination campaigns to combat the spread of the virus. The Government made vaccines mandatory for accessing public places, pressuring people to get vaccinated. The rollout included various vaccines such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinopharm, and aimed to reach a broad segment of the population.&nbsp;Global researchers have however, while acknowledging uncommon complications post-vaccination, maintained that the evidence points to the benefits of vaccination far outweighing the risks of vaccination and non-vaccination.

AstraZeneca’s Covid revelations@: HRCSL asked to probe pre-import study of vaccines

<ul><li> SLPP’s Dr. Gayashan Nawananda attends</li></ul>President and United National Party (UNP) Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe invited all political Parties, including the main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) led National People’s Power (NPP), also of the Parliamentary Opposition, to get together and reach a common agreement with the Government to continue the current economic programme that took the country back onto the correct path.Speaking at the UNP's May Day celebration held yesterday (1 May) at the P.D. Sirisena grounds in Maligawatte, President Wickremesinghe noted that measures will be taken soon to make the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which is inclusive of the agreements that the Government has reached with the IMF and to submit them to the Parliament. He also urged the Parliamentary political parties to support the Government to make it a law within the Parliament.&nbsp;Stating that his Party has a vision to secure a bright future for future generations, he said that measures have already been taken to modernise the rural economy to an export oriented one. He further noted that the people must decide whether the country should move forward or go back to where it was in 2022, claiming that a strong policy framework should govern the country if it needs to achieve permanent prosperity. “We have always experienced the consequences of not having a policy framework. When I took over the Government in 2001, we were able to get around United States Dollars four billion from various countries. But, when the Government collapsed, all the money was spent for various purposes. During 2018–2019, there was a surplus in our primary budget. If it was continued, we would not have been a bankrupt country. Therefore, we will be taking measures to make the IMF agreement a law, and it will soon be tabled in Parliament. We welcome the support of every political party to get this done,” he added.&nbsp;Moreover, he noted that no one could destroy the UNP, as it has experienced many turbulent periods in its history. He also stated that under the Government, every political party has the opportunity to engage in democratic politics, claiming that even the SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa could not engage in politics until two or three years ago. He invited all the political parties to get together and join hands with the Government to continue the current policies to build a stable country despite all the political and ideological differences.“Members from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a group from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Minister Douglas Devananda, the Ceylon Workers Congress and several others joined hands with me,” the President said.Meanwhile, UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, speaking at the May Day rally, said that the UNP May Day rally was held with the purpose of making the country united, while almost all the other political parties were looking at the upcoming Presidential Election. Stating that the country is now at a critical juncture, he also noted that the UNP is focusing on building the nation instead of the UNP. “Most of the political parties that were reluctant to take over the responsibility when the entire country was in a crisis now celebrate the May Day, bringing thousands of people to Colombo. They are doing it in view of the upcoming Presidential Election. But, we in the UNP don’t want to use people just to win elections. We want to build this nation, which is our utmost priority at this moment,” he said.&nbsp;Range Bandara also noted that thousands of people who have attended the rally display the people’s sense of gratitude towards President Wickremesinghe, who rebuilt the country’s economy, stating that therefore, the UNP rally gives the message that the majority of the people have lined up to save the President.&nbsp;He also claimed that the UNP was the only political Party that had a vision for the working class people, while some other political parties were murdering the workers. “The UNP was the only Party that protected the workers. Even today, only President Wickremesinghe has been able to increase the salaries of both public and private sector employees. He increased the number of beneficiaries who receive various social welfare schemes. But, it is very shameful to see that people who murdered employees are celebrating the International Labour Day,” he alleged.The rally was attended by Ministers Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando.Meanwhile, SLPP Government Parliamentarian Dr. Gayashan Nawananda also&nbsp;joined the rally.&nbsp;

UNP May Day rally: Ranil urges all party consensus on continuing econ. prog. 

<ul><li> Pledges sustainable solution to minority issues with majority support</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;Promising a sustainable solution to the issues faced by the non-Sinhalese communities, with the support of the Sinhalese community, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said that a future Government led by them would be committed to implementing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.Speaking at the SJB rally to mark the International Labour Day (May Day) yesterday (1 May) in Colombo, he emphasised his firm stance against extremism in all forms, stating, "We don’t allow extremism — whether racial or religious. We will not permit any form of terrorism to take root."&nbsp;Elaborating on the Party's approach to address the nation's political challenges, he said: "We will be reaching out to the majority Sinhalese population to offer a sustainable solution to the serious political issues plaguing our bankrupt country, especially focusing on the difficulties faced by non-Sinhalese communities." In addition, he said that a Government led by the SJB in the future would be committed to implementing the 13th Amendment.&nbsp;Refuting recently circulated reports that SJB Parliamentarians have facilitated certain individuals to obtain new liquor licences, he said that all liquor licences that have been issued illegally or improperly for political gain throughout the past would be revoked under a SJB Government. If there will be any objections to the programme, he said that the relevant revocations would be done in accordance with the Parliamentary rules and regulations. He further spoke about an alleged ongoing land racket in several Provinces, condemning the politicians involved in such illegal activities. "Today, a large-scale land robbery is taking place across many parts of our country," he said, emphasising that certain politicians are misusing their power by distributing large plots of land to their allies. "These corrupt individuals are handing out 10, 20, 50, even 100 acres to their close associates, while honest people are left without land”. He reassured those affected by the alleged irregularities that justice would be served.&nbsp;"I would like to warn those who support these land grabs and receive land in illegal ways that all stolen lands will be reclaimed and used for investment, and to provide land to those in need, as well as for the new entrepreneurial culture that we will be fostering," he declared.&nbsp;The plantation sector was another area that he focused on during his speech. Premadasa, who has already declared that he would run for the upcoming Presidential Election, pointed out that the Government and private plantation companies hold a significant portion of barren lands. "Tea small holders, who hold only 40% of the tea cultivations in the country, contribute 70% to the annual tea production, while public and private plantation companies, owning 60%, contribute only 30%," he said, and proposed an initiative to rectify this imbalance and support small-scale tea planters. "We will be developing barren lands as small-scale tea plantations, allowing the landless plantation sector workers and the youth community to grow into successful tea entrepreneurs."&nbsp;Speaking further, he stressed the need to have a national wealth fund to secure the prosperity of future generations. "A Government led by us would establish such a fund with the goal of ensuring a more stable economy. The plan for this fund is part of a broader initiative to address poverty and improve living conditions. In addition to the fund, he announced a new poverty alleviation programme that goes beyond the 'Jana Sawiya' social welfare programme, and assured the rescue of those trapped by microfinance schemes.&nbsp;He revealed their plan to serve justice to those affected by the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 21 April 2019. "We will definitely investigate the root cause of the terror attacks. We have already handed over our programme to the Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith. Our goal is not just to bring those responsible before the law, but also to ensure that those who didn’t prevent it are held accountable." He stressed that the programme is designed to enforce the maximum punishment for those involved in the attacks and the subsequent cover-up of those responsible for it.&nbsp;"We are working to create one million new entrepreneurs," announced Premadasa, highlighting a key initiative aimed at revitalising the economy under a Government led by them. He emphasised that every Government institution must be made more efficient to support this goal. "Public-private partnership programmes should be implemented to turn loss making institutions into profit making ones," he said, pointing out that these initiatives will however not compromise national security. Premadasa also said that an amended version of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund would be designed to guide the country in the right direction while ensuring the welfare of citizens. "Our programme will include protecting the rights of children, mothers, and all other women through the creation of a Presidential Task Force (PTF) and national commissions. A special programme will be launched for women-headed families, and the 1.7 million disabled persons. A national youth project to empower youth, with a youth commission and a Youth PTF, are also part of our programme."&nbsp;He highlighted that the strategy under a future SJB Government to fight corruption would involve establishing independent institutions that are immutable and transparent, achieved by adding strong clauses to the Constitution. This effort, he said, will include a programme to recover lost or stolen Government money and property, ensuring that thieves and corrupt individuals, regardless of rank, are brought to justice. "A Government led by us will also aim to support smart farmers and fishermen, add new technology to farming, fishing and other industries, and provide higher interest rates on the savings of the elderly. The protection of workers' rights and the creation of a conducive environment for investments are assured.&nbsp;Education modernisation is one of our key focuses, with plans to convert 10,126 Government schools into smart schools," Premadasa further said, adding that the health system modernisation would also be launched, with an emphasis on both the prevention of diseases, and treatment. He added that sustainable environmental conservation, a people centric economic policy, and social democracy would also be implemented, following a middle path.&nbsp;He responded to questions raised by various parties about his political actions, particularly regarding him declining the offer made by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to become the Prime Minister. "Some people ask me why I didn’t make use of the 'short cut' to become the Premier. I would like to tell them, I was called 10 times before the constitutional crisis in 2018 (replacement of then Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe with then Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa by then President Maithripala Sirisena), and 61 times after it, with invitations to become the Premier." He stressed that he does not make decisions out of personal ambition. "I will never make decisions based on the need to achieve my goals. My decisions are made with the country's best interests in mind," Premadasa assured the public, stating that they have nothing to worry about, emphasising the SJB's commitment to establish a clean Government.&nbsp;"The SJB will soon take responsibility with an excellent mandate and turn this country into a developing nation under an honest, clean, and transparent governance style without theft, projecting a vision of accountability and integrity for the future."

 SJB May Day rally: Sajith says future Govt. committed to 13A

<ul><li> Urges scrapping of traditional party rivalries/ideologies&nbsp;</li></ul>The people not having been adequately connected to the national economy is one of the main issues that Sri Lanka is facing, and in reviving the country, it is crucial to support the people to become a part of the economy, especially when it comes to sectors such as agriculture and groups such as the youth, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and National People’s Power (NPP) Leader and Opposition Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake stressed.This was, during the NPP’s main May Day rally held in Colombo yesterday (1 May), where Dissanayake spoke about the NPP’s future plans which, among others, involve getting various groups to join the NPP’s plans relating to economic revival. As the country’s economy revives, he said, its outcomes should be equitably, not equally, shared among those that supported it. He observed that it is in such a context that businesses will thrive, the youth will have jobs, and the people will have access to food, education and health. He opined that ushering in a new era in a modern Sri Lanka requires collective efforts, in which inter-party issues will have little significance. In this quest, he said, the first step should be doing away with traditional party rivalries and ideologies.“We should create Sri Lanka’s biggest people’s movement, in order to bring in a new era. The NPP is not a party that has been built against other parties or persons.&nbsp;This is the greatest people’s movement that changes the country, with the representation of all groups.”Describing the NPP’s election plans, he said that the NPP has surrounded itself with various groups that have the potential to contribute to economic progress, including lawyers, women, engineers, retired defence forces personnel, religious leaders, and expatriates. According to him, the NPP is making plans to hold a large-scale engineers’ conference in Colombo on 01 July, and a large-scale Buddhist monks’ conference by the end of July. He noted that women’s involvement is an essential factor for political change.In addition to the main rally in Colombo, NPP May Day rallies were held in Anuradhapura, Jaffna and Matara.&nbsp;

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