<ul><li> Cite lack of distribution limits/potential ‘full’ privatisation/price hikes/ inadequate provisions</li><li> Questions on Minister being empowered to change long-term generation plan&nbsp;</li></ul>In the wake of the proposed Electricity Sector Reforms Bill being published in the Government gazette on Wednesday (17) as the ‘Sri Lanka Electricity Bill’, energy expert Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya claimed that the electricity consumers will not have the expected benefits from this particular Bill since certain long-term issues in the sector have not been addressed by the Bill.Posting on the social media platform X yesterday (18), the Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said that the Bill will be presented to Parliament in the next sitting week, claiming that the amendments suggested by the stakeholders in January have been drafted into the revised Bill. Wijesekera also mentioned that the public will have two weeks from the day of the presenting of the Bill to the Parliament to challenge its legality in the Supreme Court (SC).Against this backdrop, speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday, Dr. Siyambalapitiya claimed that the Bill is not capable of addressing the existing issues in the energy sector and that therefore, it will leave no significant impact on the consumers as was expected.&nbsp;Stating that a similar piece of legislation was brought in 2002 as well, he said that there will be no use in bringing plenty of new laws without implementing them correctly. He also said that the proposed Bill will not include any limits for the four distribution companies, which could lead to a full privatisation of the electricity sector and high utility prices.&nbsp;“As per this new Bill, 50% of the transmission will be owned by the Government. But, no such limitations have been mentioned regarding the distribution. This could lead to a full privatisation and an increase in prices,” he observed.&nbsp;He further noted that the proposed Bill does not include enough provisions for competitive energy procurement. Highlighting that politicians and officials blocking the establishment of power plants and a lack of competitiveness in the procurement system have caused high generation costs, Dr. Siyambalapitiya said that the stakeholders were hopeful that this Bill could address the particular issues. He also added that the Bill would grant the subject Minister the power to change the long term plan drafted by the Ceylon Electricity Board's (CEB) generation planning team, and that such provisions could cause many issues, such as maintaining power-related stability.Meanwhile, CEB Workers’ Union (CEBWU) General Secretary Ranjan Jayalal told The Daily Morning that the CEBWU would challenge the Bill before the SC once it is tabled in the Parliament and also claimed that the Minister and the authorities have misled the public by claiming that the Bill has been revised according to the stakeholders' opinions. He also alleged that the Minister has consulted only a few unions attached to CEB that are loyal to the incumbent Government and opined that this proposed Act would be repealed if the incumbent Government lost its power in a future election.According to the CEB Engineers' Union (CEBEU), this Bill would grant authority for the companies to increase the electricity bill arbitrarily, if the CEB was privatised in any case. Speaking to the media at a press conference held yesterday, the CEBEU President Dhanushka Parakramasinghe said that according to the proposed Bill, the electricity price will be calculated according to the ‘economic cost', instead of the 'minimum cost' that is currently being used. He said that it would pave the way for the authorities to increase prices arbitrarily under the guise of their costs.However, Chief Government Whip, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said that the Government is not in a hurry to get the Bill passed in the Parliament, as some parties claimed, and also said that enough time will be given to debate the Bill.

New Electricity Bill: Experts query consumer benefits, unaddressed issues

<ul><li>Decry ‘insufficient’ productivity/attendance-based wage hike proposals&nbsp;</li></ul>Estate sector workers are planning to intensify union action starting from next week, demanding solutions to long drawn-out wage-related issues.Even though they have been conducting various activities including protests, awareness raising campaigns, and discussions with the relevant authorities for some time, according to the All Ceylon Estate Workers’ Union Secretary J.M.A. Premaratne, those attempts have not yielded satisfactory outcomes. He further told The Daily Morning that even the ongoing process, especially discussions with the authorities, seems to be dragging out.“We have been protesting demanding that the estate sector workers’ daily wage be increased to Rs. 2,000. The last wage hike took place in 2021. It has been three years since that. However, the prices of goods have increased by around 300%. Even the last discussion with the Wages Board on 10 April of this year ended without an agreement being reached. The Labour Department said that another discussion would be held within two weeks,” he said, opining that even if these discussions were held as planned, in their experience, plantation sector employers are unlikely to reach a progressive solution.According to him, it is in this uncertain situation that the estate sector workers are planning to intensify their union actions, especially protests, starting next week.“The previous struggle that sought a daily wage hike up to Rs. 1,000 involved collaborating with various other trade unions. In this case too, we are considering such a collaboration, and we have already held preliminary discussions in that regard,” he added.In addition, with regard to recent wage-related proposals which focused on productivity and attendance-based wage hikes, Premaratne said that the proposed rates are insufficient and that these wage related proposals do not benefit estate sector workers.

Demand for Rs. 2K wage hike: Estate workers to step up union action

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) of the Parliamentary Opposition yesterday (18) handed over its seven point action plan made to bring justice to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks that took place in 2019, to Colombo Archbishop, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.&nbsp;Following an audience held with the Archbishop yesterday (18), NPP Executive Committee Member, attorney, Sunil Watagala told The Daily Morning that the discussion was mainly focused on the issues related to the probes conducted into the Easter Sunday attacks and the lack of implementation of the recommendations presented by those investigation reports. He also noted that no political matters were brought into discussion, which is an inappropriate thing to do at this juncture.The NPP's Executive Committee Members, attorneys Watagala, Upul Kumarapperuma and Harshana Nanayakkara, and several others were met by the Archbishop.Stating that the Archbishop stressed the importance of an administration with the will to bring justice to the victims of the said attacks, Watagala said that he (the Archbishop) blessed the NPP’s seven point manifesto regarding the Easter Sunday attacks. He also claimed that the NPP is the only political force that has the will to carry out a proper investigation into the matter, claiming further that they will execute the law to bring all the perpetrators to justice. He also claimed that the NPP did not meet the Archbishop seeking the support of him and his community in the upcoming Elections, but with the true intention of serving the victims and all other human beings. He said that as per the Archbishop, the investigations conducted into the incident were ‘unfinished’ and ‘incomplete’, and that therefore, the NPP had clearly stated and promised him to conduct a special investigation to disclose the truth behind the attacks.Meanwhile, when contacted, the Catholic Church’s Jude Chrishantha Fernando told The Daily Morning that the NPP delegates met only the Archbishop, and that therefore, the Archdiocesan Media Centre cannot comment further on the matter and its decision on the content of the manifesto.In the seven point manifesto, the NPP pledges that it would file criminal charges against the political authorities and government officials who&nbsp;are&nbsp;responsible for the attacks. According to the manifesto, the NPP will also request the relevant departments to hear and complete the pending cases related to these attacks as soon as possible on a priority basis and provide the necessary facilities for the same, taking necessary measures to bring back all the criminals who have escaped from the country in connection with these attacks and to investigate through them as to who are the planners and conspirators of these attacks and to punish the planners and conspirators who are thus discovered.&nbsp;The NPP also pledges to introduce a proper form of compensation for the lives and properties of the victims of these attacks, and to introduce a psychological programme that can aid them in overcoming the mental distress that they have been in. Further, it stated that the NPP will establish a special commission of inquiry with full jurisdiction to investigate and bring justice to the aggrieved parties.

Easter justice: JVP-NPP hands over plan to Archbishop  

<ul><li>Claims delay in receipt of IMF EFF next tranche&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>The main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) alleged that Sri Lanka is facing a delay in the receipt of the next tranche of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the finalisation of the debt restructuring process due to the Government’s unwillingness to agree to certain conditions put forward by international bondholders in order for them to consider an interest rate cut on Sri Lanka’s debts.SJB Parliamentarian S.M. Marikkar claimed during a media briefing held yesterday (18) that one condition is that Sri Lanka devises a recognised, systematic, and swift mechanism to eradicate corruption and waste. He said that the Government has not agreed to this condition. Questioning as to why the Government is afraid to formulate an effective and systematic anti-corruption programme, he further alleged that the present Government is a corrupt one which has engaged in many incidents of corruption.“It is not necessary to sell State assets and the country’s properties to make money. If an anti-corruption programme is properly implemented, it will instil confidence in investors that this country is an investment friendly one and will in turn attract investments,” he added, expressing concerns about the lack of foreign direct investments to Sri Lanka.The Daily Morning’s attempts to contact the State Ministers of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Shehan Semasinghe to discuss these claims proved futile.For its part, the Government enacted the Anti-Corruption Act last year.

GoSL-ISBs negotiations: SJB alleges Govt. ‘unwillingness’   on anti-corruption/waste mechanism  

<ul><li>Swiss food firm’s infant formula/cereal sold in Global South ignore WHO anti-obesity guidelines for Europe</li></ul>The world’s largest consumer goods company, Nestlé, adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries, contrary to international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases, a report has found.Campaigners from a Swiss investigative organisation, Public Eye sent samples of the Swiss multinational’s baby food products sold in Asia, Africa and Latin America to a Belgian laboratory for testing. The results, and the examination of product packaging, revealed added sugar in the form of sucrose or honey in samples of Nido which is a follow up milk formula brand intended for use for infants aged one and above, and Cerelac which is a cereal aimed at children aged between six months and two years.In Nestlé’s main European markets, including the UK, there is no added sugar in formulas for young children. While some cereals aimed at older toddlers contain added sugar, there is none in the products targeted at babies between six months and one year.Public Eye’s agriculture and nutrition expert, Laurent Gaberell said: “Nestlé must put an end to these dangerous double standards and stop adding sugar in all products for children under three years, in every part of the world.”Obesity is increasingly a problem in low- and middle-income countries. Globally, more than one billion people are living with obesity.It is not always easy for consumers in any country to tell whether a product contains added sugar, and how much is present, based on nutritional information printed on the packaging alone. Labels often include naturally occurring sugars in milk and fruit under the same heading as any added sugars.World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for the European region say that no added sugars or sweetening agents should be permitted in any food for children under three. While no guidance has been specifically produced for other regions, researchers say that the European document remains equally relevant to other parts of the world.The UK recommends that children under four avoid food with added sugars because of risks including weight gain and tooth decay.&nbsp; The US Government guidelines recommend avoiding foods and drinks with added sugars for those younger than two.In its report, written in collaboration with the International Baby Food Action Network, Public Eye said that data from the market research Company, Euromonitor International, revealed global retail sales of above $ one billion (£ 800 million) for Cerelac. The highest figures are in low- and middle-income countries, with 40% of sales just in Brazil and India.A medical officer at the WHO, Dr. Nigel Rollins said that the findings represented “a double standard that can’t be justified.”Biscuit flavoured cereals for babies aged six months and older contained 6 grams (g) of added sugar for every serving in Senegal and South Africa, the researchers found. The same product sold in Switzerland has none.Tests on Cerelac products sold in India showed, on average, more than 2.7 g of added sugar for every serving. In Brazil, where Cerelac is known as Mucilon, two out of the eight products were found to have no added sugar but the other six contained nearly four g for each serving. In Nigeria, one product tested had up to 6.8 g.Meanwhile, tests on products from the Nido brand, which has worldwide retail sales of more than $ 1 billion, revealed significant variation in the sugar levels. In the Philippines, products aimed at toddlers contain no added sugar. However, in Indonesia, Nido baby food products, sold as Dancow, all contained about two g of added sugar per 100 g of product in the form of honey, or 0.8 g a serving. In Mexico, two of the three Nido products available for toddlers contained no added sugar, but the third contained 1.7 g per serving. Nido Kinder One Plus products sold in South-Africa, Nigeria and Senegal all contained nearly one g per serving, the report said.A Nestlé spokesperson said: “We believe in the nutritional quality of our products for early childhood and prioritise using high quality ingredients adapted to the growth and development of children.” She said that within the “highly regulated” category of baby food, Nestlé always complied “with local regulations or international standards, including labelling requirements and thresholds on the carbohydrate content that encompasses sugars” and declared total sugars in its products, including those coming from honey. Variations in recipes depended on factors including regulation and the availability of local ingredients, she said. The Company has reduced the total amount of added sugars in its infant cereals portfolio by 11% worldwide over the past decade, she said, and continued to reformulate products to reduce them further. Sucrose and glucose syrup were being phased out of “growing-up milks” aimed at toddlers worldwide, she added.(Guardian)

Nestlé adds sugar to infant milk

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has arrested a retired Major of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and another person for fraudulently obtaining money from individuals on the promise of sending them for employment in the Russian Army, the Police said.However, on 1 April, the Ministry of Defence announced that all members of the Sri Lankan Tri-Forces have been informed not to join Russian or Ukrainian forces by any illegal means. The Ministry also mentioned that against a backdrop where there is no agreement between the SLA and the Russian Army to send Sri Lankan military members to serve in Russia, such incidents will damage the reputation of the country.Meanwhile, in December of last year, it was reported that three Sri Lankan mercenaries were killed in a Russian attack while serving in the Ukrainian military.Nevertheless, a report published in the Al Jazeera news service which quoted several Sri Lankans living in Russia, highlighted that hundreds of Sri Lankans are now serving with the Russian military in Ukraine, most lured into combat by Russia’s offer of salaries of up to $ 3,000 a month and the prospect of Russian citizenship. “Many more – mostly retired Sri Lankan soldiers – are also desperately trying to join the Russian Army, willing to risk death at the hands of Ukrainian forces in exchange for Moscow’s money amid dire poverty at home in Sri Lanka,” it added.

Ex-Army Major nabbed for ‘Russian military job’ fraud 

Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami alert on Wednesday (17) after eruptions at the Ruang Mountain sent ash thousands of feet high. Officials ordered more than 11,000 people to leave the area.The volcano on the northern side of Sulawesi Island had at least five large eruptions in the past 24 hours, Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation said. Authorities raised their volcano alert to its highest level.At least 800 residents left the area earlier on Wednesday.Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, has 120 active volcanoes. It is prone to volcanic activity because it sits along the ‘ring of fire’, a horseshoe shaped series of seismic fault-lines around the Pacific Ocean.Authorities urged tourists and others to stay at least six kilometres (3.7 miles) from the 725-metre (2,378 foot) Ruang volcano.Officials worry that part of the volcano could collapse into the sea and cause a tsunami as in the 1871 eruption there.The Tagulandang Island to the volcano’s north-east is again at risk, and its residents are among those being told to evacuate.Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that residents will be relocated to Manado, the nearest city, on Sulawesi Island, a journey of six hours by boat.In 2018, the eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano caused a tsunami along the coasts of Sumatra and Java after parts of the mountain fell into the ocean, killing 430 people.(The Associated Press)

Tsunami alert in Indonesia after volcano eruptions  

Two scientists are working together from different sides of the globe, namely from Canada and Sri Lanka, to improve animal health in Sri Lanka, in hopes of addressing a potential global health threat.The two scientists in question who are studying and tackling the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), are Dr. Roshan Madalagama attached to the Veterinary Research Institute in Peradeniya and Joe Rubin who is a Professor of Veterinary Microbiology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon and also attached to the University of Saskatchewan.Antimicrobial resistance is what happens when bacteria, fungus, and parasites build up resistance to medication like antibiotics, making infections harder to treat and some procedures riskier. It can happen due to the overuse or misuse of those medications. The World Health Organisation (WHO) deems it a major global threat, and the rates are especially high in Sri Lanka.The immediate worry is that if it goes unchecked, vets in Sri Lanka will not be able to treat illnesses in livestock, which many families depend on for income or food for their own families. “They’re really relying on it for their nutrition, so, it’s not the bigger-scale agriculture that we may be familiar with here in Canada,” said Rubin.Up until last year, Madalagama said that Sri Lanka did not monitor that resistance in animals, only in humans. He hopes to create a national system to keep track of the resistance in animals, especially livestock.&nbsp;The overarching concern however is that resistance seen in animals could transfer to humans anywhere. “All the world is like one village, a global village, so, because of that, we need to have a very collective effort,” Madalagama said.Madalagama has helped the WHO and Sri Lanka’s Government address antimicrobial resistance from a veterinary standpoint, but now, he and Rubin are focusing on more grassroots level work. Thanks to funding from the University of Saskatchewan, the two started a years-long effort to help rural vets in Sri Lanka detect issues faster, and improve training at the country’s national veterinary lab. Their first endeavour was to create a lab manual, accessible from anywhere in the world. Rubin visited Sri Lanka in March, and plans on welcoming two vet technicians to Saskatoon this fall.(Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

SL-Canadian scientists to address AMR threat in SL livestock

The Police said that the general public can provide any information regarding environmental destruction via the hotline numbers 1997 and 1981.Police said that steps have been taken to inform the people regarding the matter, since the information provided by the general public plays a major role in operations including raids carried out in relation to environmental destruction.The illegal mining activities, environmental damage caused by factories and sound pollution have had a severe impact on the environment and wild animals.Accordingly, the hotline numbers 1997 of the Police Special Bureau and 1981 of the Central Environmental Authority have been introduced in order to receive information and complaints regarding such environmental damages caused by the people, the Police said.

New Electricity Bill: Experts query consumer benefits, unadd ...

Demand for Rs. 2K wage hike: Estate workers to step up union action

Demand for Rs. 2K wage hike: E ...

Easter justice: JVP-NPP hands over plan to Archbishop

Easter justice: JVP-NPP hands ...

GoSL-ISBs negotiations: SJB alleges Govt. ‘unwillingness’ on anti-co ...

GoSL-ISBs negotiations: SJB al ...

Nestlé adds sugar to infant milk

Nestlé adds sugar to infant mi ...

Ex-Army Major nabbed for ‘Russian military job’ fraud

Ex-Army Major nabbed for ‘Russ ...

Tsunami alert in Indonesia after volcano eruptions

Tsunami alert in Indonesia aft ...

SL-Canadian scientists to address AMR threat in SL livestock

SL-Canadian scientists to addr ...

Report environmental harms to 1997/1981 hotlines

Report environmental harms to ...

Demand for Rs. 2K wage hike: Estate workers to step up union action

Demand for Rs. 2K wage hike: E ...

Easter justice: JVP-NPP hands over plan to Archbishop

Easter justice: JVP-NPP hands ...

GoSL-ISBs negotiations: SJB alleges Govt. ‘unwillingness’ on anti-co ...

GoSL-ISBs negotiations: SJB al ...

Nestlé adds sugar to infant milk

Nestlé adds sugar to infant mi ...

Ex-Army Major nabbed for ‘Russian military job’ fraud

Ex-Army Major nabbed for ‘Russ ...

Tsunami alert in Indonesia after volcano eruptions

Tsunami alert in Indonesia aft ...

SL-Canadian scientists to address AMR threat in SL livestock

SL-Canadian scientists to addr ...

Report environmental harms to 1997/1981 hotlines

Report environmental harms to ...

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Tsunami alert in Indonesia after volcano eruptions

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