Former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived at the PRECIFAC this morning in connection with the investigation into a fraud at the KKS cement factory. A spokesman said Mr. Rajapaksa arrived at the commission to give an affidavit with regard to a statement he made on July 15 regarding the fraud. Investigations were being carried out by the PRECIFAC on a complaint that some machinery and other equipment belonging to the KKS cement factory had been removed by the army saying it was done under a tender procedure for scrap metal.

A deal struck by Sri Lanka with IVS-GBS-VFS Global, a private contractor, is worth 840 million dollars over its 12-year lifetime, opposition legislator S M Marikkar said in parliament. The firm was charging 18.5 dollars per visa and a 5 to 7 dollar ‘convenience fee’ on top of the government visa fee from tourists trying to enter Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said he has objected to fees charged from foreign tourists by VFS Global, a private company, though he has not resigned from cabinet.

Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister Tiran Alles who is also in charge of visa issuance under the Department of Immigration and Emigration defended the newly appointed visa facilitating agency VFS-led consortium, new visa system, and accused sabotage attempts by a few handful immigration officials for a recent controversy that has gone viral in social media.

A revision application filed by Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe challenging the legality of the enjoining order issued by the Colombo District Court preventing him from functioning as the acting chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) was today dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

Indo-Pacific Regional Director of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ben Mellor met NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the JVP Head Office this afternoon.

Chief Opposition Whip MP Lakshman Kiriella raised concerns in Parliament today over the newly introduced visa issuance system at the Katunayake Airport, claiming that the Parliament was not informed of the decision on the charges of global visa processing service, VFS Global.

Sri Lanka tourism witnessed a drop in momentum in April with the number of international visitors falling below the 200,000 mark for the first time this year.

Uncertainty looms over the relaunch of the Japan -financed light rail project (LRT) even after the country’s debt restructuring process is concluded since Japan has decided not to discuss it , according to an official of the Japanese government.

Around 15 Opposition MPs are ready to support a Bill that would include legislation related to rapid development of the country and the agreement reached with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Bill is to be presented to Parliament by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on May 08.

The Sri Lankan Rupee has depreciated slightly against the US Dollar at commercial banks in Sri Lanka today (May 06) compared to last week. According to Seylan Bank, the buying and selling rates of the US Dollar have dropped from Rs. 290.90 to Rs. 290.75 and from Rs. 301.40 to Rs. 301.25, respectively.

Action will be taken against the person who caused a disturbance at the visa issuing section at the Katunayake Airport, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said today. He told a news conference that steps will also be taken against the officers who recorded the incident.

Around 22 persons, including 11 females, have been arrested following a tense situation at a protest in Anuradhapura. The tense situation was reported after a group of unemployed graduates surrounded the North Central Provincial Council building in protest, seeking solutions to their demands.

The Japanese government has finalized a plan to provide Sri Lanka with a vessel equipped with underwater sonar for detecting the location of other vessels in order to improve the country’s oceanographic survey capabilities, according to Japanese Deputy Press Secretary Kaneko Mariko.

The Government of India has decided to bear the cost towards applicable taxes and other charges to the tune of over LKR 25 million per month for a period of one year for the passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam in India and Kankesanthurai (KKS).

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is set to make a final decision on its presidential candidate in June, according to Party sources. The SLPP will decide whether to nominate a candidate from within the Party or to support President Ranil Wickremesinghe for re-election. The Party has scheduled a series of electoral summits starting next week to seek public opinion on the presidential candidate.

apanese Foreign Minister Yōko Kamikawa called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday. The Japanese Government’s intention to resume the Yen-denominated loans and the stalled Japanese investment initiatives, including the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) expansion project and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, were among the topics taken up for discussion. Discussions were also held on the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) pertaining to debt restructuring in Sri Lanka.

Nearly 10,000 soldiers who deserted the Sri Lanka Army have received legal discharge as of May 4 during an amnesty period declared by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence.

The Examinations Department issued the rescrutiny results of the 2022 (2023) General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (O/L) Examination yesterday. They said a total of 49,312 applicants had applied for rescrutiny and 250,311 answers were rescrutinised.

Tourism Industry veterans cautioned that heightened confusion over the new visa system, along with the abrupt increase in visa fees, could derail 2.3 million tourist arrival target set for the year. This could potentially reduce arrivals below 2 million, while service providers stand to gain $50 million in fees.

The Supreme Court granted leave to proceed with the Fundamental Rights petition filed by former CID Director SSP Shani Abeysekara challenging the National Police Commission’s decision to interdict him from police service following the Presidential Election 2019.

China assured its fullest support and cooperation to conclude the debt restructuring process in Sri Lanka, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe said.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena has appeared before the Criminal Investigations Department in order to record a statement yesterday (3). Accordingly, Sirisena recorded a statement for two hours at the CID, regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks.

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, in response to allegations about the tender process, said there is no such requirement to call for tenders because these are the only companies involved in e-visa processing in different countries.

The Sri Lankan rupee has now become one of the fastest-growing currencies in the world, Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.

Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong had called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Temple Trees in Colombo yesterday (May 02) to discuss ways and means of early implementation of the agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) reached between the two countries during the Prime Minister’s official visit to China in March 2024.

In a significant development aimed at revitalising maritime infrastructure, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to obtain a proposed financial grant from India for the renovation of the Karainagar Boat Yard.

Tourism stakeholders said Sri Lanka now has the highest visa costs in Asia, creating a significant barrier for tourists compared to competing destinations like Thailand, Vietnam and many others that offer free visas or charge much lower fees.

Former Sri Lankan cricket captain and former Minister Arjuna Ranatunga refuted reports that he had joined the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) though he appeared in a May Day rally in Talawakale which Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had attended.