Big Match Ends in Draw, Sanasa Life Insurance Sponsors Event
The highly anticipated 95th edition of the Ananda College versus Nalanda College big match concluded in a draw. The event, sponsored by Sanasa Life Insurance, was impacted by adverse weather conditions that prevented a decisive outcome for either team, but the teams were declared joint winners.
Sanasa Life Insurance also sponsored ‘The Best Fielder’ award. Nuwanpriya Gunawardane, CEO of Sanasa Life Insurance, commented on the fielding performance of Chanul Athukorala of Nalanda College, stating, “We see brilliant cricketing talent being played on the field right before our very eyes. These youngsters are the future of cricket that takes the name of Sri Lanka proudly to the world someday. We are glad to have been a part of their journey forward.”
COPE Discovers Fake Documents Covering Drug Imports
The Parliamentary watchdog Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has revealed the discovery of fraudulent documents related to medicine imports conducted under the emergency procurement system in 2022 and 2023. These findings were made during a COPE meeting at Parliament that was probing the transactions of the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
NMRA CEO Saveen Semage informed the committee that several bogus documents surfaced due to a lack of medicine registration. Semage reported that statements have been recorded regarding each of the documents with the Financial Crimes Investigation Division, including six documented instances last year alone. He noted that despite these efforts, no investigations into these activities have been conducted to date.
“We have documents with confessions from a woman accepting that fake documents had been made. However, a statement has not even been recorded from that woman yet,” Semage stated.
COPE member MP Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana also highlighted that the highest number of waived-off registrations (WOR) for medicines occurred in 2022 and 2023. A total of 656 WORs were recorded in 2022 and 261 in 2023, which he said indicated irregularities during the emergency procurement of medicines during that time.
Furthermore, Dr. G. Wijesuriya, Deputy Director General of the Medical Supplies Division of the Health Ministry, mentioned that discussions are underway to allow the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) to directly import essential medicines. He emphasized that it was essential to take a policy decision in this regard to resolve these discrepancies.
Batalanda Report Tabled in Parliament, Forwarded to AG
The Batalanda Commission report was tabled in Parliament by Bimal Ratnayake, the Leader of the House and Transport Minister. The government has decided to forward the report to the Attorney General for legal advice and additionally, a Presidential Committee will be appointed to give guidance and recommendations on how to proceed with the report’s findings.
Ratnayake said that the Cabinet of Ministers, along with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has made a policy decision to take necessary action in response to the report, adding that steps are being taken to ensure that such a dark chapter in the country’s history is never repeated
Minister Ratnayake affirmed that a debate spanning two days will be scheduled in Parliament at an appropriate time to allow for a comprehensive discussion. The report, which will be released in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, will soon be available to the public. Printed copies will be provided to members of Parliament and the general public.
He further revealed that 28 evidence volumes associated with the commission’s work would be submitted to Parliament at a later date for further scrutiny. Ratnayake concluded by stating that the government is fully committed to addressing the issues raised and preventing future atrocities.
CB Governor Stresses Need to Assist Crisis-Hit Construction Industry
Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe emphasized the importance of fostering a sustainable and cost-effective construction industry in Sri Lanka, highlighting the major challenges and opportunities within the sector.
Speaking at ‘Construction Expo 2025’, Dr. Weerasinghe stressed the necessity for Sri Lanka to align with global trends in sustainable construction, including incorporating cost-effective energy solutions and environmentally friendly building practices.
“I must say my views here are not necessarily as Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, but as a person looking at this construction industry and how this can be developed and what the issues are. Sustainability in construction is essential, not just for new projects but also for existing buildings,” he said.
Dr. Weerasinghe acknowledged that the construction sector has suffered greatly, due to multiple consecutive economic pressures in recent years, including a decline in public investments. The high cost of materials have also had negative impacts, along with industry dependence on government projects. The Governor acknowledged the government’s fiscal limitations, which have curbed infrastructure spending and delayed payments to contractors, stating that the government has at least settled the outstanding arrears.
“Government did not have space to spend money for public investment, especially construction that had a significant impact on the industry in the last couple of years, plus the government inability to pay the arrears for a long period. That was an issue we all recognize that has been one of the adverse impacts the industry had in the past,” he expressed.
“Also the cost of materials went up significantly, partly because of foreign exchange shortages. As a result, the shortage had shot up the prices of construction materials, as well as depreciation of the currency, high interest rates, finance costs, and other factors. We all recognize that it had an adverse impact on the industry. It’s one of the worst affected industries because of all these factors.”
