SUNDAY, AUGUST 7 2022
NO
PRESIDENT’S POLICY
STATEMENT,
A BIPARTISAN
PAGE
APPROACH TO
04 PROBLEMS
- NIMAL SIRIPALA DE SILVA
NO PENALTIES FOR NOT MAKING A DECLARATION EARLIER
GRACE PERIOD TO
DEPOSIT UNDECLARED
FOREIGN CURRENCY
The Finance Ministry has de-
cided to give a one-month grace
period to deposit in licensed
commercial banks any amount
of undisclosed foreign currencies
including US Dollars and UK Ster-
ling Pounds earned by Sri Lankan
citizens through various channels
A cycle parade traversed in front of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda on Friday to promote cycling among students to attend school daily due to
the hardships they face on account of the fuel crisis and lack of public transport. The cycle parade organised by the Board of Prefects of the school
commenced at the Galle Road near Dharmasoka College to spread the message to other schools in the Ambalangoda town.
Pic: Karandeniya group corr. Anuradha Priyadharshana
Floods recede - displaced
people return home
By Chamikara Weerasinghe
Hundreds of people who had
been displaced by the recent
strong winds and heavy rains are
now returning to their homes with
the floods receding, Disaster Man-
Oil prices slump to its lowest
Global oil prices dropped on
Thursday to their lowest levels –
prior to Russia’s February invasion
of Ukraine as traders fretted over
the possibility of an
economic recession
later this year that
could torpedo energy
demand. Benchmark
SRI LANKA’S ENGLISH NEWSPAPER WITH THE LARGEST CIRCULATION
PAGE
18
without any legal impediment or
restrictions.
Finance Ministry sources
said this measure was referred to
President and Finance Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe’s approval
on Friday, August 5.
An opportunity will be given
agement Centre (DMC) Assistant
Director Pradeep Kodippili told
the Sunday Observer yesterday.
The Meteorology Department,
according to Kodippili, forecasts
that strong winds would last for
some time. Duty Officer at the
Brent crude futures ended the day
2.75 percent lower at $94.12 a bar-
www.sundayobserver.lk
Vol.95 - No 32 Pages 92 Rs. 150.00 
‘BURG ELTZ’-
THE MEDIEVAL
PALACE IN
GERMANY
to people to deposit any amount
of foreign currencies earned
through foreign employment,
tourism, various other programs
and overseas training and work-
shops and which they still have
in their possession during this
grace period. However, they will
Meteorology Department, Malith
Fernando said that gusts of strong
winds at 50 to 70 kilometres per
hour are expected in the seas but
not on land.
He said that the strong winds
would gradually subside SEE PAGE 2
rel after touching a mid-session
low of $93.20, the lowest since
February 21. West Texas Interme-
diate (WTI) crude futures settled
2.3 percent lower at $88.54 per
barrel, after touching the lowest
since February 3.
The fall in oil prices could
come as a relief to SEE PAGE 2
ENGLAND GYMNAST
PAGE MAKES MOST
28 SUCCESSFUL
FOUR-GOLD DEBUT
not have to disclose how they
came into possession of such for-
eign currency and there will not
be any penalties for not declaring
them earlier.
The sources said according
to the new measure, an opportu-
nity will be given for them to de-
“DON’T FALL PREY TO BANKRUPT POLITICIANS”
Anti-Govt elements hell-bent
on ruining future of youth
By S.M. Wijayaratne,
Kurunegala corr.
SLPP Colombo District Par-
liamentarian and former Public
Security Minister Rear Admiral
(Retd) Sarath Weerasekera said
that certain anti-Government el-
ements are trying to make the
future of the country’s younger
generation bleak by demanding
the youth to come to Colombo on
August 9 to engage in violent dem-
onstrations.
PAGE
35
posit that money into a Resident
Foreign Currency (RFC) Account
or convert them into Sri Lankan
Rupees (LKR) and then deposit in
a normal Rupee account in any li-
censed commercial bank.
After the completion of this
grace period, SEE PAGE 2
GCE (AL) EXAMINATION-2022
Candidates should apply
online before August 19
By S.M. Wijayaratne,
Kurunegala corr
Education Ministry Secretary
M.N. Ranasinghe has informed
school heads countrywide that all
school and private candidates who
intend to sit the GCE (AL) exami-
Sri Lanka, US pledge to
strengthen cooperation
US Secretary of State Antony J.
Blinken and Foreign Minister Ali
Sabry, PC, who met on the side-
lines of the ASEAN Summit in
Cambodia, reiterated their com-
mitment to stronger US-Sri Lanka
ties as the latter seeks solutions to
its economic crisis.
Secretary of State Blinken
said, “Obviously, Sri Lanka is in a
- Sarath Weerasekera
The sole responsibility of par-
ents who really love their children
is to prevent them from joining
such violent demonstrations as
unpatriotic leaders behind these
demonstrations provoke youth to
commit crime by ruining public
properties and harassing peace-
loving people, MP Weerasekera
told the Sunday Observer.
The former Minister said,
“There will be nobody to save mis-
guided youngsters when they be-
come helpless SEE PAGE 2
TODAY
COME
AGAIN
JACKSON
ANTHONY
Grade 1
applications:
closing date
extended
By S.M. Wijayaratne,
Kurunegala corr.
The Education Ministry has ex-
tended the closing date of accept-
ing applications to admit Grade
One students to Government
schools for the year 2023 follow-
ing requests by a large number of
parents. The deadline has been
extended till August 15, 2022. The
earlier deadline was to end on Au-
gust 1, this year.
Education Ministry Secretary
M.N. Ranasinghe in a special cir-
cular has informed Provincial Di-
rectors of Education countrywide
on the new deadline.
nation - 2022 should submit their
applications online to the Exami-
nations Department on or before
August 19.
School candidates should sub-
mit their applications through
their school heads while private
candidates should SEE PAGE 2
moment of challenge and crisis;
the United States of America has
worked hard to step in to support
Sri Lanka in this moment. We have
provided assistance to the value of
about US$ 179 million of one kind
or another, including loans and
direct support, since June. But in
crisis there is also an opportunity,
and SEE PAGE 2
2 Sunday ObServer auguSt 7, 2022
News
President International business Council Kosala Wickramanayake
met the Indonesian ambassador devi gustina tobing on thursday.
august 4.
Commemorating 70 years of the Queen
By Chatura Vidyaratne
from London
To commemorate 70 outstand-
ing years of the Queen on the throne,
there had been various events across
from across the country to participate
in a series of exciting events and ac-
tivities to celebrate.
London was leading the celebra-
tions. More than the youth, the el-
derly enjoyed the occasion. It was
noticeable that many care homes in
the country organised various parties.
The residents, staff and their relatives
joined these celebrations. Those who
are over the age of 70 enjoyed it the
most. The respect and love they have
for the monarch was very noticeable.
Candidates should apply... From page 1
...do so personally.
Details on how to apply for this
public examination are now available
on the website doenets.lk . The GCE
(AL) examination - 2022 is due to be
held countrywide from November 28
to December 23. The Education Minis-
try will hold free support seminars for
Floods recede-displaced... From page 1
on land next week. “Wind speeds
on land are expected to range be-
tween 40 and 50 kilometres per
hour.”
The rains would also cease, he
said adding, “You probably got the
last of heavy rains on Friday and Sat-
urday.”
The recent strong winds and
floods caused by heavy rains affect-
ed over 1,940 families.
Five people were killed as a re-
sult of floods, failures on high cut
slopes, and cutting failures of hill
Anti-Govt elements hell-bent... From page 1
...before the law by falling prey
to criminals. Lawlessness has to be
done away with immediately to re-
store the democratic rights of the
people of this country.”
Weerasekera said rebels of any
type should be condemned at all
times. Those who provoke youth
against the Government today will
not come to rescue of youth when
they fall into trouble before the law
after committing.
Local political elements that are
now politically bankrupt are behind
these youth provocations against the
Grace period to deposit undeclared... From page 1
...the law which promulgates
that only US$ 10,000 (or its equiva-
lent in any other convertible foreign
currency) can be kept in one’s pos-
session without declaration will be
re-implemented. Those unlawfully
keeping bigger amounts of foreign
currency will then be liable for pros-
ecution.
The decision to grant this grace
period was taken following a request
by Transport, Highways and Mass
Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gu-
nawardena from Central Bank Gov-
ernor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and
Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda
The Maria Mallaband Country-
wide Group also organised several
events. One of their nursing homes,
Knight’s Court Nursing Home in Edg-
ware, London organised spectacular
school candidates under the patronage
of resource persons of State Universi-
ties and examination-oriented sup-
port seminars for school candidates
on the 24 main subjects to cover lost
study sessions due to the Covid-19 pan-
demic during the past several months.
“Education Minister Susil Premajay-
slopes and roads, according to Di-
saster Management Centre sources.
Three people died in Am-
bagamuwa, Nuwara Eliya, one in
Pasbagekorale, Kandy and the other
in Kalthota, Ratnapura.
According to Kodippili, the worst
affected districts are Nuwara Eliya,
Ratnapura, Matara and Hamban-
tota.
As part of its disaster manage-
ment operations, the Disaster Man-
agement Centre relocated the dis-
placed families to 12 safe locations
Government and they want to topple
the Government forcibly and cap-
ture power by hook or by crook even
by committing illegal, violent and
anti-democratic acts, he said.
He said a youth who becomes a
criminal before the law will not be
able to get a Police report to get a
Government job. Their close family
members too would be unable to get
a police report as a result of being
charged before the law.
He said looting, vandalising or
plundering valuable artefacts of an-
tique value at the President’s House,
Siriwardena who attended a Minis-
ters’ meeting after Monday’s Cabinet
meeting.
The Government recently imple-
mented several measures to encour-
age the legal remittance of foreign
currency to licensed commercial
banks in Sri Lanka and also unveiled
incentives and concessions for expa-
triate workers, including a permit to
import electric motorcycles and cars
depending on the value of their USD
remittances.
Monthly remittances now hover
around the US$ 275 million mark
per month, whereas prior to the Co-
a fleet of four electric three wheelers powered by solar energy was deployed for bMICH visitors donated by the Korean energy agency as assistance
to Sri Lanka through the Sri Lanka Sustainable energy authority. the project was designed to use solar Pv installation at the bMICH to operate an
electric vehicle charging station. the four e- trikes will be initially used to provide in- compound transport to visitors.
events with food, music and dancing.
Their manager, Natalie St Lewis and
Deputy Manager Cathriona Ni Chi-
ardha were instrumental in organis-
ing the party.
Flashback…
Monday marks the
64th anniversary
of nationalising the
Colombo Port by the
then government
led by the Sri Lanka
Freedom Party. the
picture shows the
Head of State – Prime
Minister S.W.r.d.
bandaranayaka
addressing the
historic meeting held
on august 8, 1958.
antha appointed 155 newly qualified
school principals last week. They had
passed the Limited School Principals’
competitive examination of 2018-2019
conducted by the Examinations De-
partment,” Kurunegala District Senior
Director of Education W.M. Balasoori-
ya told the Sunday Observer.
and provided them with food and
shelter for a week. They are return-
ing to their homes as the situation
improves, Kodippili said.
According to DMC’s hazard map-
ping, strong winds and rains dam-
aged over 600 homes and buildings
since August 1.
Over 140 commercial structures
were completely or partially de-
stroyed.
Over 13,700 people have been
affected by the weather across the
country since August 1.
attacking Parliamentarians and
burning houses of MPs countrywide
and assassinating Parliamentarians
cannot be considered as peaceful
acts of protesters. Those are heinous
criminal acts according to the laws
of this country. Can those criminal
acts be justified as simple acts of
demonstrators?
“I call upon the intelligent youth
of this country not be misguided and
become puppets of leaders of bank-
rupt political parties and ruin their
future in this moment of crisis,” he
added.
vid-19 pandemic it used to exceed
US$ 500 million. The collapse of the
tourism industry and lower official
remittances spelled doom for the
Sri Lankan economy, as the country
could not find enough dollars to im-
port essentials including fuel.
The Government is negotiating
with the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) for a bailout package
while also seeking assistance from
friendly countries. The shortages
are also being swiftly addressed by
the new Government, while warning
that complete recovery could take
several years.
BOC’s special deposit schemes
for a secure tomorrow
There has never been a time
where citizens could come to a com-
mon understanding that the success
of an individual strongly depends on
the foreground of the country’s eco-
nomic development projection. And
inadvertently the development of
any community or country strongly
depends on individual contribution
and values upheld by all such indi-
viduals.
Addressing the pressing need
to promote thrift and saving habits
among Sri Lankans, the country ‘s
No.1 Bank, Bank of Ceylon strongly
encourages all citizens to engage
with the banking stream in whatever
way possible to build up their indi-
vidual savings along with day-to-day
thrift habits.
While encouraging all Sri Lank-
ans for their contribution to the ini-
tiative towards building a financially
secured future, the Bank extends an
open invitation to take the advantage
of its special deposit schemes that’s
designed to yield a satisfying and a
secured return for their hard earned
money during these volatile times.
Among a number of deposit
schemes, Bank of Ceylon ‘100 Days
Investment Scheme’ has emerged
as one of the unique and popular
savings propositions among its cus-
tomers and within the banking and
financial industry. It offers a compel-
ling value preposition to earn high
and secure returns on investments
within a period of 100 days. The bank
has been continuously improving the
deposit product with a view to extend
the benefits of this unique invest-
ment opportunity to a larger popu-
lation, while enhancing the benefits
of this industry pioneering deposit
product to its customers. According-
ly, this has been re-launched under
three investment plans starting from
a minimum deposit of Rs.500,000.
The three investment plans in-
clude Rs.500,000 to Rs. 1,499,999,
Rs.1,500,000 to Rs.2,499,999 and
above Rs.2,500,000. The short-term
investment opportunity presents a
rare opportunity for the public to
gain the maximum benefit of the
prevailing high interest rate by sim-
ply placing their idling-money or sav-
Oil prices slump to its... From page 1
...large consumer nations such
as the United States and countries
in Europe that have been urging
producers to ramp up output to off-
set tight supplies and combat rag-
ing inflation.
Oil had surged to well over $120
a barrel earlier in the year after a
sudden rebound in demand from
the darkest days of the Covid-19
pandemic combined with supply
disruptions stemming from sanc-
tions on major producer Russia
over its invasion of Ukraine.
Thursday’s selling followed
an unexpected surge in US crude
inventories last week. Gasoline
stocks, the proxy for demand, also
showed a surprise build as demand
slowed under the weight of gaso-
line prices near $5 a gallon, the En-
Sri Lanka, US pledge... From page 1
...we will certainly support Sri
Lanka in these efforts – there is
an opportunity in this moment
to create a more inclusive, repre-
sentative, democratic, responsive
Government and to use this crisis
to seize that opportunity to make
something very positive out of a
very difficult situation. It would
stand Sri Lanka in very good stead.
“We are also very supportive
of Sri Lanka and the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) working out
an arrangement that also needs ap-
propriate debt restructuring that
has to be done on an equitable ba-
sis with all creditors doing what’s
necessary to support Sri Lanka at
this time,” he said.
Foreign Minister Sabry, in re-
ply said, “Thank you so much,
Secretary Blinken, for your warm
congratulatory messages when I
bank of Ceylon, deputy general
Manager (branch Operations and
development banking), Priyal
Silva.
ings that give lower return. Further,
it also acts as a cushion for the public
to protect the real value of their mon-
ey under the current high inflation-
ary environment.
Similarly, Bank of Ceylon has
come up with a ‘200 Days Invest-
ment scheme’ which can be opened
with a Rs.500, 000 minimum de-
posit and comes with attractive
returns and other benefits. The
public can subscribe to ‘200 Days
Investment scheme’ in three invest-
ment plans that includes Rs.500,000
to Rs. 1,499,999, Rs.1,500,000 to
Rs.2,499,999 and above Rs.2,500,000
in order to enjoy higher short-term
return on their investments with
guaranteed security for their depos-
its. For the investors who are looking
to make higher returns over a longer
time period,’ BOC Double Your In-
vestment’ offers to double the invest-
ment within just a four year period.
With a minimum of Rs.1,000, 000
investment, the public can join this
scheme to double their investment at
the end of four-year maturity period.
Therefore, BOC Double Your Invest-
ment’ in no doubt is the most attrac-
tive investment proposition for such
investors for highest-yielding secure
returns.
In addition, these deposit hold-
ers also have the opportunity of bor-
rowing up to 90 percent of the depos-
ited amount in this scheme, within
the maturity period in order to meet
ergy Information Administration
said.
The demand outlook remains
clouded by increasing worries
about an economic slump in the
United States and Europe, debt dis-
tress in emerging market econo-
mies, and a strict zero Covid-19
policy in China, the world’s largest
oil importer.
“A break below $90 is now a
very real possibility which is quite
remarkable given how tight the
market remains and how little
scope there is to relieve that,” said
Craig Erlam, senior market analyst
at Oanda in London.
“But recession talk is getting
louder and should it become real-
ity, it will likely address some of the
imbalance.”
took over. And I have worked very
closely with your Government in
my previous capacity both as the
Finance Minister and the Justice
Minister, and we really appreciate
the role played by the US in try-
ing to get an IMF bailout as soon
as possible and the debt being re-
structured.
“We understand the challeng-
es, and in this challenge we also
understand there are opportuni-
ties. And one good thing about the
whole thing is the Sri Lankans have
been united in all this and largely
they have been peaceful; there are
no incidents. Basically the whole
sort of revolution had taken place,
but it had taken place very peace-
fully. So that is the good part of it.
“We see that there is a huge
obligation on our part to put the
country back on track and get its
unexpected and urgent fund require-
ments.
Bank of Ceylon Deputy General
Manager (Branch Operations and De-
velopment Banking), Priyal Silva said
that innovative deposit products are
critical to cultivate and promote sav-
ings among the public in order to ele-
vate their own financial well-being as
well as the country’s future economic
outlook.
“Bank of Ceylon has always been
a pioneer in cultivating and promot-
ing the habit of saving among the
public through various initiatives
and programs over the time. Our
main objective has always been on
providing maximum benefits to the
customer.
We took steps to introduce a
range of innovative deposit prod-
ucts which includes ‘100 Days Invest-
ment scheme’,‘ 200 Days investment
scheme’ and BOC Double Your In-
vestment’ special fixed deposit prod-
ucts in transforming the saving expe-
riences of our customers. By placing
their hard-earned savings in one of
these special saving schemes, our
customers will have the opportunity
to successfully emerge from the cur-
rent economic crisis and continue to
calibrate to their life aspirations. At
a macro scale, I believe such innova-
tive deposit schemes will contribute
to elevate the economic outlook of
the country,” he said.
Bank of Ceylon, the premier fi-
nancial services organization in Sri
Lanka, was also awarded the coveted
title of “Bank of the Year 2021 – Sri
Lanka” by “The Banker Magazine
UK”. The prestigious award was be-
stowed in recognition of the bank’s
contribution to uplifting the lives of
all Sri Lankans, while fulfilling its
duty as the premier state bank. This
award adds yet another title to the
multi-award- winning bank that has
been listed in the Top 1,000 Banks in
the World ranking, with a country
ranking of No. 1, again by “The Bank-
er” magazine, UK. Brand “BOC” is
named as the No. 1 Banking Brand in
Sri Lanka by Brand Finance (lk). The
bank has been rated at AA- (lka) by
the Fitch Rating (Lanka), which was
reaffirmed in the month of July 2021.
Further pressure followed fears
that rising interest rates could slow
economic activity and limit de-
mand for fuel. The Bank of England
(BoE) raised rates on Thursday and
warned about recession risks.
An OPEC+ agreement on
Wednesday to raise its output tar-
get by just 100,000 barrels per day
(bpd) in September, equivalent to
0.1 percent of global demand, was
viewed by some analysts as bearish
for the market.
OPEC heavyweights Saudi Ara-
bia and the UAE are also ready to
deliver a “significant increase” in
oil output should the world face
a severe supply crisis this winter,
sources familiar with the think-
ing of the top Gulf exporters said.
- CnbC
economy out of the woods, which
we are going through right now,
and we look forward to work with
the US administration through-
out. We are very thankful for all
the support. In the recent past we
have seen a very high-level delega-
tion visiting Sri Lanka, and then
we have had several roundtable
discussions and we have had a lot
of support for our IMF approach
from the US Treasury and State
Department and from the Govern-
ment in general.
“And of course, we cannot for-
get USAID which has provided a
lot of support during these very
difficult times. I hope you will con-
tinue to provide that support, par-
ticularly in some areas of very dif-
ficult reforms and we look forward
to working with the US administra-
tion,” he added.
 Sunday ObServer auguSt 7, 2022 3

News

ASLCSCC flays Pelosi Taiwan visit

The Association for Sri Lanka-
China Social and Cultural coopera-
tion (ASLCSCC), a leading people
to people friendship with China or-
ganisation in South Asia, highly op-
posed and condemned the visit of
the Speaker of the U.S. House of Rep-
resentatives, Nancy Pelosi to China’s
Taiwan region.
We believe the move is a provoca-
tion against the Chinese side, which
not only gravely violates the UN Char-
ter and related UN agreements as well
as the one-China principle widely rec-
ognised and accepted by the interna-
tional community, but also under-
mines regional peace and stability.
What the world needs today is
peace. Social and economic devel-
opment is built through a peaceful
world. Such unacceptable actions of
United States can lead to more crises
and disputes.
We would like to see China-US re-
lations improve in all areas, includ-
ing economy, trade, culture, people to
people friendship and mutual under-
standing. But there is no doubt that
such unethical activities will be an
obstacle for the betterment of China-
US relations.
ASLCSCC thinks that the US
should continuously advance their
cooperation to find new opportuni-
ties for opening up a new diplomatic
environment between the two coun-
tries without making unnecessary
trouble.
ASLCSCC firmly supports the po-
sition of the Chinese Government and
people in safeguarding national sov-
ereignty and territorial integrity, and
China’s early reunification.
Indrananda abeysekera
President - aSLCSCC

Moragoda meets Karunanidhi Party in power should be bound

Further strengthening the en-
gagement with the State of Tamil
Nadu and as a follow-up to the
meeting with its Chief Minister in
early June, Sri Lanka’s High Com-
missioner to India Milinda Mora-
goda met Lok Sabha MP for the
Thoothukkudi Constituency, Kani-
mozhi Karunanidhi in New Delhi.
Parliamentarian Kanimozhi
Karunanidhi is the daughter of
the former Chief Minister of Tam-
il Nadu M. Karunanidhi and sister
of the present Chief Minister M.K.
Stalin. She is in New Delhi attend-
ing the monsoon session of the
Parliament.
At the outset, the Lok Sabha
MP extended a warm welcome to
High Commissioner Moragoda.
During the cordial discussion that
followed, the High Commissioner
thanked the people of Tamil Nadu
for the humanitarian assistance
that they have been extending to
Sri Lanka to help it manage the cur-
rent economic situation.
The High Commissioner and
the Parliamentarian exchanged
views on the very close ethnic,
religious and cultural affinities
between the State of Tamil Nadu
and Sri Lanka and discussed ways
and means to further strengthen
them.
High Commissioner Moragoda
also presented a copy of the Tamil
translation of the book containing
his parliamentary speeches to MP
Kanimozhi. The High Commission-
er recalled how he had presented
a copy of the same book to her fa-
ther, the late M. Karunanidhi, for-
mer Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,
in 2006.
A senior member of the Dravi-
da Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and
a poet, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi
functions as the chief of the party’s
wing for art, literature and ratio-
nalism. She had worked as a jour-
nalist before entering politics.
High Commissioner Morago-
da was accompanied by Deputy
High Commissioner Niluka Kadu-
rugamuwa and Minister Counsel-
lor of the High Commission of Sri
Lanka in New Delhi Gamini Sarath
Godakanda to this meeting.
to implement manifesto
– Executive Director, IRES, Manjula Gajanayake
TexT and picTure by priyan
de SiLVa
The Executive Director of the
Institute of Democratic Reforms
and Electoral Studies (IRES) Man-
jula Gajanayake suggests that laws
should be introduced to ensure
that the ruling party fullfill the elec-
toral promises given in their mani-
festo.
He said it was a known fact that
political parties in Sri Lanka for-
get their pre election promises and
pledges on being elected to office.
A manifesto is the written state-
ment of the beliefs, aims and poli-
cies of a political party (or any or-
ganisation) which is presented to
the public for their endorsement
Gajanayake said. He said that most
people decided for whom to vote
after listening to it’s contents being
reinstated on campaign platforms.
“In addition the people would
Manjula gajanayake
decide for themselves if the party of
their choice could be trusted to full-
fill it’s promise” he said.
Gajanayake said that accord-
ing to the present Constitution the
President may by proclamation,
summon, prorogue and dissolve
Parliament. Provided that the Presi-
dent shall not dissolve Parliament
until the expiration of a period of
not less than four years and six
months from the date appointed for
its first meeting, unless Parliament
requests the President to do so by a
resolution passed by not less than
two-thirds of the whole number of
Members (including those not pres-
ent), voting in its favour”.
Reiterating that any Govern-
ment which fails to act in keeping
with the aims and policies stated
in their manifesto forfeits the man-
date given to them by the people,
and he said that the 145 SLPP MPs
in the present Parliament have ethi-
cally lost the people’s mandate as it’s
manifesto ‘The Vistas of Prosperity
and Splendour’ is defunct now.

Milinda Moragoda meets Equipment for Akuressa Disaster Management Unit

Gautam Adani TexT and picTure by priyan
de SiLVa

The Start Network partnered

CARITAS SED Galle to provided re-
lief equipment valued at two million
rupees to the Disaster Management
Unit of the Akuressa Divisional Sec-
retariat recently.
Flooding is a common occur-
rence in Akuressa and a large num-
ber of people are rendered homeless
and compelled to seek relief from
the Divisional Secretary and Disaster
management unit.
Start Network is an internation-
al non Government organisation
whose vision is to create a proactive,
innovative and locally owned hu-
manitarian system that enables the
delivery of better quality humanitar- divisional Secretary akuressa K. g. d. anoja accepts the gift of relief equipment from rev. Lasantha Sanjeewa
ian aid, maintains the dignity of peo- director CarItaS Sed galle
ple caught up in disasters, and saves
more lives and livelihoods It also bers with the resources to act effec- retary Akuressa K. G. D. Anoja by Chaturanga of the Disaster Manage-
provides financial infrastructure tively and efficiently. Rev. Fr. Lasantha Sanjeewa Director ment Unit in Akuressa and Project
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Milinda Moragoda met with Shri that offers timely, efficient and pre- CARITAS Sri Lanka is a member of CARITAS SED Galle. Assistant Di- Officers of the Start Network Chan-
gautam adani, Founder and Chairman of adani group, during his first dictable funding to support at-risk of the Start Network. The equipment visional Secretary Akuressa S. G. Y. dima Pereira and Nayanthara Fer-
official visit to gujarat. populations by empowering mem- was handed over to Divisional Sec- Aravinda, U. G. Sampath and M. M. nando were also present.

Public health measures to prevent monkeypox transmission

WHO Sri Lanka handed over Real
Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
(PCR) test kits for monkey pox to Min-
ister Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella on
Friday.
The kits may be used for diagno-
sis of up to 730 monkey pox cases.
Strengthening surveillance and labo-
ratory investigations for monkeypox
is critical to rapidly identify cases and
clusters and ensure timely isolation of
cases to prevent further transmission.
WHO shall further support imple-
mentation of recommended strate-
gies for disease prevention and con-
trol: case finding, contact tracing,
infection prevention and control mea-
sures, reaching the high-risk commu-
nities, clinical management and risk
communication.
The multi-country outbreak of
monkeypox represents a public health
emergency of international concern,
the highest level of global public
health alert. From January through
July 2022, more than 19 000 prob-
able and laboratory confirmed cases
of monkeypox have been reported to
WHO from at least 78countries across
all six WHO regions, including the
South-East Asia Region.
Monkeypox can cause a range of
signs and symptoms, including fever,
rash, and swollen lymph nodes, which
can be easily confused with symptoms
of other illnesses, such as chickenpox,
measles, and bacterial skin infec-
tions. In most cases, symptoms sub-
side within a few weeks. However,
in some cases – particularly among
newborn babies, children and people
with underlying immune deficiencies
– infection can lead to medical com-
plications and even death. Since Janu-
ary, five deaths from monkey pox have
been reported to WHO.
The World Health Organization
Regional Director for South-East Asia
Dr Poonam Khetrapal SinghIf you
think you might have monkey pox,
you can protect others by seeking
medical advice and isolating from
others until you have been evaluated
and tested. Anyone who has close con-
tact with someone who is infectious is
at risk. As we learn more, additional
cases may be identified in the broader
community.
Though the risk of monkeypox
globally and in the Region is moder-
ate, the potential of further interna-
tional spread is real. All countries of
the Region must therefore strengthen
preparedness and response capaci-
ties, building on a series of priority
actions, while WHO continues to co-
ordinate and support global research
and equitable access to key health
tools such as vaccines and treatments,
based on public health risks and
needs.
First, step up surveillance, with
a focus on sensitising and training
health workers and ensuring access
to reliable, affordable and accurate
diagnostic tests. Health workers
should immediately report suspect-
ed cases to local or national public
health authorities, collect and ship
specimens for laboratory testing,
and initiate contact tracing while
protecting the human rights, privacy
and dignity of affected individuals
and their contacts. National IHR fo-
cal points should report all probable
and confirmed cases to WHO using
the minimum data set contained in
the WHO Case Report Form
4 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022
Interview/Feature
President’s policy statement, a bipartisan
approach to problems - Nimal Siripala de Silva
P
orts, Shipping and Aviation
Minister Nimal Siripala de Sil-
va said President Ranil Wick-
remesinghe’s policy statement pre-
sented in Parliament on Wednesday
is a bipartisan approach to present
problems.
The Minister in an interview with
the Sunday Observer said it is a some-
what conciliatory policy statement
where the President shows that he
doesn’t want to impose any precon-
ditions on any political parties but
wants to get them together for a wide
power sharing government structure
and approach the problems on con-
sensus. That is a vital feature which
we see in the President’s policy state-
ment. It also shows his political ma-
turity, approach and broad vision, he
said.
Excerpts
Q : How do you view the Gov-
ernment’s policy
ment presented by President Ranil
state-
Wickremesinghe in Parliament on
Wednesday?
A: The President has made a poli-
cy statement which is par excellence.
His policy statement is a bipartisan
approach to present problems. It is a
somewhat conciliatory policy state-
ment where he shows that he doesn’t
want to impose any preconditions on
political parties but wants to get them
together for a wide power sharing
government structure and approach
problems on consensus. That is a vi-
tal feature which we see in his state-
ment. It shows his political maturity,
approach and broad vision.
FACT-FILE Nimal Siripala de Silva
1944: Born in Badulla, Nimal
Siripala de Silva had his
educa�on at Nalanda College,
Colombo
1967: Entered Law College.
Architect of the Sri Lanka Nidahas
Paksha Nithi Shishya Sangwidhanaya
(Sri Lanka Freedom Party Law
Students’ Society)
1971: Passed out as a lawyer
and went to the United Kingdom to
pursue higher studies. Prac�sed
as an A�orney-at-Law
1983: Appointed the SLFP
organiser for Borella
1989: Elected to Parliament
from Colombo District under
the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)
1994: Minister of Housing and
Construc�on in the People’s
Alliance (PA)
Government
Elementary economics and education
“The individual freedom cannot
exist without economic security and
independence. People who are hungry
and out of a job are the stuff of which
dictatorships are made.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
The formal education process
around the world has also evolved par-
allel to the evolution of the economies
throughout the history. It may not have
been always clear whether the results
of the knowledge produced by the for-
mal education at a given time was the
leading cause of the economic revolu-
tion or the changes in the economy at
the time forced the formal education
to make the necessary adjustments to
fit in as an important wheel of that new
economic machine.
The evolution of the formal educa-
tion has either been the cause or the
effect of the evolution of the econo-
mies around the world, from agricul-
tural revolution through all the indus-
trial revolutions to nuclear power and
the invention of the computer in the
recent past.
The digital revolution will impact
all disciplines, industries, and econo-
Q : Now, the President has
called for an All-Party Gov-
ernment (APG). Do you think the
SLFP and other parties would re-
spond positively to form an APG?
A: All the parties should respond
positively towards this APG. That is
the need of the hour. People are go-
ing through many economic hard-
ships which they have never gone
through before. Our priority should
be the welfare of the people rather
than being in power. To serve the na-
tion and attract foreign investment,
IMF and our friends and neighbours
in the world, it is necessary that we
all should act together and raise one
voice without being divided.
Q : Why do you think political
stability and unity is impor-
tant at this stage?
A: We are not in a position to pay
our debt. We are not in a position to
find foreign exchange for the energy
sector and many other sectors. So, it
is necessary that we should demon-
strate we are on the correct track in
approaching this problem.
Any country or international
lending agency which wants to give
us a loan or helps us, look at our eco-
nomic policies to see whether we are
on the right track and we will be able
to pay whatever the debts that we
have obtained. We have to show them
a roadmap and a clear policy guide-
line without changing it from time to
time. It is necessary that we collec-
tively approach the problem rather
than trying to approach it separately.
Q : There are critics who say
that it is more important to
resolve the economic issues faced
by the people rather than going for
political reforms such as the 22nd
Amendment and All-Party Govern-
ment at this stage. Your comments?
2000: Minister of Posts,
Telecommunica�on and Uva
Wellassa Development
2005: Leader of the Peace
Delega�on to Geneva and Oslo for
talks with the LTTE
2010: Minister of Irriga�on and
Water Resources Management
and Leader of the House
2015: Minister of Transport
and Civil Avia�on
2019: Minister of Jus�ce,
Human Rights and Legal Reforms
August, 2020: Re-elected to
Parliament from Badulla district
having contested under United
People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA)
August, 2020: Minister of
Labour
May, 2022: Minister of Ports,
Shipping and Avia�on Services in
the Cabinet of former President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Resigned from
the posi�on following an inves�ga�on
into allega�ons of bribery
Aug 2, 2022: Reappointed
Minister of Ports, Shipping, and
Avia�on Services in the Cabinet
of President Ranil Wickremesinghe
Source: Internet, Graphic: Mahil Wijesinghe
mies around the world where Artificial
Intelligence (AI) will be a key compo-
nent. The utilisation of cloud comput-
ing, robotics, 3-D printing, block chain
record keeping, internet of things
(IoT) and advanced wireless technolo-
gies will become the common practice
among industries.
This has influenced education sys-
tems around the world to introduce
even the kindergarteners to the digital
world starting with toys and computer-
assisted games. Elementary schools
are introducing e-books for the stu-
dents to download and read and ‘apps’
for mathematics and science to prac-
tice. But it is not easy to find an edu-
cation system that gets the kindergar-
teners, or the first graders involved in
talking economics.
Having experienced this latest
meltdown, Sri Lankans will find it
easier to understand the importance
of ‘economic literacy’. If a majority
of people understood what was hap-
pening with excessive borrowing and
spending successive governments
dragged the country through and what
they could have done to steer it away
from disaster, then they would have
minimized their suffering. As profes-
sor Henry Mintzberg says: “What we
call a financial crisis is really at its
core a crisis of management, and not
just a crisis of management, but a cri-
APG, the need of the hour
Collective approach
to problems vital
General Election won’t
bring stability
Unruly characters must
be brought to book
A: First of all, we should try to re-
solve the economic issue and give re-
lief to the people. We can’t wait till all
these political issues are settled. For
example, lending organisations such
as the IMF, World Bank, ADB and the
European countries, want Sri Lanka
to demonstrate good governance.
That is also a part of their conditions.
They always look at whether dem-
ocratic institutions in the country are
strong, we respect the rule of law and
the form of governance is acceptable
to their democratic standards. There-
fore, one cannot forget the fact that
these political reforms are also nec-
essary. That is also important locally.
To establish law and order in the
country, you need political reforms,
new laws and new approaches. You
need strong institutions to support
democratic values. It is true that peo-
ple’s first preference should be to en-
sure that we provide them with food,
petrol and gas. At the same time, we
should not forget that political re-
forms are also important and those
issues must also be settled.  
Q : Do you think instead of
forming an APG, it is better
to hold a General Election to get a
fresh mandate from the people?
A: I don’t agree with that idea due
to two reasons. One is that people
have elected 225 Members of Parlia-
ment by exercising their franchise.
Now, these people are there. It is up
to Parliament to formulate rules and
regulations and economic plans to get
over this situation. The other thing is,
how it is going to solve the problem
by conducting a General Election.
What is needed now is to boost
exports and get remittances from ex-
patriates and migrant workers who
are working abroad. We have to get
more tourists into the country. What
is needed is stability in the country.
At present, there is no stability in the
country. A General Election won’t
bring stability to the country. Elec-
tions always divide the people. There
is no conducive environment to hold
elections now. It is also not practical
with the fuel crisis. People are not
mobilised to go to polling stations.
Even the Election Commission-
er has expressed his view that there
is no conducive environment in the
country to hold a General Election.
What is needed at is to ensure that
we settle these issues and prepare a
conducive environment in the coun-
sis of management culture….In other
words, what you had is a detachment
of people who know the business from
people who are running the business.”
For people to understand that there is
such a detachment, the average person
should, at least, have the ability to rec-
ognize the two groups.
Lawmakers
Intellectual discussions, analyti-
cal thinking, and collective action with
the intention of reaching a common
goal, in this case getting out of crisis,
are key ingredients in formulating sus-
tainable solutions to any problem. Un-
fortunately, for Sri Lankans, their Law-
makers have no clue about such things
as intellectual discussions, analytical
thinking, and collective action towards
common good. Only collective action
they would agree on is safeguarding
their own self-interests, including
hanging on to their lucrative positions
in the parliament. Therefore, it is up to
the citizens in general to put their criti-
cal thinking hats on, engage in intel-
lectual discussions, and come up with
viable solutions that the law makers, as
public servants, can formalise through
relevant procedures and implement as
soon as possible.
This is where one would start see-
ing that all roads to such solutions are
try to hold an election. That can be
after six months, one year or one and
a half years. We don’t know the time-
frame. Once that conducive environ-
ment to hold elections is established,
the elections can be held and there is
no problem.
Q : Do you think that the APG
should run for the rest of the
Parliamentary term or only for an
interim period such as six months to
one year?
A: It depends on the performance.
If we can settle the issues in the coun-
try within six or 12 months, thereaf-
ter, in terms of the Constitution, we
can hold a General Election for which
either the President should agree to
dissolve Parliament after two and a
half years or the Members of Parlia-
ment themselves with a majority will
have to decide whether they want to
dissolve Parliament.
Q : There are also accusations
that Pohottuwa politicians
are working behind the scene to con-
solidate their power in the guise of
an APG. Would you like to comment?
A: That can’t be done in an APG.
The idea of an APG is power sharing.
You need to have a National Council
which will guide the APG. One or two
persons or one party cannot dictate
terms in a national government.
Q : Do you think political sta-
bility will help Sri Lanka to
seek a faster bailout package from
the IMF and other lending agencies?
A: Certainly. The IMF and other
lending agencies and countries first
want to see whether the Sri Lankan
economy is stable and strong. The
economic and political stability, law
and order situation in the country will
have a great influence on the interna-
tional lending agencies, IMF, World
Bank, ADB as well as countries such
as India, China and Japan. Before they
give us a package, they will see wheth-
er we are politically and economically
stable and we have a clear roadmap to
increase exports, reduce our expens-
es where we will be able to repay the
debts.
Q : There are allegations that
emergency is used to oppress
the people and peaceful protests
around the country. Several coun-
tries and human rights organisa-
tions have also condemned this. Do
going to go through education, not just
the formal education, but the process
of learning in general. The formal
education process can certainly be
designed to train a child from the pri-
mary level itself to approach a problem
with critical thinking and to discuss
pros and cons of possible solutions
with peers in a civilised manner.
They could also be taught to re-
spect the opinions of others and to val-
ue cooperation over competition and
finally to implement the best solution
with the intention of achieving com-
mon good. Teachers would say that the
time allocated for their classes never
seems to be enough to teach every-
thing that administrators, policy ad-
vocates, legislators, and parents think
should be addressed in the elementary
classroom. Teachers are also expected
to stay current in best practices, use
new technology and redesign their
methods of teaching and assessing.
Since ‘economics’ is the study of
making decisions to optimise the gain
within an environment of limited re-
sources, teachers themselves can start
with deciding whether to use some of
the limited time available to them to
teach economics or not. If the stake-
holders in the adult world from par-
ents, teachers, administrators, cur-
riculum designers, all the way to the
Minister of Education, the Cabinet
you think this will adversely affect
our chances of getting international
aid to tide over the present difficul-
ties?
A: I don’t think that accusation is
true. Have we arrested any person un-
der the emergency law? The people
who break the law should be remand-
ed and action should be taken against
them. If there is no law and order in
the country and people enter pub-
lic and Government buildings and
forcibly occupy the rooms of private
hotels, should we turn a blind eye
to these things? We tolerate peaceful
protests. We also support them. But
in case those who resort to violence,
loot public and private properties and
set fire to houses, can they get away
under the guise of “Aragalaya”? They
are not peaceful protestors. They are
culprits and unruly characters. Those
unruly characters must be brought to
book.
Q : There is a controversy over
the visit of the Chinese re-
search vessel Yuan Wang 5 to Ham-
bantota Port on August 11. Will this
impact our relations with countries
such as India and the United States
and embroil us in a conflict between
regional powers India and China?
A: There are certain things beyond
our control. We are a Non-Aligned
country. We are not taking any sides.
I am sure the President and the Gov-
ernment will diplomatically handle
and settle this issue.
Q : You were acquitted of brib-
ery charges levelled against
you by the Opposition Leader dur-
ing a recent parliamentary session.
A three-member committee was ap-
pointed by the President upon your
request to probe the allegations.
Would you like to elaborate your
views?
A: Even the Opposition Leader
didn’t accuse me personally. What he
said in Parliament was that a Cabi-
net Minister had demanded a bribe
from  the Japanese company, Taisei.
Since Taisei was a company which
worked for the airport and aviation
and came under the purview of my
ministry, one could think that I am
the Minister who demanded that
of Ministers and the Members of the
Parliament do not understand the rel-
evance of economic understanding to
their personal lives, then they won’t
even be able to imagine how it could
be relevant to the lives of the students
in grades 1 – 5 who are still trying to
master their reading, writing and
arithmetic. Often parents and teachers
feel that economics is a subject best
taught when the children are in high
school.
Humanities
Unfortunately, not all students will
take high school economics since they
have to choose their study streams
such as natural sciences, humanities
and social sciences, and accounting
and commerce. Even the ones in the
economics classes will only go through
the theories and prepare themselves
for the examinations but not really
see how it applies to daily encounters
of their lives. For example, they may
hear about production possibilities,
but never understand how this model
has application to choices they make
as teenagers or in the future as adults.
Though young children learn early
that they cannot have everything they
want, they do not always understand
why this is the case or why each choice
involves a cost. If asked, they will say
bribe. Therefore, I resigned from my
portfolio and demanded a fair and
reasonable inquiry. Then President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed to appoint
a committee.
But in view of the situation he
faced those days, he couldn’t appoint
that committee. When Ranil Wick-
remesinghe was elected President,
I wrote a letter to him and said that
this is a false allegation against me. I
requested him to appoint an impartial
committee of inquiry to inquire into
this matter. Then the President ap-
pointed a Committee chaired by Re-
tired High Court Judge Kusala Sarojini
Weerawardena, PC which also consist-
ed of Retired Senior Deputy Inspector-
General (DIG) of Police S.M. Wickre-
masinghe and Retired Special Grade
Officer of Sri Lanka Administrative
Service (SLAS) S.M.G.K. Perera.
I was represented by my lawyer
at the inquiry. Then I was informed
that this committee had summoned
witnesses including Taisei. The Taisei
General Manager came to the board
of inquiry and categorically said that
neither I nor any other Cabinet Min-
ister demanded a bribe from them.
They are shocked and disturbed by
this statement. This type of statement
should not have been made. Then
the committee went into this matter
deeply and forwarded a lengthy re-
port to the President. The President
presented that report to the Cabinet
of Ministers and they all were satis-
fied. In terms of the committee re-
port, I have been fully exonerated
from the purported charges.  
Q : You have sought legal action
against your removal and
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera from
the SLFP over joining the Govern-
ment as Cabinet Ministers. Do you
think this issue could be resolved
amicably since the SLFP has also in-
dicated its desire to join an All-Party
Government?
A: I went to court and then, the
President and the General Secretary
of our party came before court and
said they had not removed me from
any post. On that basis, the case was
settled. I remain as a member of the
SLFP and hold the post of the Senior
Vice President of the party.
that it is the parents, teachers, or some
other adults who are prohibiting them
from getting their desired choice and
when they grow bigger, they can have
everything they want.
Studies show that students can
learn economic concepts in the pri-
mary grades provided their teachers
are knowledgeable about the sub-
ject and capable of employing qual-
ity economic education materials in
the classroom. Economics provides a
context for why learning these skills is
beneficial. It is an improvement of our
human capital.
Human capital refers to the qual-
ity of labour resources. Through eco-
nomics students will be able to analyse
more complex societal problems. Stu-
dents should also understand that they
live in a market economy and there-
fore, should know how markets work.
Economics educators, curricu-
lum developers, and teachers work-
ing together can improve the quan-
tity and quality of economics taught
in the school. It is never too early to
teach children the basic concepts of
economics through age-appropriate
teaching/learning methods.
The writer has served in the higher
education sector as an academic over
twenty years in the USA and fifteen
years in Sri Lanka and he can be con-
tacted at thilanh@gmail.com
 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022 5

Interview
Rule of law is not the rule of lawyers
- Attorney-at-law Manoj Gamage
parts of the country for taking part
in the protests and involved in vari-
ous activities. Please comment.
THE LAW SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AGAINST ANYONE
A: A protest does not become a WHO PROTESTS AND VIOLATES THE COUNTRY’S LAWS
SUCH AS THE CRIMINAL LAW, COMMON LAW AND OTHER
peaceful protest only because the pro-
testers do not have any weapons in

H
ere are the excerpts from
an exclusive interview con-
ducted with the President
of the Lawyers for Justice
Attorney-at-law and Unofficial Magis-
trate Ravindra Manoj Gamage on the
current situation of law and order of
the country.
Q: What is the current situa-
tion of law and order in Sri Lanka?
their hands. Bringing flowers and in-
volving in creative activities does not
mean that it is a peaceful protest.
LAWS. IF THE LAW IS NOT IMPLEMENT AGAINST THEM,
The law should be implemented
against anyone who protests and vio- LATER VARIOUS OTHERS MAY VIOLATE THE LAW FREELY
lates the country’s laws such as the
criminal law, common law and oth-
er laws. If the law is not implement
TAKING IT AS AN EXAMPLE. SOME LAWYERS
against them, later various others
may violate the law freely taking it as
WHO KNOW THE LAW VERY WELL SAID THE LAW OF THE
an example. Some lawyers who know
the law very well said the law of the LAND WHICH IS THE CONSTITUTION

A: We can accept the fact that it was

the ordinary people who were under
enormous pressure without adequate
gas, fuel, electricity and so on started
the protest (Aragalaya). But after that,
we saw how some bankrupt political
elements took it over into their hands.
After certain blood thirsty political ele-
ments took over the protest, it turned
into a violent mob. We saw the peak of
it on last May 9 with the murdering of
people and setting fire to houses and
other valuable properties.
The law enforcement bodies of
the country did not operate properly
to safeguard lives and properties. The
end result was destroying valuable
lives and properties including the life
of a Member of the Parliament. In ad-
dition on July 9 there was another wave
of violence and they stormed into the
State television station and some pri-
vate television stations. They set fire to
the private home of the current Presi-
dent Ranil Wickremesinghe. They oc-
cupied several State buildings and
damaged those properties. After those
events we cannot call this a peaceful
protest any longer.
Certain political parties that can-
not come into power through a demo-
cratic election tried to capture power
using the protest and with that move
the entire country started to talk about
the importance of maintaining law
and order. The people were scared and
even frightened to speak out.
Q: Now various individuals
are being arrested from various
land which is the Constitution should
be torn off and burnt. They indirectly
threatened police officers to bow down
to them and do what they want and
otherwise they will face repercussions
in future. This is a punishable offence
according to the existing law. Some
cultivated hatred all over the country
using social media.
Because of this, the system has a
responsibility to implement the law.
We do not see that the law was en-
forced against peaceful protesters who
did not violate any law. The law was
enforced only against who involved in
criminal acts during the protest.
Q: Various lawyers and their
organisations publicly announced
that they will stand by the protest-
ers and they will provide legal as-
sistance free of charge for them.
What is the present situation?
A: Nobody can question the right of
a lawyer that allows him/her to appear
on behalf of a criminal in any country
in the world. But all lawyers should
know their professional limits. We saw
during the recent past how some new
lawyers acted without understanding
their professional limitations. We, all
the lawyers are being controlled by the
rules of the Supreme Court. Lawyers
can appear for criminals but they can-
not encourage people to commit any
crimes. If they say `’do anything you
want and come, we will protect you
all’ it is encouraging people to commit
crime.
In the recent past many were in-
volved in crimes believing those en-
Attorney-at-law Ravindra Manoj Gamage
couraging statements made by some
lawyers and they fell into trouble. They
committed crimes in the name of the
protest. They did not understand that
after committing crimes they had to
suffer alone such as ending up prison.
They did not understand that there
was no one to pay their legal fee.
For example, the 36 suspects who
were arrested for murdering MP Ama-
rakeerthi Athukorala are now suffer-
ing alone without any help. Some of
them were not directly involved in it
but it takes around ten long years or
so for them to be free from the murder
charges.
The people of this country should
remember one thing. That is no mat-
ter who says that they will protect you,
help you or anything else, do not com-
mit any crime. At the end, the person
will be forced to suffer alone without
anyone.
Do whatever has to be done peace-
fully without breaking laws. Only the
family members will be there to help
and sometimes even family members
look away and do not stand by those
who get arrested.
On the other hand, the lawyers
should not encourage people to com-
mit crimes. It is the social responsibil-
ity of the lawyers. It is a crime if any
lawyer to encourage people directly
or indirectly to commit crimes and
threaten police officers. The lawyers
can lose their job if they violate the
rules of the Supreme Courts. There-
fore, all lawyers should know their
professional limits. They cannot in-
terpret the Constitution’s `freedom of
expression’ as freedom of encouraging
people to commit crimes.
Q: Some say the entire pro-
test’ is an international conspiracy.
What do you have to say about this?
A: The former President Gotabaya
Rajapaksa did not harm anyone in any
way and he left his position. He did not
let anyone fire even one bullet on be-
half of him. According to international
law, traditions, democracy we know,
he is eligible to be award the Nobel
Peace Prize. But the very unfortunate
thing is that the LTTE Tamil Diaspora
try to hunt him since he left the coun-
try.
The best example for this is Yas-
min Sooka of International Truth and
SHOULD BE TORN OFF AND BURNT.
Justice Project appealing to the Attor- cal parties rejected the request.
ney General of Singapore to arrest the
former Sri Lankan President for war
crimes.
The very surprising fact are no
charges mentioned against the former
President in connection with the eco-
nomic crisis and all the charges are
connected to the so-called incident of
shooting the individuals who arrived
with white flags during the humanitar-
ian operation.
The letter says all charges are
based on the statement made by then
(2009) Army Commander.
Incredibly it is this same individual
who mentioned the so called `white
flag incident’ calling all Sri Lankans to
come to Colombo on August 9 to chase
away the President and the Govern-
ment. All can see a very clear connec-
tion between all the past incidents that
were unfolded. We suspect that the en-
tire economic crisis and the `protest’
are a part of one serious conspiracy
against the former President.
Q: What do you think about
the appointment of the new Presi-
dent Ranil Wickremesinghe ?
A: The appointment of the new
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is
totally legal, democratic and ethical.
The former President made very clear
requests from all political party lead-
ers to form a new Government soon
after the former Prime Minister re-
signed from his post and the Cabinet
automatically dissolved. But all politi-
Only after that the present Presi-
dent and the former Prime Minister
Ranil Wickramasinghe came forward
and accepted the challenge and the
premiership in order to save the peo-
ple from the hardships. Accepting the
premiership itself becomes a quali-
fication to become the President be-
cause he accepted a huge challenge
was rejected by all the others.
After becoming the Prime Minis-
ter, he followed all relevant rules and
regulations, all procedures mentioned
in the Constitution.No one can say
that he is not the people’s President.
The people appointed Gotabaya Ra-
japaksa. When he stepped down we
have to accept the person who got ap-
pointed according to the country’s su-
preme law, the Constitution.
As soon as he became President,
he very successfully established law
and order in this country. Democracy
was re-established in the country by
him. These are essential to obtain the
IMF loan.
If people and politicians genuine-
ly wish to solve the current economic
crisis in the country they all should
support the current President without
petty politics and other differences.
They all should put aside their politi-
cal views and support to rescue the
country. Protest does not bring gas,
fuel, electricity and so on. `Go Home’
will only bring anarchy to the country,
and nothing else.
6 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022
Feature
Come together for country’s
sake – President
P
resident Ranil Wick-
remesinghe delivering
his Policy Statement
at the ceremonial
opening of the
third session of the
ninth Parliament on Wednes-
day invited all political parties
to put aside the past and come
together for the sake of the
country.
He said that he has already
initiated discussions with po-
litical parties in forming an
All-Party Government. Presi-
dent Wickremesinghe said that
he would take measures to set
up a People’s Assembly to decide
which social and political reforms
should be implemented.
President Wickremesinghe said
that a mechanism to seek the views
of all interested parties is being pre-
pared through the People’s Assembly
through the consultation of political
parties and various organisations.
He said that he is willing to set
up a National Assembly consisting
of political party leaders. “As the
next step, we will be able to arrange
a common minimum program with
the consent of all, through the Na-
tional Assembly.”
Measures are being taken to
set up the Parliamentary Sectoral
Oversight Committees immediately
where all the political parties will
have the opportunity to work togeth-
er, he said.
The President reiterated the im-
portance of an All-Party Govern-
ment to be formed with the support
of all the parties. President Wick-
remesinghe also said that he would
implement a national policy to com-
bat bribery and corruption. “New
rules and regulations and orders in
this regard are being prepared by the
Ministry of Justice. A consensus will
be reached with the International
Monetary Fund regarding combating
corruption.”
“The expectation of all the citi-
zens of the country at this juncture
is for all their representatives in Par-
liament to work together to build the
country. If we come together, we will
be able to invigorate the nation. If we
are divided, it will not only harm the
people’s representatives but the en-
tire nation.
“Therefore, I once again request
all parties representing the people in
this Parliament to unite in the forma-
tion of an All-Party Government. I re-
spectfully extend the hand of friend-
ship to all of you. I confidently invite
you to put aside the past and come
together for the sake of the country.
I have already initiated discussions
with political parties to form an All-
Party Government,” he said.
The President said the struggle
that started all over Colombo expect-
ing a system change was later cen-
tralised in Galle Face. This was ex-
panded to several major cities in the
island. This struggle was conducted
on a non-violent basis and in a cre-
ative manner. These activists did not
commit violence. Therefore, families
joined the struggle to express their
protests. Parents were not afraid to
even bring children to the places of
protest.
“Protesters once digitally illumi-
nated the walls of the Presidential
Secretariat, without any harm. Later
this non-violence was suppressed
and violence emerged, with certain
politicised groups that became stake-
holders. By indulging in violence the
protests turned towards terrorism.
“I will not allow violence and ter-
rorism. However, I will protect non-
violence and democracy,” the Presi-
dent said adding, “Peaceful struggle
is a fundamental right. I accept those
rights. Some groups are trying to
spread a huge pro- paganda
through social media that I am hunt-
ing down the protesters. But it is not
true. I will not allow any kind of prej-
udice to peaceful activists. I will set
up an office to protect peaceful pro-
testers and support them.”
President Ranil Wickremesing-
he’s policy statement, as admirable
as it is, how it would be practically
implemented is actually what mat-
ters, Opposition Leader Sajith Pre-
madasa told the media following the
conclusion of the ceremonial open-
ing of the Third Session of the Ninth
Parliament on Wednesday.
Premadasa said that he genu-
inely hopes that the President’s pol-
icy statement would become a re-
ality. Premadasa also said that the
Opposition also seeks to support the
program of rebuilding the country
through an All-Party Government
and the setting up of Parliamentary
Committees.
He said, “Listening to the en-
tire speech of the President, it was
a positive speech and the points of
the speech should be practically
implemented in the same way.” The
Opposition Leader said that he ap-
preciates the clear cut manner the
President presented the plan for an
All-Party Government that would be
based on a National Assembly and a
People’s Assembly.
Premadasa said it seems no
chance would be given for oppor-
tunists in the guise of joining an All-
Party Government. The Opposition
Leader said that he personally be-
lieves that the Parliamentary Over-
sight Committees should operate
through a strong committee system
that goes beyond the current powers
granted to it.
Discussions
President Wickremesinghe said
the public and religious leaders led
by the Maha Sangha, civil organisa-
tions and youth groups have strong
confidence and expectation about an
All-Party Government.
He was speaking at Tuesday’s
discussions with political parties re-
garding the formation of an All-Party
Government. Several rounds of talks
with political parties were held at the
President’s Office on Tuesday. Party
leaders representing the Govern-
ment and Sri Lanka Podujana Pera-
muna (SLPP) members of the ruling
party attended the first round of dis-
cussions.
The second round of talks was
held with the Ceylon Workers’ Con-
gress. Its leader Senthil Thondaman
and its General Secretary MP Jeevan
Thondaman participated in the dis-
cussion.
The third discussion was held
with the National Congress where its
leader A.L.M. Athaullah and a del-
egation participated. Several discus-
sions were also held on Wednesday
between President Wickremesinghe
and political parties regarding the
formation of an All-Party Govern-
ment, and many parties including
the Samagi Jana Balawega (SJB), Sri
Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Tamil
National Alliance (TNA) and others
have expressed their agreement for
further discussions.
The Tamil National Alliance
(TNA) conducted discussions on the
formation of an All-Party Govern-
ment with President Ranil Wick-
remesinghe on Wednesday. The
discussion was held with participa-
tion of TNA MPs M.A. Sumanthiran,
Dharmalingam Sithadthan and Sel-
vam Adaikkalanathan at the Presi-
IT IS IMPORTANT
TO NEUTRALISE THE
UNDEMOCRATIC
INFLUENCE EXERTED
ON THE POLITICAL
ESTABLISHMENT BY THE
‘ARAGALAYA’
– WIMAL WEERAWANSA
dent’s Office. It was also taken into
the discussion of the 22nd Amend-
ment to the Constitution and the in-
terim Budget to be presented to the
Parliament soon by the new Govern-
ment.
The New Lanka Freedom Party
led by MP Kumara Welgama and
MP Ven. Athuraliya Rathana Thera
also met the President for a discus-
sion on Wednesday. The discussions
led by the President and held with
the political parties began on Tues-
day, August 2 and Wednesday’s dis-
cussions were held as the second
phase which was also attended by
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunaward-
ane. Meanwhile, TNA Leader R.
Sampanthan has said that the TNA
is ready to accept the President’s in-
vitation to form an All-Party Govern-
ment.
The TNA Leader told the media
that the President’s efforts to form an
All-Party Government will be fully
supported by his party. Sampanthan
said that the only thing that can be
done in the face of the current crisis
is the formation of an All-Party Gov-
ernment. He said that he wished oth-
er Tamil political parties apart from
the TNA too will agree to the Presi-
dent’s proposal.
Moderate statement
SLFP General Secretary Daya-
siri Jayasekara said that the Throne
Speech delivered by President Ranil
Wickremesinghe was a moderate
statement made by a President after
a long time. Jayasekara also said that
he believes that the contents includ-
ed in it will not be limited to mere
words.
He said, “The President’s speech
included the issues faced by the pub-
lic. I have known President Wick-
remesinghe over a long period and
having been the Prime Minister of
this country on several occasions, I
believe that his policy statement in-
cluded many ideas he had in his head
for a long time that he would imple-
ment in the event he became Presi-
dent. However, it is easier said than
done.
“Therefore, we sincerely hope, as
the SLFP, that the President will suc-
ceed in implementing the ideas that
he has presented through his policy
statement.” With regard to the forma-
tion of an All-Party Government, Jay-
asekara said that the SLFP believes
that it will happen very soon. “This is
something that we have been saying
over a long time. As a party, our par-
ty Leader Maithripala Sirisena and
the rest of the party will discuss this
matter and we will take a collective
decision on whether or not we could
join the government,” he said.
Common plan
In a letter to President Ranil
Wickremesinghe, National Freedom
Front Leader MP Wimal Weerawa-
nsa has requested that an All-Party
Conference (APC) be convened im-
mediately to find solutions to the cri-
sis.
In the letter the MP request-
ed that an All-Party Conference
should be called and a common
plan to solve the crisis be present-
ed to the country with a road map
for its implementation. It has been
pointed out in the letter that it is
important to neutralise the undem-
ocratic influence exerted by those
engaged in the ‘Aragalaya’ on the po-
litical establishment of the country.
Weerawansa’s letter addressed to
the President states that it is impor-
tant to win the public’s trust by pre-
senting a common consensus to the
country through the All-Party Con-
ference and viable strategies to over-
come the economic crisis.
Political stability
Minister Manusha Nanayakkara
said that the incumbent Government
will continue for the next two and a
half years and another election will
only be held after that.
He said that the political stabil-
ity demanded by the world has been
provided today through the country’s
Parliament.
He said, “This stable Gov-
ernment will continue to oper-
ate permanently for the next
two and a half years. After two
and a half years, elections will
be held. Because if the state is
not stable, the economy cannot
be built. Now the Government
is stable so the economy can
be built.”
Political tensions
SLPP General Secretary MP
Sagara Kariyawasam has said
that if former President Gotaba-
ya Rajapaksa is willing to engage
in politics with the SLPP after his
return to Sri Lanka, the SLPP will
gladly accept him.
At a recent media briefing in
Colombo, Kariyawasam said that
Rajapaksa’s return is not some-
thing out of the ordinary, adding
that the latter, as a Sri Lankan, has
the full right to return to the coun-
try. He also said that, given that Ra-
japaksa is a Sri Lankan citizen and a
former President, the Government
has full responsibility to provide him
facilities and security.
When questioned as to whether
Rajapaksa will join the SLPP and
engage in political activities af-
ter returning to Sri Lanka, Kari-
yawasam said, “It is for him to
decide as to whether he would
engage in politics or not, after
coming back to Sri Lanka. If he
wishes to do so, we will be very
happy to receive him. He is a for-
mer President and the Presidential
candidate of our party. So, we have
no hesitation in receiving him.”
However, President Ranil Wick-
remesinghe in an interview with the
US-based ‘Wall Street Journal’ had
said that it was not the right time for
Rajapaksa to return to the country,
as it could inflame political tensions.
“I don’t believe it’s the time for him
to return,” Wickremesinghe said in
an interview with the newspaper. “I
have no indication of him returning
soon.”
Interim Budget
President Ranil Wickremesing-
he met the Sri Lanka Freedom Par-
ty (SLFP) and a group of Sri Lanka
Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MPs in-
cluding Prof. G.L. Peiris and Dullas
Alahapperuma on Thursday after-
noon at the President’s Office to dis-
cuss the setting up of an All-Party
Government (APG).
During the discussion, the Presi-
dent has said that he hopes to pres-
ent an interim budget in the first
week of September and through the
interim budget he will provide sev-
eral concessions and relief to the
people. President Wickremesinghe
said that the aim of an All-Party Gov-
ernment is to turn Parliament into
a Government and make decisions
for the building of the country. The
THE POLITICAL STABILITY
DEMANDED BY THE WORLD
HAS BEEN PROVIDED
TODAY THROUGH
PARLIAMENT
– MANUSHA
NANAYAKKARA
IF WE ARE DIVIDED,
IT WILL NOT ONLY
HARM THE PEOPLE’S
REPRESENTATIVES BUT
ALSO THE ENTIRE NATION
– PRESIDENT
President has also said that the 22nd
Constitution Amendment Bill has
been submitted to the Parliament
this year, and it is best to discuss it
and reach a common agreement.
The President said he expects the
support of all the parties in Parlia-
ment to form an APG and pass the
22nd Amendment. Leader of the
Sri Lanka Freedom Party, former
President Maithripala Sirisena had
thanked President Wickremesinghe
for respecting the proposal present-
ed by the SLFP for an APG and said
that his party would give full support
for an APG. In the discussion held
with the SLPP group including Prof.
Peiris and Dullas Alahapperuma, the
President has said that in order to
formulate an economic plan suitable
for 10 years, everyone should lay the
foundation for it.
Modi congratulates
new PM
Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has congratulated newly elect-
ed Prime Minister Dinesh Gunewar-
dena. The Indian Prime Minister in
a message to his Sri Lankan coun-
terpart said “You have assumed of-
fice at an important juncture for Sri
Lanka. I hope under your leader-
ship, Sri Lanka will witness quick
economic recovery, ensuring the
prosperity and well-being of its
people.
I would like to assure you that as
a dependable friend and close neigh-
bour India shall continue to support
the people of Sri Lanka guided by
our ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. I
look forward to working with you to
further strengthen and expand our
exemplary bilateral relations based
on millennia-old civilisational ties.”
Demands for justice
Claiming that the Catholic
Church’s demands for justice for
the Easter Sunday terror attacks of
April 21, 2019 have not yet been ad-
dressed, Archbishop of Colombo
Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said that
the persons identified as responsible
for the said terror attacks are still en-
gaged in their political activities and
hold positions in the Police.
He was speaking at an event in
Colombo recently. He said, “On April
21, 2019, 267 people were killed by
bomb attacks on Catholic churches
and hotels. To date, justice has not
been served for that. That is the
power of these powerful people. We
should be ashamed. There is no law
in our country.
There is no room for the law. In-
stead, there is lawlessness. It is the
law of the powerful that is being im-
plemented in the country.”
The Archbishop said that the
Catholic Church has requested the
relevant authorities on numerous oc-
casions to conduct an independent
investigation into the Easter Sunday
terror attacks and to prosecute those
identified as responsible, but none of
those requests have been fulfilled.

No more gas queues
I
t is unlikely that anyone vis-
iting Pettah has not heard
of the Gas Works Junction,
more commonly known as
the Gas Paha Handiya by the
locals.
The junction was thus
called due to the presence
of a gas lit lamp post. The Gas Works
Company of the yesteryears was lo-
cated next to the Christian Church
on Bodhiraja Mawatha, near the Gas
Works Junction. It was later razed to
the ground. Today it is a massive ve-
hicle parking lot. Gas Works Junction
has been popular for three industries
in the area. First, for filling gas into
lighters, secondly for cutting keys and
thirdly for sharpening knives.
During the height of Sri Lanka’s
economic crisis I decided to grace one
of the ‘hotels’ at the Gas Works Junc-
tion to have a cup of tea. There are two
such ‘hotels’ or rather local eateries
at the junction called ‘Star’ and ‘Elite’.
As I took my seat at one of these ho-
tels, I witnessed the owner of the eat-
ery bringing in something under what
seemed like a heavy security detail.
It was a 12.5kg LP gas cylinder. It was
unloaded and Rs. 10 000 was promptly
handed to the delivery man. The total
number of gas cylinders unloaded was
three, presumably at a cost of Rs. 30
000.
Curiosity
My curiosity piqued, I had to ask
the waiter about what I had just wit-
nessed. “The owner hardly visits the
restaurant. He had to go all over Co-
lombo in search of gas and even then
he only managed to find three. The
previous time we purchased each at
Rs. 12 000. If he didn’t find these we
would have to close shop. They de-
liver the gas to us for Rs. 10 000 each”
he said as he placed a frothing cup of
milk tea on my table. The price? Rs.
120 as opposed to the previous Rs. 50.
“It is difficult for us to even sell tea
at Rs. 120 after buying a gas cylinder
at Rs. 10 000. Most shops have closed
down. There is no place to even get a
cup of water here,” the waiter added.
I passed Gas Works Junction
through People’s Park and arrived
where the P.D Sirisena ground is lo-
cated to witness a large crowd bear-
ing empty gas cylinders. They were
waiting for their turn to purchase gas
under heavy Police presence. But not
a single gas cylinder was delivered as
expected. The crowds then decided to
block the road while also blocking the
entrance to the Gunasinghepura Bus
Stand. They forcefully prevented bus-
es from leaving the terminal and even
stopped traffic on Bastian Mawatha
by lining up their empty gas cylinders
right across the main road. Despite
repeated attempts by the Police, the
crowds refused to disperse. In minutes
an Army bigwig arrived under heavy
guard. He delivered a speech to calm
the public. This was a Saturday.
I have been appointed to this
area. I will ensure you are provided
with gas on Tuesday. Please disperse
and unblock these roads.” he told the
crowds. This message was greeted
with the sound of whistles and claps.
“Jaya Wewa! Jaya Wewa!” the people
chanted.
“You people only could not move
when your village Police asked of you!”
an angered Policeman said as he spat
on the ground next to him.
The next Tuesday tokens were dis-
tributed to those wanting to purchase
gas. But again a truck bearing the
treasured item did not arrive even by
nightfall. This led to utter pandemo-
nium. The Army bigwig who promised
gas was nowhere in sight leaving the
area Police to deal with the chaos.
Graveyard
Several weeks passed. As I passed
the agency selling gas in the area it ap-
peared empty as a graveyard. It was
startling to see new and unpacked cyl-
inders in the shop.
“Do I need an electricity bill to pur-
chase a cylinder?” I asked. “No, noth-
ing is needed. If you have an empty
cylinder I can give you gas” the agency
owner replied.
“But didn’t fights break out here
just a few days ago over gas needing
several people to be hospitalised?” I
asked once again.
“We would have been beaten too.
But not even a dog comes to purchase
gas now. I am bored to death. While
the gas fights were happening I was
not even able to take a break” he said.
I only realised how much of an
essential item gas has become to our
lives when the country was hit with an
acute shortage of it. Therefore I was
keen to find out what led to this sud-
den shortage due to this crisis.
One was able to trace this dire
situation to the month of February.
Though it was reported that the import
agreement of Litro with had ended on
February 28, no one appeared to be
concerned or understand the sever-
ity of the issue. This was likely due to
the fact despite the end of the agree-
ment, people continued to receive gas
till March 2022.
According to information obtained
it appears Litro had called for tenders
seeking a new supplier of gas in Jan-
uary prior to the end of the previous
agreement. However Litro was not
able to grant the tender to the supplier
chosen as it could not issue the Letter
of Credit required for the deal.
Foreign exchange
Meanwhile, on April 8 Sri Lanka
defaulted on its debt for the first time
in its history. Due to the intensifying
forex crisis by then, Litro was strug-
gling to find the necessary foreign ex-
change to secure the deal for gas sup-
ply. As both State and private banks
refused to issue Letters of Credit, Sri
Lankan began its slow descent into a
gas crisis even prior to the Sinhala and
Tamil New Year. To the detriment of
the public, the Chairman of Litro at
the time had made no effort to initiate
discussions with the existing supplier
given the difficult circumstances.
On observation it is clear Litro was
able to open a LC in the initial stages as
the forex crisis was not as severe and
the Central Bank also had the mone-
tary ability to facilitate this.
When analysing the annual reports of litro
from 2015 to 2020, it Was observed that at the
end of the good governance era, litro had fixed
deposits amounting to rs. 20 billion. muditha
peiris Was the chairman of litro at that time
and litro Was paying dividends of rs. 11 billion
to the treasury
Despite reporting the facts to the
Cabinet, at the end all state and pri-
vate banks refused to issue LC’s for the
purpose. The people suffered as the
cabinet informed Litro it was unable
to intervene to ask banks to issue LC’s
on behalf of the company.
This eventually led to an acute
shortage of LP gas in the country as
stocks depleted and the people hoard-
ed. Around 80 000 to 100 000 consum-
ers queued and protested. While they
blamed the company, many were un-
aware of the company’s predicament.
They were of the opinion that since
gas was not given out for free, the com-
pany is bound to provide gas to the
people. However Litro was faced with
the serious conundrum of converting
rupees earned through sales into USD.
Consumers
In April, Litro from whatever dol-
lars they could muster imported 3500
or 7500 metric tonnes of gas and re-
leased it to the market. This was only
informed during the third week of
April but it was not sufficient to meet
the demand. In the end over 100 000
consumers ended up in queues and
caused chaos as they were unaware
of the real situation. In the end more
than 4.5 million people queued up for
gas. Though the demand was for 35 000
metric tonnes, Litro could only pro-
vide less than 7000 metric tonnes.
As the gas crisis worsened, res-
taurants were closed. It was the urban
and apartment living people that suf-
fered the most. During the last stages
of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s premiership
a bhikkhu residing in America visited
to deliver a sermon for the final Poya
Day program. Many had levelled criti-
cisms against the bhikkhu. He related
his experience to a radio station in
this way.
“I was scolded because of the Gov-
ernment. When distributing gas they
must prioritise those living in urban
areas and apartments. But this Gov-
ernment is distributing gas to houses
in rural areas that have access to acres
and acres of firewood. Those living in
flats are helpless as they are unable to
cook their meals,” the thera said.
Meanwhile, a new job opportunity
arose due to the gas shortage. That is
earning a fee to safeguard gas cylin-
ders kept in the queue. Thefts of gas
cylinders also began to rise. Thieves
would often create a scene at a queue.
Then as crowds gathered or engaged
in the fight themselves the thieves
would run off with cylinders during
Sunday ObServer auguSt 7, 2022
the chaos.
When analysing the annual re-
ports of Litro from 2015 to 2020, it was
observed that at the end of the good
governance era, Litro had fixed de-
posits amounting to Rs. 20 billion. Mu-
ditha Peiris was the chairman of Litro
at that time and Litro was paying divi-
dends of Rs. 11 billion to the treasury.
Price formula
However, by June 2022 Litro was
in trouble. This was caused by Litro
not increasing its prices on par with
international prices. Lakmali Sinha-
puarachchi, Finance Director of Litro
says that although the gas price in the
world market increased between Oc-
tober 2019 and August 2021, the ‘price
formula’ was not in place to raise the
price in the local market as the exist-
ing Government did not allow for it.
She says that due to this, Litro’s Rs. 10.4
billion cash reserve dropped to minus
Rs. 100 million by the end of 2021. But
in 2019, Litro’s after-tax profit was Rs.
6 billion.
During the gas crisis, the majority
of imported gas stocks were released
to services and factories identified as
essential services while only a hand-
ful of Litro’s nine million customers
received gas cylinders for their needs.
Ranil Wickremesinghe studied this
gas crisis in Sri Lanka carefully and
the first thing he did as Prime Minister
was to supply short-term gas through
the Oman Trading Company for four
months. Next Litro was advised to call
tenders to find a new supplier for the
next 12 months.
But due to certain allegations of
corruption levelled by Keshara Jayas-
inghe the former Chairman of Litro
against Oman Trading, suppliers be-
came reluctant to provide gas to Sri
Lanka. Suppliers were of the opinion
that if such an incident has occurred
the correct step would have been to
take legal action rather than engage in
mudslinging efforts against the com-
pany. As a result of this even other gas
suppliers stopped supplying gas ‘on
credit’ leaving immediate gas supply
brought into the country not sufficient
to meet the public demand.
Due to the current energy crisis in
the world no country would risk los-
ing its long term gas suppliers. The
Chairman’s actions caused Sri Lanka
just that. In the end he resigned and
left the people to suffer the aftermath.
Though an acting Chairman was ap-
pointed however he was unable to re-
solve the crisis as well.
After Wickremesinghe was ap-
pointed Prime Minister, Sagala Rat-
nayake was tasked with solving the gas
crisis. His first step was to re-appoint
former Managing Director and CEO
Muditha Peiris to head the company.
7
Feature
Peiris took over on June 15, and com-
menced discussions with Oman Trad-
ing and managed to strike a deal with
the supplier.
The discussions with the World
Bank commenced thereafter. It was
Ratnayake who once again intervened.
While Finance Ministry Secretary Ma-
hinda Siriwardena and Central Bank
Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe also
participated, Litro Chairman Muditha
Peiris said that the Exporters’ Associa-
tion intervened and made a special
intervention to find dollars for gas im-
ports.
Now the whole country is await-
ing help from the World Bank. While
many parties engage in discussions,
it must be done with utmost care as
the World Bank is a strong believer in
transparency not leaving any room for
corruption, frauds or bribes.
The World Bank, analysing if Li-
tro had worked in accordance with a
proper system, took steps to give USD
70 billion for gas imports. It is histori-
cally the only project that was success-
ful in the negotiations with the World
Bank to secure aid in recent times.
Litro was able to strike this deal
through a tripartite agreement. In
addition to the funds supplied by the
World Bank, Litro put in US$ 20 mil-
lion to order 100 000 metric tonne of
gas that would last till the end of Octo-
ber. This was able to give some relief
for the people who had queued up for
many days.
Currently there are no gas queues
due to the 30 000 metric tonnes im-
ported recently. Due to this agree-
ment with the World Bank, there
has been a significant growth in the
country’s foreign reserves. According
to this agreement, Litro has to settle
the loan taken from the World Bank
to the Central Bank within 5 months
while the Central Bank must in turn
settle it to the World Bank in 15 years.
As a solution to Sri Lanka’s dollar cri-
sis, the Treasury received an addi-
tional amount of US$ 22 million due
to this transaction
Now, according to the advice of
President Ranil Wickremesinghe a gas
price formula has been put in place.
The first step is to reduce the domestic
gas price in parallel with the decrease
in world gas prices. This is how the era
of gas queues ended in a massive 22-
day operation.
Sagala Ratnayake, Chief of Staff
of the President, shared with us his
thoughts about how the gas crisis was
resolved.
We started this program by tak-
ing a risk. I even spoke to the parent
company of the gas supplier. I tried to
overcome the obstacles by bringing in
officials to identify what the obstacles
were. The measures taken by officials
of the Central Bank and Litro have be-
come successful today. I am pleased
about this.
Perhaps in a week’s time, the gas
crisis will end. The World Bank of-
ficials supported us immensely and
helped us resolve this issue. Despite
all the accusations we have been able
to import gas through these efforts.
I coordinated this by giving instruc-
tions to the officials. It has succeeded
today.
The gas cylinder need now not be
left forgotten in the corner of one’s
kitchen. Neither should it be used as
a decorative item. All consumers now
must do is purchase a refill sans the
queues and hassle. Instead of people
waiting in line to purchase gas, today
there are cylinders lined up waiting to
be purchased by people.
the article is an english transla-
tion of vajira Liyanage

A visionary plan
Statesmen think of the next generation but
politicians think of the next election. This is a
universal truth. Sri Lanka had so far lacked lead-
ers who belonged to the former category, but
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has shown to
the world that he is a true statesman in every
sense of the word with his recent speech to Par-
liament which was well received even by the Op-
position.
President Wickremesinghe spoke in terms of
a 25-year plan titled the National Economic Poli-
cy (NEP) to rescue and develop Sri Lanka, which
will hopefully survive any changes of Govern-
ment in the meantime. This, he said, was essen-
tial in the light of the “great danger” facing the
island nation at this juncture. Yes, no one should
have any illusion that overnight solutions are
available to the multiple woes facing Sri Lank-
ans. Rather, it will be a long, hard road to recov-
ery, which could actually take several decades.
This is indeed the first time that any Sri
Lankan leader has laid out such a comprehen-
sive and visionary plan for the future. Indeed,
some of us might not be among the living by the
time the plan bears fruit somewhere in 2048,
which is exactly the 100th anniversary of Sri
Lanka’s Independence. But that is the very es-
sence of a multi-generational plan – to think be-
yond the next election cycle and even our own
lifetimes for the benefit of those who will inherit
the country one day.
There is no doubt that this will need broad
consideration and consultation. Academics, in-
tellectuals, professionals, politicians, Diaspora
members and ordinary members of the public
should actively contribute their ideas to make
this 25-year plan viable. In this regard, the Peo-
ple’s Assembly alluded to by the President in his
speech can play a major role.
We should study the 25-year development
models that have been successfully implement-
ed in other countries. We should also learn les-
sons from the current economic debacle to
shape our development trajectory for the next 25
years – for example, instead of the current 2035
deadline for halting the import and registration
of fossil fuel powered Internal Combustion En-
gine (ICE) vehicles, the Government could go for
an “electric vehicle only” policy once the import
ban on vehicle imports is lifted, perhaps next
year. Of course, a grace period will have to be
given for commercial vehicles, as electric com-
mercial vehicles are still in short supply world-
wide.
Moreover, public transport should be given
priority, with permission given hereafter only for
the assembly and import of fully electric buses,
along with the possible revival of the Light Rail
Transit (LRT) project in Colombo (mentioned
by the President in his speech) and the electri-
fication of railways islandwide. The Government
should also take a policy decision to implement
only renewable energy projects from now on-
wards. We would not be facing hours-long power
cuts today if previous Governments implement-
ed more solar and wind energy projects on time.
All these measures combined can potentially cut
our fuel import bill (nearly US$ 500 million per
month) by a considerable margin.
But in the light of what Sri Lanka is going
through, there is no time for debate, discord
and rancour in taking decisive action. All po-
litical parties represented in Parliament as well
as those outside it must now project a united
front to resolve our current problems. This was,
in fact, the very crux of the President’s speech
where he called for unity among all political par-
ties and other relevant stakeholders to extricate
Sri Lanka from the present quagmire. For far too
long, our political parties and even the people
have been divided along political, ethnic and re-
ligious lines, stifling the nation’s progress. This
status quo cannot remain any longer.
Hence the President’s clarion call for the for-
mation of an All-Party Government (APG) con-
sisting of representatives of all political parties
currently represented in Parliament. We ear-
nestly hope that all political parties will eventu-
ally heed the President’s call, though the Jathika
Jana Balavegaya (NPP) has expressed negative
sentiments regarding the proposal. The Tamil
National Alliance (TNA) has discussed the APG
with the President, who clearly mentioned in
his speech that problems and grievances faced
by the minority communities must be resolved
expeditiously. Some parties, such as the Samagi
Jana Balavegaya (SJB) have said that they will not
accept any Ministerial portfolios, but help the
Government through Parliamentary Commit-
tees and other such initiatives. But all parties
are likely to allow any MP who wishes to accept
a Ministerial portfolio if his/her knowledge and
expertise can be of use to the country at this vital
moment. No disciplinary action should be taken
against such MPs by the relevant parties as the
country’s interests should come first.
It is also advisable to bring in outside profes-
sionals to Parliament and possibly to the Cabinet
via the National List, including a few genuine
representatives from the Aragalaya, whom the
President has vowed to protect. However, Cabi-
net portfolios should not be granted under any
circumstances to certain former Ministers im-
plicated in cases of fraud and corruption.
Unity is the only option available now and
the only way forward. Political unity and stabil-
ity is a sine qua non for seeking urgent short-
term and medium-term assistance from inter-
national lending agencies and donor nations,
for no one will come forward to give us a hand
if political and social volatility is the order of the
day. The President emphasized this aspect too
in his detailed speech. The Government and the
Opposition should thus lose no time in arriving
at a common framework for an APG to take the
country forward with courage and vigour.
8 Sunday ObServer auguSt 7, 2022
Editor : 011 242 9231, News Desk: 011 242 9232, Business Desk: 011 2429226, Fax : 011 242 9227
Advertising : 011 2429361-9, email: editor.sundayobserver@lakehouse .lk, Websites : www.sundayobserver.lk
Democracy and the herd
Rajpal Abeynayake
W
hen mass hysteria happens
commentators say democ-
racy is at work. Sometimes
even the best of us are
fooled and take mass hysteria to be de-
mocracy, and that is no good way to size
things up.
Mass hysteria is when the herd-in-
stinct takes over and there is a myth cre-
ated that people want a certain outcome.
Sometimes it may be even true that the
majority of the people want a certain out-
come.
The Covid shut-downs in this country
particularly in 2021 were more of a case
of mass hysteria than of democratic ex-
pression at work. According to an Oxford
university survey, Sri Lanka had the most
stringent shutdowns in the entire world.
never been held. True that technically if
the people of the UK decided that they There was mass would come to a halt if the immigrants
stopped working. It is understandable that
What do we have to show for it? Maybe
some success containing Covid, but more
importantly, an economy that imploded
needed Brexit, and voted for it at a plebi-
scite, it is a democratic outcome. But the
plebiscite and the verdict of the people
hysTeria when cerTain no country wants its borders swamped,
but these issues often have various rami-
fications. There should be a global push
making us the top news story for econom-
ic meltdown anywhere in the world.
so-called was a result of mass hysteria
for the most part because there were so
communiTies in This for more equitable distribution of wealth
and the north-south divide for instance
The meltdown may have more to do
with domestic economic mismanage-
many rumblings about Brussels running
the country and about immigration and counTry were TargeTed should be far less glaring if there is to be
any realistic hope that there would be less
ment or the Covid related global slump,
but the shutdowns were a large part of
it as well. So why is mass hysteria mis-
all that type of things that was irrational
to begin with.
It is a well known fact that David Cam-
once upon a Time, and iT migrants trying to swamp the borders of
certain nations that are economically bet-
ter off than the rest.
taken to be democracy? The ex-President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the people
eron, the then Prime Minister called for
the referendum because he was sure that
is saluTary ThaT These
RANTING
wanted the country shut down or words
to that effect. There were other politicians
the Brexit proposition would lose. But he
was wrong as the news industry had built various disparaTe But there are very few rational voic-
crowing that they were the folk that got
the country shut down when there were
up a story that was now larger than the
sum of its parts. This is not democracy groups have now come es discussing these issues, because mass
hysteria hogs the public discourse in
TogeTher in The face of
forces that were not willing to do it. because if you whip the people up into a place of rational debate and dialogue that
Just imagine that? Politicians, saying frenzy so much could be achieved that’s should be the hallmark of any proper pub-
out loud that they just messed things up less than rational. lic discussion in a civilized state.
badly? The irrational shutdowns were a
disaster and sowed the seeds for the eco-
It’s not democracy by any means. Its
news and commentary lathering people
The economic melTdown. The conventional media so-called is
not any more reliable than social media so
nomic calamity that was to follow in 2022.
The Treasury officials —Atygalla foremost
up into a frenzy and the quicker the dis-
tinction made between the outcomes of aT leasT There was called, and in fact there is sometimes not
much difference, because it is the conven-
among them — have already confessed to
the fact that all the projections went hay-
wire due to the Covid-lockdowns of 2021,
such hysteria and democracy as we know
it, the better.
This column is for the most part writ-
someThing good ThaT tional media that for instance began the
trend of passing off opinion as news.
There is nothing wrong with opinion
which he says were ‘unexpected.’ ten because the damage done by the Co-
vid closures of 2021 needs to be written
came ouT of iT per se, but when the news by itself has no
value and all of it has to pass off as opin-
about. That nod to mass hysteria was very good that came out of it. ion to be believed or to have any traction,
IMMIGRATION damaging, but also the genesis of all that If the level of mass hysteria that’s giv- there is something that’s wrong with the
These closures were a result of buck- collective venting needs to be looked into. en an airing in the media was good for the way the ‘people’s voice’ gets an airing.
ling under the pressure of mass hysteria, people there should have been so many Of course there are genuine people’s
and they were certainly not a case of be- good outcomes but what do we have but protests and such, and these movements
ing attuned to the voice of the people. In
DISPARATE global economic calamities and recession are different to the voice of the dema-
short there is a vast difference between Whether it’s Brexit or anything else, scares, and inflation and the like. Nothing gogues. When people speak out of a sense
democracy and mass hysteria and there mass hysteria today is whipped up by good has come out of the regular venting of desperation it’s always easy to know
are untold problems in governance that petty demagogues that spill venom taking that takes place in all types of media spac- because they are not racist or xenophobic
are caused all over the world because pol- up news space in social media, ostensi- es and its all the more reason there is a when they do so.
icymakers cannot tell the difference. bly peddling news. But most of this ‘news’ proper delineation between ‘democracy’ Genuine economic desperation is one
To look for examples abroad would be comes in the form of commentary, and and what passes off as the people’s voice. thing but trying to get a march over the
edifying, but Brexit may be one of them. the lines between news and opinion have If the people really want to let their others in the job hunt for instance by rais-
It is true that there may have been prob- blurred so much that they are not recog- voices be heard these days they have to ing the immigration bogey is something
lems with the UK ‘being run in Brussels’ nizable any more. When this happens take drastic measures because the media else altogether. That is the voice of mass
but there was a lot to be gained for UK by there is so much more room for various be it social media or conventional me- hysteria in the west for instance, and it’s
being part of the European Union. But rants to be peddled in the guise of giving dia is not doing it for them. Certain lob- not very good to have this collective rant-
Brexit, earlier often acknowledged to be voice to the ‘people.’ byists have in fact hijacked the so called ing heard over the genuine voice of the
mass hysteria, soon became a democratic There was mass hysteria when certain ‘people’s voice’ in some democracies that people.
rallying cry. communities in this country were target- it has become easy for politicians to pre- It’s happening everywhere be it in the
Brexit though technically the voice of ed once upon a time, and it is salutary that tend that democracy is demagoguery. West or closer home in Asia and it is time
the people was a product of mass venting these various disparate groups have now Anti-immigration sentiment for in- that people learned to recognise bilge for
and mass irrationality in the main, and come together in the face of the economic stance is sweeping the West, but it’s not what it is, and not lump it together with
that referendum perhaps should have meltdown. At least there was something rational at all because these countries the truth.
APG
u p p ort
s
n`t
w o
We i n APG
j o
or
 OP-ED
Sunday ObServer auguSt 7, 2022 9

Country’s downfall due to public

finance management blunders
–Dr. Bandula Gunawardena
By IndIka Welagedara management to provide services to the public.
Institutions have been set up to carry out these

P
arliament is responsible for the eco-
nomic crisis. According to the consti-
tution, Parliament is responsible for
the finances of the country. Therefore,
Parliament is responsible for government rev-
enue expenditure, budget gap and borrowing
and debt settlement.
The Parliament prepares related ordi-
nances and authorises the establishment of
relevant institutions for this purpose. If parlia-
mentarians do not accept any proposals pre-
sented by these higher institutions, if there is
no space to present their views through parlia-
ment, the current and former officials of the
Treasury and the Central Bank should also
take responsibility for the issue of the country
going bankrupt said Public Vehicles Highways
and Mass Media Cabinet Minister Dr. Bandu-
la Gunawardena said in an interview with the
Sunday Observer last week.
excerpts of the interview.
Q: Many people
are trying to find solu-
tions to the national
crisis by staging
demonstrations
and changing gov-
ernments.
you have pro-
but
posed a four-pronged proposal beyond
that. Could elaborate?
a: People see only a certain aspect of the
economic crisis by taking into account the fuel
and gas scarcity and the restrictions on elec-
tricity supply. The crisis is seen only on the
surface. It has to be looked from a deeper and
different perspective to grasp the real situa-
tion.
Q: as per your knowledge, what is
the real economic crisis?
a: What we see today is the worst econom-
ic crisis since independence. The economic
growth rate dropped from 1.7 percent to -3.5
percent in 2001. It is estimated that in 2022
it will be -6 percent. Statistics prove that
2022 will be a year with the highest
negative economic growth rate.
This means that there is an
adverse effect on all mac-
roeconomic variables
such as total output in-
come, employment,
price level, balance
of payments and in-
vestment in the
country. There-
fore, the output
will decrease this year with an adverse impact
on people’s income. There will be a lot of pres-
sure on the balance of payments.
Q: activists say that the former Presi-
dent is responsible for the crisis and that’s
why they tried to remove the people who
were agitating. What are your views on
this?
a: This is the view of a group of young peo-
ple who have no knowledge of the economy
and realities. If you ask a Professor of Econom-
ics he would say this is not due to the Gotab-
haya Rajapaksa’s regime but rather a series of
blunders in public financial management. Af-
ter independence and 1977 there was no prop-
er precedent for the economy of our country.
Q: are you also a part of this accusa-
tion?
a: Yes. As a Member of Parliament who has
represented the parliament for 33 years, we
also have a part of this responsibility. But less
responsibility is assigned to me.
I printed and published a large number
of books about this, about the impending de-
struction. Wrote documents.
No matter how many facts are presented
through debates inside and outside the parlia-
ment, the only response received is laughter,
insults and ridicule.
Q: Some political parties say that
if they are given power they will solve
the problems within six months. do you
agree?
a: The former and the current President
declared that they are ready to hand over
reigns to anyone who is capable.
It was after Ranil Wickremesinghe saying
that he would like to take over the premiership
that Sajith Premadasa said that he would like to
take over the post.
Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa did
not want to give orders to the Army to shoot
civilians due to the violence unleashed on May
9. Therefore, he gave into the protesters and
stepped down.
Q: the Opposition leader said that he
does not accept this government that has a
mandate. What is your take on this?
a: Politically, it is an unfavourable state-
ment for him. He says that if Dullas Alahappe-
ruma who was nominated by him, was elected
with the majority of votes, it would be a gov-
ernment with a proper mandate. But after los-
ing, they say that there is no mandate. It is not
possible for the country to move forward in
this way. In developed countries parliamentar-
ians do not behave in this manner.
Q: Why do you say that our parlia-
mentarians do not behave in that way?
a: As a country with parliamentary re-
publicanism, the answers to all the economic
questions facing Sri Lanka today should be
sought from the enlightened parliament. Like
many countries, and the neighbouring coun-
tries such as India and Pakistan search for an-
swers through the parliamentary system.
Q: does it mean that Parliament
should take responsibility for these is-
sues?
a: Of course, yes. Sections 148, 149, 150,
151 and 152 of the Constitution state that all the
powers of the state finances have been assigned
to Parliament. Therefore, the lack of rupees and
dollars in the country means that money has
been moulded and that means that the coun-
try is bankrupt. Public finance is the collection
of revenue by taxation or other means for the
government. The second is to pay salaries to
government employees and incur daily, prog-
ress and recurring expenses. Taking local and
foreign loans to cover the gap between income
and expenses. After independence this task was
assigned to the Parliament.
Q: How does Parliament control pub-
lic finance?
a: Parliament passes laws related to financial
tasks. Eg- The Central Bank was established in
1950 by the Monetary Act of 1949. Only the Cen-
tral Bank has the monopoly of printing money
with the permission of the Parliament. There-
fore, the credit related responsibility rests with
the State Credit Department of the Central Bank.
This department recruits officers after re-
ceiving a first pass in economics from the univer-
sity, passing local and foreign exams and receiv-
ing international training. They are paid huge
salaries. Most people do not understand this sub-
ject. Therefore, the public loan department of
the Central Bank should take the loan and bear
its responsibility. But today politicians are in-
volved in this. These officials should explain the
reasons for the bankruptcy of the country.
The second institution is the Ministry of
Finance. It is the Treasury that spends for the
public. They prepare the budget. There is a large
group of trained officers. The truth should be
presented to Parliament in the budget docu-
ment. The Treasury has misled Parliament and
made huge mistakes. These people are innocent.
The majority of MPs who represent Sri Lanka’s
political parties have little understanding of pub-
lic finance management. Whether in the rul-
ing party or the opposition, every MP in the last
three to four decades is responsible for this.
Q: does that mean you are also re-
sponsible for this?
a: I have not prepared any budget docu-
ments. Budgets were prepared in the past by
former President JR Jayewardene and then Dr.
N.M. Perera. Others only read what was pre-
pared.
They are arguing about this in the parlia-
ment. We suggested that if they have dollars,
they should open an LC and bring an electric
vehicle and pay the foreign exchange first.
Even if we propose it, it cannot be done if the
Central Bank officials do not approve it. They
have a separate power. Those who have dollars
in Sri Lanka should be given a market to trade
in dollars. During the time of Warnasena Rasa-
putra  the then Governor of the Central Bank,
Bearer Bond was proposed.
They said no as it would be subjected to
money laundering. Therefore the Central
Bank and Prime Ministerial officials proposed
a way to do this. Therefore, how can politicians
be held accountable for the decisions made by
these officials? Continued page 12

Blood management in the current crisis

and component transfusions?
a. The therapeutic materials
used for blood transfusion process-
es are live cells and tissues derived
Hemantha from human blood. These deriva-
Kulatunga tives need to be handled with spe-
cial care under special environ-
tion. The fuel shortage resulted in referral of these patients to a pre-
disruption of the mobile blood col- operative assessment clinic man-
lection campaigns and transport aged by anaesthetists will facilitate
restrictions caused reduced walk-in this. Anaesthetists assess the fitness
in-house blood donors. In addition, of the patients and optimise to im-
smooth circulation of the blood prove their ability to tolerate surgi-
components within the regional cal stress.

A
s there is no alternative
for human blood, an ad-
equate supply of blood in
Sri Lanka can only be as-
sured through regular donations. It
is obvious that a sufficient supply
of safe blood is an essential compo-
nent for needy patients.
In an interview with the Sun-
day Observer, Dr. Trilicia Withana-
wasam, Consultant Transfusion
Physician at the University Hospital
of Kotelawala Defence University
and Dr. Nilmini Wijesuriya, Senior
Consultant Anaesthetist at Colombo
North Teaching Hospital attempt to
introduce a new concept of Patient
Blood Management (PBM) which is
a timely project. Dr. Withanawasam
is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of
Medicine, KDU and the incumbent
head of the department of “Trans-
fusion Medicine” at the University
Hospital-KDU. Dr. Wijesuriya is the
head of the Department of Anaes-
thesiology, CNTH, Ragama.
Q: donors donate blood to
save other people’s lives. Who
are the patients who benefit
from blood and component
transfusions?
a. Blood and blood components
are a lifesaving therapy for which
there is no alternative, even in the
developed world. For patients with
bleeding after traumatic incidents
and after major surgical procedures
involving genetic and acquired
blood cell deficiencies, donor blood
would be a gift of life. Blood services
maintain the supply because of the
noble act of voluntary, non-remu-
nerated regular blood donors.
Q: How expensive are blood
mental conditions, which makes
the blood component production
expensive.
Although there is no calculated
cost value for a unit of blood com-
ponent in SL health economics, the
data published by NHS, UK reveals
the approximate cost of standard
red cell concentrate is GBP 146 (Rs
62 000). Similarly, a significant ex-
penditure is budgeted for the cost of
the other blood components such as
plasma and platelets. The cost cov-
ers the procurement of raw materi-
als, human labour, transportation,
storage, and maintenance.
There are added costs for the
management of transfusion proce-
dures and their potential complica-
tions. Although the resources are
from voluntary, non-remunerated
donors, the total process is expen-
sive, making blood product transfu-
sion one of the costliest treatments
among all therapies.
Regrettably, the general public
does not seem to be taking the bur-
den of the cost seriously because of
the free health system in Sri Lanka.
Q: What is the impact on
blood and component production
during an economic crisis?
a. Because of the ongoing finan-
cial crisis, the health budget was
expected to be minimised. All the
required consumables for the col-
lection, production, and transfusion
are in the import category except
voluntarily donated human blood,
making it an extremely costly ex-
pense for the Government.
Due to the restrictions of the
supply chain, the blood service fac-
es a challenge in fulfilling the de-
mand for blood and components; a
shortage of different types of blood
collection bags, test kits, and other
consumables leads to this situa-
and provincial blood centres was in-
terrupted.
Social restlessness, queuing for
fuel and essentials, and econom-
ic hardships distracted the public
from voluntary activities such as
blood donation; the priority of the
community shifted towards search-
ing for food, medicine, fuel, and
other daily essentials.
The impending financial down-
turn is expected to make the situa-
tion worse for the blood service in
Sri Lanka; there is a probability that
the prevalence of malnutrition and
anemia in the community will spike
further, hence increasing the num-
ber of deferred donations.
Q: What is PbM? How can
PbM strategies be used as a
solution?
a. The World Health Organiza-
tion (WHO) defines patient blood
management (PBM) as a patient-
focused, evidence-based, and sys-
tematic approach to optimise the
management of patients and the
transfusion of blood products for
quality and effective patient care.
It is designed to improve patient
outcomes through the safe and ra-
tional use of blood and blood prod-
ucts and by minimising unneces-
sary exposure to blood products.
Further, the strategic points lead to
helping patients’ bodies to recover
on their own rather than making
early decisions to transfuse blood
and products.
The knowledge, understanding,
and perception of the PBM strate-
gies are at a very low level among
health care authorities and provid-
ers. The aim of this paper article is
to make the public and responsible
specialists aware of the value of the
timely implementation of PBM in
dr. trilicia Withanawasam
Consultant Transfusion Physician
the Sri Lankan health sector.
Many kinds of literature are sup-
portive of the statement of “blood
product transfusion per se increas-
es mortality and morbidity in cer-
tain situations like surgeries and
critical care”.
Implementation of PBM can
prevent conditions which might
later lead to the requirement for
transfusion. For example, patients
who are going for elective surgeries
having nutritional deficiency-relat-
ed anaemia can be treated with diet
and supplementation and anaemia
can be corrected before the surgery.
Hence, it reduces the requirement
for blood transfusions during the
surgery. Surgical bleeding itself is a
risk factor for anemia.
There are many other patient
conditions which lead to increased
blood loss such as patients on blood
thinning drugs, unrecognised ac-
quired/inherited bleeding disor-
ders, coagulopathy related to ac-
quired infections and so on.
If we can identify and correct
such conditions prior to surgery,
the demand for blood will be mi-
nimised. Blood sampling for inves-
tigations in intensive care patients
has proven to lead to anaemia and
hence red cell transfusions.
Successful PBM can reduce
the use of blood and spare avail-
able blood units for needy patients
where the other options are mini-
dr nilmini Wijesuriya
Senior Consultant Anaesthetist
mal.
If we can treat the iron defi-
ciency with iron treatment rather
than waiting till it becomes severe
enough to receive a transfusion, we
can conserve blood units.
Good surgical and anesthetic
techniques would minimise the
bleeding.
Reducing the incidence of trans-
fusion can be a cost-effective meth-
od which can have a positive impact
on the economy.
Q: If a patient is going for
a major surgery how can you
minimize the use the of blood and
components?
a. We apply the principles of the
“three pillars” of Patient Blood Man-
agement (PBM) to reduce and opti-
mise the use of blood and compo-
nents. These principles are applied
before surgery, during and after sur-
gery as well. Coordinated work by
clinicians of different specialties-
surgeons, anaesthetists, transfusion
physicians, nutritionists, haema-
tologists and hospital administra-
tors with other involved healthcare
workers is essential for the success-
ful implementation of PBM.
In brief, before surgery as men-
tioned earlier, we identify patients
with anaemia and other risk factors
and correct them if possible. Early
During surgery, it is important
for surgeons to be meticulous in
their technique and to use different
medications to minimise blood loss.
The anaesthetist also plays a key
role by using various techniques to
reduce blood loss and he carefully
monitors the patient for timely cor-
rection of any deficit using modern
testing methods to minimise com-
plications.
After surgery, high-risk patients
are monitored closely and managed
in the intensive care unit to avoid
further blood loss.
Q: What action have you
taken to optimise the rational
use of blood and components
without compromising the patient
outcome?
a. Intuitional agreement is
placed to treat patients with blood
and components according to in-
ternational guidelines and strict
adherence to transfusion thresh-
olds. Encourage Multidisciplinary
teamwork for the patient who needs
blood and components and patients
who are going for major surgeries.
As professional groups, Colleges
of Transfusion physicians, Anaes-
thesiologists and Intensivists of Sri
Lanka have collaborated to work
together with other professional
groups in the future to optimise
the rational use of blood and com-
ponents. We aim to implement the
WHO recommendation on urgent
PBM principles in our country. It
is challenging to change old prac-
tices, but we have taken the first
steps to disseminate knowledge on
PBM principles among healthcare
professionals through webinars and
hope to formulate national guide-
lines and implement them through
the Ministry of Health.
10 Sunday ObServer auguSt 7, 2022

Feature

Ceremonial opening of the third President Ranil Wickremesinghe ceremonially declared

open the third session of the Ninth Parliament on Wednesday
(August 3). On his arrival at the Parliament, President Wick-

session of the Ninth Parliament

remesinghe and First Lady Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe
were received by the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and
the Secretary General of Parliament, Dhammika Dassanayake.
In accordance with the instructions of the President, ar-
rangements were made to conduct the ceremony in a very
simple manner without gun salutes or car parades. Instead, the
President was received in front of Parliament with a Tri-Force
Guard of Honour. There was no President’s flag being hoisted,
only the National Flag was hoisted.
The arrival of the Members of Parliament took place prior
to the arrival of the President, followed by the arrival of Speaker
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawar-
dena and finally President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Following
the ceremonial opening on Wednesday (August 3) at 10 a.m. the
President presented the Government’s policy statement at 10:30
a.m. in accordance with powers vested in him through Article
33 of the Constitution.
After entering the Chamber, the President presided over
the sittings and the President’s seat was marked with the State
Emblem instead of the President’s official emblem. During the
President’s ‘Throne Speech’, the Speaker sat with the Secretaries
in the lower seat, where the Speaker sits during the committee
stage. The ceremonial opening was followed by a tea party or-
On his arrival at the Parliament, President ranil Wickremesinghe is wel- ganised for the Members of Parliament and invited guests.
comed by Speaker Mahinda yapa abeywardena and Secretary general of
Prime Minister dinesh gunawardena arrives in Parliament
Parliament dhammika dasanayake.

Foreign delegates

the President in conversation with tna Parliamentarian Shanakiyan rasamanickam, while

former President Mahinda rajapaksa looks on.

Parliamentarian dr.Kavinda Jayawardena greets the President. Former Speaker

defence Secretary, Chief of defence Staff, Service Chiefs and the IgP Chamal rajapaksa was also present.

Xi tested as Chinese nationalists

bristle at Pelosi Taiwan visit
T
he political fallout from the recent
visit to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi, the
speaker of the United States House
of Representatives, continues to re-
verberate in China.
Pelosi’s visit to the self-governing democ-
racy, which China claims as its own territory,
is testing Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s resolve
at a politically sensitive time.
Xi is edging closer to securing an unprec-
edented third term as head of the ruling Chi-
nese Communist Party at its upcoming 20th
National Congress in November.
Yet as China reacts to the Pelosi visit with
a show of military force, Xi is likely weigh-
ing the economic costs and diplomatic fall-
out with the US and its allies against his need
to act tough on Taiwan as soaring nationalist
sentiment within China pushes for him to do
more.
“It’s put him (Xi) in an impossible posi-
tion,” Stephen Nagy, a Tokyo-based China an-
alyst and senior fellow at Canada’s MacDon-
ald-Laurier Institute, told Al Jazeera.
“He has to maintain economic growth,
which would be severely hampered by any
kinetic response to the US and the increas-
ing international recognition of Taiwan as a
political entity,” Nagy said.
“Yet he is under tremendous pressure
from nationalist forces inside China, who ex-
pect a strong response to what they under-
stand to be a clear violation of the ‘One China
Policy’… I’m doubtful he can strike this bal-
ance.”
‘Not finished yet’
China is staging its  largest-ever military
exercises in waters surrounding Taiwan, in-
cluding firing missiles over the island.
Chinese authorities have also banned im-
ports of over 2,000 Taiwanese food products
and halted sand exports to Taiwan, while this
week Taiwan’s government websites were hit
by overseas cyberattacks.
“It’s not finished yet,” said Nagy. “I expect
more provocative military activity from Chi-
na in the coming months … we can also ex-
pect more cyberattacks, restrictions on Tai-
wanese businesses operating in China, and
Pro-China supporters step on a picture of uS House Speaker nancy Pelosi during a pro-
test outside the Consulate general of the united States in Hong Kong on august 3.
even secondary sanctions to increase the
pressure on Taiwan’s friends.”
The escalating aggression is partly a re-
sponse to growing calls from the Chinese
public for more drastic action.
On August 2, the evening Pelosi landed,
Chinese social media blew up with anti-
American vitriol in what many Chinese neti-
zens called a “sleepless night”.
By the next morning, about a dozen na-
tionalistic hashtags about “reunification” –
some pushed by Chinese state media – had
generated several billion views on the micro-
blogging platform Weibo.
“This was a truly international event and
something that was very much developing in
real-time,” Manya Koetse, a veteran analyst
of Chinese social media and editor-in-chief
of WhatsonWeibo, told Al Jazeera.
Koetse likened the response to Pelosi’s
visit to the nationalist wave unleashed when
Chinese netizens tracked the homecom-
ing flight of former Huawei executive Meng
Wanzhou after she was released by Canada
last year.
“But of course, this time Nancy Pelosi
was not welcome,” she added.
“So many millions of people were watch-
ing it (the flight tracker) together … and
there was state media propaganda posts and
military jargon flying around and it felt like
a lot of netizens were really preparing for
something to happen,” she said.
“And then came the moment she arrived
… and people felt disappointed and angry
that the ‘old witch’, as they call her, had land-
ed and China did not prevent it,” she said.
“There was a sense that ‘she got away with it
way too easily’,” Koetse said.
‘Counter measures’
Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of
the Global Times newspaper, who is known
for his bellicosity toward Taiwan, expressed
regret that Beijing did not deliver the muscu-
lar response the public hoped for.
Yet another renowned online commenta-
tor, Ren Yi, slammed Hu for creating unreal-
istic expectations among the people, which
would “damage morale” and “exhaust gov-
ernment credibility”.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Hua Chunying requested the
public to be patient and pledged the US and
Taiwan would “gradually and persistently
feel the countermeasures”.
“Hu played a big role since he’d suggested
Pelosi’s escort planes could be shot down,”
Koetse said.
“Nothing like this happened, but some
people actually expected something like
that.”
‘People are still
extremely angry’
“There was a shift on August 2,” Leo Chu,
a research assistant at US-based Foreign Pol-
icy Research Institute who hails from Chi-
na’s Anhui province, told Al Jazeera.
“Beforehand, the visit had been about
China-US rivalry… but after Pelosi landed
in Taipei, people began to talk about it as
an issue of reunification. People are still ex-
tremely angry at the US, but they now be-
lieve the answer is not shooting down Pelo-
si’s plane but in reunification,” he said.
Xi remains under pressure to respond,
according to China analyst Nagy.
“China may not be a democracy, but the
party needs to respond to its citizen’s senti-
ments about issues critical to the Chinese
people,” Nagy said.
“People are raised to understand these
issues through a nationalist lens and many
will then wonder why Xi is not standing up
to what they perceive as their ‘core inter-
ests.’”
China’s censors, which control the on-
line discourse in the country, may have been
too slow in curbing netizens’ nationalist fer-
vour, according to Koetse.
“Topics such as Xinjiang or Taiwan are
usually very sensitive, and discussion of
them censored quickly,” Koetse said.
“But the moment they can be framed
within a nationalistic narrative, as hap-
pened this time, you’ll see the censorship re-
lax … you then see hundreds of thousands of
new messages flooding Chinese social me-
dia,” she said.
“Yet immediately following Pelosi’s land-
ing Weibo became unreachable for a lot of
people as servers were dealing with ‘some
issues’… it’s rumoured Weibo was blocked
at that moment just to cool down nationalist
sentiments,” she added.
The visit may also have triggered more
invasive forms of monitoring to ensure aca-
demic conformity with Xi’s official response.
Nagy said Chinese researchers told him
in the past week that Party authorities at
universities requested they install software
on their phones to protect against alleged
cyberattacks from abroad. The academics
suspect the software is to monitor their con-
versations.
“This could be partly to ensure tighter
control of the domestic narrative … Beijing
does not want to see the same criticism sur-
face about its handling of this crisis as hap-
pened with China’s response to Putin’s in-
vasion of Ukraine earlier in the year,” Nagy
said.
Shortly after Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine, five prominent Chinese historians
published an open letter condemning Putin
and calling on China to denounce the war.
Censors removed the letter within three
hours.
Xi will also look to stifle dissent within
the party’s ranks too, as his opponents watch
for signs of weakness in his response to the
Pelosi visit.
“The anti-Xi faction see the past 10 years
of his rule as taking China backwards. Its
relations with West have deteriorated, glob-
al favourability is at all-time lows and the
economy, both structurally and geopoliti-
cally, is in a worse place than it was a decade
ago,” Nagy said.
“Many in this faction see Xi has put Chi-
nese elites in a weaker position internation-
ally … and will interpret this visit as Pelosi
poking Xi in the eye, and causing him to lose
face in the build-up to the National Congress
when he is supposed to cement his legacy
alongside Mao,” he added.
Despite the internal opposition, Nagy
does not think the Taiwan issue will endan-
ger Xi’s chances of securing a third term,
saying only a devastating new Covid-19 vari-
ant or natural disaster may pose such a risk
at this stage. - Agencies
 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022 11

Feature

The mob attack on MP Mohan

Priyadarshana De Silva’s properties
On May 9, as violence spread across the coun-
try De Silva was serving as the Minister of Wa-
ter Supply.
“On May 9 we gathered at Temple Trees to
respectfully bid farewell to Prime Minister Ma-
hinda Rajapaksa. As we were informed that a
Cabinet meeting was also scheduled to be held
that evening I also took part in it. It was dur-
ing this meeting that friends and family from
Galle informed me about houses being set on
fire. Even though I was living temporarily in
Colombo, everything I owned was back in my
village. I lost everything in those violent inci-
dents” he recalled.
The house destroyed by violent mobs was
on a mere ten-perch land. The upper storey
was used as a library consisting of books be-
longing to the former Minister. Those involved
in these incidents also set fire to his ancestral
home and office in Rathgama.
“The ancestral home was built by my par-
ents. My younger brother along with his family
lived there. It was completely destroyed. The
books of my nieces and nephews
De Silva in front of his gutted home were reduced to ashes. My house
timated damage is around Rs. 100 million. But struggle took part in it as it was a peaceful the country a better place.” he said.
the damage to the hearts of our family and es- struggle. My belief is that these acts were com- As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “An eye
pecially the children is immeasurable. Every- mitted by persons linked to a political party” he for an eye will leave the whole world blind”.
one in the Galle District knows I toiled hard for said. Therefore, citizens must lend their effort in
everything I had. They had nothing to do with Despite losing all he had, De Silva is deter- dousing an already burning country rather
this incident. This was an organised attack by a mined to carry on. than stoke the fires that would result in its de-
certain group” he claimed. “This is the first time I faced an incident struction.
According to him, despite the Police in- such as this. I was voted in by the people and I The article is an English translation of Su-
forming him that those involved have been lived on what I earned as a lawyer. I have never rekha Nilmini Illangakoon
arrested, he was not keen to pursue the case. earned through poli-
“I will not fault the Police for what took place. tics. Even my wife is
There was a serious breakdown of law and or- still employed. I al-
der when this incident took place. Not even the ways stood with the
Police could control it. I do not believe regular people and I lived a
folk in villages took part in these acts. regular life. Those
Neither do I think those engaging in the who voted for me are
well aware of this.
As a person from
a non-political back-
ground I built my life
with great dedica-
tion. Today my fam-
ily lives in a Govern-
ment quarters due to
our situation. I am

T
had three storeys. That too was unsure if I can re-
he incidents on May 9 that led to the fully gutted. The furniture and build our home. Even
destruction of the houses of many everything were lost. Houses if I do, what about the
MPs was frowned upon by the ma- can be built, but the memo- memories that was
jority of the people in Sri Lanka. It ries held within those walls lost.
undoubtedly left a black mark on Sri Lanka’s can never be recovered. The None of them can
name before the world. Among the houses birth certificates of my be restored. At first I
destroyed by violent protesters was the children, our mar- was deeply upset and
residence, office as well the ances- riage certificate, saddened by what
tral home of Galle district MP Mo- photographs of happened but I made
han Priyadarshana De Silva. my children up my mind on the
“It caused my family a lot as babies and very day itself. I only
of pain. They had set fire even degree have one request.
to our home as if it was a certificates. That is to not allow
mere playhouse. No matter We similar incidents of
who carried out this act, it have none violence from hap-
will only lead to the further of those pening again. Do
decline of the country. The left. The es- not be part of such
people are living under dif- incidents. If a per-
ficult circumstances and as Galle District MP, former son desires good rul-
their representatives we too Minister Mohan The house and office destroyed ers, they themselves
are saddened by their plight. Priyadarshana De Silva must be outstanding
by unruly mobs
However some people citizens. Therefore,
have widely spread a notion do your duty as citi-
that Ministers and MPs do not care for the suf- zens of Sri Lanka. Ev-
ferings of the people and they are all corrupt. Full Name - Mohan Priyadarshan De Silva ery citizen has a re-
But this is untrue. Even if we are paid for the Date of Birth - 23.12.1966 sponsibility to make
damage caused through these incidents, again School - St Aloysius College - Galle
public monies are being spent that would have Educational Qualifications - Graduated from Sri Lanka Law College and sworn in as a
benefited the people and utilised for develop- lawyer (1993)
ment purposes. Our property is now gone but
such acts of violence must be prevented going
Milestones in his political career
1996 - Rathgama Electorate Organiser of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
TRADE MARK
further,” he said.
De Silva was born the eldest of four chil-
1997 - Hikkaduwa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman
2009 - Southern Provincial Council Chairman CAUTIONARY NOTICE
dren, in Mahamodara, Galle. His father 2010 - Elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time
A.Karunasena was a Government employee 2019 - Minister of State for Human Rights and Law Reforms Notice is hereby given that our clients, The Capital Maharaja
and his mother K.D Ariyawathie was a house- 2020 - Minister of State for Fertiliser Production and Supply Organisation Limited (formerly known as The Maharaja Organisation
wife. Living in a house called A.K.D Bakery or 2021 - Minister of State for Coastal Conservation and Lowland Development
Bakariye Gedara he lived a simple life. De Silva 2021 - Cabinet Minister for Water Supply Limited) having their registered office at No. 146, Dawson Street,
was first educated at the Ratgama Sirisumana Colombo 02, Sri Lanka are the Owners and Sole Proprietors of the
Vidyalaya and later enrolled at St. Aloysius following Trade Marks.
College in Galle. Entering Sri Lanka Law Col-
lege in 1990, he was admitted to the bar in 1993
and commenced his legal career at the Galle
Courts. De Silva married fellow lawyer Ashika
Munasinghe in 2001. Today they are parents to
two children.
“No one in my family was connected to
politics. Despite being part of various societies
and associations while in Law College I had no
party affiliation at the time. We worked togeth-
er for greater good and I had no intention to
join politics back then” he said.
But becoming a close confidant of senior
politician Richard Soysa, De Silva entered Our Client, operates in the tea industry through its Group Companies i.e.

politics in 1996 after being appointed as the
Sri Lanka Freedom Party organiser for the
Rathgama electorate. In his first election ever,
the very next year De Silva was elected to the
Pradeshiya Sabha, going on to be elected to the
Parliament in 2010. In 2019 he was appointed
as the State Minister for Human Rights and Le-
gal Reforms.
In 2020, De Silva was re-elected to Parlia-
ment for the third time after obtaining 111 626
votes and was appointed a Cabinet Minister.
Qatar Charity
Harrisons (Colombo) Limited (one of the oldest tea companies in Sri
Lanka) and A. F. Jones Exporters Ceylon (Private) Limited (formerly
known as ‘A. F. Jones Exporters Ceylon Limited’), which is one of Sri
qcharity.org
Notice for the Legal Services Lanka’s oldest tea establishments founded back in 1912. Our Clients
have been manufacturing and exporting 100% Quality Ceylon Tea
(Date of publication 07/08/2022) (International Class 30) under the said trademarks as depicted above to
many other countries.
Qatar Charity, Doha based International NGO, Our Clients are also the owners of the Copyright in respect of the said
dedicated to carryout humanitarian and development logos.
programs, working in Sri Lanka invites applications The public and the trade are cautioned that there are Counterfeit
/ quotations from legally registered Law Firms for products by third parties, under the above-mentioned marks/brand
names which are confusingly similar to our client’s marks/getup. The
Legal Services in Sri Lanka with following terms and public is hereby cautioned not to get misled and confused by any such
conditions. products.

1. Interested firm may apply in Arabic or English Our clients shall not hold themselves responsible for products purchased
from sources other than its authorized agents and any infringement or
Language with registration documents and CV damage caused due to the use of such products.
of the firm and the Lawyers to the Legal Counsel Trade and public are hereby requested to cooperate by bringing to our
in Doha, Email : mtarawneh@qcharity.org notice any misuse or attempt to use identical, deceptively similar
trademarks or imitative artistic works as depicted and described above.
2. A cover letter and legal offer / quotation must be Our abovementioned clients have instructed us and wish to bring to the
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Books destroyed in the fire their above-mentioned trademarks and reserve the right to take legal
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3. The short-listed firms will be called for an online JULIUS & CREASY
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4. Qatar Charity reserves the right to accept or Colombo 03,
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12 SUnDAY OBSErvEr AUgUST 7, 2022

News/Obituaries

Pension scheme for expat workers

from next month- Manusha Nanayakkara
By IndIka Welagedara
Q : The foreign job market has
been adversely affected. What Q : During the Covid-19 period,
our foreign workers returned
many years. However it has not
seen the light of the day yet?

M
igrant workers provide
for the most foreign ex-
change to Sri Lanka. But
due to the spread of pandemic
in the last season, the return of
migrant workers to the country
reduced the amount of foreign
exchange flow to the country sig-
nificantly. We even had to find a
new market. Based on this situ-
ation, the Minister of Labor and
Foreign Employment has been en-
trusted with the task of creating a
new job market as well as the wel-
fare of those who go for foreign
jobs. Today, Sunday Observer joins
is the condition of the new market?
A: Not only us, the global epi-
demic affected the whole world. It
had an impact on our emigrants.
But we are currently regaining our
market. We also want to say that a
new foreign job market has been
created.
In the past, going to an over-
seas country mostly meant going
for domestic work. However the
situation has changed. Today, the
number of women traveling abroad
has dropped to around 30 percent.
About 70 percent of foreign workers
are men. We are trying to increase
in large numbers. Did they say that A: Yes, it was discussed on many
they receive less attention? occasions. We are now discussing
A: Yes, it's true; we need to speak with the Social Security Board and
the truth. They cannot be happy with preparing a pension scheme. This
the care they received there. During is a contributory pension scheme.
the quarantine, not everyone got the
free quarantine facilities provided
by the government. We need to give
good care to migrant workers who
Q :   What are the concessions
offered to foreign workers in
importing vehicles?
contribute about 700 million dol- A: Yes, if one has spent 3,000 US
lars to us. That's when they will feel dollars for six months up to July,
about our country. he or she could import a motorcy-
cle worth up to 25,000 dollars and if
Q : The main reason for the cur-
rent economic crisis in our
country is the drop in dollars sent
one has more than 6000 dollars he/
she could import an electric car.

the exclusive interview with Labor

Minister Manusha Nanayakkara to
the ratio.
discuss the current situation in the
political arena.
Excerpts of the interview
Q : We have the largest foreign
job market in the Middle
East. Under such circumstances
the drop in women going
abroad will affect our for-
eign exchange income?
IN MEMORIAM A: As I said, a new mar-
ket is being created. We
AELIAN GAMINI (GAMIT) have the highest demand
from the Middle East, but
AMERESEKERE we are now focusing more
on creating job opportu-
10th August 1942 - nities for professionals as
1st January 2019 well as artisans. There have
been success stories.
For example, there
are many countries where
there is a demand for weld-
ers and plumbers. So we
can direct workers to get
higher wages. We have pre-
pared the background to
reach that goal.
by foreign workers and this situ-
ation was caused by the Undial
scheme. What steps have been tak-
en to addres the issue?
A: Due to the increase in the
exchange rate of the dollar, the
amount paid for a dollar has in-
creased from 75 to 100 rupees when
remitting money through Undial
and Hawala systems. Therefore,
the workers were motivated to send
money through it.
Some politicians have publicly
said that certain rulers are stealing
money sent by foreign workers.
Therefore, sending money through
banks was limited.
How could one rob another per-
son hard-earned money?
The government restricted the
import of certain goods including
vehicles. Due to this construction
has been hampered. Vehicles could
not be delivered.
of money sent. We also decided to
give them a low interest or no inter-
est home loan.
It was also decided to give loan
money in proportion to the amount
sent. We submitted a proposal that
the loan amount should be 5 times
the amount sent. Now the cen-
tral bank is working on it. Is that
ey through banks?
A: This is the time we need to
incentivize migrant workers. Soon
we will give them a privilege card.
Through that card, products pro-
vided by over 400 companies in Sri
Lanka can be obtained from over
4,000 stores with discounts. The de-
pendents of the expatriate will ben-
Q : Apart from that there are
many other privileges grant-
ed to expatriate workers. Can you
shed more light on them?
A: Yes, we have decided to give
special tax relief to expatriates
in addition to the tax relief given
to Sri Lankans who return to the
country, according to which, in-
stead of the 1,750 dollars given to
those who come to this country
from abroad for more than 365
days, he will get another tax relief
of 600 dollars.
Q :  A big problem for those who
go abroad is to find the money
for it, they have to take money at
high interest. Or houses and land
are mortgaged. Couldn't find a so-
lution to this situation yet?
A: We are now ready to pro-
vide a solution for that too. A loan
scheme is being introduced for
that. Agreed for banks.

Q : Can you state the

Gone home to the Father,
our loss, his gain.
countries where new
jobs have been created?
  A: We have a demand,
especially from countries
such as England, Canada, Ja-
pan and Korea. Knowledge-
able artisans from these
Q : You said that you will launch
a program to encourage those
who send money through banks.
Could you ellaborate?
A: By now, a significant number
of people have moved away from
the Undial system. A reason for it is
the price paid per dollar under the
Undial system dropping by 10 to 15
amount significant? If not, they will
inform in the future about how it
will be done. It was also decided
to give loan money in proportion
to the amount sent. We submitted
a proposal that the loan amount
should be 5 times the amount sent.
Now the central bank is working
on it. Is that amount significant? If
efit.
We are also planning to set up
day care centers for the children of
immigrants.
Also, we have suggested that a
quota should be given to the chil-
dren of immigrants at school ad-
missions. The Ministry of Educa-
tion has agreed on it. It is being
Q :   What are your views on
forming an all-party govern-
ment?
A: This is the best time rebuild
the country. We have to put aside
political differences and come to-
gether to rebuild the country. All
parties should work together.

Fondly remembered on his 80th
birthday by Ranjit, Ruth, Jayalath,
Heather, Edward, Jennifer, Gehan,
Bimali, Yohan, Shahan, Druvi,
Vanessa, Dino, Luca and Lane.
countries are in demand
and get higher wages. Cur-
rently, we are getting more
markets for nurses from
England. We are trying to
get it for other jobs as well.
rupees.
The other reason is the incen-
tive one receives remitting money
through banks. We have also de-
cided to give gifts of 5,000 to 10,000
rupees depending on the amount
not, they will inform in the future
about the manner in which it will
be done.
Q : Are there any incentives and
facilities when remitting mon-
Q
considered now. Also, it has been :  Do you think the current po-
proposed to create several emi- litical set up will succeed?
grant export zones. A: It will. The President has de-
cided to prepare a national plan
Q : A pension for foreign work-
ers has been in the cards for
for the next 25 years. All parties
should support this.

Country’s downfall due... Continued from page 9

Q: If what the parliament or lion US dollars in the balance of pay-

relevant personnel say does not
work, who will provide solutions to
this problem?
A: There should be an all-party
consensus. Secondly, the general pub-
lic should be made to understand that
there are four solutions for this. Rais-
ing government revenue, increas-
ing revenue to 27% of gross domestic
product by 2027. Reduce government
expenditure. Maintain 22% of GDP by
2027. Doing so would bring the bud-
get gap to 5% in 2027 and continue
to maintain the budget gap below 5%
thereafter. The third is to increase ex-
port earnings. Increasing annual ex-
port earnings of goods and services
to US$ 22 billion and reducing import
expenditure to US$ 20 billion by 2027.
Then there is a surplus of about 2 bil-
ments current account.
Q: Why don’t you, as an expe-
rienced Minister suggest this to the
government?
A: Solutions to the current crisis
were presented to Parliament when I
had the constitutional power to do so.
It is the Public Financial Management
Accountability Act of 2003. Among its
primary objectives is to reduce the
budget gap to 5% of gross domestic
product by 2006 and maintain it con-
tinuously.
Reduce outstanding public debt to
60% of GDP and maintain it. Guaran-
tee for public debt, not exceeding 4.5%
of gross domestic product. I gave the
most correct answer to this crisis as
the Cabinet and Finance Deputy Min-
ister for Civil Affairs. But unfortunate-
ly the officials arbitrarily concealed
the truth and reversed this Act in 2004.
The result is the bankruptcy of the
country today. Even if the Financial
Management Act of 2003 passed by the
Parliament was implemented in the
same manner by 2013, the country will
not be bankrupt today.
Q: When the Act was amend-
ed why were the subject experts si-
lent?
A: The views of intellectuals are
not taken seriously by politicians. On
the other hand only a few of the intel-
lectuals contribute to public and fi-
nancial management. In order to over-
come the economic crisis intellectuals
and businessmen who are not in favor
of political parties should contribute.

Biloela family: asylum seekers allowed

to stay in Australia after outcry
A family who became the public
face of Australia’s tough asylum-seek-
er policies will be allowed to stay in
the country after a four-year battle.
The Nadesalingam family was
detained in 2018 after their claim for
protection was rejected.
Their treatment sparked outcry
and a national campaign for their re-
turn to the outback Queensland town
of Biloela. They have now been grant-
ed visas due to their “complex and
specific circumstances”, the govern-
ment says.
Priya Nadaraja says the decision
has given her family “peace” at last.
“Now I know my daughters will
get to grow up safely in Australia. Now
my husband and I can live without
fear,” she said in a statement.
Priya and her husband Nades ar-
rived in Australia on separate boat
trips nearly a decade ago, and sought allow the family to return to their ad-
asylum. They said they feared perse- opted hometown in Biloela if elected.
cution in Sri Lanka because of their Immigration Minister Andrew Giles
Tamil ethnicity - successive ruling on Friday said the government has kept
governments have long been accused its promise. But he stressed that immi-
of targeting Tamils, who are a minority gration policies have not changed. Aus-
in the largely Sinhalese country. tralia can hold asylum seekers like the
The couple met in outback Biloela, Nadesalingam family in indefinite de-
married and had two girls - Kopika, sev- tention while it assesses their refugee
en, and Tharnicaa, five. claims or takes steps to deport them.
But the government detained them It also has a policy of not allowing
in 2018 after ruling the family had no asylum seekers to arrive by boat, and
legal right to be in Australia. maintains a system of offshore deten-
Locals in Biloela fought for them to tion. -BBC
stay, kicking off a campaign
that won national support
and the backing of MPs from
across the political spec-
trum.
Supporters include new
Prime Minister Anthony Al- JAYASEKERA - ARTHUR RANJIT -
banese who had pledged to 3rd Feb. 1935 - 7th August 2012. It’s been
ten years since that sad day, Our lives were
shattered when you went away, To keep
you with us we did our best, It was God’s
will for you to rest. If we could have you
one more day, To say the things we could
not say, how much you meant to all of us,
and how we miss you every day, Our hearts
would break just like before, when that day
ends and it’s time to go. So until the day we
meet again Cherished in our hearts, pre-
cious memories ease our pain. Dearly loved
and gratefully remembered. Your loved ones
here and abroad 044861

Solar power can save Sri Lanka
M
any ancient civili-
sations have had
a heritage of con-
necting to the uni-
verse in diverse
ways and in par-
ticular to the sun. Historically the
sun has been worshipped in Lanka
and to date the traditional new year
in April (referred to under several
names across South Asia) is the har-
vest festival that revolves around
the sun. Without the benevolence
of this star that takes centre stage
within the solar system our survival
on planet earth would end. The en-
ergy of the sun we need within our
body in the form of vitamin D, the
deficiency of which weakens our im-
munity.
It is known that every second,
the sun’s core fuses about 600 mil-
lion tons of hydrogen into helium
and converts 4 million tonnes of
matter into energy. In many spiri-
tual traditions to date; most promi-
nently in Hinduism the sun is wor-
shipped and its power hailed by
those who knows multifarious ways
of harnessing it. One way is through
diverse mantras routed through
the binary of sound and resonance
which is known to impact the ener-
gy of the universe and influence re-
ality in mysterious and mystic ways.
The sun plays a key role in
the subject of astrology and an-
cient agrarian technology revolved
around the knowledge of the ebb
and flow of the energy of the sun
and the moon. Some of the above
mentioned knowledge would be am-
ply available in our Ola leaf manu-
scripts.
Hence from spirituality to astrol-
ogy and agriculture this brightest of
stars said to have formed some 4.5
billion years ago, has been an active
participant in the lives of humans
across planet earth and subject to di-
verse description in folklore.
In modern times we tend to ig-
nore or are ignorant of the cultur-
al role the sun played in multiple
aspects of the lives of our ances-
tors and our civilisation as a whole.
Strangely we have also ignored how
the sun could be a major asset to us
through the use of modern technol-
ogy.
If there was a single natural re-
source that could save our economy
by providing us unlimited energy
as compared to what we have been
obtaining from other nations in the
form of fossil fuel and thus lead us
to a whole new economic sphere by
transforming our entire country into
a developed nation, it is the sun.
There are many persons and or-
ganisations, including the Ceylon
Electricity Board (CEB) which had
studied as far back as twenty years
ago, the Sri Lankan potential of re-
newable energy, in particular solar.
Macro plan
Among the many persons who in
their individual capacity had tried to
promote solar energy in Sri Lanka
through a macro plan of transform-
ing the economy is engineer Harsha
Kumar Suriyarachchi and invest-
ment promoter Mohamed Fahim.
A macro national solar energy
development plan that could have
completely changed the economic
status quo of Sri Lanka was drawn
up by Eng. Suriyarachchi conceptu-
alised around 2019. Structured upon
an integrated vision to launch Sri
Lanka on its journey of energy in-
dependence by 2025 it was planned
so that from roof top (houses alone)
30,000 - 60,000 MW capacity would
be available for solar generation.
Among the host of untapped nat-
ural resources in Sri Lanka is Silica
which is needed for the manufactur-
ing of the solar cells which are cur-
rently imported. Eng. Suriyarachchi
cites that the local production of the
initially needed 1.0 million inverters
per year would bring down the cost
of a 5 kw inverter to around 125,000
and that the 5 kw rooftop solar sys-
tem costing as per the scale of the
production is 1.0 million systems
per year encompassing Cabling,
Switches, Meters, Earthing, Con-
nections and Structure. The labour
cost of enabling the 5 kw system is
around Rs. 250,000 and the target
price of 5 kW system is Rs. 400,000.
What would have been needed
for a national renewable energy
based economic transition policy
would have been a parallel national
investment policy.
“The complete transition to
100% renewable energy that will
revolutionize the transport system
and create new industries will need
5 years. Despite the changes from
2020 to now, the project is feasible
and its necessity directly felt now by
every citizen,” said Eng. Suriyarach-
chi.
What had been proposed there-
fore is to utilise the solar power fall
on each household and collectively
utilise for the full energy require-
ment of the country including trans-
port. Conversion of the transport
sector to being electric centric is
cited as doubly important as about
10 – 25 percent of batteries would be
used to supply the night time power
demand. It seems like a fairyland
story to us Lankans languishing in
serpentine fuel queues but this is
the price we pay for seven decades
of inertia for which not only politi-
cians but professionals also have to
share the blame.
The concept of this islandwide
rooftop solar project will revolution-
arily distribute the income earned
among all the citizens of the coun-
try, instead of diverting the entire
income to a few foreign and local
tycoons, explains Eng. Suriyarach-
chi who had made a comprehen-
sive presentation and submitted
a comprehensive report to related
officials. He had presented this to
several officials in diverse capacity
around three years ago.
He said that the initial cost per
house owner is Rs. 400,000 as per
installment on loan by Government/
investors and the gradual saving per
household is Rs. 5,500 per month ac-
cording to the overall costing done
in 2020.The investment requirement
at a minimum level is not vast as per
foreign currency calculation as per
global perspectives,” he said.
Solar power
Suriyarachchi said that the cost-
ing was done on a reasonable anal-
ysis considering ongoing global
pricing and that the cost analysis
was based on setting up high scale
manufacturing plants in Sri Lanka.
To remind the size of scale, setting
up solar power systems on 5 million
house holds capacity of 3000 - 5000
mw per year.
Mohamed Fahim, who has
worked overseas for over twenty
years and thereafter has continued
to associate with diverse foreign
principals engaged in finance and
infrastructure project development
has attempted to promote renew-
able energy projects in Sri Lanka.
Having worked in housing devel-
opment, in Dendro power develop-
ment, municipality waste to energy
development, solar power develop-
ment, roof top solar power projects
as well as hybrid power develop-
ment, he had given up dejectedly
although he has had many interna-
tional investors willing to invest.
“In many of these projects we
ended up unsuccessfully because of
many reasons such as political in-
stability, the long drawn terrorism
linked wasted years the nation had
to undergo and lengthy approval
procedures where new comers were
treated adversely and discriminat-
ed,” he said, adding that the country
has been a victim of short sighted
policies that did not allow projects
beyond 10MW power generation ca-
pacity.
“Foreign investors were not will-
ing to invest for small projects. If you
want to describe these small scale 10
MW power projects, we can say that
it is like limiting the national solar
power potential to a ‘tea kiosk’ or
‘petti kade’ parametres. As a coun-
try we have to learn to handle for-
eign investment through a far think-
ing foreign investment policy where
global investment can be attracted
in a manner enabling Sri Lanka to
have a solid hold on national inter-
ests”, he said.
He said, “What I tried to assist
in was not to get an investing com-
pany that will exploit our resources
and take the benefit by having us
buy back the service from them at a
high price but where Sri Lanka will
solidly benefit.
Fossil fuel
From a foreign investment per-
spective it is very easy to get big time
investment for solar for a country
such as Sri Lanka. We certainly do
not have to languish the way we are
doing now by depending on fossil
fuel resources of other countries,”
he said.
The stumbling block is when any
country develops a culture of expect-
ing commissions or indulging in en-
couraging a network of unnecessary
red tape. “There are many regions
in the world where systems have
been put in place where it is easy to
implement such projects and hence
there is high investor competition. I
remain positive that Sri Lanka can
move forwards from this point and
make a turnaround in its economic
sphere especially through the route
of renewable energy. All Sri Lankans
should support this. This is the time
we should start re-working for the
country with utmost commitment,”
Fahim said.
He said that renewable energy
needs a separate dedicated Govern-
ment ministry and a Minister who
knows the subject. He said that par-
ticular locations such as Kurunega-
la and Jaffna could be special solar
zones.
In researching the efforts of di-
SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022 13
Feature
ONE OF THE ‘ISSUES’ THAT COME UP WHEN PROPOSALS
OF SHIFTING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY IS THE
DIFFICULTY OF ADAPTATION AND GRID TRANSITION
TO SOLAR ENERGY. THIS IS SEEN BY THE RELEVANT Alongside would be the manufac-
turing of batteries, manufacturing
tem inertia and spinning reserve to
control the frequency change.”
EXPERTS ON SOLAR ENERGY AS A BASIC REALITY of cables and the creation of jobs
associated with transport, security
In addition to switching, there
will be 1500 mw of major hydro
THAT ANY SUCH PROJECT WILL HAVE TO PRACTICALLY and training. The installation would
be targeting 1.5 million households
available to serve as spinning re-
serve and system inertia during the
ACCOMMODATE per year. For the installing of 1 mil-
lion rooftop systems a year the need
would be overall for 44000 skilled la-
day time. Since the solar generation
is scattered all over the country, sud-
den fluctuations due to cloud cover
verse persons to steer Sri Lanka to- One of the ‘issues’ that come up bourers, 5000 technical supervisors, and climatic conditions will be mini-
wards renewable energy in the past when proposals of shifting to renew- 200 engineering assistants and 25 mal.”
years this writer also spoke to those able energy is the difficulty of ad- engineers. NOTE: This article is part of a so-
such as engineer Kamal Perera who aptation and grid transition to solar Overall 500,00 new employment lar awareness campaign to educate
is part of the helm at the Renew- energy. This is seen by the relevant for installation is needed and anoth- investors, the public and local policy
able Energy Development Branch of experts on solar energy as a basic re- er total of 17,500 employees which makers on the need to transfer to
the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), ality that any such project will have includes engineers, technicians and renewable energy in Sri Lanka. The
Engineer Ajith Alwis who current- to practically accommodate. labourers. author, Frances Bulathsinghala is
ly heads phase 03 of the Mannar, The job creation by national is- Harsha Suriyarachchi said: “We part of a team of professionals pro-
Mullikulam wind power project of landwide solar investment strategy are not talking about a 100 percent moting renewable energy as part of
the CEB and Prof. (Eng.) G. Senara- as proposed by Eng. Suriyarachchi- solar run grid (other renewables), integrated, sustainable and holistic
thne, President of the Graduate In- would be directly related to the in- but, say, a 500 percent solar run sys- economic, social and earth focused
stitute of Science and Management stallation of around 1.0 million roof tem as transportation and new in- wellbeing and carrying out an inte-
who had previously taught telecom- top solar systems per year, manu- dustries too, to be running fully sup- grated initiative to introduce solar
munication and electronics related facturing of 3000 - 5000 MW of solar ported by solar energy.” energy to rural schools.
subjects at the Massey University in PV panels per year and manufactur- “The grid, therefore, will mainly
New Zealand. ing 1.5 million inverters per year. depend on switching and not on sys-
Engineer Kamal Perera of the
Renewable Energy Development
Branch of the CEB stated that in
2020, following several phases of
different evaluations over the past
years on shifting Sri Lanka to renew-
able energy, a proposal had been
submitted by the CEB, based on
their research, looking at strategic
adaptation to solar, wind and hydro
based energy.
The main stumbling block in this
regard had been the Cabinet non-
approval when the tender related
documents were submitted. Subse-
quently the Covid-19 virus situation
had thwarted any active follow up on
the matter. He called upon all policy
makers and authorities concerned
to become familiar with Sri Lanka’s
diverse efforts to prioritise alterna-
tives to fossil energy and make a de-
tailed study of why these plans did
not take off.
Engineer Ajith Alwis said that
the CEB had undertaken, in the year
1992, among the first local feasibility
studies on renewable energy.
He said the need for Sri Lanka to
introduce a viable national renew-
able energy transition policy frame
work that could be put into practice.
He said how a national shift to
solar energy would change the en-
tire energy and economic system of
the country, scrapping imported fos-
sil fuel dependency and transform-
ing transport and domestic energy
requirements. A solar energy policy
coupled with a strategic investment
plan would have transformed Sri
Lanka and freed the nation from the
shackles of poverty decades ago.
“Needless to say Sri Lanka would
have been a certain paradise if we
had such a plan soon after inde-
pendence but at least seven or eight
years ago if this was done through a
clear policy decision, with equally
clear understanding by policy mak-
ers concerned, Sri Lanka would not
be in the current state it is in,” says
Eng. Alwis.
A policy is not just about having
a document with elaborate sentenc-
es but rather a writ of clarity of what
a country wants to achieve and with
a clear timeline, plan and knowl-
edge of how to reach that goal.
Economic revolution
Engineer Alwis is one of the CEB
officials familiar with the detailed
macro document/ presentation of
Eng. Harsha Suriyarachchi (an engi-
neer non connected to CEB) linking
job creation, environment protec-
tion, pollution minimisation, indus-
trialisation and the overall economic
revolution that would occur through
a national plan to use renewable en-
ergy focusing primarily on solar.
Prof. (Eng.) G. Senarathne of the
Graduate Institute of Science and
Management who this writer also
spoke to, said that a key reason Sri
Lanka has not developed over the
past decades is because national
projects are seen as routes to earn
through commissions.
“If Sri Lanka has a mechanism
where national policy making was
linked to the professional sphere
there are many who would have con-
tributed,” he said.
14 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022

SPORTS

Schoolboys made sandwich

Gomes slams NOC for
attempting to manipulate
boxing selections

pawns in rugby show

BY CALLISTUS DAVY
In yet another bout of violence in an
ever growing list of mayhem at schools
rugby, Isipathana College’s players became
the victims of after-match hooliganism
when they were set upon and manhandled
by a boisterous crowd at Nittawela last
week at a game against Vidyartha College.
What has become more frightening
is the fact that the so-called keepers of
the cradle of rugby, the Sri Lanka Schools
Rugby Football Association, has done ab-
solutely nothing to deter or stamp out the
menace other than say it is the responsi-
bility of the host school to provide security
cover and that action will be taken against
offending schools.
Last week’s rowdy scenes marked the
third time violence broke out in the 2022
season that has made schoolboys abso-
lute pawns in the hands of egoistic school
heads and their coaches, old boys wanting
to settle old scores and players sacrificed
on the altar of pride, even made to play by
injecting pain killing drugs to fight off in-
jury woes.
Another trend that has also raised eye-
brows is the sight of mortal heads of Chris-
tian schools allowing schoolboy players to
fall at their feet in a gesture of worship be-
fore and after a match.
The season was launched in absolute
secrecy away from media questioning at
a cost of Rs.80 million pumped in by com-
mercial godfathers who cash in for mar-
keting mileage in a school sporting show-
piece that Sri Lanka Rugby, the parent
body of the sport, once estimated to hold
financial stakes in the region of Rs. 150 to
200 million.
Some of the affluent schools allocate
budgets as high as Rs. 40 million or more
for a season of which a coach is paid as
much as Rs.700,000 for a month or more
and most of them use the schoolboy plat-
form to impress Sri Lanka Rugby officials
A section of the crowd invasion that poses
the main threat to players after the match
as it happened last week at Nittawela
where Vidyartha hosted Isipathana
THE SUNDAY OBSERVER ON
NUMEROUS OCCASIONS HIGHLIGHTED
THE CONTINUOUS TREND OF VIOLENCE
IN SCHOOLS RUGBY BY DOCUMENTING
MORE THAN 15 CASES OVER A FIVE
YEAR PERIOD BUT THE SCOURGE ROSE
TO HIGHER LEVELS IN THE WIN-AT-ANY-
COST SYNDROME THAT HAS ENGULFED
THE PASSION OF SCHOOLBOYS
for international recognition.
The Sunday Observer on numerous oc-
casions highlighted the continuous trend
of violence in schools rugby by document-
ing more than 15 cases over a five year pe-
riod but the scourge rose to higher levels
in the win-at-any-cost syndrome that has
engulfed the passion of schoolboys.
Analysts charge that as long as schools
are dragged in to play in a commercialized
tournament, unchecked violence will very
much be a part and parcel of the game
quite in contrast to the period before the
1980s when schools rugby was savoured
by both player and spectator at what was
known as ‘traditional friendlies’.
Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL)
president Dian Gomes was outraged at Na-
tional Olympic Committee (NOC) president
Suresh Subramaniam’s insinuation that some
deserving athletes were prevented from rep-
resenting the country at the XXII Common-
wealth Games in Birmingham.
Sri Lanka’s national boxing selection com-
mittee headed by Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya (rtd)
had ranked eight men and three women pugi-
lists on their performance at three trial meets
including the Layton Cup.
Only five men and three women boxers
were approved according to the allocation for
boxing in the Commonwealth Games team
calculator for Sri Lanka.
However, attempts were made by certain
people to influence the NOC president Subra-
maniam to promote a boxer who was ranked
eighth on the list to gain a back-door entry for
the Games. Subramaniam, who is a member
of the National Sports Selection Committee,
acknowledged that the NOC was keen to take
all the boxers and accused Gomes of prevent-
ing it.
“There is a due process to represent the
country. There were five slots for men and the
best five were selected by the selection com-
mittee. Number 8 who is the last ranked box-
er is not up to the mark and cannot be sent by
influencing the NOC. Meritocracy is a must
at Sri Lanka boxing. We will not bow down to
political influence,” said Gomes, furious at at-
tempts to manipulate selections and attempts
to portray the BASL in poor light.
In fact, the boxer concerned Niraj Wi-
jewardena was not even selected to the na-
tional pool originally after his pathetic per-
formance in the first selection trial and did
not impress at the professional boxing event
in Dubai. Looking more like a bodybuilder
than a boxer, he did not take part in the Lay-
ton Cup and won the 75kg weight class in the
final trial but failed to impress the national
selectors.
The BASL stayed firm in their commit-
ment to select boxers on merits and went
by the decision of their national selectors
comprising eminent personnel. It would
have set a bad precedent for any sport if de-
cisions made by a national federation are
Vidyartha Number 8 Shirantha Dissanayake attempts to break away from the manipulated to suit the whims and fancies
Isipathana defence during play of individuals.

Tough ask for junior golfers at revived meet
BY TB RAHAMAN
The cream of junior golf-
ers will be seen in action at the
Sri Lanka Junior Match-Play golf
championship that is back after a
two year break on August 9 at the
Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC)
course.
This championship will be
sponsored by Perera and Sons
Bakers and will be played for the
Rukmini Kodagoda Challenge Tro-
phy.
Golfers from Colombo, Kandy,
Nuwara Eliya and Anuradhapura
are expected to enter so that they
can display their talents in this
prestigious event.
In this format of play every
golfer has to produce their best ef-
fort to earn a win as they will play
on a knock-out basis and no player
can afford to play poorly as the los-
er will be dropped off from going
further.
The tournament throws in a
different format for the junior
golfers where they have a qualify-
ing round, thereafter continue in a
match play format like the British
Amateur championship.
Players will compete in four
age categories comprising Gold
division (15-18 years), Silver (12-
14 years), Bronze (10-11 years) and
the Copper division for those nine
years and under.
Overall winner in the boys and
girls categories will carry away
the Rukmini Kodagoda Challenge
Trophy. This stage will see the best
eight qualifying scores going on to
play in the knock-out finals.
The inaugural tournament
was played in 2014 with Prashan
Pieris winning the title. The tour-
nament was last held in 2019 and
halted due to the pandemic situa-
tion. The winners that year were
Taniya Balasuriya in the girls’ divi-
sion and S. Dhuwashan in the boys
segment.
The late Rukmini Kodagoda
was a director in their family com-
pany of Perera and Sons Bakers.
Ruki as she was popularly known,
Unheralded Maris Stella cricketers
bag title for second year running
Unbeaten Maris Stella College Sent in to bat first Ananda NS 26 not out.
Thimbirigaskatuwa emerged cham- Puttalam were bowled out for 78
pions for the second consecutive runs in 26.4 overs. Prabashana Sil- SCORES:
year in the U-19 Division III Tier ‘B’ va was the destroyer claiming six Ananda NS Puttalam: 78 (26.4)
limited overs cricket tournament. wickets for just nine runs with his (Imindu Perera 19, Pasindu Diwanka
Unbeaten Maris Stella College left arm orthodox bowling. 10, Steewan Ruvintha 10, Silva 6/9,
beat Ananda National School Put- Maris Stella scored 79 runs for Savindu Perera 2/29)
talam by nine wickets in the final one wicket in 15.2 overs to win the Maris Stella College: 79/1 (15.2)
played at St. Joseph’s College ground match as Eshan Fernando scored (Eshan Fernando 29 n.o., Suwahas
Darley Road last week. 29 not out and Suwahas Yapa made Yapa 26 n.o.) (YK)
established herself as one of Sri
Lanka’s talented sportswomen
having won national titles and rep-
resented Sri Lanka in both tennis
and golf. In tennis she won the na-
tional doubles and mixed doubles
titles and held the prestigious po-
sition of Chairman of Sri Lanka
Ladies Golf Union in 1990 and
1991 and was captain of the Ladies
Section of the Royal Colombo Golf
Club.
“I look forward to the tourna-
ment that is a fitting tribute to an
inspiring lady who has achieved na-
tional colours in two sports and is The champion Maris Stella College squad comprising Nirmal Rodrigo (captain), Prabhashana Silva, Heshan Per-
also an inspiring personality,” said era, Sandeesha Perera, Juditha Perera, Sonal Nethmina, Eshan Fernando, Nethula Yapa, Nimsara Appuhamy, Du-
Niloo Jayatillake a member of Sri lanjana Bandara, Shenal Randunu, Kaushika Sathsara, Sethmina Perera, Nimnada Fernando, Sandew Kumara,
Lanka Golf and chairperson for the Aloka Silva, Lakshen Liyanage, Nethmina Senarath, Chanod Sansitha, Adithya de Silva, Rev. Br. Anthony Francis
Junior development committee. (master in charge), Mevan Fernando (coach)

Second string Joes shatter Trinity, Peterites lack added motivation

I
n a week of contrasting action and
outcomes, St. Joseph’s College who
scored seven tries, five-tries in the
second half, ensured safe passage into
the super round beating St. Antho-
ny’s College Kandy by 35points
to 20 at Havelock Park in the Di-
alog Schools Rugby League.
The Joes entered this game with
four changes, including their skip-
per while the Antonians made three
changes. But the Joes despite being de-
pleted proved a point that even with-
out the best players a team can win in
the right frame of mind and self mo-
tivation.
For the winning St. Joseph’s Col-
lege outfit the seven tries were scored
by Deshan Tharuka -one, Chamodh
Seneviratne- two, Mandara Ama-
rasekara - one, Minidu Pathirana- one,
Jehan Athukorala- one and Sithaja
Sanjeewa- one, but unfortunately
even with three different kickers they
missed all seven conversions.
Flanker Zaky Jeffrey scored-1 try
and fly half Sahan Keerthisiri fired
across the 5 penalties for the losing St.
Anthony’s team.
Isipathana now the team to beat
Isipathana College moved into the
St. Joseph’s College centre Tehan Karunanayake makes a break second round with five consecutive
wins after edging out Science shock lackluster Peterites
a fighting Vidyartha
College outfit by 25 St. Peter’s College bowed out of
points-23 win at Nit- the League as the most disappointing
tawela. team managing to win just the open-
At half time Isipa-
thana was trailing
Vidyartha 13-16 but
Scrumming Down ing match against Dharmaraja and
drawing against Wesley while losing to
Isipathana, Vidyartha and Science Col-
they came out storm- with Indika Welagedara lege 12-10 in their last outing.
ing and finished off The Peterites had plenty of ball to
the host with a challenging scoreline tries were scored by Nithila Rodrigo- beat Science College but lacked motiva-
in the end. two, Tharusha Jayaweera- two and tion raising many questions that need
Skipper Dahan Wickramaarach- Hafeez Thabeeth- one while the con- to be answered.
chi, N. Kavishka and S.Wewalapanditha versions were fired across by Shaveen Against Vidyartha they were slow
scored the tries for Isipathana with M. Jayawardene- two and Shane Hop- and low in moving the ball until time
Boteju firing across two conversions wood- one. ran out, played well against Isipathana
and two penalties while S. Prema- For the losing Dharmaraja College, but lacked the finishing touch against
rathne and prop B. Dharmasiri scored tries were scored by Thenuka Wickra- a better motivated side and played as a
one try apiece for losing Vidyartha masinghe and Saumya Wijesiri while lackluster unit against Wesley, a school
with Menuka Thilakarathne slotting in Wijesiri slotted in the solitary conver- they use to beat by huge margins in the
the two conversions and three penal- sion. past.
ties. The bottom line was that the Pe-
S.Thomas thrash Kingswood 36-08
terites never looked like a team who
Wesley thrash Dharmaraja 31-12
The Thomians’ made it back to deserved to be in a Super Round after
Wesley College lived up to expec- back wins to end the Dialog Schools another disappointing performance on
tations and defeated Dharmaraja Col- Rugby season, seeing off a dogged the field.
lege by 31 points to 12 in an important Kingswood outfit in a 36-08 win. For the winning Science College
fixture where they moved on to the Su- For S. Thomas’ the six tries were the tries were scored by S. S. Aloka
per Round at Nittawela. scored by Akira Perera- two, D. Fer- and H. L. Kaluarachchi with Nadun
This was a do-or-die encounter for nando- one, R. Kurukulasuriya- one, R Kaveesha slotting in one conversion.
Wesley as this was a must-win game De Silva- one and G. Lenagala and Ye- Winger Vishenka Silva scored
for them to assure qualification. han Bulathsinhalage- two and Mahith both unconverted tries for the losing
For the winning Wesley lads the Perera- one. Peterites.
 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022 15

Sports

Sajith Fernando deserved more than he got satisfaction and spurred me on and
I am now where I am because of
inter-school cricket and the encour-
agement it gave me.”
Kumar Dharmasena, member
of 1996 World Cup winning
team, presently ICC Test

L
ast year’s Observer SLT Mo-
bitel Most Popular Schoolboy
Cricketer of the Year, Sadisha
Rajapakse produced a superb per-
formance with the bat and ball to
guide Royal to a convincing eight-
wicket win over S. Thomas in their
45th Mustangs Trophy encounter at
the SSC ground last week.
Rajapakse (2 for 45) and Damith
Kappagoda (2 for 19) produced two
lovely spells as Royal restricted
their opponents to an unimpressive
190 for 8 wickets in 50 overs. Mahith
Perera (52 n.o) and Muizz Naushan
(50) scored half centuries but that
could not save S. Thomas’.
Sri Lanka Under-19 cap Raj-
apakse cracked an unbeaten 69 and
shared an unfinished 66-run third
wicket stand with Uvindu Weer-
asekara (35 not out).
Royal made a convincing 191
for 2 wickets to taste victory in 42.3
overs as Rajapakse was adjudged
man of the match. This was follow-
ing his fine performance to win the
best fielder’s award at the Battle
of the Blues match in the previous
week.
Meanwhile, selections for the
44th Observer SLT Mobitel School-
boy Cricketer of the Year will be
held shortly.
After Sanjeewa Ranatunga
(1988), Kumar Dharmasena (1989),
Marvan Atapattu (1990) and Mut-
tiah Muralitharan (1991) marked
the second glorious era in Observer
Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year se-
ries, Sajith Fernando won the next
big time winner in 1992.
His willow did the talking, scor-
ing nine centuries in two years –
five in 1991 and four in 1992. During
his impressive school career, Fer-
nando scored five centuries to fully
endorse his batting status to win the
Observer Schoolboy Cricketer Best
batsman award in 1991.
But he did even better in the
following year (1992) scoring 1,000
runs for the season with four cen-
turies and captured 100 wickets to
win the top award in school cricket
- the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer
of the Year in 1992. Thus, Fernan-
do, born on September 27, 1972,
became only the second cricketer
from the hill capital to win the big
award after Muralidaran.
Despite his strong performanc-
After Sanjeewa Ranatunga, Kumar Dharmasena, Marvan Atapattu and
Muttiah Muralidaran marked the second glorious era in the Observer
Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year series, Sajith Fernando was the next big
time winner in 1992
es with Sri Lanka ‘A’ teams and
Board XIs whenever a Test or repre-
sentative team visited Sri Lanka or
whenever a Sri Lanka ‘A’ or under-23
team toured overseas, he failed to
catch the eyes of Test selectors.
The left-hand opening batsman
scored over 10,000 first class runs
and also served as the head coach
of S. Thomas’ College, Mount La-
vinia too. He was also member of
the Sri Lanka Under-19 team, led by
Anandian Sachithra Alexander that
toured England in 1992.
The Lankan Under-19 team in-
cluded players of the calibre of
Chaminda Vaas and Russel Arnold
and Sajith Fernando was awarded
the most outstanding contributor
on the tour. The same year he was
a member of the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team
which took part in the SAARC crick-
et tournament. He toured South
Africa with the Sri Lanka Under-24
team which was led by Sanath Jaya-
suriya in 1993.
This was to be the first ever offi-
cial tour made by a Sri Lanka team.
He was also the deputy skipper of
the Under-24 team against South Af-
rica and later led the team in the fi-
nal Test match and two ODI match-
es. He was a member of the Sri
Lanka cricket team led by Marvan
Atapattu that took part in the Hong
Kong Sixes and the TNT Worldwide
Cricket Sixes held in Singapore
where they emerged champions in
both tournaments in 1995.
Also in 1995, he represented
the Central Province in the Inter-
Provincial Cricket Tournament
and was judged the most promis-
ing player and the player of the
province in this tournament. He
went on to lead the Colts Under-24
cricket team and guided them to
victory. Fernando also represented
the Beenleigh Logan CC in Brisbane
and on his return he was given the
responsibility of leading the Sri
Lanka ‘A’ side against the South Af-
rican counterparts.
He was adjudged the man of
the series in the Premier limited
over tournament in 1998 when
Colts emerged champions and was
a member of the champion Colts
team which emerged Premier
League champions in the year 2000
and 2002. After a stint with Colts CC
and Tamil Union, he was successful
in guiding his side to become the
Premier limited over champions of
the 2009/10 cricket season.
Fernando also played for vari-
ous clubs overseas in Australia,
England and Bangladesh. His stint
Sajith Fernando - Observer School-
boy Cricketer of the Year in 1992
in these countries gave him an op-
portunity to qualify as a Level One
coach of Cricket Australia and Lev-
el II coach of the English Cricket
Board.
Meanwhile, it is interesting to
go down memory lane and find
out what some of the Sri Lanka
cricketers of yesteryear feel about
the Observer SLT Mobitel Schools
Cricketer of the Year contest. ICC
Chief Match Referee and former
Sri Lanka captain Ranjan Madugal-
le said the Associated Newspapers
of Ceylon Limited and Sunday Ob-
server should be complimented for
keeping the show going for all these
years. “Sponsors are essential. May
the show continue for many years”
he said.
He said that in the past most of
the winners of the top awards came
from Colombo and its suburbs, but
now the outstation schools have
come in a big way and it is a good
sign for the game.
Ex-Sri Lanka captain and for-
mer Chairman of Selectors Sanath
Jayasuriya said that it was one of the
best things that happened to him
in 1988 when he won the Observer
Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in
the Outstation section. Jayasuriya
said playing for St. Servatius’ Col-
lege, Matara brought him immense
joy.
He said that school cricket-
ers must be motivated and added
that school cricket has helped him
a great deal and the much needed
push ahead was at St. Servatius’
College, Matara. “I must thank the
Sunday Observer for giving Matara
schools and school cricketers the
push”.
Thilan Samaraweera, twice
winner of the Observer Schoolboy
Cricketer of the Year Award 1994-
1995, said he owes his climb to
the top due to the encour-
agement given by the con-
test of this nature. Thilan
who won the contest in
1994 and 1995, also won
the Best Batsman and
Best All-rounder on
both occasions. He en-
dorsed this long-stand-
ing contest as the best
for schoolboy cricketers.
Muttiah Muralidaran
the world’s leading Test
wicket taker had this to say:
“A contest of this nature
means a lot to young
cricketers. When I
was picked as the
Observer School-
boy Cricketer of
the Year in 1991,
it gave me lot of
umpire said that he must
congratulate ANCL and
the Sunday Observer for
keeping the show going
for over four decades.
Dharmasena who
won the contest in 1989
while playing for Nalan-
da, added that sponsors
are vital for the progress
of sports in any country
and ANCL has taken the
lead that helps the au-
thorities to build up
the youth. De-
velopment of
youth is very
i mp o r t a n t
as the
youth are
the ones
who will
take the
country
forward, he
said.
Last year’s Observer SLT Mobitel
Most Popular Schoolboy Crick-
eter of the Year, Sadisha Raj-
apakse won Man of the Match
award at the 45th Mustangs Tro-
phy encounter last week

Trinity boy grabs 14 wickets for 15 runs

Daniel the lion-hearted BY HAFIZ MARIKAR St. Anthony’s beat

schoolboy does it the hard way

Sethmika Seneviratne, a me-
dium pacer, came off with flying
colours as he took a match bag of
14 wickets for 15 runs to help Trin-
ity College beat Ibbagamuwa Cen-
St Anne’s
In another match of the
same tournament at Katugas-
tota, St. Anthony’s College beat

S QBecause
hevon Daniel needs no intro-
duction. He’s been a household
name for quite some time even
as a schoolboy and his performanc-
es on the cricket playing field speak
volumes about his potential.
Playing for St. Joseph’s College,
Shevon Dillon Leyon Daniel is now
the vice captain of the Sri Lanka
team for the Under-19 Youth tour of
England.
In an interview with the Sunday
Observer, Daniel describes himself
as a “warm-hearted” person and sees
former Sri Lanka player Kumar San-
gakkara as his role model. “My pas-
sion is playing cricket”, he declared.
Excerpts of an interview:
Q
: What made you to choose : What is the most beautiful tral College by an innings and 39 St. Anne’s College by an innings
sports? thing you’ve ever seen? runs in their under 15 division one and 16 runs.
cricket has been the My family. match at Gokarella. Scores:
sport that has been played in my He plucked 8 for 7 in the first in- St. Anne’s College 71 (Nethul
family for many years. nings and 6 for 8 in the second in- Chandrasena 32, Kaveesha
ning and also did well with the bat Pamuditha 5 for 7, Rayan Grego-
Q : Thus far what were your
most unforgettable
sporting incident?
to score 41.
Scores:
Ibbagamuwa CC: 37 (Sethmika
ry 2 for 13 and 81(Nethul Chan-
drasena 19, Rayan Gregory 3 for
12, Okitha Fernando 2 for 20, Sa-
Being awarded the Man Seneviratne 8 for 7, Ashwin Herath nuka Kalpana 2 for 20)
of the Series in the 2 for 0 and 12 (Sethmika Senevi- St. Anthony’s College168 for
Bangladesh U19 ratne 6 for 8, Ashwin Herath 3 for 1) 5 declared (Sandew Amarakoon
series in Sri Trinity: 88 for 2 declared (Seth- 41, Minon Kemitha 32, Chanuka
mika Seneviratne 41, Chaniru Nethsara 2 for 36, Deshan Udam-
Senaratne 27) ulla 2 for 41)
QI:what
If you could edit your past,
would you change?
Lanka.

Q: Describe yourself in one word

Focused and warm-hearted.
don’t want to change my past.
Because everything that has hap-
pened up to now makes me want to
Former Isipathana and Police player
QNever
: Any words or phrases you
be a better person.
Q . What’s your
best school sport- Juragan Savangam no more
overuse?
Give Up. QCricket
: What is the most important ing achievement?
thing in your life?
and Family.
Being selected as the cap-
tain in the season 2021/2022.
Juragan Savangam the for-
mer Police and Isipathana rugby

QWorking
: What is your most marked
characteristic?
hard for success.  most?
: Who has influenced you the
Q
Q : What is your idea of happi-
ness?
player passed away on July 31,
2022 after a brief illness at the
age of 74 years. The last rank he
My family. To spend time with my family held while serving the Police was
and friends. DIG.

Q : Are you fashionable?

No.
Q : What is the trait you most de-
plore in others?
He started his schooling
at Trinity College Kandy and
switched to Isipathana College

QIchine
: If you had access to a time ma-
what would you change?
don’t want to change anything.
Seeing that people who require
help do not receive any.
when the family settled down in
Colombo. After being successful
in the O/L exam he continued to

: What motivates you in your Qmire and why?

: Which person do you most ad- study at Isipathana for his Ad-

Qlife?
Cricket.
Kumar Sangakkara. I like his
lifestyle and how he admires the
vanced Level examination.
While at Isipathana he played
rugby for the first fifteen team Juragan Savangam the police of-
sport of cricket. with distinction. ficer who shone in rugby
QCricketer.
: If you could choose any career
right now, what would it be?
QNot
: What has been your biggest
disappointment?
Being a popular figure in
rugby the Police Department en-
ticed him to join them.
played rugby for Isipathana and
Havelocks with distinction.
winning the 2022 ICC Un- He joined the Police in 1968 They were both popular fig-

QOldies.
: What forms of music do you der-19 Cricket World Cup.
listen to?
straight away as an Inspec-
tor and had no difficulty
ures in the game of rugby. Unfor-
tunately, Thajone passed away a

Q: What is the most important

lesson life has taught you?
in becoming a regular
member of their rug-
few years ago of kidney failure.
They both made their presence

Q
one?
: What’s the best thing you Believe you can and you are
would like to hear from some- halfway there.
by team and played with
prominence for a long period
of time.
felt with their humorous stories
whenever there was a gathering
with friends and relations.

my best in the sport I love and cher- Qhearted?

Being able to hear that I’ve given : What becomes of the broken He is the elder brother of an- Juragan leaves behind his
Daniel: Another prized product of Shevon Daniel: Taking Sri Lankan co- other prominent rugby player wife, two children and two
St. Joseph’s College ish. Not experienced it before. lours to a higher level as a schoolboy in Thajone Savangam who also grandchildren. (TBR)

Sri Lankan escapes through washroom,
two ‘elope’ at common syndrome
By
Allaam
Ousman
While Sri Lankan ath-
letes and officials were
exposing the country
to disgrace and ridi-
cule by decamping,100
metres sprinter Yupun
Abeykoon (left) and Dis-
cuss thrower Palitha
Bandara (right) kept the
flag flying by winning
Bronz and Silver respec-
tively at the Common-
wealth Games in Bir-
mingham
Sri Lanka prepares for Asia
Cup with Invitational T20
Following the postponement
of the Lanka Premier League
(LPL) Sri Lanka Cricket will host
a four-team T20 showpiece called
T20 Invitational tournament
from August 9 to 16 at the Prema-
dasa Stadium in Colombo.
The matches will be con-
tested by teams called the Reds,
Blues, Greens and Greys and
spectators will be welcome to wit-
ness the games free of charge. All
of the island’s top players will be
T
he number of people vanish-
ing from the Games Village
seems to be outnumbering
the three medals Sri Lanka has won
so far at the XXII Commonwealth
Games.
At least four members of Sri
Lanka’s 160-strong contingent have
decamped with the latest being
boxer Niklas Vittalis after his bout
on Tuesday night.
The first to make the Houdini
act was 21-year-old judoka Chami-
la Dilani Marappu-
lige who virtually
‘eloped’ with the
manager of the
team Lt Cdr Asela
Duminda de Silva,
the president of
the Sri Lanka Judo
Association.
Chef-de-Mis-
sion of the Sri
Lanka contingent
Maj. Gen. Dampath
Fernando (rtd) ex-
pressed dis-
in action.
The matches will also prepare
the Sri Lankan players for the up-
coming six-nation Asia Cup in the
UAE which starts on August 27.
The Asia Cup was to be played
in Sri Lanka but shifted to the
UAE due to current political de-
velopments in the country.
But Sri Lanka will retain the
hosting rights and could earn up
to six million US dollars from the
championship.
sports.sundayobserver@lakehouse.lk / Tel: +94 11 2 429 226, / +94 11 2 429 228, / Fax / +94 11 2 429 227
AUGUST 07, 2022
appointment at the disappearance
of the official.
Then came the news that wres-
tler Shanith Chathurange Yoda
Pedige who had completed her days
of isolation after being tested posi-
tive for Covid-19 on arrival walked
out in the guise of getting some
fresh air when she was ready to de-
part from the hotel. The wrestling
competition began yesterday.
Vittalis had not returned af-
ter going to the toilet following his
round of 16 Light Middleweight con-
test against a Samoan which he lost.
Despite the best laid plans of
mice and men there is little the
management can do to prevent
Banking Partner
Sarangi qualifies, Gayanthika out
ALLAAM OUSMAN REPORTING
FROM BIRMINGHAM
Sri Lanka athlete Sarangi Sil-
va qualified to the women’s long
jump final day of the XXII Com-
monwealth Games at the Alex-
ander Stadium yesterday.
Turkey-based athlete Saran-
gi Silva who skipped out of the
World Athletic Championship in
Oregon, USA despite qualifying
to focus on the Commonwealth
Games, achieved her target of
qualifying to the finals of the
women’s long jump.
She was selected to the final
as one of the 12 best perform-
ers after leaping a distance of
6.42 metres to be placed sixth
in group B. The qualifying mark
6.75 (Q) or at least 12 best per-
formers (q) advance to the final.
Gayanthika Abeyratne
missed out on qualifying for the
finals of the women’s 1,500m af-
ter finishing seventh in heat two
returning a time of four minutes
16.97 seconds. The first five in
each heat qualify (Q) and the
next two fastest (q) advance to
the final
Peterite Sunanda Jayasekera’s first ball
scalp marked an unbroken world record
Sunanda Jayasekera at
his feat in 1975
members of the tour contingent
vanishing despite taking all pre-
cautions.
The British police also can-
not arrest them unless they violate
the law of the land since they have
been issued six-month visas.
Vittalis from Killinochchi is the
only one to abscond from the vil-
lage without taking his passport.
“I am responsible to convey all
circumstances, situation and prog-
ress with regard to the Common-
wealth Games.
“We need to maintain trans-
parency whether it is good, bad
or ugly,” said Maj. Gen. Fernan-
do (rtd) at a press conference on
Thursday.
He highlighted the fact that sil-
ver medallist Palitha Bandara fol-
lowed a pre-training programme
twice in Birmingham University,
the National Olympic Committee
(NOC) had organized training for
athletes Sarangi Silva in Turkey,
wrestlers in Hungary and judoka
Nuwan Gunawardhana
in Slovakia.
In addition when
the Sports Minis-
try funding ceased
due to shortage of
funds, the NOC
paid the high
performance
weightlifters Rs
50,000 a month
and also bought
them shoes, he
added.
Centenary Year kicks-off
September 2022
RESULTS
WOMEN’S 1500M
First 5 in each heat (Q) and the next 2
fastest (q) advance to the Final
Heat 2
1 Winnie Nanyando (Uganda) 4:16.04 Q
2 Katie Snowden (England) 4:16.09 Q
3 Winny Chebet (Kenya) 4:16.11 Q
4 Jessica Hull (Australia) 4:16.13 Q
5 Lucia Stafford (Canada) 4:16.15 Q
6 Jemma Reekie (Scotland) 4:16.23 Q
7 Gayanthika Abeyratne (Sri Lanka) 4:16.97
8 Claire Uwitonze (Rwanda) 4:24.07
WOMEN’S LONG JUMP
Qualifying performance 6.75 (Q) or
at least 12 best performers (q) advance to
the Final
Group B
1 Deborah Acquah (Ghana) 6.85 Q
2 Ese Brume (Nigeria) 6.81 Q
3 Jazmin Sawyers (England) 6.80 Q
4 Filippa Fotopoulou (Cyprus) 6.59 Q
5 Abigail Irozuru (England) 6.59 Q
6 Sarangi Silva (Sri Lanka) 6.42 Q
7 Samantha Dale (Australia) 6.02
8 Claire Azzopardi (Malta) 5.76
9 Ashantie Carr (Belize) 5.54
BY INDIKA WELAGEDARA
The 48th Josephian-Peterite
limited overs match which is the
longest running 50-over encoun-
ter in the country and played for
the Fr. Peter A. Pillai trophy was
planned to be worked off at the SSC
ground on August 6.
The Joe-Pete limited over se-
ries commenced in 1975 under the
Rectorship of Rev. Fr. Quintus Fer-
nando of St. Joseph’s and Rev. Fr.
Claver Perera of St. Peter’s, with
the first game of the series played
at Darley Road on March 16, 1975.
Interestingly in the inaugural
match St. Peter’s College’s famous
opening fast bowler Sunanda Jay-
asekara created a record by dis-
missing St. Joseph’s prolific scorer
and left handed opening batsman
Coach Renouk Wijemanne (left) speaking to Ashen Silva and
Yasitha de Silva
Sri Lanka hope to spring a surprise
or two at Asia Oceania Davis Cup
BY TB RAHAMAN
Sri Lanka’s tennis team is
pumped up and well prepared
to meet all challenges that will
arise at the Asia/Oceania group
IV Davis Cup by Rakuten tie to be
played at the Sri Lanka Tennis As-
sociation (SLTA) clay courts from
August 8 to 13.
Only seven teams will visit Sri
Lanka this time with Oman, Qa-
tar and Macau pulling out due to
reasons best known to them. The
teams that will be appearing are
Maldives, Brunei, Yemen, Kyr-
gystan, Bangladesh, Iraq and Sri
Lanka.
“Sri Lanka got down three In-
dian players to spar against the
Sri Lankan players during intense
training sessions we had for the
past month,” said coach Renouk
Wijemanne.
“Our players have participated
in two futures ATP events and the
minor league that would have of-
fered them maximum practice in
preparation for this tie. They have
been fine-tuning to reach peak in
time to meet their opponents in
this group four event. It is good to
have Harshana Godamanna with
us as he possesses vital experi-
Boxing coaches residential camp in Kandy
BY HAFIZ MARIKAR
A two day school boxing coach-
es residential coaching program
will take place over here in Kandy in
Kundasale.
According to the secretary of
the Sri Lanka Schools Boxing Asso-
ciation T.B. Jamitha Gayan Bandara
over 100 will participate.
He said all arrangements have
been finalized for the event to be
held on August 18 and 19.
The coaching course advisor
will be well known boxing coach
Wasantha Kumara, an Olympic
coach who has coached Seevali
MMV, Ratnapura,
He is best known for producing
Royal and Isipathana to face off in decider
Isipathana College and Roy-
al College will feature in what
could be the decider of the inter-
school League rugby champion-
ship when the two schools meet
in their last match of the tourna-
ment at Havelock Park on August
14.
Both sides are currently the
only two teams that have played
better rugby todate with Isipatha-
na having won their five matches
in the group stage and Royal edged
out by traditional rival Trinity Col-
lege in their only defeat so far.
Rohan Wijesinghe Snr. in the very
first ball of the game.
He also had a fabulous match
where he came back to haunt the
Joes by grabbing the scalp of the
last wicket that of run machine and
hard hitting batsman Wayne Jansz.
In the first match the Joes were
captained by Dushan Zosa and Pe-
terites by the affable Bernard Wi-
jetunga.
What happened in the very
first ball by Jayasekera made his-
tory which can never be erased or
broken, the rising out-swinger that
took the bat of Wijesinghe who was
caught at first slip by Rohan Fer-
nando on the second attempt as
the ball flew like a lightning bolt
and the schools 50-over Vaseline
Trophy Champions were totally
16
ence in the game having played
for so long,” added Wijemanne.
He said Sri Lanka have not de-
cided on who will play in the two
singles and the doubles matches
as it will depend on their oppo-
nents according to Wijemanne.
The seven countries that will
appear will be divided into two
groups and the top two teams will
play in the semi-finals and the
winners in the final will be pro-
moted to group three next year.
SLTA will prepare clay courts
for this confrontation as it will
only give the home team the ad-
vantage.
The Sri Lanka team consist
Harshana Godamanna, Tehan Wi-
jemanne, Yasitha de Silva, Cha-
thura Nilaweera and Ashen Silva
with Udith Wickramasinghe as
the non playing captain.
Sri Lanka was able to obtain
the necessary approval to con-
duct this tie due to the untiring
work done by the Iqbal Bin Isaack
the president of Sri Lanka Tennis
Association. Otherwise it would
not be possible considering the
crisis situation Sri Lanka is facing
and many countries being asked
not to visit the country.
a boxer to represent Sri Lanka at the
Olympics after more than four de-
cades in Anuruddha Ratnayake at
the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Wasan-
tha Kumara is a 3-star AIBA quali-
fied coach who followed an Advance
Management course conducted
by the IOC (International Olympic
Committee) during his tenure as Sri
Lanka coach.
The Technical advisor will be
Rukman Wekadapola a 3-star inter-
national referee and judge who has
officiated at man boxing meets as
a leading referee while the coach-
ing course coordinators are T.B.
Jamitha Gayan Bandara and Saman-
tha Weerasinghe the ex- secretary.
But before Royal and Isipa-
thana line up for the decider
they play against Wesley and St.
Joseph’s College the other two
teams that qualified.
Royal are currently the de-
fending champions and unlike
Isipathana will be tested fully
having met limited opposition
unlike Isipathana in the five first-
round matches.
Isipathana in contrast met
and defeated St. Peter’s College
and Wesley College to remain un-
beaten.
rattled and were bundled out for
118 runs.
According to statisticians, Jayas-
ekera’s first ball wonder is a world re-
cord and a great honour for St. Peter’s
College.
Speaking exclusively to the Sun-
day Observer all the way from Cana-
da, Jayasekera said: "Before we went
into the ground my late coach Mike
Chanmugam instructed me on how
I should bowl to Rohan. So I simply
took his advice and exactly made the
execution spot-on by bowling a ris-
ing out-swinger which Rohan had no
clue whatsoever and just edged it to
the first slip.
“To date this unique record of tak-
ing a wicket in the very first bowl at
an inaugural limited overs match has
not been equalled or broken.”

The importance of
Intergenerational Solidarity
BY PRAMOD DE SILVA
N
o one wants to grow
old. We wish that we
could be young as
long as we live. That
is the power of youth,
which some say is the best time
of your life. It is the most produc-
tive period of our lives and the
most energetic. There really is no
standard definition of what youth
is, but we generally believe that
someone aged 15-30 can be con-
sidered as a youth. In politics and
some other fields, even 35 is con-
sidered a youthful age.
Youth can be a positive force
for development when provided
with the knowledge and opportu-
nities they need to thrive. Today,
there are 1.2 billion young people
aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for
16 per cent of the global popula-
tion . This is the largest youth pop-
ulation ever.
But one in 10 of the world’s chil-
dren live in conflict zones and 24
million of them are out of school.
Political instability, labour market
challenges and limited space for
political and civic participation
have led to increasing isolation of
youth in many societies. Wars and
conflicts have decimated the youth
population in many countries – we
have experienced this ourselves.
Annual celebration
Focusing on the youth has be-
come so important that the United
Nations has declared a separate
day to do so - August 12, World
Youth Day. It was first designated
International Youth Day by the
UN General Assembly in 1999, and
serves as an annual celebration of
the role of young women and men
as essential partners in change,
and an opportunity to raise aware-
ness of challenges and problems
facing the world’s youth.
By 2030—the target date for the
Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) that make up the 2030
Agenda—the number of youth is
projected to have grown by 7 per-
cent, to nearly 1.3 billion. The In-
ternational Youth Day celebrates
the achievements and potential of
youth worldwide.
This year’s theme is Intergen-
erational Solidarity: Creating a
World for All Ages.
To achieve the Sustainable De-
velopment Goals (SDGs), the world
needs to leverage the full potential
of all generations. Solidarity across
generations is the key for sustain-
able development. We must col-
laborate to foster successful and
equitable intergenerational rela-
tions and partnerships to ensure
that “no one is left behind.”
Ageism
While intergenerational soli-
darity and concern for future
generations is being called for in
tackling global issues – with the
UN Secretary-General recently
putting forward new recommen-
dations on renewed intergenera-
tional solidarity, including in Our
Common Agenda – many chal-
lenges remain.
Ageism continues to present a
significant – yet, not sufficiently
discussed – challenge to fostering
collaboration and solidarity across
age groups.
The World Health Organization
defines ageism as “the stereotypes
(how we think), prejudice (how
we feel) and discrimination (how
we act) directed towards others or
oneself, based on age”.
Ageism is an insidious and
often an unaddressed issue in
health, human rights and devel-
opment, and has bearings on both
older and younger populations
around the world.
In addition, ageism regularly
intersects with other forms of bias
(such as racism and sexism) and
impacts people in ways that pre-
vent them to reach their full poten-
tial and comprehensively contrib-
ute to their community.
Data gaps
The Global Report on Ageism
launched by the United Nations in
March 2021 highlights the many
data gaps that exist with regard
to ageism against youth. Despite
this lack of research, young people
continue to report age-related bar-
riers in various spheres of their
lives such as employment, politi-
cal participation, health and jus-
tice. On an individual level, these
age-related obstacles can deeply
impact wellbeing and livelihoods
not only during the youth years,
but also in adulthood.
On a societal level, ageism pre-
vents us from thinking and design-
ing policies and social services
that adopt a life-course approach
and are fair for all ages.
The Global Report on Ageism
identifies intergenerational inter-
ventions as one of the three key
strategies to address ageism. In-
tergenerational activities can also
lead to a greater sense of social
connectedness and strengthen in-
tergenerational solidarity.
Objectives
Fostering intergenerational
solidarity between generations is
thus more than ever necessary to
ensure an inclusive and sustain-
able recovery. As the world navi-
gates the third year of the Covid-19
pandemic, it is especially impor-
tant to recognize and address
these age-related barriers to “build
back better” in a manner that le-
verages all generations’ strengths
and knowledge.
In this context, the objective of
this year’s International Youth Day
theme, Intergenerational solidari-
ty: Creating a World for All Ages, is
to amplify the message that action
is needed across all generations to
achieve the SDGs and leave no one
behind.
The 2022 International Youth
Day will also raise awareness on
certain barriers to intergenera-
tional solidarity, notably ageism,
which impacts young and old per-
sons, while having detrimental
effects on society as a whole. In
countries such as Sri Lanka, where
inter-generational bonds are usu-
ally very strong – grandmothers
willingly care for their grandsons
and granddaugheters – it will be
easy to carry this message across.
But this may not be so in some oth-
er countries.
During the 2021 ECOSOC Youth
Forum (EYF), the issues and pri-
orities highlighted by young par-
ticipants included the impact of
the Covid-19 pandemic, particu-
larly related to its effect on human
health, the environment, and food
systems.
As part of the official outcome
recommendations of the EYF,
young participants stressed the
importance of working towards
more equitable food systems.
In addition, they highlighted
AUGUST 7, 2022
WORLD YOUTH DAY 2022
gagement, innovation and entre-
preneurial solutions, this year’s
International Youth Day aims to
provide a platform for young peo-
ple to continue the momentum
from the EYF.
For International Youth Day
2022, the UN Department of Eco-
nomic and Social Affairs (DESA)
will work with the Major Group
on Children and Youth (MGCY) to
organise a global webinar for its
official commemoration. The we-
binar will provide an opportunity
for stakeholders around the world
to exchange views on the topic of
intergenerational solidarity, inter-
generational equity, future genera-
tions, and ageism.
The young generation must
however be economically empow-
ered to bridge the intergeneration-
al gap. Rising youth unemploy-
ment is one of the most significant
problems facing economies and
societies. At least 475 million new
jobs need to be created over the
next decade to absorb the 73 mil-
lion youth currently unemployed
and the 40 million new annual en-
trants to the labour market.
THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS YEAR’S INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY Inequalities
THEME, INTERGENERATIONAL SOLIDARITY: CREATING A WORLD In fact, young people are al-
most three times more likely to
FOR ALL AGES, IS TO AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE THAT ACTION IS be unemployed than adults and
are continuously exposed to low-
NEEDED ACROSS ALL GENERATIONS TO ACHIEVE THE SDGS er quality of jobs, greater labour
market inequalities, and longer
AND LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND. THE 2022 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH and more insecure school-to-work
transitions. In addition, young
DAY WILL ALSO RAISE AWARENESS ON CERTAIN BARRIERS women are more likely to be un-
deremployed and under-paid, and
TO INTERGENERATIONAL SOLIDARITY, NOTABLY AGEISM, to undertake part-time jobs or
work under temporary contracts.
WHICH IMPACTS YOUNG AND OLD PERSONS, WHILE HAVING One reason for youth unem-
ployment, which affects all re-
DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. IN COUNTRIES gions around the world, is a mis-
match between the skills workers
SUCH AS SRI LANKA, WHERE INTER-GENERATIONAL BONDS ARE can offer and the skills which are
in demand.
USUALLY VERY STRONG – GRANDMOTHERS WILLINGLY CARE This is known as structural
unemployment. This is prevalent
FOR THEIR GRANDSONS AND GRANDDAUGHETERS – IT WILL BE in Sri Lanka as well. If you glance
through the vacancies sections of
EASY TO CARRY THIS MESSAGE ACROSS. BUT THIS MAY NOT BE this newspaper, thousands of jobs
are advertised, but some ads are
SO IN SOME OTHER COUNTRIES repeated week after week, appar-
ently because the employers can-
the need for youth to make in- tions on providing adequate ca- not find suitable job takers. In oth-
formed decisions on food choices pacity development with respect er words, many people in the job
through increasing global educa- to the resilience of food systems, market do not have the skills that
tion on the healthiest and most in particular during the ongoing the employers need.
sustainable options for both in- Covid-19 pandemic and in its after-
dividuals and the environment. math.
There were also recommenda- Through youth education, en-
Firm focus needed
There should be a firm focus
on skills development among both
young males and females. The lat-
ter should be encouraged to ven-
ture into the more male dominated
sectors such as motor mechanism/
car repair, heavy vehicle/earth-
moving equipment operations,
welding and air-conditioning.
Males too should be encouraged
to take up sewing/tailoring, cook-
ery and other vocations. Sri Lanka
already has a good structure for
vocational training, with techni-
cal colleges around the island and
a central Vocational Training Au-
thority (VTA).
There is a national NVQ (Na-
tional Vocational Qualification)
certification system that is accept-
ed in most countries.
The problem in Sri Lanka is
not essentially the lack of voca-
tional training opportunities. The
main issue is that every student
tries to enter a State university.
This is impossible given that only
around 25,000 university openings
are available annually.
This means that almost 100,000
students who do have the required
17
admission qualifications cannot
enter universities. The result is
that a large number of students
end up without getting any sort of
job-oriented education.
This is one problem that our
educationists and lawmakers have
to address. Our curricula must be
aligned with the needs of the job
market, for students to find jobs
more easily. Unfortunately, several
vocational subjects were removed
from the curricula some time
back, the repercussions of which
we still feel today. This should be
rectified without delay.
Unemployment and poverty
are two social evils. If youth are
skillful, they will get jobs and be-
come self-reliant and many prob-
lems in society will be solved.
Gainfully employed youth
will also not turn to drugs, vice
and crime. Parents and teachers
should also encourage students
who display a talent for skills and
subjects other than textbook stud-
ies. If a youngster displays knack
for repairing radios, let him or her
continue.
The school is the obvious
place to start job hunting. There
are three approaches – vocational
subjects, education fairs and job
fairs. Vocational subjects should
be taught to all students, irrespec-
tive of whether they will eventu-
ally take to a vocation.
Education fairs obviously focus
on higher educational opportuni-
ties here and abroad, other than
the State universities. By partici-
pating in these fairs, students gain
an idea of what skills and qualifica-
tions are needed to find a job.
Local situation
In Sri Lanka, it is virtually dif-
ficult to find a job that does not re-
quire a good knowledge of English.
This is indeed why some private
companies prefer school-leavers
who can speak good English over
university graduates who are not
very fluent in the language. Eng-
lish, though not essentially a voca-
tional subject, must be taught to all
aspiring job seekers.
Our policymakers as well as
our youth must also be aware of
two more challenges – automa-
tion/robotics and digitilisation.
Yes, these trends are likely to take
some skilled jobs away. The key is
to identify sectors where automa-
tion or digitalisation will not make
much of a difference even in the
future.
Many skilled and educated
youth also think of migrating ei-
ther permanently or temporar-
ily to another country in search of
greener pastures due to lack of op-
portunities or low wages. This too
must be addressed as a developing
country cannot afford to lose most
of its best brains.
The youth must also be veered
away from the evils of drugs, alco-
hol and tobacco in order to ensure
a healthy next generation. They
should be encouraged to lead ac-
tive lifestyles to prevent the spread
of Non Communicable Diseases
such as diabetes.
The youth, especially first time
voters will be the decisive factor
at coming elections and all politi-
cal parties must get their ideas and
views on development, reconcilia-
tion and other issues.
Youth marginalisation has led
to two insurrections in this coun-
try, a lesson that should not be for-
gotten. The youth are the future
and that factor must be taken into
account at all times.
18 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022
FEATURE/NEWS
BY GAYAN NARANDENIYA
T
he medieval palace
known as ‘Burg Eltz’,
which means ‘Eltz’s
House’ in German, is be-
tween the cities of Ko-
blenz and Trier, Germany, on a
hill overlooking a river. Since the
12th century, it has been owned
by members of the Eltz family, an
ancient German aristocratic fam-
Solution for garbage issue
Kalutara Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Sanjeewa Ariyarathne
vested three tractors in the people of Pradeshiya Sabha area
as a sustainable solution for the garbage issue in the area
Pic: H.L. Sunil Shantha, Kalutara Central Special Cor.
ily. It is reported that the 33rd gen-
eration of the Eltz family currently
lives there. Another unique feature
of the Eltz House is that it has never
been destroyed or damaged in its
history.
The ‘Eltz House’ is surrounded
on three sides by the Messel River
and the linked Elsbach tributary.
Located on a 70 metre (230 feet)
mountain, an old Roman trade
route has passed through it. Cov-
Dry rations for needy
The Eastern Social Development Foundation
distributed 250 dry ration packs worth Rs. 5,000 each
among needy families in the Batticaloa district at
Gandhi Park, Batticaloa recently.
Pic: Sivam Packiyanathan, Batticaloa Spl. Cor.
‘Burg Eltz’- the medieval
palace in Germany
ering an area of over 300 hectares
(741 acres), the sparkling green ‘Eltz
Forest’, around the ‘Eltz House’, was
designated as a nature reserve in
2000, and is also considered to be
an arboretum full of many local and
foreign plant species.
It is not wrong to call the ‘Eltz
House’ as a palace (a Garnerben-
berg-style house) that can house
several families or several genera-
tions at the same time. It has sev-
eral parts. According to tradition,
this type of situation usually occurs
when several families living in the
same area come together to build a
single house for their residence.
Nobles
Among the nobles who lived in
medieval Europe, only a few had
enough assets to create a single pal-
ace in their territory. The creation of
Garnerbenberg style mansions has
been popular among local nobles
who only had the control of one vil-
lage. It is stated that the members
belonging to three branches of the
Elts lineage have worked together
to build the ‘Eltz House’.
The main part of the ‘Eltz House’
consists of private apartments
and bedrooms belonging to family
members. A strong wall can be seen
around the ‘Eltz House’ which con-
sists of eight towers with a height
between 30 - 40 metres (98 - 131
feet). There are over 100 bedrooms
in it. A small village where the em-
ployees and their family members
lived in the past also existed around
the ‘Eltz House’.
Annual flag-hoisting ceremony
The annual flag-hoisting ceremony of the Amirthakali
Mamangeswerer temple, Batticaloa was held on
Tuesday. The chief priest of the temple, Sivasiri Athi
Savundararaja Kurukkal officiated at the rituals.
Pic: Sivam Packiyanathan, Batticaloa Spl. Cor.
M.J.M. Zarook
The closest to a perfect
gentleman you’d meet
Z
arook the gentleman made
Zarook the journalist some-
one special in the congenial
and circumscribed world
of English language journalism in
this country. ‘Zoro’ as he has been
fondly known and as a plethora of
people have reminded me after his
passing, was a person who perhaps
epitomized his era of easy, slow
charm.
Zoro grew up in Kensington
Gardens in Colombo 4, an area
of the city that was known for its
pretty urban charm and its urbane,
charming residents. Zoro in his
schooldays and beyond was one of
them until he married and began
living at Grero Place, Colombo 5.
He was to the manor born in
terms of style and approach to life.
He did not aim for anything earth-
shattering but was a responsible
family man and a much sought af-
ter friend. He moved in all circles,
and was certainly not afanatical
Muslim if that could be mentioned
ever so gently in this piece in me-
moriam.
In his day he is supposed to
have been a head-turner — being a
handsome young ‘rake’ who would
draw-in the ladies at dances. Danc-
ing and socialising was his youthful
pastime. He never took life too se-
riously in any event, and one could
say he sailed and danced through
life anyway, but did yeoman service
as a scribe in the meantime.
His innate nature was of that
of the fun loving gent, and this was
so when he was 50 as when he was
80. This pleasantness was conta-
gious and everybody around him
was usually uplifted. What more
can a fraternity of professionals ask
for from a colleague in this era of
cut-throat ambition and not so nice
one-upmanship?
None of that for Zoro, who de-
lighted in organising the evening
roast and repast for his colleagues,
whether he was in the Daily Mirror
or any other newspaper.
He started life as a courts re-
porter in the Independent news-
The construction of the Roman-
esque castle, which is considered
to be the oldest part of the ‘Eltz
House’, was started in the ninth
century. Originally a walled country
citadel, by 1157 it had become an
important stronghold of Frederick
Barbarossa’s empire as it lay on the
trade route down the Moselle Valley
and the Eifel region.
The nobles of Trier, including
the Eltzes, declared war against the
Archpriest of Trier between 1331
and 1336 due to their attempt to
take over the ‘Eltz House’, which be-
came a Garnerbenberg-style build-
ing in 1268, resulting in a two-year
period of ‘ Eltz’s mansion even be-
ing raided.
Gothic architecture
Another building constructed
according to Gothic architecture
and beautifully decorated, became
a part of it in 1472. Between 1490
and 1540, the ‘Rodendorff House’,
which became a part of the House
some times after, had a flag room
with a vault. Another unique fea-
ture of the ‘Eltz House’ is that every
Blood donation campaign
A blood donation campaign organised by the Akkaraipattu
Base Hospital was held at the Akkaraipattu Sri Vijayaraama
Buddhist Temple. Here the Chief Incumbent of Temple,
Ven. Dewagoda Soratha Thera is being examined by a
Medical Officer before donating his blood.
Pic: M.A. Phakurdeen, Addalaichenai Gr. Cor.
papers and had a stint in the old
Times in that totemic building in
the Fort. He subsequently worked
for the Associated Newspapers, and
finally for Wijeya Newspapers from
where he retired. His working life
straddled different eras, but he was
equally comfortable in spacious or
busy times.
You could say, therefore, that
his entire working life he had his
fingers dipped in ink. He was a
raconteur and of course a Courts
journalist of great repute and integ-
rity, the latter not being something
that can be said of all his Court re-
porter colleagues of that era, sadly.
It’s fitting in this context that his
son Rushdi is an upstanding lawyer.
Zarook was not overly religious,
or a person who imposed rules
and regimens. He minded his own
business, and that’s a rare qual-
ity too in any kind of working en-
vironment today. Most employees
mind other people’s business more
than their own because they want
to get ahead, but getting ahead was
meaningless to Zoro who didn’t as-
pire to anything other than a good
life. But a great life he had, in abun-
dance.
That’s why he was an exemplary
character. It was precisely because
he didn’t mean to be one and didn’t
room has been able to be properly
heated since the past.
Due to the War of the Palati-
nate Succession in 1688 - 1689,
most of the palaces on the banks
of the Rhine were destroyed by the
French forces, but Hans-Anton Sue
Eltz-Attigen was a high-ranking of-
ficer in the French army at the time,
but he managed to strategically re-
move the ‘Eltz House’ from the list
of buildings to be destroyed.
It has been possible, during the
French rule from 1794 to 1815, the
Eltzes had to leave the ‘Eltz House’.
It is said that the French forces used
it as a fort. However, in 1815, the
‘Eltz House’ was bought back by
Hugo Philippe Suelt.
At present, two of the Eltz
House’s three main parts are open
for public viewing. The gold and sil-
ver ware, ceramics, jewellery, glass
and ivory, coins, ancient weapons
and armoury, and the treasury that
are placed in it are considered to be
one of the finest collections in Eu-
rope. In the knights’ room of the
‘Eltz House’, one can see the ancient
armour as well as the masks of the
knights.
set himself up as an example, that
he was looked upto. In an anti-hero
type of way he was the life of the
party. He may have made the least
noise but if he wasn’t present the
party had a hollow air of sanctimo-
ny about it. He put everyone and ev-
erything at ease.
He was fond of discussing poli-
tics, events and vignettes that made
the news but also had a special way
of articulating things his own way
without being sanctimonious or too
involved in the topic under discus-
sion. His understated ways were
perfect. His profuse praise for me
was genuine, and in this I strike a
personal note. He wanted to in-
spire me to achieve more — and
whatever his intentions were I was
inspired by his genuine graceful
comments that stood apart from
easy blandishments of some others
who excelled in artifice.
What could be said in sum is
that Zarook was a gentleman who
receded to the background, and
was a good husband to his wife and
excellent father to his two children,
and a third who unfortunately died
young in a tragic road accident.
That Zoro was so pleasant that his
pleasantness was contagious, is
more than one can ask for of any in-
dividual in these intensely crowded
and competitive times.
Zoro’s 3rd death anniversary
falls this week, and he would have
been 92 this year. Notably, he was
honoured with a Lifetime Achieve-
ment Award by the Editors’ Guild
for his long services to journalism.
Zoro lived to be 89, but was men-
tally agile and was in a manner of
speaking always in his forties. His
son, daughter, wife, his daughter-
in-law, son-in-law, grandchildren
and his other extended family must
all miss him dearly.
After all, everyone else who
knew him can’t get over the fact
that he is no more.
Jannah tul firdausto my unfor-
gettable friend, M.J.M. Zarook.
- Rajpal Abeynayake
 19

AUGUST 7, 2022

CASH IS KING IN A PAGE MEMORIES OF PAGE CIRCULAR LEAF PAGE TELEPHONE PAGE

BUSINESS DOWNTURN 20 MENTORING 21 SPOT DISEASE 22 INTERVIEWS FOR JOBS 23

Livestock sector in dire straits
BIZ SNIPPETS
HUMAN NUTRITION LEVEL Lanka-Malaysia bilateral
trade discussion

TO DROP DRASTICALLY The National Chamber of

Commerce of Sri Lanka is

-VETERINARY SURGEONS’ ASSOCIATION organising bilateral trade dis-

cussion between Sri Lanka and
Malaysia on Tuesday August 16
Animal feed scarcity threatens industry survival from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon at
the National Chamber Audito-
BY LALIN FERNANDOPULLE ities to take speedy measures to solve the power The Association officials warned of adverse
rium, D.R. Wijewardena Mawa-
and foreign exchange crisis and avert a major repercussions on child nutrition levels which
An acute shortage of milk, eggs and dairy tha, Colombo 10.
crisis in the livestock industry had fallen on deaf could drop drastically if malnutrition of animal
products vital for human nutrition will be inevi- High Commissioner of
ears. due to scarcity of feed hits the industry.
table within the next six months if the current Malaysia to Sri Lanka, Dato’ Tan
“We have been telling the authorities ump- The livestock industry comprising the dairy
power, transportation and forex shortage is not Yang Thai will be the guest
teen times of the dire consequences of the cur- and poultry sector have been badly hit by the
addressed immediately, the State Veterinary Sur- Speaker at the session.
rent affairs in the country on the livestock sector shortage of feed due to the shortage of dollars
geons Association stated. The participants will get an
but to no avail,” Secretary to the State Veterinary that had forced the authorities to restrict
Officials said repeated appeals to the author- opportunity to have a close dia-
Surgeons Association, Nuwan Hewagamage said. imports. SEE PAGE 22
logue with the High Commis-
sioner of Malaysia. The Sri Lan-
kan High Commission in Kuala
Getting over crisis Lumpur, Malaysia is also
expected to connect virtually
Going beyond IMF with home- during the event.
The overall purpose of this
based program, the key - Economist meeting is to discuss on the cur-
rent trade environment, invest-
Driving exports with a timeline to pro- ment opportunities/ services,
mote niche products, enhancing employee policies and other important
skills and boosting efficiency of state owned information with the view to
enterprises should be a top priority of the promote and strengthen bilat-
policy makers in addition to the IMF program eral trade and investment
which mostly looks into fiscal policy related between Sri Lanka and Malay-
reforms and exchange rate management said sia. Natural rubber, articles of
an economist of the University of Colombo. apparel and clothing accesso-
Senior Lecturer Department of Econom- ries (including gloves), precious
ics University of Colombo, Dr. Priyanga stones, semi-precious stones,
Dunusinghe said a well-articulated home- tea, apparel, wheat or meslin
based program should go hand in hand with flour, fuel oil, optical, photo-
the IMF supported program if the country is to graphic, instruments, other
come out from the economic crisis. SEE PAGE 22 vegetable textile fibres, resi-
dues and waste from the food
industries, prepared animal
IMF program fodder are some of the major
export items from Sri Lanka.
Assurance of restoring debt
sustainability vital - IMF Sustainable fisheries: WTO
Staff level arrangement different from calls for more support
approval by the Executive Board
The International Monetary Fund
(IMF) is ready for policy discussions with
the new administration towards reaching
a staff-level agreement (SLA) on the EFF
arrangement, Senior Mission Chief for Rambuttan, a delicious fruit grown in the wet zone in Sri Lanka, has a great demand locally and globally for its
Sri Lanka Peter Breuer and Mission Chief juicy sweetness. Grown in large stretches in Malwana, the season for the nutritious fruit spans from June to August. Financial assistance must
for Sri Lanka Nozaki Masahiro told Sun- Here a seller of the hairy fruit at a street in the suburbs of Colombo. be expanded to help developing
day Observer Business last week. SEE PAGE 22 and least-developed country
(LDC) members establish sus-
tainable fisheries in light of an

Record food prices will drive millions into extreme poverty - World Bank
Record high food prices have trig-
gered a global crisis that will drive mil-
lions more into extreme poverty, mag-
nifying hunger and malnutrition, while
threatening to erase hard-won gains in
development.
The war in Ukraine, supply chain
disruptions, and the continued eco-
nomic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic
are reversing years of development
gains and pushing food prices to all-
time highs. Rising food prices have a
greater impact on people in low- and
‘Sri Lanka missing FDIs
for oil and gas’
The long delayed Man-
nar Basin M2 block
(exploration and produc-
tion) tender and the com-
mencement of explora-
tion work by the selected
bidder for the M1 and C1
July 2019 tender could cost
Sri Lanka over a billion
dollars in foreign direct
investment. Moreover,
delays in conducting a
marketing campaign to
attract further investment
while oil and gas prices
have been at historically high levels
could be foregoing billions more.
Cairn India drilled three completed
exploratory wells between 2011 and
2013. Two of the wells, Barracuda and
Dorado contain gas estimated to be
1.8TCF and 300 BCF respectively as pre-
sented by the Petroleum Resources
Development Secretariat (PRDS) at the
PUCSL Stakeholders Meeting on Sep-
middle-income countries, since they
spend a larger share of their income on
food than people in high-income coun-
tries. This brief looks at rising food
insecurity and World Bank responses to
date.   of lower-middle-income countries, and
As of July 29, 2022, the Agricultural
Price Index is 19% higher compared to
January 2021. Maize and wheat prices
are 16% and 22% higher, compared to
January 2021, while rice prices are
about 14% lower.  increased sharply, with about 78.6%
Domestic food price inflation
tember 25, 2015. While they
were not commercially
viable when oil and gas
prices collapsed in 2014,
there is a strong possibility
they will be at today’s pric-
es. There are technologies
that have reduced capital
expenditure such as gas-
to-wire power generation
that help make the eco-
nomic case for production
of these gas finds.
Cairn India has invest-
ed nearly $200 million in Sri
Lanka, according to Dr. Sunil Bhara-
ti, Cairn India’s head of corporate
affairs and communication at the time.
Bharati was quoted by a news agency
on January 31, 2013 stating “Cairn has
spent $150 million for the first phase,
more than the estimated $112 million,
Bharati said, adding that investment in
the second phase could be greater than
the first.” SEE PAGE 22
historic WTO agreement to
curb harmful fishing subsidies,
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-
remains high around the world. Infor- According to the World Bank’s April Iweala said at an Aid for Trade
mation from between March and June 2022 Commodity Markets Outlook, the Global Review event recently,
2022 shows high inflation in almost all war in Ukraine has altered global pat- where a new report by the Sec-
low- and middle-income countries; terns of trade, production, and con- retariat was launched. The
93.8% of low-income countries, 89.1% sumption of commodities in ways that event also featured high-level
will keep prices at historically high lev- officials from coastal econo-
89% of upper-middle-income countries els through the end of 2024 exacerbat- mies and donor partners who
have seen inflation levels above 5%, ing food insecurity and inflation. expressed support for channel-
with many experiencing double-digit Food prices were already high ling more resources towards
inflation. The share of high-income before, and the war is driving food sustainable fisheries.
countries with high inflation has also prices even higher. Commodities that
have been most affected are wheat,
experiencing high food price inflation. maize, edible oils, and fertiliser. SEE PAGE 22 OPEC+ to boost
production target by
Airbnb bookings hit record high as travel recovers 100,000 Bpd
Airbnb says its business will be resil- Nearly 104 million nights and experi-
ient, even in the event of economic down- ences were booked on the platform in the
turn. April through June period, a record high
Airbnb said travel demand remains for the lodging website.
strong, despite concerns about economic Long-term stays continued to be the
slowdown and rising prices hitting house- fastest growing type of travel, a shift driv-
holds. en by the rise of remote work. SEE PAGE 22
The OPEC+ group gave the
go-ahead to lift their oil produc-
‘Charts suggest now is the perfect time to buy gold’ tion targets for September by
100,000 bpd as recommended by
CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Wednesday weekly action of gold going back to the Joint Ministerial Monitoring
told investors that gold is poised to 2014, paired with the Commodity Committee (JMMC) which met
rally, making now an optimal time for Futures Trading Commission’s Com- earlier today, Amena Bakr, Chief
investors to pounce. mitments of Traders report data. Opec Correspondent and Depu-
“The charts, as interpreted by the The CFTC tracks futures positions ty Bureau Chief at Energy Intel-
legendary Larry Williams, suggest that of small speculators, large speculators ligence,  reported  just as the
the general public’s giving up on gold like money managers and commercial ministerial meeting of OPEC+
en masse and he thinks that that ments on inflation the day before took hedgers that include companies that began on Wednesday.
makes it the perfect entry time to do metals lower. work with the commodity. Today›s OPEC+ meeting is
some buying,” the “Mad Money” host Gold is considered a safe invest- When small speculators get too the first meeting since the group
said. ment and often attracts investors dur- bullish on gold, it’s often a sign that it’s decided to roll back by the end
Gold futures fell on Wednesday, ing periods of economic and geopoliti- about to peak, according to Williams. of August all the cuts from May
facing pressure from a stronger U.S. cal turmoil. Conversely, gold tends to be near a bot- 2020, when the current agree-
dollar and Treasury yields after Fed- Cramer began his explanation of tom when small speculators get too ment started.
eral Reserve leaders’ hawkish com- Williams’ analysis by examining the bearish. SEE PAGE 22
20 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022

Business

Cash is king in a business downturn

poor cash flow mismanagement is the Especially during a recession, a Remember that you do not have to
main reason why many SMEs eventu- business’s very survival may depend extend credit to anyone. If a customer
ally have to shut down. Being prudent on having cash on hand to maneuver has a history of slow payment, chang-
may help save a business during through shortfalls. Best practice usu- ing the credit terms or even eliminat-
tough economic times such as now. In ally means having enough cash ing credit entirely may be required. If
a recession, cash flow management reserves to last a 3-6-month period it does become necessary to refuse
becomes even more important, as the but under the prevailing tough condi- credit to a customer, make sure this is
saying goes “Cash is king!” Accurate tion with more frequent dramatic done as tactfully as possible. After all,
or least near accurate cash flow pre- changes, at least 3 months is a must you do want to have them as a cus-
diction serves as an alarm system for but could vary on the industries you tomer in the future.
potential future problems, which are are in. Landlords, lenders, and contrac-
rife in an economic downturn. tors are not impervious to changing
BIZ TALK with In periods of economic downturn,
it is common for customers to take
Easing off the burden
One way of mitigating shortfalls
economic conditions so trying to
renegotiate is worth a shot – don’t
Kishu Gomes longer to settle their accounts, and for would be to extend accounts payable leave alone the bankers. If you are big
suppliers to tighten their terms. for as long as possible. This means you have bargaining powers.
Appropriate forecasting by a business paying suppliers on the longest pos- Remember, the outflow part of

O
ne of the key factors in weath-
ering any storm is knowing
that it’s coming and in what
direction it’s moving. Keep an eye on
the leading indicators for your busi-
ness and be aware of changing eco-
nomic conditions.
During times of recession such as
now, cash flow management becomes
more difficult than ever before while
it is the biggest determinant as to
whether a company would bounce
back or fail. Cash is the lifeblood of an
organisation, and cash flow manage-
ment provides a barometer for how
likely a business is to survive.
Inadequate cash reserves and
realistic forecasting are often a rea-
son why a larger percentage of start-
ups and SMEs do not succeed. Often,
can help reduce shocks to cash flow
such as those mentioned above.
This means expecting the worst
and hoping for the best. Proper fore-
casting for a recession can be treated
similarly to seasonal forecasting, where
businesses predict slower sales in cer-
tain months (such as coat sales plum-
meting in the hot summer months). In
the current economic climate, busi-
nesses should forecast for slower sales,
meaning holding less stock, and driv-
ing sales through clever marketing
techniques to try and counteract con-
sumer’s unwillingness to spend.
Focus less on profit
How much ever it’s difficult under
the present circumstances, forecast-
ing cash-flow is critically important
especially in a high interest rate envi-
ronment. Understanding industry
dynamics and determining the value
chain may help a business find areas
that can be optimised to improve cash
flow. Using these techniques, busi-
nesses are better equipped to make
reasonable predictions about future
cash flow and funding.
Determine your breakeven point.
Knowing when your business will
become profitable gives you an early
goal to strive towards, even if it is not
directly linked to cash-flow manage-
ment using fixed and moving costs.
Focus less on profit and more on cash
flow management.
When your breakeven point is
Determine your breakeven
point. Knowing when your
business will become profit-
able gives you an early goal to
strive towards, even if it is not
directly linked to cash-flow
management using fixed and
moving costs. Focus less on
profit and more on cash flow
management
known, you can focus on accounts
receivable, accounts payable and
your shortfalls. If cash flow is getting
tight, asking for tighter payment
terms from customers may improve
your position. Maintain cash reserves.
sible terms without paying late fees.
Boost sales with creative promotions
and incentives on a self-liquidating
basis.
Coming up with exciting ways to
drive sales during a recession can not
only increase profit through greater
sales volume but may also improve
reputation and customer relations if
done correctly. Cost cutting thru elimi-
nation of unnecessary spending could
help too. Some discretionary expenses
should be critically questioned.
Managing your customers’ credit
is an important part of cash flow man-
agement. Weed out unprofitable cus-
tomers, those that cost more to main-
tain than they add to the bottom line.
Flag those who have a history of slow
payment.
cash flow is never a problem; money
will always run out of your business
easily. Keeping the money coming in
on a regular, sustained basis is the
tricky part of cash-flow manage-
ment. One of the key factors in
weathering any storm is knowing
that it’s coming and what direction
it’s moving. Keep an eye on the lead-
ing indicators for your business and
be aware of changing economic con-
ditions.
Just as having a healthy lifestyle
and regular medical checkups can
help you prevent, detect and manage
health problems - such as heart dis-
ease - early, paying close attention to
cash flow – your business’s life blood
– can help you keep your business
free of financial problems.

IFC funds Dialog Axiata to boost Dialog Club

broadband infrastructure
Connectivity provider, Dialog Axiata PLC
(Dialog),plans to expand and improve broad-
band connectivity across the country with
International Finance Corporation’s (IFC)
support.
IFC’s loan of up to $150 million will help
Dialog expand and improve its network
capacity through the upgrading of existing
sites and the construction of new 4G sites.
Dialog also seeks to increase its fibre optic
network footprint and implement upgrades
to increase both capacities and efficiencies in
core network operations.
As the leading telecommunication ser-
vices provider in Sri Lanka, Dialog represents
over 50 percent of both the mobile and fixed
broadband market in the country and is well
equipped to effectively expand quality con-
nectivity options to underserved areas in Sri
Lanka.
With over 32 million mobile subscribers,
Sri Lanka has made substantial progress in
terms of penetration of mobile services, with
149 percent mobile penetration versus an
average 85 percent of its South Asian peers.
WhileSri Lanka ranks amongst the top 20
countries for Broadband affordability,the
internet quality and speed has been weak
with SriLanka ranking 125thglobally (among
141 countries) in download speed.This sig-
nificant quality gap in the market is mainly
due to heavy reliance on mobile services for
data usage and use of older technologies such
as 3G.
“Quality and reliable telecommunication
infrastructure has a multiplier effect on a
country’s economic growth. It provides the
opportunity to unlock new and innovative
sources of growth and jobs — spurring digital
economy, trade, and entrepreneurship —
while bringing communities closer,” said
IFC’s Regional Director for South Asia, Hec-
tor Gomez Ang, adding “IFC’s investment in
this partnership shows our commitment to
support the development of Sri Lanka’s pri-
From left: Group General Counsel/Vice President, Group Legal and Regulatory, Dialog
Axiata, Trinesh Fernando, Group Chief Financial Officer, Dialog Axiata, Wong Hong Zhou,
Country Officer, IFC Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Victor Antonypillai, Director/Group
Chief Executive, Dialog Axiata, Supun Weerasinghe, Chairman, Dialog Axiata, David Nai
Pek Lau and Head, Corporate Finance, Dialog Axiata, Ahmed Riza.
vate sector, even amid current uncertain-
ties.”
Chairman of Dialog Axiata PLC, David
Nai Pek Lau said, “It is heartening to note the
continuing collaboration between IFC, Axia-
ta and Dialog. We are grateful to IFC for their
faith in Dialog and Sri Lanka over the years,
and their steadfast support to help address
some of the biggest challenges we are cur-
rently facing in our journey of advancing the
country’s connectivity infrastructure in line
with our mission of empowering and enrich-
ing Sri Lankan lives and enterprises. IFC’s
funding will be critical in meeting Sri Lanka’s
future digital connectivity needs, which is
fundamental in helping people and busi-
nesses flourish during these challenging
times.”
Dialog, part of a leading regional telecom
service provider Axiata Group Berhad, has
been a longstanding client of IFC. Apart from
previous debt and equity investments in 2004
and 2007, IFC also helped strengthen the
business skills of Dialog’s retail distributors
in Sri Lanka, benefitting more than 3,000
small business owners from rural and post
conflict regions of the country. Axiata Group
has been a key partner for IFC in Asia —
including in Bangladesh — promoting the
development of digital infrastructure and
digital economy in markets where it operates.
Director/Group Chief Executive, Supun
Weerasinghe of Dialog Axiata PLC said,
“Dialog’s association with IFC goes back to
2004, and we’re grateful for their continued
confidence placed in Dialog and Sri Lanka as
a nation. Today, we’re at a crucial juncture as
a country, as well as an organisation. With the
support of IFC and Axiata, we are able to initi-
ate this next phase of connectivity infrastruc-
ture development in the country and contin-
ue our commitment to delivering uninter-
rupted services and world-class technology to
all Sri Lankans and Enterprises.”
IFC will also ensure that Dialog adopts an
enhanced environmental and social manage-
ment system (ESMS) according to IFC Perfor-
mance Standards for their mobile network
deployment, in line with Dialog’s endeavors
of pursuing green connectivity, supporting
global climate action goals and achieving net-
zero CO2 emission by 2050.
“The need to strengthen connectivity and
accelerate growth is critical for Sri Lanka now
more than ever. With this latest investment,
IFC-Dialog Axiata synergy marks yet another
significant milestone in the partnership to
improve the quality of connectivity for people
and businesses across the country,” said IFC’s
Regional Industry Director for Infrastructure
Asia and the Pacific, Isabel Chatterton, add-
ing “Continuing to harness the power of tech-
nology can help drive innovation and create
better opportunities for more Sri Lankans.”
As the sector rapidly grows and advances
technologically, IFC continues to be one of
the leading development financiers in digital
infrastructure across emerging markets, sup-
porting all aspects of the ecosystem.Over the
past decade, IFC committed and mobilised
over $6.5 billion in digital infrastructure and
services, and more than $2 billion over the
past two years alone. In addition to enhanc-
ing and enabling digital infrastructure, IFC is
helping its portfolio companies to align their
environmental and social practices with IFC’s
performance standards.
Vision hosts
wellness
webinar
Dialog Club Vision, Sri Lanka’s premier
loyalty programme, in collaboration with AFI
Corp-iWill Sri Lanka, recently hosted a well-
ness webinar exclusively for its valuable mem-
bers and their loved ones covering topics such
as maintaining your mental health during chal-
lenging times, a deep-dive into staying happy,
and finding ways to create and sustain a more
meaningful and balanced lifestyle.
Conducted by Amanda Piyaratne, a Psy-
chologist at AFI Corp-iWill Sri Lanka, the webi-
nar enabled participants with an engaging and
interactive experience to better understand
their personal mental health journeys and how
to sustain a balanced lifestyle amidst these tur-
bulent times.
This webinar was the latest of many com-
plementary and exclusive virtual events hosted
by Club Vision, aimed at delivering exceptional
experiences to its valued members and their
loved ones.
Dialog Club Vision aims to continuously
deliver a world of exclusivity and privileges to
its valued members and their families, such as
personalised discounts and offers, lifestyle and
entertainment events and more. To explore the
range of exclusive offerings available for Dialog
Club Vision members, and to learn more about
joining Sri Lanka’s premier loyalty programme,
customers can visit the MyDialog App ordialog.
lk/loyalty

“EVERYONE KNOWS HR” Byte-sized learning - We should anticipate challenging times ahead Ceylon Chamber
Everyone knows HR with tax reforms, restructuring of organisations, job cuts, fuel price

hosts SME Forum 2022

adjustments and privatisation.

The Ceylon Chamber of Com- challenges in sourcing production

merce held the National SME Forum
Ma'am we need Don't take it easy. There 2022 recently as a virtual event, on
not worry as IMF could be difficult the theme ‘Way Forward for SMEs to
support will come conditions for us as a Navigate Through the Crisis’.
to our country. With the SME sector among the
workforce.
hardest hit by the current crisis, the
Forum will provide a crucial and
timely opportunity to engage high-
level public sector officials, industry
experts, organisations engaged in
SME development, and other players
in the SME ecosystem, in mapping
an urgent course of survival and
recovery.
Widely acknowledged as a key
driver of change for inclusive eco-
nomic growth, regional develop-
ment, employment generation and
poverty reduction, the sustainabili-
ty of the SME sector will play a vital
role in national economic recovery.
Ready to be adaptable Currently mired under multiple
operational, logistical and policy
challenges, including skyrocketing
By Janaka Kumarasinghe
By Janaka Kumarasinghe costs of production, falling demand,
inputs, and maintaining sustaina-
ble operations amid continual pow-
er interruptions and fuel shortages,
the Forum addressed these and
other issues, while exploring strate-
gies to facilitate SMEs to transform
from survival to growth and expan-
sion.
The three-day event focused on
three themes addressing critical
challenges specific to SMEs and also
provide insights into the current
macro-environment.
Day one of the event focussed on
the ‘Current economic situation and
the way forward for SMEs’. Days two
and three were based on the themes
on ‘Managing your finances’ and
‘Dealing with challenges in the sup-
ply chain’, exploring strategies to
navigate increasing inflation, inter-
est rates and costs of production,
and strategically navigating export
market opportunities, regulations
and challenges.

Business
T
ime has flown so rapidly. It
has been seven years since
the demise of my “revered
mentor” and six years since
the demise of by “reverse mentor”.
Prof. Uditha Liyanage was a sage
of our age, in touching many minds as
a marketing maestro, left us on
August 10, 2015 at the age of 61.
Nadeepa Dharmasiri was a pre-
cious prodigy, in touching many
hearts as a loving son, left us on
August 8, 2016, at the age of 13. As
Seneka (the younger) said, “time dis-
covers truth; time heals what reason
cannot.”
Today’s column is a heart-felt
reflection of the mentoring insights
involving a superior and a son, in
celebrating two special lives.
Overview
Mentoring is typically associated
with an enriching relationship
between two individuals. Eric Parsloe,
a veteran mentor, and an acclaimed
author describes it as follows: “Men-
toring is to support and encourage
people to manage their own learning
in order that they may maximise their
potential, develop their skills,
improve their performance and
become the person they want to be.”
It goes beyond coaching which is
more directive. Mentors inspire and
influence the proteges (mentees) by
sharing experiences in truly “walking
the talk.”
In the conventional form, it hap-
pens with a youngster being nurtured
by a veteran senior who is admired as
a revered mentor. In a creative form,
it happens with a senior being nur-
tured by a junior, who becomes the
reverse mentor, on a specific aspect
‘Fairplay’ by stakeholders to
overcome crisis vital – CBSL
The Government and the Central
Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) have been
implementing several measures to
ease the burden of the current eco-
nomic hardships on the people.
One major factor that is contribut-
ing to the current crisis and the result-
ant hardships is the lack of foreign
exchange liquidity in the banking sys-
tem. Such shortage of forex liquidity
has affected the provision of essential
imports, including fuel.
To ensure adequate foreign
exchange liquidity in the banking sys-
tem, the CBSL had to impose surren-
der requirements on export earnings.
Measures were taken by the Gov-
ernment and the CBSL to discourage
foreign exchange outflow, such as
imposing restrictions on certain
imports and payment terms and intro-
ducing margin requirements, while
encouraging foreign inflows through
the banking system, rather than those
being channelled through the grey
market. The success of these regula-
tory measures and the ability to
achieve the intended outcomes
depend on the support and coopera-
tion from the trading community and
the banking system.  including audit firms, is also being
However, it has been brought to
the notice of the CBSL that certain
market players are not being fully
compliant with these regulations.
Such practice, if continued, would
deprive the people of the support
expected from the Government in dif-
ficult times, while undermining the
moral obligation of ‘equal burden
sharing’ that is expected of all stake-
Memories of mentoring:
celebrating two special lives
such as technology. Both forms of
mentoring are needed to personal
and professional developments. I was
so fortunate to have both for at least
for several years.
Prof. Uditha Liyanage as my
revered mentor
I first met late Prof. Liyanage as
my marketing teacher at the Post-
graduate Institute of Management
(PIM). As an engineer who had never
done marketing, I developed a flavor
for marketing during my MBA stud-
ies, thanks to him. The way he gener-
ated interest in us not only for the
concepts but also for the applications
was indeed remarkable. He often
advocated us to “be brilliant in
basics.”
The way he delivered a session
was much interactive and informa-
tive, as he firmly believed in “chalk
and talk.” This was the case with
numerous topics in Strategic Market-
ing, Marketing Communication, Con-
sumer Behaviour, Research, Business
Strategy and Policy. Of course, he had
PowerPoint slides but not with just
points but with powerful points. He
always challenged us in asking “what
is the point? We had to be clear about
the central theme or the main argu-
ment.
Prof. Liyanage insisted on under-
standing and application of manage-
rial topics. He gave us a challenge. Be
confident in sharing a key learning in
your own words with your teenage
son or daughter, in a manner that
they understand. That requires clari-
ty and commitment.
He suggested us to have “switch
on” and “switch off” approach. Switch
on is when you are in complete focus
with attentive concentration. Switch
off means to relax and unwind. A
healthy blend of both is necessary in
effectively grasping knowledge.
Developing teaching models was
one of his key initiatives. A simple
Google search would amply justify
the popularity of those models in
relation to marketing and strategy.
Liyanage Value Pyramid, Liyanage 10
S Strategic Marketing Planning
Framework and Liyanage Strategy
Quadrant are some such models that
became very useful for management
learners. These authentic models
made his sessions immensely enrich-
ing and showcased the power of Sri
Lankan thinking that is second to
none.
Prof. Liyanage inspired me on
many fronts. He was standing tall in
front of all of us. As a sought-after
marketing scholar, a strategic man-
agement thinker, an exceptional aca-
demic, a thought-provoking teacher
and a visionary leader, he was a guid-
ing light for us. I saw him rendering
yeoman service in multiple ways in
raising the PIM flag higher.
“The process of learning and
holders under difficult and extraordi-
nary circumstances.
Against this backdrop, and in the
best interest of the nation, the CBSL
wishes to reiterate to all stakeholders
of the economy, that, going forward,
all efforts would be taken to strictly
monitor and ensure compliance with
all regulations on foreign exchange
transactions, including repatriation
requirements of export proceeds, con-
versions, and mandatory sales to the
CBSL.
Any instances of non-compliance
will be dealt with stern action within
the provisions of all applicable laws.
The CBSL has strengthened its
capacity in relation to monitoring of
foreign exchange transactions through
the implementation of the Export Pro-
ceeds Monitoring System (EPMS) and
the International Transactions Report-
ing System (ITRS), which is a compre-
hensive monitoring system of cross-
border transactions and domestic for-
eign currency transactions.
These systems facilitate regular
monitoring of foreign exchange
inflows and outflows. Assistance from
independent professional bodies,
sought for the timely identification of
any malpractices.
Licensed Banks and the trading
community are urged to comply with
the existing regulations and comple-
ment the efforts of the Government
and the CBSL to provide much-needed
assistance to all stakeholders of the
economy under these extremely chal-
lenging circumstances.
‘Mentoring is to
support and encourage
people to manage their
own learning in order
that they may
maximise their
potential, develop their
skills, improve their
performance and
become the person
they want to be’
one’s exposure to education must be
continuous. There is so much more to
be known, and that which you know
may no longer be valid.” This had
been Prof. Liyanage’s advice. He
shared with us articles, web-links and
books that are of high relevance to
sharpening the managerial skills.
I still remember how he shared
the article on “Nishkam Karma
(detached involvement) written by
Prof. Chakraborty of Indian Institute
of Management, Bangalore. Prof.
Liyanage was much interested in
knowing my reflections on it, and it
took time for me to realise the value
of such gestures. Moreover, I see the
immense value of detached involve-
ment as a leader, thanks to him.
I saw the blossoming of transfor-
mational leadership at PIM with Prof.
Liyanage. He influenced all of us to
raise the quality and relevance of all
modules we deliver. “Our business is
mastery,” he often uttered. “PIM
brings the reward of outstanding
results to those professional manag-
ers who strive towards mastery.”
That’s how he influenced the aspiring
learners of PIM. Converting practi-
tioners to professionals with charac-
ter and competence has been our
endeavour.
He influenced us to change for
the better. Through his famous “mod-
tradi consumer model” , he encour-
aged us to strike a balance between
the traditions and technology. I still
The export trading community is
urged to continue to repatriate all
export proceeds within the stipulated
timeframe and surrender the residual
earnings in accordance with the regu-
lations. The banking community is
requested to ensure strict adherence
to all regulations in relation to foreign
exchange transactions.
The Government and the CBSL are
relentlessly pursuing efforts to secure
bridging finance to reduce and allevi-
ate economic stresses in the near
term. A notable progress has been
made in the ongoing negotiations for
an economic adjustment programme
with the International Monetary
Fund.
The debt restructuring process is
also underway, capably assisted with
the Legal and  Financial Advisers. The
Government and the CBSL remain
committed to implementing much-
needed reforms to overcome long-
standing structural issues in the econ-
omy.
The Central Bank reiterates that
overcoming current economic woes
and distresses requires substantial
and concerted efforts from all stake-
holders of the economy. Foul play on
the part of any group of stakeholders
would inevitably result in the worsen-
ing of the crisis, thereby having wide-
spread detrimental effects. It is the
duty of everybody to act conscien-
tiously and responsibly, and extend
their unhindered support during this
hour of need, for the nation to recover
rapidly and emerge stronger from this
crisis.
remember how he insisted us of
using more practical examples in dis-
cussing a theory than being overly
theoretical in neglecting the practice.
He showed us through his innovative
teaching approaches as to how we
should maintain depth and breadth.
Prof. Liyanage compared PIM to a
temple and often suggested that the
work we do have a high spiritual val-
ue. He encouraged us to “give more
than get” regarding rewards. Having
left a lucrative multinational career in
becoming an academic, this lesson
was much soothing for me.
He cautioned me to strike the
needed balance between knowledge
creation and knowledge sharing
when I was having an over-demand
for training and consultancy.
Research role, though not financially
rewarding is of extreme use for a
management academic. I learnt how
to be a multiple role player with bal-
ance and brilliance, thanks to him.
My respect towards him, in fact,
grows day by day with gratitude
towards a “revered mentor.”
I was so glad to collectively initi-
ate the creation of “Prof. Uditha
Liyanage Memorial Library” at PIM,
and jointly launching the Biennial
Memorial Oration together with Sri
Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM)
and Chartered Institute of Marketing
(CIM). The inaugural oration was
held in 2019 delivered by Dr. Mahesh
Amalean and the second one was on
August 10, 2021, delivered by Dr. Hans
Wijayasuriya.
My son as my reverse mentor
My son was my hero in many
fronts. He was an all-rounder with
flare for music and favor for technol-
ogy. He was loved by everyone who
had an encounter with him. This was
evident in the way students, teachers,
relations, and friends alike emotion-
ally responded upon hearing his sud-
den demise. Being a junior prefect
and a chorister at Royal College, he
was in the limelight as a bright and an
obedient student.
I learnt a lot by being with him.
My association with him gave me
many an exposure to discover him. As
Trade deficit narrows during
first six months
The merchandise trade balance
recorded a surplus in June 2022 for the
first time since August 2002, reflecting
the impact of historically high monthly
export earnings and the continued
decline in import expenditure. Earn-
ings from tourism recorded an increase
in June 2022 (year-on-year) from the
low base, despite the negative senti-
ments associated with travel advisories
and the ongoing shortage of fuel and
resultant transportation difficulties.  month in 2021, recording US dollars
Workers’ remittances moderated
in June 2022, compared to May 2022,
reflecting an increase of grey market
activity of foreign exchange transac-
tions. Foreign investment in the gov-
ernment securities market recorded a
marginal net inflow, while that in the
Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) record-
ed a marginal net outflow during June
2022.  increased by 14.3 per cent over the
The Central Bank continued to pro-
vide forex liquidity to finance essential
imports, exhausting the usable level of
gross official reserves.
The weighted average spot
exchange rate in the interbank market
remained around Rs. 360 per US dollar
during the month.
The balance in the merchandise
trade account in June 2022 recorded a
surplus of US dollars 21 million, com-
pared to the deficit of US dollars 652
million recorded in June 2021, and for
the first time since August 2002, where
a trade surplus of US dollars 110 mil-
lion was recorded.  and jewellery; petroleum products;
The cumulative deficit in the trade
account during January-June 2022 nar-
rowed to US dollars 3,514 million from
SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022
a life-long learner in management, it
was indeed “reverse mentoring” in
action. Me from Generation X (born
approx. between 1960-1980), was
being mentored by a young boy from
Generation Z (born approx. 2000
onwards). I learnt how to be cheerful
from him. He was always with a
smile. This was repeatedly mentioned
by his friends who came to pay their
last respect. When I was stressful and
tired, his warmth and cheerfulness
was a relief for me. From early child-
hood, he was a “hugging” boy. He
used to request from me and his
mom, “give me a big hug.” A flying
kiss was a regular feature when he
was half sleep when I had to leave
early morning. He was the cheer gen-
erator at home front. The popular
prescriptions of positive thinkers
were very much evident in little
Nadeepa.
He was a guardian to his elder
sister Navodi. He was conscious of
the fact that she was struggling with
the pressures of GCE AL. He had to
sacrifice many excursions because of
Navodi’s AL encounters. His care was
aptly experienced by my parents as
well as Ruklanthi’s parents. The way
he was showing his genuine love for
me, Ruklanthi and Navodi was a clas-
sic case of caring. He showed us how
we should care for each other through
timely action.
The way school teachers appreci-
ated Nadeepa was such a delight for
us as parents. He was one whom the
teachers could have confidence in
assigning a task. Being a primary pre-
fect and a junior prefect, this was
further demonstrated by him. The
fundamental elements of commit-
ment we encounter in management
could be seen in him.Nadeepa was a
member of the “Inspirational Choir”
who sang the welcome song at the
airport when Pope Francis visited Sri
Lanka last year. He had made many
speeches in front of large audiences
and sang many a times in variety of
entertainment events. He fell in a
pool and broke his ankle one year
before his departure. Subsequently,
he was on clutches for two months.
Yet, he never lost his spirit. All these
were signs of his confidence. I hum-
bly admire his ways, compared to
where I was at his age.
My son never skipped playing. He
enjoyed playing cricket and soccer
with his friends. He also enjoyed play-
ing computer games. Though I did
not understand what it really meant,
he told me that he is a clan leader in
virtually playing the “clash of the
clans.” He often told me and Ruklan-
thi not to be too serious. We in fact
were worried at times, whether he is
neglecting his studies. Yet, he proved
otherwise in passing exams with fly-
ing colours. I learnt how to be relaxed
yet stay in focus, from him.
US dollars 4,316 million recorded over
the same period in 2021.  in average export prices of both avia-
Terms of trade, i.e., the ratio of the
price of exports to the price of imports,
deteriorated by 5.4 per cent in June
2022, compared to June 2021, as the
increase in import prices surpassed
the increase in export prices.
Earnings from merchandise
exports in June 2022 increased by 23.9
per cent over the corresponding
1,248 million, which is the highest ever
monthly export earnings recorded. An
increase in earnings of both industrial
and agricultural exports contributed
to this favourable outcome, while min-
eral exports, which constitute a mea-
gre share of export earnings, recorded
a decline. Cumulative export earnings
from January to June 2022 also
same period in the last year, amount-
ing to US dollars 6,514 million.
Industrial exports: Earnings from
the export of industrial goods
increased in June 2022 by 28.4 per
cent, compared to June 2021. Higher
export earnings from garments con-
tributed to a major share of this out-
come. Export of garments to all major
markets (the United States, the Euro-
pean Union, and the United Kingdom)
improved. Meanwhile, most of the
other industrial export categories
also showed an improved perfor-
mance, particularly, gems, diamonds
animal fodder; and food, beverages
and tobacco. Earnings from the
export of petroleum products
21
He was a natural team leader.
There had been many instances
where he played a key role in organis-
ing class parties, trips, and other
events. The way others rallied around
him was amazing.
He knew how to gather friends for
a worthy cause. Whilst I was teaching
teamwork, he really demonstrated it
in his own way.
Nadeepa was often creative in
many fronts. He was writing poetry
and composing songs. He was handy
with the camera I bought from USA
and taking many uncommon shots.
He won many creative writing com-
petitions. What I insist on being crea-
tive, I saw clearly in my son. I saw the
curiosity in him the way he asked
many intelligent questions, especially
when we were travelling together. He
wanted to think deeply and to probe.
No wonder, how he found science his
favorite subject. At times, I felt he
wanted to challenge the assumptions
and have a fresh way. What I was
teaching as “out of the box thinking,”
I saw in his own original approach.
Nadeepa wanted to be a scientist
and a priest. That may sound as a rare
and unique combination. He was
spiritual by nature. I saw a young
pure heart brimming with genuine-
ness in him. He was having asthma
but have got quite used to an inhaler.
Strangely, he experienced an acute
asthmatic attack resulted in a strug-
gle at the Medical Intensive Care Unit
(MICU)of Lady Ridgeway Hospital for
three days.I still recall watching
through the glass door of the MICU
last time, whilst Ruklanthi was inside
sitting close to Nadeepa. She con-
soled me saying, “he is too precious
for this world.”
Nadeepa Dharmasiri Memorial
Prize for Science (his favourite sub-
ject) awarded to grade 9 students at
Royal College will be a way to remem-
ber his name for the aspiring scien-
tists.
We are pleased to have created
the Nadeepa Dharmasiri Memorial
Trust Fund (www.nadeepdharmasiri.
info) to help the needy children of his
age, and despite challenges, several
charity projects have been done with
the generous contributions of rela-
tives and friends.
Moving ahead
“In the end it’s not the years in
your life that count; it’s the life in your
years,” so said Abraham Lincoln.
Both my revered mentor and my
reverse mentor proved it in different
ways. Prof. Uditha Liyanage left a
legacy as a legendary scholar.
Nadeepa Dharmasiri in his small way
showed the value of a loving son.
Goodbye my beloved Sir. Goodbye my
darling son. I collectively celebrate
both these special lives with peace
and solace.
improved mainly due to the increase
tion and bunker fuel exports. Mean-
while, a decline in earnings was
reported in base metals and articles
(mainly, aluminium, iron and steel
and articles), transport equipment
(mainly, bicycles), plastics and plastic
articles thereof (mainly, plastic sacks
and bags) and chemical products
(mainly, cosmetic or toilet prepara-
tions and pharmaceutical products).
Agricultural exports: Total earn-
ings from the exports of agricultural
goods in June 2022 increased by 9.2
per cent, compared to June 2021, with
a substantial share of the increase
being contributed by seafood (pri-
marily, fresh and frozen fish) and
minor agricultural products (primar-
ily, areca nuts). Export earnings from
coconut kernel products, vegetables
and natural rubber also increased to
some extent. 
Export earnings from tea and
spices declined by 6.0 per cent and
10.6 per cent (year-on-year),  due to
the decline in volume exported.
Mineral exports: Earnings from
mineral exports in June 2022 declined
by 34.8 per cent, compared to June
2021, mainly due to a decline in export
earnings from titanium ores catego-
rised under ores, slag, and ash.
The export volume index
increased notably by 23.5 per cent,
while unit value index improved mar-
ginally by 0.3 per cent (year-on-year),
in June 2022. Thus, the increase in
export earnings could be attributed
mainly to higher export volumes.
22 Sunday ObServer auguSt 7, 2022
Business
Circular Leaf Spot Disease
More technically competent people needed for research
By LALIN I. DE SILVA
Although it was suspected to be the
Pestalotiopsis leaf disease at the begin-
ning it has now been positively identi-
fied as the Circular Leaf Spot Disease
(CLSD) by the Rubber Research Insti-
tute of Sri Lanka (RRISL).
Therefore, the damage it can do to
the industry is not to the extent it hap-
pened in Malaysia, India, Thailand,
Cameroon and Papua New Guinea. The
delay in identifying the leaf disease at
RRISL could be due to the acute short-
age of scientists. It is reported that
there are about 25% vacancies in addi-
tion to not having a Director to RRISL
although the RRISL was the first rubber
research institute to be set up in the
world. The GDP contribution from the
rubber industry was 0.2 in 2021.
This has led to poor or impossibility
of undertaking succession planning
which is a greater threat to the entire
rubber industry, which is growing rap-
idly, and the rubber-based industries
are heavily dependent on natural rub-
ber latex produced locally. Especially at
a time when the country is short of
forex.
The rate of spread of the CLSD has
not been well established. This is seri-
ous as no one could rule out a probabil-
ity of reaching the levels of economic
threshold without real time data on
factorial effects. The impact on differ-
ent clones, rainfall, relative humidity,
health of the tree, soil nutritional lev-
els, production statistics at regional
level and the details of other threaten-
ing diseases such as white root disease
have to be maintained using technical-
ly competent employees of different
departments supporting the rubber
development of Sri Lanka.
The claims such as a 30% crop loss
from the national production due to
CLSD in the previous season cannot be
Sri Lanka missing ... Continued from page 19
It would require an investment of
over $1 billion to build production
infrastructure. Therefore, it is vital to
urgently attract as many investors as
possible for exploration and produc-
tion in the remaining 873 blocks to
maximise benefits to Sri Lanka - espe-
cially in light of the global energy crisis
and the concomitant energy price
increases which have enhanced inves-
tor appetite. While one must drill to
ascertain the actual existence and
quantity of resources, Seismic studies
Going beyond IMF ... Continued from page 19
Along the same lines the two senior
officials noted that the IMF is closely
monitoring the ongoing developments
in Sri Lanka and is continuing technical
discussions with its counterparts in the
Ministry of Finance and Central Bank
of Sri Lanka.
However, they said it is important
to remember that an SLA is different
from approval of an IMF-supported
program by the Executive Board.
Because Sri Lanka’s debt is assessed as
unsustainable, the Executive Board
approval of an IMF-supported program
would require adequate assurances
that debt sustainability will be restored,
the two officials said.
Issuing a statement on the political
and economic developments in Sri
Lanka a couple of moons ago the global
lender said that it hoped to see a speedy
solution to the current situation in the
country to proceed with the discus-
sions for a program.
In the statement the IMF said it was
deeply concerned about the impact of
the ongoing economic crisis on the
people, particularly the poor and vul-
nerable groups, and reaffirmed it com-
mitment to support Sri Lanka at this
difficult time, in line with the IMF’s
policies.
Concluding a visit to Sri Lanka in
June the global lender said aim of the
new IMF-supported program would be
to restore macroeconomic stability and
debt sustainability, while protecting
the poor and vulnerable, safeguarding
Airbnb bookings ... Continued from page 19
But international and city travel,
which had lagged, have also recovered.
The company said it was now in the
middle of its strongest peak summer
travel season yet, and it assured inves-
tors that it was well poised for whatever
may hit the economy.
In fact, a slowdown may actually
help the company, executives said.
“Airbnb was founded during the
recession,” chief executive Brian
Chesky said in a conference call with
analysts to discuss the company’s
results.
In the event of another slowdown,
he said, “we think a lot of people may
turn to hosting once again, so this is a
big opportunity for us”.
justified without real time data. The
rubber prices are reaching all time
high levels and more than 20,000 hect-
ares that has been abandoned previ-
ously due to poor prices have been
harvested since last season. It is diffi-
cult to ascertain if there is an actual
crop loss due to CLSD and the extra
crop that was harvested from the aban-
doned areas have covered the deficit
that may have been due to CLSD.
The absence of a permanent sam-
pling method of the leaf fallen on the
ground due to CLSD on a daily basis is
another shortcoming in the system as
the reality and the scope of the problem
is not identifiable by default.
The disease triangle (host, patho-
gen, and the environment)
Scientists have been doing their
best even with limited resources, man-
power and due motivation to control
the leaf disease last season. The scien-
tists of the RRISL deserve a bouquet of
flowers for that. But the needs must be
closely monitored, identified and fixed
at the earliest to thwart a national disas-
ter in the rubber industry that can hap-
pen if there is a short supply of latex.
estimate nine TCF of gas and five bil-
lion barrels of oil in the Mannar Basin-
according to the 2015 PRDS presenta-
tion to the PUCSL.
This could fulfill several decades of
the country’s energy needs while poten-
tiallysaving $6-7 billion p.a. in expendi-
ture on energy. This is based on Power
and Energy Minister’s statement in Par-
liament in May: “For June 2022, Sri
Lanka needs USD 530 million for fuel
imports”.It also opens opportunities
for Sri Lanka to earn revenue through
financial stability, and stepping up
structural reforms to address corrup-
tion vulnerabilities and unlock Sri Lan-
ka’s growth potential.
An International Monetary Fund
(IMF) mission team led by Peter Breuer
and Masahiro Nozaki visited Colombo
from June 20 to 30 to discuss IMF sup-
port for Sri Lanka and the authorities’
comprehensive economic reform pro-
gram. The post visit media statement
stated ‘Significant progress was made,
and discussions will continue virtually
towards reaching a staff-level agree-
ment on the EFF arrangement in the
near term. Sri Lanka is going through a
severe economic crisis. The economy is
expected to contract significantly in
2022, while inflation is high and rising.
The critically low level of foreign
reserves has hampered the import of
essential goods. During the in-person
visit, the team witnessed some of the
hardships currently faced by the Sri
Lankan people, especially the poor and
vulnerable who are affected dispropor-
tionately by the crisis. We reaffirm our
commitment to support Sri Lanka at
this difficult time in line with the IMF’s
policies.’
“The authorities’ monetary, fiscal
policy and other actions since early
April were important first steps to
address the crisis. The team had con-
structive and productive discussions
with the Sri Lankan authorities on eco-
nomic policies and reforms to be sup-
ported by an IMF Extended Fund Facil-
Overall, bookings in the April-June
period rose 25% from last year to 103.7
million and up 24% from 2019.
Higher prices helped lift the com-
pany’s revenue, which surged 58% from
last year to $2.1bn.
Nearly half of the company’s reser-
vations are for a week or longer, the
company said.
Travel demand remains strongest
in North America, where bookings are
up 37% compared to 2019.
Growth in Europe - while travel has
recovered from the pandemic - is lag-
ging that recovery, hurt by factors such
as the weaker pound.
The company, which announced in
May that it was pulling out of China,
Host
It has been recorded in Indonesia
that the RRIC 100 is somewhat resistant
to a similar leaf disease called Pestalo-
tiopsis or commonly known as Pesta
leaf disease. Similar studies have been
undertaken in Sri Lanka as well, but
conclusive decisions are yet to be made.
The national production of natural
rubber latex is on a downward spiral as
shown in the chart below. This can
decline further without a real time digi-
tal platform to detect factorial effects.
If arrangements have been made to
install a digital platform and millions of
Production Sharing Agreements with
investors who take 100% of the risk.
The industry holds the potential to
contribute crucial foreign exchange, in
terms of investment and possible
future revenue from production. It is
imperative that Sri Lanka does not miss
the small window of opportunity avail-
able with high prices and supply pres-
sures, fast disappearing internal com-
bustion engines, as well as the displace-
ment of fossil fuels with the advent of
“Net Zero”.
ity (EFF) arrangement. The staff team
and the authorities made significant
progress on defining a macroeconomic
and structural policy package. The dis-
cussions will continue virtually with a
view to reaching a staff-level agree-
ment on the EFF arrangement in the
near term. Because public debt is
assessed as unsustainable, Executive
Board approval would require adequate
financing assurances from Sri Lanka’s
creditors that debt sustainability will be
restored.
“In this context, discussions
focused on designing a comprehensive
economic program to correct the mac-
roeconomic imbalances, restore public
debt sustainability, and realise Sri Lan-
ka’s growth potential. Discussions
advanced substantially during the mis-
sion, including on the need to reduce
the elevated fiscal deficit while ensur-
ing adequate protection for the poor
and vulnerable.
Given the low level of revenues, far-
reaching tax reforms are urgently
needed to achieve these objectives.
Other challenges that need addressing
include containing rising levels of infla-
tion, addressing the severe balance of
payments pressures, reducing corrup-
tion vulnerabilities and embarking on
growth-enhancing reforms.
The authorities have made consid-
erable progress in formulating their
economic reform program and we are
looking forward to continuing the dia-
logue with them, the lender noted.
said demand remained below pre-pan-
demic levels in the Asia Pacific region,
as Covid restrictions keep Chinese
tourists at home.
Despite the removal of China list-
ings in July, Airbnb still has more than
6 million active listings on the plat-
form. Mr Chesky said the company had
now achieved “growth and profitability
at scale” and said the firm would both
continue to invest in the business, and
spend $2bn on buying its own shares,
which have fallen this year.
Executives said the buyback pro-
gramme was a sign of their confidence
in the company’s future. The company
reported a profit of $379m, compared
to a loss of $68m last year. - BBC
Rupees have been paid to the contrac-
tor already, arrangements have to be
made to get them to complete the job
soon.
the pathogen
Two pathogens have been identi-
fied as the disease-causing fungi and
inorganic fungicides to control the
pathogen are in use. The large-scale
rubber plantations use drones to
undertake the aerial spraying effective-
ly to control CLSD. The smallholders
who are the majority stake holders of
natural rubber farming in Sri Lanka
need help as otherwise the possibility
Charts suggest now ... Continued from page 19
The Commitments of Traders data,
at the bottom of the chart, reveals that
small speculators are in their smallest
long position since May 2019 – right
before there was a major gold rally.
Also worth noting is that small specula-
tors were in their largest net long posi-
Assurance of restoring ... Continued from page 19
Declaring a decade for export pro-
motion with a greater focus on promot-
ing goods and services exports where
the public and private sectors, the polit-
ical leadership and all stakeholder
institutions should focus largely to
drive exports by identifying products
and supporting entrepreneurs to enter
into foreign markets. Giving export
earning targets for potential entities are
essential to get the economy back on
track, he said.
Attracting foreign students to local
universities, getting research funds are
vital Dr. Dunusinghe said while stress-
ing the need for a well-established safe-
ty net covering short-term consump-
tion needs of the needy and developing
livelihoods in the medium term.
He said identifying such groups,
developing programs, mobilising local
and foreign financial resources and
implementation of such a program
with the attendance of public officials
and experts is crucial.
Identify key public sector reforms,
in addition to State Owned enterprises
which will be part of the IMF program
Record food prices ... Continued from page 19
Global commodity markets face
upside risks through the following
channels: reduction in grain supplies,
higher energy prices, higher fertiliser
prices, and trade disruption due to
shutting down of major ports.  urgent action to address food insecuri-
Over the coming months, a major
challenge will be access to fertiliser
which may impact food production
across many crops in different regions.
Russia and Belarus are major fertiliser
exporters, accounting for 38% of potas-
sic fertiliser, 17% of compound fertilis-
er, and 15% of nitrogenous fertiliser.
On April 13, 2022, the heads of the
Human nutrition ... Continued from page 19
“Our Association has been observ-
ing the developments in the country
and its impact on the livestock sector
and have been briefing the authorities
on the need to protect the industry
which would if not collapse in the near
future, Hewagamage said.
The veterinary association has
been requesting for subsidies to sup-
port the livestock sector but has so far
has not received a positive response to
the appeal due to the government fac-
ing financial constraints, the Associa-
tion noted.
There are shortages of maize, rice
of them turning towards alternate
short-term crops will not be able to
stop. It is interesting to note that the
organic fungicides are being tested by
smallholders successfully already.
Since the private labs may not disclose
their herbal formulas it is important for
the Ministry to interfere and do the
justice without further delay as organic
inputs don’t cost us forex at this crucial
juncture.
environment
Number of climatic factors starting
from rainfall patterns, relative humid-
ity, wind speed, colder nights, warmer
tion in four years during gold’s recent
peak in March.
While this doesn’t mean investors
should always do the opposite of what
small speculators are doing, this is a
sign that gold could gain soon, accord-
ing to Cramer.
to enhance efficiency and profession-
alism should be prioritised. It is impor-
tant to examine whether the public
sector services are in line with the
requirements of the people/investors.
In particular, it is important that, at
least for new recruits, abolish perma-
nent positions in the public sector and
grant a fixed tenure initially for a peri-
od of three years which could be
extended, he said.
Establish an independent entity,
similar to NITI (National Institution for
Transforming India) which is run by
experts and political leaderships to
draft national policies on identified
sectors and provide independent
observations and recommendation on
policies/project of national interests.
This entity could bar politicians’
attempt in carrying out projects/poli-
cies/agreements without proper analy-
sis of the impact on the economy.
He said focus should be on develop-
ing the Hambantota and port-city spe-
cial economic zones to boost business-
es. It would take 7 to 8 years to obtain
loans for development projects. Hence,
World Bank Group, International Mon-
etary Fund, United Nations World Food
Program, and World Trade Organiza-
tion released a  joint statement  calling
on the international community for
ty, to keep trade open and support vul-
nerable countries, including by provid-
ing financing to meet the most urgent
needs. Following the start of the war in
Ukraine, trade-related policies imposed
by countries have surged. The global
food crisis has been partially made
worse by the growing number of food
trade restrictions put in place by coun-
polish and soyabean, which account
for a major part of the nutrition of ani-
mals have been in short supply since
end last year.
The SVSA was founded on 1989 and
since then it has evolved as a potent
force, with a membership exceeding
750 and a network comprised of more
than 10 branch unions. The SVSA has
acted as a watchdog to prevent irregu-
larities in appointments, transfers and
the awarding of scholarships for fur-
ther training, by the Administration.
The SVSA has also played a mediatory
role in developing livestock sector in
daytime, daylight duration and even
soils seem to have an impact on the
breeding of the pathogens. The data
must be captured at situ and analysed
using modern software such as MS
Power BI that’s available for free to
identify relationships that can be pro-
actively used to minimise possible
damages from leaf diseases.
The strains must be made stronger
wherever bio fertilisers are used to
improve plant immunity and tree
health. The RRISL has already recom-
mended methods to avoid high humid-
ity that helps breeding of pathogens
fast. Considering the looming threat of
climatic change specially identified to
be affecting Sri Lanka, improved agro-
nomic actions are urgent to retain soil
moisture, to protect biodiversity by
moving away from mono cropping that
encourages high cost on weeding as
well.
With the rapid changes of environ-
mental factors the country is in need of
new agriculture maps and it is ideally
suitable for those who are growing rub-
ber in large scale to move towards areas
such as Monaragala and Ampara that
have very less impacts on leaf diseases.
gdP contributions
The ultimate aim should be to pro-
duce 200,000 MT of natural rubber latex
from our cultivations which is a jump
of about 119,000 MT from the current
production of 81,000 MT per year. The
Ceylon Planters are always ready to
shoulder the wheel. Let us put our best
foot forward to regain Sri Lanka.
the writer is a
senior planter
and consultant
and advisor on
agriculture
“That would be too glib, but he
points out that in the last 9 years, when-
ever their net long position in gold has
been this low, the actual metal has ral-
lied. And the best-selling points all
came at moments when they had large
long positions,” Cramer said. -CNBC
private (both foreign and local) sector
should play a key role in filling the
savings-investment gap in that period. 
Introduce strategies to improve
household savings. At present domes-
tic savings is 15 per cent of the GDP. The
investment requirement is around 30
per cent of GDP. In East Asian countries
the savings rate is around 40 per cent.
Hence, it is vital to encourage savings
through appropriate policy measures. 
Creating a level playing field for the
market to operate in fair manner is vital
for which new laws or upgrading the
existing regulations and implementing
them is essential, Dr. Dunusighe said
adding that communication of the real
economic problems and its gravity to
people by the authorities is paramount.
Tax concessions and special privi-
leges to public officials, security forces
and politicians should be done away
with immediately to ensure equal treat-
ment to all citizens, he said adding that
steps should be taken to promote
healthy relations with all countries and
in particular with the donor communi-
ty .
tries with a goal of increasing domestic
supply and reducing prices. As of July
15, 18 countries have implemented 27
food export bans, and seven have
implemented 11 export-limiting mea-
sures.
Globally, hunger levels remain
alarmingly high. According to the 2022
State of Food Insecurity in the World
(SOFI) report, the number of people
affected by hunger rose in 2021 to 828
million, an increase of about 46 million
since 2020 and 150 million since 2019,
before the outbreak of the COVID-19
pandemic. - World Bank
Sri Lanka.  Discussed between the
authorities and the Association on
increasing milk production and the
many practical issues to boost dairy
production has not borne fruit yet, an
official of the association said.
He said it has been revealed here
that two liters of liquid milk is cur-
rently obtained from one milk cow. We
discussed the plan to increase that to 5
litres. The Association said Sri Lanka
has reached self sufficiency in poultry
meat and eggs and the excess produc-
tion is exported bridging in the much
needed forex to the country.
 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022 23

Business

Telephone interviews in recruitment

Advantages and disadvantages Convenient way might be challenging to determine a
A greater proportion of organisa- Telephone interviews are not without candidate’s level of focus during a
tions now use telephone interviews to
assess potential employees’ general
disadvantages. Insufficient body language, which phone interview. If the candidate disa-
grees with a statement the interviewer
Hemantha aptitudes, telephone manners, and can be immensely useful to fathom the suitability may have made, he cannot notice them
Kulatunga other abilities as a result of the rise in smiling or frowning. Also, you cannot
call centres and other telephone-based of a candidate, is a significant setback see their precise body or facial expres-

A
t this time of crisis, particu-
larly with transport limita-
tions, employers have lim-
ited chances of conducting
in-person interviews at
their offices. Many of them have
already switched to telephone inter-
viewing in their recruitment drives due
to the shortage of fuel in the market.
However, even in normal times, con-
ducting telephone interviews has
many advantages.
On the eve of World Water Day last
week, the U.N. offered a sobering sta-
tistic: according to its recent  study,
more people on earth have access to
cell phones than toilets. It was revealed
that out of the world’s estimated 7 bil-
lion people, 6 billion have access to
mobile phones. This is obviously good
information for market researchers
and for telephone interviewers. In fact,
being able to reach 85% of the world’s
population via mobile phones is amaz-
ingly positive news for marketers and
recruiters.
For many decades, the traditional
form of interview has been face-to-
face interviews or group interviews.
However,  technology has served as a
boon to the corporate world. Thus,
various other modes or types of inter-
views also came into existence, such as
telephone and video interviews.
industries. Telephone interviews are a
quick and convenient way to find the
top candidates and weed out undesir-
able prospects, but they should never
take the place of the final in-person
interview.
Employers who regularly hire a lot
of people, especially graduate employ-
ers like huge accountancy firms and
large banks, frequently conduct tele-
phone interviews. Visit our guide on
doing effective phone interviews if you
want to learn more.
Phone interviews have many ben-
efits, including being quicker and
more convenient for both you and the
interviewee than setting up an in-per-
son meeting. Meeting in person is
important as qualifications and experi-
ence, but such meetings depend on
and demand personality, telephone
skills, and demeanour. However, due
to the fact that neither participant can
see the other during a phone interview,
the customary visual cues are missing.
Preliminary screening
For marketing companies and for
occupations in sales, particularly for
telephone selling, verbal communica-
tion skills are crucial. Hence, in such
situations, telephone interviews are
particularly common. However, other
firms utilise them to conduct a pre-
liminary screening of applicants for a
wide range of positions.
Telephone interviews frequently
serve the employer’s interests more
than those of the candidate. However,
a telephone interview is preferable to
no interview at all for a job seeker. Tel-
ephone interviews have advantages
and downsides, just like all practice
techniques.
How do phone interviews work? A
telephone interview, also known as a
phone screening, is a job interview
that is conducted over the phone but
typically only uses audio and without
video presence. Phone interviews are
frequently used during the employ-
ment process before limiting their
options and choosing candidates for
further, more in-depth interviews in
the following round. Hiring managers
should utilise this form of intern
review as an initial screening.
However, since there may be fewer
opportunities to establish a personal
connection during phone interviews
than during in-person ones, job seek-
ers may find them a little more diffi-
cult.
A phone conversation is far less
expensive than a face-to-face inter-
view, especially if the respondent is not
nearby. Telephone interviews not only
save money on transportation costs
but also save travel time, which can be
used more effectively and profitably
elsewhere. A decrease in costs can
make it possible to conduct more inter-
views, increasing the validity and reli-
ability of the results and allowing for
the elimination of any abnormal
results, resulting in richer and higher-
quality data.
Flexibility
Questioning flexibility when con-
ducting a telephone interview is enor-
mous. It is advantageous for the inter-
viewer and the respondent to speak
with an interviewer over the phone
since it allows for a great degree of flex-
ibility in the questioning process. This
is a far better approach for the inter-
viewer to screen potential applicants,
make sure they are the right person to
speak with, and give them more time
to focus on any special interests the
respondent may have expressed.
In addition to providing more thor-
ough responses than you would likely
get from an online survey and a greater
response rate, it allows the respondent
the option to ask any questions they
may have.
Telephone interviews also provide
a wider geographic reach for employ-
ers. Possible recruits who are working
outside workplaces, such as salesmen,
engineers, and technicians, are notori-
ously difficult to find because they
travel and do not find time for personal
interviews. This means that individu-
als are less likely to reply to a job offer.
However, telephone interviews can
quickly reach a large number of people
with little effort on the part of both the
interviewer and the respondent.
However, with many of the above-
mentioned benefits, telephone inter-
views are not without disadvantages.
Insufficient body language, which can
be immensely useful to fathom the
suitability of a candidate, is a signifi-
cant setback. This is common to the
interviewer and the candidate.
If the interviewees are visible, the
employer can identify whether or not
they are interested in the position. It
sions. Hence, the employer has no
alternative other than to fly blind.
Advantages
Many organisations have switched
to telephone interviewing, specifically
for preliminary screening, to save
costs and time. However, it is impor-
tant to mention that video interviews
conducted using tools like Zoom may
offer more advantages over phone
interviews as the ability to visually
transmit information is more effective.
Telephone interviews can save
money by reducing the cost of the
interview location, travel expenses,
and sustenance expenses. The inter-
viewer can choose possible applicants
from the CVs that have been submit-
ted, chat with them multiple times, if
required, on the phone, and further
reduce the pool to a manageable num-
ber.
They have a better opportunity to
analyse the applicant’s suitability and
determine whether it is worthwhile to
set up a subsequent interview. Also,
employers can use telephone inter-
views to screen potential candidates
before scheduling an important in-
person interview. The most important
factor is that face-to-face interviews
can be done after the screening pro-
cess is over, which can enormously
reduce the time and stress for the
employer.

SLT-MOBITEL
extends 4G router
home delivery
service
SLT-MOBITEL is further extending
its services with 4G Router Home Deliv-
ery, providing free of charge delivery
service for the purchase of 4G routers.
The home delivery service enables cus-
tomers to purchase devices at the con-
venience of their homes, eliminating
the need to physically visit a store to
obtain connectivity.
In addition, the 4G Router Home
Delivery service is part of SLT-MOBI-
TEL’s broader vision in further enhanc-
ing customer centricity and offering a
timely solution to customers at a time
when the country is facing national
level challenges that are deterring the
day-to-day commutes. The SLT-MOBI-
TEL 4G router delivery service ensures
the product is brought to the doorstep
through an mAgent. Customers can
simply call 1717 or visit www.sltmobi-
tel.lk and place an order along with
their details. SLT-MOBITEL will deliver
a Home 4G Router along with the con-
nection to customers’ doorstep. The
delivery charge will be completely
waived off. SLT-MOBITEL is increas-
ingly innovating ways that make it eas-
ier and more convenient for customer
to have access to what they need and
not miss out. Further, as an added ser-
vice of the doorstep delivery, custom-
ers can also request new mobile con-
nections and SIM replacements.
Alumex expands fabricators network
Alumex, a fully integrated alu-
minium profiles manufacturer and
member of the Hayleys Group,
recently expanded its network of
home-grown aluminium fabricators
to over 15,000 with the addition of
2,000 Lumin experts.
Launching the initiative over two
decades ago, Alumex established a
fully equipped training centre to
equip local aluminium fabricators
with the latest technology. In addition
to improving the knowledge base of
fabricators in Sri Lanka, the company
continues to train technical college
leavers and military fabrication units
under the initiative.
“Alumex has always ensured cus-
tomers have access to the best possi-
ble products. Towards achieving this
goal, we have enhanced the skills of
aluminium fabricators across the
island, providing them with the
knowledge and certifications to help
ensure quality across the entire
Lumin fabricators at a capacity building program
domestic industry. In the process, we
have also established a thriving,
vibrant lumin community.
“Having experienced increasing
demand for qualified aluminium fab-
ricators, we are expanding this com-
munity and onboarding others
inspired by the industry by creating
awareness and offering access to
qualifications. We appreciate the
community of Lumin fabricators and
reward their continuous support in
catering to evolving demands with
exceptional service,” Alumex Manag-
ing Director Pramuk Dadiwela said.
The company trains over 2,000
fabricators annually, making them
up-to-date with global trends and
enhancing their practical skills to
carry out a commercially sustainable
business.
Recently, Alumex brought togeth-
er registered Lumin experts, trained
and certificated fabricators from
across the island for a seminar on
CHEC Port City Colombo showcases
potential at World Cities Summit
industry growth opportunities and
will organise similar events in the
months to come to ensure uninter-
rupted service quality to customers
and support newcomers to enter and
serve the market. To ensure service
quality standards are at an interna-
tional level, Alumex will continuously
evaluate Lumin aluminium fabrica-
tors and has organised capacity-
building seminars to improve man-
agement skills, global best practices,
and advanced techniques introduced
to the industry.
“Aluminium fabricators under-
take construction projects of varying
scales and are important stakehold-
ers in the construction industry. Over
the years, this community has worked
tirelessly to provide the domestic
market with high-quality services for
which we are truly grateful. It is this
innovative and creative drive we wish A model of the Port City Colombo
to foster within the industry through
our initiative,” Dadiwela said. CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) tions about the future and forge new
Ltd represented Sri Lanka at the partnerships.
World Cities Summit 2022 at the The three-day Summit is attend-
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore from ed by Thulci Aluwihare the Deputy
July 31 to August 3. This biennial Managing Director at the CHEC Port
global event unites city leaders and City Colombo, where he will speak
associates from across 90 countries at the WCS track session on the
under this year’s theme, “Liveable topic, “How Can Partnerships
and Sustainable Cities: Emerging Transform the Development of Cit-
Stronger.” ies?”.
Port City Colombo envisions As Sri Lanka battles several eco-
itself as the most livable city in nomic and political challenges, the
South Asia imbuing technology and project company focuses on crucial
sustainability with its Smart City recovery efforts, pushing Sri Lanka
concept to enhance living conveni- towards the future by involving it in
ence. important discussions among glob-
As the Platinum Sponsor of the al leaders and industry specialists.
event, the project company show- Port City Colombo I will continue to
cases the potential of Port City work towards becoming an exem-
Colombo as a special economic plary city providing the highest
zone and a future investment hub to quality commercial, entertain-
representatives from Governments, ment, medical, education and life-
thought leaders, experts and corpo- style opportunities, putting Sri Lan-
rates from diverse industry sectors, ka on the map not only in South
who have converged at the World Asia, but as a global leader in sus-
Cities Summit to inspire conversa- tainability.

CA Sri Lanka national confab from October 12-14 Exporters’ Association

Amid the unprecedented eco-
nomic crisis engulfing the country,
which has impacted businesses
and citizens alike, the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Sri Lan-
ka (CA Sri Lanka) in its standing as
the National Body of Accountants
will take the lead to influence
Chartered Accountants to push for
transformation to help the country
successfully navigate through its
ongoing predicament.     President, CA Sri Lanka, San-
The National Conference of
Chartered Accountants, organised
for the 43rd consecutive year by CA
Sri Lanka and dubbed as one of the
country’s biggest business sum-
mits will help delegates including
business leaders, entrepreneurs
and c-suite executives effect
change which will benefit not just
the country and the corporate, but
also individuals and society. The
43rd National Conference will be
held from October 12-14 at the
Monarch Imperial, Colombo on
the inspiring theme ‘Transform’
and the three-day event expected
to attract over 2000 delegates, with
over 20 speakers expected to share
their insights on the unprecedent-
ed, complex, and the ever-evolving
social and economic situation in
Sri Lanka, while exploring possi-
bilities to transform for a better
self, society, corporate and coun-
try.  pu, CA Sri Lanka President Sanjaya Bandara, Chairperson of the National Conference Committee Ms. Anoji
jaya Bandara said that today, Sri
Lanka is at crossroads, and the fact
of the matter is, that the light at the
end of the tunnel is far from visible
because the economic crisis the
country is facing at present is
something vastly different from
what Sri Lanka has faced in the
past.
“Many of us in Sri Lanka have
faced our fair share of crises rang-
ing from a war to a tsunami to the
Easter Sunday Attack. But the
ongoing economic crisis is some-
commits to ensuring
repatriation of export
proceeds
The Exporters’ Association of Sri Lanka
(EASL) welcomes the measures taken by the
CBSL, as outlined in their communication of July
29 titled “Importance of Fair Play by all Stake-
The head table at the media briefing (from left): Alternate Chair of the Technical Committee Ms. Priyoshini holders of the Economy in countering the cur-
Fernando, Chairman of the Technical Committee Anura Perera, CA Sri Lanka Vice President Heshana Kurup- rent unprecedented economic crisis”.
As a responsible association, the EASL sup-
ports the CBSL in its measures to “strictly moni-
de Silva and CEO Ms. Dulani Fernando
tor and measure ensure compliance with all
regulations on foreign exchange transactions,
thing unique to us all, as it has fore, this time, instead of only Sri Lankans believe. We are ready
including repatriation requirements of export
affected everyone, both rich and being a co-pilot for our company, for real transformation, a transfor- proceeds, conversions and mandatory sales to
poor, as well as big and small,” he we need to take one step further mation that will change the coun- the CBSL” The EASL is committed to ensuring
said.   and help fly Sri Lanka out of this try for the better.”  that its members abide by the requirements of
    He said Chartered Account- crisis,” Bandara said.  Chairperson Staying true to its theme ‘Trans- the law in respect of the repatriation of export
ants are no longer restricted to of the National Conference Com- form’ the conference will also proceeds and the surrender of residual earnings.
traditional number crunching mittee Ms. Anoji de Silva said that change the format this year, mov- We have communicated this to our membership
roles. Instead, today, they are iden- for many decades CA Sri Lanka has ing away from the traditional panel and willing to support the CBSL in any way pos-
tified as co-pilots of a business always strived to promote thought discussions by incorporating more sible at this time. It’s important that exporters
because they bring a multitude of leadership amongst the business speakers who will bring different abiding by the regulations are recognised by the
critical skills to the table ranging community. “This year’s confer- and diverse perspectives apart CBSL and agree that offending companies should
from technical to leadership as ence is even more significant as we from concluding the event with a be dealt with under the provisions of the law.
well as strategic thinking. “There- feel we are in sync with what we as highly inspiring fireside chat.
24 Sunday ObServer auguSt 7, 2022

Business

IPS proposals for Interim budget

ahead of the presentation of the Inter-
im budget, the Institute of Policy Stud-
ies of Sri Lanka (IPS) has recommend-
ed policy proposals for inclusion in
the forthcoming budget. Some key
policy issues and recommendations:.
trade policy
Despite strict import controls, Sri
Lanka’s trade deficit in merchandise
goods widened in 2021. The slight
increase was mainly due to the sharp
price movements in the world market,
with the import reduction patterns
across categories being consistent with
the post-pandemic controls. As con-
sumer goods imports are prioritised,
including food imports, it generates
two key undesirable impacts. First, it
impacts food security and nutrition
needs. Second, high food prices will
incentivise a further resource shift –
such as labour – to agriculture, raise
wage costs for sectors like manufactur-
ing and impact their competitiveness.
In this context, two key recommenda-
tions are:
1. Prioritise imports for industrial
expansion and food security needs:
IPS research shows that about 88%
of food imports are now subject to
quantitative or price restrictions.
The Special Commodity Levy (SCL)
on items such as canned fish, green/
black gram, cowpea, palm oil, and
black gram flour should be removed
to ensure that food security and
caloric needs are met. Licensing
restriction on maize imports which
feeds poultry production costs must
also be revisited. Sri Lanka must
prioritise fertiliser imports and
reintroduce fertiliser subsidies to
paddy and vegetable farmers to
raise productivity and prevent a
resource shift that will impact over-
all economic efficiency.
2. Focus on increasing exports in sec-
tors that use minimum foreign raw
materials: There are certain prod-
ucts in which Sri Lanka enjoys a
comparative advantage in global
markets, requiring low imported
raw materials in production such as
tea, spices and mineral products
like graphite. To meet immediate
needs, bottlenecks such as fertiliser
shortages should be addressed to
raise productivity and export earn-
ings while mineral resources can be
auctioned to increase revenues.
education Policy
The Covid-19 pandemic and the
economic crisis have severely affected
the education sector. Health concerns,
union action, social unrest and trans-
port issues have resulted in frequent
school closures. Inadequate budget
allocations and improper recruitment
of teachers have deteriorated the qual-
ity of education. Recent news items
have highlighted difficulties faced by
schools due to shortages of paper and
other materials necessary for the func-
tioning of schools. Further, deteriora-
tion of school facilities has affected the
effective functioning of schools. Inter-
ruptions to school-based relief meas-
ures such as the school meal programs
can also increase school dropouts and
malnutrition. Data from the Ministry of
Finance reveals that public investment
in education has remained just above
1%. Of this minuscule allocation, a
large share is spent on teacher salaries.
Frequent absorptions to the teaching
cadre to provide jobs to unemployed
graduates has worsened this situation
crowding out funds from other neces-
sary education inputs.
The government has recommend-
ed online lessons as a solution to diffi-
culties in conducting on-site school
classes. But IPS research shows that the
access to online lessons is not equitable
due to poor access to the internet, lack
of necessary devices and high cost of
data. In this context, two key recom-
mendations are:
1. Increase public investment in edu-
cation: Public investment in educa-
tion should be increased and an
adequate share of such investments
should be dedicated to increasing
the quality of education delivery
such as the maintenance of school
facilities, paper, and maintenance
of school-centred relief programs
(e.g. school meals). This can be
done by putting a cap on the share
of government spending on salaries
and wages of total expenditure in
education. Given the lower enrol-
ment rates for A-Levels, the govern-
ment should consider introducing
targeted financial assistance pro-
grams for deserving children from
poorer families to continue their
studies.
2. Minimise school closures due to
transport issues: Increase the exist-
ing fleet of school buses and pro-
vide adequate fuel for school buses
to limit school closures due to trans-
port issues. Measures should also
be taken to ensure that children do
not travel long distances to attend
schools so that schools can function
uninterrupted even in times of cri-
sis.
Food security and nutrition policy
IPS research shows that long-term
environmental, social, and economic
trends heightened by domestic and
international challenges have eroded
the resilience of Sri Lanka’s agri-food
there are certain products in which Sri Lanka enjoys a comparative
advantage in global markets, requiring low imported raw materials in
production such as tea, spices and mineral products like graphite
systems. On the global front, the COV-
ID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine
conflict are generating a global reces-
sion with high world market prices of
food, oil, and fertiliser. At the local lev-
el, crop failures have resulted from
poor government policies such as the
chemical fertiliser import ban. Infla-
tionary pressures arising from a com-
bination of factors including excessive
money printing and the sudden free
float of the exchange rate have also
taken a toll on domestic food prices and
food supply. All these have resulted in
low farm incomes, high food prices,
food shortages and hunger and malnu-
trition. In this context, two key recom-
mendations are:
1. Introduce a targeted food ration
scheme for the poor and strengthen
nutritional assistance: As an imme-
diate measure to help the poor and
marginalised who are the most vul-
nerable, introduce a targeted food
ration scheme covering essentials
like rice, wheat flour and dhal.
Strengthen nutritional assistance
programmes such as the School
Meals programme, ‘Thriposha’ and
‘Poshana Malla’. Support from the
World Food Programme (WFP),
Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) and regional (SAARC) and
bilateral sources can be sought for
this purpose.
2. Promote community gardens in the
short term: Promote community
gardens that include neighbour-
hood community gardens and
school gardens. The way a commu-
nity garden is set up and main-
tained can vary greatly from one to
the other. These can be established
in an empty land and the neigh-
bours can look after it. It can be
even in private land where the
neighbours can share the harvest in
exchange for labour. Some exam-
ples of community gardens include
Virginia Avenue Community Gar-
den, Washington, D.C., and Com-
munity Gardens Australia.
Health policy
Sri Lanka’s health system is recog-
nised as an efficient, low-cost model.
However, changing demographic and
disease patterns along with domestic
finance issues threaten the sustainabil-
ity of the health sector. Inadequate ser-
vice provision in the public sector and
shortages of medicine and equipment
are driving people towards the private
sector causing inequities in access to
healthcare, as not all can afford private
sector healthcare.
Over half of the budget is allocated
for wages leaving very little resources
for all other health inputs. As a result,
investments in this vital sector have
been curtailed over the past few years.
Further, changing lifestyles have exac-
erbated the risk factors for non-com-
municable diseases (NCDs). Four major
behavioural risk factors directly con-
tribute to the escalating NCDs in the
country: tobacco use, physical inactiv-
ity, alcohol misuse, and unhealthy die-
tary patterns. In this context, two key
recommendations are:
1. Introduce a system to ensure prop-
er financial planning for the health
sector: This includes rationalising
expenditure on the health sector,
increasing efficiency of health
expenditure, and introducing
mechanisms for mobilising private
sector resources for the health sec-
tor. Rationalising health expendi-
ture involves prioritising public
health spending to focus on essen-
tial health services and ensuring
that sufficient funds are available
for financing such essential needs.
A system to limit recruitments to
the health sector to maximise
spending efficiency is also needed.
2. Design fiscal policies to increase
government revenue and lower
health-related costs: Taxes aimed at
curbing NCD risk factors can both
help to increase government reve-
nue and decrease health expendi-
ture. Even though an inflation-
adjusted tax system is the best
option in the long run, for the inter-
im budget, an increase of LKR 20 for
all types of cigarettes is recom-
mended. Such an increase is esti-
mated to increase government rev-
enue by LKR 5 billion. Expanding
and increasing the tax on sugar-
sweetened beverages (SSB) can also
help to increase revenue and
decrease health costs. Emerging
findings from an IPS study show
that the tax imposed in 2017 had
contributed to decreasing the
demand for SSBs.
Labour migration policy
In the first half of 2022, total depar-
tures for foreign employment were
138,789 which records a 351% growth
relative to the first half of 2021. Despite
the high departure statistics, the below-
par performance of worker remittanc-
es is a concern. IPS research indicates
that a major component of remittances
to Sri Lanka are sent through informal
channels.
Many migrants avoid using formal
channels due to their cumbersome
rules and regulations. In recent times,
some have boycotted using formal
channels to show their dissatisfaction
with the government’s ad hoc policies
and related economic mismanagement
that led to a foreign exchange crisis. In
this context, two key recommendations
are:
1. Increase departures to increase
remittances: Loans can be offered
to migrants to bear the cost of
migration with the promise to repay
the loan via remittances. The budg-
et can allocate a sum of money for
this purpose to give banks credit
guarantees to provide loans to
potential migrants. The migrants
can be encouraged to pay back such
loans with remittances. This will
facilitate migration and also
increase formal remittances.
2. Attract remittances through formal
channels. Allow remitters to negoti-
ate higher exchange rates (on par
with informal remittance channels)
for remittances sent via formal
channels. Part of the reason for the
lower exchange rate is the higher
transaction costs involved when
sending money through formal
channels. The government can sub-
sidise this cost so that banks can
offer a better exchange rate to the
remitters.
Social protection policy
Rising food and non-food prices
and fuel shortages have serious conse-
quences, particularly for low and low-
er-middle-income households with
declining household earnings affecting
consumption pattern.
Given the extent of the present cri-
sis, the existing social protection
schemes will not be sufficient to cover
those falling below the poverty line due
to the economic downturn. Hence rap-
id assessments are needed to identify
the poor and those affected by the crisis
using village-level administrators/com-
mittees.
This can be done efficiently by
using the existing lists compiled during
the pandemic as a basis but improving
them to rectify any targeting errors.
Given the level of targeting errors in the
Samurdhi program, beneficiaries
should not necessarily include Samur-
dhi recipients (families) if they are nei-
ther poor nor their earnings affected by
the crisis. In this context, two key rec-
ommendations are:
1. Provide a monthly cash allowance
to poor households: An allowance
of LKR 5,000 per family/ household
should be provided for three con-
secutive months to well-identified
groups. This should be on top of any
other cash assistance they receive
from the government. The program
should aim to include poor/deserv-
ing families including those who
are currently not beneficiaries of
the Samurdhi program but deemed
eligible and any other families in
the informal sector whose income
has been heavily affected by the
economic crisis.
2. Extend the coverage of the elderly
assistance program: The coverage
of the elderly assistance program
should be extended to all eligible
people above 70 years from low-
income households to ensure their
financial security. This is particu-
larly important to ensure the finan-
cial security of senior citizens at
this time given the rising prices of
food, medicine, and difficulty in
obtaining medicine free from gov-
ernment hospitals. This will first
require a systematic assessment of
their eligibility based on the defined
set of eligibility criteria for the pro-
gram (which can be done at the
divisional level).

Vivo releases third 6G White Paper Expolanka Holdings records

6G Services, Capabilities and Enabling Technologies
beIJIng – The Vivo Communications
Research Institute released its third 6G
white paper, “Building a Freely Connected
Physical and Digital Integrated World: 6G
Services, Capabilities and Enabling Tech-
nologies” last week. The report explores the
6G framework and enabling technologies
that Vivo experts believe will shape people’s
lives beyond 2030.
“As one of the world’s leading smart-
phone vendors, we are dedicated to empow-
ering consumers by making cutting-edge 5G
smartphones affordable and accessible. At
the same time, we have set our sights on the
future - 6G,” said President of Vivo Commu-
nications Research Institute, Qin Fei add-
ing, “At the forefront of R&D, we continue to
explore what a 6G world might look like and
what technologies we need to develop to get
there.”
Over the past two years, the industry has
been gradually forming a consensus on the
services that may be provided by 6G and the
key capability indicators that need to be
achieved. The research and development of
related key enabling technologies is also
gaining momentum. The Vivo Communica-
tions Research Institute has been actively
contributing to shaping the future of 6G
with in-depth analysis and evaluation of 6G
business models and drivers, application
scenarios, system architecture, and ena-
bling technologies.
Vivo’s latest white paper on 6G builds on
two earlier works released in 2020, includ-
ing ‘Digital Life 2030+’, which provides
insights into some of the many potential 6G
digital scenarios for the next decade, and
‘6G Vision, Requirements and Challenges’,
which outlines Vivo’s vision for 6G, namely
that 6G will enable convergence of the digi-
tal and physical worlds.
The white paper proposes that 6G will
provide super communication, informa-
tion, and converged computing services,
becoming a base for an interconnected and
converged physical and digital world.
According to the analysis, 6G will converge
communication, computation, and sensing
in a single system. An integrated 6G network
will not only connect humans to humans,
but it will also connect humans to machines
and machines to machines, helping create a
whole new digital world. It can be expected
that hundreds of billions of devices will be
connected by 2030.
“6G will allow us to bring the next gen-
eration of connectivity into every aspect of
people’s lives. It will integrate more access
technologies, cover a larger physical space,
and provide better core capabilities, sup-
porting more services,” said 5G Standard
Expert at Vivo, Rakesh Tamrakar adding,
“By seamlessly connecting industries, trans-
portation, workspace, and homes, 6G will
contribute greatly to society – from the
democratization of professional talent to
the enhancement of emergency and disas-
ter response.”
6G will expand basic telecom services to
support completely new experiences, such
as immersive mixed reality and holographic
and multi-sensory communication.
6G mobile data connectivity services
will continue to improve in capacity, data
rate, latency, reliability, and many other
aspects. This will broaden the range of cus-
tomers and increase the value of services,
with more end-to-end flexibility and adapt-
ability to meet the needs of individuals and
industries.
This means that every performance
indicator, such as data rate, including peak
data rate and user experienced data rate,
communication delay, and area traffic
capacity, will need to be improved several
folds or more compared with 5G.
6G service capability definition requires
careful consideration of demand, technolo-
gy and cost, balancing performance metrics
and efficiency indicators.
New network functions need to be intro-
duced to support the new 6G services and
achieve integration of sensing and commu-
nication. 6G will converge mobile network
and computing, cross-domain data interac-
tion, and native AI network. Therefore, it
requires a brand-new system architecture
design.
Integrating sensing and communication
taps into a new area of opportunity in cel-
lular wireless networks – 6G native AI would
improve network and air interface efficien-
cy, enhance system flexibility and reduce
cost. The introduction of an end-to-end
cross-layer data plane is essential to support
intelligent and basic information services.
Extremely low-power communication
reduces the barrier to terminal access, ena-
bling truly ubiquitous connectivity. Current-
ly, the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output
(MIMO) evolution, Reconfigurable Intelli-
gent Surface (RIS) technology and new
waveforms are some of the exciting research
areas, paving the way towards a more effi-
cient and more flexible network that can
support more application scenarios, and
offer more advanced sensing functions.
The research and development of 6G
technology standards is still in the early
stage. The Vivo Communications Research
Institute is dedicated to continuing to refine
6G scenario use cases and technical indica-
tors, carry out in-depth research and experi-
mental verification of potential 6G technol-
ogies, and contribute to the development of
a globally unified 6G technology standard.
Set up in 2016, the Vivo Communications
Research Institute focuses on 5G technology
research and standardization. To date, the
Institute has submitted over 8,000 5G pro-
posals to the Third Generation Partnership
Project (3GPP), leading to 15 technical fea-
tures and three technical projects being
approved.
sustained growth in Q1 FY23
Expolanka Holdings The customer expansion
PLC, a listed entity with strategy has been well thought
interests in logistics, leisure out, resulting in the company
and Investments, having a servicing several leading brands
global presence in 34 coun- across key industry verticals,
tries and over 70 cities Yoosuf said.
recorded their financial per- The Air Freight product saw
formance for the quarter volumes tailing off during the
ending June 30, 2022 pre- quarter, a result of lower demand
senting strong results main- witnessed across its key mar-
taining its growth momen- kets. Whereas the Ocean Freight
tum over the last several product continued to gain trac-
years. tion and delivered satisfactory
Backed by strong strate- growth during the quarter under
gy execution and focus on CeO Hanif yusoof review. This steady growth is a
fundamentals, Expolanka result of the increased emphasis
Holdings PLC was able to post a Revenue of placed on this segment. A vibrant partner
Rs. 235.1 bn (YoY +146%), a Gross Profit of 36.9 network, increased customer penetration,
bn (YoY +156%) and a Profit after tax of Rs. enhanced competencies helped the ocean
20.1 bn (YoY +220%) for the quarter. freight product maintain its strong momen-
Group CEO, Expolanka Holdings, Hanif tum.
Yusoof said, “Our asset lite business model, While focusing primarily on its interna-
international network, balance sheet tional freight forwarding business, EFL has
strength, our unified approach to business been able to enhance its capabilities across its
and our strong leadership team makes Expo- domestic logistics portfolio in key locations
lanka Holdings PLC a unique value proposi- particularly in the North America market.
tion to all our stakeholders. The proactive procurement strategy
“The group continued to generate strong implemented by the group built capacity and
returns, delivering an ROE of 96.16% on a stabilised margins. Strengthening existing
trailing twelve month (TTM) basis, reflecting relationships and building on new carrier
the enhanced operating leverage and the effi- relationships took priority for the procure-
cient asset utilisation strategies adopted by ment function.
the group. The Leisure Sector delivered a strong per-
“The depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee formance for the quarter despite the chal-
resulted in an exchange gain of Rs. 6.9 bn lenges experienced in the local market.
whilst increasing the Net Asset Value of the The results reflect the efforts undertaken
company by Rs. 25 bn for the quarter. This is by the business to reorganise its portfolio,
further evidence of the group’s business pro- adopting a lean and efficient operating model
file and its balance sheet which has been built and leveraging its capabilities as the leading
over the last several years. travel brand in Sri Lanka.
“In spite of the global market conditions The Sector delivered a Revenue of Rs. 727
and traditional off peak demand patterns, the mn (YoY + 379%) and a Profit after Tax of Rs.
Logistics sector was able to exhibit the poten- 233 mn (YoY +736%). Historically, this is the
tial of its operations, with focused execution best performance by the sector, with the Cor-
of strategy enabling the sector to deliver con- porate Travel portfolio driving the results.
sistent growth during the quarter under The Investment Sector remained stead-
review, resulting in a revenue of Rs. 233.0 bn fast recording a revenue of Rs. 1.4 bn (YoY
(YoY+146%), a gross profit of Rs. 36.2 bn (YoY +100%) and a Profit after Tax of Rs. 17.3 bn
+154% YoY) and a PAT of Rs. 18.8 bn (YoY (YoY +608%) with the main contribution from
+183%). the export operations. The sector profits
“The multi-pronged approach to our busi- include group dividends of Rs. 16.0 bn.
ness has been centred on generating volumes Expolanka continued to place emphasis
through customer centric approach, building on Environmental, Social, and Governance
capacity through sound procurement prac- initiatives (E.S.G), the Group has adopted sev-
tices and supporting business through effi- eral proactive practices which are aligned
cient operational excellence,” he said. with its overall strategic objectives.

Premier League players
to limit knee bow
Premier League players will
stop the pre-match anti-racism ges-
ture of taking the knee before every
match.
Top-flight clubs started taking
a knee to support the Black Lives
Matter movement, which rose to
prominence following the death of
George Floyd in the United States
in May 2020.
Premier League captains took
the decision after consulting with
players.
The gesture will instead be seen
before certain rounds of games, in-
cluding the Boxing Day fixtures and
Cup finals.
Players and staff will also take
the knee before the first and last
matches of the 2022-23 campaign
as well as dedicated No Room for
racism match rounds in October
and March.
The gesture took place before
the Community Shield between
Liverpool and Manchester City last
Saturday.
Captains and players are said to
believe that ‘less is more’ - hoping
when the knee is taken it will have
greater impact.
“We have decided to select sig-
nificant moments to take the knee
during the season to highlight
our unity against all forms of rac-
ism and in so doing we continue
to show solidarity for a common
cause,” said a joint statement from
the Premier League captains.
“We remain resolutely commit-
ted to eradicate racial prejudice,
and to bring about an inclusive so-
ciety with respect and equal oppor-
tunities for all.”
The gesture was inspired by
NFL player Colin Kaepernick,
who decided on the silent protest
against racial oppression by kneel-
ing during the US national anthem.
However, Crystal Palace for-
ward Wilfried Zaha stopped in Feb-
ruary 2021, saying at the time that
“at the moment it doesn’t matter
whether we kneel or stand, some of
us still continue to receive abuse”.
Several Championship clubs,
including Derby, Brentford, Bour-
nemouth and Queens Park Rang-
Emirates cabin crew and World Rugby match officials Hollie Davidson and Luke Pearce
Emirates and World Rugby work the
line for two more World Cups
World Rugby and Emirates have
announced an extension of the
Dubai-based airline’s long-standing
relationship as a Rugby World Cup
Worldwide Partner.
Under the agreement, the lead-
ing airline will continue as World-
wide Partner of Rugby World Cup
2023 in France and Rugby World
Cup 2027 in Australia.
Underscoring its commitment
to the sport, Emirates is also ex-
tending its official sponsorship of
the Emirates World Rugby Match
Officials through to 2027, a relation-
ship that has proven pivotal in the
development and performance of
elite match officials since 2013.
ers, also stopped taking a knee
around that time.
Swansea City and Bristol City
also recently announced they
would be stopping the action as
well.
“We met with the captains last
week, they’re still totally commit-
ted to the issue” Premier League
chief executive Richard Masters
told BBC Sport on Tuesday.
“For two years now the taking
the knee has become part of the
pre match ritual. The players fear
its losing power and momentum
and we will see it take place in a dif-
ferent format.
“It’s up to the players to decide
themselves and we support them in
whatever decision they make as do
the clubs.”
Prior to the decision to scale
back the taking of the knee, anti-
racism charity Kick It Out’s chair-
man Sanjay Bhandari said he would
support the players in whatever de-
cision they made.
“We should be spending more
time on why players take a knee
rather than whether they take a
knee or not,” said Bhandari on
Tuesday.
“The reason they take a knee
is because we are not living in an
equal society. There is discrimina-
tion. There is a huge amount of on-
line abuse.
“It is using their platform to
raise awareness and says to the
people in power you need to act.
Whatever they do, I will support
any kind of peaceful gesture.
“The point is we still need to
be doing something to raise aware-
ness and to keep things like the on-
line safety bill on the agenda.”
Cristiano Ronaldo & Harry Ma-
guire most abused players on Twit-
ter - report
He added: “We are talking about
how we tackle discrimination and
how we create greater inclusion in
football and around football with
governing bodies and clubs.
“There seems to be this great
intent in wanting to do more. We
have to tap into that.”
(BBC Sport)
In joining the global family
of Worldwide Partners for Rugby
World Cup 2023 in France, Emir-
ates will return to where the hugely
successful relationship between the
airline and the international fed-
eration began in 2007. Since then,
the airline has become one of the
sport’s most prominent and active
supporters as a committed partner
of every men’s Rugby World Cup
since 2007 and proud sponsor of the
Dubai and Cape Town rounds of the
HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
As the Official Airline of Rugby
World Cup France 2023 and Austra-
lia 2027, Emirates will fly rugby to
new frontiers and bring its leading
Old Royalists win
triple crown in UK
Old Royalists representing the
UK Alumni association (ORAUK)
went on to win the Royal-Thomi-
an game, Royal Thomian over-40
game and the Festival of Cricket
(the main cricket event among Sri
Lanka schools in the UK), thereby
winning the triple once again.
The Royal-Thomian game was
held at Richmond Cricket Club on
July 17. The event was once again
organized with the usual fanfare
this year, hosted by ORAUK, how-
ever with the usual cordial sup-
port from Old Thomians Associa-
tion, UK (OTAUK). The day turned
out to be a massive success with
large number of Thomians, Roy-
alists and their friends enjoying a
great day.
The success of the event was
largely due to the brotherly rela-
tionship both associations have
been enjoying and continuing
under the current leadership of
Dimuthu Ratnayake (President
OTAUK) and Sujith Wijesena
(President ORAUK).
The games were keenly con-
tested in the true Royal Thomian
spirit.
The Thomians won the toss
and scored 188 in 40 overs. The
Thomian score was propped up
by Nirru (former Thomian skip-
per Nirrushan Raveenthiraraja)
and coloursman Yohan Mendis
who went on to score 68 runs.
Last year’s Royal paceman
Sonal Amerasekera grabbed the
bowling honours, well supported
by the spinners Malinda Thoti-
wilage, Heshan Morawake and
skipper Pasindu (Chamikara) Jay-
asekera.
In return, Malinda Thoti-
wilage once more steadied the
Royal innings, after few initial
scares well supported by Sa-
meera Perera and the skipper in
the end, who put on an unbeaten
partnership to win the game. For
Thomians, 15 year old school boy,
Chrishen Warnasuriya bowled
a fantastic spell of left arm spin,
taking 3/28, impressing everyone
present at the game. Malinda was
awarded the Man of the Match
trophy for his all-round effort.
The over-40 game was well
contested too. It was good to see
Johann Peiris (Thomian skipper
of the Centenary Royal Thomi-
an) and Romesh de Silva (deputy
expertise in customer experience
to help deliver a truly world-class
tournament for fans travelling to
the host nations.
Fans will also be able to watch
every moment from two unforget-
table Rugby World Cups live and
on-demand from their flight seats,
making the sport more accessible.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill
Beaumont said: “We are delighted
to announce the extension of our
long-term and successful collabo-
ration with Emirates for the next
two men’s Rugby World Cups and in
support of our men’s and women’s
match officials programme. Emir-
ates’ global network and passion
The winning Old Royalists and their supporters
to Ranjan Madugalle in the 99th
Roy-Thomian) taking part in the
game.
The Thomians won the toss
and batted again, scoring 108 runs
off 15 overs, with Michael Arnold
top scoring for them. For Royal,
Dr. Krishantha Jayasinghearach-
chi took the bowling honours tak-
ing three wickets. In return, Royal
had a solid opening stand between
Dr Hemantha Abeywickrema (27
runs) and Hemantha Edirisooriya
(50 not out), well supported in the
end by a quickfire 25 runs from
Dr. Krishantha Jayasinghearach-
chi, who had a memorable game
with both bat and ball. Heman-
tha Edirisooriya was awarded the
Man of the Match trophy for his
batting effort.
for our sport will be key in our ef-
forts to make rugby truly global
and their proven excellence in cus-
tomer experience will be an asset
to take our fan services to the next
level.”
Emirates Airline President, Sir
Tim Clark, said: “Rugby is a sport
with great values and a proud heri-
tage in many countries. It is also a
sport that’s attracting more partici-
pation and interest across commu-
nities each year as we are seeing
in the UAE where rugby just made
it into school programmes nation-
wide. We see rugby as a great plat-
form to bring people together un-
der a shared passion for the sport.”
SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022
Old Royalists celebrate with their flags
Week before the Royal Thomi-
an, the Festival of Cricket was
held in London on July 10. On
their way to the finals, the Roy-
alists got the better of the strong
Nalanda side, St. Thomas, Ma-
tale and St. Aloysius, Galle. In the
second round, they went on to
beat Dharmashoka and Prince of
Wales and qualified for the final
against St Joseph’s.
Over the last five FOC events,
Royal reached the final on two
occasions, losing out narrowly
to St Peter’s and St Joseph’s. Sur-
prisingly this time, the final was
a lop-sided affair with Royal com-
pletely dominating the Joes. Bat-
ting first the strong SJC side only
34 runs and the bowling honours
for Royal shared by Sonal Am-
Sri Lanka’s Best from the Past
Joseph Charles:
‘The Rock of Gibraltar’
BY DENNIS DE ROSAYRO
During the golden era of the
Old Bens HA, Joseph Charles as
the left back was like the ‘Rock
of Gibraltar’ which paved the
way for their half line to relent-
lessly attack.
He represented the Colom-
bo HA at the National Champi-
onships from 1964 to 1967 and
1970; captaining in 1971. In
1967 and 1971, they were joint
champions.
JOSEPH CHARLES
Position: Left back
Clubs: Old Bens SC, Colom-
bo HA
1968 Tour of Lahore, Paki-
stan (pre-Olympic Internation-
al Festival)
Rex Sebastian
Rex Sebastian played for
Mercantile HA at the National
Championships in 1963.
Position: Forward
Clubs: Old Bens SC, Colom-
bo HA and Mercantile HA
1968 Tour of Lahore, Paki-
stan (pre-Olympic Internation-
al Festival)
Farouk Mohothar
A crafty and speedy left in-
side, Farouk Mohothar was a
stalwart of the Malay CC.
He represented the Colom-
bo HA at the National Champi-
onships in 1968, 1970 and 1971,
when they were joint champi-
ons.
FAROUK MOHOTHAR
(born 1946)
Clubs: Malay CC, Colombo
HA and Mercantile HA
1968 vs Singapore
V Kunasingham
V Kunasingham represent-
ed the Colombo HA at the Na-
tional Championships in 1966
25
SPORTS
erasekera and Malinda Thoti-
wilage. In return Royal openers
Malinda Thotiwilage and Hashen
Ramanayake easily finished the
game in three overs. Sonal was
awarded the Man of the Match
trophy for his bowling effort.
SCORES:
STC 188 all out (Nirrushan
Raveenthiraraja 45, Yohan Men-
dis 68, Sonal Amerasekera 3/22,
Heshan Morawake 2/13, Pasindu
Jayasekera 2/31, Malinda Thoti-
wilage 2/39)
RC 192/6 (Malinda Thoti-
wilage 63, Roanaka Ahangamage
17, Sameera Perera 25 no, Pasin-
du Jayasekera 29 no, Nirrushan
Raveenthiraraja 2/55, Chrishen
Warnasuriya 3/28)
to 1968, where Colombo were
joint champions in 1966 and
1967, while captaining the team
that was runners-up in 1968.
V. KUNASINGHAM
(born 1941)
Position: Goalkeeper
Clubs: Tamil Union and Co-
lombo HA
1969 Tout of South and
North India
1972 Tour of North India
and vs West Germany in Delhi
1974 Tour of South and
North India (captain)
AM Ansar
Though short in stature AM
Ansar was a fearsome left ex-
treme who could mesmerise
the defence both with speed
and deft stick work. He had the
knack of slipping through the
tightest of defences and score
many a goal.
AM ANSAR (born 1948)
Position: Left extreme
Clubs: Old Zahirians, Ma-
tale, Havelock SC, Grasshop-
pers, Matale, Mercantile and
Nationalised Services HA
1970 Asian Games, Bangkok
1971 Tour of South and
North India and Malaysia in
Delhi
1972 Tour of North India
and vs West Germany in Delhi
1973 vs Mysore HA
1973 Tour of South and
North India
1974 vs Malaysia
1974 vs Tamil Nadu HA
1974 Asian Games, Teheran
1974 Tour of South and
North India (Vice Captain)
1975 Tour of South India
(Vice Captain) (August)
1975 Tour of North India
(vice captain) (December)
26 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022
SPORTS
First world champion of women’s marathon
Rear Admiral
Dr. Shemal
Fernando, PhD
Norway’s Grete Waitz was best
known as a marathon runner for
winning the inaugural Helsinki 1983
World Championships’ women mar-
athon gold and the 1984 Summer
Olympic Games inaugural marathon
silver medal in Los Angeles. Her ef-
forts as a pioneering female long-
distance runner have had a major im-
pact on the development of women’s
sports.
Waitz, a Norwegian track and
field athlete, long-distance runner
and marathon runner dominated
women’s long distance running for
more than a decade, recording nine
victories in the prestigious New York
City Marathon between 1978 and
1988. She was the first non-American
inducted (2000) into the National Dis-
tance Running Hall of Fame.
Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olym-
pic Games was a landmark for female
participation. The Olympic Games
changed the way women are per-
ceived in sport, with the realization
that they can achieve the same lev-
els of excellence as men by includ-
ing marathon for women for the first
time. Waitz was the first Norwegian
to be inducted to the International
Association of Athletic Federations
(IAAF) “Hall of Fame” in 2013.
The inaugural women’s Olympic
marathon was a breakthrough mo-
ment for female distance running,
serving as a springboard to elevate
the sport. It led to the development
of a new industry in women’s run-
ning apparel and female-only run-
ning events. The increased emphasis
on women’s participation led to a re-
cord 23% of female participation at
1984 Olympic Games.
Birth and Career
Grete Waitz was born as Grete An-
dersen on October 1, 1953, in Oslo.
She grew up in Keyserlokka and went
to Hasle school. Waitz began as a
middle-distance runner and at age
17, setting a 1500-metre European ju-
nior record (4:17.0). She also has two
bronze medals from the European
Championships, in the 1500 meters
in Rome 1974, and in the 3000 meters
in Prague 1978.
She married Jack Henry Nilsen
on June 27, 1975, and they then both
took the surname ‘Waitz.’ Grete’s
husband, Jack became her coach. In
addition, Johan Kaggestad was also
dominant as a coach throughout
her career. Until the early 1980s, she
worked as a teacher whilst develop-
ing her running.
At the beginning of her career,
she was a middle-distance runner,
participating in the 1500 meters. At
the Munich 1972 Olympics, she was
sixth in Heat 2, clocking 4:16.0. At
the Montreal 1976 Olympics, running
in Heat 2, clocking 4:07.2, she pro-
gressed to Semi Finals. Despite her
improved performance of 4:04.8, she
didn’t qualify for the Finals.
She missed the Moscow 1980
Olympic Games because of the Amer-
ican-led boycott. She twice set new
world records for the 3000 metres on
June 24, 1975 (8:46.6) and again on
June 21, 1976 (8:45.4) in Oslo.
In 1977, she won the 3000 meters
Waitz on winning Gold at 1983 World Championships
Norway’s Grete Waitz:
during the World Cup final, while in
1979 she was number 2. Her personal
best achievements of 1500 and 3000
metres of 4:00.55 and 8:31.75, set in
1978 and 1979 respectively, are still
Norwegian records.
Although Waitz was reluctant to
attempt her first New York City Mara-
thon in 1978, she won the event in a
time of 2:32:30, more than two min-
utes under the previous best finish.
In Glasgow 1978, she captured
her first of five titles in the IAAF, now
World Athletics, women’s cross-coun-
try world championships. She also
won gold medals at Lumerick 1979,
Paris 1980, Madrid 1981, Gateshead
1983 and secured bronze medals at
Rome 1982 and East Rutherford 1984.
Waitz won 33 Norwegian champi-
onships, six in 800 metres (1971, 1973
- 1977), eight in 1500 metres (1971
and 1973 - 1979) and five in 3000 me-
ters (1973 and 1978 - 1981). She won
fourteen Norwegian championships
in cross- country running (1.5 km
cross-country races from 1972 - 1975;
4 km cross-country races from 1976 -
1981 and 1983; 10 km cross-country
races in 1976, 1977 and 1982. She also
won four silver medals at Norwegian
championships (800 meters - 1970,
1972; 1500 meters – 1972; 6 km cross-
country race – 1984).
The Marathon Runner
Marathon, commemorates the
legendary feat of a Greek soldier
who, in 490 BC, is supposed to have
run from Marathon to Athens, about
40 km (25 miles), to bring news of the
Athenian victory over the Persians
and then expired.
The story of this messenger from
the Battle of Marathon was later con-
flated with the story of another Greek
soldier, Pheidippides, who ran from
Athens to Sparta in advance of the
fighting. Appropriately, in 1896 the
first modern marathon winner was a
Greek, Spyridon Louis.
In 1924, the Olympic marathon
distance was standardized at 42,195
metres (26 miles 385 yards). This
was based on a decision of the Brit-
ish Olympic Committee to start the
1908 Olympic marathon from Wind-
sor Castle and finish it in front of the
royal box in the stadium at London.
The first New York City Mara-
thon was held in 1970, and the route
consisted of a series of laps through
Manhattan’s Central Park. The course
took on its current shape, which be-
gins on Staten Island and ends in
Manhattan, in 1976. Norway’s Grete
Waitz won the women’s New York
City Marathon a record nine times,
and American Bill Rogers holds the
men’s record with four wins.
New York City Marathon, 26.2-
mile footrace held every November
through the five boroughs of New York
City. The New York City Marathon of-
ten draws the largest number of par-
ticipants of all annual marathons, and
it is along with the Berlin, Boston, Chi-
cago, London, and Tokyo marathons,
one of the world’s six major mara-
thons.
Towards the end of the 1970s, she
chose to invest in increasingly longer
distances. In addition to the annual
New York City Marathon triumphs
(which she won in 1978–80, 1982–86
and 1988), Waitz had never run a mar-
athon before the New York City race
in 1978.
After it, her name and New York
would be forever linked. The lean
Waitz on her way to Gold at 1983 World Championships
Norwegian middle-distance runner,
who had set two world-records in the
3000 meters, was invited to the race as
a “rabbit,” someone brought in to set
a fast early pace for the favourite run-
ners.
Two-thirds through that first mar-
athon, she suffered so hard that she
cursed her husband, Jack Waitz, for
talking her into it. “I was hurting.
I was mad. I was angry. I told Jack:
“Never again!” she recalled, after 30
years in 2008.
But in all that rage she found
strength. Not only did she win the
race, but she also set three world re-
cords – 1978, 1979 and 1980. And
“Never again” turned into eight more
wins in the New York City Marathon, a
world championships gold, an Olym-
pic silver, and a place among the
greatest marathon runners of all time.
First Olympic Marathon progressing with Waitz (289) leading the pack
In 1979, she became the first
woman to finish the New York City
Marathon under 2.5 hours (2:27:33)
and broke that time by almost two
minutes in 1980 (2:25:41). Waitz also
raced in the London Marathon, win-
ning in 1983 and 1986; her person-
al best race was at the latter event
(2:24:54).
Helsinki 1983 World
Championships
The women’s marathon was not
an established event at an interna-
tional level. It had not featured in the
World Championships or Olympic
Games and had only become popu-
lar during the 1970s. Historically,
some experts claimed that running
the marathon distance, 26 miles 385
yards, was dangerous for women’s
health.
The governing body for athletics,
the IAAF, announced that it would be
added to the programme for the in-
augural World Championships Hel-
sinki 1983, making it the first global
championships to feature a women’s
marathon.
The inaugural women’s marathon
took place in Helsinki, Finland on
August 7, 1983, starting and finishing
at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. The
race started at 1505 local time, the
opening day of the Championships,
in clear, dry conditions, with temper-
atures of around 21°C.
Rumiko Kaneko of Japan and
Carey May of Ireland led in the ear-
ly stages. Ireland’s Regina Joyce took
the lead by the 12-mile point and
opened a gap of around 30 sec ahead
of the chasing group. After 19 miles,
she was caught by a group led by
Waitz, who was increasing the pace
of the race. Gradually those running
with her dropped back, leaving Waitz
to win the race.
Waitz who was running her first
female-only marathon, said that the
makeup of the race changed her tac-
tics significantly, as the idea was to
win the Championship. The race was
won by Waitz in 2:28:09, ahead of the
silver medallist Marianne Dickerson
of the United States and the bronze
medallist Soviet Union’s Raisa Sme-
khnova. Waitz’s 3-minute gap en-
abled her to complete a victory lap
before other medallists entered the
stadium.
Los Angeles 1984 Olympic
Games
It was the first time a women’s
marathon had been held at the Olym-
pic Games and the event took place
on August 5, 1984.
There were 50 competitors from
28 countries. The world record pri-
or to the 1984 Olympic Games was
to the credit of Joan Benoit of the
United States for her 2:22:43 in Bos-
ton, United States on April 18, 1983.
Joan Benoit won the gold clocking
2:24:52, with 1983 World champion
Grete Waitz of Norway winning the
silver, and Rosa Mota of Portugal, the
bronze.
Strategically, the race was nota-
ble for Benoit making a bold move
in only the third mile of the race, de-
spite the August heat. The rest of the
field did not try to keep pace with her,
and Benoit maintained her lead all
the way to finish. Waitz was the Nor-
wegian flag bearer at the Seoul 1988
Summer Olympics.
Death and Tributes
Waitz died on April 19, 2011, at 57
in a hospital in her native Oslo after a
six-year battle with cancer. Her hus-
band Jack was by her side. There was
no word on what type of cancer felled
the marathon legend, who remained
silent about her condition after being
diagnosed in 2005. Waitz is survived
by her husband and two brothers, Jan
and Arild. She was accorded a private
funeral.
Rob de Castella, a world champi-
on marathon runner from Australia
who had trained with Waitz said: “She
was the first lady of the marathon.
She was such a wonderful lady, such
a wonderful ambassador for women’s
marathon running back when it was
just starting to be recognized as a se-
rious event.”
At a time when many still felt that
women didn’t belong in long-distance
running, Waitz proved them wrong
with her outstanding performances.
“It was Grete who proved that it was
possible for women to compete in
the longer distances,” said Svein Arne
Hansen, President of the Norwegian
Athletics Federation.
When she finished fourth in New
York in 1990, at 37, no runner got
more cheers from the crowd than
Waitz, easily spotted by her graceful
running style and blonde hair. She re-
tired from competition after that but
returned to the New York City Mara-
thon in 1992, crossing the finish line
next to legendary race director Fred
Lebow, who had been suffering from
cancer and died two years later. Waitz
said that run with Lebow was her
most memorable New York City Mar-
athon next to her first win in 1978.
“She will be remembered as one
of the best marathon runners of her
time,” International Olympic Com-
mittee President Jacques Rogge said.
In a Twitter posting, marathon world
record-holder Paula Radcliffe of Brit-
ain remembered Waitz as “an amaz-
ing champion and more amazing
person.”
In 2007, Waitz and Aanesen es-
tablished the Active Against Cancer
foundation in Norway. “Her aim was
to inspire other cancer patients to be
physically active, and she worked to
establish training centres at cancer
hospitals,” Aanesen said. “She didn’t
wish to put too much focus on herself
and her disease but hoped she could
contribute in some way to help oth-
ers.”
Born in Oslo, she trained and
raced in her youth at Oslo’s Bislett sta-
dium, which raised a bronze statue in
her honour in 1984. “If Bislett was her
cradle, then New York City was her
Broadway stage,” Mary Wittenberg,
the President of the New York Road
Runners Club, said at an event hon-
ouring Waitz in Oslo in 2008.
Wittenberg said: “When Grete
stepped into the marathon, she
changed the game. She made it a seri-
ous sport for women. The road run-
ners were sad to lose a dear friend
and our most decorated champi-
on.” Wittenberg also praised Waitz’s
strength and grace: “When so many
people would have crumbled, she
stood strong and positive.”
Legacy
She is the record holder for World
Major Marathons. In Norway, she is a
sporting legend, with an annual race
named after her in her honour. The
New York Road Runners club annu-
ally sponsors “Grete’s Great Gallop,”
formerly a half-marathon and now a
10km, in her honour. This is in con-
nection with the annual “Norwegian
Festival” at the beginning of October,
which promotes Norwegian food, cul-
ture, and design.
There is a statue of her in the Nor-
way pavilion in EPCOT at the Walt Dis-
ney World Resort in Florida. There is
also a statue of her outside outside the
“Maratonporten” (entrance 3 in the
south) to Bislett Stadium in Oslo. In
2016, the space outside the gate was
named Grete Waitz’ plass.
She has been featured on a set of
stamps. In addition, her portrait is
featured on the tail of a Norwegian
Air Shuttle 787 Dreamliner aircraft (a
plane, coincidentally, manufactured
in North Charleston, South Carolina, a
market where she won the Charleston-
area 10km race in 1989). In November
2008, Waitz was appointed a Knight 1st
Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of
St. Olav, bestowed by King Harald V of
Norway at a ceremony in Oslo “for her
importance as a role model.” Waitz re-
ceived the St. Olav’s Medal in 1981 and
Medal of St. Hallvard in 1989.
No one has received the Sports
Journalists’ statuette for “Sports Name
of the Year” more times than Waitz.
She received her four statuettes in
1975, 1977, 1979 and after the World
Championships gold in 1983. Grete
Waitz was modeled by Nils Aas in 1992
and is part of the collection Nils Aas
Kunstverksted at Inderoy.
In 1984, Waitz was the first athlete
to receive Fearnley’s Olympic Honor-
ary Award without winning the Olym-
pics but based on her silver from 1984
Olympics. In 2010, she received the
International Olympic Committee’s
Women and Sport Award for Europe.
In 2011, Google marked what
would have been her 58th birthday by
replacing the usual logo on the search
engine with a search for “Grete Waitz.”
This is also known as Google Doodle.
In 2021, Waitz was honoured as part
of the mural “Romsas Wall of Fame” at
Romsas centre, together with 12 other
well-known local heroes.
(The author is an Associate Pro-
fessor, International Scholar, winner
of Presidential Awards and multiple
National Accolades for Academic pur-
suits. He possesses a PhD, MPhil and
double MSc. His email is shemal1216@
gmail.com)
 SuNDAy OBSERVER AuGuST 7, 2022 27

SPORTS

In England a new breed of football is raging

Andy Murray
Andy Murray beaten in first
round ahead of US Open
Andy Murray’s preparation for
this month’s US Open began with a
first-round defeat at the Washington
Open.
The 35-year-old lost 7-6 (10-8) 4-6
6-1 to Sweden’s 115th-ranked Mikael
Ymer. Of his chances of being seeded
for the US Open, the former world
number one and current number 50
said: “It’s still possible, but I’ll need to
certainly play better than I did.”
There were wins for Kyle Edmund
and Jack Draper, but Katie Boulter
was defeated in the Silicon Valley
Classic.
Boulter shocked eight seed Kar-
olina Pliskova by storming to the
first set, only for the Czech to come
through 1-6 7-6 6-3.
Edmund beat Japan’s Yosuke
Watanuki 6-4 7-6 (10-8) on his return
to the ATP singles after a 20-month
layoff to set up a meeting with com-
patriot Dan Evans. Edmund has had
three left knee surgeries and was
playing in his first tour-level singles
match since October 2020.
He said: “I didn’t find it easy. I
hung in there and I got my reward in
the end.” Draper beat American Ste-
fan Kozlov 7-5 6-2 to progress and will
now face Russia’s Andrey Rublev.
Harriet Dart also lost in Washing-
ton, with China’s Zhu Lin winning 6-4
6-3, while Emma Raducanu’s profes-
sional doubles debut - alongside Den-
mark’s Clara Tauson - ended in a 6-4
6-1 loss to Romanian Monica Nicules-
cu and Czech Lucie Hradecka.
(BBC Sport)
Their average league gate last
season was 296 - yet they have more
followers on TikTok than six Premier
League clubs and their owners are
younger than most of the players
they sign.
Welcome to Walton & Hersham,
“home of the world’s youngest foot-
ball club owners”.
School friends Jack Newton,
Calogero Scannella, Sartej Tucker,
Thomas Bradbury, Ben Madelin,
Stephan Karidi and Reme Edetanlen
were 19 years old when they scraped
together their student loans to buy
the Surrey non-league club in 2019.
Three years and two promo-
tions later, the Swans are cashing
in on a rapidly growing social me-
dia presence, which has resulted in
shirt sales “to places you have never
heard of”.
As Walton & Hersham get ready
to launch their 2022-23 season at
home to Kennington in the extra
preliminary round of the FA Cup on
Saturday, the young co-owners tell
BBC Sport of their plans to shake up
the non-league scene.
“At first, we all thought buying a
club was an absolutely crazy idea,”
says Tucker, Walton & Hersham’s
director of operations and media.
“How could anyone think this would
work?”
Swans chairman Newton adds:
“It’s much easier running a club with
your mates because you know you
can ultimately speak what’s on your
mind, which you wouldn’t be able to
do in a professional capacity.”
Having won promotion to the
eighth tier of English football after
amassing 91 points from 38 games
last season, Walton & Hersham can-
not be accused of being a pub team.
Yet in 2019, The Mill pub in
Kingston upon Thames became the
regular meeting place for the seven
to discuss buying the 77-year-old
club.
Walton & Hersham defeated a
Brighton team managed by Brian
Walton and Hersham play in the eighth tier English football
Clough in the 1973-74 FA Cup, once
had Ballon d’Or winner Sir Stanley
Matthews as president, while striker
Nathan Ellington played for them
before going on to appear for West
Brom in the Premier League.
In 1973, they played at Wembley
in front of 41,000 fans in the penulti-
mate FA Amateur Cup final, defeat-
ing Slough Town 1-0.
By 2019, the Swans were about
to be relegated to the 10th tier and
long-term owner Alan Smith was
looking to sell.
“The whole idea stemmed
through Calogero,” says Newton.
“He had been going to games and
got speaking to the owner. He got the
idea they were trying to move on.”
The seven put together a docu-
ment to present to Smith, outlining
their plans for the club.
“We even put down what GCSE
grades each of us had got,” adds
Newton.
“We barely had any money going
into this. We were 19-year-old stu-
dents who scraped together student
loans to finance the whole thing.
That’s why there were seven of us.
It was like a couple of thousand of
pounds each.”
It is not only on the pitch where
the Swans have enjoyed success
since the ‘Class of 2018’ - the year
they all left school - swept through
the gates at the Elmbridge Sports
Hub, where the club play.
The young owners have used
their social media skills to build an
impressive online following many
Premier League clubs would be
proud of.
Walton & Hersham have a fol-
lowing of 753,700 on the video host-
ing service TikTok - more than Not-
tingham Forest (210,200), Fulham
(272,100), Brighton & Hove Albion
(344,500), Southampton (440,700),
Crystal Palace (459,100) and Bour-
nemouth (585,700).
A 32-second clip posted towards
the end of last season has been
viewed 3.5m times.
“We posted short matchday vlogs
throughout last season - a one min-
ute highlights reel of every single
game,” says Tucker.
“That enabled people from
around the world to buy into our
story.” Last season, the Swans part-
nered with Manchester-based com-
pany Classic Football Shirts to dis-
tribute their kits worldwide.
The partnership resulted in the
Swans selling replica kits to more
than 30 countries in six continents,
including the Atlantic island of St
Pierre and Miquelon, inhabited by
just 6,000 people.
“For a non-league club to be able
to sell kits into every continent of the
globe is crazy,” adds Tucker.
“People are really interested in
our story and what we are trying to
do. At our current rate, we should hit
one million TikTok followers by the
end of October.”
The past three years has not
all been smooth, but the young
co-owners are learning as they go
along.
“As soon as we took over, we
made changes to the club badge but
didn’t really consult the fans about
it,” says Tucker. “They are proud of
the club’s traditions.
“Early on, we needed to commu-
nicate with them and since then we
have gained that experience and put
it to good use.”
The arrival of the young co-own-
ers has been the talk of boardrooms
in the Combined Counties League,
where Walton & Hersham have en-
joyed back-to-back promotions.
They start 2022-23 in the Isthmian
League South Central Division.
“We were at a neutral ground for
a the league cup final in May and
the dress code was suit and tie but it
must have been 25C,” says Newton.
“We turned up in replica shirts
and shorts. We didn’t get offered
any complimentary drinks. In op-
position boardrooms or whenever
a team comes to us, they are quite
surprised how young we are.
“But there has been an influx
of younger people running clubs
and we do have chats with them
because you can learn quite a bit
from these guys.”

Swiatek's clay court run ends

World number one Iga
Swiatek's winning streak
on clay came to an end
as she suffered a quarter-
final upset at her home
tournament on Friday.
The 21-year-old Pole
was 18-0 on clay this sea-
son, only dropping two
sets while winning titles
at Stuttgart and Rome, as
well as the French Open.
But at the Poland Open
she lost 6-1 1-6 6-4 to Car-
oline Garcia of France,
who is ranked 45th in the
world.
Garcia will now face
Italy's Jasmine Paolini in
the semi-finals.
Paolini, ranked 58, re-
covered from a poor start
to defeat Switzerland's
Viktorija Golubic 1-6 6-2
6-2.
Ukraine's Kateryna
Baindl will play Ana Bog-
dan of Romania in the oth-
er semi-final in Warsaw.
(BBC Sport)

Observer-Mobitel Most Popular School Cricketer

Wellalage continues to lead as
Princess girl grabs top slot
St. Joseph’s College allrounder Dunith Wellalage con-
tinues to lead in the 19th week’s count of the Sunday Ob-
server Mobitel Most Popular School Cricketer vote while
in the girls’ segment an upset has taken place where Man-
udi Nanayakkara of Prince of Wales College has grabbed
Iga Swiatek the top slot.
Manudi has dislodged Chaushadi Kaushalya from
Dharmapala who held the lead for many weeks.
Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer 2022
Readers’ Coupon No. 19th Vote Count
1. Dunith Wellalage (St. Joseph’s) 34,122
2. Rusanda Gamage (St. Peter’s) 33,892
3. Pasan Suwahas (St. Benedict’s) 25,711
4. Vishara Fernando (Richmond) 22,714
5. Caniston Karunaratne (S. Thomas’) 15,234
6. Raveen de Silva (Nalanda) 11,899
7. Sadisha Rajapaksa (Royal) 11,124
8. Ramesh Madhubasana (Mahinda) 9,224
9. Pasindu Ratnayake (Thurstan) 8,561
10. Ruveen Fonseka (De Mazenod) 7,503
11. Theeraka Ranatunga (Trinity College 6,702
12. Malintha Malith (Maris Stella) 5,997
13. Shevon Daniel (St. Joseph’s) 5,004
14. Dinuka Kalupahana (Mahinda College) 4,504
15. Sudesh Jayawardena (St. Joseph’s) 4.301
16. Kavindu Amantha (Isipatana) 3,701
17. Iruth Gimhana (Ananda) 2,999
18. Shanujan Shanmuganathan (St. Benedict’s) 2,834
19. Savindu Perera (Maris Stella, T’katuwa) 2,722

Most Popular Schoolgirl Cricketer 2022

1. Manudi Nanayakkara (Princess of Wales) 28,207
2. Chushadi Kaushalya (Dharmapala) 27,899
3. Kaushini Nuthyanga (Anula) 20,137
4. Navodya Nethmini (Wadduwa MMV) 12,501
5. Tharushi Rajakaruna (Nugawela Central) 9,487
Royal College skipper Gishan Balasooriya receiving the Mus- 6. Imesha Dulani (Devapathiraja Ratgama) 7,108
tangs Trophy from Hemaka Balasuriya the General Manager, 7. Hirushi Nimanthi (Jayasiripura KV, Bakamuna) 6,078
Retail Operations, Dialog Axiata PLC and Sanath Jayalath the 8. Vismi Guneratne (Rathnavali BV, Gampaha) 5,880
principal of Royal College after his team beat S. Thomas’ College 9. Nimsara Dissanayake (Sri Siddhartha Central) 5,015
in their 45th limited overs cricket encounter 10. Hashini Liyanage (Anula Vidyalaya) 4,809
11. Chadali Isurika (Jayasiripura KV, Bakamuna) 3,832

England gymnast makes most
successful four-gold debut
Jake Jarman completed a superb
Commonwealths debut with a
fourth gold medal to become the
most successful English male gym-
nast at a single Games.
Birmingham-born Joe Fraser
had a chance to match the haul,
but fell in the horizontal bar final
after winning parallel bars gold.
Jarman took the vault title on
the final day of artistic gymnastics.
Alice Kinsella recovered from
disappointment in earlier events
to take gold in the floor event.
England finish the Games with
16 gymnastics medals, 10 of which
are gold.
Giarnni Regini-Moran added
two silvers for England, finishing
behind Jarman in the vault and
Fraser on the parallel bars, with
Ondine Achampong winning floor
silver.
Jarman - at his first major se-
nior championships - matched the
number of golds won by Claudia
Fragapane in 2014 and surpassed
the three claimed by Max Whitlock
in 2014.
The 20-year-old also won team,
all-around and floor gold in Bir-
mingham.
He was as composed as ever
with two neat vaults and looked re-
lieved after a difficult final effort,
Tiger Woods turns down US 700 million ‘offer’
Tiger Woods
Aussie women, South African men win Commonwealth Sevens
The Australian women’s rugby Sevens team react after winning the gold
before celebrating with a delighted
Birmingham crowd.
Regini-Moran, on his 24th
birthday, put in an assured perfor-
mance and was rewarded for his
efforts as fans sang Happy Birth-
day after he completed his second
vault. Jarman was the only gym-
nast to attempt a vault with a 6.0
degree of difficulty and it paid divi-
dends as he twisted through the air
deftly to pull it off.
He finished with a total score
of 14.916, with Regini-Moran scor-
ing 14.633 and Australia’s James
Bacueti taking bronze with 14.283.
Jarman said he would find
somewhere in his house to store
his haul, adding: “Maybe a nice
glass cabinet if there is space. I’m
over the moon.”
The 20-year-old took up gym-
nastics because he “was a very hy-
peractive kid”.
“When I was seven or eight, I
was in the park in Peterborough,”
he explained.
“My mum told me a gymnastics
coach was in the park at the same
time and told her, ‘you should
bring your kid to one of the local
clubs.’”
Birmingham-born Fraser has
also won pommel and team gold at
these Games despite a broken foot
sports.sundayobserver@lakehouse.lk / Tel: +94 11 2 429 226, / +94 11 2 429 228, / Fax / +94 11 2 429 227
August 7, 2022
and burst appendix suffered in the
weeks before the competition.
He brushed aside his parallel
bars opponents with his 6.5 dif-
ficulty routine, scoring 15.000 as
Regini-Moran finished second with
14.733. Cypriot Marios Georgiou’s
14.533 was enough for bronze.
But he could not emulate Jar-
man’s four-gold success on the
horizontal bar.
With history bearing down on
him in his hometown and the Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge in the
crowd, Fraser slipped during his
routine and fell to the floor.
The smile never left his face as
the crowd willed him on when he
returned to the bar and completed
a routine that left him seventh.
“Being in this arena has filled
me with so much joy,” Fraser said.
“This one has hit me so differ-
ent, being in my hometown with
a home crowd... performing out
here has been one of my proudest
moments to date.”
Fraser then enthusiastically
supported his team-mate James
Hall, who was initially in the
bronze medal position but later
slipped down to fifth as Cyprus’ Il-
ias Georgiou won gold, Australia’s
Tyson Bull silver and Cypriot Mari-
os Georgiou bronze.
Jake Jarman
Scotland’s Hamish Carter was
sixth and compatriot Frank Baines
eighth.
Earlier in the Games, a fall cost
Kinsella an all-around medal and
she sought redemption on the final
day at Arena Birmingham.
Tiger Woods turned down in the region of
$700m to $800m to join the new Saudi-backed LIV
Golf Series, says chief executive Greg Norman.
A host of top players have joined the break-
away tour, which Woods said at last month’s Open
he disagreed with.
In an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson,
Norman confirmed the 15-time major champion
was offered about £575m to £650m to join LIV.
“That number was out there before I became
CEO,” said Norman.
“Tiger is a needle-mover, right? So of course
you’re got to look at the best of the best. That num-
ber is somewhere in that neighbourhood.
“They had originally approached Tiger before
I became CEO.”
American Woods, who maintained his alle-
giance to the PGA Tour, said at St Andrews he does
not “see how that move is positive in the long term
for a lot of these players”.
He also defended the R&A’s decision to rescind
former winner Norman’s invitation to festivities
celebrating the 150th Open Championship.
“Greg has done some things that I don’t think is
in the best interest of our game,” said Woods.
(BBC sport)
Australia’s women won Com-
monwealth Games rugby sevens
gold, beating Fiji 22-12, while South
Africa took gold in the men’s compe-
tition with a 31-7 victory, also over
Fiji.
The South African men’s Sevens team celebrate winning the Commonwealth Games gold
She first competed in the wom-
en’s beam final as defending cham-
pion and wobbled again, but showed
grit to regain her balance and nail
the dismount.
Kinsella sat in third place as fi-
nal gymnast Emma Spence began
her routine, but was pushed out by
the Canadian to finish fourth as Aus-
tralia’s Kate McDonald and Georgia
Godwin took gold and silver respec-
tively.
But the 21-year-old would not
give in, showing exception resil-
ience in an accomplished floor rou-
tine and, afterwards, waved grate-
fully at the fans who had supported
her warmly all day.
Her 13.366 brought an individual
gold to add to the team title she won
with England, as Achampong fin-
ished second with 13.033 and Aus-
tralian Emily Whitehead’s 13.000
was enough for bronze. Wales’ Pop-
py-Grace Stickler finished sixth.
In the beam final, England’s
Georgia-Mae Fenton was fifth, with
Wales’ Jea Maracha sixth and Sofia
Micallef seventh.
Northern Ireland’s Ewan McA-
teer finished sixth in the men’s vault,
with Wales’ Emil Barber eighth,
while compatriot Brinn Bevan was
seventh on the parallel bars.
(BBC Sport)
Fiji’s men have now been beaten
in the Commonwealth Games rugby
sevens final on four occasions. Ear-
lier, New Zealand took bronze in
both the men’s and women’s compe-
titions.
28
Olivia Breen
hunts down
English rival
Wales’ Olivia Breen hunted
down English rival Sophie Hahn in
a spectacular T37/38 100m heist at
the Commonwealth Games in Bir-
mingham.
Breen, 26, took her biggest
sprint win yet, beating defending
champion Hahn in a personal best
12.83 seconds.
Paralympic gold medallist
Hahn, who finished in 13.09 sec-
onds, slumped to the track as Breen
shrieked in delight.
Breen’s win secures the first
track and field medal of the Games
and Wales’ third gold of Birming-
ham 2022. It is also the first medal
by a Welsh woman in track athlet-
ics at the Commonwealth Games
since Kay Morley won the 100m
hurdles in 1990 in Auckland.
“I am absolutely over the moon.
Ten years’ hard work and I’ve never
run this fast. I am really happy,”
Breen said.
“I just can’t believe it and I want
to thank my team for believing in
me. “Obviously this year I’ve had a
really good season and Sophie has
been a really good rival for years
and I knew that it would come, and
it did come!”
Breen’s victory over Hahn
marks a remarkable reversal in the
pair’s form and fortunes from last
summer’s Tokyo Games. In Japan,
Hahn defended her T38 title in im-
perious style, with Breen a distant
seventh.
Hahn drove out of the blocks
and led at 30m, but Breen built
speed to dismantle the gap and
power away to victory.
In 2017, Breen’s father ques-
tioned Hahn’s classification, sug-
gesting her victories came against
more impaired rivals. Hahn re-
sponded by accusing Breen’s father
of “constant intimidation”.
On an evening where Para-
athletics took the lead, seven-time
Paralympic champion Hannah
Cockroft and England team-mates
Kare Adenegan and Fabienne An-
dre completed a clean sweep of the
T33/34 100m. (BBC Sport)
Olivia Breen
England’s women beat Scotland
29-5 in their fifth place play-off.
Scotland’s men were pipped to
fifth by Samoa, losing 24-19.

Meditate with kindness, with gentleness and most importantly with patience
The PRESENT moment
is important
V
enerable Ajahn Brah-
mavamso Maha Thera
(known to most as Ajahn
Brahm) is the Abbot of
the Bodhinyana monastery, West-
ern Australia and the spiritual di-
rector of the Buddhist Society of
Western Australia. Reproduced
below is an interview the writer
had with the internationally ac-
claimed Buddhist bhikkhu during
his visits to Sri Lanka.
BY SAMANGIE WETTIMUNY
Q: What would be the most
appropriate type of meditation for
a beginner?
A: R-E-L-A-X. Relaxation medi-
tation- any method which makes
your body relax and mind less tense.
Method of meditation is not as im-
portant as how you meditate.
Whether you are watching the
breath, whether you are taking the
breath, or whether you are focusing
on the Buddha, or whether you are
focusing on a method, the most im-
portant thing is not what you medi-
tate on, but how you are meditating.
So when you are meditating,
please do not try to attain things, but
try to simplify things.
Do not control things, but try to
make peace with things. Meditate
with kindness, with gentleness and
most importantly with patience.
When you meditate remember
these five things. Let things go, let
in peace, be kind, ...be gentle and be
patient.
Q: Is it a must to go to a mon-
astery to practise this?
A: No, go to a ‘nice’ room in your
house. Keep a cushion or two and sit
down and meditate.In a monastery
there are so many rituals. In your
house you can practise the above
mentioned simple meditation. Stay
in your room... relax and meditate
and have a wonderful time!
Q: Is it a sin to convert a per-
son to some other religion?
A: It really depends on what your
intention is and how you do that. Af-
ter listening to my teachings, many
Christians had converted to Bud-
dhism. That is not with coercion, or
with any unethical means.
Such conversions which are just
done on reasons, on encourage-
ment, without any force are ethical.
But if you are converting someone
by prophesying them with monetary
awards, or with things which would
not happen, that is unethical.
Sometimes people are forced to
convert because they are given mon-
etary incentives. It also shows that
such a religion is sort of a product, to
keep popularising the product they
entice them with free gifts to discov-
er the product. Similarly there are
countries where people are bought
by politicians. Politicians give people
money to join their parties. That is
unethical.
Nikini Full Moon Poya day falls on August 11
If any person gives someone
money or promises them free medi-
cal care or similar incentives to con-
vert them to some other religion that
is unethical and that is a sin.
Q: But some are forced to
convert to other religions because
of cross-religious marriages. Does
the converter commit a sin even
though no monetary incentives are
involved in such conversions?
A: It is unethical. If you get mar-
ried, you are marrying a person for
who he is. So if a Buddhist marries
a Christian, the Buddhist has to ac-
cept that his/her partner as a Chris-
tian and love that person for who
she/he is. And the Christian has to
love the Buddhist in turn on the same
grounds.
If anyone is getting married and
if your partner insists that you be
converted you should call off the
marriage as it shows that the partner
does not love you!
Buddhists are sometimes very
weak. Sometimes they would say
“No, I have to convert because he/
she wants me to”. No, this should not
be. A Buddhist would never insist
anybody else to convert and people
of other religions should not insist a
Buddhist to convert!
Q: The Buddha was said to
have imposed eight major condi-
tions on Bhikkhunis before giving
permission to establish the Order
of Nuns (Bhikkuni Sasana). Under
such conditions can we really say
that the Buddha has given women
full freedom to participate in a reli-
gious life?
A: First of all, I have to mention
that other religions do not allow
women even that much of freedom.
But Buddhism, more than 2550 years
ago, was allowing women to become
nuns and practise it faithfully in a
religious atmosphere. Those condi-
tions were not supposed to hinder
a female’s practising a religious life.
Remember, in a monastic life we are
supposed to be lessening our conceit
and ego.
This is one of those practices,
when instead of wanting to be on top,
to be proud, we are trying to lessen
our pride, to lessen our ego. And I
feel Bhikkunis too are very advanced
in religious practices. They look
upon their state as something which
helps them achieve Nibbana.
Status should be the last reason
you become a nun or a bhikkhu. Un-
fortunately in countries like Sri Lan-
ka, Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand
many monks are attached to the sta-
tus.
Q: So could imposing eight
major conditions be justified?
There is one condition which says
that even a Bhikkuni who has been
ordained even for a century must
respectfully rise up from her seat
,salute with joined palms, and do
proper homage to a monk ordained
that day. In which discourse do we
come across those conditions?
features.suo@lakehouse.lk / Tel: 011 2 429 429, 011 2 429 228 / Fax: 0112 429 227
AUGUST 7, 2022
Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamso Maha Thera
A: Eight major conditions are in
the Bhikkhuni Vagga of the Chulla
Vagga. It is also mentioned individu-
ally in the Bhikkhuni Patimokkha. It
could be justified and there can be a
reason for that. The reason actually
is to assist your practice - to achieve
Nibbana.
That is actually bad news for the
bhikkhus (laughs), because it is more
likely to make a bhikkhu proud. It is
wonderful for the Bhikkhuni for she
has a higher chance of lessening her
defilements and becoming enlight-
ened. It is a higher practice.
If you are a bhikkhu or a nun the
sole purpose of it is to achieve Nibba-
na. Shedding pride and ego, in fact,
assists you to attain Nibbana.
Q: Should a Buddhist stick to
a vegetarian diet? If killing animals
is a sin, can we justify Buddhists
consuming meat?
A: I’ll give you an example. A few
days ago, while travelling in the up-
country in Sri Lanka, I saw people
ploughing in the fields. As they were
ploughing there were lots of birds
following the plough and picking
out insects and worms which have
been either killed by the plough, or
injured by the plough or brought up
to the surface by the plough. So even
eating rice is at the expense of many
animals’ lives.
Whatever you do, wherever you
go, you may come across similar in-
cidents. Even if you are just driving
your car, you may find an insect on
your windscreen or even some ani-
mals caught under the wheels of the
car. Whatever you do in life is at the
expense of others. So you cannot be
strict. All you can do is to avoid get-
ting involved in any sort of killing, try
to lessen the destruction you cause
on others.
It is very much better if you can
be a vegetarian. But also remember
to pay attention to what comes out
from the mouth (your utterances)
more than what you put inside the
mouth!
Back to the topic, Some people
can live long , very well being veg-
etarians. Other human beings can’t.
It is actually bad for their health. So
one’s job should be to limit the de-
struction.
But if you are responsible for kill-
ing an animal yourself, the conse-
quences are heavy as your intention
and proximity for killing is far closer.
So if a person is a butcher who kills
animals day in and day out he would
fear lots of consequences for what he
does. He cannot avoid it.
Q: A woman can become an
Arhat, but not a Buddha?
A: That is what it is said.
Q: Is it because of their
physical vulnerability?
A: No, I have gone on record in
many instances where I have said
that a woman can become a Buddha.
In other words a person in a female
body can become a Buddha. The ex-
planation is this. If a Bodisatta is go-
ing to take rebirth to become a Bud-
dha and to spread the Sasana once
more, he would choose a country, a
race, a caste and a gender which is
the best for his purpose.
That is why when Gautama
Bodisatta came into the world, he
chose India as the country, he chose
Kshatriya as the caste and also chose
the form of man. He did not choose
Brahmin caste or Vaishya caste, but
Kshatriya because that was the best
vehicle for his purpose - for spread-
ing the Dhamma. India at that time
was a patriarchal society as Sri Lanka
is now. So he chose to be a man.
But there have been matriarchal
societies in history where females
have been the dominant gender. In
such a society if a person is going to
become a Buddha, that person would
take on the female form as she would
get more authority and power to
spread the Dhamma.
In fact it does not really depend
upon your gender. It is actually how
a Buddha is going to use the gender,
use the rights, use the social position
for the purposes of spreading the
Dhamma.
So a female can be a Buddha if
there is a feminine society (matri-
archal society) where the female is
respected more than the man. Then
when a Buddha is going to take birth
in that society he would choose the
female form.
Q: In Buddhism we are often
told to forget the past and live in
the present. But if the past is not
to bind us where can duty lie? For
example, we are bound by duty to
look after our parents because they
brought us up in the past?
A: The PRESENT moment is im-
portant. Your parents are right here
in front of you. They are not your par-
ents only in the past. They’ll be your
parents even in the future. Buddhism
says, let go of your past. Otherwise
your parents might have said some-
thing to you which you are not hap-
py with, but that does not mean you
should not care for them right now.
So what we do in Buddhism, al-
ways, is to let go of the past, so that
we can actually forgive. The past of
many people is a place of anger, guilt
and remorse. It is because of this
that many people have psychological
problems.
Buddhism is the only religion
which says that you can forgive your-
self and you should forgive yourself.
It is the only religion which does not
practise punishment.
Q: Though there were thou-
sands of Arahants during the peri-
od of the Buddha, today we scarcely
hear of them. What could be the
reason? Is this due to complex so-
cial developments that have taken
place in the modern world?
A: If one has a lot of high quali-
ties and merit, he/she is more likely
to be born in the time of the Buddha.
The best students study in Colombo
or the top students manage to go to
Oxford, Cambridge or Harvard. Simi-
larly the very top students managed
29
to get into the ‘best university’ which
was in the time of the Buddha! When
you have the best teacher and the
best facilities you get the best stu-
dents. The reason is not the situation
of the current society.
In fact in the time of the Buddha
the society there was very prosper-
ous. But it too had many social and
political problems.
I think it is a wonderful time for
Buddhism now, because we have
prosperity in many countries. But
people have realised that just mate-
rial prosperity does not give them
much happiness. You have money
in most homes, but most of the time
people will say. ‘Is this all?’ Is this all
we need?”.
Recently there was an article
about an English woman who bought
a huge mansion after winning a lot-
tery. (Nearly 42 million pounds.) The
mansion was so huge with many
rooms that she found it really diffi-
cult to find where her children were!
So she sold the mansion and bought
a very small house. It was because
she realised that in a small house
she’ll be with her children and her
husband, but in the mansion she’ll
be alone.
Even in Sri Lanka, (though peo-
ple think that this is a poor country)
there are much better houses now.
You can travel around the world and
have a lot of pleasures. But most of
the people feel that there is some-
thing missing - what is missing is in-
ner happiness or inner peace. In or-
der to seek inner peace people have
turned to Buddhism and there is a
revival of Buddhism in the modern
world.
Q: There is a viewpoint that
it is medically advisable to con-
sume a little bit of liquor. Is not this
contradictory with the words of the
Buddha who was of the opinion that
consuming intoxicants is obnox-
ious?
A: That particular scientific evi-
dence was disapproved about two or
three years ago. It is now known as a
myth. In fact the idea that consum-
ing liquor was good for one’s health
came from a research project which
was done in California.
They found in a big survey that
many people who took a moderate
amount of alcohol seem to have less
cardiovascular diseases and so the
statistics implied that if you take al-
cohol, your heart condition is much
better. But two or three years ago this
evidence was reexamined.
They found that lots of people
who drank wine, especially red wine,
were the ones who had a high in-
come. In this particular income level
those who take red wine and those
who do not were examined. It was
found that those who do not take
wine had better health.
Today ask any scientist in the
field, he’ll tell you that alcohol is one
of the greatest poisons. It is the one
which causes the most number of
social problems. It is far worse than
heroin or cocaine. It is not a good
thing to take. Give some whisky to a
dog, not even the dog would drink it!
Science has proved what the Bud-
dha said so many years ago.
30 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022

Health
Lack of adequate outdoor activities, overloaded school bags,
neglected sports injuries cause early health problems

Parents’ role vital to reduce health

risks children face as schools reopen
routines.

Q: Can obesity adversely impact

on children who wish to excel in the

T
he government’s decision to
re-open schools last week after
a prolonged closure has been
greeted with mixed reactions
by parents, who, while welcoming the
decision to resume physical classes,
have also raised concerns over possible
health risks children could face once
they go back to school.
As most students have spent inac-
tive lives within the confines of their
homes during the prolonged holidays,
many parents are worried over injuries
they could get from taking part in out-
door field activities, including the inter
school rugby and cricket matches cur-
rently taking place. They want to know
what kind of sports are safe for their
children to play. Others worry that their
children will once more be expected to
carry heavy school bags.
They seek professional advice on
how school bags should be packed and
carried given the risks of slouching and
spinal deformities. Still others are anx-
ious over adverse mental and physical
health impacts on their children who
will now spend three days doing on-
line studying under the new phased off
study program plus two days of learn-
ing at school till the fuel shortages ease.
To allay their fears, The Sunday
Observer sought the advice of Head of
Rehabilitation Services, MJF Charitable
Foundation, Dr. Gopi Kitnasamy. He of-
fers parents and students simple Do’s
and Don’ts that could prevent / reduce
the above mentioned risks , emphasis-
ing the fact that active participation by
parents along-
side their
children in
such activi-
ties, will help
them stay fit,
and less vulner-
able to developing early noncommuni-
cable diseases ( NCDS).
Excerpts
Q: The Covid pandemic lockdowns
followed by the current transport
issues has compelled children to
spend more time indoors watching
T.V. or playing computer games. This
lack of adequate outdoor activity
exacerbated by unhealthy food has
already left its mark in the rise of
obesity in children leading to early
diabetes, hypertension and cardiac
problems. So tell us, how important
are outdoor activities for children?
A. Outdoor activities form an im-
portant part of their life and have long
term benefits on their health. Adequate
outdoor activity increases health and
physical development by improving
sensory development, reducing obesi-
ty and stimulating blood cells. It helps
kids stay fit and active which will ben-
efit them in the long run. They can
ward off health problems like obesity
and heart ailments later in life. Par-
ticipation in sports activities improves
physical fitness, coordination, and self-
discipline, and gives children valuable
opportunities to learn teamwork.
Q: What outdoor sports
should children play
to get the maximum
benefits?
A. I would say, al-
ways consider age-
appropriate activities
with children. Your
child is likely to show
natural preferences for
certain sports or activi-
ties. Start there, keeping
your child’s age, maturity
and abilities in mind. For
children of ages 6 – 9, organ-
ised activities like running,
gymnastics, swimming and
tennis are good choices. And
children above 10, are typically
ready to take on complex skill sports,
such as football, basketball, hockey and
volleyball. Keep in mind, however, that
growth spurts caused by puberty can
temporarily affect a child’s coordina-
tion and balance.
Before allowing your child to par-
ticipate in a contact sport, consider his
or her age, maturity, and physical size.
Whatever sports your child participates
in, ensure that he or she has a founda-
tion of proper technique and move-
ment.
Q: What is your advice about the
risk of injuries from these sports?
A. We need to take into consider-
ation the risk of injury in returning
to sport after long lockdowns, the ex-
tended periods of online activities and
reduced physical activity. Students
should adopt a phased and gradual ap-
proach to get back to their sports and al-
ways follow the advice of their coaches.
Jumping, maximal accelerations and
decelerations, rapid changes of direc-
tion, and expressions of maximal speed
as the players try to outmaneuver each
other may account for the rise in injury
rates during sports.
Q: How can their adverse impacts
be reduced or avoided?
A. Fortunately, most sports injuries
in children can be prevented. Some
of the more effective ways to prevent
these injuries include age-specific
coaching, appropriate physical condi-
tioning, and proper use of equipment.
You can also prevent injuries by en-
couraging children to train for their
sport, rather than rely on the sport to
whip them into shape. Proper physical
conditioning can go a long way toward
keeping players off the injured list and
on top of their game.
The other important strategies to
prevent sports injuries are being in
proper physical condition (strength &
flexibility), wearing appropriate pro-
tective gear, making warm-ups and
cool-downs part of the child’s routine
before and after sports participation,
staying hydrated and stopping the activ-
ity when there is pain. Coaches should
assess the physical activities students
were able to do during the lockdown as
a starting point for the reintroduction
of formalized training.
Q: Sitting at their desks while
writing in the classroom or during
online activities can also lead to
wrong posture habits that could
cause health issues. What is
your advice on posture and its
importance?
A. Good Posture is very important
to avoid spinal and other related prob-
lems in the future. Encourage children
to stand like a soldier, with head up,
shoulders back and tummy in. Sitting
Dr. Gopi Kitnasamy
in good posture in the classrooms and
during online activities are always im-
portant. Classroom furniture are ‘One
size fit all’ types and not adjustable
which is not always ideal, but children
can sit well by bringing their chair close
to the table, sitting back in the seat with
their back upright. They should avoid
hunching over textbooks and be given
the opportunity to move about during
long lessons.
Q: Heavy backpacks have also
been cited as a cause for many
health-related problems to children.
What effect will this extra strain
on their back cause on the growing
bodies of these children?
A. When undue strain falls on the
back, it can lead to poor chest expan-
sion, decreased lung capacity and poor
stamina. The backpack should never
weigh more than 10% of the child’s
body weight. The heavy load causes
them to lean forward to battle the pain
in their shoulders. This in turn leads to
postural and other problems.
Q: Such as?
A. The wrong or heavy backpacks
can lead to several problems. It can
cause bad posture, tired muscles, spi-
nal problems, Scoliosis (“S”curvature
of spine) and, if unchecked, severe ail-
ments like a compressed spinal nerve.
The weight of larger backpacks can af-
fect a growing child’s posture and spinal
health. Other joints besides the child’s
spine can be affected because a heavy
weight can throw the neck, shoulders,
and pelvis off balance.
Q: What about the way children
carry their bags, some slinging it on
one shoulder only?
A. Holding the bag in one hand by
its straps or carrying the bag over one
shoulder can affect their posture per-
manently. An incorrectly packed back-
pack or an incorrectly fitted backpack
can also harm the child’s health.
Q: So what’s your advice to
the parents on selecting proper
school bags, packing and carrying
techniques?
A. My advice is that they should
always be aware of their child’s spinal
health when purchasing a school bag.
Purchase backpacks with wide, pad-
ded shoulder straps and a pelvic strap.
This will help distribute the weight to
the hips and take weight off the back.
Encourage children to wear their back-
packs over both shoulders. Pack the
heaviest items so they are closest to the
child’s back. If the heaviest items are
packed further away, this throws out
the child’s centre of gravity and causes
unnecessary back strain. Make sure
that items can’t move around during
transit, as this could upset your child’s
centre of gravity, use the backpack’s
compartments.
Q: Obesity in children is an
emerging problem in Sri Lanka as
it leads to early diabetes and other
non-communicable diseases. Is this
due to lack of exercise? Diet?
A. Childhood obesity is a complex
health issue. Lack of physical exercise
in children is the main culprit in the
startling rise of childhood obesity, heart
disease, diabetes, and all other types of
preventable medical conditions. Other
behaviours that influence excess weight
gain include eating high-calorie, low-
nutrient foods and beverages, seden-
tary activities such as watching televi-
sion or other screen devices and sleep
sports field? How?
A. Obesity can cause limitations of
the cardiopulmonary and the metabol-
ic systems, resulting in exertional dys-
pnea (shortness of breath or difficulty
in breathing), contributing to the limi-
tations in the functional capacity. In ad-
dition, the sedentary lifestyle often ad-
opted by these children contributes to
impaired exercise tolerance and poor
sports performance.
Q: What exercise do you
recommend for obese children to get
down their excess fat?
A. Obesity in children often is the
result of a sedentary lifestyle. Exercis-
ing to reduce weight is very important
but needs to be carefully monitored.
Asking children to elevate their heart
rates to a heightened aerobic exercise
rate for 30 minutes or longer may be
dangerous. Start with an exercise pace
that resembles a brisk walk, rather than
a jog. Warm up slowly for the first few
minutes, let children take breaks as
needed and make sure they drink water
whenever they become thirsty. Obese
children may develop joint or back pain
if they perform repetitive, high-impact
exercises like running, aerobic danc-
ing, jumping or skipping. Low impact
exercises like cycling and Water jogging
and aerobics are very good choices.
Q: Advice to parents to help
prevent development of early health
issues in school children?
A. Get children active after school,
at weekends and during holidays. Re-
member, an active parent equals an ac-
tive child. So while encouraging your
children to go outside and play, partici-
pating alongside them in such activi-
ties will motivate and encourage them
further. Like a weekly family walk, or
cycling which is becoming a popular
trend due to transport problems. Teach
your child to ride a bike and cycle to-
gether.
Go for a swim together. Don’t just
use the park or beach for a picnic, do
something active too like kicking the
ball around or running a race. Enter
your family in events like a fun-run or
bike ride. Take the stairs, rather than
the lift or escalator, and ask your chil-
dren for a little help with carrying the
shopping bags. During the wet weather,
find ways of being active indoors as a
family.

Eat strawberries to protect your brain

Compound found in the fruity treat can reduce inflammation of the brain and stop the development of Alzheimer’s

E
ating strawberries could help pro-
tect the brain from Alzheimer’s by
reducing inflammation, scientists
said.
A team of researchers led by Rush Uni-
versity in Chicago, Illinois found adults over
65 years old who regularly ate the fruits had
fewer tau proteins in their brains, which can
lead to the debilitating disease at higher con-
centrations.
Strawberries are one of the top sources
of pelangonidin, which is thought to be an
anti-inflammatory. Others are raspberries,
kidney beans, plums and radishes.
Scientists warned, however, that the
study was observational meaning it could
not prove whether it was actually the straw-
berries that were protecting against the dis-
ease or another factor.
Published last week in the Journal of Al-
zheimer’s Disease, the study looked at the
brain’s of 575 deceased patients with an av-
erage age of 91 years. None had Alzheimer’s.
For more than two decades before their
deaths each had filled in a survey annually
on their diet allowing researchers to keep
track.
They also had their cognitive ability
tested annually. Results from post-mortem
showed that among the group that ate the
most strawberries, the lowest concentration
of tau proteins was observed.
The study authors also said they found
no association between tau protein levels
and those who had the APOE-4 gene, which
is thought to raise the risk of the disease.
Explaining the results Dr Julie Schnei-
der, the neuropathologist who led the pa-
per, said: ‘We suspect the anti-inflammatory
properties of pelargonidin may decreaes
overall neuroinflammation, which may re-
duce cytokine production.’
Cytokines are proteins produced by cells cans. By 2050, this figure is expected to more
which can trigger an inflammatory response. than double. Early signs include difficulties
Inflammation in the brain may be caused remembering recent events or conversa-
by many factors including a lack of sleep, in- tions or where something was left.
fections and extreme stress. These are also But in the later stages patients may
risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s dis- repeat themselves or questions over and
ease. over, get lost in familiar places and have
Dr Puja Agarwal, a nutritional epidemiol- trouble finding the right words to iden-
ogist who was also involved in the research, tify objects. -daily mail.co.uk
said it was a ‘simple change’ that anyone
could make to their diet.
But he also warned the study was obser-
vational, meaning it was not clear whether
the strawberries reduced the risk.
‘Further research is needed to under-
stand the role of nutrition in Alzheimer’s
disease,’ he said, ‘but this study gives us hope
on how specific dietary components such as
berries may help brain health’.
Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating con-
dition affecting more than 6.5 million Ameri-
 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022 31

Feature

The important role of

indigenous women

The Committee of the Convention their languages would be lost forever.

on the Elimination of all Forms of Dis-
crimination Against Women (CEDAW)
highlighted some of the major issues
encountered by indigenous women,
particularly noting the high levels
of poverty; low levels of education
and illiteracy; limitations in access
to health, basic sanitation, credit and
Some languages are spoken by just two
or three people.
They will also take to the grave a
vast treasure trove of knowledge about
everything from native cures to native
art. This is the common heritage of
mankind.
Another valuable lesson that we

T
hey were the First People. They
had usually been in a certain
region for centuries, or even
thousands of years, before the
‘Others’ arrived. However, all over the
world, the ‘Others’ trampled on their
rights, their lands and even their very
lives. And some of them do face extinc-
tion in just a few decades, if not years.
This is the story of the world’s 370 mil-
lion indigenous people living across
90 countries (sometimes literally so,
as they go in and out of porous bor-
ders between some countries). They
speak an overwhelming majority of
the world’s estimated 7,000 languages
and represent 5,000 different cultures.
Challenges
From the Inuits in Canada to the
Aborigines in Australia, indigenous
communities face challenging times
and issues. Indigenous peoples have
sought recognition of their identities,
way of life and their right to traditional
lands, territories and natural resourc-
es for years, yet throughout history
their rights have always been violated.
Indigenous peoples today are argu-
ably among the most disadvantaged
and vulnerable groups of people in the
world.
The plight of indigenous people
has received worldwide attention.
Here in Sri Lanka, we are familiar with
the tribulations of our own ‘Wanniyela
Aththo’, who are struggling to maintain
their identity and traditional way of
life amidst a rapidly developing, com-
mercialised society. It is vital to look at
their problems and strive to preserve
their values, languages and traditions.
Once an indigenous community be-
comes extinct, humanity as a whole
loses a part of its soul.
It is with this aim in mind that the
United Nations proclaimed the Inter-
national Day of the World’s Indigenous
People to be celebrated on August 9
every year. It was first proclaimed by
the UN General Assembly in Decem-
ber 1994, to be celebrated every year
during the first International Decade
of the World’s Indigenous People (1995
– 2004).
Since the event is marked accord-
ing to a defined theme every year, the
focus of this year’s International Day is
“the Role of Indigenous Women in the
Preservation and Transmission of Tra-
ditional Knowledge”. Indigenous wom-
en are the backbone of indigenous
peoples’ communities and play a cru-
cial role in the preservation and trans-
mission of traditional ancestral knowl-
edge. They have an integral collective
and community role as carers of natu-
ral resources and keepers of scientific
knowledge. Many indigenous women
are also taking the lead in the defence
of lands and territories and advocat-
ing for indigenous peoples’ collective
rights worldwide.
The significance of indigenous
peoples’ traditional knowledge is wide-
ly acknowledged. Long before the de-
velopment of modern science, which
is quite young, indigenous people-
have developed their ways of knowing
how to survive and also of ideas about
meanings, purposes and values. As
noted by the Special Rapporteur on In-
digenous Peoples, the term “scientific
knowledge” is also used to underscore
that traditional knowledge is contem-
porary and dynamic, and of equal val-
ue to other kinds of knowledge.
Traditional knowledge
International consultations jointly
facilitated by UNESCO and the Internal
Council of Science (ICSU) states that
“Traditional knowledge is a cumulative
body of knowledge, know-how, prac-
tices and representations maintained
and developed by peoples with extend-
ed histories of interaction with the nat-
ural environment. These sophisticated
sets of understanding, interpretations
and meanings are part and parcel of
a cultural complex that encompasses
language, naming and classification
systems, resource use practices, ritual,
spirituality and worldviews.”
However, despite the crucial role
that indigenous women play in their
communities as breadwinners, care-
takers, knowledge keepers, leaders
and human rights defenders, they of-
ten suffer from discrimination on the
basis of gender, class, ethnicity and
socioeconomic status. Their right to
self-determination, self-governance
and control of resources and ancestral
lands have been violated over centu-
ries.
Small but significant progress has
been made by indigenous women in
decision-making processes in some
communities. They are leaders at lo-
cal and national levels, and stand at
the frontlines of defending their lands,
their cultures, and their communities.
The reality, however, remains that in-
digenous women are widely under-
represented, disproportionately nega-
tively affected by decisions made on
their behalf, and are too frequently the
victims of multiple expressions of dis-
crimination and violence.
The Pope recently apologised on
behalf of the Church for the violence
perpetrated against indigenous wom-
en and children in Canada.
employment; limited participation in
political life; and the prevalence of do-
mestic and sexual violence.
Focus
Many indigenous peoples are be-
ing pushed out of their territories as
industries, settlements and roads en-
croach on their traditional lands and
in some cases, hunting grounds. Many
governments force indigenous com-
munities to ‘integrate’ with the rest of
the society, which essentially means
giving up on their traditional way of
life.
There is also defection from within
– some of the younger indigenous per-
sons opt for integration. This can, over
the years, have a detrimental effect on
the community concerned, with men
and women of child-bearing age leav-
ing in search of a more modern life-
style.
There still are a few ‘uncontacted’
tribes around the world, especially in
dense jungles. Although various at-
tempts are made to ‘contact’ these
tribes, the greatest danger is that they
can be wiped out even if they get a flu
attack.
They have no immunity to many
diseases which we take for granted and
should they come into contact with an
infected person from the so-called ‘ci-
vilised world’ they could be in great
danger. At the same time, we need
to study their lifestyles and customs.
Thus, it is a tightrope walk.
Contacted or uncontacted, many
indigenous communities face extinc-
tion, which, of course, means that
can learn from indigenous commu-
nities is their commitment to Nature.
They are close to Nature – it is from
such communities that we have de-
rived the concept of a “Mother Earth”.
As far as I know they live a plastic free
existence and most indigenous com-
munities are car-free as well. They
consume less and waste less and al-
though they may not even know the
word, they practice recycling all the
time. They hunt just enough to get by
and respect all plants and animals.
Resilience in the face of adversity
is another lesson to be learnt from in-
digenous communities. They live in
some of the most hostile environments
on Earth, from the Arctic Circle to the
most arid deserts often with limited re-
sources. The one thing that helps them
to face such adversity is the very strong
bond that exists among the communi-
ty. It is a close-knit community where
everyone knows everyone else and
comes to the help of each other in dif-
ficult times.
We have virtually given up on such
bonds partly due to our money-centric
lifestyle. Some isolated tribal commu-
nities have little or no idea what mon-
ey is, but they seem to be happy with
what they have got.
That is perhaps the biggest lesson
that indigenous communities teach
us as most of the world’s problems are
due to our greed for money and mate-
rial things. Tribal communities have
always been in tune with this ancient
wisdom, which has helped them sur-
vive very turbulent times. Only time
will tell whether they can thrive in the
centuries hence.

Europe’s last pandas were giant weaklings

They couldn’t even eat bamboo - and were wiped out by climate change 6 million years ago

S
cientists have discovered the most re-
cent known example of the long-van-
ished European panda.
The species lived six million years
ago in the wetland forests of Bulgaria but is
thought to have been wiped out by climate
change.
The animal, called Agriarctos nikolovi,
was identified from a couple of teeth gather-
ing dust in a museum.
Prof. Nikolai Spassov, from the Bulgarian
Museum of Natural History, became intrigued
after finding the teeth in the archives.
‘They had only one label written vaguely
by hand,’ he said. ‘It took me many years to
figure out what the locality was and what its
age was.
‘Then it also took me a long time to realise
that this was an unknown fossil giant panda.’
Spassov and his colleagues explain that
pandas are a ‘group of peculiar bears’ because
they present one of the more intriguing evolu-
tionary problems.
Scientists have been left bemused as to
why, out of such a carnivorous family, pandas
evolved to only eat bamboo.
Now, experts at the Bulgarian Museum of
Natural History think they may have some an-
swers.
Fossils of the staple grass that sustains the
modern panda are rare in the European – and,
especially, in the Bulgarian late Miocene – fos-
sil record and the cusps of the teeth do not ap-
pear strong enough to crush the woody stems.
Instead, scientists believe it likely fed on
softer plant materials — aligning with the gen-
eral trend toward increased reliance on plants
in this group’s evolutionary history.
Sharing their environment with other
large predators likely drove the giant panda
lineage toward vegetarianism.
The experts think that European pandas
found themselves outcompeted on meat and
were left with plants as their most convenient
evolutionary niche.
‘The likely competition with other species,
especially carnivores and presumably other
bears, explains the closer food specialisation
of giant pandas to vegetable food in humid
forest conditions,’ said Spassov.
He added that the find ‘shows how little
we still know about ancient nature and dem-
onstrates also that historic discoveries in pa-
laeontology can lead to unexpected results,
even today.’
The two fossils of teeth analysed were
originally found in Bulgaria in the late 1970s.
The upper carnassial tooth, and an upper
canine, were originally cataloged by paleon-
tologist Ivan Nikolov, who added them to the
museum’s trove of fossilised treasures when
they were unearthed in the northwestern part
of the country.
This new species is named Agriarctos
nikolovi in his honour.
The coal deposits in which the teeth were
found – which have imbued them with a
blackened hue – suggest that this ancient pan-
da inhabited forested, swampy regions.
There, during the Miocene epoch, it likely
consumed a largely vegetarian diet.
However, the researchers said the panda’s
teeth nonetheless provided ample defense
against predators.
In addition, the canines are comparable
in size to those of the modern panda, suggest-
ing that they belonged to a similarly sized or
only slightly smaller animal.
The authors believe A. nikolovi likely be-
came extinct as a result of climate change,
probably because of the ‘Messinian salinity
crisis’ — an event in which the Mediterranean
basin dried up, significantly altering the sur-
rounding terrestrial environments.
‘Giant pandas are a very specialised group
of bears,’ Prof. Spassov added.
‘Even if A. niklovi was not as specialised
in habitats and food as the modern giant pan-
da, fossil pandas were specialised enough and
their evolution was related to humid, wooded
habitats.
‘It is likely that climate change at the end
of the Miocene in southern Europe, leading to
aridification, had an adverse effect on the exis-
tence of the last European panda.’
The research has been published in the
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. -Daily Mail
32 Sunday ObServer auguSt 7, 2022

Features
in keeping with the tripitaka

A model for a production economy

By Dr. Mallika karunaratne
Relishing on the liberal electoral process
and propaganda machinery, political parties
of the country over the years have been paint-
ing a promising picture of the prosperity to
the voter to capture their vote. Once secured
power, the promises were easily forgotten.
Decades of experience with different regimes
have more than demonstrated the appalling
gap between promise and performance- un-
fortunately never as at present.
The widespread excruciating misery be-
fore our very eyes bears witness. Had a people-
centred development program been effective-
ly implemented, the country would have been
spared the humility being thrust on her even
with a minimum essentials becoming so hard
to come by. While a struggle by some frustrat-
ed youth has been going on for some time, the
county is being pushed into a state of severe
economic hardship.
A well-articulated development program
with a clear national vision is a sine quo non,
to qualify for bi-lateral and international fi-
nancial support to address pressing needs on
financial, and economic fronts.
People-centred governance
In this backdrop, it is opportune to exam-
ine wisdom contained in the Tripitaka, where-
in a similar situation is reported, which points
a formulae for people centred governance.
Kūtadanta sutta in the Digha Nikaya illustrates
a past story where the life of the masses was
strained due to economic hardships.
The ruler of the land being unaware
of the people’s difficulty, used to carry on
with the affairs of the state unperturbed,
later changed the course, adopting a peo-
ple friendly vision and a development strat-
egy that found to be beneficial to society.
The incident referred to in this discourse is a
birth story where the Bodhisattva was born as
the Chief Minister of King Mahavijitha.
It happened that once in a frontier region
of the kingdom, there erupted a mass agita-
tion. The cause was hunger due to shortage
of basic necessities. The masses lost all forms
of livelihood - their crops failed, animals fam-
ished, those engaged in self occupations had
no access to raw materials.
The masses were idling with no productive
work, so that they resorted to stealing, robbing
from those who have excess food and supplies.
Those traders passing through their territory
with loads of food were looted and harassed.
This caused fear, anxiety among the people
and that led to a breakdown of peace and har-
mony in the society.
This state of affairs is named dassu
khīla, a piercing peg, which caused dis-
ruption of peaceful living in the region.
The king and the council of ministers were
unaware of the struggle. Their priority was
conducting the annual event – a sacrificial cer-
emony involving hundreds of animals and a
variety of rich food items for the occasion. The
king was praised by the ministers of the likely
gains from the sacrificial ceremony - fame and
prosperity to the kingdom, in particular.
alternative
The Chief Minister, who is the Bodhisat-
tva, took a different view. He drew the king’s
attention to the Dassu khīla, (an agitation by
the irritated masses). The Chief Minister while
praising the concept of a sacrificial ceremony
proposed that it would be most productive if it
be carried out as a means of appeasing the agi-
tating masses in the frontier region. The chief
minister suggested an alternative, a clearly
spelt out vision and plan of action, which cov-
ers three areas:
1. Food production
This strategy aims at increased food pro-
duction by making available the inputs such
as seed, planting material, tools and imple-
ments for those who engaged in farming
For those engaged in animal farming to be but-
tressed by providing basic inputs like gracing
fields and captive areas for animal breeding.
Both these groups of farmers must also be
given support until such time that their activi-
ties are accomplished and yield is ready for
harvesting. The farmers must be ensured that
they get their daily bread until they reap their
harvest. The Pali phrase used to stress the im-
portance of this aspect is “bijabhattam anup-
padetu”.
2. Market place for produce
The next important action in the program
deals with the yield. Here, the “role of the
buyer/purchaser” is crucial. It is the respon-
sibility of the state to facilitate with funds/
resources. The harvest goes through a se-
ries of stages involving post-harvest prepa-
ration/processing/preserving, facilitating a
variety of labour intensive activities where
women, children and elderly could be en-
gaged as part time occupation. This activity is
mentioned in the discourse by the Pali term
sakamma pasutā which means avenues of op-
portunities for self-employed. Those engaged
in trading plays a central role in moving the
stuff from the sweatshop to the market place.
The Pali phrase used in the text is pābhatam
anuppadetu, which means the traders be given
choice to take action at will, so that no hurdles
will be there to sell the produce.
3. role of the state official
The third most important area is the role of
the state official. They are accountable for the
final outcome of the production process while
personally attending to see to the success.
Their role entails supervision, review/evalua-
tion and adjustment as necessary, as it is put
in the modern planning jargon. The services
of the state official are so crucial that they are
to be paid additional allowance to meet the ex-
penses to be incurred visiting outstation. Pali
phrase used in the text read as the bhattaveta-
nam anuppadetu.
Glaring drawbacks
Sri Lanka has over the past four decades
resorted to the adoption of numerous devel-
opment strategies and programs. However,
when evaluating and analysing the outcomes
of these planning efforts, many glaring draw-
backs are visible and a few critical ones can be
listed as follows:
1. Lack of a clear and well-articulated na-
tional vision for social and economic
development for the country.
2. Lack of carefully selected strategies to
correspond with the national vision.
3. No consensus on the criteria to be ap-
plied in the screening of projects to be
carried out to contribute to the national
goals and objectives.
4. Development performance is measured
on individual project basis.
5. Expenditure is used as a measurement
of performance evaluation.
6. No emphasis given to prioritise value ad-
dition options, especially in agriculture
and plantation sectors having a greater
potential in foreign exchange earnings.
7. No recognition of area-wise spread of
development benefits, streamed in the
national strategic plans.
8. Allocation of funds for priority projects
does not correlate with the national pri-
ority sectors.
Sri Lanka has missed the opportunity to
bring prosperity to her people over the past
several decades, where her neighbours in the
South Asian region have bypassed her in leaps
and bounds. We can take a leaf from their ex-
perience where the strategy of medium to long
term plans are adopted to guide their national
development planning process over several
decades.
The learning experience to be drawn from
the Kūtadanta sutta is crucial in several fronts:
first and foremost, it emphasises clear as-
sessment of the problem at hand, like what,
where, how while clearly articulating the root
causes. When the basic characteristics of the
causes are known, the solutions become evi-
dent. It is a matter of their ranking based on
the implementation feasibility and availability
resources: committing the local resources be-
fore searching for the avenues for foreign or
otherwise.
Home grown solution
Sri Lanka’s success in adopting a home
grown solution for a production economy, in
the construction of Gal Oya Irrigation Devel-
opment Scheme is a case in point. This kind
of development strategies should be seriously
studied by the Sri Lankan professionals and
guide our political masters.
The masses of the Kingdom of Mahavijitha
faced a similar hardship. They overcame the
issues as a result of the well-articulated ac-
tion plan of the Chief Minister. This kind of ap-
proach goes well along with the current popu-
lar jargon “an inclusive development strategy”.
The outcome of implementing such a plan
is addressing a problem in a holistic way; cov-
ering both material and emotional aspects.
The indicators listed in the Kūtadanta sutta viv-
idly elucidate several Key Performance Indica-
tors (KPIs) which are currently being accepted
by project evaluation specialists. The indica-
tors mentioned in this discourse are unique.
They are people focused, expressed in terms
of family response and societal harmony.
The Pali phrases with their content
read as follows: khematthitā janapadā –
non-agitating and peaceful community
akantakā, anuppīlā manussā – a community
not distressful, and not harassing themselves
or others modamānā (manussā ) ureputte
naccantā - contented family where the parents
enjoying company of children apāruta gharā –
living with no fear and suspicion in the neigh-
bourhood manne viharissanti – living at peace
free of both mental and physical distress
The overall benefits of implementing a
strategy focused on production economy can
be enumerated as follows:
1. Production process strengthened
2. Economic prosperity restored
3. People’s livelihood secured
4. Food shortage mitigated
5. Mental fear and suspicion removed
6. Happy family environment assured
7. Contented society envisioned
What can we learn from this analysis?
Kūtadanta sutta adopts a people-friendly
development approach where people of the
land are the direct beneficiaries. The devel-
opment benefits spilled over to the rest of the
areas, thriving trade and self-employment
opportunities for people. · State officials are
made accountable by giving them a freehand
to see to the success and the delivery of the ex-
pected output. Overall development impact is
measured by using the criterion of “contented
society”.
Happiness of all
Historical evidence can be traced to the
fact that the formulae cited in Kūtadanta sut-
ta had been adopted by Emperor Asoka who
ruled India 250 years after the passing away of
the Buddha.
The rock edicts XV and XVI state that the
intention of King Asoka was to see to that his
efforts are meant for the happiness of all peo-
ple. These rock edits point to the vision of the
King Asoka that his intention is to see that all
the subjects are prospered. Save munisa mama
paja, “ all subjects must be treated as his own
children”. Similarly, it has become customary
in our society that people in turn shower their
humble wishes on the ruler of the land. The
Buddhist dictum says, rājā bhavatu dhammiko
(May the ruler be just).
It is the responsibility of the ruler and the
state officials to ensure that efficient systems
are put in place to ensure the delivery of due
services to enable people to have smooth ac-
cess to the means of production and liveli-
hood. For this, it is crucial that the national
planning process of the country be strength-
ened with staff capacity to shoulder this lofty
task, which has been eroded over the past sev-
eral years. The Kūtadanta sutta offers legitima-
cy for a timely intervention.
The writer is a Member of the Sri Lanka
Planning Service and Retired Ministry Secre-
tary.

SEDR project completes phase 1 of Active Citizens program

The Supporting Effective Dispute
Resolution (SEDR) project is a four-
year access to justice project imple-
mented by the British Council and
funded by the European Union as part
of its Strengthening Transformation,
Reconciliation and Inclusive Demo-
cratic Engagement (STRIDE) Program
in Sri Lanka.
At the heart of SEDR is the desire
for peaceful co-existence and a fair
and just Sri Lanka. During December
2021-June 2022, SEDR initiated the de-
sign and delivery of three tailor-made
SEDR Active Citizens programs which
had a strong local dispute resolution
and social inclusion focus to address
community issues and improve the
resolution of community disputes.
These programs were conducted in
each of SEDR’s three target provinces
(North, East and Uva), and the first
phase was recently concluded.
Active Citizens is a social leader-
ship training methodology that has
been delivered by the British Coun-
cil around the world for over 10 years
promoting intercultural  dialogue and
community-led social  development
and building trust within and between
communities. The methodology plays
an important role in SEDR’s approach
to supporting alternative dispute reso-
lution  mechanisms in resolving com-
munity level disputes.
Five-day training
Together with the support and
guidance of CSO partner organisa-
tions in each province, the SEDR Ac-
tive Citizens program worked with
participants who went through a five-
day training where each day they fo-
cused on different aspects of working
with a community.
The skills delivered through the
training included those on self-aware-
ness of their identity and culture,
building confidence and interperson-
al relationships, exploring tools and
techniques to encourage and facili-
tate dialogue, problem identification,
problem solving, promoting social co-
hesion and dispute management and
leadership.
The SEDR Active Citizens engaged
with persons of diverse interests and
skills in a community. They then put
these skills into practice through a
dedicated community intervention
(Social Action Projects), which were
designed, managed and implemented
within their community with the sup-
port of their community from youth
volunteers to state and non-state
stakeholders. From March – June, the
SEDR Active Citizens delivered 15 So-
cial Action Projects which focused on
issues and disputes their communities
faced, reaching 1,724 beneficiaries.
munity but applies to all irrespective Active Citizens model has proven to
of which religion or ethnicity they be- be a very good fit for SEDR’s ambition
Camaraderie long to. When I was about to leave the to strengthen community level dis-
One of the youth participants from venue, I made it a point to invite my pute resolution efforts in Sri Lanka.
Badalkumbura, of the Moneragala Tamil roommates to visit our village. It is encouraging to see how women
District said, “During the process of I was equally taken up when these and youth volunteers have grown and
my SEDR AC journey, some of the les- friends wanted me and other Sinhala benefited from the Active Citizens
sons I learned during the workshop friends to be their guests at their es- approach and used their new-found
was that particularly the conflict tree, tates.” knowledge and skills to address some
forum theatre, as well the role plays SEDR Team leader Jacques of the root causes of conflict that af-
are not confined to one single com- Carstens said, “The British Council’s fect their local communities.”   
 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022 33

Features

Stinging nettle curry, one

of the staples of Nepalis

Honey lemon stinging nettle tea

Stinging nettle plant

nettle has a vast array of health bene-
fits. In Nepali ethnomedicine, stinging
nettle is used for making medications
for rheumatism, muscular paralysis
and muscle pain. Some research in-
dicates that consumption of stinging
From Nepal
nettle can reduce the risk of cancers.
past, village elders and teachers are re-
ported to have punished mischievous
children with Kahambiliya as the un-
ceasing feel of itching and smarting
is said to be unbearable when brought
into contact with the skin. The practice
of punishing imps with Kahambiliya
too. It is only during eating that sting-
ing nettle can be brought into contact
with the human skin.
Shreshta said that tender leaves
of stinging nettle should be picked
for cooking. “Prior to cooking sting-
ing nettle, the leaves should be beaten
and salt. Then, add a sufficient amount
of water. Cook for 3-4 whistles, and re-
move the cooker from the heat. Let the
pressure cooker get completely cooled
before opening the lid.
Heat a pan. Add ground nut oil.
When the oil is heated, add cumin
en the curry. Then add Gundruk and
cook for another five minutes.
Remove from heat and serve hot.
Mostly Sisno curry is served with
Dhindo (Kurakkan Thalapa/ Thalapa
made of ground corn)
Honey-lemon stinging nettle tea

A
It is also said to lower the blood sug- can still be found in some remote ar-
s the name suggests, stinging ar level. Hence, food prepared using eas of Sri Lanka.
nettle is a plant that causes stinging nettle are recommended for Although Kahambiliya is associ-
irritation and a smarting those with diabetes. ated with punishment and ethnomedi-
sensation when it gets into cine, the herb is hardly consumed as
contact with human skin. The plant a food in Sri Lanka. Known as Sisno,
is densely covered with stinging hairs
Nutritious food stinging nettle is widely eaten in the
and releases pain-causing toxic chemi- Studies show that stinging nettle is form of a curry or porridge across Ne-
cals. Due to this nature of the plant, rich in vitamins, fibre, calcium, iron, pal. Sisno is a widely eaten wild plant
stinging nettle is hardly eaten by ani- minerals, and fatty acids. The leaves in Nepal since ancient times. This
mals. release a little amount of oil when plant largely assures food security for
It is a species of nettle which is crushed. As per studies, the leaves con- rural impoverished people. Sisno re-
scientifically known as Urticadoica L. tain caffeic acid and flavonoids along quires no human intervention in culti-
The stinging nettle species found in Sri with anti-oxidants. vating. They grow on their own and are
Lanka is known as Kahambiliya. As per Kahambiliya in Sri Lanka is associ- ubiquitous in this landlocked country.
ethnomedical practitioners, stinging ated with an unpleasant activity. In the Sisno does not contain traces of toxins
or chemicals and are organic.
“Sisno plays a double role as a
medicine and a food for Nepalis. When
we were small, we were punished with
Sisno whenever we committed any
mischief at school”, said Thike Shresh-
ta who shared the Sisno curry recipe
with me. “Although it gives an unpleas-
ant experience if you touch the plant
by mistake, it is one of the most de-
lectable vegetables when cooked,” she
said.
Burning sensation
Since the plant stings and causes
a burning sensation, it is always ad-
visable not to use bare hands to pluck
them. Gloves come in handy when
plucking stinging nettle. Some use
scissors to cut and then collect them in
a bag. Pincers can also be used.
A ladle or a pincer is advisable to
Stinging nettle curry Pix- Luxman Shreshta be used during the cooking process
with a broom (Nepali broom). You can seeds. When they are blackened, Ingredients
also use a weighty cloth to beat the add dried red chilli. Then add the re- Stinging nettle - a few leaves
leaves so that the stinging hairs will be maining garlic paste, green chilli and Honey - 2 teaspoons
broken,” she said. chopped spring onions. Suaté for a Lemon - a half
Once the leaves are beaten, they couple of minutes. Method
are washed with cold water. (Some add Then add the remaining chilli pow- Wash stinging nettle leaves using
corn flour to stinging nettle leaves) der, Masala powder and ground corn a pincer. Put them in a steel cup and
Here too, a pincer, fork, or a stick can and mix well. Try to break the ground pour boiling water. Close and leave for
be used for turning the leaves. The corn lumps with the ladle. Then add 3-4 minutes.
stinging nature of the leaves can be cooked black lentils and stinging nettle Remove the leaves. The water
mitigated by pouring boiling water curry into the oil. If the corn powder would turn into golden brown. Then
onto the stinging nettle leaves. Then lumps are still remaining, try dissolv- add honey. Squeeze lemon. Mix well
the water turns into brown. ing them. Powdered corn helps thick- and serve warm.
The leaves are now ready to be
cooked.
Ingredients required for stinging
nettle curry
Stinging nettle - 250g
Split black lentils - 100g
Ground nut oil - 3 tablespoons
Cuming seeds - 1 teaspoon
Garlic - 6 large cloves
Spring onions - 5
Green chilli - 2
Dried red chilli - 2
Chilli powder - 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder - a quarter of a tea-
spoon
Masala powder - 2 teaspoons
Gundruk (fermented leafy green) a
handful
Ground corn - 3 tablespoons
Salt
Method of preparation
Soak split black lentils for a half an
hour. In a pressure cooker, add soaked
black lentils, stinging nettle leaves,
turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of chilli
powder, one teaspoon of Masala pow-
der, half the amount of crushed garlic,

A grand novel
I
read Edmund Jayas- Novel - Piyavi Aesa march. This ideal proj- three types. categories being modernistic, social and op-
inghe’s Piyavi Aesa Author – Edmund Jayasingha ect is a social gift to One family is very traditional, familial, ulent. The son of the family (Ranith) who is
with great interest. Published by – Sarasavi Publishers the present day po- humane, social, and prosperity wise exten- well educated and working in a bank marries
It is a stunningly Reviewed by - Dr. Namel Weeramuni litical ambiance. sive with serfdoms. This family reminds of from the first category of the families.
powerful novel. I find it Political arena the Kandyan hierarchal families. With the Yet he is extra ordinarily outgoing with
dogmatically sociological. Ed- It’s unfortunate as the changes of times, serfdom patterns dwindle. his friends and playful as he used to be. He
mund presents it as a love story, plus the con- novelist demonstratively hints that our Cultivable lands in small proportions pass on is the same even after marriage, not paying
temporary features of political, economic, country’s political arena is sullied by corrup- to the serfs. much attention to his wife. This is a dilemma
and social repercussions of the present day tion, defraud, and selfishness. There is no Serfs gain emancipation and become in- for the wife.
society. These facts are demonstrated strong- care for the commoner. Looking after their dividualistic. Yet they maintain the typical Finally, at the very end, the novel be-
ly. welfare is a must. Author draws examples of psychologically embedded restraint and re- comes highly symbolic through Hewa. He
Experience floods effortlessly in his writ- the world that escalate societal welfare. For spect for the elders. spends a long period in remand for an of-
ing. It transcribes to the text convincingly. this, he likens the Nordic countries. Self-centeredness fence he had not committed, but for a well
It becomes superbly crafted and prodigious, He takes them as ideal nations that uplift The second type had been very poor and wished beneficial cause he had initiated,
though appears simple. Subject matter is well social, economic and political betterment of had hard times. Through hard work, they supported, and carried on for societal ad-
balanced. It affects the reader positively spell- the people. People of such nations live hap- become rich, are exhibitive, in control of vancement until it fruits to the fullest in so-
bound, and enthusiastically undisturbed. pily and prosperously without taking sides or labour in their industrial enterprises. They ciety.
The theme of the novel is for an idealistic being rebellious. These exampled countries’ are mostly self-centered with much of self- Secondly, it is symbolic because of the
drive. It is to create for the wellbeing of the Governments and societies he glorifies. Such ish outlooks, less humane, pride in social be- two types of marriages that take place with
people. It is a very well planned and anchored Governments are benevolent, patriotic, and havioural patterns, quite pompous and indi- the first type of family affiliates and the part-
project, namely Piyavi Aesa. Principally, two serve the societal beings equally. They are vidualistic, except Nirmali. She is profound, ners of the second and third family types.
University students, Hewa and Nirmali, char- economically rich and societally strong and disciplined, meticulous, non-bombastic, One is wonderfully stable and with psyches’
ismatically and spiritually coupled in love are contented. and determinedly working for social justice love. This occurs only by registration with-
the originators of the project. Contrastingly, the author negatively and and advancement originated by her fiancé, out grandiose parties.
They are dedicated, consecrated, and de- realistically validates the Asian nations, par- Hewa. Her brother is a lawyer but emptily The other marriage is standard and tradi-
termined finally to achieve the outcome of ticularly Sri Lanka. The last is in dynamic di- very showy and characteristically insensitive tionally ostentatious, but seems to be on the
their goal with no selfishness but to reap it for lemmas. No care and consideration for the The most salient feature of the novel is the and shallow. He is typically selfish and aw- brink.
the collective good of the society for its pros- perfection of the down trodden souls’ status. mode, the author utilises to establish the di- fully craving distancing his sister (Nirmali) I recommend Piyavi Aesa to the public,
perity and dynamic activity fulfilling con- They are only tools for the use of the wealthy, versity of the families and their subjects. Fam- from the wealth of the family. particularly to the politicians and their sup-
tentment and cheerfulness. It’s a self-soul especially the political goons. ily wise, they are different. Mainly there are The third type is a combination of both porters.
34 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022

Features

The main Devala at Kataragama The dagaba of Kirivehera

Kataragama Deviyo

A God for all seasons ourselves. Often, the water is only knee
deep or even less. Following the bath,
beautiful daughter of a Veddha chief
and used to watch her father’s crops.
we changed into white clothes, which One day, the Kataragama Deviyo hap-
is considered a sign of purity. pened to see her and was enamoured
Shops outside the Devale premises by her.
offer a range of Pooja Bhanda (articles

P
ageantry, ceremony and ritu-
al are part of everyday life in
Sri Lanka. No matter where
you travel to in any part of
the country or when, you are
bound to be caught up in some form of
national festival.
However, if you travel down South
in August, you will be fortunate to wit-
ness the country’s most spectacular
pageant: the Kataragama Esala festi-
val which began on July 29. This pays
homage to God Skanda and the Esala
Full Moon Poya.
Kataragama is a uniquely holy city.
When I was a schoolboy in the late
70s, my uncle had a van, which was
actually a Bedford car bearing an ‘EN’
number converted into a van with a
wooden structure in the rear. He used
to take us all on an annual pilgrimage
to Kataragama in his van.
Journey to Kataragama
We took the most adventurous
coastal route along Galle Road (there
was no expressway then). Our first stop
was at the Kalutara Bodhi tree where
an offering and a plea would be made
for our safe return. Some pilgrims also
stop at prominent religious places,
such as Mulkirigala, Devinuwara and
Tissamaharama. Here too we would
appeal for a safe journey to and from
Kataragama. We took two days to reach
Kataragama.
Today, travel times have been re-
duced. The trip to Kataragama takes
only a few hours from Colombo. Those
taking the Southern Expressway would
take a very short time.
As soon as we arrived at the Kata-
ragama sacred city, we looked for a
resting place to stay overnight. There
were plenty of rest halls around Kata-
ragama. Our next task was a dip in the
Menik Ganga, the Holy River to cleanse
for offerings), in particular, an assort-
ment of fruits commonly used for the
purpose. Prices differ according to the
size of the basket of offerings selected.
A common item seen on all was a gar-
land of red flowers made out of poly-
thene. Thus, carrying the offerings, we
crossed the river through the narrow
bridge and walked to the Maha Devale,
the main shrine.
Chanting Haro Hara, Haro Hara,
Hindu devotees in their hundreds
throng the precincts of the Kataraga-
ma Devale, an abode dedicated to
God Skanda, also known as Murugan
among the Hindu devotees and Kata-
ragama Deviyo among the Buddhists
in the deep South. Buddhist pilgrims
flock to the sacred site where a Bo
tree and a temple exist alongside the
Devale. Muslims too have a mosque at-
tracting devotees.
The sanctuary nestles on the bank
of the Menik Ganga, (River of Gems),
the holy river of thousands and thou-
sands of devotees in Sri Lanka. Around
four kilometres South of the holy
shrine rise the seven hills of Kataraga-
ma known as Vedihiti Kanda. The holy
peak of Kataragama is believed to be
the adobe of the Kataragama Deviyo
(Deity).
Until recently, Kataragama was a
jungle village with a dirty track leading
from the town of Tissamaharama, 19
kilometres away. Kataragama’s meta-
morphosis came with the construction
of a motorable road and the introduc-
tion of electricity and a steady supply
of water to the area to coincide with
a Gam Udawa (Village Reawakening)
project launched in the area during
the reign of the late President Ranas-
inghe Premadasa in the late 80s. It is
now a bustling town, teeming with pil-
grims and hordes of vendors with their
colourful wares. There are a number
of luxurious star class hotels and rest
houses for the weary travellers.
A hermit at the Devalaya
Beside the Maha Devale, dedicated
to the Kataragama Deviyo, there are
other devales dedicated to Valliamma,
Thevaniamma, God Ganesha and oth-
er minor deities. Close to the Devale
lies the majestic Buddhist dagoba
named Kirivehera built by King Mah-
anaga in 104 B.C.
The Kataragama Deviyo, whose
blessings Hindus, Buddhists and oth-
ers invoke for success in worldly af-
fairs, in relieving distress and healing
diseases, has several names. The most
popular is Kataragama Deviyo. The
Tamils call him Kandaswamy. Others
call him Skanda. Dr. Ananda Cooma-
raswamy identified him with Kartika-
ya, the God of War in Hindu mytholo-
gy. He is also known as Kanda Kumara.
He is depicted as having six heads and
12 hands and feet, and is believed to be
riding on a peacock.
Tradition has it that he married
Devasena, a daughter of God Indra
who, according to Hindu mythology,
rules over three hundred and thirty
million lesser gods. Another tradition
says, he has two other wives, Thevania-
mma and Valliamma. The story of how
he wooed and won the heart of the lat-
ter is interesting. Valliamma was the
Frightening trick
He at once wooed her, but all his
entreaties could not melt her heart. So
he sought the assistance of his brother The main image of the Kataragama Deviyo
Ganesha, the God of Wisdom, to win
her. The two brothers decided to play
a frightening trick on her.
Accordingly, one day, the Kataraga-
ma Deviyo began to woo her when she
was watching her father’s plantation.
Assuming the guise of an elephant,
Ganesha appeared on the scene and
trumpeted aloud. The trick worked like
magic.
The unapproachable Valliamma at
once clung to the Kataragama Deviyo
for protection and promised to yield
herself to him if he would save her
from the elephant.
According to the plan of the two
brothers, the Kataragama Deviyo was
to will that Ganesha’s elephant guise
should vanish the moment Valliamma
was won. But the Kataragama Deviyo
forgot all about his part of the arrange-
ment owing to the ecstasy of the mo-
ment and Ganesha is supposed to car-
ry an elephant’s head on his shoulders A devotee takes offerings to God Skanda
to this day. Legend says that King Du-
tugemunu, the national hero who uni- of the devotee. A part of the offering is driven through the bare flesh of their
fied the country was the first patron of kept back and the balance returned in shoulders. The most amazing feat is
Kataragama. He is said to have made a the form of holy food. the walking on live red-hot embers on
vow to construct a shrine in honour of bare feet. Strangely, these fire-walkers
Skanda if he was victorious in the war come out of their feat unscathed.
against the invaders from South India.
Symbol of gratitude The centuries-old annual pilgrim
The shrine thus dates back to the 2nd Dashing coconut is a common walk Pada Yatra from the Northern Jaff-
Century BC. happening at Kataragama and is con- na peninsula, down the East coast and
Today, leaving aside their religious sidered an act of homage to the gods through the jungles of the Kumana Yala
differences, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim or a symbol of gratitude. It is also one East National Park to Kataragama takes
and Christian devotees linger freely of the simplest ways of settling a vow. place with Hindu devotees gathering at
in the Kataragama Devale premises, Vows are made at Kataragama to fulfil the Murugan Devale at Okanda.
showing much camaraderie. a longing or need in life, to seek re- Thousands of devotees are expected
They carry the Pooja-vatti to God dress from a problem or cure for an to take part in this spiritual walk, which
Skanda which are handed over to a Ka- illness. starts at the beginning of June and lasts
purala coming through a long queue Some devotees in the way of pen- about 45 days.
around the Devale premises. The Ka- ance resort to extreme physical pain to The trek through the Kumana and
purala who accepts the offerings would invoke the god’s favour. Some devotees Yala National Park for pilgrims will be
place a little holy ash on the forehead have quite a large number of hooks open for one week.

Third Virtual Music I n Sri Lanka, as we bid

Adieu to yet another
eventful July, and walk
into the warmth of Au-
little hearts and minds during
these times of uncertainty and
turmoil, that the concept of the
third Virtual Music Summer
to express their talents, form
new friendships and learn
from each other.
This event commenced on

Summer Camp 2022

gust, it is safe to say
that so many of us have been
through a roller-coaster like
series of events. With the pre-
vailing economic conditions
in our country coupled with
disease, fuel shortages, infla-
tion, power outages and un-
certainty, the idea of a blissful
summer vacation seems but a
distant dream, with many still
unable to afford basic necessi-
ties.
Although both adults and
children alike are affected by
these drastic changes, children
remain the most affected, due
to persistent disruption in the
education system with schools
having been shut down on and
off with no warning, and ex-
ams being postponed until fur-
ther notice or cancelled due to
paper shortages.
Though adults are capable
of understanding and cop-
ing better with these changes,
from a child’s perspective, con-
stant change instills anxiety,
stress, and fear as they are un-
able to navigate forwards aca-
demically and socially.
It was to strengthen the
spirit and cheer of Summer in
Camp 2022 was born.
The event is being organ-
ised by the Academy’s Virtual
Events Team, whom under
the leadership and guidance
of Soundarie David Rodrigo a
well-known name in the Sri
Lankan music industry, have
been introducing and promot-
ing the innovative concept of
virtual events such as the Virtu-
al Symposium for Music Teach-
ers, The 1st Virtual Music Sum-
mer Camp, The Second Virtual
Music Summer Camp, and The
Virtual Christmas Festival 2020
and 2021, prompted by the
many challenges faced during
the early days of the Covid-19
pandemic.
The Third Virtual Mu-
sic Summer Camp, is organ-
ised in collaboration with the
Young Choral Academy head-
ed by Susanna Saw (Malay-
sia) and the Bandung Choral
Society under the leadership
of Tommyant Kandisiputra
(Indonesia) who are both re-
nowned figures in the South
East Asian music industry,
to bring together likemind-
ed persons from across the
globe, giving them a platform
August 5 and is open to those
between 7 and 21. Participants
were given the opportunity to
pick and choose their topics
from a broad variety of ses-
sions according to their areas
of preference.
This year we have joining
us special guests who have pre-
pared to host some of the most
interesting sessions we’ve ever
seen or heard of!
Some of these include
Zumba with a twist, Storyteller,
Appreciation of Greek Music
and Folk Songs, Vocal Health,
The power of Puppetry and an
introduction to Digital Music
composition.
Some international tutors
include Prof. Thomas Caplin
(Norway), Prof. Maria Meligop-
oulou (Greece), Prof. Glenda
Mohr (USA), Katie Teage (UK),
Chi Hoe Mak (Malaysia) and
Dr. Maria Roldan (Philippines)
while our local tutors include
Bathiya Jayakody (BnS), Jerome
De-Silva, Kevin Cruze and Sulo-
chana Dissanayake.
The event will conclude to-
day (7) with a closing ceremony
where all participants and tu-
tors will join in.

Come again
Jackson Anthony
BY ISURU THAMBAWITA
" If you love the
butterfly , don't hate
the caterpillar."
These lines would awaken your
memory of a teleplay in which re-
nowned actor Jackson Anthony
played the title role Appachchi - a
man with a well built body ,clad in
sleeveless shirts who always teaches
her daughters to live according to
the conscience and moral values. For
better or worse, he forgets that the
reality in the society is weird , bizarre
and far different from his sane soci-
ety, which leads to the conflict.
Significantly, acting and back-
ground music which had come in
unison made the teleplay worth-
watching. It is significant to mention
that veteran actor Jackson Anthony
won the award for the Best Actor for
his role Appachchi at the Raigam Tele
Awards.
Recently, as if through an error
of destiny, our much loved actor met
with an accident. He was transferred
to the Colombo National Hospital
I
n 2017, I published my fourth
novel, Exit West, and bought
a small notebook to jot down
ideas for the next one. I thought
it would be about technology. I
came across an article by Simon De
Deo, an assistant professor at the
Carnegie Mellon University, discuss-
ing an experiment he and his col-
league John Miller had conducted in
that same year.
They simulated cooperation and
competition by machines over many
generations, building these machines
as computer models and setting them
playing a game together. An interest-
ing pattern emerged. Rather than
constant trading for mutual benefit
among equals, or never-ending fights
to the death among foes, instead a
particular type of machine became
dominant, one that recognised and
favoured copies of itself, and enor-
mous prosperity ensued, built on
ever-growing levels of cooperation.
But eventually the minute differences
that naturally occurred (or were, in
the experiment, designed to occur)
in the copying process, as they do in
organisms when genes are passed on,
became intolerable, and war among
the machines resulted in near-com-
plete devastation and a new begin-
ning, after which the cycle repeated,
over and over.
I remember being struck by this
article. Not because I fully under-
stood what the simulation was or even
how it worked. No, I was struck by its
similarity to a narrative I had already
been feeling drawn to myself: that the
rise and fall of human society is not
merely something that has happened
but also something that will continue
to happen, that moments of peak co-
operation contain within them the
where he underwent a seven-hour-
surgery.
According to hospital sources ,
two bones of his neck has been dis-
located and its membranes and both
lungs have been damaged. Today's
article is about this colossus Jack-
son Anthony who stamped his indel-
ible icon in the silver screen and the
small screen by winning the Best Ac-
tor Award more than twenty times at
awards ceremonies such as Presiden-
tial Awards, OCIC Awards and Sarasa-
vi Awards.
He was born Conganige Josheph
Malsi Jackson Anthony in Podiwee
Kumbura village , Ragama , on July 8 ,
tendency for differences to become
utterly intolerable, and that the tran-
sition from one societal epoch to the
next is rarely a series of gently eliding
waves, each a bit higher than the pre-
vious one – to the contrary, human-
ity’s trajectory on the way down is of-
ten far more steep than it was on the
way up.
These points might be rather ob-
vious. But they were not always obvi-
ous to me, not at an emotional level. I
long believed that things would prob-
ably keep getting better for our spe-
cies. We humans might mess up dev-
astatingly, but we were more likely to
find a way. A way to avoid nuclear war
and mitigate climate change and ex-
pand equality and diminish poverty.
This had been my mental model’s
base case, as it were. Now I was won-
dering whether humanity’s true base
case was far more grim, and whether
my own expectations represented in-
stead an optimistic but improbable
best case scenario.
Horrifying wars
To be clear, I never doubted that
there would be horrifying wars and
mass displacements and econom-
ic dislocations in the years ahead.
But I somehow imagined that these
would be downward zags in our spe-
cies’ upward-zigging trendline. I am
not sure what exactly my faith rested
upon. My relative youth, maybe. The
overall shifts in human life expectan-
cy and per capita income during my
lifetime, perhaps. But also something
else. Something from the realm of
the spirit, of feeling: a sense of tech-
no-optimism ungrounded in any pro-
found understanding of technology.
And now here was this blast of tech-
no-pessimism. DeDeo’s machines
features.suo@lakehouse.lk / Tel: 011 2 429 429, 011 2 429 228 / Fax: 0112 429 227
AUGUST 7, 2022
1958 and studied at Hapugoda Junior
School, St. Mary's College in Banda-
rawela and Galahitiyawa Central col-
lege in Ganemulla.
He specialised in Sinhala lan-
guage and Literature at the univer-
sity of Colombo and completed his
Master's degree in journalism at the
university of Jayewardenepura.
His cinema
Encyclopaedic, multi-talented,
Jackson Anthony has proved his cre-
ative spirit through whatever he did
and does. No doubt that in the past it
was so, in the future it will be so.
Jackson whose wide range of por-
traying characters has reached un-
attainable heights , always gives his
best for both small screen and silver
screen. He entered the film industry
in 1993 through his first film Guru
Gedara which opened many paths for
him. It would be correct to say that
Jackson is a character actor who por-
trayed characters belonging to differ-
ent dimensions and ranges.
What makes him stand out from
others is that audiences do not see
Jackson himself in any movies. The
hunter (Sediris) whom we saw in
Sooriya Arana is not seen in Dhar-
mayuddaya where we can see a busi-
nessman (Harischarndra). Uday-
akantha in Gini Avi Saha Gini Keli
cast Jackson as a notorious mob who
is a different version of Lionel from
Randiya Dahara.
Significantly, we could see his
performances in many landmark
creations such as Pathiraja's Kadulla,
Bandaranayake's Bawa duka, Bawa
karma and so on. In Kadulla which
is a depiction of social changes tak-
en place in mid 20th in old Ceylon,
Jackson plays the role of Kurutheris-
a man who has nothing to lose and
nothing to gain. Audiences could see
many faces through Jackson, thanks
to the directors who have discerned
his boundless thespian skills.
We have seen his performanc-
es in stage plays such as Marasad,
Madhura Jawanika, Loma Hansa,
Dhawala Beeshana, Ath, Mora and
Tharavo Igilethi. He cut his teeth at
the University of Colombo as an ac-
tor and started to perform in Neville
Dias Subasinghe's Vaaruwen Yana
Minissu, Manavayo as well as E. M.
D. Upali's Methanin Maruwenu.
The most importantly, needless
to emphasise that Jackson does not
contribute to every creation. Nor
did Jackson act in Mega Teledramas
dished out from cheap themes. Nor
Exit West
had spoken, and they had not said
what they were supposed to say. No,
you fools, they had proclaimed, the
end is quite possibly nigh.
Truthfully, I had been reeling
since September 11, 2001, and my
move in 2009 to what seemed to be
a democratising Pakistan, with ex-
panding freedom of expression and
rule of law, had not worked out quite
as swimmingly as I had hoped, and
then in 2016 my former home Britain
voted for Brexit, and my former home
America voted for Trump, and I was
admittedly in a bit of a funk. It was
as if I had been goading the universe:
grant me pessimism, but not yet; and
the universe had finally slapped me
across the face and responded now,
child, it is time.
The American empire is waning.
This might well be a good thing, for
Americans and non-Americans alike.
But the early signs are not promising.
Like De Deo’s machines in the mo-
ments immediately after peak hege-
35
did we hear his name
from unprofessional
programs. That is the
unique identity that
he has established in
our film and teledrama
fields.
As a director
Not only as an actor , we have
seen this multifaceted artiste as a
director too. His maiden teledrama
direction came through Esala Kalu-
wara in 1992 and cinematic direc-
tion through Julietge Bhumukawa
which went on to win the awards for
the Most Promising Director at the
Critic's Awards Ceremony.
Later, he began to rule supreme
in film and teledrama directions
for years. Daskon telecast in 2014 is
one good example for his versatility
in teledrama direction. Aba revolv-
ing around prince Pandukabhaya
can be viewed as an eye-opener for
our movie buffs who were search-
ing for a better cinema. His role of
Nasi Watte Hitler in his cinematic
creations titled 'Address Na' enabled
him to win the award for the Best Ac-
tor at the Derana Film Awards.
As a lyricist
"Read books not for examina-
tions but for your life." Taking the
veteran artiste Premakeerthi's pre-
cious advice to his heart, Jackson
earned the encomium "Walking Li-
brary" for his extensive knowledge
which he gained by researching into
multiple subject areas.
Undoubtedly, already he has
planted himself as a character-actor,
announcer, television host, lyricist,
film and teledrama director, newspa-
perman and historian.
Significantly, he is a visiting lec-
turer at the University of Kelaniya.
Better known under his num de plum
of Pana Puththra Kuhubu Peni , he
made a name for himself as a news-
paperman. On the other hand, it is
Premakeerthi de Alvis who gave Jack-
son this pen name. Apart from that,
songs penned by Jackson including
'Sithe Susum Niwena Gayana', 'Desa
Piya Gath kala Mata Mewenne Obe
Ruwa', 'Lade ukula Uda', 'Re Thara-
kawo', 'Dewiyo Sithana Dewal', and
teledrama theme songs would bear
ample testimony to his awakened lyr-
icist. True that he is an instinctive ar-
tiste and performer. To be frank and
honest, Jackson whom most veterans
hail as Jacka is a national treasure.
machines of De Deo’s simulation as
doing three things increasingly (and
exquisitely) well: identifying differ-
ences that permit sorting into cat-
egories of like-me and not-like-me,
is still a world of automobiles and
not land speeders, rifles and not laser
guns. But a transformation worthy of
science fiction did occur regardless.
We became attached to our screens,
cooperating with those in the merged with the machine culture be-
like-me category, and destroying hind those screens, and changed far
those in the not-like-me category. more than some child might in the
Our species has, similarly, become process of merely becoming a Jedi.
incredibly skilled at cooperating
(thousands of people in dozens Machine world
of countries collectively manu- The machine world is a binary
factured the computer on which I world, and it strikes me that we have
am writing this). We too have de- learned to apply those zeroes and
veloped the capacity to kill along ones to our thinking, intensifying our
an entire spectrum from whole- impulse to sort one another into like-
sale (nuclear, chemical, biological me and not-like-me at what might
weapons) to bespoke (quietly dis- well be, historically speaking, the
Mohsin Hamid appearing those who trouble us) worst possible moment: a moment
– which is obviously a pressing, when, as empire recedes, we are al-
monic cooperation, we are finding indeed existential, concern. ready predisposed to sort excessively
that our differences are becoming But our ability to kill has not and to fetishise tests of purity.
intolerable. changed as rapidly, in recent years, The result, as we can see all
When empires that span diverse as our sorting mechanism appears to around us, is a disastrous confluence
populations disintegrate, history sug- have. It is our impulse to sort, and the of polarisation, militarism, demo-
gests the potential for conflict is high. importance that we place on sorting cratic dysfunction, and environmen-
The British empire in India gave birth that has truly gone haywire. tal disregard. In the same way that
to violent sectarianisms; the Ottoman The end of the American empire the most deadly aspect of Covid, be-
and Austro-Hungarian and Soviet em- is coinciding with the age of the cy- fore vaccines and pharmaceutical
pires did much the same. The Ameri- borg. I spent much of the 1970s as treatments became available, was an
can empire was far more powerful a child in Silicon Valley. My father overreaction of our immune systems
and wide-ranging than any that came was a graduate student, my mother to the virus – the dreaded cytokine
before. As it diminishes, aggressive had an entry-level job at a technol- storm – destroying healthy lung tissue
sectarian impulses are seemingly in ogy company (they made a cutting in an overzealous attempt to fight dis-
the ascendant almost everywhere. edge storage medium known as the ease, the challenge we face now is an
Name a country today, and it likely “audio cassette”), and I ran barefoot overreaction of our societal immune
is either run by a strongman who up bleached blond dry foothills and systems to one another. It is ruinous
claims to speak for the true people, watched a black and white television for us to be ones rampantly identify-
the folk, or otherwise has a strong- set in which I was convinced I saw co- ing as zeros those with whom we have
man-in-waiting manoeuvring to take lours. any significant level of disagreement.
control. (There are strongwomen too, The science fiction I loved seemed It underestimates the human
but far fewer of them.) to suggest that the future would con- capacity for messy and unexpected
Our impulse to sort one another tain people just like us playing around plasticity. Other approaches to seek-
into like-me and not-like-me comes with transporter beams and hyper- ing a better, more inclusive, and more
at the worst possible moment in time drives and photon torpedoes. None equitable future urgently need to be
I imagine the empire-building of that has really come to pass: ours found.
36 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022
Features
Celebrating International Youth Day 2022
RAVINDRA WIJEWARDHANE
Y
outh are often regarded as
fast, imprudent and short-
sighted. Yet, youth were
at the forefront during the
recent victorious people’s
struggle against the Rajapaksa govern-
ment in Sri Lanka. And youth played
a major role in bringing Apartheid
down in South Africa which was why
they declared a National Youth Day
of then known as Sowerto Day. The
young generation is very important for
shaping our world. The current world’s
youth population (the age group be-
tween 15 and 24 is defined as ‘youth.’)
is 1.2 billion, and that number is grow-
ing fastest in the poor countries.
Every year the International
Youth Day falls on August 12, and this
year is also same. This year’s youth
day is very important for us because
we are facing unprecedented eco-
nomic and political crisis. So it is ap-
propriate to see why such a day was
formed, and what sort of significance
of it for the world.
This day was created by the Unit-
ed Nations when they passed a reso-
lution towards creating it in 1999 at
the United Nations General Assem-
bly. The date August 12 was chosen
by the World Conference of Ministers
Responsible for Youth, and their rec-
ommendation was declared by the
UN as the International Youth Day.
Pandit Uday Shankar
and his partner
DR. SUBASHINI PATHMANATHAN
A
rtiste’s life is a struggle.
Normally after a lifelong
battle their contributions
get the social recognition.
But after their period, their
great contributions and sacrifices are
very often forgotten.
Uday Shaker was born in the vil-
lage of Udaipur, in a rich Zamindahri
Brahmin family on December 8, 1900.
When he was young he travelled all
over India. He travelled from place to
place in different states. Because his
father was involved in the state ser-
vice, hence he got the opportunity.
Ultimately the family settled down in
Jhalawar. When he was small he got
numerous opportunities to watch a
variety of dances. This was during the
Holi festival time.
These dances fascinated and in-
fluenced the young mind of Uday. In
his childhood he went and lived in his
There are millions of children in
the world who are starving and most-
ly they are teenagers too between the
ages of 13 to 19. In terms of educa-
tion, half the children between the
age of six and 13 lack basic reading
and math skills. The childhood pov-
erty is also still a prevalent problem
globally.
It’s a fact that almost 88 percent
of the world’s 1.2 billion youth live in
developing countries. Globally, young
people account for approximately 24
percent of the working poor and this
dynamic is particularly pronounced
in Africa, where over 70 percent of
youth subsist on US$2 per day or less.
In general figures, more than 64 mil-
lion unemployed youth worldwide
and 145 million young workers are
living in poverty. Although the youth
population is expected to grow, em-
ployment and entrepreneurial op-
portunities for young women and
men remain limited – particularly for
those living in economically stagnant
rural areas of developing countries.
In this situation, governments
around the world face the challenge
of providing young people with jobs
and opportunities that safeguard
their futures. In rural areas, home
to 600 million youth, the challenges
are particularly complex. Constraints
on access to land, natural resources,
finance, technology, knowledge, in-
formation and education make it dif-
Uday Shankar, father of
Indian fusion dance
paternal grandfather’s house, while
his father was away for lecture tours
abroad. During his childhood he lived
in different states of India such as Raj-
asthan, Uther Pradesh and Bengal. Dif-
ferent celebrations of numerous festi-
vals influenced young Uday Shankar.
With the young boys he had a care-
free life: swimming in the river Ganga
and viewing street dances like Nautan-
ki and Baiji. Mother couldn’t control
son much due to the restricted life of
the female freedom. All these in his in-
ner subconscious mind influenced and
molded his own creativity ideas, which
helped him develop his own creativity
dances later in his life.
Many orthodox Hindu families
didn’t accept his pranks. Whatever it
is, one drawing master realised his
inborn talents, and helped him cher-
ish to develop his talents. His mother
had no daughters, so she adorned her
elder son Uday as a female. Just for
amusement he dressed himself as a
ficult for young people to contribute
to the rural economy. Few aspire to
remain in rural areas and make a liv-
ing out of agriculture. Too often, their
only option is to migrate, either to ur-
ban areas or overseas.
So it was for tackling these issues
that International Youth Day was cre-
ated. It is, in fact, an initiative that
honors the traits of young people and
that acknowledges the challenges that
today’s fledging youth face. To sup-
port the elimination of these issues it
is important that the youth are able to
reach the right resources for educa-
tion, wellbeing, medicine and more.
Theme for 2022
The theme for this year’s Interna-
tional Youth Day is “Intergeneration-
al Solidarity: Creating a World for All
Ages.” According to www.merazone.
com, this theme tries to amplify the
message that action is needed across
all generations to achieve the Sustain-
able Development Goals of UN and no
one should be left behind. In brief, it
tells us the message that the support
of all the people from all the different
age group is required so that one day
we can achieve these goals and which
is create a world without any mis-
ery and sufferings - The UN plans to
achieve them by 2030.
The Mera Zone website also
notes that this theme emphasizes on
woman and danced as a Rajesthan fe-
male dancer. He also performed his fa-
mous Malwari dance in Paris. No one
believed that it was a male dancer who
danced as a female. Almost at the end
of First World War, his father returned
to India from London. And their fam-
ily shifted to learn Jhalawar. His father
realized his son’s exceptional talent in
painting, Indian music and Indian in-
strumental music.
In 1918 he was sent to the J.J school
of arts, Bombay, and in the year 1920,
Uday sailed to London to learn art at
Royal art school, where his exceptional
talent was recognised The principle of
the J.J school of arts asked him to go
and study magnificent drawing paint-
ings and miniatures in the British Mu-
seum. With the influence of certain
Indians he realised the rich culture
of India. His study and discoveries of
British museum thrilled him.
During that time only he was main-
ly influenced by aesthetic arts of Indian
painting, music, musical instruments
and dance. He was inspired and he was
the first Indian to have won two priz-
the need to leverage the full poten-
tial of all generations. And for that
showing solidarity to each other is a
key. “It wants the people to be good
with each other especially with those
who are not of your age and there is
a generation gap between them in
that case instead of fighting or ignor-
ing each other we must collaborate
to fight together against such social
evils.”
A new platform
According to National Today, In-
ternational Youth Day gives a plat-
form to the voices of the youth. It
engages youngsters and aims to take
initiatives and actions that will in-
crease opportunities for them. The
National Today also says that young
people living in developed and de-
veloping countries are more prone to
facing mental- and social challenges,
whereas young people living in un-
derdeveloped countries face extreme
problems rooted in a lack of more ba-
sic needs such as education, health,
and employment.
National Today speaks about how
this day is celebrated around the
world as well. Following are three
types of its celebrations they present:
Attend an International Youth
Day event
There are concerts, sporting
events, parades, and mobile exhibi-
es for self portrait and as a nocturne.
Moreover he got a scholarship to Rome
where he got an opportunity to meet
Anna Pavlova. Unexpectedly the fate
brought both of them together. She re-
quested Uday to choreograph a dance
show; he also agreed to choreograph
two dances and danced with herself and
became a partner in his dance show.
By his hard work, he finally cho-
reographed two items, namely Radha-
Krishna, and Hindu marriage. Both
these were produced in London and
gained the international fame. Actu-
ally it was the starting point for his
dance professional dance performing
career. Because of such success was
a breakthrough in his dancing career.
Anna Pavlova invited him to join with
in her American tour. But unfortunate-
ly less opportunity was given to him by
Anna Pavlova’s troupe in the American
tour. Due to such disappointment with
them he left Anna Pavlova’ troupe as
soon as he returned from the Ameri-
can tour. Then he returned to Paris
and worked hard work and practised
and rehearsed his own imaginative
Uday Shankar
tions that showcase young people’s
achievements. You’ll feel inspired by
their talent and entertained at the
same time.
Lend a helping hand
The best thing that we can of-
fer children is education. Look into
mentorship programs and discover
what you can impart to the next gen-
eration. There are big brother and
big sister programs, music programs,
assisting with speech therapy, and
more.
Have an intergenerational dis-
cussion
Get involved and start a round-
table discussion between adults and
young people. This can be between
parents and children or students and
teachers. Come up with topics revolv-
ing around the theme of the year and
really listen to what the younger gen-
eration has to say.
Finally, they summarise the signif-
icance of the International Youth Day:
It focuses on building a better
world for our children
“International Youth Day does
more than simply encouraging chil-
dren directly. It also lays out a set of
priorities to focus on creating tangi-
ble improvements in children’s lives.
The fifteen priorities created by the
UN include areas of focus like reduc-
ing cases of HIV/AIDS, fighting child-
hood hunger, and providing more ac-
cess to education.”
creativity dance based with rich Indian
culture links and traditional items. .
During that period his exceptional tal-
ent was very much influenced by his
Ananda K. Commaraswamy’s Mirror
of Gesture English translation of Abi-
ynaya Darpana of Nandikeswara . That
induced him to create Indian dance
which is one of his most famed out-
standing solo dance product.
One lady called Simike, a pianist,
joined his troupe to help him in the
orchestra and in the dance troupe. In
1925, he performed at the Exposition
of International in Paris. It gave an op-
portunity for him to see the dances of
different countries including Africa,
America, Arabia, Java, and Bali includ-
ing the Kandyan dance of Sri Lanka.
All these influenced his creativity
dance form. Meanwhile, his graceful
creative dances also attracted the local
audience of Paris which provided an
opportunity to have his show all over
from France.
Later on his return to his birth
country India and studied the depth
of Indian art and watched the perfor-
mances of court dancers, musicians,
and collected the excellent collection
of Indian crafted dance jewellery, re-
search Indian books and variety of In-
dian classical and folk Instruments.
He was very much taken up by the
folk dances and attracted by the asthet-
ic essence. He was very much attracted
by Kathakali. He also saw the majestic
magnified sculptures of God poses and
temple decorative sculptural poses in
temples and cultural citadels.
He visited the famous temples
such as Chidamparam and Knorak in-
cluding Ajantha, Ellora, Haliberd. He
visited Shanthiniketan where he met
Rabindranath Tagore.
His elder brother Ravi Shankar
once said referred about his younger
brother, ‘To me he was a superman
and those years with him did a great
It raises awareness about pov-
erty
“Many children go to bed hun-
gry each night, or head to school in
the morning without a nutritious
breakfast to help them stay focused
in class. In the United States alone,
13.1 million Children live in food in-
secure-homes, which means that they
and their families don’t have access to
enough nutritious food to lead healthy
lives. Children in other countries face
similar hardships, and many can find
themselves trapped in a cycle of pov-
erty that is difficult to break free from
as they grow into adults. The more
aware we are of these issues, the fast-
er we can work together to help eradi-
cate them.”
It encourages creative thinking
for a better future
“International Youth Day’s list of
actionable priorities encourages oth-
ers to think about specific things they
can do to make a tangible difference
in kids’ lives. In recent writings about
International Youth Day, the UN has
put a strong focus on reducing pollu-
tion, sustainably using local products
and services so they’ll remain avail-
able for the next generation and en-
suring as many communities as pos-
sible will have access to resources.
Naming such ambitious — but doable
— goals serve as inspiration for all of
us to think hard about efficient steps
we can take to make them happen.”
Udaya Shankar in an Indian stam
deal not only to shape my artistic and
creativity personality , but also to form
me as a total human begin….it was he
taught me to understand and appreci-
ate our ancient tradition and art, and
all our culture and all our culture and
my apprenticeship under him in stage
craft lighting set design and general
showmanship was of great value to me
in later years’.
After the second world war Uday
Shankar involved in producing his own
film Kalpana which proved a proved a
financial flop. Being a dedicated artiste
he took a lot of pain in practices and
rehearsals before his shows to make
them a success. Once his wife Aloma
said “I owe to my husband a new vi-
sion, of life and art creation and pre-
sentation.” With the passage of time
in 1960s, he moved to Calcutta, and
there he operated his excellent dance
troupe, and later his health started de-
teriorating. Once he was performing
in Assam, he got a heart attack. Follow-
ing a performance in USA he passed
away on September 26, 1977.

Over 36 Years of Excellence
in Architectural Education
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Therefore, CSA courses are firmly
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This enables CSA graduates to
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CSA is an accredited School of
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38 SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022
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(d) M.A.Q in Sociology
or
(e) Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Sociology with at least a Merit Pass
Medium of Instruction : Sinhala / English
MASTERS IN SOCIOLOGY (M Soc.)
Duration : One year (Classes will be held on Saturdays)
Entry Requirements:
(a) B.A. Special Degree in Sociology from a recognized University or
(b) A General Degree from a recognized University with Sociology as
a subject
or
(c) A Degree of Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Sociology
or
(d) Any Degree of Social Science or Humanities from a recognized
University with a minimum of three year relevant post qualifying
work or research experiences
Medium of Instruction : Sinhala / English
How to apply :
Application forms and course brochures can be obtained from the
Department Web Site or by sending a self-addressed stamped (Rs.
15/=) envelope to the Senior Asst. Registrar - Academic & Publications
Branch, University of Colombo, 94, Cumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha,
Colombo 03. Name of the course should be written on the top left-hand
comer of the envelope.
Duly completed application forms must be accompanied by the
paying-in-voucher for the application fee of Rs. 2,000/= and should
be submitted on or before 29th August 2022 to the Senior Asst.
Registrar, Academic & Publications Branch, University of
Colombo, 94, Cumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha, Colombo 03. This
non-refundable application fee should be credited to the "University of
Colombo main collection" account under the Ref No. 304044000007
for Master of Arts in Sociology and 304044100006 for Masters in
Sociology Programme at any branch of the People's Bank,
Closing Date : 29th August 2022
For program details, contact the Department of Sociology (Tel. 011-2500452
or see http://colombosociology.blogspot.com/
REGISTRAR
UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO
20.07.2022
PUSHING FOR TRANSFORMATION
CA Sri Lanka’s National
Conference to influence
Chartered Accountants
(From left) - Alternate Chair of the Technical Committee Priyoshini Fernando, Chair-
man of the Technical Committee Anura Perera, CA Sri Lanka Vice President Hesha-
na Kuruppu, CA Sri Lanka President Sanjaya Bandara, Chairperson of the National
Conference Committee Anoji de Silva and Chief Executive Officer Dulani Fernando.
CA Sri Lanka President Sanjaya Bandara launching the website of the 43rd National
Conference in the presence of Heshana Kuruppu, Anoji de Silva, Anura Perera, Pri-
yoshini Fernando, and Dulani Fernando
Amid an unprecedented economic cri-
sis engulfing the country, which has impact-
ed businesses and citizens alike, the Insti-
tute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka
(CA Sri Lanka) in its standing as the National
Body of Accountants will take the lead to in-
fluence Chartered Accountants to push for
transformation to help the country success-
fully navigate through its ongoing predica-
ment.
The National Conference of Chartered
Accountants, organised for the 43rd con-
secutive year by CA Sri Lanka and dubbed as
one of the country’s biggest business sum-
mits will help delegates including business
leaders, entrepreneurs and c-suite execu-
tives effect change which will benefit not
just the country and the corporate, but also
SPREAD PEACE
WITH SCATTERED
MEMORIES OF
HIROSHIMA
and harmony are against the
will of the people and shall per-
ish by themselves. By treading
on that thought the history falls
Vasana onto a kaleidoscope for us to get
Abeynayake the reminiscence of the past.
71 years ago, the then Presi-
dent of USA, Harry S. Truman
The wave of globalisation took a decision. He decided to
has been connecting all the use Nuclear Weapons against
countries into a community Japan with whom they were
individuals and society. The 43rd National to an unprecedented extent, at war. A decision which an-
Conference will be held from October 12 to which implies how society in nihilated thousands of people,
14 at the Monarch Imperial, Colombo on the its true sense is taking shape. In ironically in the name of sav-
theme ‘Transform’ and the three-day event the meantime, the significance ing thousands of lives from the
expected to attract over 2,000 delegates, with of peace and harmony is being unending war. Hiroshima Day
over 20 speakers expected to share their in- recognised by more far-sighted commemorates August 6, 1945,
sights on the unprecedented, complex, and people for important reasons. the day when an atomic bomb
the ever-evolving social and economic situ- Peace and harmony is a ba- was dropped on the Japanese
ation in Sri Lanka, while exploring possi- sic prerequisite. Peace and har- city of Hiroshima, followed by
bilities to transform for a better self, society, mony can bring a peaceful and another dropped Atomic bomb
corporate and country. stable order to society, and they on the city of Nagasaki.
President of CA Sri Lanka Sanjaya Ban- are a necessary condition for It is the only instance in
dara told the meadia that today, Sri Lanka the survival and development human history, where a na-
is at crossroads, and the fact of the matter of mankind. A world deprived tion used nuclear weapons
is, that the light at the end of the tunnel is of peace and harmony against another na-
e n ce
c
far from visible because the economic crisis will fall apart and re- tion. The bombings
s
the country is facing at present is something turn to the jungle effectively ended
vastly different from what Sri Lanka has era in which the World War II by
faced in the past. “Many of us in Sri Lanka
have faced our fair share of crises ranging
strong prey on
the weak.
Lumine bringing about
the surrender
from a war to a tsunami to the Easter Sun- Peace and of Japan, but at
day Attack. But the ongoing economic crisis harmony is an a terrible price
is something unique to us all, as it has af- essential ben- .The two cities
fected everyone, both rich and poor, as well efit. Peace and were destroyed
as big and small,” he said. harmony are en- and casualties,
He said Chartered Accountants are no joyed and possessed mostly civilians,
longer restricted to traditional number jointly by man- were estimated at
crunching roles. Instead, today, they are kind, which is a around 200,000,
identified as co-pilots of a business because base for the full HISTORY SHOWS with many more
people dying later
they bring a multitude of critical skills to the realisation of the
table ranging from technical to leadership creativity poten- THAT ALL THE THOUGHTS from injuries and
as well as strategic thinking. “Therefore, tial of individuals, THAT ARE AGAINST illness. The Bomb
coded little boy
this time, instead of only being a co-pilot for the sustainable
our company, we need to take one step fur- development of PEACE AND destroyed 70 per-
ther and help fly Sri Lanka out of this crisis,” the economy and HARMONY ARE cent of the Build-
ings in Hiroshima
Bandara said. culture of nations,
He also emphasised that the country and a true security AGAINST THE WILL and generations
cannot come out of this crisis without em- for the long last- OF THE PEOPLE AND suffered due to the
effects of radia-
bracing true transformation, some of which ing prosperity of
may be unpopular changes among the society. Peace and SHALL PERISH BY tion. The incident
masses, but without change, Sri Lanka will harmony is an ide- THEMSELVES shook the world
and brought into
continue to remain stagnant as a nation. al path. Peace and
Chairperson of the National Conference harmony means light the terrible
Committee Anoji de Silva said that for many dealing with disputes and re- aftereffects of nuclear warfare.
decades CA Sri Lanka has always strived solving conflicts fairly and Anti-war movements and Nu-
to promote thought leadership among the properly with neutralisation clear disarmament movement
business community. “This year’s confer- and Middle Way principles to strengthened around the world.
ence is even more significant as we feel we further the welfare of each indi- While the debate over the
are in sync with what we as Sri Lankans be- vidual as well as the wellbeing US decision to bomb still con-
lieve. We are ready for real transformation, of mankind as a whole. tinues, Hiroshima Day is now
a transformation that will change the coun- It has a long lasting value. a focus for anti-war and anti-
try for the better.” Ever since the emergence of nuclear discussions and dem-
She noted that the theme and confer- mankind, numerous cultures onstrations. The collective vi-
ence content underscore the importance have been produced, among sion, dedication and hard work
of a multi-faceted transformation, where which most vanished as soon as of Japanese people powered Ja-
everyone must transform themselves, their they appeared and were forgot- pan to rise from rubble and to-
businesses, society, and country. “Without ten in history for being partial day Japan is world’s third largest
such a multi-pronged transformation, Sri to certain aspect or limited to Economy.
Lanka cannot and will not be restored to its certain period. Among those The day reminds all of us
former glory,” de Silva added. thoughts which have been the irony of killing thousands
Staying true to its theme “transform” the handed down to the present to save thousands, war and its
conference will also change the format this and continuing to have impor- terrible destruction and the
year, moving away from the traditional pan- tant influence, peace and har- today's need and impor-
el discussions by incorporating more speak- mony occupy the most domi- tance for universal harmony
ers who will bring different and diverse per- nating position. and peace. Likewise, let’s all
spectives apart from concluding the event All major religions and ma- take a pledge today that we will
with a highly inspiring fireside chat. jor cultural traditions of the always work together towards
Chairman of the Technical Commit- world love peace or pursue har- spreading the message of mutu-
tee Anura Perera said that Sri Lanka has mony. al respect, peace and harmony
plunged into an unprecedented economic History shows that all the and will never endorse any acts
and humanitarian crisis, and while the dy- thoughts that are against peace of violence.
namics are very fluid, the fact of the matter
is that the end to this crisis appears to be
very blurred. “While we engage in dissect-
ing and analysing the root causes of this cri-
sis, the Technical Committee of the National
Conference thought that we should focus
and discuss the way forward in resolving
and coming out of this crisis,” he said.
According to Anura Perera, the magni-
tude of the crisis compels everyone to ‘trans-
form’ and not to merely change, and as such
everyone must start by taking a critical look
at our own perceptions, views, attitudes and
comfort zones.
“Although there are a number of criti-
cal areas that we can look at the country
level transformation, we have selected four
broad areas that have near consensus from
the policymakers, private sector think-tanks
and society in general. The courage to map
out the strategies and convince the stake-
holders for transformation is the biggest
barrier we face,” he added.

Using data effectively
to support businesses
There is an imperative need to
record, manage, and use informa-
tion for day-to-day operations or
strategic decision-making when it
comes to businesses. Behind every
successful business is the effective
use of data. The Masters of Business
Information System (MBIS) course-
work program at the School of Infor-
mation Technology, Monash Univer-
sity Malaysia, prepares students for
careers in big data analytics, busi-
ness intelligence, systems design,
planning and management, as well
as knowledge and information man-
agement.
There is a three-part structure to
the coursework program. The first
part is the foundations for advanced
business information systems, de-
signed for students who do not have
prior training in IT. The units intro-
duce information systems and busi-
ness concepts, including system
design and analysis as applied in
professional practice. Students will
learn basic software programming
and development concepts and da-
tabase technology.
The second part
draws on best prac-
tices within busi-
ness informa-
tion systems to
understand
the theories
and practices
relating to
information
systems and
business pro-
cess design, IT
strategy, IT gov-
ernance, IT
management
and re-
THE MASTERS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEM (MBIS)
COURSEWORK PROGRAM AT THE SCHOOL OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY, MONASH UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA, PREPARES STUDENTS
FOR CAREERS IN BIG DATA ANALYTICS, BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE,
SYSTEMS DESIGN, PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS
KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
lated issues. Students will focus on
project management and a choice
of several areas of enterprise IT and
information management practice.
The final part focuses on schol-
arly work in the broad realm of busi-
ness information systems. Students
can opt to complete this part by sub-
mitting a thesis, which can be a path-
way to a higher degree by research.
Alternatively, they can choose to
complete a program of coursework
involving advanced study and an in-
dustry experience studio project.
“The emerging applications of IT
in business management bring up
the trends and demands of under-
standing business information sys-
tems (BIS) in a better level of depth.
The MBIS coursework program
allows the students to learn and
experience the best of both the
IT knowledge and the business
worlds that are consistent with
senior professional practice.
Notably, the MBIS coursework
program is suitable for students
with previous qualifications in
any discipline, and it brings two
spheres with just one postgradu-
ate degree – IT and business,”
says course coordinator Dr Lim
Chern Hong. MBIS graduates gain
the expertise to analyse a business
problem critically, develop IT so-
lutions for such issues and
assess their effectiveness.
They are able to demon-
strate professional so-
cial, ethical and com-
munication skills in
an industry setting
and manage am-
biguity and
complexity in
real-world
settings.
Graduates
will also be
able to
demonstrate an understanding
of business information systems in
a technology-independent manner.
The degree covers the business
IT spectrum from supporting busi-
ness operations to supporting man-
agers’ decision-making. It prepares
students for roles such as business
analyst, systems analyst, project
leader, IT manager, as well as infor-
mation manager, archivist or librar-
ian. Graduates can also be involved
in research related to mobile apps,
wearable technologies, image pro-
cessing, intelligent health, robotics
and data science.
“The quality of education at
Monash is of very high standards,
and it has equipped me to perform
better at my workplace. Many of the
units contain theoretical and practi-
cal elements, demonstrating how I
can apply the lessons learned to re-
al-world situations.
This has helped me in bridging
the gap between academic and pro-
fessional experiences, easily trans-
ferring the knowledge from my
classes to the working world,” shared
alumni Clement Chin Kah Hin, who
is currently Chief of Staff, Global
Digital Marketing & Commercial Ex-
cellence (2nd GMAP assignment),
United States of America.
The MBIS course is accredited
by the Australian Computer Soci-
ety (ACS) as meeting the standard
of knowledge for professional-level
membership. Graduates can be-
come ACS members and access ca-
reer support, groundbreaking re-
ports and more.
A Monash degree can offer you
personal enrichment and enhanced
career opportunities. Join our Virtu-
al Open Day on 20 August 2022, from
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plore our degree programs.
More details at www.monash.
edu.my/open-day
SUNDAY OBSERVER AUGUST 7, 2022 39
Advertorial
Nine Gateway Griffins receive
Golden Eagle Awards
Four hundred and seventy
five girls and boys received merit,
colours and special awards for
their outstanding achievements
in the field of sports at the annual
Colours Nite of the Gateway Group
of Schools held at the Auditorium of
the Kotelawala Defence University.
Consequent to the introduction of
the School’s mascot in 2018, students
representing Gateway in sports are
referred to as ‘Gateway Griffins’.
The event held after a lapse of two
years due to the Covid-19 pandemic,
saw students of Gateway Colleges
in Colombo, Kandy, Negombo,
Dehiwala and Ratmalana receive
awards for Athletics, Badminton,
Basketball, Cricket, Football, Karate,
Netball, Rowing, Swimming, Tennis,
Squash, Table Tennis, Motor Racing
and Kayaking.
Basketballers Iflal Iqbal who
represented Sri Lanka at the FIBA Footballer Maleeka Amith who former Sri Lanka International in
Under 16 South Asian Basketball represented the country at the Netball and Basketball and the Group
Championship 2019 winning a silver Under 19 Women’s South Asian Chief Executive Officer of Hemas
medal and Disura Dissanayake Football Championship 2021 as Vice Holdings Plc. was the Chief Guest.
who represented Sri Lanka at the Captain of the Sri Lanka team; Kulisa The Guests of Honour included Sri
FIBA Under 18 3x3 Asian Basketball Nanayakkara who represented Sri Lanka’s one and only Paralympic
Championship 2019; Netballers Lanka at the Western Asian Youth Gold medalist and record holder,
Aneesha Perera and Vishmika and Junior Rapid and Blitz Chess Dinesh Priyantha Herath; and Sri
Rathnayake who won silver medals Championship 2019; and double Lankan representatives in Karate,
by representing Sri Lanka at the silver medalist Jason Jayawardena Squash, Basketball, Chess, Netball,
Asian Youth Netball Championship who represented Sri Lanka at the Football and Swimming, Yasinda
2019; Swimmers Amrith Perera and Asian Youth Para Games 2021 shared Samaranayake, Ilham Asmone,
Alvin Arulmaran who represented the Golden Eagle award, the highest Jayaliya Kumari, YasodhaMethmali,
Sri Lanka at the Asian Age Group award for sports stars at Gateway. ChathurangiJayasooriya, Sumith
Swimming Championship 2019; Kasthuri Chellaraja Wilson, the Walpola and ReshikaUdugampola.
40 SuNDay ObServer auguSt 7, 2022
Advertorial
TIpS foR exTenDeD AbSTRACT STRUCTURe
How to write an impactful extended
abstract for your research
T
he Faculty of Management
Studies of the Sabaragamuwa
University of Sri Lanka recent-
ly concluded an international work-
shop on “How to write an impactful
extended abstract”, in affiliation with
SAGE Publishing, India. The program
was conducted as a part of the fourth
Management Undergraduates’ Re-
search Session (MURS 2022).
Prof. Dewasiri N. Jayantha from
the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri
Lanka was the facilitator of the ses-
sion. Addressing the session, Prof.
Dewasiridiscussed a winning formula
for a conference publication empha-
sizing what to focus on, how to differ-
entiate, and tips for the extended ab-
stract structure and the cover letter.
He stressed that “there is no magic
and luck in scientific publications. All
your hard work would pave the way
toward top-tier publications.”
Initially, Prof. Dewasiri defined
what an extended abstract is and its
components. Accordingly, he stated
that an extended abstract is a short
version of a manuscript that can be
considered a mini paper, which does
not contain a literature review and
future direction in most instances
as in a full research paper. He also
highlighted the necessity of spending
some valuable time developing the
abstract as it is the advertisement of
the final product that should be sell-
able to the right audience.
He explained the strategies to be
followed for writing and submitting
successful extended abstracts. Ac-
cordingly, the use of Porter’s generic
strategies such as differentiation and
focus, the use of blue ocean strategies
through continuous innovations, and
white ocean strategies through com-
petitor collaborations were some of
the strategies discussed in the ses-
sion. Besides, the professor empha-
sized that researchers should not sub-
mit “Fabstracts”, meaning research
that has not even started as it is un-
ethical particularly if you are request-
ing an oral presentation as well as ex-
tended abstracts or research that has
already been submitted elsewhere, it
can be either a journal or a confer-
ence, and it is unethical. Moreover,
researchers should ensure that they
will have the resources to attend.
Prof. Dewasiri shared his knowl-
edge on how to achieve a competitive
advantage in the industry. He claimed
that the strategy is to enhance the fo-
cus and differentiation together to
increase the decisive competitive ad-
vantages for a specific research paper.
Prof. Dewasiri explained the ways
and means of using each strategy in
publishing at a top-tier conference
under two main headings.
How to differentiate
It is possible to differentiate a
manuscript from the previous studies
to create the originality or contribu-
tion of the research. For instance, a
researcher can proceed with contex-
tual differentiation and methodologi-
cal differentiation (innovation) and
the findings from previous studies.
In addition to that, it is possible to
gain the first-mover advantage if the
researcher applies differentiation,
focus, and innovation together in a
single study which will pave the way
towards achieving definitive competi-
tive advantages for a top-tier publica-
tion.
Moreover, differentiation can be
made through collaboration, and it
can be done with peer researchers for
a synergistic effort.Through collabo-
rations, the researcher can improve
your study based on different exper-
tise; some researchers are quantita-
tive experts, some are qualitative,
some are mixed methods experts,
and some are experts in their respec-
tive disciplines. If you can collaborate
for a common goal of a top-tier pub-
lication, that will provide a definitive
competitive advantage in achieving
the same.
What to focus on
According to Prof. Dewasiri, a
researcher should focus on several
factors when conducting research
and writing an extended abstract. He
stressed that it is required to focus
on a suitable conference since there
are specific and unique guidelines
for each conference and thus, the au-
thors need to focus on one particular
conference to reduce the time re-
quired for a revision in a later stage.
However, a suitable conference
for a researcher can be identified by
considering the aims and scope of the
conference. If that suitsthe research-
er’s study, thenthe researcher should
check on the hosting institution and
their collaborative partners, their
reputation, website, and original con-
tact details as there are ample fake/
predatory conferences worldwide. In
addition to that, the researcher can
focus on the published articles from
the previous editions of the confer-
ence when selecting the best confer-
ence for the manuscript.
Besides, Prof. Dewasiri elaborat-
ed on the necessity of focusing on the
study’s quality rather than the num-
ber of publications in a year while
stressing the following points.
• Authors have to see whether the searcher has a methodological inno-
manuscripts follow a scientific
approach instead of a nonsense
approach. Editors see whether
the manuscripts focus on recent
and contextual literature to dif-
ferentiate them from other stud-
ies on the same phenomenon.
• Authors have to re-check whether wa University of Sri Lanka.He holds
the extended abstract follow the
submission guidelines.
• Authors must check whether the According to the explanation
manuscripts have a clear focus
emphasizing originality and im-
plications to the practice/society.
• If all answers are “yes,” you can and it should be in summary form.
submit your extended abstract
to a conference; otherwise, you
have to revise the study further.
Simultaneously, he stressed the
importance of focusing on the right
audience. Identifying the right au-
dience is essential because they are
the researchers’ customers and read-
ers, and who will cite you. Professor
mentioned that there are likely to be
three audiences for the abstract, so
the single abstract may have to satisfy
multiple audiences, each with their
own purpose for reading the abstract.
Accordingly, the first group is the con-
ference organisers.
They are interested in reading the
abstract to determine, first, whether
the researcher will be accepted into
the conference, and second, wheth-
er the presentation warrants an oral
or poster presentation. The second
group is the conference-goers. They
may see the abstract in the confer-
ence volume or online. This group
reads the abstract to determine
whether they are interested in attend-
ing the researcher’s talk. Thus, the ab-
stract is an advertisement for your re-
search. The third group is the online
audience.
Many conference abstracts are
bound in a volume or posted online
for perhaps years after the conference
ends. The researchers will receive in-
vitations from accredited journals if
they have done a good advertisement.
Balancing these three audiences with
a single abstract can be challenging
yet it is worthy.
Next, Prof. Dewasiri emphasised
what not to focus on. He stated that
the researchers should not focus on
predatory/fake/clone conferences
that harm academic integrity and
reputation. He pointed out that the
researchers may choose such preda-
tory or fake conferences due to a lack
of knowledge and quick publications.
However, Prof. Dewasiri suggest-
ed a simple plan for researchers to
steer clear of predatory conferences
that involve “doing your homework”
to ensure the hosting institution’s
credibility in the session as men-
tioned below.
• Conference invitations sent by were instructed to convert their find-
unsolicited email (i.e., spam)
• A poorly made website (e.g., everyone can understand what it is
grammar and spelling errors)
• No reliable contact information should discuss with their supervisors,
provided
• A no-refund policy for registra-
tion fees
• The conference is not listed on conferences are with lengthy in-
Many conference
abStractS are boUnd in a
volUMe or poSted online
for perhapS yearS after
the conference endS.
the reSearcherS will
receive invitationS froM
accredited joUrnalS if
they have done a good
advertiSeMent. balancing
theSe three aUdienceS
with a Single abStract
can be challenging yet it
iS worthy
Prof. Dewasiri N. Jayantha
the website of an academic soci-
ety or publisher that is claimed as
a sponsor
• Overly broad scope (to attract as or hypotheses to keep results of the
many attendees as possible)
• The organizer organises numer-
ous conferences in many differ-
ent fields held at the same time
in the same or nearby venues (to
maximise revenue)
• The conference has never been ings with the previous studies, and
held before
• Too little time between the sub-
mission deadline and the confer-
ence for proper peer review
By following the above process,
researchers can avoid predatory
conferences; the decision to submit
should be based on extensive discus-
sions with the co-authors and experts
in the field.
In the second phase of the work-
shop, Prof. Dewasiri discussed the
proper structure to be followed when
writing an extended abstract. He con-
ducted the discussion under seven
headings. He posited that an extend-
ed abstract consists of the title, au-
thor details, keywords, and the main
text. The main text includes an intro-
duction, results and discussion, con-
clusions and implications, and refer-
ences.
Developing the title
Developing the title is an opportu-
nity to gain readers’ attention. Hence,
authors should spend some valuable
time developing an eye-catching and
meaningful title. It is required to
keep the title more informative and
concise. Further, Prof. Dewasiri ad-
vised researchers not to use technical
jargon and abbreviations when devel-
oping the title. Moreover, researchers
ings into layman’s language where
all about. Further, the researchers
and colleagues, and make collabora-
tions if they add value to the research.
Keywords
Highlighting the importance of
keywords, Prof. Dewasiri stated that
it is required to spend more time and
attention on keywords as they are the
labels of the manuscript which in-
crease readability and attract more
citations to the abstract. He empha-
sized that the keywords should be
from the abstract itself, puttingone-
self into the researcher’s shoes, and
avoidingjargon, it is not all about sin-
gle words, researchers can even put
phrases.
Introduction
This section of the abstract helps
the researcher to convince the reader
of the importance of the work and for
that, it is necessary to describe the re-
search gaps emphasizingthe research
problem. If there are existing articles
addressing the same question, the re-
searcher has to emphasize its main
limitations, while highlighting what
the researcher is going to achieve.
Even, the researcher can differenti-
RESEARCHES &
INNOVATIONS
jayantha@mgt.sab.ac.lk
MS iS Striding to witneSS
the MUrS 2022 on
noveMber 18, 2022 via
the virtUal Mode. the
forUM will be graced by
two renowned keynote
SpeakerS: profeSSor
ajantha S. dharMaSiri
and vivek Mehra
ate the study from the previous stud-
ies. Here, the rationale should be dis-
cussed in comparison to the recently
conducted studies to derive original-
ity. Sharing professor’s experience,
he stated that editors hate references
irrelevant to the work, or inappro-
priate judgments on the researchers’
achievements.
In addition, he highlighted some
pitfalls of the introduction. First,
most of the articles received for the
troductions, sometimes more than
the word limit. Thus, the professor
stressed that the introduction should
be limited to 300-400 words based
on the submission guidelines. Sec-
ond, there are introductions with too
many subheadings such as problem
statement, objectives, research ques-
tions, significance, and so on. The
researchers should avoid too many
subheadings if there are no special
cases. The professor emphasized that
the introduction is not a history les-
son; the researcher has to keep read-
ers’ interest from the beginning of the
research. Another pitfall is that some
researchers tend to have a mixed bag
of introductions with results, discus-
sion, and conclusions thrown in for
good measure. Therefore, he stated to
keep sections separated to ensure the
manuscript flows logically from one
section to the next.
The methods section
Professor posited that this section
should be a brief description of what
and how did the researcher conduct
the research.He stressed that, even
though it is given in the summary
form, the readers should be able to
reproduce the research by employ-
ing the same approach. Within this
section, the researcher should not
enlighten on border terms such as re-
search philosophies like ontology and
epistemology but have to highlight
the method followed, the sample size
and technique, the data collection
procedure, and how the researcher
overcame the biases if any. If the re-
vation in the study, the researcher can
elaborate more about it emphasising
why it is appropriate, what did you do,
and so on.However, there is a limita-
tion of the word count for this section
as well, it can be 200-300 words de-
pending on the conference.
The results and discussion
of Prof. Dewasiri, the researchers
should only present the representa-
tive result with relevant discussion,
Moreover, he stressed the importance
of not hiding resultsto save them for
another paper as it will lose evidence
to support the conclusion and it will
hinder the value and contribution of
the study. He added that the discus-
sion is devoted to explaining what the
results mean.This is one of the most
important sections of the extended
abstract, here the researcher has
the chance to sell the data. Further-
more, when writing this section, it is
required to use subheadings as per
the objectives or research questions
same type together, so then the read-
ers can read it as a clear and easy-to-
understand story.
Moreover, the professor
highlighted,that in this section the
researcher has to compare the find-
if there are disagreements he ad-
vised not to ignore those studies but
to confront them and convince the
reader that you are correct or better
to explain the difference and why it is
since that will help the researcher to
derive some form of originality in the
research. He stated the word limit for
this section lies between 400 to 500
words in most of the conferences.
Conclusion and
Implications
Prof. Dewasiri emphasised that
the conclusion section is to conclude
the findings in a meaningful man-
ner and urged not to repeat the same
thing. In this section, it is required to
mention how the researcher’s work
advances the field from the present
state of knowledge and practice. He
said it is necessary to have a clear sci-
entific justification for the workand
indicate possible applications and ex-
tensions. In addition, the researcher
has to emphasise the implications to
the practitioners, society, or policy-
makers. Professor also stated here,
that the researcher can highlight the
value of the research to the other
stakeholders which are complemen-
tary.
References
As it is stated by Prof. Dewasiri,
most of the researchers do mistakes
in the references section and it can be
identified in four major ways.
1. The authors include full refer-
ences which are not included as
in-text citations in the body of the
text.
2. The authors miss full references
of some of the in-text citations.
3. The authors submit the papers
with incomplete references, most
of the time we can see references
without volume numbers, issue
numbers, or page numbers if it is
a journal.
4. Not adhering to the particular ref-
erencing style preferred by the
conference.
Prof. Dewasiri further explained
that authors should avoid excessive
self-citations in their articles if there
are no extentions to the provious
studies. He requested the audience to
get rid of these mistakes if they really
want to publish in a top-tier confer-
ence.
Cover letter
The cover letter can be consid-
ered a job application letter; this is
the place where you can “sell” your
work. Here you have to highlight why
did you submit the manuscript to the
respective conference mentioning
what would make the manuscript spe-
cial. However, editors will not reject a
manuscript only because the cover
letter is bad, but a good cover letter
may accelerate the editorial process
of your paper.
Prof. Dewasiri concluded the
workshop by highlighting the impor-
tance of the application of the above-
discussed strategies together it is pos-
sible to have a ticket for a conference
and he highlighted the importance
of maintaining ethics and research
standards for a better scientific com-
munity.
Speaker’s profile
Dewasiri N. Jayantha is a profes-
sor attached to the Department of Ac-
countancy and Finance, Sabaragamu-
a Doctor of Philosophy in Finance
from the University of Colombo, MS.c
in Applied Finance and a Postgradu-
ate Diploma from the University of
Sri Jayewardenepura, BA (Hons) in
Business from the Glyndwr Univer-
sity, UK. He has been awarded for
research excellence several times,
including the University of Michigan
International Mixed Methods Schol-
arship Award, Grand Winner of the
IIARI Luminary Award (2021) in Asia
for Research Excellence, Grand Win-
ner of the Deans Award for Research
Excellence at the Faculty of Manage-
ment Studies, the Sabaragamuwa
University of Sri Lanka for 2021, Best
Reviewer Award from the FIIB Busi-
ness Review, and several best pa-
per awards at the conferences. He is
currently serving as the Co-Editors-
in-Chief of the South Asian Journal
of Marketing published by Emerald
Publishing, Senior Associate Editor of
the FIIB Business Review published
by Sage Publishing, Managing Edi-
tor of the Asian Journal of Finance,
and South Asian Journal of Tourism
and Hospitality published by the Fac-
ulty of Management Studies. He also
serves as the Honorary Secretary of
the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing.
Recently, he has been accredited as
a Fellow Chartered Manager (FCMI
CMgr) by the Chartered Institute of
Management, UK.Considering his
valuable contribution to research and
academia, Emerald Publishing, UK
has appointed him as the Brand Am-
bassador for its South Asian region
for 2022-2023.
About MURS - 2022
Faculty of Management Studies of
the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri
Lanka organises the MURS 2022 in
collaboration with Young Scientists’
Forum and SAGE Publications India,
foreseeing the theme “Fostering Agil-
ity: Confronting the Uncertainty”.
Individuals, organisations and econ-
omies are grappling with dynamic
changes in the uncertain micro and
macro environment. Hence, the key
to confront the uncertainty success-
fully is to ensure and continually level
up agility at all levels.
Accordingly, FMS dedicates
fourth MURS to research and discus-
sions on management strategies and
practices associated with fostering
agility at multiple levels in different
contexts. The conference will provide
an opportunity for management un-
dergraduates and other young scien-
tists, local and international, to share
their research experiences with a
wider community.
It will encourage undergraduates
to examine global, regional, and local
trends in their research fields while
identifying links among multiple
disciplines in a highly uncertain en-
vironment. The conference will also
benefit all other undergraduates and
conference participants to sharpen
their research capacity by interact-
ing and networking with experienced
researchers, reviewers, industry ex-
perts and young researchers around
the globe.
FMS is striding to witness the
MURS 2022 on November 18, 2022
via the virtual mode. The forum will
be graced by two renowned keynote
speakers: Professor Ajantha S. Dhar-
masiri and Vivek Mehra. Thus, the
conference will create an excellent
opportunity for the participants to
enhance their skills and competen-
cies from the prominent personali-
ties of management. This workshop
is conducted as a pre-workshop of the
MURS 2022 in enlightening the young
scholars on “how to write an extend-
ed abstract for your research.” The
organising committee invites young
scientists around the globe to partici-
pate in MURS 2022 and experience
an intellectually stimulating research
culture.

One institution, one qualification
but many destinations
T
he Australian College of Business
and Technology(ACBT) is the
pioneer of international higher
education in Sri Lanka since
1998. ACBTis owned by NAVITAS
Limited. NAVITAS is the largest education
organization in the world with 130+
colleges and campuses worldwide in 31
counties and training over 120,000 students
a year.
ACBT offers pathwaysto undergraduate
degree programs, through a wide range
of programs such as Pre-foundation,
International Foundation, Diploma and
Advanced Diploma programs, which are
designed with the purpose of preparing the
most job ready leaders for tomorrow.
Furthermore, ACBT, offers Australian
and British focused degree programs,
which provides various opportunities to
our students to either earn an Australian
or UK degree at an affordable price in Sri
Lanka.
The main attribute of ACBT’s
programs is that these programs are
designed in collaboration with the local
and international partners to deliver an
industry ready graduate.
With more than 23 years in Sri Lanka
and with the introduction of flexible
learning options students are able to
complete a degree in Sri Lanka within 2
years and be a graduate at the age of 19.
Our success rate measured by our partner
universities has shown a comparative
success rate of 89% compared to less than
40% for students who are travelling abroad
to study.
We have taught over 20,000 students
and most of them are holding top positions
in companies presently. They have become
valuable membersin this society and ACBT
is very proud of them.
Our unique trimester system enables
AUGUST 7, 2022
the students to study in three academic
semesters within one calendar year. This
allows the students to complete their
programs much faster than a student
would, if they were completing a more
conventional university degree program.
This approach adds the flexibility where
all students can get a degree within a
reasonable time and have the relevant
knowledge for employment tomorrow both
locally and globally.
This gives the student a more financial
flexible study option for students who
need that financial support. For the others
academically not so inclined these students
can take a few subjects but still complete
the program over a period of 3 years.
All of our tertiary programs are
TVEC approved and UGC recognized in
Sri Lanka. The degree programs are all
globally recognized.
In the past ACBT students seeking to
go abroad for either undergraduate or post
graduate programs have been accepted to
EDUCATING THE NEXT
GENERATION’S WORLD LEADERS
Through UGC recognized Universities & Courses
Special Education Supplement
prestigious universities in Australia, UK,
Canada, New Zealand and the USA.
Our semester start dates begin in March,
July and November of each year.
Student’s wellbeing and satisfaction
are two of the major focus points at ACBT.
Our admissions and academic staff make
sure to assist students whenever they need
support. Student are evaluated continuously
throughout the trimester to identify whether
students need any additional support
academically or psychologically in the early
41
Our unique trimester system
enables the students tO study in
three academic semesters within
One calendar year. this allOws the
students tO cOmplete their prOgrams
much faster than a student wOuld,
if they were cOmpleting a mOre
cOnventiOnal university degree
prOgram. this apprOach adds the
flexibility where all students can
get a degree within a reasOnable time
and have the relevant knOwledge fOr
emplOyment tOmOrrOw bOth lOcally
and glObally.
stage of their student life cycle.
This service is available to students free
of charge.
Our lecturers are recruited via a highly
qualified panel of academics whose interest
is student academic outcomes. These
lectures are continually evaluated by our
expert panel of academics and on anonymous
student feedback throughout the year.
As a pioneering educational institute
which puts studentsfirst, we welcome parents
and studentsto come and talk to us.
We are located at 32 C,Dr. Lester James
Peiris Mawatha, Colombo 5. You can call us
on 0117699 499 for more information.
web-www.acbt.global
42 Sunday ObServer auguSt 7, 2022
Advertorial
Beyond a graduate at CINEC Campus
ACAdEmIC ExCEllENCE ANd CompEtENCE
C
INEC Campus is located
in Malabe, a quiet
picturesque suburb
in the capital city of
Colombo with branches
in popular suburbs Nugegoda
and the cities of Jaffna and
Trincomalee.
With an Internationally ac-
knowledged reputation over 32
years in providing world class high-
er education to its credit CINEC to-
day having earned the recognition
and confidence of the society and
relevant industries continues to di-
versify its reach to meet national
demands of providing quality inter-
nationally recognized higher edu-
cation to its youth in a competitive
environment thus enriching quality
of human resources in Sri Lanka to
meet the challenges of the indus-
tries who are today seeking for sus-
tainable development.
Graduate and Postgraduate ed-
ucation in the popular and in de-
mand fields of Engineering and
Technology, Information Technol-
ogy, Management, Humanities and
Social Sciences, Logistics, Interna-
tional Transport, English Language,
Law and Aviation alongside highest
level of maritime training at man-
agement level of Ship Captain, Chief
Engineer and Marine Electro Tech-
nical Officer make CINEC unique
and unchallenged to position itself
as the leading and largest non-state
higher education institute.
Complementing the vision of
CINEC to provide Knowledge Skills
and Competence to those who
seek qualitative but affordable and
flexible human capacity building,
CINEC provide abundance of un-
dergraduate certificate, diploma
and higher diploma training op-
portunities in the same graduate
training disciplines as well as in in-
dustrial engineering, underwater
operations and hospitality thereby
offering a wide spectrum of oppor-
tunities to the majority of the youth.
In accomplishing this noble ser-
vice to the nation CINEC has part-
agement and Social Sciences, Hu-
manities & Education and Health
Graduate and PostGraduate education in the PoPular and in demand fields Sciences,in Malabe and CINEC Met-
of enGineerinG and technoloGy, information technoloGy, manaGement, ro Campus Nugegoda directly col-
laborate in providing these train-
humanities and social sciences, loGistics, international transPort, enGlish ing.
The unprecedented investment
lanGuaGe, law and aviation alonGside hiGhest level of maritime traininG in infrastructure on training facili-
ties along with experienced and
at manaGement level of shiP caPtain, chief enGineer and marine electro qualified academic and support
staff and also the opportunities af-
technical officer make cinec unique and unchallenGed to Position itself as forded to develop soft skills has pro-
the leadinG and larGest non-state hiGher education institute pelled CINEC products to enjoy the
cutting edge in securing employ-
ment. WhilE students are at heart of
nered with government institutions the Ministry of Higher Education everything, we do at CINEC we fo-
of Ministry of Education, Minis- and with the affiliation of Univer- cus on their performance standards
try of Port & Shipping, University sities in China, Germany,UK and and exit qualifications to be com-
Grants Commission and Civil Avia- Australiathrough Faculties of Mari- petitive in the industry, nurturing
tion Authority. Conducting train- time Science, Marine Engineering, to produce a “Beyond a Graduate”.
ing course curriculumapproved by Engineering & Technology, Man- This focus has enabled CINEC
to maintain a hundred percent em-
ployability record earning confi-
dence of parents, industry and so-
ciety.
Four consecutive National
Awards, Global (World Class) Per-
formance Excellence Award and
Asia Pacific Quality Award for Edu-
cation and Training, ISO 9001:2015
Quality Management Certification
and presidential export award for
education arerare achievements
that speaks volumes of the quality
management at CINEC.
Falling in line with national ob-
jectives of preserving valuable for-
eign exchange, CINEC today pro-
vide popular and much desired
foreign higher education qualifica-
tions conducted completely in Sri
Lanka utilizing Sri Lankan academ-
ics and resources.
This has earned high praise
from all quarters for the valuable
contribution to the national objec-
tives and economic and social de-
velopment. CINEC has also man-
aged the recent challenges of Covid
pandemic, fuel shortage and con-
veyance difficulties through hybrid
delivery of online and onsite activi-
ties ensuring all programmes are
completed on time.
Meaningful investment in aca-
demic and scientific research is the
globally recognized as the critical
stimulant in advancement of sci-
ence and technology and global
trade to step up and condition the
industry and future generation to
face multitude of challenges.
In recognizing this vital com-
ponent CINEC has collaborated
with industry and global giants
MAS Holdings, Brandix Lanka and
Orange Electrical as training and
research partners who have in-
vested to establish their respective
research and training centers in the
Campus premises in Malabe.
This partnership is hailed by all
foreign and local partners as a rare
value addition to those studentswho
make use of this facility.
In attracting students with high-
er entry qualifications and students
who are not financially affluent
CINEC has introduced an attrac-
tive scholarship scheme to students
with Higher Grades at Advance Lev-
el as well as who perform well at
each semester.
Easy Payment terms and facili-
tation of loan facilities too are in-
tended to ease the financial burden
of parents.
CINEC as the pioneer and the in-
dustry leader in maritime training
has ventured offshore to show and
fly their flag in Fiji and Seychelles
winning the confidence of the re-
spective governments to manage
their National Maritime Training
Institutions and also to train certain
section of their students at CINEC
Malabe.

Edith Cowan UnivErsity’s CampUs in sri Lanka rEprEsEnts thE fUtUrE of UnivErsity EdUCation
Earn a UGC recognized australian
degree with ECU sri Lanka
ECU Sri Lanka - Bringing
World Ready Home
Edith Cowan University’s
campus in Sri Lanka represents
the future of university
education: local, accessible
and integrated with industry,
delivering an ideal learning
environment and access to
world-class learning experiences
and teaching quality.
Study at a top ranked
university
ECU is ranked in the Top 100
for the Times Higher Education
Young University Rankings
and placed in the top 2.5% of
universities in the world based
on the 2022 Times Higher
Education World University
Rankings.
Renowned for its teaching
quality, ECU was recognized
as the top public university in
Australia for undergraduate
teaching quality for the sixth
year in a row in the latest
QILT rankings (Australian
Government’s Quality Indicators
for Learning and Teaching 2020).
To learn more about
what ECU Sri Lanka can
offer you visit ecu.edu.lk,
or call 94 11 2555123
World Ready Student
Experience
Nestled in the heart of vibrant
Kollupitiya, ECU’s Colombo
Campus provides modern
facilities and amenities that cater
to all student needs.
From a historical colonial
brewery to bustling commercial
hub, Kollupitiya is one of
Colombo’s most popular districts,
with numerous shopping, dining
and entertainment options, and a
vibrant nightlife
On campus, our state-of-the-
art computer labs offer students
access to high-speed internet and
industry level software, and our
extensive library and support
services provide support and
information to help you with
your studies.
ECU has a wide range of
recreation and special interest
clubs on campus, many of
them facilitated by the Student
Council, including rugby,
basketball, football and of course
Cricket.
Courses on Offer
ECU Sri Lanka courses are
aimed at providing graduates
with strong career pathways
and employment opportunities.
Focusing on collaborative
learning and incorporating
diverse perspectives, ECU
students apply knowledge,
problem solving and creative
thinking skills to anticipate
challenges and produce solutions
in their chosen discipline.
l Bachelor of Commerce
SUndAy OBSERvER AUgUST 7, 2022
Advertorial
Logo appearance with relevant background colours
ECU is rankEd in thE top
100 for thE timEs highEr
EdUCation YoUng UnivErsitY
rankings and plaCEd in thE
top 2.5% of UnivErsitiEs in
thE world basEd on thE 2022
timEs highEr EdUCation world
UnivErsitY rankings.
rEnownEd for its tEaChing
qUalitY, ECU was rECognizEd
as thE top pUbliC UnivErsitY in
aUstralia for UndErgradUatE
tEaChing qUalitY for thE sixth
YEar in a row in thE latEst
qilt rankings (aUstralian
govErnmEnt’s qUalitY
indiCators for lEarning and
tEaChing 2020
43
l Bachelor of Computer
Science
l Bachelor of Design (Games
and Interactive Design)
l Bachelor of Science (Cyber
Security)
l Bachelor of Science(Nursing
Studies)
l Bachelor of Science
White
(Biomedical Science)
ECU courses are developed in
close consultation with industry
to give students both theoretical
knowledge and hands-on Black - 100
learning that will enable them to
excel in their studies and future
careers.
If English isn’t your first
language, we have additional
support services that will help
Black - 50
you thrive in an English-speaking
environment.
Our supportive study
environment and industry-
relevant teaching ensure that
students are fully equippedMagenta
solve real-world problems Yellow
and
to - 100
-100
graduate world ready.
Apply Online Today.
For more detailed unit
information for these courses
Cyan - 100
and to learn more about what
Magenta - 20
ECU Sri Lanka can offer you
Yellow - 100
Black
visit https://www.ecu.edu.lk/, or
- 10
call 94 11 2555123.
Cyan - 100
Magenta - 75
Coordinated by
Eranda Edrimanna
44 Sunday ObSeRveR auguSt 7, 2022
Advertorial
Buddha-Dharma Centre in Hong Kong gifts
Rs. 70 m for food aid
A
n unprecedent dona-
tion of nearly 70 mil-
lion rupees has been
made by the Buddha-
Dharma Centre in
Hong Kong.The Bud-
dha-Dharma Centre was founded
in 2012 by Venerable Professor K.
L. Dhammajotiwith the support ofa
group of his postgraduate students of
the University of Hong Kong’s Centre
for Buddhist Studies.
The Buddha-Dharma Centre,
a registered charity, aims “to pro-
mote the study and research of Bud-
dhism through academic courses and
publications, and to integrate Bud-
dhist study and spiritual praxis.” Its
academic courses are affiliated to the
University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka ––
postgraduate courses affiliated to the
Postgraduate Institute of Pāli and Bud-
dhist Studies, and the undergraduate-
diploma course affiliated to the De-
partment of Pāli and Buddhist Studies.
The Buddha-Dharma Centrehas
very close ties to Sri Lankas, not least
because Venerable Prof K. L. Dham-
majoti, who originally hails from Ma-
laysia and its permanent chairman
and academic director, had spent de-
cades studying and lecturing at the
Postgraduate Institute of Pāli and Bud-
dhist Studies, University of Kelaniya
for before joining The University of
Hong Kong in early 2004, where he be-
came the Glorious Sun (endowed) Pro-
fessor of Buddhist Studies.
A world renowned Buddhist schol-
ar and prolific writer, he also holds
numerous other titles, including Chair
Professor, School of Philosophy, the
Renmin University of China.He is also
the Rector Emeritus of the Interna-
tional Buddhist College in Thailand.
Since 2002, he has been editing the
Journal of Buddhist Studies for the
Centre of Buddhist Studies, Sri Lan-
ka (presently being jointly published
with The Buddha Dharma of Hong
Printed and Published by The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., at No. 35, D.R.Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo 10, on Sunday August 7, 2022
Kong)
In April this year, Ven. Prof. K.L.
Dhammajoti and the Centre’s stu-
dents, in response to the present fi-
nancial crisis impelled by their com-
passion and feelings of gratitude
towards Sri Lanka, set up a “Sri Lan-
ka Relief Fund”. The response from
the residents of Hong Kong has been
unstinting and inspiring. Their dona-
palI and BuddhIst studIes, and the
tions have made it possible to allevi-
ate the food insecurity of thousands of
Sri Lankans in the last few months. It
is midmorning in Medavahchiya, a re-
mote town in the North Central Prov-
Its academIc courses are
affIlIated to the unIversIty
of KelanIya, srI lanKa ––
postgraduate courses affIlIated
to the postgraduate InstItute of
undergraduatedIploma course
affIlIated to the department of
palI and BuddhIst studIes.
ince of Sri Lanka. This is the heartland
of paddy cultivation in Sri Lanka, a
region usually abundant with its rice
harvests.
This year, the harvest has dropped
forty percent, leaving people with
severe food shortages and loss of in-
Mou signing ceremony between
Lanka Nippon Biztech Institute (Lnbti)
and Sumedha College, Gampaha
It is indeed a historic moment
to witness a partnership between
Lanka Nippon BizTech Institute
(LNBTI) which is known to be the
first & only Ministry of Education
(MoE) & University Grant Com-
mission (UGC) accredited degree
awarding Japanese higher edu-
cation institute in Sri Lanka and
Sumedha College Gampaha which
is built on the premise of produc-
ing patriotic Sri Lankans of inter-
national standard.
A memorandum of under-
standing was signed on 19th July
2022 at Sumedha College Gampaha
premises between the above-men-
tioned two entities which are built
on a strong foundation to develop
students of Sumedha College with
the right skill set and knowledge to
become successful IT profession-
als in Japan.
LNBTI is a MoE&UGC accredit-
ed premier higher education insti-
tute in Sri Lanka, offering Japanese
quality ICT programmes of degree
level.
Incorporated by the dynamic
collaboration between Metatechno
Inc. and hSenid ventures, LNBTI
is the only institute in South Asia
to produce world-class ICT pro-
fessionals with Japanese morals/
ethics and business mannerism.
By adopting Japanese educational
practices, LNBTI always strives to
deliver the benefits of Japanese
management models as well as
technologies to our students. Job
matching will be done at the final
year of each program so that the
LNBTI graduates will be able to go
to Japan for jobs after the degree
completion.
LNBTI’s intention is to develop
quality ICT professionals who can
confidently join the lucrative and
come.
Their situation has become even
more dire with the galloping inflation
in the country caused by the econom-
ic crisis set off by the depletion of for-
eign exchange reserves.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst eco-
nomic crisis since independence in
1948. The most underprivileged villag-
ers have been struggling to consume
even two meals a day.Women headed
households (of which there is a large
portion in post-war Sri Lanka) and
those below the poverty line are the
most badly affected.
A crowd of over several hundreds
of people are gathered in the premis-
es of the village temple. A a group of
volunteers and government adminis-
tration officers, together with the Bud-
dhist monks, are handing out boxes
and bags of food items.
Each package contains seven thou-
sand rupees worth of essential food
items, including ten kilos of rice, one
kilo of dhal, a tin of sardines and a
packet of Nestomalt.
People line up, mostly women car-
rying small children, some pregnant
and severalextremely aged and feeble.
They accept the goods from a well-
a rapidly growing ICT industry as
ICT professionals in Japanese com-
panies in Japan and internation-
ally. [LNBTI Website: www.lnbti.lk]
Sumedha College is one of the
most reputed English medium
schools in the island and strives to
provide a more holistic education
to our students. It has an excellent
academic programme and places
equal importance on personal-
ity development through sport and
extra-curricular activities.
In the current economic envi-
ronment this type to partnership
between reputed institutions will
provide excellent career opportu-
nities for students while facilitat-
ing the in-flow of not only foreign
exchange but technological know-
how as well. [Sumedha College
Website: www.scg.ydc.lk]
Through this partnership, an
excellent opportunity will be cre-
ated for students to make maxi-
mum use of this opening to grad-
uate with a world recognized IT
degrees in Sri Lanka and join the
lucrative Japanese IT industry
upon successful graduation with
a rewarding career. Furthermore,
this will no doubt contribute to the
streamlined distribution line, where
volunteers with lists mark off each
person as she gets her pack. Most re-
cipients go down to the ground and
worship the monks and thank them
in gratitude. Several start sobbing in
relief. Three hundred people received
food parcels at this distribution cen-
tre.
Throughout the island, similar dis-
tributions organized by the Buddha
Dharma Centre of Hong Kong have
taken place.
The Director of the Post Graduate
Institute of Pali and Buddhist Stud-
ies of the University of Kelaniya, Ven.
Prof. Medawachchiye Dhammajothi,
shows photos and videos of the distri-
butions he has done in Ratmalana, tar-
geting the most under privilege urban
dwellers on the coastal belt, as well as
in low income estates in Wellawatte,
where people of all ethnic and reli-
gious groups, Buddhists, Hindus and
Musilms have received the parcels.
Likewise in, Kebithigollewa, Pa-
daviya, Mihinthale, Wadduwa, Po-
lannaruwa, Rathnapura, Kuruneg-
ara, Balapitiya, etc. To date –– and
the project is still ongoing –– over
4000 households, (that is at least
over 16,000 Sri Lankans) have re-
ceived food packs and some cash
handouts,amounting Rs 7,000 per
family.Prof. K. L. Dhammajoti, the
founder and director of the Buddha-
Dharma Center in Hong Kong, due to
his scholarship and time Sri Lanka is
veryfamiliar with the Dhamma and
Sri Lanka.
This has given him a deep appre-
ciation for Sri Lanka. As Prof K. L.
Dhammajoti said in his appeal, this
gift from Hong Kong was “also as a
way of expressing our gratitude to
the island for preserving and dissem-
inating Buddha’s teachings, which
has benefitted us so greatly”.
Ramya Chamalie Jirasinghe
development of both Japanese in-
dustries and Sri Lankan economy,
while brightening students’ future.
It is expected that not only a large
amount of foreign currency flown
out of the country for paying tu-
ition and living expenses abroad
for study can be saved within the
country, but also this model will
be able to bring ample amounts
of foreign exchange through their
remittance to the families and the
loved ones after they go to Japan
for work.
To grace this occasion, Dr. Wil-
fred Wijesinghe (Chairman), Mrs.
Sayuri Wijesinghe (Director), Mr.
Samantha Perera (Principal) with
the teaching & administrative staff
were physically present and Dr.
Harindu Wijesinghe (Vice Chair-
man) and Dr. Chamara Wijesing-
he (Vice Chairman) joined online
representing Sumedha College
and Mr. Ikura Kazuyuki (Director),
Prof. Ananda Kumara (President),
Mr. Ravindra Perera (Director), Mr.
Dilshan Samarasekera (Director
Marketing) and Ms. Sameera Ma-
lavige (Head of Business Develop-
ment & Partnerships) representing
LNBTI were present.
 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022 45

TEACHERS REQUIRED
For all Grades & Subjects. Specially for ICT,
H.Sc., Maths, Science, History & B.Studies.
CRESCENT SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL
197/1, Siri Dhamma Mw., Colombo-10.
Contact: Principal 077 132 41 41

WA N T E D
Required Bakery Supervisor, Cake
Chef, and Oven Operator with industry
level experience in making cakes,
cookies, and rusks.

Supervisor - 10 years' experience

Cake Chef -10 years' experience
Oven Operator - 5 years' experience
Dwaraka Industries India (Pvt) Ltd.
No. 95, Sri Kathiresan Street, Colombo 13.
Phone : +94 112 333333 / 84 / 85
Mobile : +94 777 427960
E-mail : dwarakainduslanka@gmail.com

Priority would be given to candidates

residing in or around Colombo.
46 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022
CLIMATE SMART IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE PROJECT (CSIAP)
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
Recruitment of Project Staff
The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture
and funded by the World Bank is for a period of 5 years (2019 to 2024). The objective of the Project
is to improve the agriculture productivity via improving climate resilience agriculture in climatically
vulnerable hotspot areas identified in six provinces namely North Western, North Central, Eastern,
Northern, Southern and Uva. The estimated cost of the project is USD 125 Mn.
Applications are invited from citizens of Sri Lanka for the following posts in the project on contract
basis. The applicants should possess the following qualifications and experience given under each
category.
01. Deputy Project Director (PS 2) - 01 Position at Uva Province
Qualification (a) or (b) or (c) below :
a) A successfully completed Bachelor's Degree in the relevant field which is recognized by
the University Grants Commission or a qualification recognized by the University Grants
Commission as an equivalent qualification to the degree in the relevant field or an Associate
membership/a similar professional qualification obtained from a recognized professional
institution in the relevant field with at least 13 years of post-qualifying experience at
Managerial Level, out of which 06 years should be at Senior Managerial Level.
b) A successfully completed Bachelor's Degree in the relevant field which is recognized by
the University Grants Commission or a qualification recognized by the University Grants
Commission as an equivalent qualification to the degree in the relevant field and Corporate
Chartered membership or similar qualification obtained from a recognized institution in the
relevant field or a Postgraduate Degree in the relevant field with 11 years of post-qualifying
experience at Managerial Level, out of which 5 years should be at Senior Managerial Level.
c) A successfully completed Bachelor's Degree in the relevant field which is recognized by
the University Grants Commission or a qualification recognized by the University Grants
Commission as an equivalent qualification to the degree in the relevant field with a Post
Graduate Degree in the relevant field and Corporate Chartered membership or a similar
professional qualification obtained from a recognized professional institution in the relevant
field with 09 years of post-qualifying experience at Managerial Level, out of which 4 years
should be at Senior Managerial Level.
A Class I officer of the Government All Island Services or a similar status in the relevant
field with at least 5 years of experience in a Class I post.
A brief job description : Plan, develop, execute and manage the cascade development in
the hotspot areas of the province while maintaining very close association with all relevant
stakeholder agencies of the province.
02. Financial Management Specialist (PS 3) - 01 Position at
Project Management Unit
03. Climate Smart Agriculture Specialist (PS 3) - 01 Position in
Southern Province
Qualification (a) or (b) or (c) below :
a) A successfully completed Bachelor's Degree in the relevant field which is recognized by
the University Grants Commission or a qualification recognized by the University Grants
Commission as an equivalent qualification to the degree in the relevant field or an Associate
membership/a similar professional qualification obtained from a recognized professional
institution in the relevant field with at least 12 years of post-qualifying experience at
Managerial Level.
b) A successfully completed Bachelor's Degree in the relevant field which is recognized by
the University Grants Commission or a qualification recognized by the University Grants
Commission as an equivalent qualification to the degree in the relevant field or an Associate
membership/a similar professional qualification obtained from a recognized professional
institution in the relevant field and a Postgraduate Degree in the relevant field with 09
years of post-qualifying experience at Managerial Level.
c) A Class I officer of the Government All Island Services or a similar status in the relevant
field with at least 4 years of experience in a Class I post.
A brief job description for Financial Management Specialist : Finance and accounts related
matters considering CSIAP at the national level and building the financial and expenditure
management system of CSIAP and will strictly follow all the procedures stipulated for World
Bank funded projects, while observing the financial rules of the government of Sri Lanka.
A brief job description for Climate Smart Agriculture Specialist : Develop an overall
agriculture development framework & strategies for the hotspot area and to promote climate
smart agriculture (CSA) technologies & practices and related activities in hotspot area.
04. Procurement Officer (PS 6 - Category A) 01 Position at
Project Management Unit
05. Monitoring & Evaluation Officer (PS 6 - Category A) 01 Position at
Project Management Unit
Qualification (a) or (b) or(c) below :
a) A bachelor's degree in the relevant field which is recognized by the University Grants
Commission or a qualification recognized by the University Grants Commission as an
equivalent qualification to the degree in the relevant field or an associate membership/a
similar professional qualification obtained from a recognized professional institution in the
relevant field or having obtained a certificate of proficiency not below than the National
Vocational Qualification Level - 7 issued by a Technical/Vocational Training Institute
accepted by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission for a post related to the
relevant field with at least 3 years post-qualifying experience in the relevant field.
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b) Having obtained a certificate of proficiency not below than the National Vocational
Qualification Level-6 issued by a Technical/Vocational Training Institute accepted by the
Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission for a post related to the relevant field with
at least 8 years of post-qualifying experience in the relevant field.
c) Having obtained a certificate of proficiency not below than the National Vocational
Qualification Level-5 issued by a Technical/Vocational Training Institute accepted by the
Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission for a post related to the relevant field with
at least 13 years of post-qualifying experience in the relevant field.
A brief job description for Procurement Officer : Procurement Officer shall be assisting
Procurement of all Works Goods to be carried at Project Management Unit which includes
but not limited to preparation of Procurement Plans, Bidding documents, Contact Documents
in line with the GOSL Guidelines which conform to World Bank Procurement Guidelines and
Project Documents. Assisting Project Procurement Committees, preparation & maintenance
of all registers and files related to Procurement and Contracts, Progress Reporting, Document
Controlling.
A brief job description for Monitoring & Evaluation Officer : M & E Officer is to facilitate
and support the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist to implement overall project Monitoring
& Evaluation System to carry out the process, compliance and result monitoring by compiling,
validating, processing and preparation of monthly input, output and outcome information to
prepare progress reports having close coordination with M & E Officers attached to Deputy
Project Director's Office (DPDO). He/ She is also responsible to maintain and operate the
project MIS to keep the system up to date with the support of M & E Officers at Provincial
Offices.
06. Data Entry Operator (Supporting Staff) - 01 Position at
Project Management Unit
Qualification (a) below :
a) Having passed all subjects at G. C. E. (A/L) Examination in one sitting (except the general
paper) and Six (6) passes at G. C. E. (O/L) examination with four (4) Credit passes including
English, Sinhala/Tamil Language and Mathematics in one sitting
with
NVQ Level-3 qualification in Computer application and at least 3 years of work experience in
computer literacy (MS packages, internet, e-mail).
A brief job description for Data Entry Operator : The Data Entry Operator should prepare
source data for entry, verify current data and obtaining missing data, record data into system
by using computer or other equipment, maintain organization data by keeping information
confidential and working with Microsoft Office Suite
Added qualifications :
• A
bility to design posters, leaflets and edit videos, Practical experience with handling still
Camera and Video Camera, Practical knowledge of Photoshop and Adobe Premier etc,
precise typing skills, verbal and written communication skills, Knowledge of Computer
Hardware and Software and keen on working independently.
General Conditions :
1. Age Limit - Sixty Four (64) years of age on the closing date of application.
2. All appointments will be initially for a period of one year and extension of services will be
based on successful performance.
3. Employees are required to travel to project sites depending on the need.
4. Working experience in the foreign funded projects in Sri Lanka is preferable.
5. Proficiency in English, Computer Literacy and familiarity with government rules and
regulations.
6. Salary for each position will be based on the Management Services Circular No. 01/2019
dated 05th March 2019.
7. Short-listed applicants based on qualifications and experience will be called for the
interview.
APPLICATIONS :
l All applicants are requested to forward their applications together with Curriculum Vitae with
two non-related referees and copies of all the certificates attached, under registered post to the
address given below or e-mail to pdcsiap@gmail.com on or before 22nd August 2022.
Project Director
Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project
Ministry of Agriculture
61/1, M.D.H. Jayawardhana Mawatha,
Madinnagoda, Rajagiriya.
Applicants currently in government/ semi government services should forward their applications
l
through their respective Heads of Departments.
l Post applied for should be clearly stated on the top left - hand corner of the envelope containing
the application.
l The decision of the Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture is final and conclusive on the above
recruitments.
For more information, please visit - www.csiap.lk
Secretary
Ministry of Agriculture
THE ONLY PLACE
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011 2 429 369
Hot Line
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 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022 47

VISAKHA NURSERY SCHOOL

Immediate vacancies exist for the
undermentioned position

Post of Pre-School Teacher

1. G.C.E. O/L qualified with a minimum of 6 passes
including Credit passes in Sinhala & Maths and GCE
A/L 3 passes.
2. N.V.Q. certificate / Open University or any other relevant
pre-school certificate in preschool or early childhood
education with excellent written and oral English /
Sinhala communication skills from a reputed institution
3. Should have completed the A.M.I. course with a year
or 2 experience with excellent written and oral English/
Sinhala communication skills
4. Minimum of 2 to 3 years work experience in Teaching
in a reputed Nursery / Montessori.
5. Age - Between 25-45 years.

Salary: Negotiable and commensurate with

experience & qualifications.
Apply by post within 10 days via email, with a recent
photograph to: Principal
Email: visakhanursery4@gmail.com

The Country’s
Breaking largest For
boundaries recruitment jobseekers
database

www.observerjobs.lk
48 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022
Post of Headmaster
S. Thomas' College, Gurutalawa
The Board of Governors of S. Thomas' College invites applications for the
post of Headmaster of S. Thomas' College, Gurutalawa, which is an Anglican
government approved private school for boys founded in 1942 and is also a
sister school of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia.
Our candidate would ideally
 O Be at least 40 years of age
 O H
 old undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications from recognized
universities
 O H
 ave a minimum 10 years of teaching experience, with management /
administration experience being of added value
 O B
 e familiar with the National Curriculum and the latest learning systems

and methods
O H
 ave previously demonstrated leadership capabilities with strong
communication, operational and administration skills
 O B
 e an inspirational mentor and guide to the students, faculty and
staff, towards realizing their fullest learning and growth potential,
academically and in all extracurricular pursuits.
 O M
 aintain and build strong relationships with all stakeholders including
but not restricted to parents, old boys and the wider community.
Emoluments available to the selected candidate will include housing on the
campus, a car, a driver, and other benefits.
Please send us your curriculum vitae (which should also include mailing
address, contact telephone number, email address, date of birth and religion)
supported by two non-related referees within TWO WEEKS to the address
given below.
Secretary, Board of Governors of S. Thomas' College
368/3A, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7.
Website : https://www.stcguru.edu.lk/
VACANCY
Health System Enhancement Project
and
Health System Enhancement Project –
Additional Financing
Ministry of Health
Procurement Specialist
Asian Development Bank Funded Health System Enhancement Project and
Health System Enhancement Project – Additional Financing is proposed
to pilot reforms of the Primary Health Care Services proposed by the
Primary Health Care Policy in Central, North Central, Sabaragamuwa
and Uva Provinces. The total project value is USD 183 Mn and project
implementation is scheduled until November 2025.
Under the Additional Financing Project, procurement of medical supplies
for the Ministry of Health and strengthen the Suwasariya Foundation and
SLIBTEC have been identified.
Applications are invited for the Procurement Specialist position on
full time basis in the Project Management Unit (PMU) based in
Colombo 08.
Qualifications and Experience
A Bachelor’s Degree in the relevant field recognized by the University
Grants Commission with minimum 10 years of post-qualifying experience
at managerial level which includes minimum 5 years at Senior managerial
level
Or
A Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field recognized by the University Grants
Commission and a Postgraduate Degree or full membership of a recognized
professional institution in the relevant field with minimum 8 years of post-
qualifying experience at managerial level.
Or
Class 1 Officer of a Government All Island Services or a similar status in the
relevant field with minimum 7 years’ experience in the Class 1 post.
Please refer the https://www.hsep.lk/index.php/work-with-us/
vacancies for more information and download the application.
Age Limit
Under 64 years by 17.08.2022.
Salary Scale
Salary scale PS 3 and other benefits in accordance with the Management
Circular No. 01/2019 dated 15.03.2019.
Duly completed application together with detailed curriculum vitae
supported by copies of education and professional qualifications, experience
and names of two non-related referees along with their contact telephone/
fax/email address should be sent to reach the following address on or
before 17.08.2022 in a sealed envelope stating the specific position on
the top left of the envelope. Applications sent after closing date and the
applications without the duly filled application form will be rejected. Only
shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the interview.
Address - Project Director
Health System Enhancement Project/HSEP-AF
3/19, Kynsey Road, Colombo 08.
Email - pmu@hsep.lk (for E - Submissions)
Telephone - +94 11 2 697 173/ +94 11 2 056 535
Fax - +94 11 2 697 163
Promotional Rates for Classified Advertisements (Only 15 Words)
Any Single Newspaper Two Newspapers Three Newspapers
y¥. 500/- y¥. 700/- y¥. 950/-
(Except Thinakaran Varamanjari) (Except Thinakaran Varamanjari)
COLOMBO DISTRICT
MINISTRY OF INDUSTRIES
LANKA MINERAL SANDS LIMITED
Applications are invited for the Post of General Manager at Lanka Mineral Sands Limited, a
company fully owned by the government.
GENERAL MANAGER
(Senior Management Service Category, HM-2-1)
Place of Employment: Pulmoddai Plant - 01 Post
(Should serve at the Head Office and Pulmoddai Plant occasionally)
External Applicants:
1. (a) Having obtained a Bachelors degree in Human Resources Management / Science /
Business Administration / Management / Accountancy recognized by University
Grants Commission
with
A Postgraduate Degree in the field of Human Resources Management / Science /
Business Administration / Management / Accountancy or having associate membership
of a reputed chartered institute in Management
and
A minimum of 18 years experience in management level (of which a minimum of 05
years should be in Senior Management Level) in a state corporation, statutory board or
reputed private sector organisation after graduation
or
(b) Having obtained a Bachelors Degree in Human Resources Management / Science /
Business Administration / Management / Accountancy recognized by University
Grants Commission
with
A Doctorate (PhD) in Human Resources Management / Science / Business
Administration / Management / Accountancy.
and
A minimum of 05 years service experience in a state corporation, statutory board or
reputed private sector organisation in senior management level after obtaining the
Bachelors degree.
Internal Applicants
Having completed a minimum of 05 years satisfactory experience in relevant subject field in a
post of Senior Management service category in the institute.
with
Specific efficiency in providing leadership for groups engaged in multi-purpose activities and
Promotional Rates for Classified Advertisements
also in the management other resources diligently.
(Only 15 Words)
Any Single Newspaper Two Newspapers Three Newspapers
Code No. and monthly salary scale relevant to HM-2-1 service category as per Management
y¥. 500/- y¥. 700/- y¥. 950/-
Service Circular No. 02/2016
Salary Code No.: HM 2-1, Rs. 91,645/- - 2,700x12 = 124,045/- will be placed on the initial (Except Thinakaran Varamanjari) (Except Thinakaran Varamanjari)
salary step of Rs. 91,645/-.
Age Limit: Not less than 35 years and not more than 55 years. Maximum age limit will not
apply to internal candidates. COLOMBO DISTRICT
In addition to general allowances paid following allowances for salary segment of HM-2-1 will
also be entitled.
Allowances
01. Transport allowance or provision of a company vehicle for official duties (one of the two
options) as per Circular Nos. PED/1/2015, PED/1/2015 (i) and PED/1/2015(ii).
02. Settlement of communication bills as per State Business Circular No. 02/2022
03. Professional allowance will be paid based on the active service period relevant to the post
as per Management Service Circular No. 05/2017. p{lv ûƒ¨k¨ áp‰þK [£~ˆlª...{ap 15Y‰ ~qƒ£
In the recruitment of internal applicants the salary step to be placed will be decided as per
provisions of chapter VII of the Establishment Code.
In addition to the salary paid following allowances and benefits will also be entitled. * ÜpYyp‰ {£yvp‰cù ƒ¥y * ÜpYyp‰ {£yvp‰cù ƒ¥y
General Allowances
01. Rs. 7,800/- Cost of Living Allowance approved by the Treasury.
02. Monthly food allowance will be based on daily attendance. Yû»t¤ýz .........................011 2 767 259
03. Monthly attendance incentive will be based on daily attendance 195,»y¤ƒz r£y, Yû»t¤ýz.
04. Hardship allowance of Rs. 4,000/- p.m. (Only for workers of Pulmoddai Plant)
Benefits r‹z‹xp‰nz ........................ 011 2 609 359
88/1, vƒy[v r£y, v£K»r, r‹z‹xp‰nz.
01. Annual production incentive allowance
02. Annual Bonus
03. Insurance coverage for surgery and hospitalization and for outdoor treatments vƒy[v ........................... 011 2 745 895
119/A, ý»p¤à R¥H{Mfõ~‹p‰, vƒy[v.
i) Hospitalization insurance coverage of Rs. 200,000/- per year (Including family members)
ii) Reimbursement of outdoor treatment bills for Rs. 20,000/- per year (Including
family members) v£z»J ............................ 077 2 017 409
iii) Reimbursement of Dental Treatment Bills for Rs. 5,000/- per year (Including family rÜy¥ ëN~ˆ Wcp‰~š~ˆ, Rlªy¥[Œùx r£y, v£z»J.
members)
04. Provision of medical expenses up to a standard (specific) limit »[£h[v ..........................011 3 418 649
i) Rs. 5,000/- allowance once a year (For general medical fees) 170, ~šl£{Y W‰cp‰~š~ˆ, »[£h[v.
ii) Rs. 12,000/- allowance once in two years (Specialist medical fees, medical tests fees,
spectacles and hearing aids expenses)
»ƒ¤v£[v ....................... 077 7 304 046
iii) Rs. 12,000/- once in two years (For a child birth) 76/2/1, ãKùx»r£z r£y »ƒ¤v£[v.
05. In addition will be entitled to other benefits for permanent employees.
06. Contribution to EPF 10% by the employee and 15% by the company. ETF contribution Uhƒv¨zˆz.........................011 2 810 042
3% by the company. 138, ãKùx»r£… r£y, Uhƒv¨zˆz, p§»[‰»[£h.
GENERAL CONDITIONS:
1. All applicants should be Sri Lankan citizens. vl‰»l‰»[£h .................... 071 8 619 448
vl‰»l‰»[£h ëN~ˆ »rˆrM~ˆ, 102/179 ~š, r±o£p þn™x,
2. Should be mentally and physically fit to perform duties assigned diligently and to serve in
any part of the island.
3. Should be of good moral character. Rlªy¥[Œùx ........................ 071 8 021 724
267, ýl£p»[‰ ~ˆ»f¤M~ˆ, »[£h[v r£y, Rlªy¥[Œùx.
4. Payee Tax (Pay As You Earn) will be levied from the total earnings of selected applicants.
Applicants employed in Public Service / Corporations / Statutory Boards / State Companies »Y£Gf£{...........................077 5 121 887
should forward their applications through respective heads of relevant departments / 72, ƒõ»z{zˆ r£y, »Y£Gf£{.
institutions.
Applications for the above post of General Manager (along with Photocopies of relevant r‹f»Y¤G»G ................... 075 4 009 648
certificates) enclosed in an envelope of which the top left hand corner clearly marked with
435,»r£l‰[ªz »r£l‰ƒz, r‹f»Y¤G»G.
the post applied for should be sent to reach the Chairman, Lanka Mineral Sands Ltd, 341/21,
Sarana Mawatha, Rajagiriya by registered post before 22nd August 2022.
Chairman,
Lanka Mineral Sands Limited
No. 341/21, Sarana Mawatha,
Rajagiriya.
classified@lakehouse.lk
011 2 429 342 | 011 2 429 343
Fax - 011 2 429 375 / 011 2 429 380
p{lv ûƒ¨k¨ áp‰þK [£~ˆlª...{ap 15Y‰ ~qƒ£
* ÜpYyp‰ {£yvp‰cù ƒ¥y * ÜpYyp‰ {£yvp‰cù ƒ¥y
 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022 49

Marriage
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Academically and pro- Academically and Academically and Academically and Academically quali- Academically / pro- Academically & pro- A highly connected Buddhist Govigama
fessionally qualified professionally quali- fessionally qualified, professional G/B par-
professionally quali- fied, kind son is fessionally qualified respectable family
son from a respect- professionally quali- fied, kind and caring loving son from a established and well ents from Colombo
fied son is sought by retired parents seek
able family sought son is sought by Govi sought by B/G re- respectable family is mannered groom looking for an aca-
Sinhala parents living fied well-mannered Buddhist parents for sought by G/B pro- demically and pro- suitable partner for
by G/B professional tired parents from is sought by Bodu,
parents living in Co- in USA for their pret- their daughter born in fessional, wealthy Govi parents for their fessionally qualified well-accomplished
lombo suburb for 31 ty daughter brought son from a respect- 1993, 5’4”, pleasant, Colombo suburbs for parents for their daughter born and virtuous son below fair attractive Senior
AAA Kandyan Rad- yr. (24.07.1991) 5’3”, fair, slim, educated daughter - UK quali- brought up in Lon- 30 yrs. Only daugh- Manager daughter
up according to Sin- their daughter, born
ala Buddhist parents daughter Attorney-at- able family sought in a leading school in fied Doctor, MBBS & don. Born in Feb., ter age 24, fair /
hala Buddhist val- in 1981/08, 5’5”, fair, MRCP. Visiting Sri 5’4” tall born in 1989.
Law (LL.B), (LL.M), Colombo brought up 1985, about 5’6” tall, slim vivacious 5.2 in
in Colombo, from Kuja 1, Rahu 7. Please
employed in an Inter- ues.5’8” born in July by Bodu Govi profes- with Buddhist Sinha- Lanka in September. pleasant, attractive height employed in a
respectable family, pretty with BSc., MSc.
national Legal firm in 1990, Graduate BSc la values. Holds a BSc, She is fair, pretty, 36 and well mannered. Conglomerate in SL. reply with horoscope
seek a son for their Singapore. Only sister sional parents from MSc and currently and well employed. years, 5’9” with an BSc. (USA) and MSc. Holds 2 Degrees from and family details.
(IT) currently work- reading for a PhD in excellent character.
daughter, 1989 gradu- is a Senior Consultant Divorced as innocent (UK) qualified, at- wellknown UK Uni-
ing as a senior VP Email: abproposal2@
to an International Western Province for UK. Please reply with She is a dual citizen.
tached to NHS with versities done in SL.
ate and MBA holder. family details, con- party without encum- She has substantial gmail.com OB184619
Software Company. in worldwide Bank. cancer research work. (Kuja 1 horoscope).
ranprop5@gmail.com their daughter born tact No. & horoscope. assets in UK and Sri Send details HC to
Inherits substantial Please reply with brances. Owns assets. She has a house in Buddhist Govi par-
OB184492 Email: dayaprop Lanka. Please reply viranga1968@icloud.
assets in Sri Lanka. full family details o s a l 26 @ g m a il.com giving full details of London. Replies from ents seek a suitable
in 1996, 5’2” stud- mproposals552@gm com OB184494
Reply with family son’s and family with those who live in partner for their only
About a 1970 born, and contactnumbers. OB184390
details, copy of horo- ail.com 0112912105. the horoscope. Email: London are preferred. child-daughter 1987
Willing to migrate to ied at leading girls A suitable partner
5’4”, B/G pleasant scope and contact No. Please respond with born, Attorney-at-
OB184375 gunasekara5725@gm sought by a B/G fam-
looking, lady Lecturer to dja.241991@gmail. USA. Email: perali ail.com 033-2285032 full family details to Law (Corporate Law-
school, BSc Software ily for their govern-
com ya1958@gmail.com / 076-3576901. setra321@yahoo.com yer), 5’5” in height,
(private) seeks a suit- OB183952 Academically and Academically and ment IT graduate
slim, pretty and
able partner for a mar- Academically OB184651 Engineer works in a professionally quali- OB184517 OB184361 teacher born in 1991,
and professionally quali- young looking with
fied, kind hearted 5”, kind hearted, reli-
riage. 0112173670. professionally quali- Academically / pro- excellent qualities
Academically and reputed company in and well-mannered fied son (below 63) gious, fair, slim, well
OB184670 fied son is sought by fessionally qualified, and values, inherit-
professionally quali- mannered daugh-
Buddhist Govigama son from a respect- is sought by Bud- well mannered son is ing a modern house,
Colombo. She inher- Academically & pro- ter with assets. Re- car and other assets.
Academically and parents for their at- fied son sought by B/ able family is sought sought by Colombo,
dhist parents for their ply with family de- Respond to proposalsf
by respectable Bud- fessionally qualified
professionally quali- tractive daughter G parents for their its assets. Reply with B/D parents for their tails. marriageprop ortr@gmail.com with
5’4” slim pretty. She dhist parents for pretty, slim and very son is sought by BK youngest daughter, osal135@gmail.com
fied kind hearted NS/ MBBS Doctor daugh- details and horoscope
holds degree in ac- their daughter born young looking daugh- born in 1993 March,
TT son with Buddhist counting and finance ter 30 yrs old 5 feet family details and parents for Gov- 5’5”, slim with BBA
OB184674 copy. For more details
in 1991, 5’4”, well contact 0112802254
values is sought by B/ with CIMA and CPA tall. Kuja 1,2,4,7,8, ter 53 years, 5’2”. Di- ernment employed Colombo Univer- Bodu Govi family
horoscope to: propo mannered, and well / 0776753774.
G retired parents in presently working in 12 preferred. propo sity & MSc abroad, from Kandy looking
brought up with Sin- vorced no children. daughter 1989 Sept., OB184692
Australia as Accoun- 1962h@gmail.com salm36@gmail.com working at a global for a suitable groom
Negombo for their hala Buddhist values. Teacher by profession 5’3” holding BSc.
tant. She is also a dual institute, both par- for MSc qualified,
daughter 1988 Sep., citizen she is 37 years OB184567 Studied in a leading working daughter
proposals Engineering and ents retired Govern-
private Buddhist girls overseas
OB184607
5’7” B.des (University old Email - address m ment officers. Caste (5’3”) born in Oc-
Academically and Buddhist Karawa
of Moratuwa), MBA rproposals2022@yah school in Colombo. are welcome. Only PhD. Kuja 5, Siku- immaterial. Please tober 1990. Please
professionally quali- wealthy business par-
Academically and She holds a BSc. Spe- genuine reply with ru 7 Sandu 8 Deta reply with a copy of
(J’Pura) who owns a oo.com 0112816243. fied virtuous son
professionally quali-
reply with family &
horoscope and fam-
OB184355 sought by retired B/G cial Degree from a contact details. Email ents from Moratuwa
design firm (Colombo fied well-mannered Nekatha non-malefic
parents for their only state University and full family details. - proposalsforourdau ily details. proposal seek a suitable part-
suburbs), functions Academically and son preferred in IT 202290@gmail.com
daughter. BSc. Gradu-
or Engineering field currently reading for desilvahema3@gmail HC. Wrushchika and ghter93@gmail.com ner for their daugh-
as a Visiting Lecturer, professionally quali- ate, currently works OB184591
sought by Buddhist her MPhil. Please .com OB184575 Sinha Lagna are most
OB184594
ter born in 1997/07
fied son is sought as a Teacher in Na-
inherits assets. Those Govigama mother (fa- reply with family de- suitable. Reply with Bodu Govi parents eldest in family, 5’3”,
by B/G parents for tional School. 1986, An academically and
who live abroad are their daughter born ther deceased) from tails and horoscope. Academically & pro- from Western Prov-
5’8”. Really pretty family details, horo- professionally quali- fair, pretty brought
respectable family for smproposal21@gmail ince seek a NS/TT
also considered. Non- in 1992 November, and simple in nature. fied son, above 5’10” up with good values
only daughter born .com OB184627 fessionally qualified scope without Kuja is sought by a Sin-
educated partner for
malefic. Reply with 5’4” in height edu- Kindly respond de-
in 1994 profession- their MBBS daughter, currently reading for
cated at Musaeus Col- tails with HC. mrgpr caring son preferably dosha contact num- hala/Buddhist fam-
horoscope family de- ally Canadian quali- Academically pro- works in State Sec- a BSc in teaching (fi-
lege and graduate in oposal222@gmail.co ily. Daughter is 5’8”,
tails. mrgprospect@g BB.A in Management fied Engineer 5’4” tall fessionally qualified from Canada / USA bers marriage2289@ tor, born in July 1989,
m OB184714 educated, employed, nal year) and does
fair educated in lead- well-mannered part- 5’7” in height. Please
mail.com OB184559 (specialized in Ac- sought by Canadian gmail.com OB184471 well mannered and not hope to work. In-
ing Buddhist School ner is sought by B/ send details with a
counting & Finance) in Colombo living in G parents for their Sinhala Buddhist par- pretty. She was born herits valuable assets,
Academically and presently working as copy of a horoscope.
Canada. She is work- daughter pretty, 31, in ‘86 and lives in only younger brother
ents for their pretty OB184573
professionally quali- an Accountant in an Academically and ing for the Govern- 5’3” holds BSc in the US. Please reply
has attended to Royal
fied NS/TT son Australian company. professionally quali- ment Sector and do- Accounting and em- daughter 5’1” born with family details to Bodu Govi 1990 Dec.
Please reply with full ing higher studies. ployed as a Chartered slprop86@gmail.com born 5’7” height slim College and is reading
having PR or dual fied well mannered 1990 well employed
details to : anomawee She inherits valuable Accountant in private OB184662 fair pretty daughter for a degree in Busi-
citizenship overseas rasekera63@gmail.co son is sought by Bud- family assets. Reply sector. Reply with with postgraduate holds BSc. & MSc. ness. We seek an edu-
is sought by GB par- m OB184516 dhist Govi parents with full family de- family details and An educated well Degrees. At present cated son preferably
ents for their daugh- for their 30 year old tails and horoscope to the horoscope. Email; qualification. Reply mannered son with working as an As-
Academically and proposalsforgood@g amaproposal91@gma with family details to: similar status is below age 32 from a
ter 1990 born, 5’8”, professionally quali- daughter. She is 5’6” sistant Manager in
mail.com OB184488 il.com OB184449 sought by Bodu Govi a Stockbroking Co. similar business back-
very fair, slim, pretty, fied son is sought in height educated canprop66@gmail.co professional parents in Colombo. Studied ground, abroad pro-
simple & pleasant, by Sinhala Buddhist in leading schools in m OB184502 in Gampaha for their at a leading private posals are also consid-
presently working as medical special- Colombo qualified younger daughter school in Colombo. ered, shani Mangala
ist parents for their graduated with Fi- Well brougt up in a
High School Science as an Accountant in Yoga and Kuja 8 horo-
only daughter born nance and Manage- Buddhist background.
Teacher in Canada. in March 1993, 5’2” London with BSc and ment degree from scope. Please respond
Parents seek part-
Done with her De- slim fair and pretty, MSc from Universi- State University, ner with good moral with family details,
gree & Masters in BSc graduate cur- ties in UK. Please MBA (Col. Univer- values. Reply with contact number and
rently employed in a reply with family sity), CIMA quali- horoscope & family
Canada. Reply with horoscope. diliru7@g
government Ministry fied, ACCA partly, details. Email : adk
non-malefic horo- New Zealand. Caste details and a copy of p5667@gmail.com mail.com OB184673
fair, pretty, slim,
scope, family details. immaterial. Kindly the horoscope to pro 5’4”, 1992/9 born, OB184660
B/G Buddhist well
mpropos10@gmail.co reply with family de- posalksm@gmail.com employed as a Senior
Bodu Govi, Colombo connected business
m OB184349 tails and HC. (abcp OB183789 Executive in a Private
suburbs professional
s6224@gmail.com). Conglomerate. Owns parents seek a well
substantial assets. parents seek an edu-
Academically and OB183802 Academically and mannered smart, ed-
cated well mannered,
Please reply with full ucated partner only
professionally quali- Academically and professionally quali- caring, handsome
details, contact num-
fied son below 40 professionally quali- fied well-mannered son for our only child from a leading busi-
bers and horoscope.
daughter. 26 years, ness family involv-
years is sought by G/B fied son is sought partner sought by G/ Email : savani9219@
by Sinhala B/G par- 5’6”, fair, graduated
business family from B professional par- gmail.com OB184706 ing in business for
ents from Colombo, in Designing, em-
Colombo suburbs for for their 1994 born ents living in Colom- ployed in the private their pretty, educated
Australian residents
only daughter born daughter. She’s 5’4” bo suburb for 38 yr., sector. Educated son with an outstanding
(dual citizen) R/
C Sinhalese parents from designing, mar- personality daugh-
1992, 4’10” in height, height, pretty, fair, a 5’2”, slim & pretty
seek an academically keting fields is pre- ter (only child) born
educated at a leading Russian medical grad- daughter (Computer ferred. Other fields
uate, currently get- qualified son for their in 1996 studied at a
Colombo School. She / Electrical Engineer- are also considered.
ting ready for ERPM. daughter an Austra- leading girls’ school
holds a Bachelors De- We are looking for a ing Graduate (NUS), proposedbride123@g
lian qualified Doctor
mail.com OB184574 in Colombo 7, inher-
gree in Management, handsome, well man- principal Consultant (MBBS) working as a
GP in Australia. She its substantial assets.
presently involved in nered son, 1991 born in a Multinational Bodu / Govi / par-
or after, with a good was born in 1989, ents seek profession- If interested, please
managing the family Company in Singa-
family background, height 5’, fair, slim ally and academically reply with the full
business and reading residing abroad / will- pore. Inherits sub- and pretty. Bears an qualified partner for family details and
for CIMA (Kuja 1 in ing to migrate are also stantial assets in Sri impeccable character. fair 5’2” gradu- contact details. Email
horoscope) send fam- accepted. Reply with Lanka. Reply with Substantial assets in ate daughter with a
Australia and Sri Lan- - marriagead22@gma
ily details / horoscope family & contact de- family details, copy dowry born 1994 em-
tails and a copy of ka. Please reply with ployed in Govt. Sec- il.com OB184474
/ contact to proposals of horoscope and con-
horoscope to prop2 full details, contact tor. Reply with family
fordaughter92@gmai 02294@gmail.com tact No. to djb.2584@ email : cbn2022@yah details and horoscope.
Continued on
l.com OB184572 OB184538 gmail.com OB183948 oo.com.au OB184481 OB184687 page 50

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Continued from B/G parents seek an B/G retired mother Close Colombo, Bud- Colombo Bodu Colombo B/G respect- Colombo, Buddhist, Gampaha Bodu Govi G/B Canadian citizen Professionally quali-
page 49 educated and profes-
seeks an educated, dhist, Govi, 1994, Govi affluent profes- able parents seek a Govi, respectable fam- senior professional parents are searching fied son with sober
sionally stable son sional parents (father ily background, born
well mannered part- height 5’6”, studied professionally quali- parents seek an edu- for an academically habits willing to settle
from a decent family a medical special- 1987 October, 5’3”,
ner for 45 yrs., 5’6 fied, well-mannered, cated well-mannered and professionally down in UK is sought
background for their leading girls’ school in ist) are seeking an pretty, slim, kind, vir- qualified son, prefer-
1/2”, Teacher (BSc.) NS/TT, son from son with similar sta- by B/K parents of re-
daughter born 1995/ Colombo, educated, academically and tuous, MBBS Doctor ably living in Canada
daughter. She’s slim, tus for their 1991/7 spectable family in
03, 5’6” height, fair, professionally quali- a B/G family for daughter, owns valu- for their daughter.
pretty, charactered, Colombo suburbs,
slim, truly pretty, fair, pretty and of fied well mannered, their daughter born able assets, hoping born, pretty, fair, slim Father works for the
graduate, followed to go to United King- proposed daughter
educated at a leading excellent character kind hearted, hand- in 1996, 5’5”, kind 5’4”, BSc Engineering Government of Cana-
B/G Canadian citi- Masters working as some son below 35 dom, parents seek MBBS qualified Doc-
international school and kind hearted hearted, fair, pretty, Graduate (Moratuwa da, and mother works
zen parents living in from similar family similarly educated, tor currently practic-
well mannered with senior executive offi- University) eldest for a non-profit orga-
Toronto seek a suit- in Colombo. She is background for their professionally quali- kind, son from a re- ing in UK. Born in
nization. The daugh-
able partner for their now an Australian a good personality, cer at a reputed insti- slim fair beautiful fied Gemmologist, spectable family back- daughter with sub- August 1990, 5’4”,
ter is a pretty, kind-
daughter who is very qualified Doctor please reply with de- tution, daughter, pro- 5’2” educated daugh- willing to migrate. ground. Religion im- stantial assets, earn- hearted 29-year-old. pretty, fair. Please
beautiful very fair (MD). Currently em- tails. cerodr2019@gm fessional parents seek ter December 1994 material. Contact for ing six figure salary in She is 5’2”. She has reply with full fam-
Please respond with
and slim 26 (Decem- ployed practicing as ail.com OB184570 born studied in lead- details. 0774848695, private sector. Please a Master of Science ily details and horo-
educated, respectable family details and 0112685279.
ber 1995), 5’5” BSc a Doctor in Sydney. ing private Colombo reply with contact Degree. Her educa- scope copy to propos
graduate and em- B/G retired parents virtuous son with schools and overseas horoscope to : propos OB184343
Interested parents numbers and copy of tional background is al2020uk@gmail.com
ployed Canadian citi- seek an educated suit- sober habits, full de- (including Austra- al1996de@gmail.com in Health Sciences.
please send your fam- Doctor parents in horoscope. E mail: OB184641
zen. Brought up with lia) brought up with OB184404 She works in public
ily and son’s details able partner for their tails with horoscope UK seek an academi- udara1954@gmail.co
Sinhalese Buddhist Buddhist values cur- policy for the Govern- Professionally / aca-
along with horoscope. daughter 1994, 5’ copy in first letter. rently employed in cally and profession-
values. She is kind Colombo Sinhala m OB184707 ment. She has been demically qualified
wmdcnw@gmail.com pretty and well man- a bluechip company. ally qualified partner
hearted and lovely. OB184644 Govigama Roman brought up with Sin- well employed son,
nered studied in a Co- Please email : dayan living in or willing Gampaha Buddhist
Email: binari10@yah OB184531
Catholic educated halese Buddhist val- devoid of vices from
ganie22@gmail.com to migrate to UK
oo.com OB184508 lombo leading girls’ Close Colombo, 1991, Vishwa family seeks ues and is interested
B/G parents seek an parents seek educated for their 31 year old a decent family back-
school and higher 5’, pretty, MBBS doc-
OB184529 a suitable partner for in outdoor activities,
B/G parents from partner for their el- daughter. She is a ground is sought by
educated, well man- studies in abroad, their Teacher daugh- music / art / dance,
South residing Co- tor daughter, parents CIMA qualified Ac- retired professional
nered son for only dest daughter, 1990 and travelling. If in-
lombo suburb seek currently working at countant working for ter Vegetarian, 5’2”, parents (Buddhist
daughter born in seek Doctor Engi- Dec., 5’6”, Convent terested, please email
suitable graduate son a Global IT company. a globally acclaimed born in 1981 never Govi/Karawe) from
1996, 5’3”, pretty, neer, graduate son, Colombo Buddhist educated, LLB (Co- polcansri@gmail.com
for daughter 1990 Reply with full de- company. Reply with married. Email : rmd Colombo suburbs for
OB184622
September, 5’ fairish kind hearted, cur- She is expecting to go Salagama retired Cus- lombo Uni.), Attor- family details and
tails, horoscope and harmasena314@gmai their eldest daugh-
rently third year un- to Australia next year. toms Director seeks a ney-at-Law, LLM horoscope. Email: W
complexion MBBS phone numbers in l.com ter, 1988 May born,
dergraduate in Gov- 456NaCh@hotmail.c OB184387
doctor in Govern- first letter. proposals Those employed in kind-hearted groom (Colombo Uni), em- height 5’5”, slim, fair,
ernment University om OB184685
ment service, father ployed UN Office Co- Gampaha G/B retired G/B parents from pretty, bears impecca-
1994.2022@gmail.co or expecting to go to from a respectable
specialist doctor. pro (BSc) and also read- South residing in Co- ble character, educat-
m lombo. 0777251479 Doctor, 1983 born, parents seek a well-
posalglemal@gmail.c ing for Business Man-
OB184504 Australia preferred, family for daughter, lombo suburbs seek
om / 0112889605. nim pretty attractive, 5’5” mannered, academi- ed at leading Buddhist
OB184507 agement degree in a horoscope essential. with enough wealth an educated graduate girls school in Co-
B/G/D respectable ‘77 born, 5’3”, hon- aljw@hotmail.com cally, professionally
private University We are nominal Bud- 6 figure income, lux- son for daughter 5’, lombo. Professionally
B/G parents living in parents seek partner est and religious, OB184372 ury house & vehicles. qualified or suitable 1987 June graduate
Canada, seek a pro- (final year). Inherits dhist Rajaka caste. qualified CIMA (UK)
for BA and Masters She’s a divorcee as partner from a re- English teacher, fa-
substantial assets. Re- academically quali- and IBASL (Bank-
fessionally qualified qualified 1993 Janu- Differences imma- Colombo suburbs B/ innocent party with spectable family for ther Specialist Doctor
son with sober habits ply with horoscope. fied Senior Marcom ing) and MBA holder
ary, 5’3”, slim, at- terial. shantha196 K parents of well re- no encumbrances. their youngest daugh- Rahu 1 Kethu 7. pro
from respectable fam- Kuja 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 12 working for a reputed
tractive, government Manager, currently spectable family seek Respectable parents ter born in December posalgle@gmail.com
ily for their daughter preferred. Email: geet 0mm@gmail.com Bank in Colombo in
born in 1994, 5’2”, employed daughter OB184639 engaged in father’s a professionally quali- from Colombo seeks 1987, 5’4” tall, slim
OB184506
the managerial cadre.
hapriyac72@gmail.co an open minded edu-
fair, pretty, very kind, with dowry. mapro property business. fied son with sober and fair BSc Maths Leading Govi Bud- Substantial inheri-
m OB184511 cated Buddhist part-
professional Environ- p2468@gmail.com Close Gampaha, Bud- (Shani 7th house, Re- habits & willing to ner. Caste immaterial. teacher, having valu- dhist family seeks a tance available. Ma-
mental Scientist. Pref- B/G parents seek OB184629 dhist/Govi, 1994/11, settle down in Austra- Email details with able assets and prop- professionally quali- lefic horoscope also
erence to those who hena Nekatha), inher- fied partner living in
qualified son for lia born in July 1994, horoscope to mrpp erties. Reply with considered. Please
live in Canada, but B/K son is sought height 5’6”, Lawyer its a house in Moratu- Australia for their ed-
their daughter 1997 5’2”, pretty fair post- .lanka@gmail.com family details, horo- respond with family
U.S.A., U.K., Austra-
born 5’1” Engineer by Engineer father (Colombo), L.L.B. OB184563 ucated, pretty daugh- details and horoscope
wa and other assets. graduated in Finance scope and contact de-
lia resident also wel- for daughter holding (London), L.L.M. ter, born in 1988,
employed in Austra- to vivaha072@gmail.
come. Please reply to Siblings are married & Accounting in Aus- Educated and re- tails. OB184609 Australian citizen.
lia, prefer Sydney. MBBS Degree, work- (London), we are spectable Sinhala BG com OB184701
rathketiyawa30@gm tralia, currently living Horoscope and family
ail.com OB184388 Send Kuja 2, 4, 7, 8, ing at a Government an ordinary family, and well settled. Re- parents living in USA Govi Buddhist par- details essential. pro
& employed in Aus- looking for a profes- Professional son is
12 horoscopes. pro Hospital, 1992 Nov., seek educated son. ply with horoscope ents (Lawyer father) psr2022@gmail.com sought by Colombo
B/G parents look- padd97@gmail.com tralia. Please reply sionally qualified son
5’, Shani 3, Kuja 9
ing for a mature tall Tel. 0702630490, and family details. with full family de- raised with good fam-
in Colombo suburbs OB184589 suburb parents for
OB184696 Wrushchika Lagna. seek a professionally
partner for pretty 0112907780. mand dilumi55555@gma tails horoscope copy ily values, for their Moor mother seeks
their pretty & well
Reply with family de- 23 year old daughter qualified son with educated daughter,
daughter 30, 5’6”. B/G parents (father il.com 0112610960.
tails, horoscope. Con- y394@yahoo.com to, proposal2020ks@
raised with Buddhist non-malefic
a suitable Moor part-
horo- ner for her youngest 34 yrs, working &
She is qualified, well is a Senior Lawyer)
tact numbers. mprop OB184336 OB184441 gmail.com OB184642 values, to have a rela-
employed and accom- scope (between the daughter, 27 years, living in Melbourne,
from Colombo seek 1989sep@gmail.com tionship that will end
plished. Inherits as- ages 27-32) for their height 5’4”, she is a registered & divorced
sets. Partner should professionally quali- OB184469 up in a marriage. She
fair, pretty 1995 born Graduate in Com- shortly due to unsuc-
be willing to support fied, well mannered was graduated in En-
Engineering cessful marriage, send
gineering field with 5’3” daughter with puter
her social service partner for their ‘92 B/K, Ambalangoda, and now working as a a copy of horoscope
work and religious ac- born 5’2”, fair daugh- Masters in USA and IBSL qualified, CIMA
retired father is seek- Senior Test Analyst. and family details.
tivities. Kuja 7, write ter academically qual- is already working in (UK) (Strategic level),
ing a well employed, The partner must lankaproposal889@g
or Email to kpropos ified with LLB (Lon- a world leading com- currently reading for below 35 years. Pro-
educated suitable pany. Those who are mail.com OB184690
al2022@gmail.com don). Studied at a MBA. Email - propo fessionally qualified
partner for daughter. doing studies in USA,
OB184631 leading Girls’ School sals.gpnl@gmail.co Respectable Catho-
She is 35 yrs. old, 5’2” Canada can contact. and preferably living
lic parents from Co-
B/G parents residing in Colombo. Practis- Reply with family de- m T.P. - 0776780126 in UK. Email : fussil
height and employed lombo seeking a kind,
in Colombo seek a ing as a Lawyer. Re- as Management As- tails to: slusasl@outlo / 0112752727. at786@hotmail.com established son from
well-established son ply with horoscope. ok.com OB184583 OB184379 OB184582
a respectable fam-
sistant of Transport
with Shani Mangala Email : proposal50@ Moor parents from ily for their daughter
Authority - Southern Govi / Karawa Bud-
Yoga for their only yahoo.com OB184558 South looking for a 1983 born, 5’2”. She
daughter, currently Province. OB184577 dhist respectable fam-
Educated, well man- Muslim groom for is pretty and fair, cur-
employed in a leading B/G respectable par- ily from Galle seeks their daughter age 28 rently employed as a
Catholic well estab- nered son sought by
multinational com- ents living in Colombo
lished parents seek B/V parents for their an educated profes- academically quali- teacher at a reputed
pany, age 32, height suburbs seek academ- international school
professionally quali- daughter born in sional qualified son fied currently work-
5’8”. Race & caste ically and profession- in Colombo. Prefers
immaterial. Willing fied well mannered
1994, 5’4”. Diploma below 30 years old for ing. Please reply with a son who is of or be-
ally qualified well in Pharmacist (Read- their daughter born in family details. propo low 45 years of age
to migrate with the son age 36 - 38, for
mannered son from ing). Caste immate- sals203@gmail.com
right partner. Please their qualified daugh- 1997, 5’8” currently and a very sociable
rial. Overseas propos-
forward family details a respectable fam-
OB184554
working and living in and outgoing person-
ter studied in a Co- als are also welcome.
with a copy of horo- ily for only daughter Australia. Reply with Moor professional ality. She is divorced
lombo Catholic Con- Kindly reply with with no encumbranc-
scope to marriagepro born September 1985, family details to: dau parents, both Execu-
vent, kindly respond details and HC. (vhi es. Email: proposal10
posal3189@gmail.co height 5’8”, pretty,
with family details
masha5@gmail.com) ghterproposal97@gm tives from South seek 07@gmail.com with
m OB184476 young looking with
OB184417 educated partner for
and phone numbers. s ail.com OB184500 family details and
compassionate per- 21 year old daughter.
B/G parents residing tchristopher978@gm horoscope. OB184392
sonality, graduated Science Undergradu-
in Kandy seek a son
ail.com ate in University.
for their fair, pretty, BSc.
UK.
(Hons),
Brought
MSc. in
up in a
OB184505
Bride OB184400
slim height 5’ gradu-
ate in marketing cur- foreign
Buddhist
country
cultural
with
val-
Christian Tamil par-
ents seek an educated This Prominent Mother (retired Retired Catholic par-
rently working for a teacher), seeks a well ents seek a partner for
US company, daugh- ues. Holding Execu- Christian partner for
their daughter just
Space is Available mannered, non smok- daughter, July 1984,
ter born in 1993 Au- tive post in Sri Lanka ing, handsome son of 5’5”, PhD (Chemistry
for Your
* Conditions Apply

gust, preferred a son with attractive salary, 31 years pretty slim height over 5’6” and UK), Senior Manager
living abroad, only inherits valuable as- 5’6” height Graduate age below 38 years, in SL, six figure sal-
sister married and liv-
ing in New Zealand.
sets. Reply with fam- Teacher in a leading Bride ad. for BG, fair, beautiful,
slim doctor daughter
ary, two storey house,
ily details, horoscope school in Colombo. car. nicolene2012@y
Please reply with Box Size - 6cm x 6.3cm of 31 years (066) 205
Please reply with fam- ahoo.com OB184483
family details and and Telephone Num- 0777 bitz92@live.co
horoscope to: propos bers. Email : tamara ily details. Email: godi
sgreat9125@gmail.co Contacts - 0777 27 00 67 m OB184681
Continued on
alm6666@gmail.com prop22@gmail.com
OB184465 OB184645 m OB184649 0777 27 08 45 page 51

Grab Matrimonial Display Ad Space to Promote Your Business.. .

Contact :-
Ramani - 0777 278 948
Umanga - 0777 270 845
classified@lakehouse.lk
 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022 51

Marriage
Marriage
Proposals Marriage Proposals
E-mail your advertisements to,
classified@lakehouse.lk
Proposals Best way to fulfil
your Future Dreams
The convenient way to make your payment
For 15 Words
000000377
Decades of Trusted Service
BOC - Acc.No.
FOR INQUIRIES :-
Ramani - 011 2 429 347 Rs. 1,000/- LAKE HOUSE BRANCH

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* For each additional word Rs. 25/-
Piyumi - 011 2 429 383 Gayani - 011 2 429 342/343 * Maximum number of words 65 Online Transfer

Continued from Roman Catholic par- Sinhala Buddhist Sri Lankan Buddhist 1992 February B/G 27, BD well respect- Absolutely Academically
quali- Affluent Bodu Govi A kind hearted life
kind,
partner is whom I
page 50 ents from Negombo respectable parents parents seek a partner 5’2”, Colombo sub- ed, affluent family in academically quali-
fied daughter sought business family seeks
for their academically Colombo, father the fied well-mannered, am seeking. Humility
seek academically, in Colombo suburbs urb, retired parents for 5’5”, 39, PhD, B/G a bride from an afflu-
and professionally founder and chair- caring, pretty daugh- and matured-thinking
professionally quali- seek a suitable part- qualified (father Principal, man of a successful, ter from a well es- Senior Lecturer. For- ent family for their are qualities I look for
daughter
eign proposals consid- only son a Graduate
fied son for daughter ner for fair pretty born in March 1991, mother Doctor), seek reputed and diversi- tablished family is in a partner above for-
decent daughter only a Second Class Upper fied growing group sought by respectable ered. prop4kt@gmail. Engineer with Mas- mal qualifications. B/
born in April 1992, academically and pro- of companies, seek a Sinhala Buddhist par-
child born in August Degree in Business com OG184447 ter’s, aged 29 yrs., 6’ G born 1973, 5’6” me-
height 5’7” (172 cm). fessionally qualified well mannered, edu- ents living in Galle in height truely hand-
Retired parents (B/ 1989 and 5 feet. She Administration from dium built fair com-
BSc./MBA qualified well mannered NS/ cated, handsome, and for their son 35 years,
has Bio Technology a State University and Academically quali- some and smart with plexion Finance pro-
G) seek academically caring son from a 5’11”, fair, handsome
& working as a Se- TT smart son from fied pretty, kind, car- sober habits and ex- fessional employed,
and professionally Degree from a for- holds an MBA Associ- respectable business kind-hearted NS/TT
nior Executive in a eign University and ate Member (ACMA), a respectable fam- family for their beau- son training as a Spe-ing well mannered cellent character. The well educated. Please
qualified, 31 - 36, N/ email only siriward
CIMA (UK) work- ily for their pretty, tiful, educated, well cialist Doctor MD in daughter sought by expected bride should
S, T/T, kind son for leading company in Masters degree from
ing as an Accountant mannered, daughter, a Government Hospi- anakdp@gmail.com
their slim, pretty, ‘92 Colombo. Please re- University Kelaniya, in the private sector, fair daughter MBBS height 5’3” a Direc- tal. Reply with familyrespectable KGB lov- be academically quali-
OG184339
May born, 5’7”, IT spond with details to currently She is read- studied in a leading Doctor employed tor of her family busi- details FB link and ing family Australian fied, beautiful, slim,
ness, proposed daugh- copy of horoscope to :citizens for their aca- fair, virtuous, well A kind hearted,
qualified daughter, marriageprp@gmai ing for MBA and em- Buddhist girls school in a Govt. Hospital,
ter has completed wedprop22@gmail.co young and honest
employed in Aus- l.com 0312273448. ployed in the private in Colombo, 5’3” in only child, educated demically and profes- mannered lady height
early education at a m OG184624 partner is sought by
tralia, Kuja 1, Shani height fair in com- sionally qualified only not less than 5’4”.
OB184411 sector staff grade. She at a leading School reputable interna- a 65 year old Sinhala
plexion. Reply with tional school in Co- son ( 5’7” Jan 1996) Please respond with
11. Reply with horo- owns a two storied in Colombo. (Kuja businessman who is
family details and a lombo and obtained full family and con-
scope. proposal22@tu Roman Catholic Sin- new house with other
/ Shani / Sikuru 7, Academically and works as an engineer separated from an un-
copy of the horoscope her Masters degree
tanota.com OB184676 halese parents in assets. Caste immate- to tjpf1956@gmail.co professionally quali- in Melbourne. Prefer tact details to 1993 successful marriage.
Visa Nekatha). Re- at a well reputed fied caring daughter partner@gmail.com
Gampaha District rial and contact with m OB184365 University in Eng- those who are resid- Widows, divorcees
Roman Catholic Gov- ply with horoscope - is sought by Uncle OG184385
land. Please contact and single mothers
igama Western Prov- seek a well educated horoscope. email : Well-mannered tee- (Jaffna Hindu Vella- ing in Australia or
0112569907. kariyaw with the horoscope also can be consid-
son for our daugh- mallikaf480@gmail.c totaller non-smoker lar) for his living in willing to migrate An educated young
ince parents seek a asam1955@yahoo.co and complete family London, United King- ered. Race, caste and
om OB184459 son sought by Sin- details (prefer horo- to Australia. Please lady sought for UK
professionally and ac- ter well mannered m dom for their 38 year religion immaterial.
hala, Govi, Christian OB184561
scopes with no Kuja reply with family de- resident professional
ademically qualified fair, pretty, slim, 30 Sinhalese, Buddhist (Anglican) parents, old nephew, MSc Eng, Please respond with
Dosa). OB184514
MBA (with other pro- tails. p9422612@gma son in his early for- full details to hmp
son for their daugh- years born in 1991, professional par- living in USA for 1993 B/G decent fami-
their pretty USA fessional qualifica- il.com OG184679 ties. symbio79@gmai 2022@yahoo.com
ter born in 1996, 26 5’ studied in leading ents owning over 20 ly studied in Colombo
born, BSc (Nutrition tions) qualified from l.com OG184498 OG184443
years, 5’3” in height Catholic Convent in crores worth proper- Science) leading school, BSc., top UK universities Academically quali-
daughter,
educated in a lead- and who is 5’8” tall,
Colombo. She holds ties are looking for a 22 years 5’3”. She is MSc. working for an fied, pretty kind A close relative is A pleasant daugh-
ing Catholic convent currently working as very handsome, well looking for a Sri Lank- ter is sought by G/
CIMA, MBA degree partner for their 1991 a Research Assistant International Com- accomplished and hearted daughter is an life partner who
in Colombo. She is a B mother for PhD
in accounting & fi- born, very fair, attrac- looking to pursue pany, fair pretty, kind employed as a Senior sought by respectable is kind-hearted, sup-
qualified healthy son,
CIMA passed Finalist Manager / Civil En-
nance, professionally
tive daughter who her PhD in clinical daughter. Parents B/G parents living in portive, and beautiful. 6ft, tall, born in 1973
and an MBA (UWL) is currently living psychology in the gineer in a reputed Ideally, she should be
qualified, presently seek equal caste or Internal Engineering Sri Lanka for their with sober habits, em-
holder and currently between 42-50 years
in Australia follow- USA. Prefers an aca-
working in a reputed She is working as demically qualified upcountry highly ed- AAA. Sinhala Catho- Consultancy in Lon- son, born in 1987, of age. My cousin is ployed in USA legally
ing the completion professional, Sinhala don. He is a British well-brought up Sin- a Colombo born Sin- separated after very
firm as a Financial an Finance Manager ucated permanently lic professional par-
citizen, Old Thomian,
of her degree in Aus- Christian partner
employee or business ents seek educated at- hala Buddhist values, halese G/B, who was brief marriage with
Analyst. Religion im- in leading company. tralia. Our daughter born and/or raised non smoker and a brought up in Colom- no encumbrances.
material. Only profes- owner virtuous son. tractive daughter for teetotaller, parents re- with sober habits, bo 5 and is well-edu-
If interested please inherits a substantial in the USA aged be- Reply with horo-
sionals are encour- tween 24-27 years tired school teachers. 5’8” in height and cated and established.
call. 0776678790 / amount of property 0362222202 marriag son 37. Entire school- scope details. usapro
and 5’9”+tall. Reply Differences immate- handsome, holding a He is 51 years of age,
aged. Please reply epropo93@gmail.com ing abroad in Eng- posal333@gmail.com
2938906. OB184457 in Sri Lanka. We are with details: mangal rial. Please reply with almost 6 feet, good-
with full family de- Master’s degree from OG184327
seeking a kind, car- a202202@gmail.com OB184377 lish. Graduated with full details, to: ranjan looking, and speaks
tails of the proposed Sinhala Buddhist ing, well established uk1985@gmail.com prestigious university very fluent English.
OB184602 BSc. Engineering A young smart look-
son to pererapropos mother seeks an aca- 1997, 5’3” Sinhala OG183996 in USA and currently He has been living in
son from a respect- and Economics from ing English speaking
al96@gmail.com or Buddhist parents in working in the USA. Australia for over 20
demically / profes- able family for our years and holds dual lady is sought for very
contact 0770564224 / USA and full time Please respond with citizenship in Aus-
sionally qualified and daughter. A citizen or We are a very united Galle seek well estab- close friend of mine
2580074. OB184334 family with children MBA from INSEAD Academically and family details and a tralia & Sri Lanka. By passed middle age,
well-mannered son a permanent resident all born outside of Sri lished business son or
France. Presently professionally quali- copy of the horoscope nature, my cousin is a working overseas for
Roman Catholic par- for her only daughter in Australia is pre- Lanka. As parents, educated son working fied fair slim kind very kind, generous,
employed London as & contact number to 25 years, divorcees
ents from Colombo born in 1985 Septem- ferred. 0112088697 we have instituted abroad for their pret- hearted daughter be- and broad-minded without encumbranc-
Manager in reputed low 37 yrs. sought by usagroom1987@gmai person. He wishes
suburbs seek a son ber, fair, pretty, 5’3”, / 0779033376. very strong Christian- ty pleasant daughter es considered. Should
centred values along consultancy. Visiting Catholic Govi mother l.com (USA / Canada to find someone who
with good character OB184699
with Sri Lankan who studied Applied be willing to migrate.
academically qualified
SL mid August. Reply for her youngest preferred). OG183582 shares similar values
and moral values, cultural values. Our Science in New Zea- and is ready for a thesilva2022@gma
Senior Assistant Di- Sinhalese, Buddhist, children are great rep- handsome son Cana-
il.com 0724576337
preferably a Doctor
rector in a bank with land, she owns mod- giving full details of dian citizen, 5’8”, 42 Academically / pro- committed relation-
Karawa retired par- resentatives of both ship. Self-replies are / 0114263939.
or Engineer for their ern house in Colombo daughter and family. yrs. MBBS Doctor fessionally qualified encouraged. Unmar-
MBBS qualified 26
family assets. Please ents residing in Can- their Sri Lankan-born OG184413
Grandparents. Our and valuable assets. Email : ompp567@g working in NHS UK. daughter working or ried, divorcees, and
years 5’7”, fair, slim reply with family de- ada seek a profession- Pls. reply with full de-
eldest (medical pro- mail.com OG184368 studying in Canada/ widows are welcome. BG parents seek pleas-
tails and horoscope to ally qualified, well fessional) daughter Reply with full fam- tails only preferred to
and pretty daugh- Please reply to Email: ant educated daugh-
ily details and horo- migrate, wish2018@y US or willing to mi-
ter. She studied at vchsam1985@gmail.c mannered son for (1998) is 5’7”. As a peiris38@gmail.com ter living in Austra-
About MBBS Doctor grate to Canada/US
their eldest daughter, family we are aiming scope. Email - pasan ahoo.com OG184432 OG184445
two leading private om OB184708 lia with PR for their
to meet similar fami- son 5’11” handsome is sought by Sinhala
schools in Colombo born in 1985. She is vinuja99@gmail.co Academically profes- qualified Aircraft En-
lies across Europe, attractive personality Buddhist parents liv-
(Catholic and Chris- Sinhala Buddhist pro- an MBBS Graduate Australia, and Sri m 091-2223520, 076- sionally qualified slim gineer / Manager son
from a state medi- Lanka to get to know born in 1991 work- fair pretty employed ing in US for their living in Melbourne.
tian) and is currently fessional parents seek 7163328. OB184383 A Govi Buddhist 40
cal faculty Sri Lanka. each other at a family ing residing overseas daughter is sought by 32-year son (5’9”), Currently working
working at a Gov- professionally quali- year old doctor work-
level with the view of for a Major Austra-
ernment Hospital in fied well-mannered Brought up with Sri hospital service Bud- B/K educated parents an Engineer with a
ing in London, UK
potentially introduc- Colombo suburbs for lian Airline. Our son
Lankan Buddhist ing our children to dhist parents based smart son 5’6” 33 Master’s degree from
Western Province. NS/TT son for their looking for a bride. is 5’6” born Decem-
She inherits substan- values. Please re- prospective marriage- a leading Univer- 5ft 10 in height, hand-
pretty slim fair only in Colombo seeking a years NS/TT studied ber 1983 PR Holder.
tial assets including ply with family de- able children with sity in Canada. Cur- some with sober hab-
daughter 26, 5’4” their family’s bless- fair slim kind-hearted in leading Colombo Divorced as innocent
land and a house in tails, horoscope and school, Senior Lectur- rently he is working its and excellent char- party with no encum-
Medical Doctor work- ing. Please do send an life partner for a party
Colombo suburbs, contact numbers to introduction to family er (semi Government as an Engineer in a acter. Never married. brances. Caste imma-
ing in Australia. Re- of a short marriage in University) studying terial. Email : srprop
a vehicle and cash. : marriageproposa blessedmarriage@gm reputed company in From a well educated
ply with horoscope lsmd@gmail.com ail.com where we will name only horoscope for PhD. Reply with Canada. Please reply osal2021@yahoo.com
Please reply with family in Colombo.
further communicate. horoscope and family
family details. Email and family details to 034-2236132, 0777- Kuja malefics. (foreig with family details to: Please reply to propos
OG184562
OB184420 details. weddingprop
: embeemra@gm : Mtknuckles7@gmai 990888 (WhtasApp ndreamssl@gmail.co osal2016we@gmail.c dkk32e@gmail.com al010118@yahoo.com Continued on
ail.com OB184604 l.com OB184406 available). OB184370 m) OG184455 om OG184363 OG184633 OG184647 page 52
52 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022

Marriage
Marriage
Proposals Marriage Proposals
E-mail your advertisements to,
classified@lakehouse.lk
Proposals Best way to fulfil
your Future Dreams
The convenient way to make your payment
For 15 Words
000000377
Decades of Trusted Service
BOC - Acc.No.
FOR INQUIRIES :-
Ramani - 011 2 429 347 Rs. 1,000/- LAKE HOUSE BRANCH

Green light for

* For each additional word Rs. 25/-
Piyumi - 011 2 429 383 Gayani - 011 2 429 342/343 * Maximum number of words 65 Online Transfer

Continued from Bodu/Govi parents Buddhist Govi par- B/G parents look- B/G well educated Colombo, Buddhist, Kalutara District Parents in Australia Sinhala Buddhist pro- Tamil Christian (non
R/C) parents seeking
page 51 seek a partner for ents from Colombo ing for a fair, slim, parents with high Govi, respectable par- Govi, Buddhist, moth- seek a professionally fessionally qualified for a pleasant edu-
seek a daughter for T/ small-built, down-to- social standing and ents seek a beautiful qualified daughter for
er seeks bride, resid- parents living in Aus-
their 31 years smart T, N/S son, with good their NS/TT hand- cated English speak-
earth daughter with reputation seek an and educated daugh- ing abroad (with P/ tralia seek a pretty,
some 37 years old ing bride for their son
looking son, 5’5” family background, sober habits who is extremely slim, fair, ter born after 1995 R), for her son, born educated daughter
son. Our son is an 6’2” working in an
born 1989 November. well educated, born currently in Austra- beautiful, educated from a respectable willing to settle in
1979, height 5’10”, International I.T. firm
between 1995-2000, lia and is willing to daughter for their family for their only Australian qualified Sydney, Australia.
He is a profession- willing to migrate to employed abroad, Is-
Senior Legal Profes- in Dubai as consul-
settle in Sydney ; lives
son, 40 yrs old, 5’9’’ son, 28 years (12/ Our son is a 33 yo
rael, differences im-
sional in a global prac- tant, born 1987. Bride
ally qualified Char- Australia in future by Buddhist values tall, handsome, well 1993), 5’9”, hand- MBBS Doctor who
BG respectable and material, divorcees
tice, with a rewarding must be willing to
tered Accountant and or already living in and is appreciative of accomplished Char- some, Colombo Roy- graduated from an
professional parents career. Direct your
too considered. prop travel to Dubai. Send
Australia. Son born Sinhalese Buddhist tered Engineer pos- alist, Business Man- Australian Univer-
completed MBA in response to, partner details to email: rpr
seek an academically 1995 July, 5’9” edu- heritage. Our son is agement Graduate, osal8081@gmail.com sity and is working
sessing a double de- op1987@gmail.com
and professionally Finance and BSc. in cated from Ananda a dual citizen of SL gree in Engineering
working as an Execu- OG184479 proposal2020@gmail in Sydney. He is 5’11”
OG184557
tive in a Government .com or 0450724386. tall, handsome, non-
qualified, pretty, fair Accounting as well. College, Colombo & Australia, Decem- and Masters degree Moor family, age 30,
and completed higher Institution, inherits OG184664 smoker, teetotaller,Western country
daughter for their He is a worker Se- ber 1989, 5’7”, NS/ in Engineering from working as an Engi-
studies in Sri Lanka properties and as- with Sri Lankan cul- citizen, S/G, 47,
TT, Manager in IT a renowned interna- neer in a private firm. Parents seek a bride
handsome son born nior Manager Senior and Australia (Mas- sets exceeding a large tural values and has handsome, Buddhist
field. Reply in Sin- tional university, cur- Father is a medical below 34 yrs with un-
in 1988, 5’9”, quali- amount. Father, hold- never married. He is values, teetotaller,
Internal Auditor at ter of Information hala or English with rently a Senior Direc- practitioner and sis- blemished character
fied from a leading ing a higher position an only child and in- divorced, no encum-
Technology, CIMA horoscope and fam- tor in one of the most ter is an Engineer. For for their British Citi-
Ministry of Finance in the Government herits substantial as-
university, and em- qualified). He has a ily details to email brances, well em-
prestigious companies Service and mother, further details, ap- zen sporty, smart Dr sets in Australia and
in Republic of Sey- permanent job as a ployed, looking for
ployed as a Finance mproposal1289@g in Sri Lanka. Please Graduate Teacher. proach with prospec- son, 41yrs, 5’7’’, from Sri Lanka. Email :
chells for salary of Software Engineer in kind, Buddhist, di-
Manager in Canada. mail.com WhatsApp respond with details Please send full fam- tive bride’s bio-data the UK, waiting to ainboxapp@gmail.co
a reputed Australian vorced lady, PR or cit-
5 Lks. with luxury +61413149046. Pa- of your daughter, fam- ily details, contact to: lankamarriagepro be a medical special- m
He inherits assets Technology Company
OG184712 izen of Western coun-
per mail is not accept-ily and contact details number to proposa posal@outlook.com ist, non-smoker, and
in Sri Lanka and apartment given by and plans to settle try only, not residence
ed. OG184710 (telephone and email) ls9312@gmail.com OG184467 teetotaller. rosegarde
Canada. Email only. the Government. Fa- down in Australia. ns2022@yahoo.com in Sri Lanka, 36 - 41,
to: invite929@gmail. OG184486 no kids, minor leg de-
nwskpami@yahoo.co ther has his own busi- Reply with copy of B/G parents seek an
com OG183850
OG184668
Sinhala Govi/Bud- fect is ok. Email: prop
m horoscope. anuprop educated fair and
OG184614
ness in Matara Town osal95@gmail.com Professionally quali- dhist professional osal3827@gmail.com
pretty daughter for B/V, son, Dec. 89, Moor parents from fied brothers and parents living in the OG184541
Bodu Govi profes- and mother is house- OG184386 their MBA quali- 5’10”, citizen of New respectable family
Colombo, fifty years mother (Bodu Govi) UK seek an educat-
sional parents seek wife. He has one elder fied handsome HR Zealand, studied in in Colombo suburbs seek an educated, ed, caring and pretty Western Province GB
Buddhist Sinhalese old owning house,
- Manager son born Colombo (A/L) and seek a suitable reli- pleasant, kind heart- daughter for their 26 wealthy business fam-
an educated (Profes- brother and sister. parents in Colombo motor car, business-
in 1982, 5’11” in NZ (Bachelor’s). gious well-mannered ed Buddhist daugh- year old son (only ily seeking pretty fair
man, seeks pleasant
sionally qualified pre- They are working as a seek a well mannered, height. Draws six worked in NZ and ter for their brother child) raised in the slim educated daugh-
good looking and an partner. Differences educated fair bride for
ferred), pretty daugh- Doctor and Engineer, figure salary, owns currently employed in / son, 42 yr, 5’8”. He UK with Sri Lankan ter above 5’3” tall
educated partner for immaterial, write their professionally
ter for their son (38y, substantial assets and the Mining Industry with Telephone No. is legally separated values. He’s 5’4” and with family assets for
both are married to their second son, 36 qualified son 35 years
5’10”), a medical doc- from a respectable (Western Australia). All responses will be after a short incom- an MBBS Doctor educated professional
a Doctor and an En- years, 5’10”, good family background. Only brother lives in 5’10” fair employed
patible marriage and working in the UK. well-established 33
tor currently under- looking, permanent replied. 0113433348,
gineer. Inherits sub- Please respond with NSW Australia. Par- in private bank serv- no encumbrances, Differences are im- years, 5’10” tall hand-
going specialist train- resident in UK and 0728475332.
horoscope, contact ents retired and live ing in good position. after some years of material. Please reply some son. Email fami-
ing in a reputed UK, stantial assets from well employed, horo- OG184325
numbers and fam- in Colombo. Email : shiblybarrie@gmail.c working in Australia with further details ly details. pinf2222@
hospital. Someone his father, we are scope matching with ily details, marriages mpropnzl@gmail.co Govi Buddhist moth- om OG184425 He has now started to: ukprop7@gmail.c gmail.com OG184556
Kuja / Shani at 4. Re- er seeks an educated further education, all om
willing to migrate or looking actually pret- rilanka7@gmail.com OG184452
ply with horoscope, m Please give contact Moor parents seek- We seek a humble
currently residing in OG184579 loving and kind- the immediate fam-
ty educated and well contact number and number. OG184434 daughter for marriage
hearted daughter for ing bride for son ily members are liv-
UK preferred. Please mannered daughter. family details. silvah B/G parents seek a for our 28 years very
Christian Govi par- son, 36 years old, from Colombo no ing in Australia and
reply with family and handsome, Engineer
T. No. 041-2250549. ema908@gmail.com professionally quali-
ents seek Christian 5’11”. He is CIMA demands pretty and father passed away
contact details to: OG184353 fied daughter for their (UK) and MBA (Aus- a few years ago. He Sinhala Roman Cath- cum businessman,
proposalmatara7@g partner for their 34 tall. Below 27 years.
marriagep795@gmail son 5’3”, who is well tralia), qualified and possesses substantial olic parents living 0913151199, nilam
yrs., 5’9” fair Elec- Tel. 0769744773,
mail.com OG184454 Buddhist, Govi, 1986, educated and born in employed as a Senior assets in Australia as in USA seek an edu- ejayasundara@gma
.com OG184671 Australian dual citi- tronics Engineering 0112360015.
1985. He is a quali- Manager in a Multi- well as in Sri Lanka cated and well-man- il.com 0766359500.
Bodu, Govi profes- zen, Accountant, PhD. qualified em- OG184585 and financially well nered Catholic part- OG184473
Bodu Govi / Salagama sional parents from son, sought graduate fied IT Engineer and national Company in
ployed son in addition the UK. Brought up established. Please ner for their son born
educated respectable the USA, looking for daughter below 30 currently works as conducting own con- Mother seeks a pleas- reply with family de- in 1995, height 5’9”, 35 years old, 5’3”
an IT Director. He with traditional fam-
parents, looking for a suitable partner years, legally sepa- sultancy company. ily values. Divorced ant well-mannered tails. We are looking with sober habits. He tall, tan complexion,
holds an MSc. and a
academically and pro- from a similar back- rated from marriage BSc. Please reply with Kindly respond with after an incompatible employed or un- for a daughter who is primarily educated groom looking for a
fessionally qualified,
ground for their only limited only to signa- full details. Email : brief marriage (no en- employed educated is willing to migrate in a leading Catholic bride partner pref-
son who is a graduate ture. marprop33@gm details. proposalem mestj2021@gmail.co cumbrances). Propos- daughter for her son to Australia. Kindly school in Colombo. erence expecting a
kind, well mannered, in BSc / Information ail2022@gmail.com He possesses a degree bride from a decent
ail.com 0112-851351. m OG184341 als from families in 37 years, 5’7 1/2” reply with family de-
pretty daughter with Technology (USA), OG184635
OG184620
the UK are welcome. tails and horoscope in Engineering and Sunnath Waljamath
fair very handsome
good family back- well-employed as an Colombo Buddhist, Please reply with to: chameera80@gma currently employed in family living in Co-
B/G parents (retired IT Consultant. We
ground for their son, IT-Security Opera- B/G Colombo suburbs Govi, born 1994/8, family details and il.com OG184610 a reputed company in lombo or immedi-
Bank Managers)
tional Engineer. He parents seek educated height 5’8”, studied horoscope. Email :
are Buddhist Sinhala USA. Sri Lankans liv- ate suburbs, the girl
born Dec. 1990, 5’8”, looking a daughter
is 26+ (95/11) years, professionally quali- at a leading Colombo ruki.yasmin@gmail.c
Govi family from ing in USA/Canada should be somewhat
living in Colombo, handsome, smart, NS/ fied partner prefer- for their handsome Colombo suburbs. or willing to migrate educated and reli-
School obtained LLB om OG182791
studied at prominent TT, well-mannered ably vegetarian for son living in UK, pur- Law Degree from Daughter should be Respectable Bodu are preferred. Please gious (no Abaya).
school in Colombo, and owns assets in their son 1991 - 05, suing a PhD in Engi- KDU University and G/B mother seeks a below 33 years and Govi family with reply with family de- Partner is preferred
Engineering graduate Colombo suburbs. 5’7” TT/NS pleas- neering at a top-notch
qualified Attorney-at- simple kind hearted height below 5’5”. two sons residing tails. Email: cprop to be whitish/tan
Prefer a professional- ant vegetarian MBA UK University while osal95@gmail.com with a good person-
Moratuwa University, Law, presently in the pretty daughter for Nationality caste reli- in Colombo subur-
ly qualified, fair, pret- (UK), BSC (Colombo) working for a compa- her son 1980, 5’8” ban. Elder son 1989 OG184415 ality around 24 years
with other academic ty daughter, 25 years Army as a Legal Of- gion immaterial. Son and above. If above
BCS (UK) qualified ny, accomplished BSc, ficer, handsome son, handsome looks height 5’8”, NS/TT,
is divorced from very details are compat-
qualifications, decent, or below, with a good employed Associ- MSc in Mechanical retired Teacher par- much younger, en- Bachelors and MBA
ible, email details to
short incompatible
well mannered, hand- personality, brought ate Consultant in IT Engineering with first ents seek educated,
gaged in business Ku- from reputed UK
adsufi@hotmail.com
up to Sinhala Bud- marriage as plaintiff.
some, teetotaller, non Company Colombo. class, born in April pretty, Doctor, Engi-
runegala. swije241@ universities, worked Sri Lankan Moor par-
or Call 0777183682,
dhist values, with an Reply with horoscope 1991 and 5’10” height gmail.com OG184616 No encumbrances. abroad few years and ents residing overseas
smoker working in excellent character, neer or similar em- 0112677234.
family details. prop worked as a full time Foreign nationals also presently based in looking for educated
managerial position willing to migrate to Senior Design Engi- ployed partner. Also G/B parents seek a Sri Lanka, consult- family-oriented bride
OG184359
son91@gmail.com considered. Willing to
in private company in USA. Undergraduate expecting to go to pretty and profession- from respectable
OG184331 neer for 4 years in migrate if necessary. ing online, parents
Colombo, earning top students with simi- a well reputed com- Canada or Australia. ally qualified daugh- sought a pleasant family background,
Reply with the horo-
salary owns private
lar backgrounds are B/G Kandyan highly pany, brother is an anularohini62@gm ter, preferably from
scope and full family well mannered edu- for their profession- Marriage
also welcome. Please
vehicle, inherits prop- respond with fam- respectable parents Aerospace Engineer,
ail.com 0112578228, Canada/USA for En-
details. Email - mpr
cated daughter with ally and academically Broker
seek a fair, pretty, lives and works in 0714463861. gineer son 34, fair Sinhala Buddhist val- qualified son. He is 35 Wanted service of
erties. Divorced after ily details, horoscope and handsome, work- op4579@gmail.com ues, kindly email: r years and 5’7”. Bride
slim, tall, educated UK with his family, OG184345
a respectable and
short marriage (inno- copy and an image or daughter with a good sister is a Microbiolo- ing in Toronto. Reply OG182432 ftproposal@gmail.c should be willing to
experienced marriage
cent party no encum- social media link to: character, not will- gist, lives and works Colombo sub Bud- with family details om with family de- migrate. Please con-
marriage9516@gmail dhist educated well and horoscope to can Our son : Humble & tails and the horo- tact proposal-21@out broker high class
brances). Horoscopes ing to migrate from in USA with her fam- connections
.com in the first reply.
respectable family for ily, prefer those who established busi- mangala88@gmail.co well educated, work scope of the daughter. look.com OG184704
immaterial, Kuja 1. ness parents seek- OG184666 as a IT Consultant, 081 240 52 30
OG184439
our youngest hand- living in UK. Please m Call : 0117091177.
email : proposalk90@
some son 38, 6’0” reply with family de- ing a well mannered, graduated from Uni- OG184552 076 7000 253
gmail.com OG184587 pretty daughter from G/B, Upcountry, well versity of Colombo
Lawyer in profession, tails and horoscope to established parents
a respectable family Roman Catholic Sin-
practising in Colom- : pathumprop@yahoo born in 1986, who
living in a Colombo
Grab Matrimonial Display Ad Space bo, studied in a lead- .com OG184512
for our younger son.
1995, 5’9”, hand-
suburb seek an edu- is 5’7” tall, new two
hala parents from
Kandy seek a pretty, Grab Matrimonial Display Ad Space
ing private school. Le- cated, slim, fair, pret- storey house, a car
to Promote Your Business.. . gally separated after B/G respectable par- some, non-smoker,
ty, kind, employed & other assets with
educated well brought
up daughter from a
to Promote Your Business.. .
a short incompatible ents seek a daughter teetotaller, educated
daughter below 30 5 lakhs salary. Sin- respectable family
marriage and without from Australia or Sri in a leading school
* Conditions Apply

years for their 1989 hala, Buddhist retired for their handsome,
* Conditions Apply

encumbrances. Owns Lanka for their son in Colombo. Gradu- born, 5’9” tall, smart, Government servant educated son, 1985
a luxury car, family (MSc. qualified En- ated from Uni. of Co- NS/TT, graduate, Se- parents seek a kind born, height 6’3”,
residence and other gineer) who is living lombo, working for a nior Software Engi- well mannered & employed overseas
family assets. Reply in Australia born in reputed Company. He neer son with consid- as a “Senior HR”
Beauty Culture will inherit income educated daughter for Wedding Jewellery
with family details 1986 April, height erable assets. Please Manager in a top fi-

Rs. 7,500/-
their son. Differences

Rs. 7,500/-
and contact details. 5’6”. Please reply with generating 4 storey contact with fam- nancial services com-
Box Ad Rate - Horoscopes will not family details. E-Mail commercial building ily details, horoscope immaterial. Please
pany. Please contact Box Ad Rate -
be considered. marri : sunilpriya154@g a house and more. and FB. Email : pro8 reply to Email : jaya
0812214507. Email : Size - 6cm(H) x 6.3cm(W)
Size - 6cm(H) x 6.3cm(W) ra t n e 4 9 @ g m a i l . c om
ageproposal000@yah mail.com T.P. 011- wida2141@gmail.co 9advert@gmail.com cmproposals@gmail.c
Contact :- Chamara - 0777 270 067 oo.com OG184477 2926069. OG184580 m OG184637 OG184688 OG184569 om OG184351
Contact :- Chamara - 0777 270 067
 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022 53

TENDER AND OTHER ADVERTISEMENTS

Addendum -1 of Invitation of Bids
Project : Supplying and Fixing of Timber
Floor for Rehabilitation of CAD Lab,
Manual Drawing Lab and Plumbing Work
PRESIDENTIAL SECRETARIAT Shop under KOICA Project at College of
Technology - Maradana
ANALYST VACANCIES
\
Contract No : DTET/09/01/38/R-15/2022/KOICA
This addendum modifies the original Invitation for
Is this you? Bids (IFB) for the procurement of Supplying and
Want to use your skills to tackle some of the country’s biggest problems? Believe
Fixing of Timber Floor for Rehabilitation of
that policies grounded in evidence are the only way forward? Want to engage in CAD Lab, Manual Drawing Lab and Plumbing
the process of developing data-driven solutions and robust policies in a vibrant Workshop under KOICA Project at College of
democracy? Technology - Maradana advertised on 24th July
2022. All requirements of the Addendum - 1 are
About us herein made a part of the Bidding Document.
The Analytics Team of the Presidential Secretariat is comprised of a group of
2. The eligibility for the contract award, the required
young people who, wrestle with challenging, real world problems concerning
CIDA Grade has been amended as C6 & C5 and
the country’s economic development and the public well-being on a daily basis.
SP3 & above.
We are looking for 3. All other terms and conditions of the bidding
Self-driven individuals with, document remain unchanged.
• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science / Statistics / Computer Science /
Economics / Policy Studies or a related field and equivalent academic S.C. Jagath
qualification in a relevant field Director General
• Strong analytical skills with a solid intuition for data. Experience in Department of Technical Education & Invitation for Bids
data collection/mining, econometrics, mathematical modeling, data Training
warehousing and data visualization will be crucial Design, Development and Implementation of
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills Online Industry Registration System for
You will be OFFICE BUILDING the Ministry of Industries
Contract No: MIC/FIN/34/30
• Engaging with a range of Government and non-Government agencies in
identifying issues and mapping out solutions WANTED The Chairman of the Ministry Procurement Committee on
• Identifying and gathering data from multiple sources and developing in- behalf of the Ministry of Industries now invites sealed bids
house databases
A reputed technology services company in from eligible and qualified bidders for design, development
Colombo is on the lookout for a modern office and implementation of online industry registration system for
• Wrangling and analyzing data which will form the analytical core of the the Ministry of Industries. In this circumstances, Ministry of
evidence-based policy making process building for outright purchase/long term lease. Industries has planned to procure a suitable software developer
• Presenting your findings and recommendations and maintenance for agreed time period. Intended project
• M
ulti-storey building with corporate outlook duration is four (04) months for the development of the system.
Benefits with usable space of 17,000 to 20,000 sqft. The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 5 million (GOSL funded).

We offer an attractive remuneration package but we are looking for individuals • L

ocated within Colombo 1-4, Colombo 10, Bidding will be conducted through National Competitive
whose passion and purpose far exceed the purely monetary benefits. The contract Colombo 08 areas only
initially, would be for a period of one year.
• M
inimum 30 years of clear titles with
Interested approved survey plans
If this interests you and you think you qualify, reach out to us right away • 3
phase electricity, ideally from both grids
ppd@presidentsoffice.lk preferably with two incoming power feeder
lines for redundancy,central A/C, generator
Application Deadline: Within 7 days from the advertisement date back up power option
• F
iberoptic and Telecom riser accessibility to
Presidential Secretariat all floors
Galle Face, Colombo 01.
• Ample parking for more than 20 vehicles
• Building line/street line certificates
• COC and non-vesting certificate bidding document. Bids will be opened in the presence of the
For more details, please contact
Bidding (NCB) procedure. Interested eligible bidders may
obtain further information from Chief Accountant, Ministry of
Industries by contacting 0112327053/0112347392 or by email to
procurementmic@gmail.com and inspect the bidding documents
at the address given below from 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. on
working days.
A complete set of bidding documents in English language may
be purchased by interested bidders on submission of a written
application/letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Industries, No.73/1,
Galle Road, Colombo 03 upon payment of a non-refundable fee
of Rs. 2,000/= on or before 23/08/2022. The payment should
be made by cash to the Accounts Division between 9.00 a.m. and
2.00 p.m. (during working days).
Bids must be delivered to the address given below at or before
2.30 p.m. on 23/08/2022. Late bids will be rejected. Bidders
should submit the bids under two separate sealed envelopes
according to the instructions mentioned in Section I of the
bidders’ representatives who choose to attend in person or on-
line at the address below at 2.30 p.m. on 23/08/2022.

Praveen - 0768470362 All bids must be valid up to 91 days from closing date of bids and
bids must be submitted with a bid security of LKR 50,000/=
issued by any commercial bank operating in Sri Lanka approved
Postgraduate Institute of Medicine by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in the format given in Section
VIII of the bidding document. Bid security should be valid up to
University of Colombo 119 days from the closing date of bids.

PROCUREMENT NOTICE Pre bid meeting will be held on 15/08/2022 at 10.30 a.m. at the
Conference Hall of the Ministry of Industries.

Provision of Outsourced Drivers Service for the The Chairman,

Ministry Procurement Committee, Ministry of Industries,
Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo No. 73/1, Galle Road,
Colombo 03.
Bid No. PGIM/GA/07/2021/Outsourced Drivers
Tel : 011-2327053
The Chairman, Department Procurement Committee on behalf of the Postgraduate Institute
07.08.2022
of Medicine, University of Colombo invites sealed bids for Provision of Outsourced
Drivers Service for the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo up
to 2.30 p.m. on 23.08.2022.

Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedure.

Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from the Senior Assistant
Registrar/General Administration of the PGIM, via telephone or e-mail (Mobile No.
0704702867 / e-mail : saradmin@pgim.cmb.ac.lk) from 9.00 a.m. on 07.08.2022 to
3.30 p.m. on 22.08.2022.

A complete set of bidding documents in English (PDF ) may be purchased by interested

bidders on submission of a written application with a scanned copy of the payment receipt
to the Senior Assistant Registrar/General Administration, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine
via e-mail (saradmin@pgim.cmb.ac.lk) upon payment of a non–refundable fee of Rs.
1,000/- to PGIM account, Bank of Ceylon, Borella, Super Grade Branch, A/C No. 193413.

All bids should be accompanied by a Bid Security of the value of Rs. 20,000/-. Bid Security
must be deposited to the PGIM Account No. 193413, Bank of Ceylon, Super Grade Branch
Borella and attached to the bidding document.

Duly filled sealed bids in duplicate marked as “Provision of Outsourced Drivers

Service for the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo (PGIM/
GA/07/2021/Outsourced Drivers)” at the top left hand corner of the envelope must be
put into the tender box kept at the General Administration Branch, Postgraduate Institute
of Medicine, No. 160, Prof. Nandadasa Kodagoda Mawatha, Colombo 07 upto 2.30 p.m. on
23.08.2022 (If there is any change in the final date of submission of bids due to COVID – 19
situation in the country, will be notified in the PGIM web site.(https://pgim.cmb.ac.lk).

Bids will be opened at 2.30 p.m. on 23.08.2022 at the General Administration Branch
of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine in the presence of bidders or their authorized
representatives who choose to attend the bid opening. Late & incomplete bids will be Widest reach for your
rejected.
employment advertisement
Chairman Email : info@observerjobs.lk Hotline: 1949
Department Procurement Committee
Postgraduate Institute of Medicine For more information
University of Colombo
No. 160, Prof. Nandadasa Kodagoda Mawatha, Colombo – 07. 06.08.2022. 0777270012 / 0112429314
54 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022
INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)

Sabaragamuwa University of Sabaragamuwa University of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
Ministry of Education Ministry of Education
Loan No. and Title: 3698/3699-SRI:Science and Technology Human Resource 3698/3699-SRI : Science and Technology Human Resource
Loan No. and Title:
Development Project Development Project
Contract No. and Title: STHRD/SB-E15/RProcurement of Laboratory equipment for Contract No. and Title: STHRD/SB-F 14 :
chemistry lab – 2nd year (Chemistry-II)of the Faculty of Procurement of Laboratory furniture for Faculty of
Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.. Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.
Deadline for Deadline for
01/09/2022, 11:30 hours (local time) 31/08/2022, 11:30 hours (local time)
submission of Bids: submission of Bids:

1. The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has received financing from the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) equivalent to US$ 145 Million towards the cost of
implementing the Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project
(STHRD Project) under the Ministry of Education and intends to apply part of the
proceeds of this financing to payments under the Contract named above. Bidding is
open to bidders from eligible source countries of ADB.
2. The Chairman, University Procurement Committee on behalf of the Deputy Project
Director, Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project, Sabaragamuwa
University of Sri Lanka (“the Purchaser”) invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for
STHRD/SB-E15/R Procurement of Laboratory equipment for chemistry lab - 2nd year
(Chemistry-II)of the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
(the “Goods”). This procurement comprises of Procurement of Laboratory furniture
for the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. The completion
period is 84 days from the date of signing of Agreement.
3. The bidder should have the following key qualifications to participate in this bidding:
O S
 uccessful completion as main supplier within the last three years, of at least two
contracts each valued mentioned in column 2 of following table with nature, and
complexity similar to the scope of supply described in Section 6.
O Minimum average annual turnover of column 3 of following table which is
calculated as total payments received by the Bidder for contracts completed or
under execution over the last three years.
Key qualifications to participate in this bidding
1. The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has received financing from the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) equivalent to US$ 145 Million towards the cost of
implementing the Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project
(STHRD Project) under the Ministry of Education and intends to apply part of the
proceeds of this financing to payments under the Contract named above. Bidding is
open to bidders from eligible source countries of ADB.
2. The Chairman, University Procurement Committee on behalf of the Deputy Project
Director, Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project, Sabaragamuwa
University of Sri Lanka (“the Purchaser”) invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for
STHRD/SB-F14 Procurement of Laboratory furniture for the Faculty of Technology,
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (the “Goods”). This procurement comprises of
Procurement of Laboratory furniture for the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa
University of Sri Lanka. The completion period is 8 weeks from the date of signing the
Agreement.
3. The bidder should have the following key qualifications to participate in this bidding:
O Successful completion as main supplier within the last three years, of at least two
contracts each valued mentioned in column 2 of the following table with nature,
and complexity similar to the scope of supply described in Section 6.
 inimum average annual turnover of column 3 of the following table which is
O M
calculated as total payments received by the Bidder for contracts completed or
under execution over the last three years.
Key qualifications to participate in this bidding

Column - 1 Column - 2 Column - 3 Column - 1 Column - 2 Column - 3

Value of each Value of average Value of each Value of average

Lot numbers and Description contract (LKR) annual turnover Lot numbers and Description contracts annual turnover
Million (LKR)Million (LKR) Million (LKR) Million

Lot 2 - UV-Visible Spectrophotometer Lot 1 (F9-3) - Safety and technical Furniture for
3.2 8 4.00 10.0
System Biotechnology Lab

Lot 3 - FTIR Spectrometer 4 10 Lot 2 (F9- 5) - Chairs and cupboards for Bioenergy Lab 2.40 6.0
Lot 3 (F9-6) - Safety and technical Furniture for
Lot 4 - Rotary Evaporator 1.8 4.5 0.80 2.0
Bioenergy Lab
Lot 5 - Laboratory Equipment 6.6 16.6 Lot 04 (F3-1) Furniture for Pharmacology Lab 02 1.44 18.0
Lot 6 - Chemicals 2.72 6.8 Lot 5 (F 3-3) - Laboratory Furniture for
0.80 10.0
Pharmacology Lab 3
Lot 7 - Glassware 3.3 8.3
Lot 06 (F3-6) - Safety, Disposal and Other Essentials
0.16 2.0
4. Open competitive bidding will be conducted in accordance with ADB’s Procurement for Microbiology Lab
of Goods Single Stage-One Envelope procedure and is open to all bidders from eligible
4. Open competitive bidding will be conducted in accordance with ADB’s Procurement
countries as described in the Bidding Document.
of Goods Single Stage - One Envelope procedure and is open to all bidders from eligible
5. To obtain further information and inspect the Bidding Documents, bidders should contact: countries as described in the Bidding Document.
Senior Procurement Officer 5. To obtain further information and inspect the Bidding Documents, bidders should contact:
Project Implementation Unit
Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project Senior Procurement Officer
Faculty of Technology Project Implementation Unit
Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
Faculty of Technology
Belihuloya,
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Belihuloya,
ZIP code : 70140 Sri Lanka
Telephone : 045-2280081 ZIP code : 70140
E-mail : sposb-sthrd@mohe.gov.lk Telephone : 045-2280081
O P
 re-bid meeting will be held at the Board Room, Faculty of Technology E-mail : sposb-sthrd@mohe.gov.lk
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka at 13:30 Hrs on 18/08/2022 and online. O Pre-bid meeting will be held at the Board Room, Faculty of Technology
6. To purchase the Bidding Documents in English, eligible bidders should write to the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka from 13:30 hrs. on 17/08/2022.
address above requesting the Bidding Documents for the “STHRD/SB-E15/ 6. To purchase the Bidding Documents in English, eligible bidders should write/email to
RProcurement of Laboratory equipment for chemistry lab – 2nd year (Chemistry-II)for the address above requesting the Bidding Documents for the “STHRD/SB-F14,
the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.”and deposit a non- Procurement of Laboratory furniture for the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa
refundable fee of 5000/= (LKR Five Thousand only) to Sabaragamuwa University- University of Sri Lanka” and deposit a non-refundable fee of 5000/= (LKR Five
STHRD Project account, A/C No. 0083695474 maintained at Bank of Ceylon Thousand only) to Sabaragamuwa University-STHRD Project account,A./C
Belihuloya (One document for all lots). The document/s will be sent only after No.0083695474 maintain at Bank of Ceylon Belihuloya (One document for all lots).
producing the bank deposit slip via email from 08.08.2022. No liability will be The document/s will be sent only after producing the bank deposit slip via email from
accepted for loss or late delivery. 08.08.2022. No liability will be accepted for loss or late delivery.
7. Deliver your bid to the following address at or before 11:30a.m. of 01/09/2022 together 7. Deliver your bid to the following address at or before 11:30 on 31/08/2022 together
with a Bid Security as described in the Bidding Document. with a Bid Security as described in the Bidding Document.
Deputy Project Director, Deputy Project Director,
Project Implementation Unit, Project Implementation Unit,
STHRD Project, STHRD Project,
Faculty of Technology, Faculty of Technology,
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka,
Belihuloya, Sri Lanka. Belihuloya, Sri Lanka

  ompleted bids should be forwarded in two copies as the ORIGINAL and the
O C  ompleted bids should be forwarded in two copies as the ORIGINAL and the
O C
DUPLICATE. The original and the duplicate should be enclosed separately and DUPLICATE. The original and the duplicate should be enclosed separately and
marked as the ‘original’ and ‘duplicate’ respectively in sealed envelopes. Then both marked as the ‘original’ and ‘duplicate’ respectively in sealed envelopes. Then both
envelopes re-enclosed in one sealed envelope marked the respective contract ID on envelopes re-enclosed in one sealed envelope marked the respective contract ID on
top left-hand corner of the envelope. top left-hand corner of the envelope.
8. Bids will be opened immediately after the deadline for bid submission in the presence
8. Bids will be opened immediately after the deadline for bid submission in the presence
of bidders’ representatives who choose to attend.
of bidders’ representatives who choose to attend.
Chairman Chairman
Department Procurement Committee Department Procurement Committee
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
Belihuloya, Sri Lanka Belihuloya, Sri Lanka
ZIP code: 70140 ZIP code: 70140
Date :- 07.08.2022 Date: - 07.08.2022

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 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022 55

UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA
INVITATION FOR BIDS
1. The Chairman, Departmental Procurement Committee on behalf of the University of Kelaniya invites sealed bids
from eligible and qualified bidders as described below:

Item Minimum Tender

Amount of the
No. Estimated Cost CIDA Document
Contract Number Contract Name Bid Security
(LKR) Registration Fee
Guarantee (LKR)
(LKR)

Modifications and
SP 3, C6 &
01. UK/GA/GA3/2022/18 Renovations of the 23,000,000.00 230,000.00 5,000.00
C5
Staff Canteen

2. Bidding will be conducted through National Competitive Bidding (NCB).

3. To be eligible for contract award, the successful bidder shall not have been blacklisted and the CIDA Registration
shall be as indicated in the above table.
4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the office of the Works Engineer (Tel: 0112903164), Works
Department, University of Kelaniya and inspect the bidding documents from Assistant Registrar/General
Administration, University of Kelaniya from 9.00 a.m. - 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. - 2.30 p.m. on working days
from 08th August 2022 to 29th August 2022.
5. A complete set of Bidding Documents in English language may be purchased by the interested bidders on the
submission of a written request to the Assistant Registrar, General Administration Branch, University of
Kelaniya, Dalugama, Kelaniya from 08th August 2022 to 29th August 2022 on working days from 9.00 a.m. -
11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. - 2.30 p.m. upon payment of a non- refundable fees as mentioned in the above table to
the Shroff of the University.
6. Bids shall be deposited in the tender box of the General Administration Division placed near the office of the Chief
Security Officer, University of Kelaniya, Dalugama, Kelaniya, at or before 2.30 p.m. on 30th August 2022.
7. Bids will be opened at 2.30 p.m. on 30th August 2022, in the presence of the bidders or their authorized
representatives who choose to attend the bid opening. Late bids will be rejected.
8. All bids shall be accompanied by a Bid Security issued by a Bank operating in Sri Lanka (registered with the Central
Bank of Sri Lanka) or Construction Guarantee Fund using the form of bid security included in Section 09, Standard
Forms or a cash deposit to the Shroff of the University.
Chairman,
Departmental Procurement Committee,
University of Kelaniya,
Dalugama, Kelaniya.
07/08/2022

CALCIUM NITRATE TREATMENT CENTRE

COCONUT DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Establishing Calcium Nitrate Treatment Centre

for Coir/Fibre Substrate Industry

Coconut Development Authority has planned to construct and establish a Calcium

Nitrate Treatment Centre, for coir/fibre substrate production raw materials with
the objective of earning a surplus and further income, by adding value to the
Fibre/Coir Substrate Industry, which is a main industry in Coconut Industry
field. It is expected to construct this centre as a public-private sector joint venture
project, in a land area of 25 acres in extent, in the North Western Province and
envisaged to get fulfilled with following objects/aims.

1. Applying the Calcium Nitrate Treatment for the coconut coir pith fibre.
2. Refining the waste water, discharged through this process and release
them to the environment safely and securely.
3. Making facilities providable to obtain the above treatment methods for
the products of the small and medium scale coir substrate producers, of
fibre, spread out throughout the coconut triangle.
4. Establishing a supply division, providing facilities in packing and
packaging suitable for exports

Interested parties, who wish to invest in the above project are kindly requested to
submit their project plans, to the Coconut Development Authority (CDA) or the
following address, or to the following email address to be received on or before
07.09.2022.

Keerthi Sri Weerasinghe,

Chairman,
Coconut Development Authority

Address: Coconut Development Authority, No. 54, Nawala Road,

Narahenpita, Colombo 5.
Email: chairmancda.gov@gmail.com
Telephone: 011-2502501-2
Sampath Samarawickrame: 071-8072454
P. Edirimanna: 0714-080422

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56 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022

Lanka Electricity Company (Private) Limited INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)

WANTED A BUILDING
FOR RENT OR LEASE

KELANIYA BRANCH OFFICE Sabaragamuwa University of

Sri Lanka
BID NO. LECO/22/NCB/PR4/270
Ministry of Education
Wanted a building at Colombo-Kandy road between Kiribathgoda
Loan No. and Title: 3698/3699-SRI : Science and Technology Human Resource
and Peliyagoda with floor area of the building shall be in the range of Development Project
8,000 - 10,000 sq.ft. (elevator facility if storied building) with electricity,
Contract No. and Title: STHRD/SB-E38/R : Procurement of Bio-Technology Laboratory
telephone, water supply, drainage facilities, waste water facilities and Equipment of the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa
parking space for 8-10 vehicles to be available. University of Sri Lanka.

The period of rent or lease will be 02 Years. Deadline for

01/09/2022, 13:30 hours (local time)
submission of Bids:
Sealed offers are accepted up to 14.00 hours on 24/08/2022. Offers
will be opened soon after the closing of bids. 1. The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has received financing from the Asian Breaking
Development Bank (ADB) equivalent to US$ 145 Million towards the cost of boundaries
implementing the Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project
Offers should include full details including (STHRD Project) under the Ministry of Education and intends to apply part of the
 +Contact telephone number, +E-mail address, proceeds of this financing to payments under the Contract named above. Bidding is
open to bidders from eligible source countries of ADB.
 +Expected rent/lease amount, +All other relevant details 2. The Chairman, University Procurement Committee on behalf of the Deputy Project The Country’s
 +Terms and conditions with copies of the Title Deed and the Survey Plan. Director, Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project, Sabaragamuwa largest
University of Sri Lanka (“the Purchaser”) invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for recruitment
STHRD/SB-E38/R - Procurement of Bio-Technology Laboratory Equipment of the database
Due to prevailing Covid-19 situation, bid opening will be carried out online Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (the “Goods”). This
via Zoom meeting. The owners or their authorized representatives can procurement comprises of Procurement of Bio-Technology Laboratory Equipment of
participate at the bid opening online. To issue the meeting link, bidders the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. The completion
shall send a request email to "procurement@leco.lk" specifying the period is 8 Weeks from the date of signing of Agreement.
title and number of participants at the bid. 3. The bidder should have the following key qualifications to participate in this bidding:
For
(Please contact 011-2371637 for any clarification) O Successful completion as main supplier within the last three years, of at least two
contracts each valued mentioned in Column 2 of the following table with nature,
jobseekers
Offers can be sent under registered post to the address given below and complexity similar to the scope of supply described in Section 6.
(offers shall be received at Lanka Electricity Company before the date O M
 inimum average annual turnover of Column 3 of the following table which is
and time of closing of bids), or offers can be deposited in the Tender calculated as total payments received by the Bidder for contracts completed or
Box placed at the Company Head Office on or before the time & date under execution over the last three years.
of closing of bids. Key qualifications to participate in this bidding
www.observerjobs.lk
Only the owners of the premises shall submit their offers. Column - 1 Column - 2 Column - 3
Value of each Value of average
Title of the procurement and bid shall be mentioned on the upper left Lot numbers and Description contract (LKR) annual turnover
hand corner of the envelope. Million (LKR) Million
Lot 1(2) - Vertical and horizontal laminar flow cabinet 2.2 5.4
For any further clarifications, please contact the Additional General
Manager (Human Resources & Administration) via 011-2-371600. Lot 2 (5) - Quantitative Real Time PCR machine 4.2 10.5

Lot 3 (6) - Bead tissue homogenizer machine 1 2.4

General Manager Lot 4 (7) - Laboratory Deep Freezer 1.5 3.6

PROCUREMENT NOTICE Lanka Electricity Company (Pvt) Ltd., Lot 5(9) - CO2 Incubator 1 2.4
E.H. Cooray Building, Lot 6 (10) - Biotechnology Laboratory glassware and
www.leco.lk 411, Galle Road, Colombo 03. 1 2.4
consumables

4. Open competitive bidding will be conducted in accordance with ADB’s Procurement

of Goods Single Stage-One Envelope procedure and is open to all bidders from eligible
PROCUREMENT NOTICE countries as described in the Bidding Document.
5. To obtain further information and inspect the Bidding Documents, bidders should contact:
FIRST CLASS WEB OFFSET NEWSPRINT Senior Procurement Officer
Project Implementation Unit
Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project
IMP/ADV/2022/14 Faculty of Technology
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
The Chairman, Procurement Committee, The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Belihuloya,
Limited (ANCL), hereby invites sealed Bids from Manufacturers, Representatives Sri Lanka
or their Accredited Agents in Sri Lanka for the supply of First Class Web Offset
Newsprint conforming to the undermentioned basic specifications. ZIP code : 70140
Telephone : 045-2280081
ITEM : FIRST CLASS WEB OFFSET NEWSPRINT E-mail : sposb-sthrd@mohe.gov.lk
O Pre-bid meeting will be held at the Board Room, Faculty of Technology Sabarag-
SUBSTANCE & QUANTITY : 45 GSM - 200 MT
amuwa University of Sri Lanka at 14:30 hrs. on 18/08/2022 and via online.
REEL DIAMETER : 1016 - 1066 mm (MAXIMUM) 6. To purchase the Bidding Documents in English, eligible bidders should write to the
REEL WIDTH : 700 mm address above requesting the Bidding Documents for the “STHRD/SB-E38/R: Procure-
ment of Bio-Technology Lab Laboratory Equipment of the Faculty of Technology,
CORE INNER : 76 mm Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka” and deposited a non-refundable fee of
5000/= (LKR Five Thousand only) to the account of STHRD Project,Sabaragamuwa
Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) : From September onwards University of Sri Lanka to A/c No.0083695474 maintained at Bank of Ceylon Belihu-
Packing : Extra Seaworthy Export packing with moisture barrier. loya (One document for all lots). The document/s will be sent only after producing the
bank deposit slip via email from 08.08.2022. No liability will be accepted for loss or
Foreign Offers late delivery.
7. Deliver your bid to the following address at or before 13:30 hrs. on 01/09/2022
Bidders should quote for both FOB and CIF Colombo prices (on at sight as well
together with a Bid Security as described in the Bidding Document.
as 180 days usance). CIF offers should clearly detail Cost, Freight &
Insurance charges separately. ANCL reserves the right to place the order Deputy Project Director,
on FOB or on CIF term. Project Implementation Unit,
STHRD Project,
Offers with samples and specifications should be submitted in a sealed envelope Faculty of Technology,
marked as “Bids for 45 GSM Standard Newsprint" on the top left-hand Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka,
corner. Belihuloya, Sri Lanka

Local Offers O Completed bids should be forwarded in two copies as the ORIGINAL and the
DUPLICATE. The original and the duplicate should be enclosed separately and
Ex-stock price indicating transport charges, VAT and other levies separately with marked as the ‘original’ and ‘duplicate’ respectively in sealed envelopes. Then both
samples should be submitted in a separate cover in the same manner. envelopes re-enclosed in one sealed envelope marked the respective contract ID on
Offers should be sent to the Head of Procurement to reach on or before 19th top left-hand corner of the envelope.
August 2022 at 2.30 p.m. and which will be opened immediately. No separate 8. Bids will be opened immediately after the deadline for bid submission in the presence
documents will be issued. Suppliers may use their own formalities. of bidders’ representatives who choose to attend.
Probable date of delivery, validity of price, terms of payment etc. to be clearly Chairman
indicated on the offers. Department Procurement Committee
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
Acceptance of new sources / product is subjected to a quality test. Belihuloya, Sri Lanka
The successful bidder should provide a Performance Bond to the value of 05% ZIP code: 70140
with a validity period of 90 days. Date: 07/08/2022
Bidders or their accredited representatives will be allowed to be present at the
opening. However, The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. reserves the right
to accept or reject any or all offers without assigning any reason whatsoever.

Chairman - Procurement Committee,

The Associated Newspapers of
Ceylon Ltd.,
"Lake House", No 35, D.R. Wijewardene Mw.,
Colombo 10, Sri Lanka.
For Details : 2429422, 2429451
 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022 57
Clearing of Disputes attended to, DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN
k Lands k Properties, Businesses
k Financial k Vehicles DEVELOPMENT - TRINCOMALEE
Legally clearances attended to,
INVITATION FOR BIDS
0772860286, 0115240794, 0115680286
K 12838, (KGB) Tank Desilting Programme 2022
1. The Chairman, Regional Procurement Committee of Department of Agrarian Development,
Trincomalee invites sealed bids from eligible and qualied registered bidders for the minor
tanks desilting works described in the table below.
2. Interested bidders may obtain further information from District Assistant Commissioner,
Trincomalee (TP No. 026-2222479) and inspect the bidding documents at the same place
on any working day from 09.00 hrs to 16.00 hrs.
3. To be eligible for contract award, the successful bidder shall not have been blacklisted and
shall have been registered as machinery contractors in Trincomalee Kachcheri, Provincial
Council and Ministry of Agriculture. Priority will be given to Local contractors.
4. A complete set of bidding documents in English language shall be purchased by interested
bidders on the submission of a written application to Department of Agrarian Development,
Inner Harbour Road, Trincomalee from 08.08.2022 until 29.08.2022 from 09.00 hrs to
15.00 hrs on working days upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Rs. 1,000.00. The
method of payment should be by cash.
5. Bids must be delivered to Chairman, Regional Procurement Committee of Department
of Agrarian Development, Inner Habour Road, Trincomalee on or before 1400 hrs on
01.09.2022. Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be opened on the same day at 14.10 hrs in
the presence of the bidders or bidders’ representatives who choose to attend.
6. Bid validity period dated will be until 16.11.2022 and Bid Security Validity period dated until
14.12.2022.
7. All bids shall be accompanied by a Bid Security in the form of Bid Security included in
Section 9 of standard forms (Bid security & Bid security declaration). The amount and
validity of bid security shall be as per the information given in the table below.

Contract Bid
Description of Work/ Quantity of
Agrarian Service Period Security
S.N. Contract Name Desilting
Special Notice (Tank Name)
Center Division
(M3)
Calendar
Days
Amount
(Rs.)

An online meeting is organized 01 Veppankulam Pankulam 16,300.00 90 days 65,000.00

for the old girls of Devi Balika 02 Kaluvankulam Pankulam 10,100.00 90 days 40,000.00
Vidyalaya, Colombo to make a 03 Kambakkkottaikulam Pankulam 30,000.00 90 days 125,000.00
special announcement. All are kindly 04 Kuda Thimpiriwewa Pankulam 4,400.00 90 days 18,000.00
requested to register for the meeting 05 Illupaikulam Sampaltivu 8,000.00 120 days 30,000.00
by sending the following details to
06 Velverikulam Uppuveli 24,350.00 90 days 100,000.00
the WhatsApp No. 0773441303 or
Email address info@devibalika. 07 Villankulam Uppuveli 30,000.00 120 days 200,000.00
com of the school on or before 14th 08 Ammankulam Uppuveli 16,100.00 120 days 65,000.00
August 2022. 09 Mangaiyoothukulam Uppuveli 6,300.00 90 days 25,000.00
10 Palankulam Uppuveli 3,000.00 90 days 10,000.00
Name :
11 Kollankulam Eachchilampathu 27,400.00 90 days 115,000.00
Admission No. :
12 Kirankulam Eachchilampathu 21,900.00 120 days 90,000.00
Year of Admission :
13 Pahalagamawewa Gomarangadawela 1,800.00 120 days 7,000.00
Membership No. :
14 Neeraviyawewa Gomarangadawela 6,000.00 90 days 25,000.00
WhatsApp No. :
15 Puliyoothukulam Thampalagamam 12,000.00 90 days 50,000.00
Principal 16 Eachchankulam Mullipothana 6,000.00 90 days 25,000.00
Devi Balika Vidyalaya 17 Inthiwewa Mullipothana 8,000.00 90 days 30,000.00
Colombo 08. 18 Kudagalmetiyawewa Mullipothana 8,000.00 90 days 30,000.00

S. Varuny
Chairman, Regional Procurement Committee
Department of Agrarian Development
MINISTRY OF PLANTATIONS Trincomalee.

JANATHA ESTATES DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Tender for Sale of Green Leaf & Sale of Latex
September/October 2022
â Sealed quotations are invited for the Sale of Green Leaf for a period of two months
(September/October 2022) from the following estates.

Tender Doc. Fee Refundable

} }
Estimated Crop Estimated Crop
Estates (Non Refundable) Deposit
September 2022 October 2022
Rs. Cts Rs. Cts
Bopitiya 24,400 27,900
Deltotta 24,500 25,000
Gallebodda 20,400 23,800
Hantane 42,000 50,500
Kandaloya 16,000 16,000 5,000/= 100,000/=
Mount Jean 19,300 24,500
Nagastenne 30,000 27,100
Rahathungoda 36,800 36,800
Rookwood 47,000 63,000
All Tender documents should be forwarded by registered post, under sealed cover marked "Sale of Green Leaf" on
the top left corner of the envelope, addressed to the Chairman - Tender Committee, Janatha Estates Development
Board, 55/75, Vauxhall Lane, Colombo 02 or placed in the Tender Box kept for this purpose at or before 2.00 p.m.
on 26th August, 2022.

â Sealed quotations are invited for the Sale of Latex for a period of two months (September/
October 2022) from the following estates.
Tender Doc. Fee Refundable
Estimated Crop Estimated Crop
Estates (Non Refundable) Deposit
September 2022 October 2022
Rs. Cts Rs. Cts
Kumarawatte 28,860 21,682
Diyaluma 3,850 3,700
} 5,000/= } 100,000/=

All Tender documents should be forwarded by registered post, under sealed cover marked "Sale of Latex" on
the top left corner of the envelope, addressed to the Chairman - Tender Committee, Janatha Estates Development
Board, 55/75, Vauxhall Lane, Colombo 02 or placed in the Tender Box kept for this purpose at or before 2.00 p.m.
on 26th August, 2022.
Conditions with Tender documents including Bid forms for submissions of quotations can be obtained from
Janatha Estates Development Board, 55/75, Vauxhall Lane, Colombo 02 upto 25th August, 2022 upon payment of
document fee of Rs. 5,000/- (Five Thousand) on any working day.
Refundable deposit of Rs. 100,000/- should be payable by depositing to our Bank Account No.2327555, Bank of
Ceylon, Hyde Park or payment can be done to the cashier, JEDB Head Office in cash and should attach the deposit
slip obtained upon payment with the Tender document.
Tenders will be open on 26th August, 2022 in the presence of the Tender opening committee as soon as the
closing time and the buyer or his representative can be present at the opening time. The JEDB will not bear any
responsibility regarding the delayed quotations and Chairman, Procurement Committee has the rights to cancel
the tender.
(For any information please contact Administrative Assistant - 011 - 5733107)

The Chairman
JANATHA ESTATES DEVELOPMENT BOARD
58 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022
INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) Classified
Advertisement
in Several Newspapers
Sabaragamuwa University of at
Sri Lanka affordable Rate
* For 15 Words
Ministry of Education
Loan No. and Title: 3698/3699-SRI : Science and Technology Human Resource
Development Project
& - Rs. 700/-
Contract No. and Title: STHRD/SB-F08Procurement of Laboratory furniture for - Cost of each additional word - Rs. 20/-
Pharmaceutical of the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa
University of Sri Lanka.
Deadline for submission
31/08/2022, 12:30 hours (local time) & - Rs. 550/-
of Bids:
- Cost of each additional word - Rs. 20/-
1. The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has received financing from the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) equivalent to US$ 145 Million towards the cost of
implementing the Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project
(STHRD Project) under the Ministry of Education and intends to apply part of the & - Rs. 550/-
proceeds of this financing to payments under the Contract named above. Bidding is
open to bidders from eligible source countries of ADB. - Cost of each additional word - Rs. 20/-

2. The Chairman, University Procurement Committee on behalf of the Deputy Project

Director, Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project, & - Rs. 700/-
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (“the Purchaser”) invites sealed bids from
eligible bidders for STHRD/SB-F08Procurement of Laboratory furniture for - Cost of each additional word - Rs. 20/-
Pharmaceutical of the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri
Lanka (the “Goods”). This procurement comprises of Procurement of Laboratory
furniture for the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. The
completion period is 8 weeks from the date of signing of Agreement.
& - Rs. 700/-

Consumer 3. The bidder should have the following key qualifications to participate in this bidding:
O Successful completion as main supplier within the last three years, of at least two
contracts each valued mentioned in column 2 of following table with nature, and
- Cost of each additional word - Rs. 20/-

& - Rs. 250/-

Lanka Electricity Company
(Private) Limited
Suggestion complexity similar to the scope of supply described in Section 6.
O Minimum average annual turnover of column 3 of following table which is
calculated as total payments received by the Bidder for contracts completed or
- Cost of each additional word - Rs. 10/-
under execution over the last three years.
Consumer Suggestion for Development of Corporate Plan 2023-2027
Key qualifications to participate in this bidding & - Rs. 250/-
Lanka Electricity Company (Private) Limited (LECO) is an Electricity Distribution
Company established in the year 1983 under Companies Act and it is fully Column - 1 Column - 2 Column - 3
- Cost of each additional word - Rs. 10/-
owned by the Government. Presently we serve around six hundred thousand Value of each Value of average
consumers. The company is under the purview of the Ministry of Power & Lot numbers and Description contract (LKR) annual turnover
Energy & regulated by the Public Utilities Commission. The Distribution is done Million (LKR) Million
under the License provided by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka.
Lot 01 : Furniture for Pharmaceutical Lab 1 5.7 14.2
Company Vision Company Mission
Lot 02 : Furniture for Pharmaceutical Lab 2 2.4 6
Enjoy being the light of the lives
of people through innovative, eco-
To provide the best energy solution
to the society through continuous Lot 03 : Furniture for Pharmaceutical Lab 3 8 20 Marriage proposal
friendly business. innovation. in Several Newspapers at affordable Rate
Lot 04 : Furniture for Pharmaceutical Lab 4 8 20

4. Open competitive bidding will be conducted in accordance with ADB’s Procurement

As a state owned company we have decided to include suggestions by the of Goods Single Stage-One Envelope procedure and is open to all bidders from
eligible countries as described in the Bidding Document.
consumers in our Corporate Plan to develop & upgrade the services we offer
by the company. Your valuable suggestion would one day help LECO to provide 5. To obtain further information and inspect the Bidding Documents, bidders should contact:
a better service. Please send us your written suggestion through e-mail, Senior Procurement Officer * For 15 Words * For 15 Words

whatsapp, or as a letter on or before 25.08.2022 Project Implementation Unit

Rs. 1000/- Rs. 600/-
Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project - Cost of each additional word - Rs. 25/- - Cost of each additional word - Rs. 25/-

Faculty of Technology
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
Sunday Observer Marriage
Belihuloya, proposal can be Published in
general@leco.lk +94719715690
General Manager, Sri Lanka Silumina by paying
Lanka Electricity Company (Pvt) Ltd., ZIP code: 70140 additional payment of Rs. 200/-
E.H. Cooray Building, Telephone: 045-2280081
No. 411, Galle Rd., E-mail: sposb-sthrd@mohe.gov.lk
Colombo 03. O Pre-bid meeting will be held at the Board Room, Faculty of Technology Silumina Marriage proposal can
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka at 14:30 Hrs on 17/08/2022 and online. be Published in Tharunee by

* »Y£p‰»nŠ~‹ ~ƒŒlõ
6. To purchase the Bidding Documents in English, eligible bidders should write/email paying
to the address above requesting the Bidding Documents for the “STHRD/
SB-F08Procurement of Laboratory furniture for Pharmaceutical of the Faculty of additional payment of Rs. 300/-
Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka” and deposit a non-refundable
fee of 5000/= (LKR Five Thousand only) to Sabaragamuwa University-STHRD
Project account, A/C No.0083695474 maintained at Bank of Ceylon Belihuloya
(One document for all lots). The document/s will be sent only after producing the Chamara
Please - 0777
E-Mail your270 067
Classified
bank deposit slip via email from 08.08.2022. No liability will be accepted for loss or
late delivery. Advertisement / Marriage
7. Deliver your bid to the following address at or before 12:30 hrs. of 31/08/2022
together with a Bid Security as described in the Bidding Document.
Proposal to
Deputy Project Director,
Project Implementation Unit,
classified@lakehouse.lk
STHRD Project,
Faculty of Technology,
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka,
Easiest way to pay your Advertisement payments

Acc.No. 000000377
Belihuloya, Sri Lanka.
O Completed bids should be forwarded in two copies as the ORIGINAL and the
DUPLICATE. The original and the duplicate should be enclosed separately and
Green light for
marked as the ‘original’ and ‘duplicate’ respectively in sealed envelopes. Then
both envelopes re-enclosed in one sealed envelope marked the respective contract LAKE HOUSE BRANCH Online Transfer
ID on top left-hand corner of the envelope.
8. Bids will be opened immediately after the deadline for bid submission in the
presence of bidders’ representatives who choose to attend.
Call for more Information -

Chairman Ramani - 077 7 278 948

Department Procurement Committee
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka Piyumi - 011 2 429 383
Belihuloya, Sri Lanka
ZIP code: 70140 Gayani - 011 2 429 347
Date: - 07/08/2022 Lakmali - 011 2 429 342

Hand over your Classified

Advertisements to Our nearest
Branch Office
Anuradhapura- TEL : 025 22 22 370 FAX : 025 22 35 411
Kandy - TEL : 081 22 34 200 FAX : 081 22 38 910
Kataragama - TEL : 047 22 35 291 FAX : 047 22 35 291
Maradana - TEL : 011 2 429 336 FAX : 011 2 429 335
Matara - TEL : 041 22 35 412 FAX : 041 22 29 728
Nugegoda - TEL : 011 2 828 114 FAX : 011 4 300 860
 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022 59
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
LANKA PHOSPHATE LIMITED
Bid Reference No : LPL/SUP-HO/FI-BID/2022/06 PROCUREMENT NOTICE
INVITATION FOR BIDS The State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka, Colombo 05 invites quotations from registered and previous sources
for following items for open market sales and tenders will be closed at 1.15 p.m. on the dates given below. (Email /Fax
offers as well as FOB offers are not acceptable)

FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF 400,000 NOS. NEW WOVEN Item Quantity Tender No. Closing on
Item Code No. 170104C16
POLYPROPYLENE (WPP) BAGS (PRINTED) WITH HDPE INNER LINER Esomeprazole Tablets 20mg 25,000 RES/23/08/A/2022 23.8.2022
10 x 10 Tablets (Blister) Packs
FOR LANKA PHOSPHATE LIMITED - EPPAWALA Item Code No. 170103C19
Esomeprazole 40mg DR or Esomeprazole 50,000 RES/23/08/B/2022 23.8.2022
1. Chairman, Department Procurement Committee (Major) of Lanka Phosphate Limited Tablets 40mg Packs
10 x 10 Tablets
will receive sealed Bids for the Supply and Delivery of 400,000 Nos. New Woven
Item Code No. 150101O48
Polypropylene (WPP) Bags (Printed) with HDPE Inner Liner and receiving of Bids will
Povidone Iodine Topical Solution USP 10% 15,000 RES/ICL/34/2022 26.8.2022
be closed at 2.00 p.m. on 22 August 2022. Iodine Solution BP 10% w/v Bottles
In 500ml
2. Bid Forms could be collected from the Finance Manager, Lanka Phosphate Limited,
These tenders are administered by the provisions of the “Public Contracts Act No. 3 of 1987” and therefore, in the event
No. 73/1/1, New Kelani Bridge Road, Colombo 14 up to 3.00 p.m. on 19 August 2022, bidder is to retain an Agent, Sub-Agent, Representative, Nominee for and on behalf of tenderer shall register himself
during the normal office hours on working days, on payment of non-refundable fee of and such Public Contract in accordance with Section 10 of the Public Contracts Act and produce such valid certificate of
registration in the course of any transaction relating to the tender or Act at any stage in the duration of the tender.
LKR 2,500.00 in the form of cash or Bank Draft in favour of Lanka Phosphate Limited.
Tenders will be closed at the office of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation at 1.15 p.m. on the dates indicated against
each tender and will be opened immediately thereafter. Tenderers or their authorized Representatives will be permitted to
3. Bids will be opened immediately after the closing time at the Head Office of Lanka be present at the time of opening of Tenders.
Phosphate Limited, No. 73/1/1, New Kelani Bridge Road, Colombo 14. Bidders or their The Chairman - Procurement Committee
authorized representatives are permitted to be present at the opening of Bids. State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka
41, "Mehewara Piyasa",
4. Sealed Bids accompanied by a Bid Security as stated in the Bid Document may be 16th Floor, Kirula Road, Narahenpita
Colombo 05.
dispatched either by registered post or deposited in the Tender Box provided for the Phone : 00 94 11 2471463
purpose at the same address mentioned above, during the office hours (8.30 a.m. to Email : dgmmarketing@spc.lk
3.30 p.m.) mgricd@spc.lk

5. Bid documents may be inspected free of charge at Lanka Phosphate Limited, No.
73/1/1, New Kelani Bridge Road, Colombo 14 during office hours on working days
from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

6. Further information could be obtained from the Supplies Manager, Lanka Phosphate PROCUREMENT NOTICE
Limited calling to the following contact numbers.
(Tel : 0112459906/7)
STATE PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION OF SRI LANKA
CHAIRMAN The Chairman, Procurement Committee of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka, invites
DEPARTMENT PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE (MAJOR), sealed quotations from registered and previous sources for following items and bids will be closed at the
respective times on the dates given below and will be opened immediately thereafter.
LANKA PHOSPHATE LIMITED,
(E.Mail /Fax offers as well as FOB offers are not acceptable)
NO. 73/1/1, NEW KELANI BRIDGE ROAD,
COLOMBO 14. 07.08.2022 Sealed bids may be sent by post under registered cover or may be personally deposited in the box available for
this purpose at Administration Department in the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation at “Mehewara
Piyasa” 16th Floor, No. 41, Kirula Road, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka.

Bidders or their authorized representatives will be permitted to be present at the time of opening of Bids.
LABORATORY ITEMS

Closing Closing
Tender No. Item Qty
Date Time
DHS/RL/47WAC/22 22.08.2022 2.30 p.m. 03/42802302-Hepatitis B – Anti Hepatitis 2,000 strips
B surface antibody (HBsAb) – ICT
05/42807001-Hepatitis E – Anti HEV IgG 8 kits
antibody – ELISA (96T/kit)

Request for Bid SURGICAL SPECIAL ITEMS

Purchaser : Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka Closing Closing Item
Project : Contingent Emergency Response Component mapped under the Climate Smart Tender No. Quantity
Date Time (Ref SPC Website)
Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) DHS/RSS/RQ/151/20 31.08.2022 2.00 pm Wire Reinforced Venous Return Refer RQ
Contract title : Procurement of a Service Provider to develop an adoption action plan and arrange for Catheters in various sizes Item List
trainings and develop awareness raising material for forms.gov.lk.
Country : Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka SURGICAL ANNUAL ITEMS
RFB No. : LK-ICTA-303279-NC-RFB Tender No. / Closing Closing
Item Qty.
Issued on : August 8, 2022 Bid Reference Date Time
DHS/RS/RQ/187/20 16.08.2022 2.00 pm 14000203-Hopedermic Syringe with luer 400,000
1. The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has received financing from the World Bank towards
lock
the cost of the Contingent Emergency Response Component Project, and intends to apply part of
the proceeds towards payments under the contract for Procurement of a Service Provider to develop DHS/RS/RQ/221/21 16.08.2022 2.00 pm 13301201-Intercostal Drainage Catheter 30
an adoption action plan and arrange for trainings and develop awareness raising material for with Pigtail end
forms.gov.lk. DHS/RS/RQ/222/21 16.08.2022 2.00 pm 13401504, 13402102-Aortic Perfusion 30
2. The Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) now invites sealed Cannula & Atrial Vent Catheter
Bids from eligible Bidders for Procurement of a Service Provider to develop an adoption action plan DHS/RS/RQ/223/21 16.08.2022 2.00 pm 21730401-Stapedotomy Measuring Rod 15
and arrange for trainings and develop awareness raising material for forms.gov.lk. DHS/RS/RQ/224/21 16.08.2022 2.00 pm SR NO: 13803606, 13803605, 13803604 2,500
Bidder must meet the following minimum qualification criteria: Endotracheal Tubes
DHS/RS/RQ/225/21 16.08.2022 2.00 pm 12503601-Ureteric Stent double J 12,500
a) General Experience: Bidder should have a minimum of five years (5) experience under the
DHS/RS/RQ/226/21 16.08.2022 2.00 pm 10300718-Non absorbable Synthetic 32,000
categories of event management and adoption strategy development.
Monofilament Suture
b) Specific Experience: Participation as a prime contractor in at-least one project of development DHS/RS/RQ/227/21 16.08.2022 2.00 pm SR NO: 21101304…..(04 items) 60
an adoption strategy, strategy implementation action plan that spans for more than two (2) Orthopaedic Surgery Instruments
years, and design and implementation awareness raising materials in support of the strategy. The
assignment should have been within the five (5) years from the closing date of this bid and the PHARMA ITEMS
value of the contract should not be less than Rs. Ten million (Rupees 10 million).
Tender No./ Closing Closing
c) Average Annual Turnover: Minimum average annual turnover of LKR 25 Million as per the Item Qty
Bid Reference Date Time
audited financial reports within last 3 years.
DHS/RP/136/2022 18.08.2022 2.30 pm Tuberculin for Mantoux test 10,000 vials
3. Bidding will be conducted through open National Competitive Bidding procurement using Request 5TU/0.1ml, 1ml vial
for Bids (RFB) as specified in the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” August
DHS/RP/298/2021 18.08.2022 2.30 pm Yellow fever vaccine 0.5ml single dose 8,000 vials
2018 (“Procurement Regulations”), and is open to all eligible Bidders as defined in the Procurement
Regulations.
Bids should be prepared as per particulars given in the Bidding Documents available at the Head Office of
4. Interested eligible Bidders may obtain further information from ICTA, Director Procurement on E-mail the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation at “Mehewara Piyasa” 16th Floor, No. 41, Kirula Road, Colombo 5,
procurement@icta.lk Tel : 0112 369099 and inspect the bidding document during office hours 0900 to Sri Lanka.
1700 hours at the address given below or from ICTA website https://www.icta.lk/procurement.
Wherever necessary potential bidder/bidders should get registered in terms of the Public Contracts Act No.
5. The bidding document in English may be purchased by interested eligible Bidders upon the submission 03 of 1987 before collecting the Bid Documents and also should get the contract registered after the award.
of a written application to the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of LKR
5,000.00. The method of payment will be by Cash. CHAIRMAN - PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE
6. Bids must be delivered to the address below at or before 1500 hours on August 22, 2022. Electronic STATE PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION OF SRI LANKA
Bidding will not be permitted. Late Bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence “MEHEWARA PIYASA”, 16TH FLOOR,
of the Bidders’ designated representatives and anyone who chooses to attend at the address below at NO. 41, KIRULA ROAD, COLOMBO 5, SRI LANKA.
1500 hours on August 22, 2022. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in the form of Bank TELEPHONE : 00 94-11-2335008
Guarantee of Sri Lankan Rupees Eighty Six Thousand (LKR 86,000.00).
FAX : 00 94-11-2582495
7. An online pre-bid meeting which potential bidders may attend will be held at 1100 Hrs (Sri Lankan
E-MAIL : dgmsurgical@spc.lk / pharma.manager@spc.lk
Time) on August 15, 2022 through the below Zoom link.
Join Zoom Meeting: GENERAL MANAGER- STATE PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86421720143?pwd=aE5lQ2tBZXcrQ2NST211N1JuM2I3QT09 On behalf of
Meeting ID: 864 2172 0143 CHAIRMAN DEPARTMENTAL PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE
Passcode: 927202 STATE PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION OF SRI LANKA
“MEHEWARA PIYASA”, 16TH FLOOR,
8. The address referred to above is: Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka, NO. 41, KIRULA ROAD,
490, R. A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 00300.
COLOMBO 5, SRI LANKA.
The Chairman,
Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka
490, R. A. De Mel Mawatha,
Colombo 00300
Date: August 7, 2022
60 Sunday Observer August 7, 2022

Printed and Published by The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., at No. 35, D.R.Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo 10, on Sunday August 7, 2022