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India to bolster security during
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India to bolster
security during Vajpayee visit Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar yesterday arrived in Islamabad to invite Pakistani leader Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend the 10th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Co operation diplomatic sources said yesterday. Kadirgamar was previously scheduled to visit Islamabad on June 14 but Pakistani government put off his [Kadirgamar’s] visit after Sharif left on a fund raising campaign in Europe and the United States. The Minister was scheduled to meet his counterpart and several senior officials apart from the Pakistani leader. Kadirgamar, sources said was scheduled to deliver the keynote address at a ceremony held at the Islamabad’s Institute of Regional Studies. Kadirgamar’s meeting with senior Pakistani leaders was the first since Sri Lanka openly backed India’s decision to test nuclear devices in May. Pakistan strongly protested against Colombo’s position when Foreign Office summoned Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad. High Commissioner General Gerry de Silva had not been there at that time. Meanwhile Sharif’s Special Envoy Akram Zaki, chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Senate was expected to arrive in Colombo on July 16 diplomatic sources said yesterday. He was scheduled to meet heads of state of all SAARC countries except India at least a week before the Colombo summit sources said. He was expected to deliver a letter from the Pakistani leader to President Chandrika Kumaratunga sources said. Diplomatic sources said that Pakistan wanted to make her position clear to SAARC countries before Sharif meets the Indian leader in Colombo, the first since tit for tat nuclear explosions shocked the international community. It was not clear whether the meeting would take place in Colombo or outside. India was to bolster her security contingent in Colombo in view of the threat posed by the LTTE. India recently extended ban on LTTE by six more years and has promised to support government initiated efforts to restore normalcy in the northeast areas. President at Malwana National Meelad celebrations today Elaborate arrangements have been made to conduct the National Meelad Un-Nabi Celebration (Prophet Muhammed's Sal' Birthday) at the Malwana Al-Mubarak National School in the Gampaha District today. President Chandri-ka Kumaratunge has accepted the invitation extended by Lakshman Jayakody, the Minister of Buddhasasana and Minister of Cultural and Religious Affairs to grace this national occasion as the Chief Guest. Ministry of Cultural and Religious Affairs said that the shifting of the venue for celebrations from Colombo to outstations from 1995 onwards was mainly to bring the realization of the importance of Meelad-Un-Nabi celebration to Muslims all over the country, to integrate the consciousness of the unity of the Muslims. On this occasion, unparalleled virtues of the exemplary life of the Holy Prophet Muhammed (Sal) are zealously extolled with great favour. In the present context, when our country is passing through a moment of troubled history, the message of Holy Prophet (Sal) would be most appropriate in moving towards establishing unity, peace and prosperity in our country, the need of the hour. Multi-faceted development activities carried out most vigorously in and around Malwana (Biyagama Electorate), within a very short period of time, have almost entirely changed face of the village, Malwana, well known for the delicious fruit — Rambutan, the Ministry said in a news release. Over Rs. 200 million has been expended for development activities completed in and around Biyagama. A very few of them are the water supply scheme (Rs. 88 Million), highways and minor roads (Rs. 80 Million) 1,500 new telephone connections, etc. In addition the printing the book "History and Heritage of Muslims in the Gampaha District", national contests and prizes, grants to mosques, training programmes for pre-school teachers etc. have been accomplished. A cultural show depicting the traditional artistic craft of Muslims, will be staged, with participation of Muslim school children. Moulood ceremony at the Raxapana Mosque will be another item of much value Stalemate continues
in Southern private luxury bus strike The National Transport Commission will not enter into any discussions with the striking private luxury bus operators of the South till they return to work, Director General of the National Transport Commission Mrs. S. Sahabandu told "The Island" yesterday . Over 600 of the luxury private buses operating from the Southern towns of Galle, Matara, Hakmana, Akuressa, Wanduramba, Am-balangoda, Kata-ragama and Baddegama discontinued its services last Friday calling for three demands to be met by the National Transport Commission. She said that the NTC is not aware of any grievances of the bus operators since no prior notification of such a strike has been made known to the NTC. "We have not been given notice by the operators. So we have no knowledge of their grievance. As such no discussions can take place till they get back to work. The President of the striking Federation on Friday informed me over the telephone that they will discontinue the trade union action and meet us for a discussion on their grievances. But they have not adhered to that and we cannot hold any discussions till they get back to work," Mrs. Saha-bandu explained. Meanwhile the President of the Southern Province Bus Owners Association of Galle, Gunapala Withana told "The Island" that Ms. Sahabandu, during the discussions on Friday agreed to forward the demands of the bus drivers and conductors to the Minister of Transport, A. H. M. Fowzie who will be returning to Sri Lanka on Wednesday. The Director General is reported to have sent a fax to Withana stating that the demands will be looked into by the Minister and a discussion with the Minister would be arranged. Withana in turn had said that he would refer the fax to the bus drivers and conductors, after which they would discuss suspending the strike action. He further said that they were willing to resume operations if a reasonable solution to their demands is found. They are demanding the increase of bus fares by Rs. 10, the reduction of the amount of time allowed to the private luxury buses in the main stop from 15 minutes to 5 minutes which they claim that during peak hours is disadvantageous to them as they are not allowed to proceed even if the buses are full. This practice, they claim cause inconvenience to the commuters both inside the bus and outside in the stands as they are made to wait longer. They also demand the removal of the present fine of Rs. 5000 for those operators who don’t remain in the stands for the stipulated time period. Their demands also include the release of three drivers who were taken into custody by the police earlier. Meanwhile two buses were reported to have been attacked by a group of persons yesterday. The reason for the attack is because these buses had not taken part in the strike. The two buses were stoned and damaged. Approximately 1200 workers attached to the Federation are reported to be on strike. New disappearances commission to commence sittings from July 10 The newly appointed Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Disappearances with islandwide jurisdiction is scheduled to commence inquiries from July 10, 1998. The commission comprises of Mrs. Manouri Muttetuwegama, attorney-at-law (Chairman),. H. D. Dharmadasa, retired Commissioner of Prisons and Mr. P. Balavadivelu, retired High Court Judge. M. C. M. Iqbal, retired Sri Lanka Administrative Service Officer function will as the secretary. The commission will inquire into disappearances after January 1988. The commission will inquire into and report on the complaints left uninquired by the three zonal Presidential Commissions. Complaints received from Colombo, Gampaha and Matara districts are to be inquired into by the new commission at the Tower Building in Bambalapitiya. Eleven thousand such complaints have been received, according to an official news release Sinhala Commission final report to be presented to Mahanayake Theras Final Report (Part I) of the Sinhala Commission will be presented to the Venerable Mahanayake Theros of the Three Nikayas on July 18 at the International Buddhist Centre, Asgiriya according to secretary of the National Joint Committee Dr. Piyasena Dissanayake. A statement issued by the committee says: The Sinhala Commission was set up by the National Joint Committee to report on the injustices caused to the Sinhala people from Colonial times to the present day as well as on a number of other matters that would have an effect on the future of the Sinhala people in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres. In September 1997, the Commission issued an Interim Report, acceding to the request of a large number of persons including members of the Maha Sangha. This report which was published by us dealt with the Govenrment's proposals for constitutional reforms including the devolution 'Package' and the intention of the Govenrment to adopt extra constitutional methods to implement them. It had a considerable impact making the people aware of the dangers to the future of the country and of the Sinhala people, inherent in the Government's proposals. The Sinhala Commission has now informed us that its Final Report (Part I) will be ready by the middle of this month, and the National Joint Committee has decided that the first copy of the report should be presented to the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy at a solemn ceremony on the 18th of this month at 2 p.m. Thereafter, copies of the report will be presented to the Venerable Mahanayake Theros of the three Nikayas at 3 p.m. at the International Buddhist Centre at Asgiriya, Kandy. A public meeting will be held in Colombo for the formal presentation of the report to the people, on 21st July commencing at 3 p.m. at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Hall, 380, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07. The members of the Maha Sangha, Cabinet Ministers, the Leader of the Opposition representatives of political parties and the public have been invited to attend it. Short-sighted decision, says GMOA The GMOA yesterday (6) complained that the security staff of the Health Ministry has started extensive checking of the patients coming to the Main Chest Clinic at Dean's Road, Colombo, resulting in them having to wait on the road for long hours. A press release issued by the GMOA says, 'it appears that the security staff has been advised by the Minister to create a situation of threat to the security of the Ministry staff which didn't exist earlier. 'The GMOA has expressed its dissatisfaction over the recent closure of the Chest Clinic at Dean's Road, Colombo, adjoining the office of the Health Minister. The patients are greatly inconvenienced by this closure and the ministry has temporarily suspended its decision.' 'The GMOA is hopeful that the Minister and the ministry officials will not harass patients by taking this kind of short-sighted decisions,' it added. Token strike of estate workers averted The workers of Elkaduwa Plantations Ltd. yesterday temporarily suspended a proposed token-strike on its estates as the management promised to settle outstanding worker dues. The 6,000-odd workers on eleven estates owned by Elkaduwa Plantations threatened last week to stage a token strike July 6. This was in protest against the alleged failure of the company to settle EPF and ETF dues and gratuity payments amounting to about Rs. 30 million. However, the workers called off the strike after representatives of the company told them the management of the estates will be changing hands in the future. "They promised us that the new management will settle outstanding dues within three months" Lanka Estate Workers Union (LEWU) general secretary, S. Ramanathan, told ‘The Island’ yesterday. This is against the backdrop of the five year lease period given to Elkaduwa Plantations to manage the estates expiring on July 23 this year. The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon and other leading estate trade unions had also intervened in the dispute. The PERC is in the process of attempting to privatise a 51% stake in the company. Estate sources said the government was initially experiencing difficulty in trying to find a buyer. Elkaduwa Plantations was the last company privatised during the last privatisation drive. It was privatised in 1993. Sources claimed Elkaduwa Plantations had failed to settle the dues because they did not receive the means to procure working and development capital as was promised them. (NW) 'Controlling body should examine
Priyani Soysa judgement findings' Justice L. H. G. Weerasekera, the recently appointed Supreme Court Judge, in a judgement delivered on June 24, 1998, while he was the President of the Court of Appeal, had said that the statutory body, that has control over the medical practitioners, and the professionals themselves, should examine and activate themselves, on the reasons and findings stated in the judgement delivered in the Court of Appeal, in respect of the appeal filed by Professor Priyani Soysa, and attempt to lay low the cries of the people. Justice Weerasekera was in agreement with Justice C. V. Wigneswaran, that Professor Soysa had been negligent in treating, in April to June 1992, the four-year-old Suhani, daughter of the Deputy Solicitor General Rienzie Arsekularatne. The judgment by Justice Weerasekera explained that 'I am not insensitive to the cries of anguish, pain, and suffering of a vast array of patients, as in this instance, and that could and do occur and if it did occur as in this case and circumstances, both in the private sector of patients, I could quite imagine what it could be in this sector of non paying patients. I am also not insensitive to the tribulations, of the medical profession. Even so it is my view that, that body that has statutory control over the conduct of these professionals, and they themselves should examine, question and activate, themselves on the reasoning and findings of my brother, and take steps to lay low the cries of the people, a duty, they owe the public, and a duty, they owe themselves if the good name and reputation of the profession, which was known for its noble tradition is to be maintained'. All major sectors record growth - Central Bank report All major sectors, except mining and quarrying have recorded a growth during the first quarter of 1998. The services sector which grew by 5.7% contributed to almost 51% of the overall GDP growth, reflecting the importance of services in the economy. Meanwhile the contribution of manufacturing, construction and agriculture sectors to the GDP growth was 19%,16% and 18% respectively, the Central Bank reported yesterday in estimates released for the first quarter of 1998 and 1997. The GDP in real terms grew by 5.8% in the first quarter of 1998 over the first quarter of 1997. Incomparison, the growth rate during the first quarter of 1997 was 4.4%, the report said. The agriculture sector which as a proportion of GDP was 17 per cent in 1997 recorded a growth of 4.2 per cent when compared to a decline of 0.7 per cent in 1997. The impetus to the growth in agriculture came from the paddy sub-sector. Paddy production at 1774 thousand metric tons during the 1997/98 Maha season is the highest achieved since the 1982/83 Maha crop of 1786 thousand metric tons. The output of paddy increased by 21.8 per cent in the first quarter of 1998 when compared to a increase of 9.5 per cent in the previous year. Tea and fisheries were the other sub-sectors which contributed to the growth in agriculture, during the first quarter of 1998. The favourable performance of the tea sector which continued through 1996 and 1997 made further progress during the first quarter of 1998, recording a growth rate of 6.2 per cent. The main contribution to the increase in tea production, came from the low grown elevational category which grew by 13 per cent contributing to 97 per cent of the increase in output in tea production during the first quarter of 1998. The output of vegetables showed an increase of 1.3 per cent during the first quarter of 1998 in contrast to a decline of 15 per cent in 1997. The fisheries sub-sector grew by 2.9 per cent during the first quarter of 1998, as a result of the recovery in the aquaculture, and expansion in production in the inland fisheries sub-sector, the Central Bank added. The performance of mining and quarrying sector was mixed with the mining sub-sector recording a decline by 37.5 per cent while the quarrying sub-sector grew by 12 per cent. The growth in quarrying sub-sector was solely due to the picking-up of construction activities in which quarrying products are the major inputs. The decline in the mining sub-sector is mainly due to the further setback in gem export. Gem exports decline for the third consecutive quarter, due to the slowing down in demand from Japan and other Asian countries. The manufacturing sector recorded a growth rate of 7.4 per cent in the first quarter 1998 when compared to 11.1 per cent in 1997. The major reason for the slowing down of the growth rate in this sector was that the output in certain export oriented industrial categories such as rubber products and leather goods were affected adversely due to the competition from East Asian countries following the rapid depreciation of their currencies. Garment exports, however, continued to grow more or less at the same rate as last year enabling the garment industry to grow by 9 per cent. The exports of manufactured goods increased from 742 million US Dollars in 1997 to 796 million US Dollars in the first quarter of 1998 indicating a growth of 7.3 per cent. The construction sector recorded a significant growth rate of 12 per cent when compared to 6 per cent in 1997. Indications are that both residential and commercial building construction activities have increased during the first quarter of 1998 over the first quarter of 1997, according to the Central Bank estimates. The services sector in 1998 recorded a growth rate of 5.7 per cent, when compared to 5.0 per cent during the first quarter of 1997 due to stronger performances in transport, port services and communications, electricity, gas and water, banking, insurance and other financial services. Transport, port services and communication sector continued to show dynamism with telecommunication and port services recording growth rates of 40 per cent and 12 per cent. The comparable growth rates in these two sub-sectors in 1997 was 27 per cent and 16 per cent respectively. With sufficient rainfall in hydro-catchment areas and the increase in the capacity of electricity generation, the electricity, gas and water sector recorded a higher growth rate of 16.1 per cent in 1998 when compared to only 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of 1997. Accordingly, electricity consumed through the national grid increased by 14 per cent in the industrial sector while the consumption in commercial and household sectors grew by 12 per cent and 10.5 per cent respectively. The financial sector grew by 8.7 per cent during the first quarter of 1998 when compared to 1 per cent during the first quarter of 1997 largely reflecting an increase in profits in the commercial banking system due to the continuous growth of economic activities during the last 5 quarters. In the trade sub-sector, export trade grew by 9.0 per cent, and imports by 5.5 per cent. Meanwhile domestic trade expanded by 3.0 per cent during the first quarter of 1998 following the improved performance in the economy in 1997. Almost one third of the expansion in the services sector in 1998 was due to the expansion in wholesale and retail trade which grew by 4.8 per cent over the first quarter of 1997, the Central Bank said. Potato farmers' problems to be solved soon -
Minister Minister of Samurdhi, Youth Affairs and Sports. S. B. Dissanayake yesterday assured a delegation of potato farmers of Nuwara Eliya district that government would sort out the problems facing them, during the next few weeks. Answering a question raised by a press reporter at the end of the two-day Presidential People's Service of the Nuwara Eliya district held in Hanguranketha the Minister said that the drop in potato cultivation in the Nuwara Eliya district has affected over 20,000 farmer families and over 30,000 dependants who include the farm labourers. He said that a large number of potato cultivators are giving up cultivations due to obvious reasons and that the unemployment rate of the district which was about 6 percent earlier has risen to about 8 percent as a result. He said the President is conscious of the problem and a scheme would be announced shortly to encourage potato cultivations. Potato farmers will be provided financial assistance and high grade seed potatoes under the scheme while removing marketing constraints he added. Asked what was his answer to the agony of the potato cultivators, he said we have decided to 'agitate with them' who are battling to protect their cultivations from external forces. Referring to measures to protect the environment of the district, the government he said, has succeeded in discouraging tobacco cultivation on the hills of Hanguranketha. The Ceylon Tobacco Company which maintains a branch in Hanguran-ketha is putting up shutters. 'I am waiting to see whether the buildings could be used for a school. 'Usually by this time of the year, one can see only red earth of the mountains ready for planting of tobacco. The mountains are now green with new vegetation as a result of the abandoning of tobacco cultivation. This is a great relief despite a financial loss he added. 'SMAP' loan scheme through ADB support With the assistance of the Asian Development Bank a new US$ 55 million credit scheme is launched to promote investment in small and medium scale enterprises, said the Governor of Central Bank A. S. Jayawardena. He was speaking at a seminar, organised by the Development Finance Department of the Central Bank, held on the July 2 at the auditorium of the Rural Banking and Staff Training College of the Central Bank. Under this credit scheme the National Development Bank provides the refinance while the Central Bank provides the credit guarantee to participating credit institutions, he added. This is a very important loan scheme. It has revealed in a survey conducted by an International Monetary Authority that Sri Lanka and Equador had implemented a loan scheme successfully. The recovery rate touching 90% and this is very good, he further said. Addressing the seminar Chief Executive Officer, National Development Bank, Ranjith Fernando said, that the Small and Medium Enterprises Assistance Project (SMAP) is a follow up of Small and Medium Industries scheme (SMI). He paid his gratitude to the Central Bank for the Credit Guarantee Cover they provided for SMAP. In granting the loan facilities he stressed the need for focusing the attention to the areas of evaluating the project, profitability of the project, and capital cost of the project. Speaking of the benefits of the new credit scheme Mr. Fernando said, the SMAP loans are long term loans, therefore the repayment period varies from 2 to 10 years. Consequently the loan repayment burden is lighter as the repayment instalment is smaller. The grace period can extent from 3 months to 2 years depending on the purpose of the loan. The borrowers are provided with advice by the credit granting institutions to solve their problems particularly those that have an environment aspect. The examiners of the Central Bank too would periodically examine problem SMAP loans with the purpose of providing advice to rehabilitate them. Working capital financing is not eligible to receive refinance in these sub sectors, he explained. The total refinance of SMAP loan scheme is Rs. 3500 million. The maximum single loan is limited to Rs. 10 million. The loan period is up to 10 years and the interest rate is 16% p.a. The grace period is up to 2 years. At present there are about ten leading financial institutions which are participating in this credit scheme. Death fast of unemployed
graduates called off The Eastern Province Unemployed Undergraduates Association yesterday called off the fast unto-death after North East Governor Gamini Fonseka promised to provide employment to a large number of the Association's members. The 'fast unto death' campaign lasted seven days. Earlier in the day students in schools in the Trincomalee town area staged a hartal and boycotted their classes in support of the campaign launched by the unemployed graduates. Some of the students have attacked security forces personnel with stones. Later some persons had damaged government property in a series of attacks. Devananda’s
health condition fast improving The EPDP leader and Jaffna District MP Douglas Devananda is expected to be taken out of the Intensive Care Unit in two days time as his condition has improved satisfactorily, the Deputy Director of the Accident Service of the National Hospital Dr. Hector Weerasinghe said yesterday. The EPDP leader was attacked by a group of LTTE suspects at the Kalutara Prison on June 30 and subsequently admitted to the Kalutara Hospital. He was transferred to the Colombo National Hospital (CNH) as he had suffered serious head injuries. Mr. Deva-nanda was unconscious from the day he was admitted to hospital until Sunday. Though the President Chandrika Kumaratunga offered to send him abroad for treatment, the doctors pointed out that his condition was not at that time conducive to do so. According to Dr. Weerasinghe, Deva-nanda had regained his consciousness and started speaking. Dr. Terrence de Silva, the Director of the CNH said that it was up to the relatives of Devananda to decide whether he should be taken abroad or not. ‘Our doctors, after a great effort have saved his life, and now he is in a condition to be taken to another country for treatment if his relatives so wish", Dr. Silva added. Both the Director and the Deputy Director of the CNH said that the credit for saving the life of Devananda should be given to the team of medical specialists led by Dr. Sunil Perera. Another official of the hospital pointed out that other than the possible security threat on the life of the EPDP Leader at the CNH, he saw no other reason for him to be taken to another country as every treatment he required was available at the CNH. Meanwhile, it is reported that 16 suspect-prisoners who had been arrested in connection with the attack on Devananda were produced before the Kalutara Magistrate D. A. Rajapakse on Sunday and remanded till July 16. The CID assisted by the Kalutara North police conducting investigations had so far recorded statements of several prison officers who were on duty at the time of the incident. |
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