INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kiriella urged to reveal ministers evading SO questionsJVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Parliament yesterday was critical of the
ministers who have not provided answers to questions by the Opposition Leader or party leaders under Standing Order 27 (2)
Dissanayake said nine such questions were left unanswered over three months
He demanded the Leader of the House to reveal the names of the ministers who have not answered to nine questions.
Leader of the House
Minister Lakshman Kiriella said he cannot reveal the names of those ministers
He said Speaker Karu Jayasuriya can make a decision on these ministers and accused Dissanayake of raising &unnecessary
questions&.
Dissanayake said, &How come asking which ministers did not answer the 27 (2) questions is an unnecessary question? All the MPs
The public has a right to know what their representatives are doing
They deserve to know which ministers don''t answer questions
Some questions have not been answered for over three months.
MP Douglas Devananda reiterated the same issue and pointed out that five
questions he raised are yet to receive answers.
Speaker Jayasuriya said he shall look into the matter.
A question raised under SO 27 (2)
is any question relating to a matter of urgent public importance asked by the Leader of the Opposition or a leader of a recognised political
party at the conclusion of questions after due notice has been given to the minister concerned.
Speaker shows displeasure over Wijeyadasa
comment
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday expressed his disappointment over a statement by UPFA MP Dr
Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe that Parliament was the most corrupt institution in the country.
Speaker Jayasuriya was responding to UPFA Gampaha
District MP Nimal Lanza when he queried the opinion of the Chair on the statement by Dr
Rajapakshe.
If MP Rajapakshe holds such an opinion of the august assembly then he should not remain in such a corrupt place,& the Speaker
said.
MP Lanza, raising a point of order, said MP Rajapakshe had stated in public that parliament was the most corrupt institution in the
country and there were media reports.
MP Rajapakshe stated that parliament is corrupt and the laptops fixed on our tables are nothing but a
This statement is not good for the dignity of Parliament, its Speaker and the MPs
We need an explanation from the Chair on this matter,& MP Lanza said.
The Chinese Parliament donated the laptops
Parliament had been given donations by other countries as well
If any MP does not like laptops, they could refrain from using them
I regret the statement of MP Rajapakshe
If he thinks so, then he should not be here,& Speaker Jayasuriya said.
SriLankan board against reductions: ‘Reduced ground-handling
charges benefit airlines, won''t attract tourists
The Board of Directors of Sri Lankan Airlines were not in agreement with the decision
made to reduce the ground handling charges for services provided by Sri Lankan Airlines to other airlines, JVP Leader Anura Kumara
Dissanayake observed in Parliament yesterday, adding that this was a political decision which brings no benefit for the country and it
causes huge losses to the government.
Raising a question under standing orders 27/2 in Parliament yesterday, he noted that based on a
Cabinet decision, the Government had reduced the ground handling charges at the BIA for six months from August 1.
This decision was
announced by the Director General of Civil Aviation and the Government has also taken steps to provide fuel for aircraft and lubricants at
concessionary rates and grant tax concessions
They had made this decision on the presumption that the ground handling charges at the BIA was high and that by reducing the ground handling
charges would be a boost to attract more tourists to the country
However, experts in the field have pointed out that this was a futile exercise and that by this decision the Government stands to lose a
huge sum of money,& he said.
Dissanayake noted that the benefit of the reduction went to the airline companies and not to the passenger
&However, these airlines, while enjoying the reduction, have not signed any agreement to increase the seating capacity of their flights to
the country or reduce the price of tickets
Therefore, the claims that this decision would attract greater numbers of tourists to the country are baseless,& he added.
The JVP leader
pointed out that due to the reduction in ground-handling charges alone, SriLankan Airlines loses around $ 710,000 (Rs
Within the six months that the reduced ground handling charges are offered, the country would stand to lose around $ 4.3 million (Rs
&Similarly, as tourist arrivals have yet not returned to normalcy after the Easter Sunday attacks, due to the decision made to reduce ground
handling charges Sri Lankan Airlines stands to lose an estimated $ 800,000 monthly, amounting to a loss of $ 4.8 million during the six
This is in addition to the loss incurred by providing fuel concessions.
Since 2008, SriLankan Airlines had not increased ground handling
charges and in 2016 these charges for various airlines was reviewed
Accordingly, a decision was taken to remove all unfair benefits enjoyed by certain airlines and a system of providing concessions based on
the number of flights was approved
Accordingly, Air India and Singapore Airlines increased charges by 18 per cent, Saudi Airlines by 15 per cent, Turkey Airlines by 13 per
cent, Korean Airlines by 8 per cent and Emirates by 4 per cent
Meanwhile, Etihad had reduced their charges by 4 per cent, Qatar Airways and Air China by 5 per cent, Air Asia and Malaysian Air by 6 per
cent, Air Arabia by 10 per cent
Under such circumstances, there was no requirement to reduce the ground handling charges,& he said.
According to Dissanayake, by the
reduction, Emirates stands to gain around $ 1,200 per flight
&However, while Emirates has to pay $ 4,864 per flight to Colombo, SriLankan Airlines has to endure a charge of $ 5,118 in Dubai which is
operated by the Emirates Airlines ground handling company, Dnata.
Exports grew 11.3 per cent in first quarter of this year - Nalin
In
comparison to the 1st quarter of 2018, exports have shown a growth of 11.3 per cent during the 1st quarter of 2019, said Development
Strategies and International Trade Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara Jayamaha.
Opening the debate in Parliament yesterday for the approval of
three Orders under the Sri Lanka Export Development Act, Jayamaha said the service exports has recorded a notable growth of 27.3 per cent
compared to the 1st quarter in 2018.
During the 1st quarter in 2018, our total revenue from exports was USD 7584.4 million
It has been increased to USD 8441.7 million in the 1st quarter of 2019
Furthermore, the industry export sector has recorded a growth of 5.6 per cent
If we look at the service export sector, we have been able to record a growth of 61.2 per cent in ICT related services in 1st quarter in
2019,& he said.
Jayamaha said the government believes that the country should go forward by increasing exports
We want to record a 20 per cent increase in exports by 2020.
We should reduce our export-import gap as well
We can''t bear the current gap
To reduce this and increase our exports, the government has initiated several new projects
Through projects such as the ‘Exporter 2000& and ‘One Village One Product& initiative, we will recognise new exporters and introduce
them to the global market,& he said.
PCs& stamp duty non-payment has caused serious issue - Alahapperuma
A serious issue has arisen at
local government institutions over stamp duty since the Provincial Councils do not pay it, said UPFA- MP Dullas Alahapperuma in Parliament
yesterday.
He said the issue had gravely affected the Southern Province and several other areas
&The most dangerous factor is that thousands of appointments have been given and when the Treasury does not authorise funds for their
salaries, the Provincial councils paid for them with the money allocated for the stamp duty of the local government bodies.
After two
years, this money is returned to the Treasury and the provincial councils will never get those funds back, he said
&It is irrelevant which party is in power, this is a serious issue
This is a grave violation of the fundamentals of democracy,& he said.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya agreed that it was a serious matter and asked
to focus on the issue.
Minister Gayantha Karunatillaka inquired from Alahapperuma which Provincial Councils he was referring to in his
allegations.
Alahapperuma said the crisis affects all provincial councils and not just the Southern Province
Even the Wayamba Province is affected with the crisis.
UNP Badulla District MP Chaminda Wijesiri said this situation is traditional
&No matter which government is in power, this is a right which is granted to the Local Government member
This is a privilege given to LG representatives through an Act, and they cannot be deprived of it
Every Chief Minister does this at some point
When we represented the Provincial Councils in 2011, we also had to face this situation,& he said.
He, therefore, urged the Speaker to
intervene and resolve the issue
&Today the garbage issue cannot be resolved because the fund for the disposal of garbage is stuck at the Provincial Councils, and they are
The Local Government bodies cannot function independently due to the issue and the matter needs to be sorted out so that the Local
Government institutions could function efficiently and independently,& he said.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said the issue had been prevalent
over a considerable period
He said relevant measures needed to be taken to resolve the issue.
Over 1,000 flights cancelled following Easter Sunday attacks -
Abeysinghe
Over 1,000 flights scheduled to reach Sri Lanka were cancelled in May following the Easter Sunday terror attack, Transportation
and Civil Aviation State Minister Ashoka Abeysinghe yesterday said.
The State Minister was responding to a question by JVP leader Anura
Kumara Dissanayake raised under the 27 (2) Standing Order.
Abeysinghe pointed out that a cancellation of one flight amounts to a direct
revenue loss of USD 11,000 and an indirect revenue loss of USD 49,500.
Dissanayake was critical of the government decision to lower the
ground handling charges provided by the SriLankan Airlines for other airlines.
The State Minister said, &This question mainly focuses on
It is not under the Transportation Ministry but under the Finance Ministry
Finance State Minister Eran Wickremeratne will give a comprehensive answer to this question at the next sitting
You may know that Sri Lanka has the highest embarkation charges in Asia
Lowering these charges comes as a Cabinet decision to attract foreign tourists to Sri Lanka.
NFC, NA failed in preserving films -
Nalinda
JVP Kalutara District MP Dr
Nalinda Jayatissa said in Parliament yesterday that although conserving films is a part of preserving the national heritage, the National
Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Archives (NA) failed to bring about a sound solution to preserve films for decades.
Dr Jayatissa
said the NFC does not have a proper mechanism to preserve films produced by past Lankan cinema artistes
In 1956 when Rekawa was created, Dr Lester James Peiris requested that a film conservation unit should be set up
He repeated that request on numerous instances
Even at his deathbed, he made the request
Unfortunately we have failed as a nation to make his dream a reality
All past films whether they are artistic creations or commercial films, they should be persevered
It is up to the future generations to decide on their importance,& Dr
Jayatissa said.
Several projects were initiated by the NFC for the purpose, but none succeeded, he said
Thereafter, the National Archives accepted the task but it does not have trained persons and physical resources for the purpose,& he
said.
Chief Government Whip Lands and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka responding on behalf of the Cultural Affairs
Minister said the NFC had a programme to conserve films and 356 films had been preserved
He said relevant persons are trained
So far five persons had been sent to obtain training from the Indian Film Heritage Foundation.
Minister Karunathilaka said the subject
minister would provide a det
