Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Police in Sri Lanka on Sunday fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters angry over a decision to postpone local elections after the government said it cannot finance them because of the country’s crippling economic crisis.

About 15 people were treated for minor injuries, according to Colombo National Hospital.

COLOMBO, Feb 19 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lankan Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva, said, the government will spend around 132 million U.S. dollars on port development projects.

These investments would be made through revenue generated from port operations, the minister said last night.

Speaking at an event in Colombo, the minister said, the government has allocated over 100 million dollars for the Eastern Container Terminal and 32 million dollars for the Jaya Container Terminal.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Debt-stricken Sri Lanka is fast-tracking efforts to seal a stalled trade pact with Thailand in order to boost trade and tourism, and improve the foreign currency shortage that has led to its worst economic crisis, a government minister said on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka began talks with Thailand on a free trade agreement in 2016, held two rounds of discussions in 2018, and the latest last month. But government spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said there’s been a “huge delay” and Sri Lanka is now determined to sign the agreement before the end of March.

COLOMBO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's government has donated a consignment of Ceylon tea to earthquake-hit Türkiye, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.

According to the ministry, the consignment was handed over to the Turkish ambassador in Colombo by the director general for emergency response of the ministry on Friday.

The donation was coordinated by the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Sri Lanka Tea Board, the ministry said.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s president on Wednesday appealed for patience amid the country’s worst economic crisis but promised brighter times ahead.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a policy speech after inaugurating a new parliamentary session that he had been forced to make unpopular decisions to salvage the country’s finances, including by implementing measures such as higher taxes.

COLOMBO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Lanka Coal Company, incorporated to procure and supply coal for coal-fired thermal plants of Sri Lanka, on Saturday requested over 12 million U.S. dollars to buy coal for power plants.

Chairman of the Lanka Coal Company Shehan Sumanasekara told media that he has asked the money from Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera.

The Lanka Coal Company needs 2 million metric tons of coal annually, or 33 ship loads, to manage energy needs, he said.

COLOMBO, Feb 3 (APP): Minister of state for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar arrived here on Friday on a two days official visit of Sri Lanka.

The Minister of State was received by Sri Lankan State Minister for Tourism, Ms. Diana Gamage, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Maj. Gen. (R) Umar Farooq Burki and officials of the High Commission.

During the visit, Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar will attend 75th Independence Day of Sri Lanka as a guest of honour.

COLOMBO, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will release 588 prisoners on Saturday on presidential amnesty to mark the country's 75th Independence Day, a senior official said on Friday.

Commissioner of the Department of Prisons and Spokesman Chandana Ekanayake said 557 of them are those rehabilitated by courts on drug-related offences.

He said 31 inmates, who were jailed for other offenses but deemed to have displayed good behavior during their imprisonment, will be released too.

COLOMBO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka received over 100,000 tourists in January 2023, Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando said on Wednesday.

Fernando told the media that 82,327 tourists arrived in January last year and the number has risen to 102,545 in January this year.

He said tourist arrivals are increasing due to the improved situation and the promotional activities carried out in the South Asian island country.

According to the minister, 719,978 tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2022.

COLOMBO, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has made 327 billion rupees (900 million U.S. dollars) last year by exporting rubber products, the Rubber Development Department said on Saturday.

Director General of the department Madawa Kulasuriya told the media that this was a slight drop from 2021 revenue, which was 1 billion dollars.

However, the South Asian country intends to increase revenue from rubber products to 3 billion dollars by 2025, he said.