LRT Project: Japanese embassy says Project loans depend on debt restructuring
In response to a query about the restart of the Japan-financed Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, the Japanese embassy in Colombo said the resumption of loan projects and the launch of a new loan project will depend on the progress of the debt restructuring process.
The Sri Lankan Cabinet gave approval this week to proceed with the resumption of the US $ 2.2 billion LRT project to be financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The line is to be constructed linking Malambe with Colombo Fort. The project was launched during the time of the previous Yahapalana government. However, in September, 2020, the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government scrapped the project.
During the recent visit to Japan, President Ranil Wickremesinghe sought to resume the project.
Responding to a query posed by Daily Mirror in this regard, the Japanese embassy said it is important for Sri Lanka to proceed with the debt restructuring process with all the creditors in a transparent, equal manner.The embassy said Japan will see how to resume loan projects and start new loan projects while keeping an eye on the debt restructuring proce
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On the occasion of Poson Full Moon Poya Day, 440 prisoners will be released today (3) under the special State amnesty granted by the President.
This special state amnesty is granted based on the powers assigned to the President via Clause 34 of the Constitution.
Among those to be released are 434 male prisoners and six female prisoners.The Additional Commissioner General of Prisons (media spokesman) Chandana Ekanayake said that these prisoners will be released from 24 prisons.
The greatest number of prisoners to be released is from the Pallekelle Prison and the number is 87. 43 Prisoners from the Mahara Prison, 39 Prisoners from the Taldena Prison, 37 prisoners from the Weerawila Prison, 26 prisoners from the Pallansena prison, 22 prisoners from the Welikada prison and 21 prisoners from the Batticaloa prison are to be released. This special Presidential Amnesty is effective only for prisoners who were in prison until 22 May.
Granting a 14-day amnesty for a year or part of a year spent in prison to the prisoners who are serving their sentence in prison until June 3, cancelling the balance of the sentence for prisoners who have not paid fines, abolishing the rest of the prison sentence in respect of prisoners who are serving their sentence in prison by June 3, the remaining balance of the sentence of prisonerswho have been sentenced to 40 years or more including fines and have served 20 years of that sentence by June 3 (from the date of sentencing by the High Court) will be canceled under this amnesty.
Also, among the prisoners who were sentenced to life on this June 03, or the prison sentence of the prisoner who was sentenced to life imprisonment at the age of 18 years or less will be reduced to 15 years (with fines) and implemented from the date of sentencing by the High Court.
The remainder of the rehabilitation period of the prisoners who have been convicted of drug charges as of June 3 (including prison sentences completed on non-payment of fines) and sent to rehabilitation as of this date, and who have completed half or more of their rehabilitation period, according to the ommunity Revision Act No. 46 of 1999 will be abolished have to be spent under the supervision of an officer under this amnesty.
Litro Gas Lanka, one of the country’s two leading suppliers of domestic Liquefied Petroleum (LP) gas, has decided to slash the prices of its products.
The price reduction will be effective from midnight tomorrow (June 04), according to Litro chairman and CEO Muditha Peiris.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested three employees of a state bank in Oddamavadi for stealing pawned gold jewellery to the tune of LKR 20 million.
According to the police, among the arrestees are the deputy manager, operations manager and the service assistant of the said state bank.
The trio is accused of stealing pawned 873g of gold jewellery from the safety-deposit box of the state bank.
The CID team had initiated probes into the matter after receiving a complaint about several pieces of gold jewellery that had gone missing from the depository of the bank.
An individual, upon visiting the bank to retrieve the gold jewellery he had pawned in November last year to obtain a loan, had learned that the items were, in fact, missing. After conducting an inspection, the bank employees realized that 13 packets of gold jewellery have been disappeared from the depository.
The bank’s management has suspended the duties of the deputy manager over the incident.
During the interrogations, he had confessed that two other female employees – an operations manager and a service assistant – too were complicit in the theft. They were later placed under arrest by the CID investigators.
They had used the depository keys which were in their possession to steal the gold jewellery on three occasions.
After stealing 13 packets of gold jewellery, the trio had sold them to gold jewellery shops in the area for LKR 13.7 million out of which LKR 5.7 million was retained by the deputy manager to settle a loan. The operations manager, meanwhile, held on to LKR 5 million, which she deposited in a bank for her daughter. The service assistant had purchased a three-wheeler and a piece of land from the LKR 3 million she received.
The trio was remanded until June 16 after being produced before the Valachchenai Magistrate’s Court on Friday (June 02).
