HYDEPARK: Recent Episodes
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As the 2024 Presidential election approaches, ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte' featured Dr. Ahilan Kadirgamar, Senior Lecturer from the University of Jaffna and a renowned expert on Sri Lanka's political economy, to explore the critical economic policies Sri Lanka must adopt to navigate the country’s worst economic crisis since independence. Dr. Kadirgamar discusses the root causes of the crisis, examining both domestic policy failures and the broader global economic conditions that have contributed to the current situation. He critiques the economic strategies of successive Sri Lankan governments and highlights the potential pitfalls of continuing down the same path without significant reforms.The conversation also touches on the controversial agreements with the IMF, questioning whether the conditions imposed are in the best interest of the Sri Lankan people. Dr. Kadirgamar advocates for a renegotiation of these agreements to ensure that the focus is on self-sufficiency and reducing social suffering, rather than austerity measures that could further cripple the economy.Looking to the future, Dr. Kadirgamar emphasizes the importance of prioritising health, education, and food security in the recovery process. He argued for a comprehensive restructuring of Sri Lanka's debt, warning against the risks of repeated defaults and stressing the need for policies that ensure long-term stability and growth.
The Secretary General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Indra Mani Pandey says the seven member states of the association are collectively working towards realizing their Sustainable Development Goals. Joining this week's episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte' the Secretary General of BIMSTEC, discussed the importance of regional integration among member states and the initiatives taken by each state to support other member nations in achieving individual development goals. Discussing latest developments in the organization the Secretary General Pandey said, a special report prepared by an eminent persons’ group is scheduled to be published in the next BIMSTEC summit, in order to identify the weaknesses and opportunities presented by the BIMSTEC for its member states. He also said a Technology Transfer Facility is expected to be set up in Colombo, enabling the member nations to have access to technologies developed by other BIMSTEC member states.
Joining this week's episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte' the World Bank's Chief Economist for South Asia, Franziska Ohnsorge discussed key indicators outlined in the recent release of the Sri Lanka Development Update, titled "Bridge to Recovery”. She highlighted several positive developments, such as easing inflation, increased revenues due to new fiscal policies and a current account surplus for the first time in nearly fifty years. These gains have been supported by rising remittances and a resurgence in tourism. Also talking about the South Asia Development Update, Ohnsorge said that South Asia is poised to maintain its status as the world's fastest-growing region, largely propelled by India's robust economic expansion. However, this optimistic outlook masks underlying challenges. Many countries in the region still lag behind pre-pandemic growth levels, relying heavily on government spending. She added that in order to ensure more resilient and enduring growth, nations must implement policies that foster private investment and enhance employment opportunities. Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Dr. Pramod Varma, Co-Chair of the Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure in India, explains the fundamentals of a Digital ID, which Sri Lanka also plans to introduce. He spoke of how the Indian government streamlined the process of providing government aid to the general public through the digital ID.Joining ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, Dr. Varma, who led India’s ‘Aadhar’ Digital ID program in 2009, explained how laws were ensured to protect personal information and privacy of data of individuals.Dispelling recent rumours, he also assured that data of Sri Lankans will not be shared with the Indian Government through Sri Lanka’s programme to introduce digital IDs to citizens, launched in collaboration with India.Also joining the program, the Secretary to the Ministry of Technology, Dr. Dharmasri Kumaratunga, assured that all data collected will be secured within Sri Lanka and that it will be used to streamline the process of welfare distribution. He assured that the digital ID will only be used to identify individuals, strictly for use when providing government services.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Eran Wickramaratne says the main opposition is ready for any election, and commended the President's statement on holding Presidential election first. Commenting on possible alliances, MP WIckramaratne said that the SJB is continuing discussions with all interested stakeholders. Joining 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, MP Wickramaratne said that a merger with the origin party of SJB- the United National Party, is possible under the right circumstances as both parties' socio economic opinions run parallel to each other.Meanwhile discussing his decision to resign from the Committee on Public Enterprises, Eran Wickramaratna said that the ethics and character of a person must be evaluated along with the skill and knowledge when appointing members and chair to committees.
I STAND FOR A UNITED, UNDIVIDED INDIVISIBLE SRI LANKA - M A SUMANTHIRAN 'AT HYDE PARK WITH INDEEWARI AMUWATTE'MP of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi M.A. Sumanthiran, says that his party is ready to work with any President in office but, solving the Tamil national question will remain a priority.Joining 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte,' MP Sumanthiran discussed at length the ongoing IMF Extended Fund Facility Program, prevailing social issues in the country, power devolution and the upcoming election. Commenting on the recent meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sri Lanka’s IMF arrangement, MP Sumanthiran said his party did not have any reason to boycott the meeting and that as public representatives, politicians are responsible for engaging in matters that impact the country and citizens.On his personal Political stance, Sumanthiran said he stands for a united, undivided, even indivisible Sri Lanka in which powers of governance are shared among the people of the country.
In this episode of 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte, Carol Spahn, the Director of Peace Corps, who is in Sri Lanka, to oversee the swearing in of 20 Peace Corps Volunteers from the United States discuss the educational program that is set to be implemented in the country. The 25th group of Peace Corps volunteers are set to embark on a two-year service journey as English teachers in the Central and Uva provinces. The Director of the Peace Corps, Spahn said that Volunteers will work alongside their Sri Lankan counterparts, including English teachers and principals, to deliver English language instruction to Sri Lankan school children. Further, she also discusses the challenges and opportunities experienced by the Peace Corps while commending the support of the local authorities and added that the Peace Corps is willing to expand the program throughout the country.
Veteran cinematographer Chandran Rutnam asserts that the film industry is one of the top five revenue generators globally and that it can be a major source of income for Sri Lanka, if essential infrastructure facilities are in place.Joining 'At HydePark' with Indeewari Amuwatte, the filmmaker highlighted that, Sri Lanka must promote and invest in iconic locations of the country featured in international movie productions, such as in the critically acclaimed Hollywood movie "The Bridge on the River Kwaii".Rutnam disclosed his intentions to position Sri Lanka as the Asian Film Capital and stated that a number of Indian producers and directors have expressed a strong desire to film in Sri Lanka.
Joining ‘At Hydepark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mizukoshi Hideaki says his country expects an early conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding on debt treatment between Sri Lanka and the Official Creditor Committee - co-chaired by Japan, France, and India, adding that debt restructuring is a crucial step for Sri Lanka to restore the island nation’s debt sustainability.Highlighting that the Japanese government had to suspend all yen loan projects following Sri Lanka’s debt standstill announcement in 2022, the Japanese Envoy in Colombo said funding for all suspended projects will resume, especially for construction of Terminal-2 of the Bandaranaike International Airport, which was also inspected by Japanese Minister of Finance Shunichi Suzuki during his recent visit to Sri Lanka.Further, Japanese Ambassador Mizukoshi Hideaki said his country wants Sri Lanka to be a strong independent nation and added that Japan hopes to obtain more support from island nations for the Japanese economy to address issues such as an ageing population.This programme was live recorded on January 22, 2024 and aired on Ada Derana 24 on January 25, 2024.
Former Foreign Secretary of India Ambassador Shyam Saran explained that India’s support rendered towards Sri Lanka's economic recovery has no strings attached adding that "what India offers to Sri Lanka is either on grant or credit at low rate".Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte during the current affairs programme ‘At HydePark’ on Ada Derana 24 during his visit to Sri Lanka in ... 2023, Shyam Saran reaffirmed that India does not object Chinese investments in Sri Lanka but cautioned that the Sri Lankan government should be mindful whether such investments serve the country’s interest.Highlighting that India being Sri Lanka's geographically closest neighbour in the South Asian Region, "has its own genuine security concerns", the Former Indian Foreign Secretary was of the view that both Sri Lanka and India naturally have a reciprocal advantage of being concerned about each other’s security.This episode of 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte' was aired on Ada Derana 24 on 2 November 2023.
Public Policy Analyst and President of the Institute for 21st Century Questions Dr. Irvin Studin pointed out that the closure of schools in Sri Lanka during the period of the COVID_19 pandemic, was one of the longest in the world, Sri Lanka should ensure that schools are run with high energy.Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte during the current affairs programme 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24, Dr. Studin was of the view that government has to take necessary measures to rectify the education loss due to the pandemic by considering the education of children as a national mission.This episode of 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte' was aired on Ada Derana 24 on 9 November 2023.
On this episode of ‘At HydePark', officials of the International Monetary Fund on a staff visit to Sri Lanka, joined Indeewari Amuwatte for an exclusive discussion on Sri Lanka’s crisis recovery process and beyond.IMF Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, Peter Breuer said the macro-economy is showing signs of recovery, however the current stability in the Sri Lankan economy is yet to reach the broader population.While highlighting the agreements reached in principle with China’s EXIM bank and the Official Creditor Committee to restructure the country’s debt as a major milestone, Breuer said the global lender expects Sri Lanka’s debt issues be solved within a couple of months to ensure that there are no complications when the second review of the IMF EFF programme is evaluated by its Executive Board.He said the IMF expects tax revenue to improve to 12% of GDP in 2024 and emphasized the importance of introducing property/wealth tax in order to minimise the tax burden on the majority of the population.Meanwhile, IMF Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, Dr. Sarwat Jahan, who also joined the discussion ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, said Sri Lanka should focus on implementing recommendations that were outlined in the Governance Diagnostic report, the first published by an Asian country with the technical support of the IMF.
On this episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, veteran civil servant Austin Fernando discusses the crucial incidents leading to an escalation of the civil war in Sri Lanka and the historic events of the country's political landscape.Elaborating on the social unrest that began with the passing of the Official Language Act of 1956 and the 1983 Black July riots, the former public administrator pointed to the unavoidable responsibility of the civil war on former governments, administrators and politicians. Austin Fernando, who had served under 6 Sri Lankan Executive Presidents, added that the actions of politicians representing the minorities too contributed to escalating tensions and emphasized that public administrators who were in positions of power, should have done more to prevent some of the darkest episodes of Sri Lankan history.
Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe highlighted the importance of restructuring the country's debt, noting that it paved the path for lower debt servicing obligations by the government, thereby enabling the private sector to have more access to credit and resources essential for growth.During his first interview with Indeewari Amuwatte 'At HydePark' following the IMF's approval of the 2nd tranche of the Extended Fund Facility programme to Sri Lanka, the Central Bank Chief refuted claims that the Sri Lankan Government is imposing conditions set out by the International Monetary Fund.He said the reform programme implemented to overcome the crisis is fully owned by the Sri Lankan government and that the IMF is only monitoring progress to provide assurances that the programme is feasible.Speaking further, Dr. Weerasinghe assured the public that the country which was on the verge of collapsing is now on the right path and the year 2024 and beyond will have more positive results in terms of economic growth and stabilisation.
SRI LANKA MUST HAVE INNOVATIVE EDUCATION - DR. BANDULA WIJAY ‘AT HYDEPARK WITH INDEEWARI AMUWATTE’On this episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, Sri Lanka's Ambassador for Science, Technology and Innovation Dr. Bandula Wijay discussed how entrepreneurship and innovation can support Sri Lanka's progress and path to recovery.Dr. Wijay said, the main change must take place in the idea of education which should encourage creative and critical thinking enabling students to come up with innovations that can support themselves and the country.He further emphasized that the education system must encourage innovation by creating an environment where students get hands-on experience and guidance from innovators directly.Commenting on the current brain drain in the STEM career fields, Dr. Wijay said, despite the place or the sector students receive education from, the government must introduce a standard mechanism for all sectors to produce more professionals in the STEM fields while also retaining skills in the country.
INDIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER GOPAL BAGLAY JOINS ‘AT HYDEPARK WITH INDEEWARI AMUWATTE’ On this episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, outgoing Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay discusses the vision for the advancement in bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and India, with the anticipated economic growth of India. Indian envoy to Sri Lanka says India does not have any strings attached to the assistance extended to Sri Lanka during crisis times and in the debt restructuring process, adding that the leaders of India are keen on protecting and strengthening ties with Sri Lanka.Further elaborating, the High Commissioner explained the areas in which India sees potential for investment- education, power and energy and transportation. He also commented on ongoing negotiations related to the bilateral Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement saying the two countries are focusing on expediting its implementation.Speaking on security concerns of the Indian Ocean region, High Commissioner Gopal Baglay said peace and security should be a shared responsibility of both nations.
On this episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, former Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund to Sri Lanka, Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque and Professor in Economics at University of Colombo, S. P. Premaratne discuss Sri Lanka’s ongoing debt restructuring process, tax reforms and how the economy should modernise to face challenges of the future “.Former IMF Resident Representative to Sri Lanka Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque said, the country should find alternatives and cut down subsidies for welfare and create opportunity for the economy to grow without considering the IMF bailout as a gift but a reform that needed to take place in the country.Further elaborating, Dr. Haque said, as a country recovering from crisis, Sri Lanka must look for ways to put the island in a position to attract foreign investment and take more risks in the recovering process.Also speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte, Professor in Economics at the University of Colombo, S. P. Premaratne said, the Sri Lankan government should also focus on non-conventional income methods without solely relying on the expected tax revenue in the coming years. He pointed out that data indicate a reduction in individual incomes due to the adverse effects on personal income and corporate income following the increase in VAT and income tax rates.
On this episode of 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte', an eminent panel of experts on Taxation discuss how Sri Lanka’s tax policy should be structured. Principal of the Tax & Regulatory Division of KPMG Suresh Perera points out that Sri Lanka must address tax policy and differentiate taxes according to an industry priority mechanism to reap the best tax income for the government, without having a uniform tax rate for all sectors which could be a disadvantage for certain industries.Perera said officers of the Inland Revenue Department should also be educated to understand different industry activities to make the tax collection mechanism more efficient.Meanwhile, Chairman of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Country Managing Partner of Ernst & Young (Sri Lanka & Maldives) Duminda Hulangamuwa pointed out that Sri Lanka is not in a position to give different taxes to each industry as the country is in the middle of a debt restructuring process.Hulangamuwa is of the view that until Sri Lanka attains debt sustainability status through the IMF programme, there will be no room for economic growth as the country is unable to attract Foreign Direct Investment without credibility assured by the IMF.Meanwhile, Senior Partner of Gajma & Co. N. R. Gajendran noted that tax relief could be given if the investment expenses of the corporation can be identified.Gajendran said that since the government is expected to broaden its tax net in the year 2024, authorities should clarify the government's decision to include all citizens above 18 years of age in the tax net by making it mandatory to open Tax Identification Number files with the Inland Revenue Department.
FORMER DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL BANK OF SRI LANKA DR. ROSHAN PERERA WITH INDEEWARI AMUWATTE ‘AT HYDEPARK’ ON ADA DERANA 24The Former Director of the Central Bank, Dr. Roshan Perera supports the view that Sri Lanka’s Budget 2024 mainly focuses on continuing the macroeconomic stability that Sri Lanka has achieved over the past few months.Dr. Perera also noted that through the proposed budget, the government should also focus on providing more room for economic growth through the country's fiscal policy.Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte at HydePark on Ada Derana, she further observed that, per the budget presented on November 13 regarding tax revenue, the challenging objective of achieving targets will be crucial to keep abreast with the International Monetary Fund's Extended Fund Facility.
Member of the Federal Parliament in Nepal and Economist Dr. Swarnim Waglé commended measures taken by Sri Lankan authorities to engage bilaterally with countries outside the South Asian Region to gain preferential trade access.During his visit in Sri Lanka, Dr. Waglé joined a discussion with Indeewari Amuwatte on the current affairs programme 'At HydePark’ on Ada Derana 24 where he outlined the importance for Sri Lanka to fulfil promises made to the International Monetary Fund under the Extended Fund facility programme.He pointed out that adhering to IMF conditions will send out a clear sign to potential investors that Sri Lanka is deeply considering the implementation of crisis measures to bounce back.He said that it is the duty of the leadership in the country to explain to the people why the IMF is consulted and the reason for implementing unpopular decisions.
On this episode of 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte', World Bank's Director for South Asia Regional Integration and Engagement Cecile Fruman, Former Foreign Secretary of India Shyam Saran and Group CEO of Hemas Holdings Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson, discuss Sri Lanka's Economic Crisis and Opportunities in South Asia.The former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran was of the view that Sri Lanka is in possession of all necessary assets to overcome the economic crisis and achieve higher levels of economic growth given the island's strategic location.Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24 the Former Indian Foreign Secretary said Sri Lanka can take full advantage of India's growing economy due to the close geographical proximity.Corporate Leader Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson was of the view that Sri Lanka's private sector can benefit from the integration of the South Asia region but insisted that the removal of trade barriers and negotiation of border-less trade agreements must be prioritised.World Bank's Director for Regional Integration and Engagement in the South Asian Region Cecile Fruman meanwhile said Sri Lanka's infrastructure and location of the Port is ideal for the island nation to benefit from regional integration.She also said Sri Lanka can tap markets in the region including India and Bangladesh, with the addition of innovation, creativity and market diversification.
SRI LANKA AIR FORCE COMMANDER AIR MARSHAL UDENI RAJAPAKSA WITH INDEEWARI AMUWATTE 'AT HYDEPARK' Sri Lanka's Air Force Commander, Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa confirmed that the air force will start commercial manufacturing of drones by next year as an alternative method to bring in more revenue to the country.He further said that the force has collaborated with the Arthur C Clark Institute and the University of Moratuwa to further develop its Unmanned Aerial vehicles, manufactured by the Research and Development Department of the Air Force.Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte during our current affairs programme 'At Hyde Park' on Ada Derana 24, the Air Force Chief discussed future plans and the way forward for the Air force as the air force plans to adapt more technology to defend Sri Lanka's air space, while reducing ground troops.
On this episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka Saliya Pieris (PC) and Media Analyst Nalaka Gunawardene discuss a gazette issued in Sri Lanka on the Online Safety bill and how it may affect free speech and investments to the Information Industries in Sri Lanka. President's Counsel Saliya Pieris said, the gazetted bill will restrict the general public's freedom to dissent political or other opinion and will criminalize public opinion. He further said, the country already has enough legislation to battle online harassment as well as hate speech, however adding that laws are not being correctly implemented but are being used to detain or take action against targeted individuals. Also speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte, Media Analyst Nalaka Gunawardene said, the online safety bill, may pose a threat to all online activities including media organizations as well as personnel platforms and can result in global internet solutions pulling out their investments, endangering the economy of the recovering country.Nalaka Gunawardene pointed out that the bill was gazetted in secret without prior public or industry consultation.
On this episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange Dilshan Wirasekara, Member of the State Owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit Mangala Yapa and Former CEO of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Manjula De Silva discuss Sri Lanka’s ongoing SOE divestment process and the way forward.CSE Chairman Dilshan Wirasekara, explaining the creation of a separate listing board and new listing rules at the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), said the CSE expects to enable SOEs to progressively transition from what they are now to what they should be.Former CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Manjula De Silva said the restructuring process was undertaken by several governments in the past and the process has been undertaken to utilise assets under the state to bring in more revenue to the government.Also speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte, Member of the State Owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit Mangala Yapa said, the SOEs under the review must be evaluated individually and bring in customized solutions for each entity and divestment should be done evaluating all the aspects including the payment structures of the state workers currently being employed.
On this episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’, Chairman of the Export Development Board Dr. Kingsley Bernard and President of the Coconut Milk Manufacturers’ Association Randeewa Malalasooriya discuss Sri Lanka’s export potential and opportunities for the coconut industry.EDB Chief Dr. Kingsley Bernard pointed out that Sri Lanka is opening up new market opportunities for exporters through free trade agreements and Comprehensive trade agreements as Sri Lanka aims to achieve export hub status. Dr. Bernard said the Export Development Board is in the process of developing the Sri Lankan brand identity globally to access news markets.Also speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte, President of the Coconut Milk Manufacturers’ Association Randeewa Malalasooriya said, Sri Lanka must look at re-exporting value added products in the short-term while looking at improving productivity of local coconut crop, paving the way to doubling coconut export revenue to around US$ 1.5 billion per annum.
Profiles of the 2019 Easter Sunday Attackers were featured on this episode of ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’. For the first time, hitherto unseen video and audio clips of the suicide bombers were aired. Prof. Rohan Gunaratna, former Director General of Sri Lanka’s Institute of National Security Studies was interviewed by Indeewari Amuwatte to understand the religious ideology that radicalised nine suicide bombers including a woman, who staged a catastrophic attack in Sri Lanka. The programme highlights the recommendations in Professor Gunaratna’s new book titled ‘Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday Massacre - Lesson for the International Community’ to mitigate the ongoing community radicalisation in Sri Lanka.
Dutch State Secretary for Culture and Media, Gunay Uslu with Indeewari Amuwatte ‘At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24State Secretary for Culture and Media of the Netherlands Gunay Uslu highlights the commitment of the Dutch government towards enhancing and strengthening cultural cooperation with Sri Lanka.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry (PC) insists Sri Lanka is committed to not let tensions escalate with neighbouring India over the expected arrival of Chinese vessel 'Shi Yan 6' to Sri Lanka, a year after the controversial Chinese research and surveillance vessel ‘Yuan Wang 5’ caused diplomatic tensions between Sri Lanka and India.Speaking to ‘At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’ the Foreign Minister said a Standard Operation Procedure will be introduced in order to solve this matter amicably.During this week’s episode of ‘At HydePark’ the Sri Lankan foreign minister also highlighted the importance of free trade agreements to a country like Sri Lanka while noting that protectionist policies implemented for decades have restricted Sri Lankan exports accessing larger markets.
Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella says the report of the Expert Committee appointed to look into the suspicious deaths at state-run hospitals is expected by next week.
The minister further stated that the procurement process of emergency purchases does not deviate from the original registration process and only the time frame in completing the purchase differs.
World Bank's Vice President for the South Asia Region Martin Raiser is hopeful that Sri Lanka’s creditors including China will fulfil their commitments in supporting the island nation to restructure debt.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24 during his visit to Sri Lanka, the World Bank Regional VP was of the view that successful implementation of reforms will benefit both Sri Lanka and the creditors creating opportunities for both parties.
Financial Markets expert Ravi Abeysuriya and Capital Markets expert Deshan Pushparajah joined 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24 to talk about Sri Lanka's Domestic Debt Optimisation strategy and the way forward for a speedy economic growth.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte, Ravi Abeysuriya said Domestic Debt Optimisation is essential for Sri Lanka, adding that restructuring foreign loans alone will not help achieve Sri Lanka's debt sustainability targets.
Deshan Pushparajah meanwhile said foreign investors welcome government's move to exclude banks from the Domestic Debt strategy adding that banks are essential during this period to lend more in-order to create a boost in the economic revival.
Parliamentarian of Samagi Jana Balawegaya Eran Wickramaratne and Independent Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila joined 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24 to share their views on the government's efforts to restructure domestic debt.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte, Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila said that bondholders insist on the government to restructure domestic debt, stating that domestic debt restructuring is a prerequisite to restructure bonds. He also said that the public panic is due to a lack of disclosure of the government proposal on how domestic debt will be restructured.
Parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne meanwhile pointed out that corruption vulnerabilities in Sri Lanka need to be addressed to achieve higher levels of economic growth and democracy for a proper economy to function.
Former Director of the IMF's Institute for Capacity Development and member of Presidential Advisory Group on Debt Restructuring Dr. Sharmini Coorey joined 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24, to discuss Sri Lanka’s economic recovery path and measures needed to restore stability.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte, Dr. Coorey pointed out that Sri Lanka must first do away with the practice of granting subsidies and tax holidays on businesses adding that most of these concessions are enjoyed by local firms and not the foreigners.
Women impact leaders explain the need for female participation in Sri Lanka’s economic recovery in the wake of a crisis.
Group CEO of Hemas Holdings Kasturi Chellaraja, Founder/Chairperson of Women in Management Dr. Sulochana Segera and Program Manager for Women in Work Sri Lanka at International Finance Corporation Sarah Twigg joined Indeewari Amuwatte on this episode of 'At HydePark' telecast on Ada Derana 24.
Legal Expert Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa joins Indeewari Amuwatte 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24
HEAD OF SOE RESTRUCTURING UNIT SURESH SHAH JOINS INDEEWARI AMUWATTE 'AT HYDEPARK' ON ADA DERANA 24Head of the State Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit Suresh Shah claims incorrect the Opposition’s narrative that restructuring SOEs is a mere sale of state assets, emphasizing that the real objective focuses on the peopleSpeaking to Indeewari Amuwatte 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24, he went on to say that State Enterprises cannot be identified as national assets given they were established for commercial purposes.Shah pointed out that the goal of bringing about reform is to ensure productivity, create a competitive investment environment and provide goods and services at better prices.
Economist and Public Policy Analyst Professor Rohan Samarajiva says Sri Lanka has to rethink about its export and imports completely and should focus more on export diversification, adding that IMF is not the only solution for the crisis which Sri Lanka is currently facing.Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte in our current affairs programme 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24, Professor Samarajiva said Sri Lanka has to improve its market access which is possible by entering into partnerships with foreign investors and added that government should focus on establishing one stop shops to facilitate foreign investments.
MP of the National People's Power Dr. Harini Amarasuriya says that the current government was elected on a different mandate compared to the one prevalent today, emphasising that the current government doesn't have the consent of the people to proceed with the reforms and decisions being implemented now.She made these remarks whilst speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24 during a panel discussion today.Joining the panel discussion State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage however, denied Dr Amarasuriya's remarks stating that the government cannot seek the opinion of all 22 million people in the country as it would not provide any significant progress in making decisions.
Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe is confident that Sri Lanka will be able to achieve debt sustainability even before the timeframe envisaged through the IMF EFF programme.Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte ‘At HydePark’ on Ada Derana 24, the governor termed the reform agenda “a new era for Sri Lanka”, given that proactive steps have been taken to implement unpopular reforms required by the IMF.Dr. Weerasinghe nevertheless reassured that the situation in the country will get better over the coming months given that the government will only have the option of easing some of the toughest policies that have been taken in the recent past.
Senior Professor in economics at the university of Colombo, Professor Sirimal Abeyratne says that while the bailout package of the International Monetary is not the entire solution for Sri Lanka's crisis, he believes that the government has resorted to easier options when dealing with the crisis through rate hikes, instead of tackling corruption and broadening taxes to include the entire population of the country.He made these remarks whilst speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24, during a panel discussion.Adding on to these sentiments, Development Economist Professor Jayati Ghosh said that the IMF's package will only steepen the crisis the country is in, as the requirements by the IMF put Sri Lanka into a never ending cycle of debt that will not attract investors as expected by officials.
Young Parliamentarians from the National People's Power, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and the United national Party joined Indeewari Amuwatte 'At HydePark' on Ada Derana 24 to discuss their aspirations for the country as potential youth representatives along with how their individual parties adopt long term strategies that they believe are the solutions to the country's economic crisis.
On our current affairs programme 'At Hyde Park' the recent circular issued by the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue on February 7 amending his previous circular dated December 22, 2022 on the quantification of values for non-cash benefits in calculating employment income for taxation - was taken up for discussion. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte 'At HydePark', tax and regulatory expert Suresh Perera pointed out that a select group among the state sector have been granted relief as per the new circular and noted that it violates the basic tax principle of fairness as a result.
Former IMF Representative to Sri Lanka Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque points out that countries who lent money to Sri Lanka will not consider “debt forgiveness” as called for by some economists, as that debt is money generated by their own people and was not meant to have been misappropriated by the borrower country. He made these comments whilst speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte 'At HydePark on Ada Derena 24'. Joining the same discussion, Economist Dr. Tissa Jayaweera said the Sri Lankan government needs to take steps to ensure efficiency and cut down on the number of subsidies given out.
Russian Ambassador in Colombo Levan S. Dzhagaryan says Russia proposed the construction of a 110 megawatt nuclear power plant in Sri Lanka to further strengthen power generation in the island nation and added that its construction will be beneficial for Sri Lanka to retain foreign exchange spent on oil and coal imports. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on ‘At HydePark’ today, Dzhagaryan said Sri Lanka can trust Russia in this process citing examples of Russia assisted nuclear power plant projects in Kudankalam in India and Rooppur in Bangladesh. Further, the Russian Envoy in Colombo invited Russians to visit Sri Lanka and experience the country's rich hospitality in a backdrop where Russia is being sanctioned by European nations due to their war with Ukraine.
Sri Lankan corporate leader Ranjit Page believes that government should introduce a strategic act aiming to protect investors, producers and other stakeholders in the supply chain all the way to the consumer. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte At HydePark on Ada Derana 24, he said that government needs to have a policy framework to bring about the necessary change.
Development Economist Professor Jayati Ghosh and Economist and Social Scientist Dr. Howard Nicolas believe that the path Sri Lanka chose for economic recovery with the support of the IMF would hurt the island's poor and marginalised segments. Making these remarks 'At HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte’ on Ada Derana 24, they said they believe that debt forgiveness would be the only solution for Sri Lanka’s recovery. On the contrary however, financial analyst Murtaza Jafferjee is of the opinion that Sri Lanka would lose access to international creditor markets as soon as it resolves to debt forgiveness while also causing a collapse in the country's banking system.
Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe says the International Monetary Fund bailout package can be approved by the global lender in January 2023 by which time Sri Lanka would have secured creditor assurances from countries including India and China. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte, the Governor further stated that the delay in obtaining Rapid Financing instrument from the IMF this time is because the country has sought the programme to support balance of payment issues, macro-fiscal framework and ensure debt sustainability, an issue that is unique compared to all other times Sri Lanka approached the IMF.
Chief of Delegation of German Industry and Commerce Marie Antonia Von Schonburg says Sri Lanka is not a viable alternative for German businesses to consider investments compared to countries like Vietnam, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Thailand. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte At HydePark the Chief delegate, while recognising the crisis said that unless the country ensures policy consistency, transparency and efficiency, investors looking to diversify their business portfolio will continue to settle for investor friendly nations in the Asian continent.
Buddhist Chaplain to the British Armed Forces Professor Sunil Kariyakarawana believes that the most effective way Sri Lanka can convert the empathy of the Sri Lankans living overseas into a dollar earning avenue is by regaining the trust and credibility in the rulers and their decisions. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme ‘At HydePark’ on Ada Derana 24, Professor Kariyakarawana went on to say that Sri Lanka could avert a future crisis, if the leaders of the country reflect on the mistakes in the past and rectify them while being open for dialogue with the general public.
PANEL DISCUSSION, CBSL GOVERNOR DR. NANDALAL WEERASINGHE TOGETHER WITH EXPERTS JOIN ‘AT HYDEPARK' WITH INDEEWARI AMUWATTE
Canadian Member of Parliament for Don Valley North Han Dong, who is currently in Sri Lanka with a Sri Lankan-Canadian Business Delegation exploring investment opportunities, says Sri Lanka has a good environment for businesses adding that the government has demonstrated its willingness to attract investments to the country. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on ‘At HydePark’ on Ada Derana 24, the MP said he sees Sri Lanka as a country ready for both domestic and foreign investments. He also said infrastructure investments that are mostly capital intensive in nature are important for the Sri Lankan economy to be robust.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme ‘At HydePark’ on Ada Derana 24, Minister Sabry added that the closure the people seek can only be delivered through a local mechanism as it would facilitate and enable all parties to express themselves while protecting the country's sovereignty.
Despite the government's stance that holding elections at present would be an unbearable burden on the general public, MP of the Jathika Jana Balawegaya Dr. Harini Amarasuriya believes on the contrary that holding elections would be the only solution to getting the country out of this crisis and regain the mandate of the people. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme at HydePark on Ada Derana 24, MP Amarasuriya said that the cost of having the current government in power far outweighs the cost that would be incurred through general elections which she highlights could be curtailed if handled properly.
Former Army Commander and Parliamentarian of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka responds to claims on a large defence budget, saying national security is the key for any country to prosper economically. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on “At HydePark on Ada Derana 24”, Field Marshal Fonseka said the collapse of the country’s economy is not an excuse to let national security to shatter. He is also of the view that the military manpower of Sri Lanka needs to be strengthened since the country lacks advanced military equipment. The former Army Commander turned politician, went on to say that he is ready to go before international fora to defend Sri Lanka’s humanitarian operation while urging the international community to seek clarification from him on any claims pertaining to allegations of war crimes.
Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange Dilshan Wirasekara says they expect to introduce a host of new financial instruments to the Colombo Bourse by mid-2023. Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission Viraj Dayaratne stated that the SEC has taken measures to grant approval for many other programmes for the benefit of the general public. These remarks were made during their discussion with Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme ‘At HydePark’ on Ada Derana 24 today Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Tax experts propose that Sri Lanka needs to establish a National Tax Council in order to better handle both tax policies and its administration. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme at HydePark on Ada Derana 24, Tax and Regulatory Principal at KPMG Sri Lanka Suresh Perera believes that this is the solution to dealing with inconsistent tax policies, as the government lacks individuals capable of understanding the formulation of tax policies. Adding to these remarks, Managing Partner of PWC Sri Lanka Sujeewa Mudalige emphasised that Sri Lanka could get out of the current crisis by increasing allocations for education and health instead of defence. Meanwhile, Senior Partner at Gajma and Company N.R.Gajendran said that the way forward for the country would be to ensure that there are people capable of making competent decisions while avoiding fraudulent decisions.
Chairman of the Petroleum Development Authority Saliya Wickramasuriya says Sri Lanka's potential oil and gas reserves is worth between US$ 200 and 300 billion, as per scientific volumetric analysis. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte 'At HydePark’' on Ada Derana 24 he said that measures taken by the PDA such as reducing the exploration licenses agreement to 3 years from 20 years previously, and having an established authority to regulate activities, is inspiring confidence in potential investors in commercially exploring Sri Lanka’s natural resources.
Former foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama say Sri Lanka needs to be mindful and diplomatic when handling issues such as the Chinese vessel 'Yuan Wang 5' as the island nation depends on both its long-standing allies like China and closest neighbour India, during the dire economic situations as these.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on the current affairs programme 'At HydePark on Ada Derana 24' he said Sri Lanka should also have communicated with India about the Chinese vessel due to the sensitivity of tensions that exist between two superpowers.
Creating a clear and stable perspective is the key now for all citizens and for the outside world that is closely watching Sri Lanka now.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte at Hydepark on Ada Derana 24 Former German Human Rights Commissioner and formee member of the German Federal Government Markus Löning said that law makers need to take responsibility and ensure that a clear vision is set for the county in terms of going forward whilst respecting the safety of the people, rule of law and the constitution.Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Professor Emeritus in Sociology at the University of Colombo Siri Hettige says that a need assessment should to be conducted in order to identify vulnerable populations, which could help better allocate available resources to the hardest-hit. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs Programme At Hydepark on Ada Derana 24, Professor Hettige said that borrowed money needs to be put into productive investment that adds benefits to the economy in a sustainable manner.
Country Representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation Vimlendran Sharan urges authorities not to underplay the grave crisis situation Sri Lanka is faced.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on ‘At HydePark, Ada Derana 24, Sharan said authorities should not stick to numbers when dealing with the crisis but rather take an empathetic approach.
Former Resident Coordinator of the International Monetary Fund in Sri Lanka Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque says that policy making needs to be efficient in such a way that it is capable of reacting to sudden changes. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte at Ada Derana 24, Dr. Ul Haque went on to say that the country should step away from history to be creative and innovative by taking countries such as China, Vietnam and Singapore as examples, to move forward Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
U.S Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung welcomes the positive steps Sri Lanka has taken in seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund, saying that the United States, as one of the largest stakeholders of the IMF, wants to support Sri Lanka.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affair programme ‘At HydePark’ on Ada Derana 24, the Ambassador said that this will not only open up financing opportunities from international financial institutions and multilateral banks but individual banks as well.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Minister of Power & Energy Kanchana Wijesekera says that second $500 million credit line agreed on principle by the EXIM Bank of India is expected to kick into the country from the 2nd week of this month.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte at Hydepark on Ada Derana 24, the minister added that the bulk of the country's fuel bill for the month of June, which amounts to $540 million, will be covered by the new Indian credit facility.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Pioneer in Astrobiology Professor Chandra Wickremasinghe believes that devoting a substantial amount of Sri Lanka’s GDP for research and development, especially into alternative energy sources, would help the island nation find long-term solutions to one of its major challenges at the moment.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on the current affairs programme At HydePark on Ada Derana 24 Professor. Wickremasinghe added that while encouraging innovative engineering, exploring pure science will greatly assist the country on many fronts.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
"HYDEPARK" A discussion of current society events and the business world.
Former Minister Navin Dissanayake With Indeewari Amuwatte
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, President's Counsel Saliya Pieris, says that no confidence motions and impeachment proceedings may not deliver the outcome that is expected by the demonstrating public, as constitutional grey areas may hamper such efforts.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte at HydePark on Ada Derana 24 today, the BASL President also warned that continued ignorance of the public's deep crisis of a lack of confidence in the country's institutions and leadership by parliament, needs to be changed soon before it leads to further instability.
Inviting in the Anonymous hacktivist group to engage in bringing down government infrastructure may not be a smart a move as people think, says cyber security consultant Asela Waidyalankara, who warns that the recent dump of Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment data by the group was a sign that not every hacker is a good one.
Also, joining Indeewari Amuwatte at HydePark on Ada Derana 24, was media analyst Nalaka Gunawardene who agrees with the threat assessment, but adds that there has never been a better time to consider embracing a strong data governance policy. Inviting in the Anonymous hacktivist group to engage in bringing down government infrastructure may not be a smart a move as people think, says cyber security consultant Asela Waidyalankara, who warns that the recent dump of Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment data by the group was a sign that not every hacker is a good one. Also, joining Indeewari Amuwatte at HydePark on Ada Derana 24, was media analyst Nalaka Gunawardene who agrees with the threat assessment, but adds that there has never been a better time to consider embracing a strong data governance policy.
Finance Minister Ali Sabry says that restructuring of Sri Lanka's debt should have been done at least two years ago, but by the time the government realised that home grown solutions were not plausible, it may have a been a bit too late. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte At HydePark on Ada Derana 24, the Finance Minister expressed confidence that Sri Lanka can pull through with hard reforms and a little international help, and added that the task doesn't only stop with the IMF, but with the effort of the general public as well.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Northern Province Governor Jeevan Thiagarajah says that sorting out Sri Lanka's Human Rights issue is something that can only be done through a domestic process, because outside entities else cannot deliver what the people need.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme At HydePark on Ada Derana 24, Governor Thiagarajah added that the battle is one that can only be fought with the proper facts on the table.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
The Sri Lankan government needs to come up with a package of reforms to present to the International Monetary Fund, and shouldn't expect to be able to argue the Central Bank's version of economic reality next month like they're used to here, says United National Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte At Hydepark on Ada Derana 24 tonight, the former Prime Minister likened Sri Lanka right now to a "drunk person" swinging between India, China, and others for assistance.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
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EXPERT PANEL OF INDUSTRIALISTS JOIN INDEEWARI AMUWATTE @HYDEPARK
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Economist Dr. Tissa Jayaweera is of the view that the answer to Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange woes lies with the exchange rate offered to the dollar by the Central bank at present.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme At HydePark on Ada Derana 24, Dr. Jayaweera called for the rupee to be floated, while also calling for an attitude change from the politicians as well the public.
EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Denis Chaibi says that the bloc will take up Sri Lanka’s imports’ restrictions with the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, as it is unfair for EU exporters, even though the island is experiencing its share of Forex troubles.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme At HydePark on Ada Derana 24, Chaibi noted that the point where the two sides’ opinion differs is the interpretation of the rules, with the EU adamant that the island should follow the due process by informing the WTO of its forex crisis, while Sri Lanka’s interpretation being to the contrary.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, Jayampathy Molligoda says “soil management is the name of the game”, as the island looks to mitigate the effects of decades long topsoil erosion at Tea Plantations and arrest the country’s decline in tea production.
During a discussion with Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme At HydePark on Ada Derana 24, Molligoda also mooted a mix of replanting and refilling, to maintain superior aroma and flavour profiles of tea.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
CHAIRMAN OF THE EXPORT DEVELOPMENT BOARD SURESH DE MEL TOUCHED ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS FROM SRI LANKA'S EXPORT PROSPECTS TO AN ATTITUDINAL CHANGE WHEN ENTERING NEW MARKETS, TOURISM AS WELL AS SME'S.
HIS VIEWS CAME DURING A CONVERSATION WITH INDEEWARI AMUWATTE AT HYDEPARK ON ADA DERANA 24.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs program @HydePark on Ada Derana 24 today, Executive Director of Walpola Rahula Institute of Buddhist Studies Ven. Galkande Dhammananda Thera called out all religious institutions in the country for having failed to ensure reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
The Thera also highlighted the urgent need to heal people's internal wounds, rather than focus on external issues.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
The Sri Lankan government needs to explain to the people the hard truths and lay out the harder decisions needed to be taken for the country to recover from its current economic hardships; such as weaning the country away from the vicious cycle of government subsidies of essential commodities. These were the sentiments expressed by three of Sri Lanka's top women business achievers in discussion with Indeewari Amuwatte today, on our current affairs program @HydePark on Ada Derana 24.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Dr. W. A. Wijewardena and Senior Professor of the Department of Economics at the University of Colombo, Athula Ranasinghe expressed views contrary to that of the Sri Lankan government, insisting that the island should turn to the International Monetary Fund for assistance, as a home-grown solutions have not worked. Their views came during a discussion with Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme At HydePark on Ada Derana 24.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Tourism stakeholders are calling for the extension of a credit line and a rescheduling of their debts, once the government's loan moratorium is lifted, so that hotel operators can deal with accumulated interest charges.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs program @HydePark on Ada Derana 24, past president of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators, Mahen Kariyawasam, and former president of the Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, Anura Lokuhetty, also called on the government to end the discrimination of the sector in terms of utility charges and some local authority tariffs.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Japan, Sanjiv Gunasekara, says that Sri Lanka needs to negotiate a comprehensive economic partnership with japan, focusing on key export products such as apparels and tea, if it is to move towards a better bilateral trade balance.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs program @HydePark on Ada Derana 24, Ambassador Gunasekara also announced the visit of Japan’s Marubeni Corporation representatives who are eyeing a $375 million wind power project in Mannar, in addition to solar projects as well.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal called on the country's private sectors to come forward and do their bit to resolve the island's Forex crisis, while a private sector expert revealed that more digitalisation efforts were expected in the budget 2022.
The Central Bank Governor was joined by Treasury Secretary S. R. Attygalle, Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Vish Govindasamy and Managing Partner of BDO Partners Sujeewa Rajapakse to discuss the budget 2022 with Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs programme At HydePark on Ada Derana 24.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
On our current affairs program at @HydePark on Ada Derana 24 with Indeewari Amuwatte tonight, we aired never before seen footage of the farewell message recorded by Easter attack leader Zahran Hashim and his followers, that may be able to answer a lot of questions in the public domain regarding the source of the group's funding.
Speaking on the program Prof. Rohan Gunaratna of the Institute of National Security Studies, explained that the footage shows Zahran clearly boasting of not having accepted funds from non-believers to carry out his deadly plan.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
World Bank Vice President for South Asia Hartwig Schafer says that Sri Lanka looks on track to achieve a projected 3% to 3.5% economic growth this year, and has shown very impressive gains in other areas as well, such as the human capital index, which is higher than both the global and regional averages.
Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs program @HydePark, Schafer also highlighted Sri Lanka's need for the island to do more work to ease any pressure points such as in preparing for an ageing demographic in the next 15 years, rapid digitalisation, and post pandemic recovery.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
Justice Minister Ali Sabry outlined his plans to amend the Prevention of Terrorism Act, that will include increased rights for detainees, such as greater access to courts hearings and more fairness in bail and detention provisions. Speaking to Indeewari Amuwatte on our current affairs program @HydePark on Ada Derana 24, the Justice Minister however added that the new Prevention of Terrorism Act will maintain a delicate balance between public freedom and national security.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා
EXPERTS DISCUSS CHILD VACCINATION CONCERNS WITH INDEEWARI AMUWATTE @HYDEPARK
With the rapid spread of vaccine misinformation causing undue stress and anxiety in society among parents these days, Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Surantha Perera, and Consultant Child Psychiatrist Dr. Miyuru Chandradasa joined Indeewari Amuwatte @HydePark on Ada Derana 24, to shed some light on the matter. With that, the two medical experts urged parents to avoid falling prey to unfounded claims circulating on social media, and to talk to their doctors about the safety of vaccines for their children.
Ada Derana | ශ්රී ලංකාවේ විශ්වසනීය හා ප්රමුඛතම පුවත් සපයන්නා